Television – Camera – system and detail – Combined image signal generator and general image signal...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-05
2003-11-04
Rao, Andy (Department: 2713)
Television
Camera, system and detail
Combined image signal generator and general image signal...
C348S236000, C348S552000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06642958
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup system in which an image pickup unit is connected for use to an external apparatus arranged to process images.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computers having connection terminals of the PCMCIA standards are generally arranged to be usable with card-shaped units of various functions inserted therein as a facsimile, a memory, etc. The connection terminal permits use of each of the various card-shaped units by replacing one with another so long as they meet the PCMCIA standards. The connection terminal thus permits selective use of card-shaped units of various functions as desired by the operator.
FIG. 7
shows by way of example an image pickup system which is composed of a computer having the above-stated connection terminal and an image pickup unit which is removably attachable to the computer.
The illustration of
FIG. 7
includes a card-shaped image pickup unit
21
, computers
22
,
24
and
26
which are usable in the image pickup system, and connection terminals
23
,
25
and
27
which are respectively arranged to connect the image pickup unit
21
to the computers
22
,
24
and
26
. A case where the image pickup system is formed by connecting the image pickup unit
21
to the connection terminal
23
is first described as follows.
Referring to
FIG. 7
, an image is picked up by an optical system and a CCD which are included in the image pickup unit
21
. The image picked up is converted into digital image data. The picked-up image data thus obtained is transferred through the connection terminal
23
to the computer
22
at a predetermined speed.
The image pickup unit
21
sends the picked-up image data which includes a color signal to the computer
22
at a rate of n frames per sec. The computer
22
then processes the n-frames/sec picked-up image data sent from the image pickup unit
21
and is capable of displaying the picked-up image data on a built-in color display device or recording the picked-up image data in a built-in recording device.
The use of the computer
22
may be replaced with the use of the computer
24
. The computer
24
is provided with the connection terminal
25
which conforms to the same standards as the connection terminal
23
of the computer
22
and a color display device which is similar to that of the computer
22
.
Since the connection terminal
25
is of the same specifications as the connection terminal
23
, the image pickup unit
21
can be connected to the connection terminal
25
. With the image pickup unit
21
connected to the connection terminal
25
, the computer
24
displays and records the picked-up image data obtained from the image pickup unit
21
in the same manner as when the image pickup unit
21
is connected to the computer
22
.
The operator of the image pickup system can use either the computer
22
or the computer
24
and also can use the image pickup unit
21
in common with them.
This arrangement of the image pickup system, however, has presented the following problems.
In the image pickup system shown in
FIG. 7
, a case where the computer
26
is used will be considered. The computer
26
has a less amount of consumption of electric power and less weight than the computers
22
and
24
, but has a slower processing speed than the computers
22
and
24
and has only a monochrome display device instead of a color display device.
Since the connection terminal
27
also conforms with the same standards as the connection terminals
23
and
25
, the computer
26
is capable of exchanging data with the image pickup unit
21
as connected to the connection terminal
27
. However, since the processing speed of the computer
26
is too slow, it is impossible to completely process the picked-up image data being sent from the image pickup unit
21
. As a result, the picked-up image data tends to be lost in part or an image pickup operation sometimes comes to a stop.
Besides, in such a case, it is impossible to utilize color information included in the picked-up image data sent from the image pickup unit
21
as the computer
26
is provided with only a monochrome display device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to the solution of the above-stated problem of the prior art. It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an image pickup system which is composed of at least one image pickup unit and at least one computer and a picked-up image signal processing apparatus, which are capable of utilizing the characteristics and performance of the computer to a maximum extent and also capable of solving the problems caused by a difference in data processing speed and in display device between one computer and another.
To attain the above object, an image pickup system according to the invention is configured as follows. (1) An image pickup system is composed of an image pickup unit which has a connection terminal for connection with an external apparatus and which is arranged to pick up an image to output picked-up image data from the connection terminal and at least one external apparatus which is connected to the image pickup unit. The image pickup unit comprises data exchange means for exchanging data with the external apparatus connected, processing-speed detection means for measuring or predicting a processing speed of the external apparatus connected, speed comparison means for making a comparison between the processing speed of the external apparatus detected by the processing-speed detection means and an image pickup speed or a picked-up image data output speed of the image pickup unit, and varying control means for varying an image pickup action or a picked-up image data output action of the image pickup unit according to a result of the comparison made by the speed comparison means or according to an operation performed by an operator of the image pickup system. (2) An image pickup system is arranged to include, in addition to the arrangement of the system defined by Para. (1) above, informing means for informing one of or all of the operator of the image pickup system, the external apparatus and the image pickup unit of the result of the comparison made by the speed comparison means. (3) An image pickup system is arranged to include, in addition to the arrangement of the system defined by Para. (1) or (2) above, Dm detection means for measuring or predicting a maximum amount Dm of picked-up image data transferable per unit time to the external apparatus connected, and data amount comparison means for making a comparison between the detected maximum amount Dm of picked-up image data and an amount Sp of picked-up image data being outputted per unit time by the image pickup unit. (4) An image pickup system is arranged to include, in addition to the arrangement of the system defined by Para. (1) or (3) above, operation clock detection means for measuring or predicting an operation clock speed of the external apparatus. In the system, the speed comparison means compares the image pickup speed of the image pickup unit with the operation clock speed of the external apparatus measured or predicted by the operation clock detection means. (5) In the image pickup system defined by any one of Para. (1) to (4) above, when the image pickup unit obtains a plurality of pixel data, the varying control means selects and outputs at least one pixel data from among the plurality of pixel data. (6) In the image pickup system defined by any one of Para. (1) to (5) above, the varying control means is arranged to vary the number of frames of images to be picked up per unit time by the image pickup unit. (7) In the image pickup system defined by any one of Para. (1) to (6) above, the varying control means is arranged to select and output picked-up image data for at least one picture from among picked-up image data for a plurality of pictures being sent out at intervals of a predetermined length of time from the image pickup unit. (8) In the image pickup system defined by any one of Para. (1) to (7)
Fukushima Nobuo
Ishikawa Motohiro
Koide Yuji
Kondo Kenichi
Sekine Masayoshi
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Rao Andy
Robin Blecker & Daley
LandOfFree
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