Image pickup apparatus

• US 4,868,680 A
• Filed: 06/22/1988
• Issued: 09/19/1989
• 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 E
• Application Number:
  US07/208,810
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: 358/335, 358/906, 358/213.11, 358/213.19, 358/213.23, 358/213.24, 358/213.25, 358/213.26, 360/33.1, 360/35.1, 357/24 LR, 357/3 D
• US Class Current: 386/225
• 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 minority carrier; a control circuit for periodically forming a first state in that 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 apparatus comprising:

converting means for converting incident radiation into charge information;

reading out means for periodically reading out said charge information by one picture from said converting means;

record means for recording said charge information on a medium as a still image; and

prevent means for preventing an overflow of said charge information of said converting means, said prevent means having a first mode for intermittently preventing the overflow of said charge information while said reading out means periodically reads out said charge information by one picture, and a second mode for stopping said preventing operation at least while said record means records said charge information as the still image.

2. An apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

power supply means, for supplying power to said prevent means to prevent said overflow.

3. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein said incident radiation comprises an image.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a shutter which is maintained open in said first mode and closed for a predetermined time in said second mode.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein while said shutter is closed in said second mode said record means records said charge information as the still image.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein while said shutter is closed said prevent means stops said preventing operation.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said prevent means comprises combining means for combining a part of charge information converted by said converting means with a charge opposite in polarity to said charge information.

8. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

converting means for converting incident radiation into charge information;

reading out control means for periodically reading out said charge information by one picture from said converting means;

record means for recording said charge information as a still image;

shutter means for shielding said conversion means from light at least while said still image is recorded by said record means;

prevent means for preventing an overflow of said charge information of said converting means, said prevent means having a first more for intermittently preventing the overflow of said charge information while said reading out means periodically reads out said charge information by one picture, and a second mode for stopping said preventing operation at least while said shutter means shields said converting means from light.

9. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said prevent means comprises combining means for combining a part of charge information converted by said converting means with a charge opposite in polarity to said charge information.

10. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said shutter means is maintained open in said first mode and closed for a predetermined time in said second mode.