Abstract: A system controller controls a solid-state image sensor, and performs read-out at a predetermined subsampling ratio. In the event that the size of the image-taking area and the subsampling ratio do not agree, the system controller executes image size conversion processing with a digital processing unit, and converts the image size to an image size corresponding to a request from a peripheral device unit. Also, the system controller performs changing of the image-taking area following ending of the reading out from the solid-state image sensor, thereby obtaining normal frame signals. Accordingly, even in the event that zooming is performed by changing the subsampling ratio, zooming operations can be performed with an arbitrary zooming ratio, and reading out of the image-taking information is made to be suitable.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes a lens as an image pickup optical system having a zooming function, an X-Y address type image pickup device in which a reading position in a two-dimensionally arranged pixels is designated by a combination of an X address and a Y address, an image pickup device driver which performs electronic zooming by changing an address range which is a combination of a range designated by the X address and a range designated by the Y address, and a digital processor which provides a substantially wider zoom range by controlling the electronic zooming and optical zooming in combination than by controlling one of the electronic zooming and the optical zooming.

Abstract: A method and system that utilizes hysteresis in image processing algorithms to minimize interframe noise in video frames is provided. The method includes receiving a video frame and determining a measurement in the video frame, wherein the measurement is associated with an image control feature. The method also includes providing a target value and a tolerance, and calculating an error value using the measurement and the target value. The method further includes comparing the error value to the tolerance, and in response to the error value being greater than the tolerance, adjusting the image control feature. The system includes a video frame stored in a storage medium and a module coupled to the storage medium. The module is operable to determine a measurement in the video frame, wherein the measurement is associated with an image control feature. The module is also operable to calculate an error value using the measurement and a target value, and compare the error value to a tolerance.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for detecting contamination of a Camera lens are disclosed.

Abstract: The vibration proof adapter is arranged between a lens and a camera. Indicators for indicating an ON/OFF status of a vibration proof function are provided on both of the right and left sides of the vibration proof adapter, and the indicators can be checked by a cameraperson with looking at a view finder. Each indicator is retractably provided in a body housing, and a lamp is rotatably provided at the tip of an arm. The arm is made to stand up at the time of image pickup, and is used with turning the screen of the lamp toward the cameraperson. Even if the cameraperson does not move a look from the view finder, the cameraperson can check the lighting status of lamp. Moreover, a cavity for containing the indicator is formed on the periphery of the vibration proof adapter, and the indicator is retracted in the cavity at the time of retraction.

Abstract: A method (S100) for dynamic range compression of output channel data from an image sensor (2) comprising an array of sensor cells. The method (S100) comprises selecting a window (S130) in the channel data, the window having a reference pixel value and a plurality of nearby pixel values. The reference pixel value originates from a reference cell that is one of the sensor cells and the nearby pixel values originate from the sensor cells that are in close proximity to the reference cell. There is a step of multiplying (S140) the pixel values, in the window, by a respective weight value to provide weighted pixel values and then adding (S150) the weighted pixel values to provide a convolution value. Thereafter, there is a step of providing (S160) a dynamic range compression value for the window from a selected one of the pixel values and said convolution value and then an assigning step (S170) assigns the dynamic range compression value to a selected pixel location comprising part of an image.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for synchronizing the velocity of an image of a moving object and the clocking of image sensor elements used to track the moving target. The imaging apparatus includes a two-dimensional array of image sensor elements being configured to sense a first set of image elements in a first direction according to a clock rate. A plurality of rows of image sensor elements are spaced from each other. The rows of image sensor elements are configured to sense a second set of image elements of the target moving in the first direction according to the clock rate. Each row has image sensor elements that are different in length from the image sensor elements of the other rows. A measurement module is coupled with the plurality of rows of image sensor elements to measure the sharpness of detected image elements and to identify the row of image sensor elements having the sharpest detected image elements.

Abstract: A video camera system having a camera (128) and an interchangeable lens assembly (127) attachable to and detachable from the camera. A distance measurement frame is set by a distance measurement frame controller (129) on photographer's line-of-sight position information detected by line-of-sight detecting units (135 to 140), and a focal-point evaluation value is extracted by an AF signal processing circuit (113) from an image signal corresponding to the distance measurement frame. The line-of-sight position information, focal-length evaluation value, etc, are transmitted to the lens assembly (127). A zoom lens (102) and focusing lens (105) are controlled by the lens assembly (127).

Abstract: A light amount adjusting apparatus is constructed by a driving source, a plurality of light shielding members each having a notched portion adapted to form a light passing port, in which the light shielding member is moved by being driven by the driving source to thereby vary an area of the light passing port which is formed in the notched portion, and at least one filter provided for the notched portions of the plurality of light shielding members, in which the filter is provided so as to cover a part of the notched portion and has a first area having first light transmittance and a second area having second light transmittance lower than the first light transmittance.

Abstract: This invention is a digital camera that measures its internal temperature using the dark current of the photo detector. Using the temperature information the digital camera controls its internal temperature by selectively shutting down or slowing down heat generating components.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus and method, wherein a reference area is specified in a first step, a foreground is specified in the reference area in a second step, the degree T1 of appropriateness is calculated in a third step, the degree T2 of appropriateness is calculated in a fourth step, the degree T3 of appropriateness is calculated in a fifth step, and, in a sixth step, a comparison area having the maximum sum of the degrees T1, T2, and T3 of appropriateness is set to a matching area corresponding to the reference area, in a comparison image.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus and method provides a wide dynamic range and is capable of displaying an improved color in low-luminance regions, and an image signal processing method thereof. In the imaging apparatus, a first process divides the voltage level of an analog image signal into a plurality of sections and amplifies the analog image signal with a plurality of different gains according to each section, and a second process converts the analog image signal amplified with the different gains into a digital signal, and non-linearly gamma-corrects the digital signal according to each section. The plurality of different gains may be inversely proportional to the luminance level of the analog image signal. Thus, the level of an analog signal in a low-luminance region is amplified with a gain greater than in a high-luminance region before gamma correction, so that signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio in the low-luminance region of an image is increased, thereby improving sensitivity of the image following gamma correction.

Abstract: There are provided an imaging apparatus and a video camera which allow an image being recorded and an image being reproduced to be easily discriminated from each other when an already recorded image signal is reproduced while a photographed image signal is being recorded. A recording section records an image signal obtained by an image pickup section on a randomly accessible recording medium, and a reproducing section is capable of reproducing an image signal recorded at a random location on the recording medium while the image signal is being recorded on the recording medium by the recording section. The recording section and the reproducing section are controlled such that the image signal recorded at a random location on the recording medium can be reproduced while the image signal obtained by the image pickup section is being recorded.

Abstract: A camera which can perform operations by touching a screen of an image display and can give different instructions according to different pressures applied on the touching. A digital camera has an LCD for displaying the captured image or a reproduced image. A touch panel for determining the position of a touched portion and the pressure applied to the touched portion is provided over the LCD. The camera gives a variety of instructions with respect to a camera operating system according to pressure applied to the touched portion on the touch panel. For example, the touch panel instructs an image-recording preparation in a case that the pressure is no more than a predetermined pressure, and instructs image-recording in a case that the pressure is more than the predetermined pressure. In short, adjusting a focus and an exposure to the principal subject by touching the principal subject displayed on the LCD, and touching the principal subject harder can record an image of the principal subject.

Abstract: A position determining device for a control knob includes a relative position determiner and an absolute position determiner. The standard output data of the potentiometer corresponding to the rotational limits of the control knob is recorded in a ROM during manufacturing of the device. Since the device is activated until the potentiometer reaches one of the limits, the operating amount of the control knob is determined in accordance with absolute position data outputted from the potentiometer. When the potentiometer reaches one of the rotational limits of the control knob, the standard data corresponding to the rotational limits is read from the ROM and set as an initial value for the determination by the rotary encoder. Thereafter, the operated amount of the control knob is determined in accordance with relative position data outputted from the rotary encoder.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus, for equally dividing an area of an arbitrary figure by pixel units by a number of parallel lines, which includes an input element for inputting a dividing number for a figure obtaining element which obtains a total number of pixels of the figure, a calculating element for calculating an initial ideal value by dividing the total number of pixels by the dividing number, a computing element for computing an ideal value of the number of pixels of a kth divided region in the figure using the initial ideal value and a sum of determined values of the numbers of pixels of a first to a (k?1)th divided region, and a determining element for determining a determined value of the number of pixels of the kth divided region such that an error between the determined value of the number of pixels of the kth divided region and the ideal value of the number of pixels of the kth divided region is minimized.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus is disclosed which comprises a first image signal generation section generating a first image signal in a first exposure time, a second image signal generation section generating a second image signal in a second exposure time, an image combining section combining the first and second image signals into a composite image signal, an integrated value calculation circuit determining the average luminance values of the first and second image signals, a peak value detection circuit detecting the peak values of the first and second image signals, an exposure time control section responsive to the integrated value and the peak value controlling the first and second exposure times, and a gain control circuit controlling the amplitude of each of the first and second image signals to be applied to the image combining section individually.

Abstract: A photographic image is divided into a central area and a surrounding area and video signals for the central and surrounding areas are integrated by an area integrator circuit. When an operator of video camera attached to a notebook personal computer photographs himself or herself with an imager of the video camera pointing toward the operator, a control microcomputer causes an integration result for the central area to be multiplied by a larger weighting before both are summed. The control microcomputer generates exposure information according to a result and compares the exposure level indicated by this information with a reference level to control an electronic shutter of an imaging device and a gain of an amplifier circuit so that the exposure level matches the reference level, whereby the exposure of the video camera is adjusted to an appropriate level. When the imager points towards an object on the opposite side of the operator exposure control is performed as usual.

Abstract: A fluctuation detecting apparatus includes a light receiving portion for detecting an image signal for an object in each of a plurality of areas, a judging circuit for judging from the image signal obtained in each of the areas whether an object located at a long distance is mixed with an object located at a short distance, and a fluctuation amount calculating circuit for independently finding fluctuation data by the use of the image signal of the area in which the object located at a short distance exists and the image signal of the area in which the object located at a long distance exists when the judging circuit judges that the object located at a long distance is mixed with the object located at a short distance, and calculating a rotational fluctuation amount and a shift fluctuation amount on the basis of the fluctuation data.

Abstract: Lighting flicker in the output of a video imaging device is detected. The video imaging device has a main picture area divided into pixels for producing successive images at a frame rate. A series of signals are produced from at least one additional picture area adjacent the main picture area, with the additional picture area having a size substantially larger than a pixel. Each of the signals is a function of light incident on the additional picture area in a time period substantially shorter than that of the frame rate. A predetermined number of the signals are accumulated to form a series of compound samples, and the compound samples are filtered to detect components indicating the lighting flicker. The filtering is performed using a bandpass filter tuned to the nominal flicker frequency. The compound samples are formed at a sample rate which is a multiple of the nominal flicker frequency, and the filtering is performed by taking the fundamental output component of a radix-N butterfly.