Image pickup apparatus for high-speed photographing and method of controlling the same

• US 6,839,085 B1
• Filed: 08/24/2000
• Issued: 01/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: JVC Kenwood Corporation
• Original Assignee: Victor Company of Japan Limited (JVC Kenwood Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsukawa, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Ngoc-Yen, VU, NGOC YEN T
• Application Number:
  US09/644,859
• Time in Patent Office: 1,594 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.99, 348/241, 348/243, 348/311, 348/312, 3482201-2221, 348/229.1, 348/230.1, 348/250, 348/294, 348296-298, 348/607, 348/615, 348/618, 348/619, 348/622, 382/270, 382/271, 382/272, 382/274, 382/275, 358/463, 358/465, 358/466
• US Class Current: 348/243
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/63 applied to dark current
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/71 Charge-coupled device [CCD] sensors; Charge-transfer registers specially adapted for CCD sensors

Abstract

An image apparatus has a light-receiving section and a light-blocking section. The light-receiving section receives light from an object to generate an analog video signal. The light-blocking section blocks the light to generate reference signals. The analog video signal is converted into a digital video signal. The reference signals are accumulated a predetermined number of times from a predetermined accumulation starting point on scanning lines forming an image of the object for a specific period. The accumulated signal is averaged to generate an average signal. A reference level of the digital video signal is adjusted based on the average signal so that the difference between the digital video signal and the average signal becomes zero. The number of times for accumulation is decided as 2ⁿ that is smaller than a specific number “m”, of the scanning lines for forming the image of the object. The accumulation starting point is decided as (m−2ⁿ)/2, “n” and “m” being positive integers.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an image apparatus having a light-receiving section and a light-blocking section comprising the steps of:

receiving light from an object by the light-receiving section to generate a plurality of analog video signals for a first field period;

blocking the light by the light-blocking section to generate reference signals for each analog video signal;

converting the analog video signals into digital video signals;

accumulating the reference signals for each digital video signal to generate a first accumulated signal;

averaging the first accumulated signal to generate a first average signal;

accumulating the first average signal for all the video signals for a second field that follows the first field period to generate a second accumulated signal;

averaging the second accumulated signal to generate a second average signal; and

adjusting a reference level of each digital video signal based on the second average signal so that the difference between the digital video signals and the second average signal becomes zero.