Multiple image video camera apparatus

• US 5,940,126 A
• Filed: 10/24/1995
• Issued: 08/17/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kimura, Masanobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ho, Tuan V.
• Application Number:
  US08/547,554
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207, 348/335, 348/340, 348/343, 348/344, 348/373, 348/374, 348/65, 348/66, 348/218, 348/294
• US Class Current: 348/294
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00009 of image signals during a use of endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00177 for 90 degrees side-viewing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00181 for multiple fixed viewing angles A61B1/00193 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00193 adapted for stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/051 Details of CCD assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/10 Processing, recording or transmission of stereoscopic or multi-view image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/15 for colour aspects of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/156 Mixing image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/218 using spatial multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/257 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/597 specially adapted for multi-view video sequence encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0088 Synthesising a monoscopic image signal from stereoscopic images, e.g. synthesising a panoramic or high resolution monoscopic image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/555 for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/41 Extracting pixel data from a plurality of image sensors simultaneously picking up an image, e.g. for increasing the field of view by combining the outputs of a plurality of sensors

Abstract

The present invention intends to provide a small video camera apparatus capable of imaging an object from various angles, and effectively monitoring an object or obtaining three-dimensional image information. A light beam supplied from an optical image passing through a lens is picked up by a right image sensing surface of a charge-coupled device, and a light beam supplied from an optical image passing through a lens and a prism is picked up by a left image sensing surface of the charge-coupled device. The image signals obtained by the right and left image sensing surfaces are divided in a color separating and signal processing circuit.

Claims

1. A video camera apparatus comprising:

a body;

first and second optical systems arranged at different positions on the body;

a charge-coupled device provided in the body and having image sensing surfaces separated by a black portion, for generating an image signal from light beams supplied from the first and second optical systems, respectively;

dividing means for dividing the image signal representing a first image and a second image signal corresponding to said image sensing surfaces;

a lateral image inverting circuit for inverting a time-axis of a horizontal scanning of one of the signals divided by the image signal dividing means; and

converting means for time-multiplying a second image signal output from the lateral image inverting circuit and said one of the signals divided by the image signal dividing means so as to convert the image signals into one video signal.

2. A video camera apparatus comprising;

a body;

first and second optical systems arranged at different positions on the body;

an image sensing device provided in the body and having image sensing surfaces separated by a black portion, for generating an image signal from light beams supplied from the first and second optical systems, respectively;

dividing means for dividing the image signal representing a first image and a second image signal corresponding to said image sensing surfaces;

a lateral image inverting circuit for inverting a time-axis of a scanning direction of one of the signals divided by the image signals divided by the image signal dividing means; and

converting means for time-multiplying a second image signal output from the lateral image inverting circuit and said one of the signals divided by the image signal dividing means so as to convert the image signals into one video signal.