Abstract: A camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a first Printed Circuit Board (PCB) configured to have an image sensor mounted thereon; a housing unit disposed over the first PCB; a holder module spaced apart from a bottom surface within the housing unit at a specific interval and configured to have a first coil wound on its outer circumferential face and to include at least lens therein; a second PCB combined with the bottom surface of the holder module; a third PCB disposed over the holder module; and a plurality of wire springs each configured to have one end connected to the second PCB and the other end connected to the third PCB.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup apparatus includes a photoelectric conversion unit, a charge storage unit, and a floating diffusion unit, all disposed on a semiconductor substrate. The solid-state image pickup apparatus further includes a first gate electrode disposed on the semiconductor substrate and extending between the photoelectric conversion unit and charge storage unit, and a second gate electrode disposed on the semiconductor substrate and extending between the charge storage unit and the floating diffusion unit. The solid-state image pickup apparatus further includes a light shielding member including a first part and a second part, wherein the first part is disposed over the charge storage unit and at least over the first gate electrode or the second gate electrode, and the second part is disposed between the first gate electrode and the second gate electrode such that the second part extends from the first part toward a surface of the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A mobile terminal includes a main body case, a user input unit configured to detect an input of a control command in a manner that one side of the user input unit is arranged to a side of the main body case and a controller configured to control according to the control command detected by the user input unit. The user input unit includes a rotatable input unit housing combined with the side of the main body case, a rotation detection unit configured to detect a rotation of the input unit housing and deliver a rotation input to the controller and a camera module mounted on the input unit housing. The mobile terminal can expand an input function using a stem button.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit to acquire an image. A detection unit detects each object region from the image acquired by the acquisition unit. A luminance distribution calculation unit calculate a plurality of luminance distribution information for respective object regions detected by the detection unit. A representative luminance value calculation unit calculates a plurality of representative luminance values for respective detected object regions. A determination unit determines tone characteristics for respective object regions based on the plurality of luminance distribution information for respective object regions calculated by the luminance distribution calculation unit and a relationship among the representative luminance values for the respective object regions calculated by the representative luminance value calculation unit.

Abstract: A generation section generates a first display image based on an image signal output from an image pick-up device, and a second display image based on first and second image signals output from the image pick-up device. An identification section identifies an image region in the second display image generated by the generation section satisfying both a first condition and a second condition. The image region identified by the identification section is then displayed so as to be distinguishable from other regions in the second display image. The first condition indicates a condition of the magnitude of contrast being a first specific value or greater, and the second condition indicates a degree of matching between the first image and the second image being a second specific value or greater.

Abstract: A method (100) is provided for characterizing a functionality of a flash (14) from at least one image (200) captured with a camera (12) using the flash (14). The method (100) includes: analyzing the image (200) by segmenting (106) the image (200) into at least one sub-region (206, 208), and applying a metric (108) to the sub-region (206, 208) to measure an image property within the sub-region (206, 208); and determining (110) the functionality of the flash (14) in response to a result of the applied metric.

Abstract: An in-vehicle video system comprising a forward-looking video camera system that includes two independent image sensors and associated digital signal processors for processing imagery received from the respective independent image sensors. The in-vehicle-video system may also comprise a microphone and a transmitter; and a computing system for interfacing with the forward-looking video camera system configured to control the capture, storage and processing of video, still images and audio received from the transmitter and the forward-looking video camera system. The computing system is operable to control image capture including enabling the forward-looking video camera system in a plurality of modes, and to command the forward-looking video camera system to transition to a first mode including commanding a first independent image sensor to capture high-resolution video imagery while a second independent image sensor of the two independent image sensors is capturing still images.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer readable media to identify the operating characteristics of a multi-LED flash module for use with a image capture device are described. Flash modules having multiple LEDs have been found to exhibit large module-to-module variation in the light spectrum they emit. It has been determined that such variations make defining a “golden module” impractical. To overcome this and other issues, techniques to characterize the operational behavior of a flash module having multiple LEDs using easily obtained measurements are disclosed. Such characterizations permit the characterization of each flash module to account for the particular lighting capability of its specific LEDs during image capture operations.

Abstract: A detection apparatus configured to detect a focus state based on an output signal from an image pickup element capable of outputting an image pickup signal and a phase-difference detection signal includes, a first calculation unit configured to calculate information related to a first phase difference based on the phase-difference detection signal output from the image pickup element, a second calculation unit configured to calculate information related to a second phase difference based on the image pickup signal output from the image pickup element, and a detection unit configured to detect the focus state based on the information related to the first phase difference and the second phase difference.

Abstract: There is provided an imaging apparatus including an apparatus body provided with an imaging lens on one end, a cap body capable of moving between an open position and a closed position with respect to the apparatus body, the cap body being provided with a display, and a support mechanism that movably supports the cap body with respect to the apparatus body. The imaging lens is closed while the cap body is positioned in the closed position, and the imaging lens is opened while the cap body is positioned in the open position.

Abstract: Method for the adjustment of a photo finish camera including a matrix color filter, characterized in that the method includes the following steps: a first step of selecting a basic pattern having optical properties of sensitivity, of color quality and of resolution which are predefined according to race parameters; a second step of software selection of a set of adjacent columns whose number corresponds to the width of said selected basic pattern; a third step of centering said set of adjacent columns on the finish line.

Abstract: An method and apparatus focus on a subject in a digital image processing device, the apparatus including a digital signal processor (DSP) for focusing on a subject based on an eye detected from a face of a subject having a greater ratio than a predetermined ratio in a picture.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus generates an output image using an input image including object space information, the image processing apparatus includes a region dividing unit configured to divide the input image into a first region and a second region, and a reconstructed image generating unit configured to reconstruct the input image to generate the output image, and the reconstructed image generating unit applies different shooting conditions from each other to the first region and the second region respectively.

Abstract: An image sensor package including a barrier structure to prevent image sensor die contamination is described. A barrier structure may surround an image sensor die that is attached on an image sensor carrier. The barrier structure may be attached to a transparent window structure as well as a package substrate. The barrier structure may extend through a hole in the package substrate. The image sensor carrier may be mounted to the package substrate using a thermal compression head that is able to apply independently varying compressive forces to corresponding regions of a surface at a given time. The thermal compression head may be used to cure the barrier structure and/or adhesives used in the image sensor package. Underfill adhesive may be deposited between discrete mounting structures used to mount the package substrate to the image sensor carrier, after the barrier structure has been applied.

Abstract: An array of diffraction-pattern generators employ phase anti-symmetric gratings to projects near-field spatial modulations onto a closely spaced array of photoelements. Each generator in the array of generators produces point-spread functions with spatial frequencies and orientations of interest. The generators are arranged in an irregular mosaic with little or no short-range repetition. Diverse generators are shaped and placed with some irregularity to reduce or eliminate spatially periodic replication of ambiguities to facilitate imaging of nearby scenes.

Abstract: A temporal filter in an image processing pipeline may perform filtering using spatial filtering and noise history. A given pixel of a current image frame may be received for filtering at a temporal filter. A filtering weight may be determined for blending the given pixel with a corresponding pixel of a reference image frame that was previously filtered at the temporal filter. The filtering weight may be determined based on neighboring pixels of the given pixel in the current image frame and corresponding pixels in the reference image frame. The filtering weight may be adjusted according to a quality score indicating noise history for the corresponding pixel in the reference image frame. Based on the filtering weight, a filtered version of the given pixel may be generated, blending the given pixel and the corresponding pixel to store as part of a filtered version of the current image frame.

Abstract: A multi-channel image capture system includes: a multi-channel image sensor including a plurality of first pixels configured to detect light in a first band and a plurality of second pixels configured to detect light in a second band different from the first band; an image signal processor coupled to the multi-channel image sensor, the image signal processor being configured to: store a first plurality of capture parameters and a second plurality of capture parameters; control the multi-channel image sensor to capture a first image frame according to the first plurality of capture parameters; control the multi-channel image sensor to capture a second image frame according to the second plurality of capture parameters; and transmit the first image frame and the second image frame to a host processor.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes pixels each having a photoelectric conversion element for converting incident light to an electric signal, color filters associated with the pixels and having a plurality of color filter components, microlenses converging the incident light through the color filters to the photoelectric conversion elements, a light shielding film disposed between the color filter components of the color filters, and a nonplanarized adhesive film provided between the color filters and the light shielding film.

Abstract: An example system that allows a camera enabled application, such as an augmented reality application, to run in a protected area may include a first device including a camera, the camera including a secure mode of operation and a display, an image processing module configured to convert image data from the camera to encoded data when the camera is in the secure mode and protect image data stored in the system, an encryption module configured to encrypt encoded data from the image processing module, and a protected audiovisual path mechanism configured to securely send augmented encoded data to the display.

Abstract: An imaging system may include an image sensor having an array of pixels. The image sensor may include an array of microlenses formed over a substrate and an array of color filter elements interposed between the microlenses and the substrate. Dielectric wall structures may be interposed between the color filter elements. Light shield structures may be formed within or on the dielectric wall structures and may be used to reduce optical crosstalk between adjacent pixels. The light shield structures may be formed on opposing sides or corners of the color filter elements and may partially or fully extend along the height of the color filter elements. In some arrangements, the light shield structures may each have a vertical portion that contacts a side surface of an adjacent color filter element and a horizontal portion that contacts a lower surface of an adjacent color filter element.