Image pickup apparatus

• US 4,622,596 A
• Filed: 02/16/1984
• Issued: 11/11/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Suga, Akira, Okino, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): McElheny, Jr., Donald
• Application Number:
  US06/580,954
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 360/33.1, 360/35.1, 358/906, 358/335, 358/213, 357/24 LR, 357/30
• US Class Current: 386/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2104 for one or a few pictures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 358/906 Hand-held camera with recorder in a single unit

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus comprises: an image sensor for converting an optical image into distribution information of a minority carrier; a control circuit for periodically forming a first state in that a majority carrier is accumulated in the image sensor and a second state in that at least a part of the minority carrier is recombined with this majority carrier; a readout circuit for reading out the information in the image sensor; a recording apparatus for selectively recording the information for a predetermined interval from the information to be read out by the readout circuit with regard to the trigger operation for a still photograph; and a stopping circuit for stopping the control operation of the control circuit in association with the start of the recording by the recording apparatus or the closing of a shutter or in response to a low luminous condition or the like.

Claims

1. An image recording system comprising:

(a) a photosensing part for converting an optical image into an electrical signal;

(b) combining means for combining a part of the electrical signal converted by said photosensing part with a signal opposite in polarity to said electrical signal, said combining means having at least two operation modes;

(c) recording means for recording a signal representing a still picture in response to said electrical signal converted by said photosensing part;

(d) trigger means for allowing said recording means to selectively record a signal representing a still picture; and

(e) control means for controlling said combining means in response to an output of said trigger means.

2. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further including a clock signal source for generating a signal to synchronously drive said recording means.

3. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said control means is connected to said clock signal source and controls the operation mode of said combining means for a predetermined period synchronized with an output of said clock signal source after the output from said trigger means has been obtained.

4. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said control means makes said recombining means operative only for a predetermined field interval synchronized with the output of said clock signal source after the output from said trigger means is obtained.

5. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said combining means supplies a periodic alternating pulse to at least a portion of said photosensing part.

6. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recording means records one picture plane with respect to said electrical signal at a predetermined timing in response to the output of said trigger means, and wherein said combining means is made inoperative by said control means at least during this recording.

7. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recording means records one picture plane in response to said electrical signal at a predetermined timing in response to the output of said trigger means, and wherein said combining means is made inoperative by said control means for a predetermined time after this recording is started.

8. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further including a shutter for blocking the light incident on said photosensing part at a predetermined timing in response to the output of said trigger means.

9. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said control means makes said combining means inoperative at least while said shutter is closed.

10. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said control means makes said combining means inoperative for a predetermined interval after the closing of said shutter is started.

11. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further including (a) object information forming means for forming information with respect to the brightness of the object the light from which is incident on said photosensing part;

and (b) second control means for controlling the operation mode of said combining means in response to an output of said object information forming means.

12. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

(a) a photosensing part for converting an optical image into an electrical signal;

(b) combining means for combining a part of said electrical signal converted by said photosensing part with a signal opposite in polarity to said electrical signal;

(c) a clock signal source for synchronously driving said photosensing part and said combining means with a predetermined timing signal;

(d) trigger means for forming a trigger signal;

(e) control means for changing the operating state of said combining means before and after an output of said trigger means is obtained.

13. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said combining means supplies a periodic alternating pulse having a predetermined level to a at least part of said photosensing part.

14. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 12, further including recording means for recording a signal in response to said electrical signal converted by said photosensing part synchronously with the output of said clock signal source.

15. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said recording means records one picture plane in response to said electrical signal at a predetermined timing in response to the output of said trigger means, and wherein said combining means is made inoperative by said control means at least during this recording.

16. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said recording means records one picture plane in response to said electrical signal at a predetermined timing in response to the output of said trigger means, and wherein said combining means is mode inoperative by said control means for a predetermined time after this recording is started.

17. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 12, further including a shutter for blocking the light incident on said photosensing part at a predetermined timing in response to the output of said trigger means.

18. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said control means makes said combining means inoperative at least while said shutter is closed.

19. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said control means makes said combining means inoperative for a predetermined interval after the closing operation of said shutter is started.

20. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said control means makes said combining means operative only for a predetermined field interval synchronized with the output of said clock signal source after the output from said trigger means was obtained.

21. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 12, further including (a) object information forming means for forming information with respect to the brightness of the object the light from which is incident on said photosensing part;

and (b) second control means for controlling the operating state of said combining means in response to an output of said object information forming means.

22. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

(a) a photosensing part for converting an optical image into an electrical signal;

(b) combining means for combining a part of said electrical signal converted by said photosensing part with a signal opposite in polarity to said electrical signal;

(c) object information forming means for forming information with respect to brightness of an object the light from which is incident on said photosensing part; and

(d) control means for controlling the operating state of said combining means in response to said information.

23. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said object information forming means forms information with respect to the average level of the brightness of the object.

24. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said object information forming means forms information with respect to the peak value of the brightness of the object.

25. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said object information forming means forms information with respect to the brightness of the object in response to the signal from said photosensing part.

26. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said object information forming means includes a device, which receives the light from said object and forms information with respect to brightness of the object, provided separately from said photosensing part.

27. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said combining means supplies a periodic alternating pulse to at least a part of said photosensing part.

28. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said second control means controls the frequency of the alternating pulse from said continuing means in response to the output of said object information forming means.

29. An apparatus comprising:

(a) supply means for supplying power;

(b) a converting part for converting incident radiation into an electrical signal;

(c) preventing means for preventing an overflow of said electrical signal at said converting part according to power supplied thereto by said supply means, said preventing means having a first mode of preventing the overflow and a second mode lower in power consumption than said first mode;

(d) change-over means for making a change-over to determine whether a signal corresponding to said electrical signal is output to the outside of said apparatus during operation of the apparatus; and

(e) a control means, responsive to the operation of said change-over means for making a change-over between the two modes of said preventing means.

30. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said second mode is a mode for stopping the operation of said preventing means.

31. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the signal corresponding to said electrical signal transmitted through said change-over means is recorded by external recording means.

32. An apparatus according to claim 31 further comprising:

second control means for operating said change-over means so that said electrical signal is output to the outside of said apparatus upon conditioning of the recording means for recording and said electrical signal is not output to the outside of said apparatus when the recording means is not conditioned for recording.

33. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said control means operates said preventing means in said first mode when said electricalvl signal to be transmitted through said change-over means is obtained by said converting part.

34. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said control means operates said preventing means in said second mode when said electrical signal is output to the outside of said apparatus through said change-over means.

35. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said preventing means includes combining means for extinguishing said electrical signal to prevent the overflow.

36. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

(a) supply means for supplying power;

(b) a converting part for converting incident radiation into an electrical signal;

(c) read-out means for reading out said electrical signal from said converting part at a predetermined interval;

(d) preventing means for preventing an overflow of said electrical signal at said converting part according to a supplied power supplied thereto by said supply means, said preventing means having a first mode of preventing the overflow and a second mode lower in power consumption than said first mode;

(e) processing means for processing said electrical signal read out by said read-out means; and

(f) control means for making a change-over between the modes of said preventing means according to the processing state of said processing means.

37. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said second mode is a mode of stopping the operation of said preventing means.

38. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said processing means is a recording unit of recording a signal corresponding to said electrical signal read out by said read-out means.

39. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 38, wherein said control means operates said preventing means in the first mode when a signal to be recorded by said recording means is obtained at said converting means and operates said preventing means in the second mode when a signal which is not recorded by said recording means is obtained at said converting part.

40. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said preventing means includes combining means for extinguishing said electrical signal to prevent the overflow.

41. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

(a) supply means for supplying power;

(b) converting means for converting an incident image into an electrical signal;

(b) preventing means for preventing an overflow of said electrical signal at said converting part according to power supplied thereto by said supply means, said preventing means having a first mode of preventing the overflow and a second mode lower in power consumption than said first mode, said preventing means including combining means for extinguishing said electrical signal to prevent the overflow;

(d) object information forming means for forming information with respect to the brightness of an object the image of which is projected onto said converting means as incident light; and

(e) control means for controlling the mode of operation of said preventing means on the basis of said information.

42. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 41, wherein said object information forming means forms information with respect to the average level of the brightness of the object.

43. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 41, wherein said object information forming means forms information with respect to the peak value of the brightness of the object.

44. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 41, wherein said object information forming means forms information with respect to the brightness of said object on the basis of said electrical signal converted by said converting means.

45. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 41, wherein said combining means of said preventing means includes:

means for combining a part of said electrical signal converted by said converting means with an electrical signal which has an opposite characteristic to said electrical signal.

46. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 45, wherein said combining means supplies a periodically alternating pulse to said converting means.