The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 24, 2003
Filed:
Feb. 08, 1999
Hideyuki Fujiwara, Yokohama, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
Provided is an image input apparatus in which changeover between sensing and transfer of low-resolution images such as moving images and high-resolution images such as still images can be performed smoothly during image sensing and data transfer operations. The apparatus includes an image signal generating circuit for sensing the image of a subject and generating an image signal indicative thereof; a data transfer circuit for transferring the image signal generated by the image signal generating circuit to an external device via a prescribed communications interface, the data transfer means having a first transfer mode in which there can be assured a fixed transfer rate but with no guarantee of data, and a second transfer mode in which data is guaranteed but transfer rate is not; and a control circuit for controlling the data transfer circuit so as to perform image transfer in the first transfer mode in a case where the image signal generating circuit generates a low-resolution image signal and in the second transfer mode in a case where the image signal generating circuit generates a high-resolution image signal.