Abstract: Panoramic imaging systems and devices are disclosed. In one aspect, a disclosed panoramic imaging system includes a housing which has a substantially spherical shape and a set of cameras mounted on and enclosed by the housing. The housing is further composed of a first hemispherical substructure which receives a first subset of cameras and a second hemispherical substructure substantially identical to the first hemispherical substructure to receive a second subset of cameras. Each of the first and second hemispherical substructures has a closed boundary, and the contour of the closed boundary resembles the contour of the seam of a tennis ball. Moreover, each of the first and second hemispherical substructures has a shape which resembles the shape of one half of the tennis ball. In some embodiments, the disclosed panoramic imaging system includes eight normal-lens or wide-angle-lens cameras.

Abstract: A system for imaging and analyzing a vehicle may include a frame having a central passage, wherein the central passage is configured and dimensioned to allow a vehicle to pass through. The frame may include, for example, a pair of substantially vertical legs connected at the top by a cross member, wherein the legs and cross member define the central passage. One or more bollards may be positioned in front of and/or behind the frame. A plurality of cameras within the each leg, cross member, and/or bollard may be directed toward the passage to record video images of a passing vehicle. Integrated LED array panels may provide bands of light to aid in detection of surface anomalies, for example by simultaneous analysis of symmetrical sides of the vehicle.

Abstract: Techniques for generating a storyboard are disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention the storyboard is comprised of videos from one or more cameras based on the identification of activity in the video. Various embodiments of the invention include an assessment of the importance of the activity, the creation of a storyboard presentation based on importance and interaction techniques for seeing more details or alternate views of the video. In one embodiment, motion detection is used to determine activity in one or more synchronized video streams. Periods of activity are recognized and assigned importance assessments based on the activity, important locations in the video streams, and events from other sensors. In different embodiments, the interface consists of a storyboard and a map.

Abstract: A digital camera includes a memory, and pixel data cut out from the memory is subjected to ½ horizontal thinning processing by a ½ horizontal thinning circuit when a zooming magnification is equal to or larger than “2”, and the thinned pixel data is written to an image buffer. A zooming circuit performs zooming processing on the thinned pixel data stored in the image buffer. Here, when the zooming magnification is smaller than “2”, the zooming circuit performs the zooming processing on original pixel data being read from the memory and then stored in the image buffer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image processing apparatus includes an image-capturing module configured to captures an image, a module configured to detect a first object region from the image, a module configured to extract color information of an image of the first object region, a module configured to detect candidates of a second object region, which is an object of recognition, from the image, a module configured to extract color information of an image of the second object region, and sets reference color data, a module configured to select the candidates of the second object region on the basis of the reference color data and the color information of the image of the first object region with respect to each of the candidates of the second object region, and a module configured to output, as an object of recognition, any one of the candidates of the second object region.

Abstract: A stereoscopic imaging system incorporates a plurality of imaging devices or cameras to generate a high resolution, wide field of view image database from which images can be combined in real time to provide wide field of view or panoramic or omni-directional still or video images.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging device for capturing images, a display section, a temporary memory for temporarily recording captured images, a main memory for recording the captured images and a setting mechanism for setting one of a temporary recording mode and a direct recording mode. The images temporarily recorded are displayed for the user to select images to be saved, and the selected images are recorded into the main memory and deleted from the temporary memory. All of the non-selected images remaining in the temporary memory are deleted at once at a predetermined timing instructed by the user.

Abstract: Photographing at a fixed focus is executed by quickly canceling the autofocus without any labor for mode switching or the like. An image sensing apparatus includes a photographing unit which has an autofocus function and photographs an object image, a key input unit including a shutter key which has two operation strokes and designates autofocus and autoexposure by operation of the first stroke and photographing by operation of the second stroke, and a focus control unit which automatically sets a correct exposure value in the photographing unit, detects predetermined operation states of the first and second strokes designated by the shutter key, and switches and selects, on the basis of the detection result, whether to operate the autofocus function or set a fixed-focus position at which a predetermined depth of field is obtained.

Abstract: Selection candidates for number of imaging pixels and for an image compression rate are displayed in a two-dimensional arrangement on a setting screen for setting an image quality, and combinations of selectable number of image pixels and a compression rate can be presented to a user. An instruction for moving a cursor which displays a selected position on the screen is received, and a setting can be changed to a number of pixels and a compression rate which are pointed by the cursor after a position of the cursor is designated. More specifically, numbers of pixels to be selected are 2400×1800, 1280×960, and 640×480, and compression rates to be selected are Fine, Normal, and Basic. When the user selects the number of pixels, candidates of the selectable compression rate for the number of pixels are displayed.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus including, among other things, a control section that, after simultaneous and concurrent reset of all first and second input sections, effects control so as to cause all the first input sections to concurrently and simultaneously accumulate the signal associated with the object image having the same exposure start timing; a correction data retaining section that retains correction data to correct a characteristic variance between the first input section and the second input section where the correction data is generated by taking a difference between a noise signal of the first input section and a noise signal of the second input section containing the characteristic variance; and a variance correction section that generates a third pixel signal corresponding to a difference between the first pixel signal and the second pixel signal where the characteristic variance is corrected by subtracting the correction data from the third pixel signal.

Abstract: A method for reducing the row noise from complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor by using average values from sub-regions of the shielded pixels. The method operates on sensor with and without a Color Filter Array (CFA) before any interpolation is applied and estimates the local offset by subtracting out outliers and averaging the averages of sub-regions in the shielded pixels. The method also reduces the pixel-to-pixel noise while reducing the row noise.

Abstract: A digital camera of the present invention has: a lens group reflecting photographic object light entering along a first optical axis to a second optical axis direction perpendicular to the first optical axis and forming an image of light flux thereof on an image pickup device located on the second optical axis; and a driving force generating member blocking or allowing entering light flux along the first optical axis by driving a barrier member, and has a camera body having an optical housing, a containing portion containing the optical housing and the barrier member, and having a transmitting member transmitting driving force of the driving force generating member to the barrier member, wherein the coupling relation between the driving force generating member and the driving force transmitting member is maintained.

Abstract: On embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for automatically computing exposure parameters for a digital video camera (DVC) system. The exposure parameters include exposure gain, analog gain, and digital gain. Each frame is analyzed with respect to an image luma value. Exposure gain and analog gain are adjusted to reduce differences between a target image luma value and measured image luma values over sequential frames. Digital gain is adjusted with respect to each frame to reduce visually abrupt changes in sequentially captured video frames.

Abstract: Capturing motion including: a clock configured to generate a time reference; a plurality of motion capture cameras substantially synchronized to the time reference; at least one device used in motion capture; a multicast module configured to receive the time reference, and to transmit a multicast signal, wherein the multicast signal includes information derived from the time reference to configure the at least one device to operate synchronously with the plurality of motion capture cameras; and an integration module configured to integrate device data generated by the at least one device with camera data generated by the plurality of motion capture cameras.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus, includes a viewfinder optical system for guiding an observation light beam to a viewfinder window, the observation light beam being output from an imaging optical system and then reflected from a main reflective surface, an imaging element for generating an image signal in response to the reception of the observation light beam, an exposure control unit for performing exposure control of the imaging element in response to the image signal from the imaging element, and a light sensing detector, arranged in the vicinity of the imaging element, for measuring light. The exposure control unit determines an exposure control value in the exposure control in response to a light measurement value provided by the light sensing detector if a predetermined condition is satisfied.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus having a plurality of setting items related to an image pickup condition, the image pickup apparatus including: a setting unit adapted to set respective setting information of the plurality of setting items; a storage unit; a specification mean adapted to specify a registration target item to set a registration target from among the plurality of setting items in accordance with an instruction operation of a user; a registration control unit adapted to register the setting information set by the setting unit regarding the registration target item in the storage unit as a registration image pickup condition; and a generation unit adapted to call the registration image pickup condition from the storage unit in accordance with a call operation of the user to generate a new image pickup condition which reflects the registration image pickup condition.

Abstract: A system and method for driving a solid-state image pickup device including a pixel array unit including unit pixels. Each unit pixel includes a photoelectric converter, column signal lines and a number of analog-digital converting units. The unit pixels are selectively controlled in units of rows. Analog signals output from the unit pixels in a row selected by the selective control though the column signal lines are converted to digital signals via the analog-digital converting units. The digital signals are added among a number of unit pixels via the analog-digital converting units. The added digital signals from the analog-digital converting units are read. Each unit pixel in the pixel array unit is selectively controlled in units of arbitrary rows, the analog-distal converting units being operable to performing the converting in a (a) normal-frame-rate mode and a (b) high-frame-rate mode in response to control signals.

Abstract: A camera, connectible to a CCTV network, includes a camera lens and image sensor. as well as an analog video input connector that receives analog image signals corresponding to views from outside the camera. An image processing circuit outputs image signal data of the image sensor, and a video conversion circuit outputs image signal data of the analog image signals. The image signal data is stored on a storage device. A microcontroller controls the circuits, and a network adapter connects to an internet-protocol address corresponding to a network device capable of serving files. The microcontroller selectively transmits image signal data of the image sensor or transmits image signal data of the analog video input connector from the storage device to the network device using the network adapter and the internet-protocol address.

Abstract: This invention discloses a photoelectric conversion device. The photoelectric conversion device includes a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels are arrayed in a row direction and a column direction, a plurality of readout circuits which read out signals from pixels for respective columns in the pixel array, and a control unit which controls the plurality of readout circuits, wherein each of the plurality of readout circuits includes a holding unit which holds a reference voltage supplied from an external power source, an operational amplification unit which amplifies the signals from the pixels for each column based on the reference voltage held in the holding unit, and a disconnection unit which electrically disconnects the external power source and the holding unit, and the control unit controls the disconnection unit to electrically disconnect the external power source and the holding unit when the operational amplification unit amplifies the signals from the pixels for each column.

Abstract: An integrated Internet camera includes, as embedded components contained within the camera body and controlled by a microcontroller, at least a network interface device for connecting to the Internet, a transport control device for packetizing according to Internet protocols, a file transfer device for communicating with a destination user directory on the Internet, and a transmission initiating device for initiating the connection and transfer operations of the file transfer device and transport control device. The network interface device may be a modem, network adapter, or adapter for connection to the Internet. Upon capturing the digital image, the camera initiates a connection to the Internet, connects to the destination user directory, and uploads the digital images. Thereafter, the digital images are available to authorized (or any) user having access to the Internet.