Image pickup control method and image pickup device

Claim 2

An image pickup device equipped with image pickup means which photoelectrically converts an image, formed through a lens, into an image signal and outputs it, and operable in a plurality of image pickup modes, comprising: an image pickup control section for calculating image pickup control parameters regarding an image pickup and for controlling said image pickup means on the basis of the calculated image pickup control parameters; a system control section for controlling a switching between said plurality of image pickup modes; and an image pickup control parameter holding/correcting section for, in accordance with the switching control between said image pickup modes made by said system control section, holding said image pickup control parameters, wherein said system control section controls the switching to supply a drive signal having different frequencies to said image pickup means in accordance with image pickup modes, wherein said plurality of image pickup modes include a first mode for forming a first number of rows corresponding to a standard video signal, and a second mode for forming a second number of rows larger than said first number, and wherein said system control section corrects image pickup control parameters for said second mode based on at least an image pickup control parameter obtained using an output of said image pickup means in said first mode and the frequency change of said drive signal.

Claim 3

An image pickup device as defined in claim 1, wherein said plurality of image pickup modes include first and second image pickup modes, said first image pickup mode allowing a signal processing at a real time without requiring a memory, and said second image pickup mode requiring a memory for a signal process and not allowing a signal process to be effected at a real time.

Claim 4

An image pickup device equipped with image pickup means which photoelectrically converts an image, formed through a lens, into an image signal and outputs it, and operable in a plurality of image pickup modes, comprising: an image pickup control section for calculating image pickup control parameters regarding an image pickup and for controlling said image pickup means on the basis of the calculated image pickup control parameters; a system control section for controlling a switching between said plurality of image pickup modes; an image pickup control parameter holding/correcting section for, in accordance with the switching control between said image pickup modes made by said system control section, holding said image pickup control parameters; and an automatic still picture receiving section for, in response to an automatic still picture receiving instruction from said system control section, automatically performing the switching control between said image pickup modes in accordance with a predetermined still picture receiving sequence, and for controlling said image pickup control parameter holding section in accordance with the performed switching control, wherein said system control section controls the switching to supply a drive signal having different frequencies to said image pickup means in accordance with said image pickup modes, wherein said plurality of image pickup modes include a first mode for forming a first number of rows corresponding to a standard video signal, and a second mode for forming a second number of rows larger than said first number, and wherein said system control section corrects image pickup control parameters for said second mode based on at least an image pickup control parameter obtained using an output of said image pickup means in said first mode and the frequency change of said drive signal.

Claim 5

An image pickup device equipped with image pickup means which photoelectrically converts an image, formed through a lens, into an image signal and outputs it, and operable in a plurality of image pickup modes, comprising: an image pickup control section for calculating image pickup control parameters regarding an image pickup and for controlling said image pickup means on the basis of the calculated image pickup control parameters; a system control section for controlling a switching between said plurality of image pickup modes; an image pickup control parameter holding/correcting section for, in accordance with the switching control between said image pickup modes made by said system control section, holding said image pickup control parameters; and an automatic still picture receiving section for, in response to an automatic still picture receiving instruction from said system control section, automatically performing the switching control between said image pickup modes in accordance with a predetermined still picture receiving sequence, and for controlling said image pickup control parameter holding section in accordance with the performed switching control, wherein said system control section controls the switching to supply a drive signal having different frequencies to said image pickup means in accordance with said image pickup modes, wherein said plurality of image pickup modes include a first mode for forming a first number of rows corresponding to a standard video signal, and a second mode for forming a second number of rows larger than said first number, and wherein said system control section corrects image pickup control parameters for said second mode based on at least an image pickup control parameter obtained using an output of said image pickup means in said first mode and the frequency change of said drive signal.

Claim 6

An image pickup device as defined in claim 2, wherein said plurality of image pickup modes include first and second image pickup modes, said first image pickup mode allowing a signal processing at a real time without requiring a memory, and said second image pickup mode requiring a memory for a signal process and not allowing a signal process to be effected at a real time.

Claim 7

An image pickup device as defined in claim 4, wherein said first image pickup mode is employed for receiving an image at a resolution of a video signal, and said second image pickup mode is employed for receiving an image with a higher resolution than that of a video signal.

Claim 8

An image pickup method of using an image pickup device operable on the basis of different image pickup control parameters in a plurality of image pickup modes, comprising the steps of: calculating and holding a first image pickup control parameter to be used in a first image pickup mode; calculating and holding a second image pickup control parameter on the basis of said first image pickup control parameter; and selecting and using one of said first and second image pickup control parameters in accordance with an instruction representative of an image pickup mode, controlling switching between said plurality of image pickup modes to supply a drive signal having different frequencies in accordance with said image pickup modes, wherein said plurality of image pickup modes include a first mode for forming a first number of rows corresponding to a standard video signal, and a second mode for forming a second number of rows larger than said first number, and wherein said system control section corrects image pickup control parameters for said second mode based on at least an image pickup control parameter obtained using an output of image pickup means in said first mode and the frequency change of said drive signal.

Claim 9

An image pickup method of using an image pickup device operable on the basis of different image pickup control parameters in a plurality of image pickup modes, comprising the steps of: calculating and holding a first image pickup control parameter to be used in a first image pickup mode; calculating and holding a second image pickup control parameter on the basis of said first image pickup control parameter; and selecting and using one of said first and second image pickup control parameters in accordance with an instruction representative of an image pickup mode, controlling switching between said plurality of image pickup modes to supply a drive signal having different frequencies in accordance with said image pickup modes, wherein said plurality of image pickup modes include a first mode for forming a first number of rows corresponding to a standard video signal, and a second mode for forming a second number of rows larger than said first number, and wherein said system control section corrects image pickup control parameters for said second mode based on at least an image pickup control parameter obtained using an output of image pickup means in said first mode and the frequency change of said drive signal.

Claim 10

An image pickup method according to claim 6, where the calculation of said second image pickup control parameter is made as a correction of at least a part of said first image pickup control parameter.

Claim 11

An image pickup method according to claim 7, wherein said first image pickup mode is employed for receiving an image at a resolution of a video signal, and said second image pickup mode is employed for taking an image with a higher resolution than that of a video signal.

Claim 12

An image pickup method according to claim 8, wherein said correction is made by one of an aperture, a gain, an analog-to-digital conversion by which an exposure is reduced to half, and/or a combination thereof.

Claim 13

An image pickup method according to claim 9, wherein said correction further includes a correction of an exposure time.

Claim 14

An image pickup method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of: giving an instruction indicative of a procedure of switching said plurality of image pickup modes in a predetermined sequence; and selecting and using said first and second image pickup control parameters in accordance with said predetermined sequence.

Claim 15

An image pickup method according to claim 11, wherein said procedure includes an automatic still picture receiving operation, and said predetermined sequence includes a switching operation from said first image pickup mode to said second image pickup mode and an switching operation from said second image pickup mode to said first image pickup mode.

Claim 16

An image pickup device operable on the basis of different image pickup control parameters in a plurality of image pickup modes, comprising: first holding means for calculating and holding a first image pickup control parameter to be used in a first image pickup mode; second holding means for calculating and holding a second image pickup control parameter to be used in a second image pickup mode; image pickup mode control means for selecting and using one of said first and second image pickup control parameters in accordance with an instruction representative of an image pickup mode, and a system control section that controls a the switching between said plurality of image pickup modes to supply a drive signal having different frequencies to said image pickup mode control means in accordance with said image pickup modes, wherein said plurality of image pickup modes include a first mode for forming a first number of rows corresponding to a standard video signal, and a second mode for forming a second number of rows larger than said first number, and wherein said system control section corrects image pickup control parameters for said second mode based on at least an image pickup control parameter obtained using an output of image pickup mode control means in said first mode and the frequency change of said drive signal.

Claim 17

An image pickup device operable on the basis of different image pickup control parameters in a plurality of image pickup modes, comprising: first holding means for calculating and holding a first image pickup control parameter to be used in a first image pickup mode; second holding means for calculating and holding a second image pickup control parameter to be used in a second image pickup mode; image pickup mode control means for selecting and using one of said first and second image pickup control parameters in accordance with an instruction representative of an image pickup mode, and a system control section that controls a the switching between said plurality of image pickup modes to supply a drive signal having different frequencies to said image pickup mode control means in accordance with said image pickup modes, wherein said plurality of image pickup modes include a first mode for forming a first number of rows corresponding to a standard video signal, and a second mode for forming a second number of rows larger than said first number, and wherein said system control section corrects image pickup control parameters for said second mode based on at least an image pickup control parameter obtained using an output of image pickup mode control means in said first mode and the frequency change of said drive signal.

Claim 18

An image pickup device according to claim 13, wherein the calculation of said second image pickup control parameters is made as a correction of at least part of said first image pickup control parameter.

Claim 19

An image pickup device according to claim 14, wherein said first image pickup mode is employed for receiving an image at a resolution of a video signal, and said second image pickup mode is employed for taking an image with a higher resolution than that of a video signal.

Claim 20

An image pickup device according to claim 15, wherein said correction is made by one of an aperture, a gain, an analog-to-digital conversion by which an exposure is reduced to half, and a combination thereof.

Claim 21

An image pickup device according to claim 16, wherein said correction further includes a correction of an exposure time.

Claim 22

An image pickup device according to claim 17, further comprising: means for giving an instruction indicative of a procedure of switching said plurality of image pickup modes in a predetermined sequence; and means for selecting and using said first and second image pickup control parameters in accordance with said predetermined sequence.

Claim 23

An image pickup device according to claim 18, wherein said procedure includes an automatic still picture receiving operation, and said predetermined sequence includes a switching operation from said first image pickup mode to said second image pickup mode and an switching operation from said second image pickup mode to said first image pickup mode.

Claim 24

An image pickup apparatus comprising; an image pickup device for converting an optical image into an image signal; a mode switch for switching between a first mode for forming a first image signal having a first number of rows corresponding to a standard TV system, and a second mode for forming a second image signal having a second number of rows, wherein said second number is larger than said first number; calculating means for calculating at least one of an exposure parameter, a white balance parameter, a signal gain parameter, and a focusing parameter according to the first image signal; control means for controlling an image pickup condition under said second mode depending on a parameter calculated using an output of said image pickup device in said first mode; wherein said mode switch controls the switching between said modes to supply a drive signal having different frequencies to said image pickup device in accordance with said modes; and wherein said mode switch corrects image pickup control parameters for said second mode based on at least an image pickup control parameter obtained using an output of said image pickup means in said first mode and the frequency change of said drive signal.

Claim 25

An image pickup apparatus comprising; an image pickup device for converting an optical image into an image signal; a mode switch for switching between a first mode for forming a first image signal having a first number of rows corresponding to a standard TV system, and a second mode for forming a second image signal having a second number of rows, wherein said second number is larger than said first number; calculating means for calculating at least one of an exposure parameter, a white balance parameter, a signal gain parameter, and a focusing parameter according to the first image signal; control means for controlling an image pickup condition under said second mode depending on a parameter calculated using an output of said image pickup device in said first mode; wherein said mode switch controls the switching between said modes to supply a drive signal having different frequencies to said image pickup device in accordance with said modes; and wherein said mode switch corrects image pickup control parameters for said second mode based on at least an image pickup control parameter obtained using an output of said image pickup means in said first mode and the frequency change of said drive signal.

Claim 26

An apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising a memory for storing the parameter calculated in said first mode.

Claim 27

An apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising compression means for compressing said second image signal under said second mode.