Abstract: Signals of pixels are acquired from an image sensor in which a first pixel, a second pixel, and an imaging pixel are arranged, the first pixel receiving light flux that is restricted to light flux passing through a first portion of a pupil area of an imaging optical system, the second pixel receiving light flux that is restricted to light flux passing through a second portion that is different from the first portion of the pupil area, and the imaging pixel being different from the first and second pixels. Based on the acquired signals, estimated signals at a position at which the first and second pixel is not arranged are estimated. A defocus amount of the imaging optical system is calculated based on evaluation values obtained based on the estimated signals and the signals from the first and second pixels.

Abstract: An image capture apparatus includes: an image sensor having a plurality of pixels that photoelectrically convert an object image formed by an imaging optical system, each of the pixels having one microlens and a photoelectric conversion portion that has been divided into a plurality of portions; a focus detection unit configured to correct an image shift amount detected with a phase difference detection method using focus detection signal arrays of two images obtained by the photoelectric conversion portions divided into a plurality of portions; and a controller that calculates information corresponding to a movement amount of a lens of the imaging optical system based on the image shift amount detected and corrected by the focus detection unit, and controls movement of the lens of the imaging optical system.

Abstract: A control apparatus includes a first calculation unit configured to calculate a first defocus amount by a phase-difference detection method using a first signal and a second signal, a second calculation unit configured to calculate a second defocus amount based on a contrast evaluation value of a synthesized signal, an instruction unit configured to give an instruction of focus control, and a control unit configured to perform the focus control in response to the instruction of the focus control by the instruction unit, the synthesized signal is a signal obtained by relatively shifting phases of the first and second signals and synthesizing the first and second signals, and the control unit refers to the second defocus amount prior to the first defocus amount in the focus control.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging plane phase-difference type first focus detecting unit and a contrast type second focus detecting unit. A saturation detecting unit detects saturation of focus detecting pixels or imaging pixels provided in an imaging element. A brightness detecting unit detects the brightness of an object. If the number of pixels detected by the saturation detecting unit exceeds a predetermined value or the brightness of an object detected by the brightness detecting unit is less than a predetermined value, a CPU controls a focus adjustment operation only using a first detection amount. Alternatively, the CPU controls a focus adjustment operation based on the result obtained by weighting processing of a first detection amount and a second detection amount in response to an increase in the number of pixels of which saturation of the outputs has been detected or a decrease in the brightness of an object.

Abstract: Light quantity information of an imaging optical system is acquired according to a focus detection position in an imaging screen. Conversion is performed from the light quantity information and a first aperture value of the imaging optical system, so that the first aperture value is converted into a second aperture value according to the focus detection position. A conversion coefficient is set according to the second aperture value and an exit pupil distance. A correction value to correct output signals from an imaging unit is obtained according to the second aperture value and an exit pupil distance.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus performs focus detection based on a pair of image signals obtained from an image sensor including pixels each having a pair of photoelectric conversion units capable of outputting the pair of image signals obtained by independently receiving a pair of light beams that have passed through different exit pupil regions of an imaging optical system. In the focus detection, an f-number of the imaging optical system is acquired, the pair of image signals undergo filtering using a first filter formed from an summation filter when the f-number is less than a predetermined threshold, or using a second filter formed from the summation filter and a differential filter when the f-number is not less than the threshold, and focus detection is performed by a phase difference method based on the pair of filtered image signals.

Abstract: An image composition apparatus that is capable of obtaining a good movie with a smooth movement when composite images each of which is obtained by composing images taken with short exposure time is reproduced as a movie. An exposure control unit calculates a proper exposing condition of a subject based on continuously taken images. A reproducing image selection unit selects temporally discrete images of which the number corresponds to the proper exposing condition from the taken images. A reproducing image composition unit composes the images selected by the reproducing image selection unit to generate a composite image.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus including an image pickup unit for outputting image signals obtained by respectively photoelectrically converting light passing through different exit pupil areas of a focusing optical system, and a setting unit for setting a focus detection area into an image pickup area of the image pickup unit, stores at least one approximate function for calculating correction values of the image signals obtained by the image pickup unit in an approximation manner, obtains an approximate function effective for the correction at least in the focus detection area set by the setting unit on the basis of at least the one stored approximate function to calculate a correction value in accordance with the obtained approximate function; and performs a focus detection by using the image signals obtained by the image pickup unit and the calculated correction values.

Abstract: An image capture apparatus includes: an image sensor having a plurality of pixels that photoelectrically convert an object image formed by an imaging optical system, each of the pixels having one microlens and a photoelectric conversion portion that has been divided into a plurality of portions; a focus detection unit configured to correct an image shift amount detected with a phase difference detection method using focus detection signal arrays of two images obtained by the photoelectric conversion portions divided into a plurality of portions; and a controller that calculates information corresponding to a movement amount of a lens of the imaging optical system based on the image shift amount detected and corrected by the focus detection unit, and controls movement of the lens of the imaging optical system.

Abstract: The image pickup apparatus includes an image sensor having first and second pixels photoelectrically convert light fluxes passing through mutually different pupil areas, a correction calculating part calculating a correction parameter corresponding to a vignetting state of the light fluxes and performing a correction process using the correction parameter on first and second image signals produced from outputs from the first and second pixels, and a focus detection calculating part calculating a focus state of the image taking optical system based on a phase difference between the first and second image signals on which the correction process have been performed. The correction calculating part performs the correction process using a first correction parameter in the first focus detection area, and performs it using the first correction parameter in a second focus detection area close to the first focus detection area.

Abstract: In one embodiment, when a mobile telephone accessible to the Internet accesses a homepage provider server, character codes of the homepage accessed is identified. Thereafter, a homepage is displayed using character codes in the mobile telephone on the basis of the identification. The homepage provider server provides information for identifying character codes. A character code provider always updates and registers the latest character codes. The mobile telephone accesses the homepage provider server and the character code provider through wireless telephone network and the Internet.

Abstract: To provide estimating apparatus and method of the optical distortion of light transmitted through a transparent plate-shaped body. Upon picking-up a grid pattern via a glass plate by an image pickup device, 4n±? CCD pixels correspond to n grids (pair of a bright portion and a dark portion), thereby generating ? moire fringes. Sine waves with a phase A and sine waves with a phase B deviated from the phase A by 90° are generated based on gray data of the picked-up image in this state. A phase angle at each pixel on the Lissajous figure is calculated based on the sine waves with the phases A and B, and the refractive power is calculated based on a phase angular speed, serving as the difference between the phase angles of the pixels.

Abstract: In one embodiment, when a mobile telephone accessible to the Internet accesses a homepage provider server, character codes of the homepage accessed is identified. Thereafter, a homepage is displayed using character codes in the mobile telephone on the basis of the identification. The homepage provider server provides information for identifying character codes. A character code provider always updates and registers the latest character codes. The mobile telephone accesses the homepage provider server and the character code provider through wireless telephone network and the Internet.

Abstract: In one embodiment, when a mobile telephone accessible to the Internet accesses a homepage provider server, character codes of the homepage accessed is identified. Thereafter, a homepage is displayed using character codes in the mobile telephone on the basis of the identification. The homepage provider server provides information for identifying character codes. A character code provider always updates and registers the latest character codes. The mobile telephone accesses the homepage provider server and the character code provider through wireless telephone network and the Internet.

Abstract: To provide estimating apparatus and method of the optical distortion of light transmitted through a transparent plate-shaped body. Upon picking-up a grid pattern via a glass plate by an image pickup device 4, 4n±? CCD pixels correspond to n grids (pair of a bright portion and a dark portion), thereby generating ? moire fringes. Sine waves with a phase A and sine waves with a phase B deviated from the phase A by 90° are generated based on gray data of the picked-up image in this state. A phase angle at each pixel on the Lissajous figure is calculated based on the sine waves with the phases A and B, and the refractive power is calculated based on a phase angular speed, serving as the difference between the phase angles of the pixels.

Abstract: In one embodiment, when a mobile telephone accessible to the Internet accesses a homepage provider server, character codes of the homepage accessed is identified. Thereafter, a homepage is displayed using character codes in the mobile telephone on the basis of the identification. The homepage provider server provides information for identifying character codes. A character code provider always updates and registers the latest character codes. The mobile telephone accesses the homepage provider server and the character code provider through wireless telephone network and the Internet.