Abstract: An exemplary camera module includes a lens barrel defining an aperture for light entering the lens barrel and a lens received in the lens barrel. The lens includes a central optical portion aligned with the aperture of the lens barrel and a fixing portion around a periphery of the optical portion for fixing the lens in the lens barrel. An outside surface of the fixing portion of the lens is beveled relative to an optical axis of the camera module.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus according to the present invention includes an apparatus body including an image sensor built therein, and a lens unit, the apparatus body is provided with a back focus adjustment mechanism and a sliding member which is slidable in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis of the image sensor, the sliding member is provided with an infrared blocking filter and a dummy glass plate arranged next to each other, the apparatus is capable of switching modes between a day photographing mode in which the infrared blocking filter is positioned on the optical axis of the image sensor and a night photographing mode in which the dummy glass plate is positioned on the optical axis of the image sensor, and the dummy glass plate has a thickness greater than a thickness with which optical path length extension equivalent to that with the infrared blocking filter is obtained.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus including an image capturing unit configured to obtain an image by image capturing includes a first storage unit configured to store face information of an owner of the image capturing apparatus, an estimation unit configured to estimate a photographer of the image capturing apparatus based on a relationship between an object included in the image obtained by the image capturing unit and the face information of the owner stored in the first storage unit, and a change unit configured to change a photographing mode to a simple photographing mode according to the estimated photographer.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a plenoptic camera which captures information about the direction distribution of light rays entering the camera. Like a conventional camera, this plenoptic camera includes a main lens which receives light from objects in an object field and directs the received light onto an image plane of the camera. It also includes a photodetector array located at the image plane of the camera, which captures the received light to produce an image. However, unlike a conventional camera, the plenoptic camera additionally includes an array of optical elements located between the object field and the main lens. Each optical element in this array receives light from the object field from a different angle than the other optical elements in the array, and consequently directs a different view of the object field into the main lens. In this way, the photodetector array receives a different view of the object field from each optical element in the array.

Abstract: A camera includes a lens and a sensor. A dynamic mask is arranged at an aperture plane between the lens and the sensor, and a static mask is arranged immediately adjacent to the sensor. Angular, temporal or spatial variations in light rays acquired of a scene by the sensor are mapped to individual pixels of the sensor.

Abstract: An imaging device of the present invention includes a normal operation period and a focusing operation period and includes: a CCD (102) able to perform thinning processing on image signals of an imaging subject; an AFE (103) that converts the image signals into image data; a signal processing unit (104b) that converts the image data into display data; an LCD (107) that displays an image based on the display data; and a thinning control unit (104c) that that changes a read frame rate and thinning rate of the CCD (102). The thinning control unit (104c) performs control so that in the focusing operation period, image signals are read from the CCD (102) at a higher read frame rate than in the normal operation period, and so that in the focusing operation period and a frame immediately before the focusing operation period, image signals are read from the CCD (102) using a larger thinning rate than in the normal operation period.

Abstract: Using photographic flash for candid shots often results in an unevenly lit scene, in which objects in the back appear dark. A spatially adaptive photographic flash (100) is disclosed, in which the intensity of illumination (21, 23) varies depending on the depth and reflectivity (30, 101) of features in the scene. Adaption to changes in depth are used in a single-shot method. Adaption to changes in reflectivity are used in a multishot method. The single-shot method requires only a depth image (30), whereas the multi-shot method requires at least one color image (40) in addition to the depth data (30).

Abstract: An exposure control unit comprising a photometer, a designator, a first calculator, a first counter, a selector, a second calculator, a categorizer, and an exposure controller is provided. The photometer comprises a plurality of photometric zones. The designator designates the photometric zones one by one as a target zone. The first calculator calculates a first difference. The first counter counts a first determination number. The selector selects the target zone of which the first determination number is greater than a second threshold. The second calculator calculates a categorization value. The categorizer categorizes a target zone into low- or high-luminous zones. The exposure controller controls an exposure of the imaging apparatus on the basis of the partial value of light for one of the low- and high-luminous zones.

Abstract: In an imaging apparatus, wherein when performing auto focus control while continuously moving a focusing lens by using an image sensor that has a lag in timing of electric charge accumulation, a focusing accuracy can be improved. To this end, the imaging apparatus includes the rolling shutter function, an imaging unit configured to convert an object image into an image signal, and a setting unit. When a difference exceeds a predetermined amount in the barycentric position of the optical system between an upper line and an a lower line of the AF area due to the rolling shutter function, the setting unit imposes a limitation on the AF area to reduce the size of a desired AF area to an AF area where the difference in the barycentric position becomes a predetermined amount.

Abstract: A focal point detection device includes: a rate conversion section which converts a transmission rate of an image signal, which is associated with a subject image imaged via an imaging lens on a part of a receiving surface of an imaging device, such that the image signal input to the rate conversion section at a first transmission rate is output from the rate conversion section at a second transmission rate that is slower than the first transmission rate; a filter which extracts a frequency component from the image signal output at the second transmission rate from the rate conversion section; and an evaluation value calculation section which calculates an evaluation value of a focus state of the imaging lens, based on a signal of the frequency component that is extracted by the filter.

Abstract: A camera includes an image sensor, and a plurality of metering areas are assigned to an object scene captured by the image sensor. A CPU evaluates a luminance of the object scene for each metering area, and binarizes each of the plurality of obtained luminance evaluated values. Furthermore, on the basis of the plurality of binarized luminance evaluated values, a width of a high luminance area included in the object scene is calculated while a width of an adjacent area adjacent to the high luminance area out of a low luminance area included in the object scene is calculated. Then, each of the plurality of luminance evaluated values is corrected on the basis of a ratio between the width of the calculated adjacent area and the width of the calculated high luminance area. An exposure amount to the image sensor is adjusted on the basis of the luminance evaluated values thus corrected.

Abstract: A system and method for connecting a global positioning system (GPS) device with a digital image processing device and inputting position information into an image file captured by the digital image processing device. A system and method for inputting position information into a captured image employ a digital image processing device which generates an image file by capturing an image, and stores the image file, a GPS device which receives position information from a GPS satellite at regular time intervals; when the digital image processing device is connected with the GPS device, a GPS information storage unit which receives position information from the GPS device and stores the position information, and a GPS information input control unit which inputs position information excluding a timestamp, into an image file.

Abstract: The invention utilizes an autofocus system (806) that is capable of very fast changes in focus over a relatively small portion of the focus range of the focusing system. When operating continuously in a repeating series of images or frames such as are found in preview mode or in video capture, autofocus images are captured before and after each video frame wherein the autofocus images have different focus settings than the images in the series. The autofocus images are then evaluated for focus quality to determine whether focus adjustments are needed.

Abstract: A power transmission mechanism includes a cam-incorporated gear which rotates in one rotational direction by a driving force transmitted from a drive source via a planet gear when engaged with the planet gear, wherein the cam-incorporated gear stops rotating when disengaged from the planet gear; a driven member which includes a follower which contacts at least one surface cam formed on the cam-incorporated gear, the driven member being driven in accordance with the rotation of the cam-incorporated gear in the one rotational direction, and exerting a surplus torque on the cam-incorporated gear in the one rotational direction thereof so as to increase the rotation of the cam-incorporated gear in the one rotational direction, the surplus torque being independent of a torque exerted on the cam-incorporated gear by the drive source; and a damping mechanism which continuously exerts a load torque on the cam-incorporated gear in a rotational direction opposite to the one rotational direction of the cam-incorporated

Abstract: The shutter device includes a base, a post, a coil, a shutter, a first magnetic member, and a second magnetic member. The base defines a first aperture. The post is fixedly mounted on the base. The coil is connected to the post and rotatable around the post. The shutter blade is coupled to the post and jointly rotatable with the coil. The first and second magnetic members are mounted on the base arranged on two sides of the coil. The first and second magnetic members are configured for driving the coil to rotate, thereby moving the shutter blade to selectively expose or cover the first aperture.

Abstract: A camera body including image-blur correcting units capable of effectively correcting blur in captured images and a camera system including the camera body are provided. The camera body includes a vibration detecting unit configured to detect vibration of the camera body; a first image-blur correcting unit configured to correct blur in captured images, and a second image-blur correcting unit that is different from the first image-blur correcting unit; and a control unit configured to control the first image-blur correcting unit and the second image-blur correcting unit on the basis of detection results produced by the vibration detecting unit.

Abstract: A digital photographing apparatus capable of automatically determining whether a macro mode is an appropriate mode, a methods of controlling the same, and a computer readable recording medium storing instructions for executing the method(s) is disclosed A lens position determining unit is disclosed that determines whether an auto-focusing lens position is within the lens position range corresponding to a macro mode, according to the position relationship between a lens position point corresponding to a maximum value of the plurality of auto-focus values obtained by an auto-focus value obtaining unit and other lens position points corresponding to other auto-focus lens values.

Abstract: An aperture controlling system includes a CMOS image sensor, a brightness encoder, an aperture and an aperture driving circuit. The brightness encoder is used for extracting brightness information sensed by the CMOS image sensor and converting the brightness information into digital codes. The aperture driving circuit includes a D/A converter, a motor coil driving circuit, an environment sensing module, a benchmark voltage generator and a motor. The motor is mechanically connected to the aperture. The motor coil driving circuit includes a voltage comparator. The input and the output of the D/A converter are respectively coupled to the brightness encoder and the inverting input of the voltage comparator. The input and the output of the benchmark voltage generator are respectively coupled to the environment sensing module and the non-inverting input of the voltage comparator. The output of voltage comparator is connected to the motor.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a face position detection section for detecting at least a position at which is present a person's face inside a frame using an image signal obtained from an image sensor for photoelectrically converting an object image captured by a photographing optical system, a focus control section for controlling the photographing optical system by referencing in-focus positions of the object image obtained inside focus detection areas for detecting focus states of the object image positioned in the frame, and a control section for controlling the focus control section so as to reference at least one or the other of an in-focus position obtained in a first focus detection area in which is present a person's face and an in-focus position obtained in a second focus detection area in which is expected to be present a body of a person determining from the position of the face of the person.

Abstract: An image pick-up apparatus which is capable of increasing an AF area is provided. The image pick-up apparatus includes a photographing lens to focus light received from a subject, a main mirror that passes a portion of light passing through the photographing lens and that reflects the remaining portion of the light, an auto focus module to detect the state of focus the photographing lens and a sub-mirror having a plurality of reflective areas that reflect respectively divided portions of the light passing through the main mirror and that guide the divided light portions to the auto focus module.