Image pickup apparatus having a mask for defining the extent of the image to be reproduced

Claim 2

An image pickup apparatus comprising: means for receiving an image on a focal plane; linear image sensor means adjacent said focal plane for detecting said image and providing image pickup signals representative thereof; motor means for driving said linear image sensor means to scan said image on said focal plane; converter means for providing binary data as a function of said image pickup signals; scale factor setting means for setting a desired output scale factor for said binary data; clock means responsive to said scale factor setting means for producing a clock signal with a frequency proportional to said scale factor; data holding means including a plurality of signal holding stages responsive to said binary data and said clock signal for sequentially receiving and holding said binary data; variable speed means responsive to said scale factor setting means for controlling the speed of said motor means as a function of said output scale factor; and masking means arranged to be positioned over said focal plane to thereby determine the scope of the image to be picked up by said apparatus.

Claim 3

An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising pickup scope limiting means provided for said linear image sensor means, said scale factor setting means being arranged to operate in response to said pickup scope limiting means so that said scale factor setting means sets said scale factor in inverse proportion to a change in the pickup scope.

Claim 4

An image pickup apparatus comprising: lens means for viewing an image; viewfinder means for monitoring an image taken in through said lens means by natural and incoherent light; linear image sensor means for scanning and detecting said image, arranged to be driven along a focal lane of said image; masking means arranged to be positioned over said focal plane to thereby determine the scope of the image to be picked up by said apparatus, the scope of said masking means being changed as desired by an operator; means for receiving an image through said lens on said focal plane; means in said linear image sensor means for providing image pickup signals representative thereof; motor means for driving said linear image sensor means to scan said image on said focal plane; converter means for providing binary data as a function of said image pickup signals; scale factor setting means for setting a desired output scale factor for said binary data as a function of said scope as determined by said masking means; clock means responsive to said scale factor setting means for providing a clock signal with a frequency proportional to said scale factor; data holding means including a plurality of signal holding stages responsive to said binary data and said clock signal for sequentially receiving and holding said binary data; variable speed means responsive to said scale factor setting means for controlling the speed of said motor means as a function of said output scale factor; and reproducing means responsive to said data holding means for reproducing said image on a retainable record medium.

Claim 5

An image pickup apparatus comprising: lens means for viewing an image; viewfinder means for monitoring an image taken in through said lens means by natural and incoherent light; linear image sensor means for scanning and detecting said image, arranged to be driven along a focal lane of said image; masking means arranged to be positioned over said focal plane to thereby determine the scope of the image to be picked up by said apparatus, the scope of said masking means being changed as desired by an operator; means for receiving an image through said lens on said focal plane; means in said linear image sensor means for providing image pickup signals representative thereof; motor means for driving said linear image sensor means to scan said image on said focal plane; converter means for providing binary data as a function of said image pickup signals; scale factor setting means for setting a desired output scale factor for said binary data as a function of said scope as determined by said masking means; clock means responsive to said scale factor setting means for providing a clock signal with a frequency proportional to said scale factor; data holding means including a plurality of signal holding stages responsive to said binary data and said clock signal for sequentially receiving and holding said binary data; variable speed means responsive to said scale factor setting means for controlling the speed of said motor means as a function of said output scale factor; and reproducing means responsive to said data holding means for reproducing said image on a retainable record medium.

Claim 6

The image pickup apparatus of claim 3, wherein said reproducing means comprises a printer and said retainable record medium comprises a printable web.

Claim 7

The image sensing apparatus of claim 3, which further comprises: columnar light source means disposed opposite to and for illuminating said linear image sensor means through at least a portion of said masking means in an initial position of said image sensor means prior to scanning said image; said linear image sensor means including a plurality of picture elements disposed thereon to define a scanning line of maximum extent for scanning a maximum area on said focal plane and providing outputs representative of portions of said image; means for establishing a threshold value for said outputs of said linear image sensing means; and effective area judging means responsive to said outputs for determining which of said outputs exceed said threshold value when said linear image sensor means is in its initial illuminated position to establish an extent of the area of said image to be scanned consistent with the scope thereof as determined by said masking means.

Claim 8

The image sensing apparatus of claim 5, wherein said masking means comprises: vertical area defining means for masking a defined vertical image area to be picked in said focal plane and selectively masking said linear image sensor means from said columnar light source means at said initial position to define active picture elements correlated with said defined vertical image area; and horizontal area defining means for masking a defined horizontal image area superimposed on said defined vertical image area on said focal plane to define the effective area to be scanned by said linear image sensor means.

Claim 9

The image sensing apparatus of claim 6, wherein said horizontal area defining means further comprises position sensing means responsive to the maximum scanning position of said linear image sensor means to provide a position signal representative of a completed scan of said effective area thereby; and said effective area judging means includes means responsive to said position signal to establish another extent of the area of said image to be scanned consistent with the scope thereof as determined by said masking means.

Claim 10

An image pickup apparatus according to claim 7, in which said masking means includes a pair of masking members arranged to be slidable in the direction of movement of said linear image sensor and in opposition to each other, one of said pair of masking members being located on the same side of said effective area as said initial position of said linear image sensor and being provided with a position sensor positioned at an edge of said effective area.