Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for creating an indirect image of an object. The apparatus includes a light source and an imaging system. Light emitted from the light source is reflected by a first non-specular surface toward the object. Light reflected by the object is further reflected by a second non-specular surface toward the imaging system. The imaging system is configured to create the indirect image from the reflected light.

Abstract: In a color filter array of a color imaging element 26, a G filter 34G to which other G filters 34G are adjacent in horizontal and vertical directions and a G filter 34G to which another G filter 34G is not adjacent are determined as dense and sparse G filters, respectively. Defective information on a sparse G defective pixel corresponding to the sparse G filter is more preferentially registered than defective information on a dense G defective pixel corresponding to the dense G filter. Thereby, interpolation processing for a pixel value of the sparse G defective pixel is more preferentially performed than interpolation processing for a pixel value of the dense G defective pixel.

Abstract: The amount of resources needed to provide automatic exposure control (AEC) for a camera of a computing device, as well as the amount of latency required to determine an appropriate exposure setting for current conditions, can be improved utilizing an ambient light sensor (ALS) that is integrated with a camera module corresponding to the camera. The ALS can capture data regarding the amount of ambient light around the device, and a microprocessor or other component of the camera module can analyze the data using an AEC algorithm or other such process to determine one or more initial exposure settings for the camera. This process can be completed without sending image data to a host processor or other such component. Providing relatively accurate initial exposure settings can, in at least many situations, enable the AEC algorithm to more quickly converge to proper settings than is possible using conventional approaches.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: an input section receiving input of first image data obtained by shooting a subject in a first optical-system state of an imaging section, and second image data obtained by shooting the subject in a second optical-system state of the imaging section with a blur state different from a blur state of the first image data; and a distance-information calculation section calculating distance information corresponding to a position in a depth direction of the subject on the basis of the first image data and the second image data, wherein the distance-information calculation section corrects a change in the blur by an image height of the optical system to calculate the distance information.

Abstract: A video camera system includes: a video sensor providing image data; a low power imminent event detector coupled to the sensor which receives the image data from the video sensor and processes the received image data to detect changes in the image data and thereby detect an imminent event and produces an event signal on detection of an imminent event; and a main event processor also coupled to the video sensor to receive the image data, the main event processor being a higher power device than the imminent event detector, the main event detector having a dormant mode in which the main event detector consumes little or no power and a fully active powered up mode, wherein: the main event processor switches from the dormant mode to the fully active mode in response to the event signal.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide an imaging device and terminal device that recommend a preferred image to a user. A terminal device having a photography function captures a plurality of images, identifies a plurality of subjects in each of the captured images, acquires a photographic degree of suitability for each of the identified subjects, calculates an evaluation value for each captured image based on the number of subjects in the captured image having a photographic degree of suitability of at least a predetermined threshold, and displays the captured images, displaying one of the captured images so as to be distinguishable from other captured images based on the evaluation value.

Abstract: Image capture can be improved by capturing a sequence of images and analyzing the images to select the image with the least blur and/or an acceptable amount of blur. Gradients can be calculated for at least a portion of the images, and gradient histograms generated. Two or more component curves can be fit to each histogram, such as by using a Gaussian mixture model, and the curves can be compared to determine an amount of variation between the curves. The image with the smallest differences between component curves, or with differences less than a specified blur threshold, can be selected as a sufficiently sharp image and provided for viewing, processing, or another intended purpose of the image to be captured.

Abstract: The image pickup apparatus includes a memory storing first tracking data indicating a positional relationship of a magnification-varying lens and a correction lens and second tracking data indicating a positional relationship of the magnification-varying lens and an image sensor. A controller moves the correction lens and the image sensor using the first and second tracking data. An in-focus position detector detects an in-focus position using an output from the image sensor. A tracking adjuster obtains an adjustment value for adjusting the first tracking data, by using a difference between the detected in-focus position in a state where the magnification-varying lens is located at a first zoom position and the image sensor is located at a position in the second tracking data corresponding to the first zoom position and a position of the correction lens in the first tracking data corresponding to the first zoom position.

Abstract: A method of producing an image is disclosed. A reference track is received. The reference track is, optionally, displayed on a preview image with at least one light spot. Subsequently, a position of an incident light projected on an image sensor of an image capturing device is varied during an exposure period to trace the reference track. Accordingly, the image with a light track that traces the reference track is captured.

Abstract: A solid-state image sensor, comprising a pixel array complying with a Bayer array, a first signal processor configured to process each of red-pixel and blue-pixel signals output from the pixel array, a second signal processor configured to process each of green-pixel signals output from the pixel array, and a control unit configured to control the pixel array, the first signal processor, and the second signal processor, wherein the solid-state image sensor selects a readout method, by changing timings of the control signals, from a progressive method, an interlace method, and a pseudo-progressive method.

Abstract: An optical unit may include a fixed body; a movable module which holds an optical element; and a shake correction drive mechanism which is structured to generate a drive force for swinging the movable module with respect to the fixed body. The shake correction drive mechanism may include a plurality of permanent magnets which are provided on an outer peripheral face of the movable module at positions separated in a circumferential direction around an optical axis of the optical element; and a sheet-shaped coil which is extended in a circumferential direction in the fixed body and is integrally provided with a plurality of coil parts facing the permanent magnets and a terminal part electrically connected with the coil parts.

Abstract: This disclosure pertains to devices, methods, systems, and computer readable media for generating and/or interpreting image metadata to determine input parameters for various image processing routines, e.g., filters that distort or enhance an image, in a way that provides an intuitive experience for both the user and the software developer. Such techniques may attach the metadata to image frames and then send the image frames down an image processing pipeline to one or more image processing routines. Image metadata may include face location information, and the image processing routine may include an image filter that processes the image metadata in order to keep the central focus (or foci) of the image filter substantially coincident with one or more of the faces represented in the face location information. The generated and/or interpreted metadata may also be saved to a metadata track for later application to unfiltered image data.

Abstract: Long and short exposure time pixel information are input to pixel information. A long exposure time image set with the pixel values assuming all of the pixels have been exposed for a long time and a short exposure time image set with the pixel values assuming all of the pixels have been exposed for a short time are generated. A point spread function corresponding to the long exposure time image is computed as a long exposure time image PSF. A corrected image is generated using the short exposure time image, the long exposure time image, and the long exposure time image PSF. The corrected image is generated as a wide dynamic range image utilizing the pixel information for the long and short exposure time image. Utilizing the pixel information for the short exposure time image with little blurring, makes the corrected image a high quality corrected image with little blurring.

Abstract: A zoom control method and apparatus. The zoom control method allows a subject to be photographed by automatically performing a zooming operation with a proper composition and resolves a problem where a subject disappears from a screen due to the zooming operation.

Abstract: Images stored in a camera are edited using a television. Television remote control output signals are received at the camera. The television remote control output signals are converted to camera image editing commands. An image stored in a memory associated with the camera is edited based upon the camera image editing commands. The edited image is output to the television. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate having a photoelectric conversion portion. An insulator is provided on the semiconductor substrate. The insulator has a hole corresponding to the photoelectric conversion portion. A waveguide member is provided in the hole. An in-layer lens is provided on a side of the waveguide member farther from the semiconductor substrate. A first intermediate member is provided between the waveguide member and the in-layer lens. The first intermediate member has a lower refractive index than the in-layer lens.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus is provided which offers higher versatility than conventional image processing apparatuses. When an input signal to a spatial filtering block is a monochrome signal that contains Y component only, a selector selects its input terminal and a selector selects its input terminal. Then, a low-pass filter output signal of a programmable spatial filter is inputted to a spatial filter, and a low-pass filter output signal of the spatial filer is inputted to a spatial filter. That is, the programmable spatial filter and the spatial filters are connected in series (in cascade), and the cascade-connected three spatial filters perform filtering operation. In this example, low-pass filters with 5×5 taps are connected in cascade in three stages, which enables low-pass filtering with 13×13 taps.

Abstract: Provided is a method of calculating a compensation factor to compensate for lens shading due to the characteristics of an image capturing device, which requires a small amount of memory. A reference image is captured, and a compensation factor is calculated using the characteristics of a lens shading pattern of the captured reference image. A distribution of pixel values is approximated using an exponential spline function, and a compensation factor is calculated using the approximated distribution. In addition, a method and an apparatus for compensating for lens shading by using a calculated compensation factor are provided.

Abstract: Whether a user of a video camera can discern an unnatural motion or the discernable unnatural motion is permissible is evaluated based on an taken image so as to make a change between mixing of still image shooting driving and maintaining of motion image shooting driving.

Abstract: An interface system for an imaging device is disclosed. A first data communications interface is connected to a web server and a second data communications interface is connectible to a corresponding input/output port of the imaging device. There is a bridge application server with a device control input, a device image output, a device control output, and a device image input. The device control input is connected to the first data communications interface, and the device image output is connected to the web server. The device control output and the device image input are both separately linked to the second data communications interface. Generic device control commands from the first data communications interface are passed to the bridge application server, bypassing the web server. Image data from the imaging device is passed to the web server for transmission to a remote viewer and control device.