Patent ID: 6937277
Filing Date: 2005-08-30
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image input apparatus for inputting an image of an object as an electrical signal, the apparatus comprising: an image sensing device; a selector arranged to select an operation mode; an image processor arranged to determine a read region having a size corresponding to the operation mode selected by said selector, the read region being a region in which pixels are read out from said image sensing device, to read out pixels from the determined read region, and to generate an image having pixels the number of which corresponds to the operation mode selected by said selector by using the readout pixels; and an output unit arranged to output the image generated by said image processor, said output unit comprising a recorder arranged to record the image generated by said image processor into a recording medium, wherein the operation mode includes first and second modes, and said image processor reads out pixels from a read region determined for the first mode and generates an image having pixels the number of which is defined by a predetermined recording format by using the readout pixels in the first mode, and reads out pixels from a second read region determined for the second mode and generates an image having pixels the number of which is larger than the number of pixels of the image generated in the first mode by using the readout pixels in the second mode, said image sensing device has pixels the number of which is larger than the number of pixels corresponding to the predetermined recording format, the first read region is for obtaining pixels the number of which corresponds to the predetermined recording format, and the second read region is larger than the first read region and having pixels the number of which is larger than the number of pixels corresponding to the predetermined recording format, and in the second mode, said image processor reads out pixels from the second read region in a vertical scanning period longer than a vertical scanning period in the first mode.