Sony's new FCB-EX series of colour block cameras are equipped with an incredibly high 26x zoom lens which has a wide/telephoto horizontal field of view, making them ideally suited for use in security domes and traffic monitoring applications. These cameras incorporate an advanced Spherical Privacy Zone Masking feature which allows the masking function to be interlocked with the camera's pan/tilt/zoom movements, regardless of the camera angle, ensuring the individual's privacy

In addition, the FCB-EX series incorporates high-performance Digital Signal Processing (DSP) which provides enhanced picture quality and operability compared to conventional block cameras. The FCB-EX980S series combines a 1/4-type Super HAD™ CCD with Sony's new powerful 26x zoom "SMART" lens which features an incredibly high telephoto zoom capability and image stabiliser function, allowing users to zoom in on small or distant objects with exceptional clarity and stability. The FCB-EX980 series combines a high-sensitivity 1/4-type EXview HAD™ CCD and Sony's new powerful 26x zoom "SMART" lens which has a wide horizontal field of view. The FCB-EX480C/EX48 series is equipped with a high-sensitivity CCD, allowing images to be captured at a minimum illumination of 0.7 lx. In addition to the features above, these cameras are conveniently equipped with a variety of functions such as E-Flip, Alarm, Picture Freeze, and Auto ICR*1, which have all been inherited from earlier FCB-EX series cameras. Moreover, the entire FCB-EX series uses lead-free solder and halogen-free printed-circuit boards, making these cameras environmentally friendly. Combining superb picture quality with a variety of unique and convenient features, the FCB-EX series cameras are the perfect match, both indoor and outdoor, for demanding security and monitoring applications.

*1 FCB-EX980S/EX980SP, FCB-EX980/EX980P, FCB-EX480C/EX480CP only

Users can zoom in on small or distant objects with exceptional clarity.

Advanced Dynamic Spherical Privacy Zone Masking A newly developed Spherical Privacy Zone Masking feature allows unwanted or prohibited areas within an image to be masked precisely and appropriately. This technology allows masking areas to be interlocked with the camera's pan/tilt/zoom movements regardless of the camera angle. What is unique about this feature as compared to conventional masking is that the masked areas remain covered even when the camera is circling. In addition, when the zoom is engaged, the size of all masked areas adjusts in proportion to the zoom position. This feature is essential for dome cameras used in wide-area monitoring applications.

Users can easily set masking areas on the screen simply by positioning each area to be masked in the centre of the viewer (indicated by two intersecting lines), and executing the masking function.

In a dome application for example, if a tracked object moves beneath the camera dome, the image can be inverted to maintain the correct orientation.

Alarm Function
The FCB-EX series provides an Alarm function that detects changes in AF, AE, or both AF and AE levels of an image and outputs an alarm signal as required to external equipment via its control interface using VISCA protocol. This feature is ideal for automatically performing functions such as sounding an audible alarm or triggering an electric door strike to lock or unlock a door when focus or luminance levels change.
Users can designate multiple detecting areas from any of 16 vertical and 16 horizontal blocks. In addition, these cameras feature a DAY/NIGHT mode that can output an alarm signal via the VISCA protocol in response to a change in the designated brightness/darkness level.

SMART Lens Control
(Sony Modular Automatic Lens Reset Technology) These FCB cameras incorporate a SMART lens control technology that monitors lens focus position during zooming and automatically compensates for mechanical misalignment which may occur over long periods of continuous use.

Auto ICR
For optimised sensitivity in both day and night-shooting applications, these cameras incorporate an Auto ICR function. With a set level of darkness, the IR Cut filter is automatically disabled (ICR ON) and the infrared sensitivity is increased. With a set level of brightness, the filter is automatically enabled (ICR OFF). The ICR automatically engages depending on the ambient light, allowing the cameras to be effective in a variety of lighting conditions.

Image stabiliser (FCB-EX980S/EX980SP)
The image stabiliser function minimises the appearance of shaky images caused by low-frequency vibration and maintains a normal horizontal resolution. This function is useful for outdoor surveillance and traffic monitoring applications.

Picture Freeze
The FCB-EX series is equipped with a Picture Freeze function that allows for the output of a still image while the camera is panning, tilting, zooming, focusing, initialising the lens, or performing pre-set operations. For example, the camera will output a still image before it begins to pan, tilt, or zoom, and once the operation is completed, the camera continues to display images. Unnecessary images are not displayed. Environmentally-friendly lead-free design FCB-EX series cameras use lead-free solder and halogen-free printed-circuit boards, making the camera environmentally friendly.

 Videoconferencing is a powerful productivity tool that allows organizations adopting this technology to enhance communications, share information and carry out meetings while at the same time increasing efficiency and reducing travel costs. Travel savings alone can more than pay for the investment in the technology. This technology can be used in many different applications like: Agriculture, Economics, Education, Fine Arts, Government, Industries, Legal, Marketing, Medical, Security, Training, etc.

Adopting videoconference, you can profit by: Increased productivity, faster time to market, improved collaboration, Decreased downtime, Enhanced employee quality of life, Speed decision-making, Reduce time to market, Increase flexibility, Improve communications, Reduce travel time and expenses, Enhance client relations, Improve morale.

Nowadays, in many fields like Education or Industry, Video Conferencing is on the way to becoming an undeniable and indispensable implement:

Education is becoming less regionalized and more globalize. Specialized classes being broadcast from one school to one another are becoming commonplace in today's teaching environment. Thru the use of videoconferencing, it is now possible for students and educators to do it interactively and live from their classrooms. Videoconferencing is a 2-way communication: people from different places can thus ask questions, share ideas, etc. This technology seems to be the future of Education.

In Industry, Time is imperative: the faster you can produce a good service, the more productive your company is. Time is generally wasted during travels for production processes supervision, industry expert consultation, product design and scheduling discussions, production lines presentation to customers, etc. Videoconferencing offers unlimited opportunities and provides huge benefits to Industry, and clearly gives you the upper hand in the market.

Thru the use of bridging, many participants from locations all over the world may participate in conferences; instead of meeting at one location everyone is gathered. Quick and more accurate decisions can thus be made.

There are 5 kinds of videoconferencing systems that you can use depending on your need (systems for large meeting rooms and boardrooms, or medium-sized meeting rooms and or small meeting rooms and executive offices):
o Roll about or slim-line stand system (with 1 or 2 monitors)
o Integrated Videoconferencing system
o Set-Top unit
o Portable system (video communication system contained in a handy briefcase)
o Video telephones
o PC-board (multimedia desktop including codec board, camera, earphones and video communication software)

- Sony EVI-D series is the ideal type of video camera for videocommunication because these cameras have a PTZ integrated, they are high quality images (470 TV lines), they can be remote controlled with RS-232C serial ports or with a remote commander, their pan/tilt heads are quiet (thanks to the reduction of the pan/tilt motion noise), high speed and wide (built-in conversion lens for wide angle view: 65 degrees), and they have a fast and stable focus zoom lens (10x Optical Zoom, 40x with Digital Zoom).

- If you prefer OEM versions (without PTZ), Sony FCB-IX series are ideal products to be integrated in these systems. Moreover they are equipped with a wide range of optical zoom (10x to 25x).

In Europe, about 3% of the population suffers from vision impairment (low vision). These people cannot often neither read nor write despite a pair of glasses. 4/10-visual acuity is generally the minimum required to be able to clearly identify newspaper characters. That is the reason why magnifying visual assistance is particularly judicious for a visual acuity inferior to 4/10.

One of the most difficult things for visually impaired people is finding a way to read comfortably. Many give it up altogether, because what used to be an enjoyable, effortless activity now requires thought, preparation, and a lot of adjustment. For some people in this situation, reading is just no fun anymore. Even so, there are many low vision devices that can make reading easier and more rewarding for people with low vision.

Video magnifiers project document on a video monitor or regular television or computer screen; you can sit as close to the screen as necessary, and it can be adjusted for degree of magnification, brightness, contrast, and even color. The most affordable are handheld magnifiers, some of which contain small reading lamps for better illumination.

Advantages of this system are that it doesn't add weight to your nose (as in the case of eyeglass-mounted scopes), and you can sit upright in a comfortable position, instead of leaning over a horizontal table. The disadvantage is that it costs more than a simple magnifier or pair of reading glasses. But considering the impact on quality of life, the cost is probably worth it for most people.

Four different solutions of reading machines have been developed to enable people with low vision to display a suitable enlargement of their documents on a screen:
- Combined cameras and display units
- Computer-compatible video magnifiers
- Hand-held magnifiers
- Television-compatible video magnifiers

Electronic magnifiers offer many advantages over optical magnifiers: a greater magnification, a better contrast, a longer working distance, a greater field of vision, an ability to write with high magnification, and a binocular vision with high magnification.

Video magnifiers are devices utilizing video technology to enlarge written materials and small objects. This enables a person with low vision to both read and write in a highly effective manner. Moreover, some of them come as a mouse what facilitates easy scanning of text, and its mobility allows difficult-to-read items to be magnified easily. The display can be monochrome or full color, and the products are available in a variety of screen sizes and magnification levels.

Sony FCB series is the ideal type of video cameras for electronic magnification: these cameras are as blocks very easy to integrate in a low vision unit, with a high-quality images (470 TV lines), a superb sensitivity (minimum illumination from 0.01 lux - F1.4, 50 IRE), an adjustable zoom ratio (from 10 to 25x), various auto-focus and auto-exposure modes, and easily remote controllable (high speed interface - max. 38.4 kb/s - with RS-232C or TTL signal-level control - VISCA protocol).

The video cameras in police cars will help provide a credible, unbiased record of interactions between police and the community.

 

 

 

It's just a small camera tucked up near the rear view mirror of the police patrol car, but it signals a leap forward in tecMounted on the dash board of most police cars is a video camera.

These cameras are aimed straight ahead and are intended to record traffic stops. A five inch screen, mounted on the dashboard, allows the officer to see what is being filmed.

Sony FCB series is the ideal type of video cameras for this application: these cameras are as blocks very easy to integrate in a police car unit, with a high-quality images (470 TV lines), a superb sensitivity (minimum illumination from 0.01 lux - F1.4, 50 IRE), an adjustable zoom ratio (from 10 to 25x), various auto-focus and auto-exposure modes, and easily remote controllable (high speed interface - max. 38.4 kb/s - with RS-232C or TTL signal-level control - VISCA protocol).
Technology and, some say, a next step in police accountability.

Videoconference rooms are typically big meeting rooms not broadly available and equipped with video endpoints that often require a technician to operate and advance scheduling for use.

Sony EVI-D Series is the ideal solution for companies looking at enabling small rooms or workspaces with video.
The pan/tilt/zoom camera provides high video quality and zooming capability to support a varying number of participants.

It is a cost-effective video solution designed to increase the utility of videoconferencing by providing employees with readily accessible video-equipped workspaces, where they can go and collaborate instantly and spontaneously with colleagues, no matter where they are. The Workspace configuration makes it easy to deploy at a large scale for a fraction of the cost of traditional videoconference rooms. It combines the benefits of the close proximity of small rooms and the reliability, high quality and ease of use.

- Sony EVI-D series is the ideal type of video camera for videocommunication because these cameras have a PTZ integrated, they are high quality images (470 TV lines), they can be remote controlled with RS-232C serial ports or with a remote commander, their pan/tilt heads are quiet (thanks to the reduction of the pan/tilt motion noise), high speed and wide (built-in conversion lens for wide angle view: 65 degrees), and they have a fast and stable focus zoom lens (10x Optical Zoom, 40x with Digital Zoom).

- If you prefer OEM versions (without PTZ), Sony FCB-IX series are ideal products to be integrated in these systems. Moreover they are equipped with a wide range of optical zoom (10x to 25x).

Digital photo booths offer top quality driving license approved passport photographs, portrait photos and fun photographs. They let you view your photo before you print it (and let you change it if you don't like the pose). Then you needn't worry about finding a bad hair moment on permanent record.

 

Once inside the booth, video screen and voice instructions give step-by-step guidance on how to operate the machine and take the perfect photo. All you do is adopt a pose and then press a button to see your image on the colour screen. Once you are satisfied you can either print the photo or take a new shot with a different pose - and for the very first time you can now see the three different images on the screen together to help you select your preferred pose. And if it's stickers or fun photos you're after, just select one of the available fun backgrounds and then move your image to fit within this background.

There are numerous kinds of digital photo booths:

- Classic Photo booths delivering colour ID photographs suitable for all official purposes.
- Sticker Photo booths delivering photo stickers ready in 35 seconds and always high quality. The stickers can be used to personalize belongings, gifts for friends or family, or simply just for fun.
- Business Cards Photo booths offering a wide selection of colour and black and white logos to print business cards or special cards. Throughout the process of creating these cards clear, step by step instructions are given to the customers on the screen. This enables the user to create their own personalized business cards, invitations, and announcements...
- Kiddie Cameras giving instant high quality pictures which youngsters and parents alike really enjoy.

For traffic surveillance, video cameras are becoming stan-dard equipment for today's modern transportation mana-gement systems. Traffic sur-veillance is not to be mistaken for speed surveillance. The purpose with traffic surveil-lance is to get information about the rhythm and move-ment of the traffic.

Operators can monitor traffic from a remote location and continuously get real-time information from their system regarding coverage in percent, traffic rhythm, average speed, traffic disturbances, classification incident-alarm and fire in road-tunnels etc.

Video cameras are generally mounted on a pole on large road crossings and motorways; they are very discreet, and look like streetlights from a distance. Video cameras can also be placed in a tunnel for the operators to detect stopped vehicles, speed and incidents. Moreover, traffic monitoring allows incidents controlled to be stored in a hard disk.

Video camera blocks, such as Sony FCB Series, are the most convenient video cameras for video monitoring. They are very easy to fix and only require a traditional installation. These cameras are equipped with integrated lens and preset controls.

Therefore, in case of issue, a technician can very rapidly swap out the defective video camera block by a new one set with the same configuration (lens, filter, zoom, shutter, etc.), so that the traffic monitoring is not interrupted. This reduces considerably issues of maintenance, because the technician can bring back the defective camera and work on it later without disturbing the traffic monitoring.

Sony FCB cameras are high-resolution color CCD video camera blocks, compact and lightweight. Some of them have a very high sensitivity (minimum illumination less than 0.7 Lux) in order to make enable the video monitoring in places where the lighting is minimal, and produce pictures with sufficient contrast to allow for good object recognition.

In addition, lower power consumption and a wide environmental operating range make Sony FCB Series an excellent choice for demanding surveillance and monitoring applications.