What is claimed is:
1. A device for receiving a digital input in which at least one of a watermark and copy control information other than the watermark is inserted as needed, and outputting an analog output corresponding to the digital input, comprising:
a first unit configured to output, when the watermark is inserted in the digital input, an analog output with that watermark; and
a second unit configured to insert, when the watermark is not inserted in the digital input but the inserted copy control information contains copy limitation information, a predetermined watermark in an analog output, and to output the analog output with the watermark.
2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the digital input contains at least one of video contents and audio contents,
when the watermark is inserted in a digital input of the video contents, an analog video output with that watermark is output,
when the watermark is not inserted in the digital input of the video contents but the inserted copy control information contains copy limitation information, a first predetermined watermark is inserted before analog conversion, and an analog video output with the watermark is output,
when the watermark is inserted in a digital input of the audio contents, an analog audio output with that watermark is output, and
when the watermark is not inserted in the digital input of the audio contents but the inserted copy control information contains copy limitation information, a second predetermined watermark is inserted before analog conversion, and an analog audio output with the watermark is output.
3. A device according to claim 2, wherein the watermark to be inserted in the analog video output of the video contents is inserted in a baseband of a composite analog video output.
4. A device according to claim 2, wherein the watermark to be inserted in the analog video output of the video contents is inserted in a color difference signal of a component analog video output.
5. A device according to claim 2, wherein the watermark to be inserted in the analog audio output of the audio contents is inserted in at least one of a frequency range not more than an audio playback frequency band lower limit and a frequency range not less than an audio playback frequency band upper limit.
6. A method of receiving a digital input in which at least one of a watermark and copy control information other than the watermark is inserted as needed, and outputting an analog output corresponding to the digital input, comprising:
outputting, when the watermark is inserted in the digital input, an analog output with that watermark; and
inserting, when the watermark is not inserted in the digital input but the inserted copy control information contains copy limitation information, a predetermined watermark in an analog output, and outputting the analog output with the watermark.
7. A disk or disc configured to record the analog output obtained by the method of claim 6.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. An image sensor comprising:
a first sensor row formed by two or more imaging elements separated from each other by a non-imaging material; and
a second sensor row formed by two or more imaging elements separated from each other by the non-imaging material, the imaging elements in the second sensor row separated and offset from the imaging elements in the first sensor row by the non-imaging material.
2. The image sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein each imaging element comprises a photo-electric converting pixel.
3. The image sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein each imaging element comprises a pixel of a charge-coupled device.
4. The image sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein each imaging element is substantially square-shaped.
5. The image sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein each imaging element is polygonal-shaped.
6. The image sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein the non-imaging material reduces diffusion between neighboring imaging elements.
7. The image sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein the non-imaging material promotes recombination of diffused electrons into the imaging elements.
8. The image sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein the non-imaging material comprises a structure to prevent diffusion between neighboring imaging elements.
9. The image sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein each imaging element is separated from neighboring imaging elements within the same sensor row by a distance of approximately one-half the width of the imaging element.
10. The image sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein each imaging element in the first sensor row is separated from neighboring imaging elements in the second sensor row by a distance of approximately one-half the width of the imaging element.
11. The image sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein the imaging elements in the first sensor row are offset from the imaging elements in the second sensor row by a distance of approximately one-half the sum of the width of the imaging element and the non-imaging material between adjacent imaging elements.
12. The image sensor as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
a first readout register coupled to the first sensor row for reading a first image signal from each of the imaging elements in the first sensor row and converting the first image signals into a first digital image; and
a second readout register coupled to the second sensor row for reading a second image signal from each of the imaging elements in the second sensor row and converting the second image signals into a second digital image.
13. The image sensor as recited in claim 12, further comprising:
a delay circuit coupled to the second readout register to delay the second digital image for a time period corresponding to the distance between the first sensor row and the second sensor row; and
an adder circuit coupled to the first readout register and the delay circuit to produce an digital output image by adding the first digital image to the second digital image.
14. The image sensor as recited in claim 13, further comprising a buffer coupled to the adder circuit to store one or more of the digital output images.
15. An image sensor comprising:
a first sensor row formed by two or more imaging elements separated from each other by a non-imaging material that reduces diffusion between neighboring imaging elements, the non-imaging material having a width of approximately one-half the width of the imaging element;
a second sensor row formed by two or more imaging elements separated from each other by the non-imaging material having a width of approximately one-half the width of the imaging element;
the imaging elements in the first sensor row separated from the neighboring imaging elements in the second sensor row by the non-imaging material having a width of approximately one-half the width of the imaging element; and
the imaging elements in the first sensor row offset from the imaging elements in the second sensor row by a distance of approximately one-half times the sum of the width of the imaging element and the non-imaging material between adjacent imaging elements.
16. The image sensor as recited in claim 15, wherein each imaging element comprises a photo-electric converting pixel.
17. The image sensor as recited in claim 15, wherein each imaging element is substantially square-shaped.
18. The image sensor as recited in claim 15, wherein each imaging element is polygonal-shaped.
19. The image sensor as recited in claim 15, wherein the non-imaging material promotes recombination of diffused electrons into the imaging elements.
20. The image sensor as recited in claim 15, wherein the non-imaging material includes a structure to prevent diffusion between neighboring imaging elements.
21. An imaging system comprising:
at least one light source operable to illuminate a photographic media; and
at least one image sensor operable to detect light from the photographic media, the image sensor comprising a first sensor row formed by two or more imaging elements separated from each other by a non-imaging material and a second sensor row formed by two or more imaging elements separated from each other by the non-imaging material, the imaging elements in the second sensor row separated and offset from the imaging elements in the first sensor row by the non-imaging material.