Abstract: An image pick-up device comprises a central processing unit which obtains photography advisability information showing whether or not an image can be picked-up, and an image preprocessor which displays a target mark used as the photography criterion on a display. The image preprocessor changes a form of the target mark based on the content of the photography advisability information.

Abstract: A digital camera includes a CCD imager mounted at a front with a primary color filter. An optimal shutter speed is calculated based on a camera signal outputted from the CCD imager upon a pre-exposure. Where a calculated optimal shutter speed is low, a timing generator drives the CCD imager by a pixel-mixing scheme. Charges are first read out of part of the light receiving elements and transferred in a vertical direction. When the charges are transferred by a predetermined distance, the remaining part of the light receiving elements are read out. As a result of this, the charges of a same color of color components are mixed together. That is, a filtering process is effected within the CCD imager to remove aliasing components.

Abstract: A digital camera has an image sensor, and an optical system for focusing a scene on the image sensor. A zooming system is used for changing a zoom rate of the scene that is focused on the image sensor. By operating the zooming system during the recording of a series of images, each of the images has a different zoom rate and therefore a different level of detail and field of view. The images are combined to form one still image of super high resolution. The zoom rate between images is detected by using horizontal and vertical pixel intensity value projection distributions in both forward and backward prediction methods. Horizontal and vertical candidate projection distributions that are correlated to a range of possible zoom rates are compared with the horizontal and vertical projection distributions of the former and current images being processed to determine a least error match that is selected as the zoom rate between the adjacent images.

Abstract: A digital camera system has integrated accelerometers for determining static and dynamic accelerations of the digital camera system. Data relating to static and dynamic accelerations are stored with recorded image data for further processing, such as for correcting image data for roll, pitch and vibrations and for displaying recorded images with a predetermined orientation using information about, e.g., roll. Data may also be used on-the-fly for smear suppression caused by vibrations.

Abstract: An integrated CMOS image sensor comprising pixel rows integrated on a substrate, each pixel row having pixel circuits, each pixel circuit providing a voltage signal in response to absorbed photons; and an opaque layer deposited above the pixel rows to define a set of dark pixels for each pixel row. For each pixel row, dark voltage signals indicative of the voltage signals provided by the set of dark pixels are stored and used to dark correct the voltage signals from the other pixels. The image sensor also comprises voltage-to-current converters for converting the voltage signals to currents for all pixel columns for each frame and followers to reduce the voltage swings on the outputs of the voltage-to-current converters. The currents are multiplexed in serial fashion to a current-to-voltage converter. The output of the current-to-voltage converter provides the dark voltage signals.

Abstract: An adaptive median filter (40) provides dynamic detection and correction of digital image defects which are caused by defective or malfunctioning elements of a radiation detector array (20). The adaptive median filter receives (100) lines of pixel values of a digital image that may have defects and a user-defined defect threshold. The lines of pixel values are scanned on a pixel-by-pixel basis using a kernel of n×n pixels, where the kernel contains the candidate pixel being examined (120). Each kernel is numerically reordered (130) and a median value is calculated (140). A defect threshold value is calculated by multiplying the user-defined defect threshold criteria and the candidate pixel value (150). A reference value is calculated by subtracting the candidate pixel value and the median value (160). The reference value is compared to the defect threshold value (170).

Abstract: A method and system provide for real-time compensation of an imaging system for variations in illumination intensity. An illumination system provides reflected illumination, and a charge coupled device system directly detects the reflected illumination from the illumination system. The CCD system then converts the reflected illumination into illumination data and a host processor converts the illumination data into adjusted control data and final image data. The adjusted control data is based on an illumination profile and a reference illumination intensity. The reference illumination intensity is measured before each document with a compensation reference, and is compared to the illumination profile to adjust control parameters in a real-time mode. Directly measuring the illumination intensity with the CCD system allows for a reduction in parts, manufacturing steps, and errors.

Abstract: There is provided a method of driving a solid-state image sensor, including the steps, in sequence, of (a) converting a light into a plurality of electric charges, (b) selectively reading out the thus converted electric charges in every predetermined number of vertical pixel lines by a first number which is smaller than the predetermined number, into a vertical charge coupled device, (c) repeating the step (b) by the desired number of times, (d) vertically transferring the thus read out electric charges towards a horizontal charge coupled device, (e) adding one of the electric charges read out in the step (b) to associated one of the electric charges read out in the step (c) in the horizontal charge coupled device by vertically transferring electric charges by the predetermined number of vertical pixel lines in the vertical charge coupled device in a horizontal blanking period, and (f) horizontally transferring the thus added electrical charges through the horizontal charge coupled device.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention a shutterless single lens digital still camera includes an internal processor and auto exposure algorithm that automatically adjusts the exposure of the camera in high and low ambient lighting conditions. The auto exposure algorithm causes the camera to generate a signature of a current ambient luminance level and then in response to the signature to generate automatically an exposure setting.

Abstract: An imaging system with brightness control includes an image capture subsystem and an image control block and is adapted for use in conjunction with an image processing application. The image capture subsystem receives an image and converts this image into digital image data. The digital signal is then stored in a video buffer for access by the image control block. The image control block provides brightness control of an image sensor in the image control subsystem to optimize the brightness of the desired area of interest in the image relative to the background. In one application, the imaging system is used in conjunction with a lane tracking system image processing application to detect roadway lane markings from a moving vehicle.

Abstract: A method is provided for real time control and manipulation of a moving imaging system lens's (prime, close-up, zoom, or anamorphic) depth of field. A computer control system is programed to perform a coordinated adjustment of a closed loop lens iris (aperture) and the shutter angle of a motion picture camera. The iris of the lens is reduced in size while simultaneously increasing the motion picture camera shutter angle an equal exposure (light transmission) amount, therefore, increasing the apparent image depth of field without a perceivable luminance shift. The image depth of field can be reduced by performing the above operation in reverse.

Abstract: A digital camera has a mounting part to mount a shooting lens or other optical equipment, and includes a mode switch that changes between a mode that shoots using the shooting lens and a mode that shoots using the other equipment. The camera includes an information interface that communicates with the shooting lens or with the other equipment, and receives information from the shooting lens or from the other equipment corresponding to the set mode. A camera controller controls the camera to change a type of information received through the interface from the shooting lens or from the other equipment based upon the set mode. When changed to the mode that shoots using the other equipment, the interface receives information corresponding to a color temperature or a brightness of a light source of the other equipment, and the controller controls the camera shooting state based upon that received information.

Abstract: In an image processing apparatus carried on a vehicle, an image of a scene around the vehicle, which is photographed by an image pick-up, is inputted into a white line failure extractor. Then, outline points of a white line on a road and a guardrail, which is parallel to the white line, are sought. Further, the outline points are detected as a polynomial. Moreover, the image photographed by the image pick-up is also inputted into an intermittent image obtainer. Then, the images from the image pick-up are intermittently obtained at constant periodical intervals, and further the images are compressed using JPEG compression method. Further, in a synthesizer, the feature data from the white line feature extractor and the image data from the intermittent image obtainer are aligned in order of time. Moreover, the image data and feature data, which are aligned in order of time, are conserved within a given constant period by a recorder.

Abstract: A recordable and/or rewriteable recording medium for storing still picture data, and recording and/or reproducing method and apparatus therefor. The recording medium stores still picture group information for grouping a plurality of still pictures in order to manage the still picture at a group level, and stores audio group information for grouping additional audio data added to the still picture data after the still picture data are recorded. Therefore, large-capacity still picture data and additional audio data added thereto can be recorded using a minimum amount of management information. Further, during reproduction, data can be displayed and edited in units of the respective still pictures. Also, it is possible to cope with after-recording of the audio data.

Abstract: Consumption of power in a digital electronic still-video camera is reduced. Specifically, a digital electronic still-video camera includes a first memory module circuit and a second memory module circuit controlled by a memory module circuit so as to be placed in active and standby states. When one memory module circuit is in the active state, the other memory module circuit is placed in the standby state, thereby making it possible to reduce power consumption.

Abstract: An electronic camera is provided with an image pickup unit in a casing at a position opposite to an opening of the casing. The image pickup unit includes an image pickup device and an optical system. The electronic camera is further provided with a rotating mechanism for rotating the image pickup unit, a changer for changing over a photographing possible state and a photographing impossible state, and a controller for controlling the rotating mechanism to rotate the image pickup unit into a target position in response to the changer.

Abstract: In a method of interpolating an output color signal (Go) of a given color in dependence on an input signal (RGBin) having first values of the given color which are influenced by a first other color and second values of the given color which are influenced by a second other color, an intermediate color signal (Gc′) is interpolated (1) at positions where no signal of the given color is present, an average value (avG) of the given color is generated (3) in dependence upon both the first and second values, and the output color signal (Go) is furnished (5) in dependence upon both the intermediate color signal (Gc′) and the average value (avG).

Abstract: Digital camera includes a CCD imager having VGA resolution. The camera signal of subject image taken by the CCD imager is subjected to a predetermined process by a signal processing circuit, whereby image data is created having 640 pixel×980 lines. Meanwhile, a CPU enables cut-out circuit when a 1-tims mode is set by a zoom button, and a cut-out circuit when a 2-times mode is set by the zoom button. The thin-out circuit performs thinning out pixel data, every other pixels and lines, on the image data having 640 pixels×480 lines, outputting image data having 320 pixels×240 lines. The cut-out circuit cuts 320 pixels×240 lines of image data from a center of the image data of 640 pixels×480 lines.

Abstract: An electronic camera is provided with an image sensor, an image processor, and a controller for the image sensor and the image processor so that: the image sensor executes a first mode of sensing a whole image in a specified region of the object, and a second mode of sensing partial images in a plurality of divided parts of the specified region, and the image processor combines the plurality of sensed partial images into a single image corresponding to the whole image in the specified region, each sensed partial image being transformed with reference to the sensed whole image.

Abstract: An electronic camera comprises an encoding/decoding unit for compressing/decompressing digital data obtained by an image sensing unit and processed by a signal processing unit, a recording medium for recording the encoded data, a display control unit which outputs a display image signal upon reception of an output from the signal processing unit and incorporates a character generator for a frame number display, and a display for displaying an image and a frame number on the basis of an output from the display control unit, wherein when a change of the display frame number is instructed by increment and decrement switches, a frame number being displayed, a frame number to be displayed, and an arrow representing shift of the display are superimposed and displayed on an image being displayed.