Image sensing system for sensing an image and converting the image into image signals with a controlled operating rate

• US 6,870,566 B1
• Filed: 11/26/1996
• Issued: 03/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sono, Koichi, Kondo, Kenichi, Fukushima, Nobuo, Koide, Yuji, Watanabe, Gaku, Sekine, Masayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHIPKEY, JASON T
• Application Number:
  US08/756,132
• Time in Patent Office: 3,038 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N00.3/14, H04/N00.5/238, H04/N00.9/73, 348/207.99, 348/222.1, 348/229.1, 348/231.1, 348/231.3, 348/231.7, 348296-298, 348/312, 348360-364, 348/552, 348/234, 348/235, 348/236, 348/237, 358/906, 358/909.1
• US Class Current: 348/296
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/72 Combination of two or more compensation controls

Abstract

In an image sensing apparatus using an image sensing device, such as a CCD, to be used by connecting to an external device, such as a computer, an operating rate of the CCD is changed in accordance with a rate at which the computer receives image signals from the image sensing apparatus. Further, when the operating rate of the CCD is changed, a proper exposure value is conjectured to obtain an image sensed at a proper exposure on the basis of operating rates of the CCD before and after the operating rate is changed, and a proper exposure value of the CCD before the operating rate is changed.

Claims

1. An image sensing apparatus which provides an external device with image signals, comprising:

a solid-state image sensing device for sensing an image and converting the image into image signals; and

an input unit adapted to input a control signal, said control signal determined by and received from said external device, for controlling an operating rate of said solid-state image sensing device, wherein the control signal is based on an operating rate of said solid-state image sensing device and a rate at which said external device receives the image signals from said solid-state image sensing device, and

wherein the operating rate of said solid-state image sensing device changes on the basis of the control signal input from said input unit.

2. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operating rate of said solid-state image sensing device is decreased in a case where the operating rate of said solid-state image sensing devise is higher than the rate at which the external device receives the image signals from the image sensing apparatus.

3. An image sensing apparatus which provides an external device with image signals, comprising:

a solid-state image sensing device for sensing an image and converting the image into image signals;

an output unit adapted to output information to be used for comparing an operating rate of said solid-state image sensing device to a rate at which the external device receives the image signals from the image sensing apparatus; and

an input unit adapted to input a control signal, determined by and received from the external device, for controlling an operating rate of said solid-state image sensing device, wherein the control signal is determined on the basis of the output information, and

wherein the operating rate of said solid-state image sensing device changes on the basis of the control signal input from said input unit.

4. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a storage unit adapted to temporarily store the image signals output from said solid-state image sensing device,

wherein the information output by said output unit includes an occupancy status of said storage unit by the image signals.

5. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising a reset unit adapted to initially control the image sensing apparatus to perform image sensing operation in accordance with a control signal input from the external device.

6. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said output unit and said input unit are interfaces of PCMCIA standard.

7. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said output unit and said input unit respectively outputs and inputs signals by wireless.

8. An image sensing system including an image sensing unit and a computer, comprising:

a solid-state image sensing device for sensing an image and converting the image into image signals;

a communication unit adapted to communicate between the image sensing unit and the computer;

an operating rate determination unit, provided in the computer, adapted to determine an operating rate of said solid-state image sensing device on the basis of a current operating rate of said solid-state image sensing device and a rate at which the computer receives the image signals from the image sensing unit and output a control signal for controlling the operating rate of said solid-state image sensing device in accordance with a determination result; and

an operating rate controller, provided in the image sensing unit, adapted to control an operating rate of said solid-state image sensing device in with the control signal outputted by said operating rate determination unit.

9. The image sensing system according to claim 8 further comprising an operation unit adapted to calculate an operating rate of said solid-state image sensing device of the image sensing unit for the next image sensing operation after the computer receives a predetermined amount of the image signals;

and

a storage unit adapted to store the operating rate calculated by said operation unit.

10. The image sensing system according to claim 8 further comprising a display unit adapted to display a mark indicating that an image sensing operation is in progress during performing image sensing operation.

11. The image sensing system according to claim 8, wherein said communication unit is an interface of a PCMCIA standard.

12. The image sensing system according to claim 8, wherein said communication unit is a wireless means.

13. The image sensing system according to claim 8, further comprising a storage unit adapted to temporarily store the image signals output from said solid-state image sensing device,

wherein said opening ate determination unit determines the operating rate of said solid-state image sensing device on the basis of an occupancy status of said storage unit by the image signals.

14. The image sensing system according to claim 13, wherein if the occupancy status of said storage unit indicates that the operating rate of the solid-state image sensing device is higher than the rate at which the computer receives the image signals from the image sensing unit, said operating rate determination unit determines to decrease the operating rate of sad solid-state image sensing device.

15. The image sensing system according to claim 14, wherein if the occupancy status of said storage unit is larger than a predetermined threshold, said operating rate determination unit controls to initially start an image sensing operation.

16. An image sensing apparatus which provides an external device with image signals comprising:

a solid-state image sensing device for sensing an image and converting the image into image signals; and

an input unit adapted to input a control signal, said control signal determined by and received from said external device, for controlling an operating rate of said solid-state image sensing device, wherein the control signal is based on a difference between an operating rate of said solid-state image sensing device and a rate at which said external device receives the image signals from said solid-state image sensing device, and

wherein the operating rate of said solid-state image sensing device changes on the basis of the control signal input from said input unit.

17. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the operation rate of said solid-state image sensing device is changed when the difference becomes equal to a greater than a predetermined value.

18. An image sensing apparatus which provides an external device with image signals comprising:

a solid-state image sensing device for sensing an image and converting the image into image signals; and

an input unit adapted to input a control signal, said control signal determined by and received from said external device, for controlling an operating rate of said solid-state image sensing device, wherein the control signal, based on a comparison result between an operating rate of said solid-state image sensing device and a rate at which said external device receives the image signals from said solid-state image sensing device, and

wherein the operating rate of said solid-state image sensing device changes on the basis of the control signal input from said input unit.

19. An image sensing apparatus which provides an external device with image signals comprising:

a solid-state image sensing device for sensing an image and converting the image into image signals; and

an input unit adapted to input a control signal, said control signal determined by and received from said external device, for controlling said image sensing apparatus, wherein the control signal is based on an operating rate of said image sensing apparatus and a rate at which said external device receives the image signals from said image sensing apparatus.

20. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 19 further comprising a controller adapted to output information to be used for comparing the opening rate of said image sensing apparatus and the rate at which the external device receives the image signals.

21. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 19 further comprising:

a memory adapted to store the image signals from said image from said solid-state image sensing device; and

a controller adapted to detect an amount of the image signals stored in said memory.

22. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said image sensing apparatus inputs information on white balance from said external device.

23. The image sensing according to claim 19, wherein said image sensing apparatus inputs exposure information from said external device, and said solid-state image sensing device is controlled on the basis of the exposure information.

24. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said image sensing apparatus sensing a moving image.

25. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 19 further comprising a signal processing circuit adapted to form luminance and chromatic signals based on the image signals from said solid-state image sensing device.

26. An image sensing system including an image sensing apparatus comprising:

said image sensing apparatus including;

a solid-state image sensing device for sensing an image and converting the image into image signals; and

an input unit adapted to input a control signal, said control signal determined by and received from an external device, for controlling said image sensing apparatus, wherein the control signal is based on an operating rate of said images sensing apparatus and a rate at which said external device receives the image signals from said image sensing apparatus, and

wherein said external device includes a control circuit which outputs said control signal.

27. The image sensing system according to claim 26 wherein said image sensing apparatus further comprises a controller adapted to output information to be used for comparing the operating rate of said image sensing apparatus and the rate at which the external device receives the image signals.

28. The image sensing system according to claim 26 wherein said image sensing apparatus further comprises:

a memory adapted to store the image signals from said image from said solid-state image sensing device; and

a controller adapted to detect an amount of the image signals stored in said memory.

29. The image sensing system according to claim 26, wherein said image sensing apparatus inputs information on white balance from said external device.

30. The image sensing system according to claim 26, wherein said image sensing apparatus inputs exposure information from said external device, and said solid-state image sensing device is controlled on the basis of the exposure information.

31. The image sensing systems according to claim 26, wherein said image sensing apparatus senses a moving image.

32. The image sensing system according to claim 26, wherein said image sensing apparatus further comprises a signal processing circuit adapted to form luminance and chromatic signal based on the image signals from solid-state image sensing device.