Abstract: An image pickup apparatus including an optical system having an optical element including an optical wavefront modulation function; and a detector at a focal position of the optical system, capturing an object image having passed through the optical system, wherein the optical element including the optical wavefront modulation function has a capability of decreasing an alteration of an optical transfer function in an entire screen due to a difference of object distances, and wherein an absolute value of a focal length of the optical element including the optical wavefront modulation function is greater than an absolute value of a focal length of the entire optical system.

Abstract: An image processing method and apparatus operable for processing images is disclosed. The image processing method allows for drawing any given image in an output image on which various types of image processing have been performed. Such various types of image processing are, for example, correction of an image having distortion due to the distortion aberration of an imaging lens, an image having unnatural perspective distortion of a subject due to high-angle or overhead photography, generation of an output image with the viewpoint changed from the viewpoint of a captured image, mirror-image conversion of a captured image, and electronic zooming. Embodiments of the present invention also relate to an imaging apparatus that uses the image processing method.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus operable to reduce defocusing due to temperature changes is disclosed. An optical system comprises a glass lens and a plastic lens, wherein a power of the plastic lenses is smaller than that of the glass lens. An image pickup device picks up an object image that has passed through the optical system as a defocused object image including an area with a large-depth-of-field light and a blurred area. An image processing device generates an image signal with a smaller blur than the blurred object image from the image pickup device.

Abstract: A lens unit using an aberration control module is disclosed. The lens unit can be operable to intentionally produce aberration. In the lens unit, a point-spread-function of a light beam passing through the lens unit becomes substantially circular.

Abstract: An image processing method and apparatus operable for processing images is disclosed. The image processing method allows for drawing any given image in an output image on which various types of image processing have been performed. Such various types of image processing are, for example, correction of an image having distortion due to the distortion aberration of an imaging lens, an image having unnatural perspective distortion of a subject due to high-angle or overhead photography, generation of an output image with the viewpoint changed from the viewpoint of a captured image, mirror-image conversion of a captured image, and electronic zooming. Embodiments of the present invention also relate to an imaging apparatus that uses the image processing method.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an optical system, a detector, and an image processor. The detector picks up an object image that passes through the optical system. The image processor performs a predetermined process for an object image signal obtained from the detector. A relative position between the optical system and the detector is set by adjusting an optical axis and/or a back focus in association with at least one of variation in quantity of ambient light around an image pickup area, variation in image circle, and variation in angle of view.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus and manufacturing method is disclosed. The image pickup apparatus comprises an optical system, an optical wavefront modulator that modulates an optical transfer function, an aperture adjacent to the optical wavefront modulator, and an image pickup device for detecting an object image passing through the optical system and the optical wavefront modulator. A product of a diameter of the aperture at a stop position multiplied by a distance between the aperture and the optical wavefront modulator is less than 2.

Abstract: An image processing method and apparatus operable for processing images is disclosed. The image processing method allows for drawing any given image in an output image on which various types of image processing have been performed. Such various types of image processing are, for example, correction of an image having distortion due to the distortion aberration of an imaging lens, an image having unnatural perspective distortion of a subject due to high-angle or overhead photography, generation of an output image with the viewpoint changed from the viewpoint of a captured image, mirror-image conversion of a captured image, and electronic zooming. Embodiments of the present invention also relate to an imaging apparatus that uses the image processing method.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an element-including optical system, a detector, and a converter. The element-including optical system has an optical system and an optical wavefront modulation element which modulates an optical transfer function. The detector picks up an object image that passes through the optical system and the optical wavefront modulation element. The converter generates an image signal with a smaller blur than that of a signal of a blurred image output from the detector by performing a filtering process of the optical transfer function to improve a contrast. A focal position of the element-including optical system is set by moving the element-including optical system to the focal position which is corresponding to a predetermined object distance using a contrast of the object based on the image signal.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an element-including optical system, a detector, and a converter. The element-including optical system has an optical system and an optical wavefront modulation element which modulates an optical transfer function. The detector picks up an object image that passes through the optical system and the optical wavefront modulation element. The converter generates an image signal with a smaller blur than that of a signal of a blurred object image output from the detector by performing a filtering process of the optical transfer function to improve a contrast. A focal position of the element-including optical system is set by moving the element-including optical system to the focal position which is corresponding to a predetermined object distance using a contrast of the object based on the image signal.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus including an optical system having an optical element including an optical wavefront modulation function; and a detector at a focal position of the optical system, capturing an object image having passed through the optical system, wherein the optical element including the optical wavefront modulation function has a capability of decreasing an alteration of an optical transfer function in an entire screen due to a difference of object distances, and wherein an absolute value of a focal length of the optical element including the optical wavefront modulation function is greater than an absolute value of a focal length of the entire optical system.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an aberration control optical system having an aberration control function to intentionally generate an aberration and an imaging device; and an image processing device which forms a first image into a highly accurate final image. An aberration control optical system makes the PSF to cover two or more pixels by using the aberration control optical system containing an aberration control element having an aberration control function to intentionally generate an aberration or an aberration control plane having the aberration control function. The aberration control optical system is formed as a depth extension optical system having two or more peaks of the MTF characteristic for defocus in a main image plane shift region not causing a false resolution in a predetermined frequency.

Abstract: An image pickup device comprising visible color optimization under received near-infrared and infrared light conditions is disclosed. Color signals corresponding to light received through each of a plurality of color filters are processed to determine a near-infrared and infrared light energy contribution. The color signals are processed to optimize color of received images.

Abstract: Provided are an imaging device and an imaging method which can realize an appropriate modulation pattern in accordance with a zoom position without requiring a modulation element switching mechanism in a depth extension optical system. The imaging device has: a zoom optical system 110 including an optical wavefront modulation element 114 which has an optical wavefront modulation function and can adjust the optical wavefront modulation pattern; an imaging element 120 for capturing an object image which has passed through the zoom optical system; a modulation function (pattern) control unit 200 which controls the optical wavefront modulation pattern of the optical wavefront modulation element; and an image processing part 140 which applies a predetermined processing on an image signal of the object from the imaging element 120. The zoom optical system 110 is a lens-moving type for moving a lens in the optical axis direction.

Abstract: A lens unit using an aberration control module is disclosed. The lens unit can be operable to intentionally produce aberration. In the lens unit, a point-spread-function of a light beam passing through the lens unit becomes substantially circular.

Abstract: An optical system comprising an aberration control optical system is disclosed. An aberration control optical system is operable to produce an image aberration, and an aperture stop is operable to limit a light beam passing through the aberration control optical system. An image pickup device is operable to capture an object image passing through the aberration control optical system, and the aberration control optical system provides inflection points within a diameter of the aperture stop to obtain a depth extending effect.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus and manufacturing method is disclosed. The image pickup apparatus comprises an optical system, an optical wavefront modulator that modulates an optical transfer function, an aperture adjacent to the optical wavefront modulator, and an image pickup device for detecting an object image passing through the optical system and the optical wavefront modulator. A product of a diameter of the aperture at a stop position multiplied by a distance between the aperture and the optical wavefront modulator is less than 2.

Abstract: It is an object to provide an imaging device, a manufacturing method of an imaging device, and an information code reading device that can be configured not only to simplify their optical system and to reduce their costs, but also to suppress fluctuations of resin lenses and deterioration of lens performances due to its expansion. An optical system (210) has a second lens (212) made of resin and the other lenses made of glass. The power of the resin lens is small in comparison with that of the glass lens, wherein each power is set to be small in comparison with that of the optical system (210). In the lens frame structures (300), the lens holding part (310) and the imaging element holding part (320) are separately constituted, the lens holding part (310) and imaging element holding part (320) are fastened through the intermediate member (330), expansion coefficients of the lens holding unit (310) and the imaging element holding unit (320) are different so as to control the coefficients.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus operable to reduce defocusing due to temperature changes is disclosed. An optical system comprises a glass lens and a plastic lens, wherein a power of the plastic lenses is smaller than that of the glass lens. An image pickup device picks up an object image that has passed through the optical system as a defocused object image including an area with a large-depth-of-field light and a blurred area. An image processing device generates an image signal with a smaller blur than the blurred object image from the image pickup device.

Abstract: An image processing method and apparatus operable for processing images is disclosed. The image processing method allows for drawing any given image in an output image on which various types of image processing have been performed. Such various types of image processing are, for example, correction of an image having distortion due to the distortion aberration of an imaging lens, an image having unnatural perspective distortion of a subject due to high-angle or overhead photography, generation of an output image with the viewpoint changed from the viewpoint of a captured image, mirror-image conversion of a captured image, and electronic zooming. Embodiments of the present invention also relate to an imaging apparatus that uses the image processing method.