Abstract: An imaging sensor has a pixel array in which pixels are disposed in a two-dimensional matrix state, a sampling part, a shutter control part, and a clipping circuit. A vertical signal line is coupled to the plurality of pixels disposed in a column direction, and to which a pixel signal is input from the pixels. The sampling part is coupled to the vertical signal line, and to which the pixel signal output to the vertical signal line is input. The clipping circuit is provided at an input side of the sampling part, and clips an electric potential of the vertical signal line to a first clip level before the pixel signal is input from the pixels to the vertical signal line when the shutter control part performs the global shutter operation. As a result, it is possible to stably operate the sampling part.

Abstract: Since the great number of elements constituting a unit pixel having an amplification function would hinder reduction of pixel size, unit pixel n,m arranged in a matrix form is comprised of a photodiode, a transfer switch for transferring charges stored in the photodiode, a floating diffusion for storing charges transferred by the transfer switch, a reset switch for resetting the floating diffusion, and an amplifying transistor for outputting a signal in accordance with the potential of the floating diffusion to a vertical signal line, and by affording vertical selection pulse ?Vn to the drain of the reset switch to control a reset potential thereof, pixels are selected in units of rows.

Abstract: A technique is provided for generating sharp, well-exposed, color images from low-light images. A series of under-exposed images is acquired. A mean image is computed and a sum image is generated each based on the series of under-exposed images. Chrominance variables of pixels of the mean image are mapped to chrominance variables of pixels of the sum image. Chrominance values of pixels within the series of under-exposed images are replaced with chrominance values of the sum image. A set of sharp, well-exposed, color images is generated based on the series of under-exposed images with replaced chrominance values.

Abstract: A photography control method, apparatus, and computer readable medium for prohibiting the use of a flash. The method includes recognizing a sensitive face from an obtained image and prohibiting the use of the flash when the recognized face is a sensitive face. The method may include determining whether or not the image is taken from a dark environment and if the image is taken from a dark environment, then increasing the optical sensitivity and optionally performing advanced shake reduction.

Abstract: A wireless video recording camera headset providing hands-free video recording and a two-way audio relay to a wireless handset. A recorded video stream is saved to a non-volatile buffer in the headset and may be viewed, edited and manipulated via the wireless handset.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an image capturing apparatus including, an optical zoom lens, an actuator for driving said optical zoom lens, an imaging device, a jiggling detection section, an optical jiggling correction section, an electronic jiggling correction section, and an optical zoom magnification change rate modulation section.

Abstract: An image processing device comprising a synchronization unit (25) for generating a luminance (Y?) from the sum of pixel signals R, Gr, Gb, B, for subtracting the R pixel signal and the B pixel signal from the sum of the Gr pixel signal and Gb pixel signal so as to generate a first color difference (C1), and for calculating a difference between the R pixel signal and the B pixel signal to generate a second color difference (C2), a pseudo-color suppression unit (31) for performing pseudo-color suppression of the first color difference (C1) and/or the second color difference (C2), a color space conversion unit (37) for converting the luminance Y?, the first color difference (C1), the second color difference (C2), into a predetermined color space to generate YUV color information.

Abstract: The image processing apparatus includes an image inputting part configured to acquire a captured image produced by an image pickup system including an optical system and an image sensor, a filter producing part configured to produce an image restoration filter, and a restoration processing part configured to perform an image restoration process on the captured image by using the image restoration filter to produce a restored image. The filter producing part is configured to set amplification factors for respective frequency components in the image restoration filter according to a frequency characteristic of an alias signal that may be generated in the image sensor.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus is provided, which is provided with a plurality of image sensing elements each including a plurality of photoelectric conversion sections and an adding circuit adapted to add signals from the plurality of photoelectric conversion sections to obtain a one-pixel signal, wherein the adding circuit adds the signals such that the one-pixel signals obtained by the addition are arranged at equal intervals in an area extending over the plurality of image sensing elements.

Abstract: An actively addressable aperture disposed ahead of the rear surface of a camera lens allows the camera to capture a full-resolution, five-dimensional (5D) light field that describes every possible view from every possible angle of the scene being imaged. Shifting the aperture over the entire aperture plane and acquiring an image at each step yields a 2D grid of 2D images of the scene, otherwise known as a 4D parameterized light field. Estimating the 3D depth of the objects in the imaged scene yields a 3D model with 2D surface irradiance patterns, which is the full, non-parameterized 5D light field. The 5D light field can be used to display perspective changes in a way that mimics cognitive processing of the same scene or object. 5D light fields can also be used to create high-precision, 3D depth maps suitable for 3D movies, interactive displays, machine vision, and other applications.

Abstract: An imaging array and a method for operating the same are disclosed. The imaging array includes a plurality of light pixels and a sense amplifier. Each light pixel includes a photodetector that generates and couples a signal indicative of a light exposure to a light pixel node, a readout circuit, and a mixer that mixes a signal on the light pixel node with a pixel oscillator signal. The sense amplifier includes an input node that receives a signal from each light pixel, one light pixel at a time. The sense amplifier also includes a high pass filter that attenuates signals with frequencies less than a cutoff frequency and a mixer that demodulates the signal from the filter to provide a signal that is related to the potential on the light pixel node of the light pixel connected to the first input node.

Abstract: A method for controlling the contrast range of the image recording light falling on an image recording medium by means of control light coupled into the optical path of the image recording light, which is composed of several base colors whose brightness is adjusted independent of each other, is provided. The brightness at least of those base colors of the control light is varied, whose dynamics in the recorded image go beyond the admissible dynamic range.

Abstract: An active pixel sensor includes mixed analog and digital signal integration on the same substrate. The analog part of the array forms the active pixel sensor, and the digital part of the array does digital integration of the signal.

Abstract: An image stabilizer includes a circuit board, a stationary member secured on the circuit board and defines a first receiving space and a first central axis, a moveable member received in the first receiving space, a driving assembly including a first magnetic member secured to the stationary member and a second magnetic member secured to the moveable member, a resilient assembly interconnecting the stationary member and the moveable member, and a photo-detector fixed on the circuit board and facing the moveable member. The driving assembly drives the moveable member to rotate about a first axis and a second axis relative to the stationary member through magnetic interaction between the first and second magnetic members. The resilient assembly counter-rotates the moveable member about the first axis and the second axis relative to the stationary member. The photo-detector detects vibration or movement of the moveable member relative to the stationary member.

Abstract: An imager is provided having an image-capturing device, a voice detector, a voice recognition device and a composer. The image-capturing device captures a subject image and outputs an image. The voice detector detects ambient sound. The voice recognition device converts the ambient sound to characters. The composer composes the characters into the image.

Abstract: In an image pickup device of the present invention, in the case where a mode switch 116 selects a finder mode, a focusing lens is driven at a first speed when a focusing operation is performed in a focus control unit 203. In the case where the mode switch 116 selects a live view mode, the driving speed of the focusing lens is switched in a range lower than the first speed in accordance with brightness of an object detected by a photometric unit 114 when the focusing operation is performed in the focus control unit 203. With such a configuration, a lens driving control method is changed by AF control of a phase difference detection system and AF control of a hill climbing system, and a driving system suitable for each AF system is performed, whereby the focusing operation can be performed normally at a high speed.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for automatically estimating the tilting angle in tilted images enables level correction of the images. A preferred orientation of objects in an image and the deviation of the current orientation from the preferred orientation is determined by tilt image analysis without object recognition. Tilt image analysis includes several steps such as gradient feature computation, line segment tracking, line segment estimation and orientation deviation estimation. Once the tilt angle is determined, the image can be corrected so that an object or scene is not tilted or is tilted by only the appropriate amount.

Abstract: An image capture apparatus has an image capture unit to capture an object image, an acquisition unit to acquire a developing parameter for image data captured by the image capture unit, an analysis unit to analyze RAW image data generated by the image capture unit, an image composition unit to compose a plurality of RAW image data generated by the image capture unit and generate composite RAW image data, a composition ratio determination unit to determine a composition ratio for a plurality of developing parameters respectively for development of the plurality of RAW image data acquired by the acquisition unit, a parameter composition unit to compose the plurality of developing parameters and generate one composite developing parameter, and a development unit to develop the composite RAW image data using the composite developing parameter.

Abstract: A digital observation system and method for processing and transmitting video data between a video camera, or video cameras, and a base unit. The video data is transmitted, for example, by a communication protocol that is compliant with Ethernet physical drivers for transmitting and receiving data at around 100 Mbps. Video is captured at a sensor in the video camera, digitally processed and transmitted, thus overcoming limitations associated with analog processing and allowing unique features to be added. Images and other data may be transmitted efficiently in their native format, with reduced overhead, and in a non-compressed format due to the data transmission rate at or below 100 Mbps.

Abstract: A method of operating a CMOS imager is presented wherein a reset transistor source/drain of a first pixel is biased with a first voltage source, a source follower transistor of a second pixel is biased with the same first voltage source, a reset transistor source/drain of the second pixel is biased with a second voltage source, and the first voltage source is dropped to ground during a reset of the second pixel.