Image pick-up system

Claim 2

A radiation sensing system comprising: (A) accumulation type radiation sensing means which produces an electrical output corresponding to the accumulation of received radiation over a controlled accumulation time; (B) processing means for processing the output of said sensing means, said processing means having a variable gain element; (C) intensity detecting means for detecting the intensity of said radiation received by said sensing means, said intensity detecting means producing an electrical output indicative of the detected radiation intensity; (D) control means for controlling the accumulation time of said sensing means and said variable gain element in said processing means on the basis of the output of said intensity detecting means; dark current detecting means for detecting the level of a dark current generated in said sensing means, said dark current detecting means producing an electrical output indicative of the detected dark current level; and limit means for controlling, on the basis of the output of said dark current detecting means, the upper limit of the controllable accumulation time of said control means.

Claim 3

A radiation sensing system comprising: (A) accumulation type radiation sensing means which produces an electrical output corresponding to the accumulation of received radiation over a controlled accumulation time; (B) processing means for processing the output of said sensing means, said processing means having a variable gain element; (C) intensity detecting means for detecting the intensity of said radiation received by said sensing means, said intensity detecting means producing an electrical output indicative of the detected radiation intensity; (D) control means for controlling the accumulation time of said sensing means and said variable gain element in said processing means on the basis of the output of said intensity detecting means; temperature detecting means for detecting the ambient temperature, said temperature detecting means producing an electrical output indicative of the detected ambient temperature; and limit means for controlling, on the basis of the output of said temperature detecting means, the upper limit of the controllable accumulation time of said control means.

Claim 4

A radiation sensing system comprising: (A) accumulation type radiation sensing means which produces an electrical output corresponding to the accumulation of received radiation over a controlled accumulation time; (B) processing means for processing the output of said sensing means, said processing means having a variable gain element; (C) intensity detecting means for detecting the intensity of said radiation received by said sensing means, said intensity detecting means producing an electrical output indicative of the detected radiation intensity; (D) control means for controlling the accumulation time of said sensing means and said variable gain element in said processing means on the basis of the output of said intensity detecting means; temperature detecting means for detecting the ambient temperature, said temperature detecting means producing an electrical output indicative of the detected ambient temperature; and limit means for controlling, on the basis of the output of said temperature detecting means, the upper limit of the controllable accumulation time of said control means.

Claim 5

A radiation sensing system comprising: (A) accumulation type radiation sensing means which produces an electrical output corresponding to the accumulation of received radiation over a controlled accumulation time; (B) processing means for processing the output of said sensing means, said processing means having a variable gain element; (C) intensity detecting means for detecting the intensity of said radiation received by said sensing means, said intensity detecting means producing an electrical output indicative of the detected radiation intensity; (D) control means for controlling the accumulation time of said sensing means and said variable gain element in said processing means on the basis of the output of said intensity detecting means; wherein said control means has a plurality of predetermined accumulation time and gain control programs different in the controllable longest accumulation time and controls the accumulation time and the variable gain element according to selected one of said programs; dark current detecting means for detecting the level of a dark current generated in said sensing means, said dark current detecting means producing an electrical output indicative of the detected dark current level; and selection means for selecting one of said programs in said control means on the basis of the output of said dark current detecting means.

Claim 6

A radiation sensing system comprising: (A) accumulation type radiation sensing means which produces an electrical output corresponding to the accumulation of received radiation over a controlled accumulation time; (B) processing means for processing the output of said sensing means, said processing means having a variable gain element; (C) intensity detecting means for detecting the intensity of said radiation received by said sensing means, said intensity detecting means producing an electrical output indicative of the detected radiation intensity; (D) control means for controlling the accumulation time of said sensing means and said variable gain element in said processing means on the basis of the output of said intensity detecting means; wherein said control means has a plurality of predetermined accumulation time and gain control programs different in the controllable longest accumulation time and controls the accumulation time and the variable gain element according to selected one of said programs; dark current detecting means for detecting the level of a dark current generated in said sensing means, said dark current detecting means producing an electrical output indicative of the detected dark current level; and selection means for selecting one of said programs in said control means on the basis of the output of said dark current detecting means.

Claim 7

A radiation sensing system comprising: (A) accumulation type radiation sensing means which produces an electrical output corresponding to the accumulation of received radiation over a controlled accumulation time; (B) processing means for processing the output of said sensing means, said processing means having a variable gain element; (C) intensity detecting means for detecting the intensity of said radiation received by said sensing means, said intensity detecting means producing an electrical output indicative of the detected radiation intensity; (D) control means for controlling the accumulation time of said sensing means and said variable gain element in said processing means on the basis of the output of said intensity detecting means; wherein said control means has a plurality of predetermined accumulation time and gain control programs different in the controllable longest accumulation time and controls the accumulation time and the variable gain element according to selected one of said programs; temperature detecting means for detecting the ambient temperature, said temperature detecting means producing an electrical output indicative of the detected ambient temperature; and selection means for selecting one of said programs in said control means on the basis of the output of said temperature detecting means.

Claim 8

A radiation sensing system comprising: (A) accumulation type radiation sensing means which produces an electrical output corresponding to the accumulation of received radiation over a controlled accumulation time; (B) processing means for processing the output of said sensing means, said processing means having a variable gain element; (C) intensity detecting means for detecting the intensity of said radiation received by said sensing means, said intensity detecting means producing an electrical output indicative of the detected radiation intensity; (D) control means for controlling the accumulation time of said sensing means and said variable gain element in said processing means on the basis of the output of said intensity detecting means; wherein said control means has a plurality of predetermined accumulation time and gain control programs different in the controllable longest accumulation time and controls the accumulation time and the variable gain element according to selected one of said programs; temperature detecting means for detecting the ambient temperature, said temperature detecting means producing an electrical output indicative of the detected ambient temperature; and selection means for selecting one of said programs in said control means on the basis of the output of said temperature detecting means.

Claim 9

The system according to claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4, wherein said intensity detecting means includes a radiation responsive element arranged to receive said radiation and producing an electrical signal indicative of the intensity of the received radiation.

Claim 10

The system according to claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4, wherein said intensity detecting means includes a detecting circuit for detecting the level of the output of said sensing means, said circuit producing an electrical signal which indicates the intensity of the radiation received by the sensing means.

Claim 11

A radiation sensing system comprising: (A) accumulation type radiation sensing means which produces an electrical output corresponding to the accumulation of a received radiation over a controlled accumulation time; (B) intensity detecting means for detecting the intensity of said radiation received by said sensing means, said intensity detecting means producing an electrical output indicative of the detected radiation intensity; (C) control means for controlling the accumulation time of said sensing means on the basis of the output of said intensity detecting means; (D) dark current detecting means for detecting the level of a dark current generated in said sensing means, said dark current detecting means producing an electrical output indicative of the detected dark current level; and (E) limit means for controlling, on the basis of the output of said dark current detecting means, the upper limit of the controllable accumulation time of said control means.

Claim 12

A radiation sensing system comprising: (A) accumulation type radiation sensing means which produces an electrical output corresponding to the accumulation of a received radiation over a controlled accumulation time; (B) intensity detecting means for detecting the intensity of said radiation received by said sensing means, said intensity detecting means producing an electrical output indicative of the detected radiation intensity; (C) control means for controlling the accumulation time of said sensing means on the basis of the output of said intensity detecting means; (D) dark current detecting means for detecting the level of a dark current generated in said sensing means, said dark current detecting means producing an electrical output indicative of the detected dark current level; and (E) limit means for controlling, on the basis of the output of said dark current detecting means, the upper limit of the controllable accumulation time of said control means.

Claim 13

The system according to claim 7, wherein said limit means is arranged to limit the controllable longest accumulation time of said control means to a shorter time as the level of the dark current increases.

Claim 14

A radiation sensing system comprising: (A) accumulation type radiation sensing means which produces an electrical output corresponding to the accumulation of a received radiation over a controlled accumulation time; (B) intensity detecting means for detecting the intensity of said radiation received by said sensing means, said intensity detecting means producing an electrical output indicative of the detected radiation intensity; (C) control means for controlling the accumulation time of said sensing means on the basis of the output of said intensity detecting means; (D) temperature detecting means for detecting the ambient temperature, said temperature detecting means producing an electrical output indicative of the detected ambient temperature; and (E) limit means for controlling, on the basis of the output of said temperature detecting means, the upper limit of the controllable accumulation time of said control means.

Claim 15

A radiation sensing system comprising: (A) accumulation type radiation sensing means which produces an electrical output corresponding to the accumulation of a received radiation over a controlled accumulation time; (B) intensity detecting means for detecting the intensity of said radiation received by said sensing means, said intensity detecting means producing an electrical output indicative of the detected radiation intensity; (C) control means for controlling the accumulation time of said sensing means on the basis of the output of said intensity detecting means; (D) temperature detecting means for detecting the ambient temperature, said temperature detecting means producing an electrical output indicative of the detected ambient temperature; and (E) limit means for controlling, on the basis of the output of said temperature detecting means, the upper limit of the controllable accumulation time of said control means.

Claim 16

The system according to claim 9, wherein said limit means is arranged to limit the controllable longest accumulation time of said control means to a shorter time as the ambient temperature becomes high.

Claim 17

An image pick-up system comprising: (a) accumulation type image pick-up means which produces an electrical signal corresponding to the accumulation of received image light; (b) brightness detecting means for detecting the brightness of an image; (c) control means for controlling the amount of the electrical signal formed at said image pick-up means in dependence upon the output of said brightness detecting means; (d) dark current detecting means for detecting the level of a dark current generated at said image pick-up means; and (e) changing means for changing the control condition of said control means on the basis of the output of said dark current detecting means.

Claim 18

An image pick-up system comprising: (a) accumulation type image pick-up means which produces an electrical signal corresponding to the accumulation of received image light; (b) brightness detecting means for detecting the brightness of an image; (c) control means for controlling the amount of the electrical signal formed at said image pick-up means in dependence upon the output of said brightness detecting means; (d) dark current detecting means for detecting the level of a dark current generated at said image pick-up means; and (e) changing means for changing the control condition of said control means on the basis of the output of said dark current detecting means.

Claim 19

An image pick-up system according to claim 11, wherein said brightness detecting means includes light receiving means other than said image pick-up means.

Claim 20

An image pick-up system according to claim 11, wherein said brightness detecting means includes means for processing the output of said image pick-up means.

Claim 21

An image pick-up system according to claim 11, wherein said control means controls the amount of the electrical signal formed at said image pick-up means by controlling the accumulation period of said image pick-up means.

Claim 22

An image pick-up system according to claim 11, further comprising processing means for processing the output of said image pick-up means, wherein said processing means is provided with a variable gain element.

Claim 23

An image pick-up system according to claim 15, wherein said control means controls the amount of the electrical signal formed at said image pick-up means by controlling the gain of said processing means.

Claim 24

An image pick-up system according to claim 11, wherein said changing means changes the operation limits of said control means in dependence upon the output of said dark current detecting means.

Claim 25

An image pick-up system comprising: (a) accumulation type image pick-up means which produces an electrical signal corresponding to the accumulation of received image light; (b) brightness detecting means for detecting the brightness of an image; (c) control means for controlling the amount of the electrical signal formed at said image pick-up means in dependence upon the output of said brightness detecting means; (d) temperature detecting means for detecting the ambient temperature; (e) changing means for changing the control condition of said control means on the basis of the output of said temperature detecting means.

Claim 26

An image pick-up system comprising: (a) accumulation type image pick-up means which produces an electrical signal corresponding to the accumulation of received image light; (b) brightness detecting means for detecting the brightness of an image; (c) control means for controlling the amount of the electrical signal formed at said image pick-up means in dependence upon the output of said brightness detecting means; (d) temperature detecting means for detecting the ambient temperature; (e) changing means for changing the control condition of said control means on the basis of the output of said temperature detecting means.

Claim 27

An image pick-up system according to claim 18 wherein said brightness detecting means includes light receiving means other than said image pick-up means.

Claim 28

An image pick-up system according to claim 18, wherein said brightness detecting means includes means for processing the output of said image pick-up means.

Claim 29

An image pick-up system according to claim 18, wherein said control means controls the amount of the electrical signal formed at said image pick-up means by controlling the accumulation period of said image pick-up means.

Claim 30

An image pick-up system according to claim 18, further comprising processing means for processing the output of said image pick-up means, wherein said processing means is provided with a variable gain element.

Claim 31

An image pick-up system according to claim 22, wherein said control means controls the amount of the electrical signal formed at said image pick-up means by controlling the gain of said processing means.

Claim 32

An image pick-up system according to claim 18, wherein said changing means change the operation limits of said control means in dependence upon the output of said temperature detecting means.