Image sensing arrangement

• US 4,992,883 A
• Filed: 01/02/1990
• Issued: 02/12/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tsunekawa, Tokuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): RICHARDSON, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US07/455,778
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: 358/335, 358/906, 358/909, 358/213.13, 360/33.1, 360/35.1, 354/410, 354/442, 354/242, 354/465
• US Class Current: 386/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/212 Motion video recording combined with still video recording television signal recording H04N5/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 358/906 Hand-held camera with recorder in a single unit

Abstract

A video camera or the like has a solid-state image sensing device such as a CCD provides optical exposure both in the single photography mode and the continuous photography mode. Even after a picture is taken, power supply to a recording device is held until the image signals are completely recorded by the recording device. Power supply to the recording device before taking a picture is not required.

Claims

1. An image sensing arrangement comprising:

(a) solid-state image sensing device for converting an image of an object into a corresponding electrical signal;

(b) a shutter means for controlling an exposure time of said image sensing device;

(c) release switch means for operating said shutter means;

(d) an aperture member for controlling an aperture to regulate light incident on said solid-state image sensing device;

(e) selecting means for selecting between a single image pick-up mode for picking up a single image of the object and a continuous image pick-up mode for continuously picking up the image of the object; and

(f) controlling means for controlling said shutter means to open from a closed state in response to said release switch means for a predetermined exposure time for a single image and controlling said aperture member according to said predetermined exposure time and a luminance of the object when the single image pick-up mode is selected, and for maintaining said shutter means open during imaging and reading out the electrical signal a plurality of times from said solid-state image sensing device and controlling said aperture member according to a storing time of said electrical signal in said solid-state image sensing device and the luminance of the object when the continuous image pick-up mode is selected.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising photometer means for measuring a luminance of the object.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2, further comprising shutter speed initial presetting means for presetting the exposure time of said image sensing device controlled by said shutter means;

and diaphragm means for controlling an exposure value of said image sensing device.

4. An arrangement according to claim 3, wherein said controlling means calculates an aperture of said diaphragm means in accordance with a shutter speed preset by said presetting means and an output from said photometer means when the single image pick-up mode is selected by said selecting means.

5. An arrangement according to claim 4, further comprising displaying means for displaying a calculated aperture.

6. An arrangement according to claim 4, further comprising automatic setting means for setting said diaphragm means to a calculated aperture.

7. An arrangement according to claim 2, further comprising diaphragm means for controlling an exposure value of said image sensing device, and said controlling means calculates an aperture of said diaphragm means in accordance with a storing time of said image sensing, device and an output from said photometer means when the continuous image pick-up mode is selected by said selecting means.

8. An arrangement according to claim 7, further comprising displaying means for displaying a calculated aperture.

9. An arrangement according to claim 7, further comprising automatic setting means for automatically setting said diaphragm means to a calculated aperture.

10. An arrangement according to claim 2, further comprising diaphragm means for controlling an exposure value of said image sensing device, and diaphragm initial presetting means for presetting an aperture of said diaphragm means.

11. An arrangement according to claim 10, wherein said controlling means calculates a shutter speed of said shutter means in accordance with a preset value of said presetting means and an output from said photometer means when the image pick-up mode is selected by said selecting means.

12. An arrangement according to claim 11, further comprising automatic controlling means for driving said shutter means at a calculated shutter speed.

13. An arrangement according to claim 11, further comprising displaying means for displaying a calculated shutter speed.

14. An arrangement according to claim 10, further comprising warning means for warning an operator to remind the operator of the manual setting of the aperture of said diaphragm means when the continuous image pick-up mode is selected by said selecting means.

15. An arrangement according to claim 14, further comprising signalling means for signalling that the aperture of said diaphragm means is within a range determined by a storing time of said image sensing device and an output from said photometer means, when the continuous image pick-up mode is selected by said selecting means.

16. An arrangement according to claim 15, wherein said warning means and said signalling means comprise a single member.

17. An arrangement according to claim 14, wherein said controlling means prohibits exposure of the image of the object on said image sensing device until the aperture of said diaphragm means is within a range determined by a storing time of said image device and an output from said photometer means, when the continuous photography mode is selected by said selecting means.

18. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said shutter means comprises a focal plane shutter having a shutter front curtain and a shutter rear curtain.

19. An arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising an imaging optical system for forming the image of the object on said image sensing device, and a viewfinder for allowing observation of the image of the object through said imaging optical system.

20. An image sensing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said shutter means comprises a front curtain and a rear curtain.

21. An image sensing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said shutter means is normally closed.

22. An image sensing arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a trigger member for initiating an image pickup operation.

23. An image sensing arrangement according to claim 22 wherein said controlling means changes a state of said shutter means from a closed state to an open state in response to a trigger signal from said trigger means.

24. An image sensing arrangement according to claim 23 wherein in the single image pick-up mode, said shutter means is closed after the predetermined imaging time passes and when the state of said shutter means is charged from the closed state to the open state an electrical signal is read out from said image sensing device.

25. An image sensing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein in the continuous image pick-up mode, after said shutter means is changed from the closed state to the open state, the electrical signal is read out from said image sensing device a plurality of times while maintaining the open state of said shutter means.

26. An image sensing arrangement comprising:

(a) image sensing means for forming an image signal from an image of an object and for storing said image signal;

(b) exposure means for controlling light incident on said image sensing means; and

(c) an aperture member for controlling an aperture of light incident on said image sensing means;

(d) control means for causing said exposure means to expose said image sensing means to the incident light from a closed state for a predetermined exposure time to form a predetermined image signal and controlling said aperture member according to said predetermined exposure time and a luminance of the object by said exposure means when a single image is picked up by said image sensing means, and for causing said exposure means to continuously expose said image sensing means to said incident light and controlling said aperture member according to a storing time of said image sensing means and the luminance of the object by said exposure means while plural images are continuously picked-up and intermittently read out by said image sensing means.

27. An image sensing arrangement according to claim 26, wherein said exposure means comprises shutter means.

28. An image sensing arrangement according to claim 27, wherein said shutter means comprises a front curtain and a rear curtain.

29. An image sensing arrangement according to claim 26, further comprising trigger member for initiating an image pick-up operation.

30. An image sensing arrangement according to claim 29, wherein said controlling means changes a state of said shutter means from a closing state to an opening state in response to a trigger signal from said trigger means.

31. An image sensing arrangement according to claim 30, wherein in the single image pick-up made, said shutter means is closed after the predetermined imaging time passes, and when the state of said shutter means is changed from the closed state to the open state the image signal is read out from said image sensing means.

32. An image sensing arrangement according to claim 30, wherein in the continuous image pick-up after said shutter means is changed from the closed state to the open state, the image signal is read out from said image sensing means a plurality of times while maintaining the open state of said shutter means.

33. An image sensing arrangement according to claim 26, further comprising photometer means for measuring a luminance of the object.

34. An image pick-up arrangement comprising:

(a) a image sensing means for converting a light image projected onto said sensing means into an electrical signal;

(b) means for generating an image storage signal to control said sensing means, the image storage signal comprising a sequence of cycles each of which consists of an image storage interval and an image transfer interval;

(c) an aperture member for controlling an aperture of light incident on said image sensing means;

(d) shutter means for screening the light image projected onto said sensing means;

(e) means for selecting one of a single image pick-up mode or a continuous image pick-up mode; and

(f) control means responsive to the start of an image pick-up operation for opening said shutter from a closed state by a predetermined exposure time during a single image storage interval of said image storage signal when the single image pick-up mode is selected and controlling said aperture member according to said predetermined exposure time and a luminance of an object, and alternatively for opening said shutter until the termination of the image pick-up operation so that the exposure time for each image pick-up is determined by the image storage interval when the continuous image pick-up mode is selected.

35. An image pick-up arrangement according to claim 34, wherein said predetermined exposure time in the single image pick-up mode is determined as a function of a preselected aperture and the aperture in the continuous image pick-up mode is determined as a function of the image storage interval.

36. An image sensing arrangement according to claim 34 further comprising photometer means for measuring a luminance of the object.

37. An image sensing arrangement having a single image pick-up mode and a continuous image pick-up mode comprising:

(a) image sensing means for forming an electrical image signal from an image of an object;

(b) shutter means for exposing said image sensing means for a predetermined exposure time to control a storage time of said image sensing device when the single image pick-up mode is selected;

(c) control means for maintaining said shutter means open and driving said image sensing means to control a storage time of said image sensing means when plural images are intermittently picked-up by said image sensing means; and

(d) iris control means for controlling an aperture to said image sensing means according to said predetermined exposure time and a luminance of the object in the single image pick-up mode, and for controlling the aperture to said image sensing means according to said storage time and the luminance of the object in the continuous image pick-up mode.

38. An image sensing arrangement according to claim 37, wherein said shutter means has a front curtain and a rear curtain.

39. An image sensing arrangement according to claim 37, wherein said shutter means is normally closed.

40. An image sensing arrangement according to claim 37, further comprising trigger member for starting image pick-up.

41. An image sensing arrangement according to claim 40, wherein said control means change a state of said shutter means from a closing state to an opening state in response to a trigger from said trigger member.

42. An image sensing arrangement according to claim 41, wherein in the single image pick-up mode, said shutter means is closed after the predetermined imaging time passes, and when the state of said shutter means is changed from the closed state to the open state the electrical image signal is read out from said image sensing means.

43. An image sensing arrangement according to claim 41, wherein in the continuous image pick-up mode, after said shutter means is changed from the closed state to the open state, the electrical image signal is read out from said image sensing means a plurality of times while maintaining the open state of said shutter means.

44. An image sensing arrangement according to claim 37, further comprising photometer means for measuring a luminance of the object.