Color camera having linear scanning arrays and vertical scanning mirror

• US 4,245,240 A
• Filed: 03/20/1979
• Issued: 01/13/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Shunpei
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, John C.
• Application Number:
  US06/022,268
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 358/41, 358/43, 358/44, 358/48, 358/50, 358/52, 358/53-55, 358/213, 358/206, 358/208, 358/212, 358/75-80, 358/285-288, 358/293, 358/294, 250/235, 250/236, 350/285
• US Class Current: 348/196
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/447 by preserving the colour pattern with or without loss of information

Abstract

A picking-up apparatus such as a color television camera for converting an image of an object to be picked-up into an electrical picture signal comprises a lens system such as an objective lens system for forming the image of the object on an image plane, a scanner comprising a swingable plane mirror for optically scanning the image of the object in a first direction, i.e. a vertical direction of a television raster scan, at least one linear image sensor array of self-scanning type arranged in said image plane in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction; i.e. a horizontal direction of the television raster scan, and a control and process circuit for driving the scanner and linear image sensor array in synchronism with each other.

Claims

1. A picking up apparatus for converting an optical image of an object into an electrical picture signal comprising:

an objective lens system for forming on a first image plane and image of an object to be picked-up;

a scanner for optically scanning the image of the object in a first direction;

a picking-up device having at least one linear image sensor array of self-scanning type arranged in a second image plane and in a second direction which is substantially perpendicular to said first direction;

an f-θ

lens system for transmitting the image formed on the first image plane of the objective lens system onto the linear image sensor array arranged in the second image plane; and

means for driving said scanner and linear image sensor array in synchronism with each other.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus further comprises a picture frame arranged in the image plane of the objective lens system and a mark arranged beside the frame and including a light emitting element, the emitted light intensity being changed along one side of the frame which coincides with said first scanning direction of the scanner, whereby said f-θ

lens forms an image of the mark as well as the image of the object on the image plane in which the linear image sensor array is arranged.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the apparatus further comprises a photoelectric converting element arranged in the second image plane in alignment with the linear image sensor array for receiving the image of the mark to produce an electrical signal representing a position of the image scanned by the scanner.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image of the mark is detected by at least one element of the linear image sensor array.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said picking-up device comprises a first linear image sensor array for generating a chrominance signal;

a second linear image sensor array for generating a luminace signal and a color filter having a number of red and blue color filter elements provided alternately in front of the first linear image sensor array.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the apparatus further comprises a color filter having a number of red and blue color filter elements provided alternately in front of the first linear image sensor array.

7. An apparatus according to claims 1, wherein said picking-up device comprises a first linear image sensor array for generating a chrominance signal, a second linear image sensor array for generating a luminance signal and a color filter having red and blue color filter elements arranged in front of the first linear image sensor array, the numbers of red and blue color filter elements being made different from each other in accordance with a spectral sensitivity of the first linear image sensor array.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the number of the blue color filter elements is larger by three times than that of the red color filter elements.