Abstract: A cellular PDA communication system for allowing a plurality of cellular phone users to monitor each others' location and status, to initiate cellular phone calls by touching a symbol on the display screen with a stylus or finger which can also include conferencing calling. The system also provides for remote activation of a cellular phone by an initiator causing the remote cellular phone to annunciate audio announcements, to call another phone number, to increase the volume of the speaker, to vibrate or to display images or videos. All this is accomplished with a conventional cellular phone PDA that includes GPS navigation with an enhanced improved software program.

Abstract: A camera and method automatically exclude electronic images corresponding to film images in a loaded film unit from first in-first out overwriting. In the method, a set of latent images are captured in the camera. A first subset of electronic images that correspond to the latent images are captured, during the capturing of the latent images. A second subset of electronic images are captured independent of the capturing of the latent images. The memory of the camera is filled to capacity with a plurality of the electronic images. After the memory is filled, the electronic images of the second subset in the memory are replaced on a first in-first out basis and the electronic images of the first subset are retained in the memory.

Abstract: In a solid state imaging apparatus of the present invention, first and second charge-coupled devices (CCDs) 336A and 336B are prepared as two charge accumulation circuits for one photodiode 330. The first and second CCDs 336A and 336B additionally accumulate charges during an on-state and an off-state of a light emitting source in the imaging apparatus, respectively. After the additional charge accumulation, the additionally accumulated charges in the first and second CCDs 336A and 336B are fed to first and second charge transfer CCD registers 333A and 333B, respectively. The charges in the first and second charge transfer CCD registers 333A and 333B are shifted in sequence to thereby output first and second charge signals, respectively. A differential amplifier 334 of the imaging apparatus calculates and outputs a differential signal between the first charge signal and the charge second signal. By using the imaging apparatus of the present invention, the effect, e.g.

Abstract: In a camera and method, a plurality of image pairs is captured. Each image pair includes an archival image of a scene and an initial electronic image of the same scene. The archival image of each pair has a first geometric format. The initial electronic images are stored in memory. A designation of a alternative geometric format different than the first geometric format is recorded in association with selected image pairs. The film unit is removed from the camera. The initial electronic images of the selected image pairs are abridged to the respective alternative geometric formats to provide abridged electronic images. The initial electronic images of the selected image pairs are replaced in memory with respective abridged electronic images.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system and method for identifying objects with captured images. One embodiment of the present invention is a method comprising the steps of actuating a controller configured to cause an image capture device to operate in a property identification (ID) mode; capturing an image of an object, thereby generating an object image when the image capture device is operating in the property ID mode; and capturing at least one high-resolution image of a unique feature of the object, thereby generating at least one identification (ID) image when the image capture device is operating in the property ID mode.

Abstract: To enable the use of a single use digital camera for acquiring, selecting and storing images, thereby providing the ability to delete unwanted images, a method is disclosed in which a customer is provided a single use digital camera, which the customer uses for acquiring, selecting and storing digital images, return of the digital camera is accepted from the customer after the storing of the images and the selected images are retrieved for the customer. The single use digital camera does not provide the customer the ability to retrieve the stored images. A system that provides the ability to perform the steps of the method for use of a single use digital camera is also described.

Abstract: To enable the use of a single use digital camera for acquiring, selecting and storing images, that allows a customer to submit the captured images for development from a convenient location, while also providing the ability to delete unwanted images, a method is disclosed in which a customer is provided a single use digital camera, which the customer uses for acquiring, selecting and storing data corresponding to digital images, the data corresponding to selected images is received from the customer after the storing of the data and the selecting of the images. The single use digital camera does not provide the customer the ability to retrieve the stored data in image form. A method which includes additional steps allows the removal of selected ones of the data from the digital camera thereby preparing the camera for re-use. A system that provides the ability to perform the steps of the method for use of a single use digital camera is also described.

Abstract: In a camera and method, a first electronic image is captured and stored in memory. A second electronic image is then captured. The second electronic image replaces the first electronic image in memory when the camera does not have a film unit loaded and the memory has capacity for storing both images. The second electronic image is stored in memory with the first electronic image when the camera has a film unit loaded and the memory has capacity for storing both images.

Abstract: An integrated color interpolation and color space conversion technique and apparatus. A raw image that is arranged in a Bayer pattern where each pixel has only one of the color components needed to form a full color resolution pixel may be converted using this technique directly to a YCrCb image space without any intermediate conversion or interpolation steps. Specifically, in one instance, an 8-bit Bayer pattern raw image may be converted directly to a 12-bit YCrCb space in a single step approach. Such an integrated technique may more readily and inexpensively implemented in hardware such as on a digital camera, or in software.

Abstract: When a shutter button of an electronic camera is depressed, the electronic camera photographs a subject and the photographed image data is stored into a main storage device of the electronic camera. Upon receiving a photography command from a computer connected to the electronic camera, a check is made to determine whether the main storage device of the electronic camera still holds image data to be processed. If the main storage device still holds image data to be processed, then an error signal is sent to a device from which the photography command is issued. If the main storage device does not hold image data to be processed, then the electronic camera photographs a subject and the photographed image is stored into the main storage device. Then, a notice of normal termination is sent to a device from which the photography command is issued.

Abstract: A system for optically imaging includes an array of cells, a charge shift register, two or more charge sensing nodes, and a charge demultiplexor. Each cell produces an electrical charge in response to photon stimulation. The charge shift register receives the electrical charge produced by each cell and sequentially outputs the electrical charge to the charge demultiplexor. The charge demultiplexor selectively distributes the charge from each cell to one of the charge sensing nodes. The charge sensing nodes accumulate the charge until reset by a controller.

Abstract: A system and method for high numeric aperture imaging systems includes a splitter, a defocusing system, and a combiner. The splitter reflects a portion of collected light and transmits another portion of the collected light. The defocusing system is configured to modify optical power of either the transmitted portion or reflected portion of the collected light. The combiner is oriented with respect to a mechanical angle. The combiner recombines portions of the transmitted portion and the reflected portion such that the transmitted portion and reflected portion are subsequently transmitted being separated by an optical separation angle based upon the mechanical angle of orientation of the combiner. Various other implementations are used to maintain focus with regards to the imaging systems involved.

Abstract: A phase locked loop (PLL) frequency synthesizer to produce a local oscillator signal for a superheterodyne transmitter for operation at a first and a second RF frequency band that are disparate. The transmitter has a fixed intermediate frequency that is a sizable fraction of the bandwidth of one or more of the RF bands. The superheterodyne transmitter includes a first and a second RF upconverter, each having a local oscillator input coupled to the frequency synthesizer. The synthesizer includes a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) to provide a VCO frequency signal and a non-integer frequency multiplier to produce a frequency multiplied signal having a frequency wither at the VCO frequency or at a non-integer multiple of the VCO signal depending on a control input.

Abstract: First image data is obtained by performing an image capturing operation with a flash and, subsequently, second image data is obtained by performing an image capturing operation without a flash. By using data of a differential image between the first and second image data and a relative spectral distribution of flash light, the spectrum reflectivity in a position on a subject corresponding to each pixel is obtained and object-color component data is acquired as data from which an influence of an illumination environment has been removed. On the other hand, illuminant component data indicative of spectral distributions of a plurality of illumination light are prepared. By combining arbitrary illuminant component data to the obtained object-color component data, an image with a different illumination environment can be reproduced.

Abstract: An area separating apparatus for judging whether or not each object pixel belongs to a photograph image area in an image.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus comprising: right and left optical systems; shutters disposed in correspondence with each of the right and left optical systems, for time-divisionally switching between incident light; a micro computer for controlling an open/close timing of the shutters; and an image pickup element for picking up an image input via the right and left optical systems, wherein the microcomputer variably controls the open/close timing of the shutters in accordance with exposure timing information of the image pickup element.

Abstract: A low cost camera by implementing the major functions in host software is provided. This is accomplished by sending raw, digitized data from the camera directly to the host. The increased volume of raw data is handled by either an improved compression/decompression scheme using lossless compression, using lossy compression or using a shared bus with higher bandwidth. By moving such functions as color processing and scaling to the host, the pixel correction can also be moved to the host. This in turn allows the elimination of the frame buffer memory from the camera. Finally, the camera can use a low cost lens by implementing vignetting, distortion, gamma or aliasing correction with a correction value stored in a register of the camera for later access by the host to perform corrections.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus, for equally dividing an area of an arbitrary figure by pixel units by a number of parallel lines, which includes an input element for inputting a dividing number for a figure obtaining element which obtains a total number of pixels of the figure, a calculating element for calculating an initial ideal value by dividing the total number of pixels by the dividing number, a computing element for computing an ideal value of the number of pixels of a kth divided region in the figure using the initial ideal value and a sum of determined values of the numbers of pixels of a first to a (k?1)th divided region, and a determining element for determining a determined value of the number of pixels of the kth divided region such that an error between the determined value of the number of pixels of the kth divided region and the ideal value of the number of pixels of the kth divided region is minimized.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus, for equally dividing an area of an arbitrary figure by pixel units by a number of parallel lines, which includes an input element for inputting a dividing number for a figure obtaining element which obtains a total number of pixels of the figure, a calculating element for calculating an initial ideal value by dividing the total number of pixels by the dividing number, a computing element for computing an ideal value of the number of pixels of a kth divided region in the figure using the initial ideal value and a sum of determined values of the numbers of pixels of a first to a (k?1)th divided region, and a determining element for determining a determined value of the number of pixels of the kth divided region such that an error between the determined value of the number of pixels of the kth divided region and the ideal value of the number of pixels of the kth divided region is minimized.

Abstract: An image-capture apparatus includes an imaging element, a display, and a light-guiding member having an inclined surface, where the light-guiding member is disposed so that a portion of the light-guiding member having a reduced thickness at the inclined surface is disposed behind the imaging element. The light-guiding member reflects light to be applied to the display at the inclined surface and guides the light to the display.