Abstract: A pixel structure for an image sensor includes a semiconductor material portion having a coplanar and contiguous semiconductor surface and including four photodiodes, four channel regions, and a common floating diffusion region. Each of the four channel regions is directly adjoined to one of the four photodiodes and the common floating diffusion region. The four photodiodes are located within four different quadrants as defined employing a vertical line passing through a point within the common floating diffusion region as a center axis. The common floating diffusion region, a reset gate transistor, a source follower transistor, and a row select transistor are located within four different quadrants as defined employing a vertical line passing through a point within one of the photodiodes as an axis.

Abstract: A terminal device includes: a communication means radio communicatable to access points; a storage means for storing a database associating identification information and position information of an access point connected with the communication means in association with each other; a position information acquiring section that acquires current position information; and a control section that causes a display section to display related information of the access point based on the database when the communication means does not detect a connectable access point.

Abstract: A digital camera includes: an imaging unit that receives and images a light from a subject transmitted a photographing optical system; a recognition unit that recognizes a feature region of the subject using an image obtained by imaging with the imaging unit; a detection unit that detects a size of the feature region that is recognized with the recognition unit; and a control unit that predicts a distance to the subject after a predetermined period of time according to the size of the feature region, and controls the photographing optical system so as to focus on the subject.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a housing having an integrated camera. A panel is positioned in front of at least a portion of the camera and is operable to selectively switch between at least a substantially transparent state and at least a substantially opaque state.

Abstract: The image playback device includes an input part that inputs images, an image output part that selects a plurality of images from the input images and sequentially outputs the plurality of images, and an output controlling part that, when an image is additionally input to the input part during output of the images by the image output part. Alternatively, the image playback device includes an image output part, an audio playback part a playback time calculation part, and an output controlling part that plays back the audio by the audio playback part while outputting the images from the image output part in accordance with the time calculated by the playback time calculation part, and when an image is added to the images, the playback time calculation part calculates time for outputting the images and the additional image in accordance with remaining playback time of the audio.

Abstract: A vibration control unit inputs an electrical signal to a vibrating member to generate, in a light-transmitting region of a dust-screening member, vibration forming a plurality of ridges of peaks defining a closed loop around a virtual intersection at which a virtual vibrational axis passing the half-length point of the vibrating member intersects with a virtual vibrational axis passing the half-length point of the dust-screening member. For example, the vibration is vibration whose peak including the virtual intersection gradually increases in terms of amplitude as the amplitude of the peak approaches the virtual intersection, and becomes the largest in terms of amplitude at the virtual intersection. The dust-screening member and the vibrating member have the following relation: 1.2?Ts/Tg?1.6, where Tg is the thickness of the thickness of the dust-screening member, and Ts is the thickness of the vibrating member.

Abstract: An imaging area includes an effective pixel section and an optical black section. Pixel signals read out from the imaging area, onto a plurality of vertical signal lines, are converted by an AD conversion circuit. The converted pixel signals are sequentially input to a signal processing circuit for computing processing. The circuit is provided with a horizontal-stripe noise suppression circuit for averaging of output signals, on a plurality of lines, which are readout from an OB section at an end in the horizontal direction in the imaging area, and for adding and subtracting of the averaged result to effective-pixel signals.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for sharpening a digital image captured by a digital imaging device, the method comprising, for each pixel Xm,n of the digital image: a) at an edge detector determining an edge parameter E, the edge parameter E providing an indication of whether the pixel Xm,n is at an edge of the digital image; b) at a noose detector determining a noise parameter ?, the noise parameter ? providing an indication of whether the pixel Xm,n is a noise in the digital image; c) at a scaling module determining a scaling factor ?m,n based on a combination of the edge parameter E and the noise parameter ?; and d) at an image sharpening module applying the scaling factor ?m,n on a pixel by pixel basis to sharpen the digital image to get a sharpened pixel Ym,n.

Abstract: An image processing device of the present invention comprises a storage section for storing first image data obtained by imaging in front of the imaging device body or using a telephoto lens, and second image data obtained by imaging behind the imaging device body or using a wide-angle lens; a movement pattern detection section for processing the first image data to detect a movement pattern of the first image represented by the first image data; a movement pattern determination section determining whether or not the movement pattern of the first image is unstable movement; and an image processing section for rewriting a part of the first image data, for which it has been determined by the movement pattern determination section that the movement pattern of the first image is unstable, using the second image data.

Abstract: The object is to enable picture compositing having a balanced and uniform appearance over the whole image even when performing space-variant image-signal processing. Provided is an image-signal processing apparatus for performing image-signal processing on an input image signal, the image-signal processing apparatus comprising a first signal processing unit for performing first signal processing on the input image signal; a correction-coefficient calculating unit for calculating a first correction coefficient on the basis of the image signal after being subjected to the first signal processing by the first signal processing unit; and a second signal processing unit for performing second signal processing on the input image signal using the first correction coefficient.

Abstract: An operation input apparatus includes a body portion detection unit for receiving image data and detecting a certain body portion of a subject in an image of the image data, a state determination unit for determining a certain state corresponding to a priority-level setting condition for each body portion, a priority-level setting unit for setting priority levels to the individual body portions in accordance with results of the determination, an operation determination unit for determining whether the body portions performed a predetermined motion corresponding to a certain operation in accordance with determination allowance degrees of the body portions serving as determination subjects which are set in accordance with the priority levels, and a control unit for controlling the operation input apparatus so that the operation input apparatus performs a predetermined operation in accordance with the determination that the certain motion corresponding to the certain operation has been performed.

Abstract: The image processing device of the present invention is provided with an image input section, a position discrepancy detecting section, and an image composition section. The image input section reads a plurality of low resolution images imaging a same object, and at least one high resolution image imaging a same object. The position discrepancy detecting section detects position discrepancy of patterns between respective low resolution images and the high resolution image. The image composition section positions and composes patterns of the plurality of low resolution images based on the position discrepancy.

Abstract: A video lighting system (100) for use with a personal computer or other electronic device (103) includes a display (105) that is used in connection with a microprocessor running facial recognition software that is used to prevent unauthorized access to the personal computer (103). A camera (107) is used for providing images to the facial recognition software where the display operates in a first mode for displaying images to a user and in a second mode for illuminating the user's face for detection by the camera (107).

Abstract: A video camera (100) for transmitting image data from an image pickup device to an image processing device with reduced electric power includes a C-MOS image sensor (110) that reads captured image data on the basis of a reference clock CLK0, a frequency multiplying circuit (121) that generates a high-speed clock CLK1, a rearranging circuit (122) that transposes the captured image data into bit data sequences, a data output section (120) that causes each data transmitter (124) to sequentially transmit a corresponding bit data sequence to the outside on the basis of the high-speed clock CLK1, and a system controller (400) that drives data transmitters (124), the number of which is proportional to a transmission speed.

Abstract: In one general sense, a user may be presented with a multimedia experience corresponding to an entertainment event or venue by managing a sensor array having at least two sensors that are made configured to provide a stream of data units, associating location information with sensors in the sensor array, enabling the user to perceive a map related to an entertainment event or venue, relating the perceived map to one or more sensors within the sensor array, receiving a user request identifying a selected position within the map, identifying one or more sensors within the sensor array corresponding to the selection, and presenting to the user a multimedia experience based on one or more streams of data units associated with the selected sensors.

Abstract: An image acquisition system includes an image acquisition device and a commanding device configured as a separate member from the image acquisition device to transmit an image acquisition execution command to the image acquisition device and thereby to cause the image acquisition device to perform an image acquisition operation. The commanding device includes an authentication information transmission unit configured to transmit authentication information to the image acquisition device to cause the image acquisition device to authenticate the commanding device.

Abstract: This invention provides a photographing lens assembly comprising, in order from an object side to an image side: a first lens element with positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface and a convex image-side surface; a second lens element with negative refractive power having a concave object-side surface and a concave image-side surface; a third lens element with negative refractive power, the object-side and image-side surfaces thereof being aspheric; a fourth lens element with negative refractive power having a concave image-side surface on which at least one inflection point is formed; and an aperture stop disposed between an imaged object and the second lens element; wherein there are four lens elements with refractive power. Such an arrangement of optical elements can effectively reduce the size of the lens assembly, attenuate the sensitivity of the optical system and enable the lens assembly to obtain higher resolution.

Abstract: This invention includes an imaging device that photographs a subject image, a first storage device that stores image data output from the imaging device at a first time interval, a display device that reads the image data stored in the first storage device at the first time interval and display the image data, a second storage device that reads the image data stored in the first storage device at a second time interval and stores the image data and a feature extraction device that extracts a feature section of the subject based upon the image data stored in the second storage device. Therefore, image data output from the imaging device for an image display is once stored in the second storage device and the feature section is extracted from the stored image data, so an extraction is not affected by an update of the first storage device.

Abstract: An image tracking apparatus includes: an imaging device that generates image information by capturing an image formed through an image forming optical system; a setting unit that sets, based upon the image information, first reference image information that includes image information corresponding to a part of an image to be designated as a target in the image information and also sets second reference image information based upon information related to an image assuming a position close to an image corresponding to the first reference image information; and a recognition unit that recognizes the target based upon the first reference image information and the second reference image information.

Abstract: A digital camera comprises an imaging device; an internal memory; an attachment device that attaches a storage medium; a medium detector that detects whether the storage medium attached to the attachment device is a storage medium limiting overwrite; and a record control device that controls so as to store image data taken by the imaging device in the storage medium attached to the attachment device. When the medium detector detects that the storage medium attached to the attachment device is the storage medium limiting overwrite, the record control device controls so as to store data management information of the image data recorded in the storage medium limiting overwrite in the internal memory.