US6304293B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Solid-state image pick-up system having a color separating section controlled according to the detection of either a dynamic or a high sensitivity mode
Assignee: Olympus Corp
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Filing: 1997-05-29
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Granted: 2001-10-16
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Expires: 2017-05-29
Abstract
Abstract A solid-state image pick-up system having an image pick-up lens for making incident light from a subject form an image on an image pick-up surface, a color separating section for separating the incident light into a plurality of color components at a given period, a solid-state image pick-up device for receiving the subject light separated through the color separating section to convert it into a given subject picture signal, an image pick-up mode selecting circuit for selecting one of a standard mode for picking up a dynamic mode and a high-sensitivity mode for picking up a still picture, and a control section for controlling the period for the color separating section on the basis of the output of the image pick-up mode selecting circuit.
Inventors
- 👤 Akihiro Kubota
- 👤 Yukihiro Sugimoto
- 👤 Toshiyuki Noguchi
- 👤 Hiroshi Itoh
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 10:08
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N23/00; H04N23/10; H04N23/125; H04N23/60; H04N23/667; H04N23/67
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
139 words
A solid-state image pick-up system comprising: an image pick-up lens for making incident light from a subject from an image; color separating means for separating said incident light beam into a plurality of color components at a given period; a solid-state image pick-up device for receiving said subject light separated through said color separating means and for converting the received subject light into a given subject picture signal; image pick-up mode selecting means for selecting one of a standard mode for picking up a dynamic picture and a high-sensitivity mode for picking up a still picture; and control means for controlling said period of said color separating means on the basis of an output of said image pick-up mode selecting means by controlling a rate of movement of the color separation means relative to the solid-state image pick-up device.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
139 words
A solid-state image pick-up system comprising: an image pick-up lens for making incident light from a subject from an image; color separating means for separating said incident light beam into a plurality of color components at a given period; a solid-state image pick-up device for receiving said subject light separated through said color separating means and for converting the received subject light into a given subject picture signal; image pick-up mode selecting means for selecting one of a standard mode for picking up a dynamic picture and a high-sensitivity mode for picking up a still picture; and control means for controlling said period of said color separating means on the basis of an output of said image pick-up mode selecting means by controlling a rate of movement of the color separation means relative to the solid-state image pick-up device.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
152 words
A solid-state image pick-up system comprising: an image pick-up lens for making incident light from a subject form an image; color separating means for separating said incident light beam into a plurality of color components at a given period; a solid-state image pick-up device for receiving said subject light separated through said color separating means and for converting the received subject light into a given subject picture signal; image pick-up mode selecting means for selecting one of a standard mode for picking up a dynamic picture and a high-sensitivity mode for picking up a still picture; control means on basis of an output of said image pick-up mode selecting means; and wherein said color separating means is disposed between said image pick-up lens and said solid-state image pick-up device and is composed of a rotary filter including a color filter having a plurality of given color areas arranged in its circumferential direction.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
152 words
A solid-state image pick-up system comprising: an image pick-up lens for making incident light from a subject form an image; color separating means for separating said incident light beam into a plurality of color components at a given period; a solid-state image pick-up device for receiving said subject light separated through said color separating means and for converting the received subject light into a given subject picture signal; image pick-up mode selecting means for selecting one of a standard mode for picking up a dynamic picture and a high-sensitivity mode for picking up a still picture; control means on basis of an output of said image pick-up mode selecting means; and wherein said color separating means is disposed between said image pick-up lens and said solid-state image pick-up device and is composed of a rotary filter including a color filter having a plurality of given color areas arranged in its circumferential direction.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
122 words
A solid-state image pick-up system comprising: an image pick-up lens for receiving subject light; a solid-state image pick-up device for converting said subject light from said image pick-up lens into a given subject picture signal; a rotary filter located between said image pick-up lens and said solid-state image pick-up device and including a color filter having a plurality of given color areas arranged in its circumferential direction; image pick-up mode selecting means for selecting one of a standard mode for picking up a dynamic picture and a high-sensitivity mode for picking up a still picture; and rotating speed control means for controlling a rotating speed of said rotary filter on the basis of an output of said image pick-up mode selecting means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
122 words
A solid-state image pick-up system comprising: an image pick-up lens for receiving subject light; a solid-state image pick-up device for converting said subject light from said image pick-up lens into a given subject picture signal; a rotary filter located between said image pick-up lens and said solid-state image pick-up device and including a color filter having a plurality of given color areas arranged in its circumferential direction; image pick-up mode selecting means for selecting one of a standard mode for picking up a dynamic picture and a high-sensitivity mode for picking up a still picture; and rotating speed control means for controlling a rotating speed of said rotary filter on the basis of an output of said image pick-up mode selecting means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
78 words
A solid-state image pick-up system comprising: a single solid-state image pick-up device; a rotary filter having given color areas to accomplish a color separation; image pick-up mode selecting means for selecting one of a standard mode and a high-sensitivity mode to switch a sensitivity; and rotary filter driving means for controlling a rotating speed of said rotary filter to follow said sensitivity switching in accordance with the image pick-up mode selected by said image pick-up mode selecting means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
78 words
A solid-state image pick-up system comprising: a single solid-state image pick-up device; a rotary filter having given color areas to accomplish a color separation; image pick-up mode selecting means for selecting one of a standard mode and a high-sensitivity mode to switch a sensitivity; and rotary filter driving means for controlling a rotating speed of said rotary filter to follow said sensitivity switching in accordance with the image pick-up mode selected by said image pick-up mode selecting means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
62 words
A solid-state image pick-up system a defined in claim 3 , wherein one frame picture is made using a plurality of field pictures, and in said standard mode, color signals corresponding to said color filter are alternately read out at every field, whereas in said high-sensitivity mode the color signals corresponding to said color filter are alternately read out at every frame.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
77 words
A solid-state image pick-up system a defined in claim 3 or 4 , wherein one frame picture is made up of a plurality of fields, and in said standard mode pixel data corresponding to a given color area of said rotary filter is taken by a quantity corresponding to one field, while in said high-sensitivity mode pixel data corresponding to a given color area of said rotary filter is taken by a quantity corresponding to one frame.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
51 words
A solid-state image pick-up system as defined in claim 3 or 4 , further comprising dynamic picture detecting means for detecting a movement of said subject, so that said high-sensitivity mode is set when said dynamic picture detecting means makes a decision that a picture picked up is a still picture.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
66 words
A solid-state image pick-up system as defined in claim 3 or 4 , further comprising dynamic picture detecting means for detecting a movement of said subject, so that said image pick- up mode is changed to said standard mode when said image pick-up mode is said high-sensitivity mode and said dynamic picture detecting means makes a decision that a picture picked up is a dynamic picture.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
63 words
A solid-state image pick-up system as defined in claim 7 or 8 , further comprising dynamic picture detecting means for detecting a movement of said subject, said dynamic picture detecting means being constructed as a system for picking up a sample picture obtainable under a microscope and being provided in a stage sensor for detecting a movement of a stage of said microscope.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
58 words
A solid-state image pick-up system as defined in claim 3 or 4 wherein in said high-sensitivity mode an accumulation time of pixel data corresponding to each given area of said rotary filter is set to a minimum of {fraction (1/60)} second, whereas in said standard mode the accumulation time is set to a maximum of {fraction (1/60)} second.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
47 words
A solid-state image pick-up system as defined in claim 3 or 4 , further comprising automatic gain control means, so that in said high-sensitivity mode an accumulation time is set to be as long as possible and gain control is conducted by said automatic gain control means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
47 words
A solid-state image pick-up system as defined in claim 3 or 4 , further comprising automatic level control means, so that in said high-sensitivity mode an accumulation time is set to be as long as possible and level control is conducted by said automatic level control means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
60 words
A solid-state image pick-up system as defined in claim 3 or 4 , further comprising automatic level control means, so that in said high-sensitivity mode an accumulation time is set to be as long as possible and one of gain control and level control is conducted by one of said automatic gain control means and said automatic level control means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
56 words
A solid-state image pick-up system as defined in claim 3 or 4 , further comprising a focus detecting circuit of an optical image pick-up system, so that said image pick-up mode is shifted to said standard mode when said image pick-up mode is said high-sensitivity mode and it is decided as being in an out-of-focus condition.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
64 words
A solid-state image pick-up system as defined in claim 3 or 4 , further comprising a focus adjusting section for performing a focus adjustment of an image pick-up system, so that switching from said high-sensitivity mode to said standard mode is made when said image pick-up mode is said high-sensitivity mode and a detection if made when the user operates said focus adjusting section.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
42 words
A solid-state image pick-up system as defined in claim 3 or 4 , wherein said solid-state image pick-up device is composed of a non-broken and readable device and a read-out timing depends upon a standard television rate irrespective of an accumulation time.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
55 words
A solid-state image pick-up system as defined in claim 3 or 4 , further comprising a mechanical shutter having an exposure state when being in an open condition and having a light-obstructing state when being in a closed condition, so that pixel data is read out while said mechanical shutter is in the closed condition.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
30 words
A solid-state image pick-up system as defined in claim 3 or 4 , wherein said rotary filter has a light-obstructing section in a circumferential boundary between the respective color areas.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
48 words
A solid-state image pick-up system as defined in claim 3 , or 4 , further comprising a liquid crystal shutter, so that light-obstruction is made by said liquid crystal shutter after exposure read-out of pixel data is done while said liquid crystal shutter is in a closed condition.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
170 words
A solid-state image pick-up system comprising: an image pick-up lens for receiving subject light; a solid-state image pick-L up device for converting said subject light from said image pick-up lens into a given subject picture signal; a rotary filter located between said image pick-up lens and said solid-state image pick-up device and including a color filter having a plurality of given color areas arranged in its circumferential direction; image pick-up mode selecting means for selecting one of a standard mode for picking up a dynamic picture and a high-sensitivity mode for picking up a still picture; and rotating speed control means for controlling a rotating speed of said rotary filter on the basis of an output of said image pick-up mode selecting means; and wherein in said high-sensitivity mode an accumulating time of pixel data corresponding to each given area of said rotary filter is set to a minimum of {fraction (1/60)} second whereas in said standard mode the accumulation time is set to a maximum of {fraction (1/60)} second.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
170 words
A solid-state image pick-up system comprising: an image pick-up lens for receiving subject light; a solid-state image pick-L up device for converting said subject light from said image pick-up lens into a given subject picture signal; a rotary filter located between said image pick-up lens and said solid-state image pick-up device and including a color filter having a plurality of given color areas arranged in its circumferential direction; image pick-up mode selecting means for selecting one of a standard mode for picking up a dynamic picture and a high-sensitivity mode for picking up a still picture; and rotating speed control means for controlling a rotating speed of said rotary filter on the basis of an output of said image pick-up mode selecting means; and wherein in said high-sensitivity mode an accumulating time of pixel data corresponding to each given area of said rotary filter is set to a minimum of {fraction (1/60)} second whereas in said standard mode the accumulation time is set to a maximum of {fraction (1/60)} second.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
124 words
A solid-state image pick-up system comprising: a single solid-state image pick-tip device; a rotary filter having given color areas to accomplish a color separation; image pick-up mode selecting means for selecting one of a standard mode and a high-sensitivity mode to switch a sensitivity; rotary filter driving means for controlling a rotating speed of said rotary filter to follow said sensitivity switching in accordance with the image pick-up mode selected by said image pick-up mode selecting means; and wherein in said high-sensitivity mode an accumulating time of pixel data corresponding to each given area of said rotary filter is set to a minimum of {fraction (1/60)} second whereas in said standard mode the accumulation time is set to a maximum of {fraction (1/60)} second.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
124 words
A solid-state image pick-up system comprising: a single solid-state image pick-tip device; a rotary filter having given color areas to accomplish a color separation; image pick-up mode selecting means for selecting one of a standard mode and a high-sensitivity mode to switch a sensitivity; rotary filter driving means for controlling a rotating speed of said rotary filter to follow said sensitivity switching in accordance with the image pick-up mode selected by said image pick-up mode selecting means; and wherein in said high-sensitivity mode an accumulating time of pixel data corresponding to each given area of said rotary filter is set to a minimum of {fraction (1/60)} second whereas in said standard mode the accumulation time is set to a maximum of {fraction (1/60)} second.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-10-15 | 2005-04-16 | 2005-10-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-10-15 | 2009-04-16 | 2009-10-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-10-15 | 2013-04-16 | 2013-10-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |