Solid state color pickup apparatus

Claim 2

A solid image pickup apparatus comprising a photosensitive means comprising photosensitive portion and photosensitive transfer portion for receiving a light including image informations and generating first signal charges in said photosensitive portion and second signal charges in said photosensitive transfer portion corresponding to said image informations, said photosensitive transfer portion transferring said first and second signal charges; drive control means for controlling the transference of said first and second signal charges in said photosensitive transfer portion; gate means for controlling the flow of said first signal charges of said photosensitive portion to said photosensitive transfer portion under transfer drive control, said gate means arranged between said photosensitive portion and said photosensitive transfer portion; and color filters on said photosensitive portion and on said photosensitive transfer portion , said color filter comprising at least first, second and third color filters.

Claim 3

The solid image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said photosensitive transfer portion is covered with said first color filter for generating first color signal charges among the three primary color or complementary color signal charges, and said photosensitive portion is covered with second and third color filters for generating said second and third color signal charges respectively.

Claim 4

The solid image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said photosensitive portion comprises photosensitive blocks each of which consists of plural light receiving elements vertically arranged and functioning as photoelectric converters, and wherein at least two light receiving elements of each photosensitive block are arranged in a pair, each pair being covered alternately with said second and third color filters along said each photosensitive block.

Claim 5

The solid image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 3, said two light receiving elements of said each pair are respectively assigned to the A-field and the B-field in the scanning operation to carry out Interlace scanning operation.

Claim 6

The solid image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising storage means for temporarily storing only said second signal charges produced in said photosensitive transfer portion, or both of said second signal charges and said first signal charges.

Claim 7

The solid image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 5, further comprising horizontal charge transfer means for outputting, at a predetermined synchronizing timing, the signal charges temporarily stored in said storage means and said first signal charges moved to said photosensitive transfer portion after said second signal charges is transferred to said storage means.

Claim 8

The solid image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said horizontal charge transfer means comprises a first horizontal transfer means for outputting said second and third color signal charges, said first horizontal transfer means arranged between both sides of said photosensitive means and said storage means, and a second horizontal transfer means for outputting said first color signal charges temporarily stored in said storage means, said second horizontal transfer means arranged at the other side of said storage means.

Claim 9

The solid image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the channel length in the transfer direction of said storage means is set shorter than that in the transfer direction of said photosensitive transfer portion and wherein the channel width in the transfer direction of said storage means is set greater than that of said photosensitive transfer portion.

Claim 10

The solid image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said horizontal charge transfer means comprises a horizontal shift register for transferring said first and said second signal charges stored in said storage means to the output side in series and there is provided switching means for switching signals equivalent to the signal charges outputted from said horizontal shift register to plural output terminals.

Claim 11

The solid image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said photosensitive portion is covered with said first color filter for generating first color signal charges among the three primary color or complementary color signal charges and said photosensitive transfer portion is covered with second and third color filters for generating second and third color signal charges respectively, all of said color filters being provided in a stripe arrangement.

Claim 12

The solid image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further comprising charge storage means for temporarily storing said second and third color signal charges, first horizontal transfer means for outputting said first color signal charges transferred to said photosensitive transfer portion, said first horizontal transfer means arranged between an output side of said photosensitive means and an input side of said storage means, and second and third horizontal transfer means for outputtintg said second and third color signal charges, said second and third horizontal transfer means arranged at an output side of said storage means.

Claim 13

The solid image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said first, second and third color filters comprises blue, red and green color filters respectively.

Claim 14

The solid image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising first storage means for temporarily storing said first color signal charges; second charge storage means for temporarily storing said first, second and third color signal charges? a first horizontal transfer means for outputting said first color signal charges stored in said first storage means, said first horizontal transfer means arranged at an output side of said first storage means; and a second horizontal transfer means for outputting said second and third color signal charges transferred to said photosensitive transfer portion, said second horizontal transfer means arranged between said first and second storage means; said first color signal charges being stored in said first storage means through said second storage means.

Claim 15

The solid image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising first storage means for temporarily storing said first color signal charges, first horizontal transfer means for outputting said first color signal charges stored in said first storage means, said first horizontal transfer means arranged between both sides of said photosensitive portion and said first storage means; second storage means for temporarily storing said second color signal charges transferred to said photosensitive transfer portion, said second storage means arranged opposite to said first storage mans; second horizontal means for outputting said second color signal charges stored in said second storage means, said second horizontal means arranged at one side of said second storage means; and third horizontal means for outputting said third color signal charges transferred to said photosensitive transfer portion,' said third horizontal transfer means arranged between the other sides of said photosensitive means and said second storage means.

Claim 16

The solid image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein all of said color filters are provided vertically in a stripe arrangement, said first color filter corresponding to a long wavelength light among the three primary colors or complementary colors.

Claim 17

The solid image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein said gate means for controlling the transferences of said second and third color signal charges to said photosensitive transfer portion is controlled by different voltages in level from each other.

Claim 18

The solid image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said drive control means comprises polysilicone electrodes.

Claim 19

The solid image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein at least a color filter corresponding to a short wavelength light among three primary color or complementary color filters covers said photosensitive portion and wherein the surfaces of picture elements of said photosensitive portion are not covered with said polysilicone electrodes to have completely opened windows.

Claim 20

The solid image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein said polysilicone electrodes are Virtual phase charge-coupled device(VPCCD) type electrodes, said VPCCD electrodes being driven by the single-phase.

Claim 21

The solid image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said photosensitive portion is provided with the vertical or transverse overflow drains and said photosensitive transfer means is provided with the transverse overflow drains along said photosensitive transfer means through an overflow control gate, thereby to suppress blooming phenomenon in said photosensitive portion and said photosensitive transfer portion.

Claim 22

The solid image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein bias alternating current is applied to and superposed on one of the two electrodes forming potential barriers in each four electrodes for transferring signal charges of said polysilicone electrodes, thereby to erase excessive charges produced on said photosensitive transfer portion by means of the surface recombination of the excessive charges.

Claim 23

The solid image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim l, further comprising shading means for causing said photosensitive portion and said photosensitive transfer portion to be saturated with the same quality of light.

Claim 24

The solid image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein said shading means is arranged between said photosensitive means and said color filters.

Claim 25

The solid iamge pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein said shading means is arranged on said color filters disposed on the surfaces of said photosensitive means.

Claim 26

The solid image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 23 or 24, wherein said shading means comprises any one of light reflecting material and light impermeable material.

Claim 27

The solid image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein said light reflecting material is aluminum.

Claim 28

A process for reading out signal charges from a solid image pickup element, in the form of a frame interline transfer type solid pickup element containable in a camera, comprising photosensitive means comprising photosensitive portion for generating first and second color signal charges and photosensitive transfer portion for generating third color signal charges and transferring said first and second color signal charges, first horizontal charge transfer means, storage means and second horizontal charge transfer means attached to said storage means, wherein two (e.g., R and B) out of the three primary color signals are formed in said photosensitive portion, wherein the remaining one (e.g., G) color signal is formed in said photosensitive transfer poriton and wherein a shutter is usable to cut off incident light, said process comprising the steps of: transferring, at high speed, said third color signal charges formed in said photosensitive transfer portion to said charge storage means during exposure resulting from the opening of said shutter; forming the further third color signal charges in said photosensitive transfer portion by continuously effecting the exposure; closing said shutter; alternately reading out and recording said further third color signal charges from said photosensitive transfer means through said first horizontal charge transfer means and said first color signal charges from said storage means through said second horizontal charge transfer means; transferring said first color signal charges from said photosensitive portion to said photosensistive transfer portion;' transferring said first color signal charges from said photosensitive transfer portion to said storage means at high speed, transferring said second color signal charges from the photosensitive portion to said photosensitsive transfer portion; alternately reading out, said second color signal charges from said photosensitive transfer portion through said first horizontal charge transfer means and said first color signal charges from said storage means through said second horizontal charge transfer means; and recording said first, second and third color signal charges.

Claim 29

A process for reading out signal charges from a solid image pickup element, in the form of a frame interline transfer type solid pickup element containable in a camera, comprising photosensitive means comprising photosensitive portion for generating first and second color signal charges and photosensitive transfer portion for generating third color signal charges and transferring said first and second color signal charges, first horizontal charge transfer means, storage means and second horizontal charge transfer means attached to said storage means, wherein two (e.g., R and B) out of the three primary color signals are formed in said photosensitive portion, wherein the remaining one (e.g., G) color signal is formed in said photosensitive transfer poriton and wherein a shutter is usable to cut off incident light, said process comprising the steps of: transferring, at high speed, said third color signal charges formed in said photosensitive transfer portion to said charge storage means during exposure resulting from the opening of said shutter; forming the further third color signal charges in said photosensitive transfer portion by continuously effecting the exposure; closing said shutter; alternately reading out and recording said further third color signal charges from said photosensitive transfer means through said first horizontal charge transfer means and said first color signal charges from said storage means through said second horizontal charge transfer means; transferring said first color signal charges from said photosensitive portion to said photosensistive transfer portion;' transferring said first color signal charges from said photosensitive transfer portion to said storage means at high speed, transferring said second color signal charges from the photosensitive portion to said photosensitsive transfer portion; alternately reading out, said second color signal charges from said photosensitive transfer portion through said first horizontal charge transfer means and said first color signal charges from said storage means through said second horizontal charge transfer means; and recording said first, second and third color signal charges.

Claim 30

An electronic still camera comprising: a solid pickup element having color filters for picking up an image of an object to generate color image signals in facial sequence; recording means for recording said color image signals in recording areas corresponding to said respective color image signals in accordance with the facial sequence; and playback means for simultaneously playing back color image signals recorded in said respective recording areas of said recording means.

Claim 31

An electronic still camera comprising: a solid pickup element having color filters for picking up an image of an object to generate color image signals in facial sequence; recording means for recording said color image signals in recording areas corresponding to said respective color image signals in accordance with the facial sequence; and playback means for simultaneously playing back color image signals recorded in said respective recording areas of said recording means.

Claim 32

An electronic still camera as claimed in claim 28, wherein said solid pickup element is formed of an interline transfer type solid pickup element which comprises vertical transfer CCDs simultaneously used as a photosensitive zone, photoelectric conversion elements, first microcolor filters having first color arranged on said vertical transfer CCDs, and second and third microcolor filters having second and third colors, respectively, which are alternately vertically arranged on said photoelectric conversion elements correspodingly.

Claim 33

An electronic still camera as claimed in claim 29, wherein said first, second and third colors are red(R), green(G) and blue(B), respectively.

Claim 34

An electronic still camera as claimed in claim 28, wherein said recording means comprises a magnetic disk with a plurality of tracks thereon and three channel heads for causing said color image signals from said solid pickup element to sequentially be recorded on predetermined three tracks of said magnetic disk corresponding to each of said color image signals, said three channel heads causing said color image signals recorded in said magnetic disk to simultaneously be played back.

Claim 35

An electronic still camera as claimed in claim 28, wherein said recording means comprises frame memories corresponding to each of said color image signals for sequentially recording said color image signals from said solid pickup element to simultaneously produce the recorded color image signals at the time of playback.

Claim 36

A process for recording static images comprising the steps of: picking up an image of an object by a solid pickup element; producing R, G and B facial sequential color signals from said solid pickup element; sequentially recording said R, G and B facial sequential color signals in predetermined areas other than standard recording areas of a rotary magnetic disk on a three channel basis; simultaneously replaying and processing the signals recorded in said predetermined area to obtain color difference and luminance signals; frequency-modulating said color difference and luminance signals; and recording frequency-modulated signals in said standard recording areas of said rotary magnetic diskcagain.

Claim 37

A process for recording static images comprising the steps of: picking up an image of an object by a solid pickup element; producing R, G and B facial sequential color signals from said solid pickup element; sequentially recording said R, G and B facial sequential color signals in predetermined areas other than standard recording areas of a rotary magnetic disk on a three channel basis; simultaneously replaying and processing the signals recorded in said predetermined area to obtain color difference and luminance signals; frequency-modulating said color difference and luminance signals; and recording frequency-modulated signals in said standard recording areas of said rotary magnetic diskcagain.

Claim 38

An electronic still camera comprising: a solid pickup element for picking up an image of an object to output image signals in facial sequence; a sample holding circuit for sample holding said image signals produced in facial sequence; an A/D conversion circuit for digitally converting signals generated by said sample holding circuit; a frame memory for temporarily storing digitally converted signals on a field basis in accordance with the facial sequence; a D/A conversion circuit for simultaneously converting a plurality of field signals generated by said frame memory into an analog form; a RBG processing circuit for forming luminance and color difference signals based on analog signals generated by said D/A conversion circuit; and a magnetic recording medium for recording said luminance and color difference signals through magnetic heads.

Claim 39

An electronic still camera comprising: a solid pickup element for picking up an image of an object to output image signals in facial sequence; a sample holding circuit for sample holding said image signals produced in facial sequence; an A/D conversion circuit for digitally converting signals generated by said sample holding circuit; a frame memory for temporarily storing digitally converted signals on a field basis in accordance with the facial sequence; a D/A conversion circuit for simultaneously converting a plurality of field signals generated by said frame memory into an analog form; a RBG processing circuit for forming luminance and color difference signals based on analog signals generated by said D/A conversion circuit; and a magnetic recording medium for recording said luminance and color difference signals through magnetic heads.

Claim 40

An electronic still camera as claimed in claim 33, further comprising a circuit for combining said luminance and color difference signals to generate composite color image signals in a NTSC system.

Claim 41

An electronic still camera comprising: a solid pickup element for picking up an image of an object to generate image signals in facial sequence; a sample holding circuit for sample holding said image signals produced in facial sequence; an A/D conversion circuit for digitally converting signals generated by said sample holding circuit; a frame memory for temperarily storing signals digitally converted on a field basis in accordance with the facial sequence; a digital signal processor for simultaneously reading out field signals generated by said frame memory to process said field signals into signals having a predetermined format; and an IC card including a semiconductor chip for digitally recording signals generated by said digital signal processor.

Claim 42

An electronic still camera comprising: a solid pickup element for picking up an image of an object to generate image signals in facial sequence; a sample holding circuit for sample holding said image signals produced in facial sequence; an A/D conversion circuit for digitally converting signals generated by said sample holding circuit; a frame memory for temperarily storing signals digitally converted on a field basis in accordance with the facial sequence; a digital signal processor for simultaneously reading out field signals generated by said frame memory to process said field signals into signals having a predetermined format; and an IC card including a semiconductor chip for digitally recording signals generated by said digital signal processor.