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US 6,476,862 B1Granted
Teleconference image input device
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsShingo Tatsumi, Atsushi Ohyama, Hiroyuki Kawahara, Tetsuya Hamada
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image input device having: an image pickup unit to photograph an object and generate an image signal; an optical axis control unit to enable an optical axis of the image pickup unit to be moved; and a control unit to interlockingly control the optical axis control unit and the image pickup unit is described. The image input device may also have signal processing means for performing predetermined processes on the image signal, such as white balancing and automatic focusing. The image input device in accordance with the present invention is particularly suited for use in a television conferencing system.
Claims35
An image input device comprising:
- a) image pickup means for picking up an object image to generate an image signal, said image pickup means including an image pickup element for converting an optical image into an electric signal;
- b) optical axis control means for enabling an optical axis of said image pickup means to be moved;
- and
- c) control means for interlocking controlling said optical axis control means and generation of said image signal by said image pickup means, said control means also for controlling a charge accumulating time of said image pickup element and said optical axis control means.
1 more element
An image input device comprising:
- a) image pickup means for picking up an object image to generate an image signal;
- b) image pickup control means for controlling said image pickup means, said image pickup control means for controlling an operative timing of automatic white balancing on said image signal which is generated from said image pickup means to form a video signal;
- c) optical axis control means for enabling an optical axis of said image pickup means to be moved;
- and
- d) control means for controlling interlock of a control operation of said optical axis control means and the operative timing controlled by said image pickup control means.
2 more elements
An image input device comprising:
- a) image pickup means for picking up an object image to generate an image signal;
- b) signal processing means for executing automatic white balancing on said image signal which is generated from said image pickup means to form a video signal;
- c) optical axis control means for enabling an optical axis of said image pickup means to be moved;
- and
- d) control means for interlocking controlling said optical axis control means and the automatic white balancing of said signal processing means, wherein said control control means and said optical axis control means,
- wherein said control means initializes the interlock so as to set said zoom means into an initial state in which said zoom means is located at a wide end.
3 more elements
An image input device comprising:
- a) image pickup means for picking up an object image, said image pickup means including
- image pickup control means for controlling an operative timing of focus adjusting means for adjusting the object image to be picked up into an in-focus state, zoom means for enlarging the object image to be picked up and signal processing means for executing a predetermined signal process on an image signal which is generated from said image pickup means;
- (b) optical axis control means for enabling an optical axis of said image pickup means to be moved;
- and
- (c) control means for controlling interlock of operations of said image pickup control means, and said optical axis control means,
- wherein said control means initializes the interlock so as to set a zoom state into an initial state in which said zoom means is located at a wide end and to set a focus state into the in-focus state.
3 more elements
An image input device comprising:
- image pickup means for converting an object image into an electrical signal;
- image pickup control means for controlling an operative timing of a signal processing for converting an optical signal into the electrical signal, of said image pickup means;
- optical axis control means for enabling an optical axis of said image pickup means to be moved;
- and
- control means for controlling interlock of a control operation of said optical axis control means and an operation of said image pickup control means;
- further comprising signal processing means for executing a predetermined signal process to the electrical signal which is generated from said image pickup means, and wherein said control means also interlockingly controls said processing means;
- wherein said predetermined signal process is a process to adjust a white balance of said electrical signal;
- and
- wherein said control means inhibits the white balance adjusting operation during the operation of said optical axis control means.
6 more elements
An image input method comprising:
- a) an image means to generate an image signal, said image pickup means including an image pickup element for converting an optical image into an electric signal;
- b) an optical axis control step of enabling an optical axis of said image pickup means to be moved;
- and
- c) a control step of interlocking controlling said optical axis control step and generation of said image signal in said image pickup step, said control step also of controlling a charge accumulating time of said image pickup element and said optical axis control step.
1 more element
An image input method comprising:
- a) an image pickup step of picking up an object image by image pickup means to generate an image signal;
- b) an image pickup control step of controlling said image pickup means, said image pickup control step of controlling an operative time of automatic white balancing on said image signal which is generated from said image pickup means to form a video signal;
- c) an optical axis control step of enabling an optical axis of said image pickup means to be moved;
- and
- d) a control step of controlling interlock of a control operation in said optical axis control step and operative timing controlled in said image pickup control step.
2 more elements
An image input method comprising:
- a) an image pickup step of picking up an object image by image pickup means to generate an image signal;
- b) a signal processing step of executing automatic white balancing on said image signal which is generated from said image pickup means to form a video signal;
- c) An optical axis control step of enabling an optical axis of said image pickup means to be moved;
- and
- d) a control step of interlocking controlling said optical axis control step and the automatic white balancing in said signal processing step, wherein said control step inhibits the automatic white balancing during the operation in said optical axis control step.
2 more elements
An image input method comprising:
- a) an image pickup step of picking up an object image pickup means to generate an image signal, said image pickup means including zoom means for enlarging the object image to be picked up;
- b) an image pickup control step of controlling said image pickup means, said image pickup control step including a step of controlling an operative timing of a predetermined signal process on said image signal which is generated from said image pickup means;
- c) an optical axis control step of enabling an optical axis of said image pickup means to be moved;
- and
- d) a control step of controlling interlock of operations in said image pickup control step and said optical axis control step,
- wherein said control step initializes the interlock so as to set said zoom means into an initial state in which said zoom means is located at a wide end.
3 more elements
An image input method comprising:
- a) an image pickup step of picking up an object image by image pickup means;
- b) an optical axis control step of enabling an optical axis of said image pickup means to be moved;
- c) a first detecting step of detecting a current position of said optical axis moved in said optical axis control step;
- d) a second detecting step of physically detecting only an original position of said optical axis in the optical axis control as the current position of said optical axis moved in said optical axis control step;
- and
- e) a control step of controlling the position of the optical axis of said image pickup means in accordance with outputs of said first detecting step and said second detecting step.
3 more elements
An image input method comprising:
- a) an image pickup step of picking up an object image by image pickup means, said image pickup means including
- an image pickup control means for controlling an operative timing of focus adjusting means for adjusting the object image to be picked up into an in-focus state, zoom means for enlarging the object image to be picked up and signal processing means for executing a predetermined signal process on an image signal which is generated from said image pickup means;
- b) an optical axis control step of enabling an optical axis of said image pickup means to be moved;
- and
- c) a control step of controlling interlock of operations of said image pickup control means, and said optical axis controls step,
- wherein said control step initializes the interlock so as to set a zoom state into an initial state in which said zoom means is located at a wide end and to set a focus state into the in-focus state.
3 more elements
An image input method comprising:
- an image pickup step of converting an object image into an electrical signal by using image pickup means;
- an image pickup control step of controlling an operative timing of a signal processing for converting an optical signal into the electrical signal, in said image pickup step;
- an optical axis control step of enabling an optical axis of said image pickup means to be moved;
- and
- a control step of controlling interlock of a control operation in said optical axis control step and an operation in said image pickup control step;
- further comprising a signal processing step of executing a predetermined signal process to the electrical signal which is generated in said image pickup step, and wherein said control step also interlockingly controls said processing step;
- wherein said predetermined signal process is a process to adjust a white balance of said electrical signal;
- and
- wherein said control step inhibits the white balance adjusting operation during the operation in said optical axis control step.
6 more elements
An image input device comprising:
- a) image pickup means for picking up an object image to generate an image signal, said image pickup means including zoom means for enlarging the object image to be picked up;
- b) image pickup control means for controlling said image pickup means, said image pickup control means controlling an operative timing of a predetermined signal process on said image signal which is generated from said image pickup means;
- c) optical axis control means for enabling an optical axis of said image pickup means to be moved;
- and
- d) control means for controlling interlock of operations of said image pickup control means and said optical axis control means,
- wherein said control means initializes the interlock so as to set said zoom means into an initial state in which said zoom means is located at a wide end.
3 more elements
An image input device comprising:
- a) image pickup means for picking up an object image;
- b) optical axis control means for enabling an optical axis of said image pickup means to be moved;
- c) first detecting means for detecting a current position of said optical axis moved by said optical axis control means;
- d) second detecting means for physically detecting only an original position of said optical axis in the optical axis control as the current position of said optical axis moved by said optical axis control means;
- and
- e) control means for controlling the position of the optical axis of said image pickup means in accordance with outputs of said first detecting means and said second detecting means.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.