Electronic imaging apparatus with interchangeable pickup units

Electronic imaging apparatus partitioned into separable modular units including an image pickup unit and an image recording unit, the improvement wherein said apparatus comprises:

• a plurality of distinguishable pickup units, each such pickup unit including an image sensor having predetermined characteristics, and a timing circuit for clocking an image signal from the image sensor according to a predetermined clock function suitable for the characteristics of the image pickup unit;
• said image recording unit includes means for storing the image signals and a controller for loading the image signals into said storing means, said controller including a plurality of signal processing routines adapted to the particular characteristics of different image pickup units;
• and wherein said apparatus further includes
• interface means operative during attachment of the image pickup unit to the image recording unit for enabling a particular signal processing routine corresponding the characteristics of the attached image pickup unit.

Electronic imaging apparatus partitioned into separable modular units including an image pickup unit, an image recording unit, and a playback processing unit, the improvement wherein said apparatus comprises:

• a plurality of distinguishable pickup units, each such pickup unit including an image sensor having predetermined characteristics, means for providing said image sensor with a timing signal for clocking an image signal from the image sensor, and means for providing a sensor identifying signal that uniquely signifies an image pickup unit according to the distinguishable characteristics of the image sensor included therewith;
• said image recording unit includes means for storing the image signals, and a controller for loading the image signals into said storing means;
• said playback processing unit includes a frame buffer for storing a frame of image signals and a digital processor for applying a selected algorithm to the signals;
• and wherein said image recording unit and said playback processing unit further include
• means responsive to said sensor identifying signal and operative during attachment of said image pickup unit to either said image recording unit or said playback processing unit for enabling operation of the respective unit according to the sensor characteristics of the attached image pickup unit.

Electronic imaging apparatus partitioned into separable modular units, said apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of image pickup units, each pickup unit including an image sensor having predetermined characteristics and means for providing said image sensor with a timing signal for clocking an image signal from the image sensor;
• an image recording unit including means for storing the image signals and processor means for controlling the operation of the image recording unit, including the loading of image signals into said storing means;
• means for attaching a selected one of the pickup units to said image recording unit;
• and
• means for enabling operation of said processor means according to the sensor characteristics of the attached image pickup unit.