Patent EP0501723A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0501723A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Image sensing apparatus provided with a plurality of automatic adjustments using common signal paths
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1992-02-24
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-02-24
Abstract
Abstract An image sensing apparatus includes: a signal processing circuit (10) for processing image sensing signals; a plurality of adjustment signal generating circuits (123,124,125) for generating mutually different signals for automatic adjustment by using part of the signals of the signal processing circuit; an interface (1269 for inputting the output of the plurality of adjustment signal generating circuits and outputting it through a common signal path; and a control microprocessor (12) for adjusting a plurality of adjusting sections, like autofocussing, automatic exposure and/or automatic white balance, of the image sensing apparatus by using the output of the plurality of adjustment signal generating circuits output through the common signal path, wherein adjustment of the plurality of adjusting sections of the image sensing apparatus using the output of the plurality of adjustment signal generating circuits is effected with a reduced number of signal paths between the plurality of adjustment signal generating circuits and the control microprocessor, thereby simplifying the circuit construction of the image sensing apparatus as a whole and improving the reliability thereof.
Inventors
- 👤 Teruo C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Hieda
- 👤 Shinji c/o Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Sakai
- 👤 Makoto C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Shimokoriyama
- 👤 Tsutomu c/o Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Fukatsu
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 11:53
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N23/00; H04N23/70; H04N23/60; H04N23/665; H04N23/67; H04N23/673; H04N23/71; H04N23/80; H04N23/84; H04N23/88
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
93 words
An image sensing apparatus comprising: signal processing means for processing image sensing signals; a plurality of adjustment signal generating means for generating mutually different signals for automatic adjustment by using part of signals of said signal processing means; interface means for inputting an output of said plurality of adjustment signal generating means and outputting it through a common signal path; and control means for adjusting a plurality of adjusting sections of said image sensing apparatus by using the output of said plurality of adjustment signal generating means output through said common signal path.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
28 words
An image sensing apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said signal processing means, said adjustment signal generating means and said interface means are integrated on a common semiconductor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
An image sensing apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said adjustment signal generating means generates signals for automatic focusing.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
An image sensing apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said adjustment signal generating means generates signals for automatic exposure adjustment.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
An image sensing apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said adjustment signal generating means generates signals for automatic white balance adjustment.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
80 words
An image sensing apparatus comprising: signal processing means for processing image sensing signals; a plurality of adjustment signal generating means for generating mutually different signals for automatic adjustment by using part of signals of said signal processing means; and interface means for inputting an output of said plurality of adjustment signal generating means and outputting it through a common signal path, said signal processing means, said adjustment signal generating means and said interface means being integrated on a common semiconductor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
An image sensing apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein said adjustment signal generating means covers at least one of the following operations: automatic focusing, automatic iris adjustment and automatic white balance adjustment.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
An image sensing apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein said interface means converts signals of said adjustment signal generating means to a common arithmetic-processing form.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
An image sensing apparatus according to Claim 8, wherein said automatic focusing, said automatic iris adjustment and said automatic white balance adjustment are executed serially.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
93 words
An image sensing apparatus comprising: (A) image sensing means; (B) extraction means for extracting predetermined signal components from image sensing signals output from said image sensing means to obtain a plurality of parameters for controlling an image sensing operation; and (C) arithmetic processing means for computing control values on the basis of the plurality of parameters output from said extraction means; and (D) interface means comprising preprocessing means adapted to convert said plurality of parameters to a form allowing arithmetic processing by said arithmetic processing means and mounted on a common integrated circuit.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
An image sensing apparatus according to Claim 10, wherein said plurality of parameters are parameters for performing automatic focusing, automatic iris adjustment and automatic white balance adjustment.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
An image sensing apparatus according to Claim 10, wherein said extraction means and said interface means are mounted on said common integrated circuit.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
An image sensing apparatus according to Claim 10, wherein said interface means supplies an output from said preprocessing means to said arithmetic processing means by means of a common bus.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
An image sensing apparatus according to Claim 10, wherein said interface means supplies an output from said preprocessing means to said arithmetic processing means within a vertical interval of said image sensing signals.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
An image sensing apparatus according to Claim 14, wherein said arithmetic processing means terminates the arithmetic processing of control values within a vertical interval on the basis of output signals supplied from said interface means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
66 words
A signal processing circuit for video cameras, comprising: (A) an extraction circuit for extracting a plurality of control parameters from image sensing signals output from image sensing means; (B) a data conversion circuit for converting saidplurality of control parameters extracted by said extraction circuit to predetermined signal forms; and (C) an output circuit for outputting an output from said data conversion circuit to a common bus.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
36 words
A signal processing circuit according to Claim 16, further comprising a common arithmetic processing circuit for performing arithmetic processing serially on data output from said output circuit to generate control values corresponding to said control parameters.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
A signal processing circuit according to Claim 17, further comprising an adjustment circuit for adjusting an image sensing operation in accordance with output control values of said arithmetic processing circuit.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
A signal processing circuit according to Claim 18, wherein said adjustment circuit covers automatic focusing, automatic iris adjustment and automatic white balance adjustment.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
A signal processing circuit according to Claim 16, wherein said extraction circuit, said data conversion circuit and said output circuit are mounted on a common semiconductor integrated circuit.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
33 words
A camera control circuit comprising image sensing arrangements and camera control devices, an integrated signal processing circuit, and a relatively low speed microprocessor, microcomputer or microcontroller unit coupled to the signal processing circuit.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
39 words
A camera control unit comprising a high speed signal processor and a low speed microprocessor coupled to the signal processor, the signal processor performing the image processing and camera adjustment calculations and the microprocessor effecting relatively low speed control.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
28 words
A digital signal processing circuit interface for video cameras, the interface being arranged to perform image processing and camera adjustment calculations, and to interface with a control unit.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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