Information input apparatus

• US 6,369,796 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2001
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Numazaki, Shunichi, Matsunaga, Yoshiyuki, Doi, Miwako
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Jimmy H.
• Application Number:
  US09/878,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20010028333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 301 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156-150, 345/163, 345/168, 250/200, 250/206.1, 250/208.1
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/147 Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/275 Generation of keying signals

Abstract

CCD type charge transfer sections include vertical charge transfer sections and horizontal charge transfer sections having stages twice the number of lines of the vertical charge transfer sections. The horizontal charge transfer sections have a capacity capable of holding charges twice the number of lines of the vertical charge transfer sections. A controller controls an area image sensor to arrange charges of an object image corresponding to an irradiated state and charges of the object image corresponding to a non-irradiated state in the vertical charge transfer sections, and to transfer charges for two pixels per vertical charge transfer section to the horizontal charge transfer sections to hold the charges.

Claims

1. An apparatus for obtaining a difference image between object images corresponding to irradiated and non-irradiated states, comprising:

a light emitter configured to irradiate an object with light;

an area image sensor having imaging units constructed by a two-dimensional matrix of a plurality of light-receiving elements that perform photoelectric conversion, and a plurality of Charge Coupled Device (CCD) type charge transfer sections for transferring and outputting charges obtained by said imaging units;

a controller configured to control charge transfer timings from the light-receiving elements to said CCD type charge transfer sections to alternately arrange charges received when said light emitter emits light and charges received when said light emitter does not emit light in a predetermined sequence in all or the individual CCD type charge transfer section of said area image sensor;

a delay line configured to delay an output signal from said area image sensor by one horizontal scan time; and

a difference circuit, one input of which is connected to said delay line, the other input of which is connected to said area image sensor, and which outputs a difference between two input signals.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the difference output is obtained by inputting a sequence of charges of the object image corresponding to the non-irradiated state output from said area image sensor to said delay line, and directly inputting a sequence of charges of the object image corresponding to the irradiated state to said difference circuit without intervention of said delay line.

3. An information input apparatus for obtaining a difference image between object images corresponding to irradiated and non-irradiated states, comprising:

an invisible-radiation emitter configured to irradiate an object with invisible radiation;

an area image sensor having imaging units constructed by a two-dimensional matrix of a plurality of invisible-radiation-receiving elements which convert invisible radiation into electrical signals, and a plurality of Charge Coupled Device (CCD) type charge transfer sections configured to transfer and to output charges obtained by said imaging units; and

a controller configured to control charge transfer timings from the invisible-radiation-receiving elements to said CCD type charge transfer sections to alternately arrange charges received when said invisible-radiation emitter emits invisible radiation and charges received when said invisible radiation emitter does not emit invisible radiation in a predetermined sequence in all or individual CCD type charge transfer section of said area image sensor.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said invisible-radiation emitter is an infrared emitter and said area image sensor is an infrared image sensor.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said invisible-radiation emitter is a ultraviolet emitter and said area image sensor is a ultraviolet image sensor.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said invisible-radiation emitter is a X-ray emitter and said area image sensor is a X-ray image sensor.

7. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said invisible radiation emitter and said area image sensor is a ultrasonic image sensor.

8. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a delay line for delaying an output signal from said area image sensor by one horizontal scan time; and

a difference circuit, one input of which is connected to said delay line, the other input of which is connected to said area image sensor, and which outputs a difference between two input signals.