Image input apparatus

• US 20060017819A1
• Filed: 09/26/2005
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ohashi, Kazuhito
• Granted Patent: US 7,542,081 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/401 Compensating positionally unequal response of the pick-up or reproducing head H04N1/403 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/407 Control or modification of tonal gradation or of extreme levels, e.g. background level

Abstract

An image input apparatus has an image sensor for photoelectrically converting image information of an object into an electric signal and outputting the signal, and a correction circuit for adjusting a fluctuation of offset components generated during photoelectric conversion contained in the signal output from the image sensor to correct the offset components. Images of good quality can be obtained by correcting the offset components contained in the signal output from the image sensor.

Claims

1-36. -36. (canceled)

37. An image input apparatus comprising:

a photoelectric conversion unit adapted to acquire image information of an object from a plurality of divided areas and to output signals from each of a plurality of output units corresponding to respective ones of the areas, wherein each of the areas includes a plurality of effective pixels and a plurality of non-image pixels; and

a correcting unit adapted to correct offset components contained in the signals output from each of the output units during a period of acquiring the image information, in accordance with a first signal output from the plurality of effective pixels during a period other than the image information acquiring, a second signal output from the plurality of non-image pixels during the period other than the image information acquiring, and a third signal output from the plurality of non-image pixels during the period of acquiring image information.

38. An image input apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the signals from the plurality of areas are output separately to right and left directions respectively.

39. An image input apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the offset components include a level difference of the signals between the areas output from the plurality of divided areas.

40. An image input apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the first, second, and third signals are obtained through addition of signals of the areas and averaging thereof.

41. An image processing method of processing signals output from a photoelectric conversion unit adapted to acquire image information of an object from a plurality of divided areas and to output the signals from each of a plurality of output units corresponding to respective ones of the areas, wherein each of the areas includes a plurality of effective pixels and a plurality of non-image pixels, said method comprising:

correcting offset components contained in the signals output from each of the output units during a period of acquiring the image information, in accordance with a first signal output from the plurality of effective pixels during a period other than the image information acquiring, a second signal output from the plurality of non-image pixels during the period other than the image information acquiring, and a third signal output from the plurality of non-image pixels during the period of acquiring image information.

42. A storage medium storing a program for processing signals output from a photoelectric conversion unit adapted to acquire image information of an object from a plurality of divided areas and to output the signals from each of a plurality of output units corresponding to respective ones of the areas, wherein each of the areas includes a plurality of effective pixels and a plurality of non-image pixels, said program comprising:

a code of correcting offset components contained in the signals output from each of the output units during a period of acquiring the image information, in accordance with a first signal output from the plurality of effective pixels during a period other than the image information acquiring, a second signal output from the plurality of non-image pixels during the period other than the image information acquiring, and a third signal output from the plurality of non-image pixels during the period of acquiring image information.

43. An image input apparatus comprising:

a photoelectric conversion unit adapted to acquire image information of an object from a plurality of divided areas and to output signals from each of a plurality of output units corresponding to respective ones of the areas, wherein each of the areas includes a plurality of effective pixels and a plurality of non-image pixels; and

a correcting unit adapted to correct offset components contained in the signals output from each of the output units during a period of acquiring image information, in accordance with a first signal output from the plurality of effective pixels during a period other than the image information acquiring, a second signal output from the plurality of non-image pixels during the period of acquiring the image information, and an average of the second signal.

44. An image input apparatus according to claim 43, wherein the signals from the plurality of areas are output separately to right and left directions respectively.

45. An image input apparatus according to claim 43, wherein the offset components include a level difference of the signals between the areas output from the plurality of divided areas.

46. An image input apparatus according to claim 43, wherein said correcting unit includes:

a subtracting unit adapted to subtract the offset components from the signals output from the plurality of areas of said photoelectric conversion unit during the period of acquiring the image information;

a calculating unit adapted to calculate the fluctuation of the offset components in accordance with the second signal and the average of the second signal; and

an adjusting unit adapted to adjust the offset components to be subtracted by said subtracting unit, in accordance with an output signal from said calculating unit.

47. An image input apparatus according to claim 43, wherein the first signal, the second signal, and the average of the second signal are obtained through addition of signals of the areas and averaging thereof.

48. An image input apparatus according to claim 46, wherein adjusting the offset components by said adjusting unit is executed during a period other than the image information acquiring.

49. An image processing method of processing signals output from a photoelectric conversion unit adapted to acquire image information of an object from a plurality of divided areas and to output the signals from each of a plurality of output units corresponding to respective ones of the areas, wherein each of the areas includes a plurality of effective pixels and a plurality of non-image pixels, said method comprising:

correcting offset components contained in the signals output from each of the output units during a period of acquiring image information, in accordance with a first signal output from the plurality of effective pixels during a period other than the image information acquiring, a second signal output from the plurality of non-image pixels during the period of acquiring the image information, and an average of the second signal.

50. A storage medium storing a program for processing signals output from a photoelectric conversion unit adapted to acquire image information of an object from a plurality of divided areas and to output the signals from each of a plurality of output units corresponding to respective ones of the areas, wherein each of the areas includes a plurality of effective pixels and a plurality of non-image pixels, said program comprising:

a code of correcting offset components contained in the signals output from each of the output units during a period of acquiring image information, in accordance with a first signal output from the plurality of effective pixels during a period other than the image information acquiring, a second signal output from the plurality of non-image pixels during the period of acquiring the image information, and an average of the second signal.