Abstract: The present invention provides optical imaging apparatus comprising solid state sensing elements and optical components operable to be manufactured and assembled at the wafer level.

Abstract: A method is provided for the transformation of a moving image sequence and a moving image sequence transformation device designed for executing the transformation method. For a current individual image of the moving image sequence, the method forms a transformation basis (1) in which a first individual image, the current individual image, and a second individual image are arranged adjacent to each other. Intersection points (S1, S2) are determined for connecting lines (7, 8) which extend from image points corresponding to each other from the first individual image and the current individual image and from the current individual image to the second individual image, comprising image starting limits and image end limits (15, 16) of the current individual image. A new image point position of an image point in the current individual image results from averaging the intersection points.

Abstract: A lens apparatus is detachable from an image pickup apparatus. The lens apparatus includes a controller configured to communicate with the image pickup apparatus in synchronization with a first signal. A communication contains a plurality of blocks in the same cycle of the first signal. The controller transmits information of a first time period to the image pickup apparatus, and prohibits a communication of an m-th block from starting before the first time period passes after a communication of an n-th block starts or ends where n is an integer equal to or larger than 1 and m is an integer larger than n.

Abstract: A method for detecting electronic lighting flickering includes: taking a video of an electronic light with a duration of a predetermined period and a scanning frequency; extracting a predetermined number of frames of pictures from the video; determining a flickering frequency of the electronic light; determining at least one fixed reference point at each frame; and reconstructing a brightness waveform of the electronic light from the reference point in all frames of the video.

Abstract: An illumination module can comprise a circuit board, a semiconductor-based light source mounted to the circuit board, an encasing mounted to the circuit board, and one or more optical surfaces at least partially contained within the encasing. The semiconductor-based light source can emit light in a first illumination pattern. The one or more optical surfaces can be collectively configured to receive the light from the edge-emitting semiconductor-based light source. The one or more optical surfaces can further be collectively configured to condition and redirect the light, and to output the conditioned and redirected light from the illumination module in a second illumination pattern different from the first illumination pattern.

Abstract: A photographing apparatus includes: an image pickup section that outputs a picked-up image obtained by photographing an object; a metadata creation section that creates metadata based on a tag format when the picked-up image is recorded; a communication section that can transmit the picked-up image to an external apparatus; a metadata update section that converts the metadata created by the metadata creation section into a data description language; and a transmission control section that transmits the metadata created by the metadata update section to the external apparatus via the communication section when the picked-up image is transmitted. When an image file is transmitted, auxiliary data is converted into data in text format according to a transmission destination, so that it is possible to promote effective use of the auxiliary data while enabling high-speed processing.

Abstract: An image pickup system includes a light emitting section that emits light for illuminating an object which operates periodically, an image pickup section including an image pickup device that performs an image pickup operation by a rolling shutter system, a period detection section that detects a period of motion of the object, a light emission signal generating section that outputs a stroboscopic light emission signal for causing the light emitting section to perform a stroboscopic light emission in synchronism with the period of the motion, a light emission period control section that sets as a light emission permission period, and a light emission non-permission period, and a light emission control section that performs control for causing the light emitting section to perform a light emission in the light emission permission period, and performs control for inhibiting a light emission of the light emitting section in the light emission non-permission period.

Abstract: Modular digital camera systems are disclosed. The modular digital camera system can include a brain module configured to be releasably coupled to one or more of a port extender module, power module, display module, and handle module. The brain module and other accessory modules can be structured according to some embodiments to increase an ease of coupling and decoupling the modules.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes: an expectation condition information acquisition section; a requisite condition information acquisition section; a photographing apparatus state information acquisition section; an object state information acquisition section; and a photographing apparatus selection section as defined herein, the requisite condition requires that the plurality of objects are not overlapped with each other, and the photographing apparatus selection section has: an expectation condition determination section that carries out expectation condition determination processing to determine whether a photographic image captured by each of the plurality of photographing apparatuses satisfies at least one of the plurality of expectation conditions or not; and a requisite condition determination section that carries out requisite condition determination processing to determine whether or not a photographic image that has been determined to satisfy at least one of the plurality of expectation

Abstract: There is provided an image processing device including a camerawork determination unit configured to determine camerawork at a time of imaging and set a determination start timing of a main subject in image data on the basis of the determination, and a main subject determination unit configured to determine the main subject among subjects contained in the image data from the image data from the determination start timing.

Abstract: Methods and systems for determining frames and photo composition within multiple frames are provided. First, a plurality of frames, which are respectively captured with a predefined time interval are obtained. At least one object within at least two of the frames is detected. In some embodiments, a moving speed of the object is calculated according to the positions of the object in the respective frames and the predefined time interval, and candidate frames are selected from the frames according to the moving speed of the object. In some embodiments, an overlapped area corresponding to the object within a first frame and a second frame is calculated, and at least one candidate frame is selected according to the overlapped area corresponding to the object. The at least one candidate frame is composed to generate a composed photo.

Abstract: An imaging system includes an image sensor and a row-period compensator. The image sensor includes an array of photosensitive pixels and electrical circuitry for controlling the array of photosensitive pixels and for reading accumulated electrical charge therefrom. The electrical circuitry is at least partially powered from a positive power rail and a negative power rail. The row-period compensator is for compensating for a change in current drawn by the electrical circuitry during at least part of a row-period of the image sensor, and the row-period compensator is electrically coupled between the positive and negative power rails. A method for compensating for a change in current drawn by electrical circuitry of an image sensor includes controlling a magnitude of compensation current drawn by a row-period compensator, to compensate for a change in current drawn by the electrical circuitry of the image sensor.

Abstract: An image processing circuit comprises a first sample-and-hold circuit that samples a first data from a pixel; a second sample-and-hold circuit that samples a second data from the pixel; a voltage-to-current circuit that includes a resistor and a current source, and receives the first data and the second data to output a difference data; and a black sun spot determination circuit. The black sun spot determination circuit compares a first VSL level at a first time with a second VSL level at a second time, both from the second sample-and-hold circuit, and determines the presence of a black sun spot based on a difference between the first and second level.

Abstract: A connector is adapted to be attached to a case of an electronic device unit. The connector includes a connector assembly adapted to be accommodated in the case through an opening provided in the case, an escutcheon adapted to be attached to the case to close the opening, and an elastic member arranged at a position to be interposed between the connector assembly and the escutcheon when the escutcheon is attached to the case in a state in which the connector assembly is accommodated in the case. The connector assembly includes a terminal, a housing holding the terminal, and a circuit board connected to the terminal. The elastic member is configured to bias the connector assembly toward the case such that the circuit board is pressed against the case to position the connector assembly with respect to the case.

Abstract: Techniques for image synchronization are described herein. The techniques may include a device having logic, at least partially including hardware logic, to implement modules. The modules may include a first sync pulse module to issue a first sync pulse after a first sync pulse offset period to a first imaging sensor. The modules may also include a second sync pulse module to issue a second sync pulse parallel to the first sync pulse after a second sync pulse offset period to a second imaging sensor.

Abstract: A distance-information acquisition unit acquires information about a distance to a subject in each focus detection region by setting a plurality of focus detection regions in an imaging region. A depth-of-field calculating unit calculates the depth of field for one major subject (principal object) on the basis of the information about a distance to the major subject, which is selected from a plurality of subjects, and a diaphragm value, which is corrected on the basis of optical characteristics of an APD filter. An insertion/retreat control unit determines whether or not a subject other than the major subject is present outside the depth of field on the basis of the information about the distance and inserts the APD filter onto the light path in a case in which the subject other than the major subject is present outside the depth of field.

Abstract: A dual-field-of-view (FOV) optical imaging system having a primary FOV and a simultaneously viewable secondary FOV. One example of the system includes an imaging sensor, primary and secondary FOV objective optics configured to receive and output electromagnetic radiation corresponding to the primary FOV and secondary FOV, respectively, imager optics, and a field-of-view selection mechanism disposed between the secondary FOV objective optics and the imager optics and configured to selectively pass the second FOV to the imager optics, the imaging sensor being configured to produce primary FOV image frames and combined image frames that include imagery from both the primary and secondary fields-of-view.

Abstract: Provided is an image-acquisition apparatus including an image-acquisition lens that collects light coming from a subject A; an image-acquisition device that acquires images with the light collected by the image-acquisition lens; a microlens array that is disposed between the image-acquisition device and the image-acquisition lens; and a distance calculating portion that calculates a distance to the subject by using information obtained by the image-acquisition device. The microlens array has multiple types of microlenses, for different polarization states, that focus light incident thereon to form individual images on an image-acquisition surface of the image-acquisition device and that are arranged in an array in directions orthogonal to an optical axis thereof, and the distance calculating portion calculates the distance by performing matching processing in which each polarization state is weighted according to frequency components of the information obtained by the image-acquisition device.

Abstract: A camera shake correction apparatus includes a target position setting unit, a current setting unit, a driving unit, a magnetic flux detector, and an arithmetic unit. The target position setting unit sets a target position of a movable member. The current setting unit sets a current value to move the movable member to the target position. The driving unit drives the movable member with respect to a fixed member based on the set current set value. The magnetic flux detector detects a magnetic flux value changed with movement of the movable member. The arithmetic unit calculates a third magnetic flux value by subtracting a second magnetic flux value estimated to be generated from the driving unit based on the current set value from a first magnetic flux value actually detected by the magnetic flux detector.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes: a wiring board; an imaging unit with an imaging element implemented on the wiring board; a frame-like housing that accommodates the imaging unit and that has an opening formed thereon in an optical axis direction of the imaging unit; a top cover located on the housing; a light source that emits light to be sent to outside via the top cover; a light guide body that guides the light emitted from the light source; and a light blocking body that blocks light around the imaging unit, wherein the imaging unit, the light guide body, and the light blocking body are disposed with a gap between the top cover, and the housing includes a top-cover supporting unit, at least a portion of which supports the top cover at a periphery of the opening.