Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an image pickup device, a device that obtains an image from the image pickup device, a sensor that detects a roll angle of the sensor, wherein the sensor detects a reference roll angle of the sensor when the imaging apparatus is disposed at a predetermined roll angle, a device that calculates a reference roll angle of the image pickup device by using a reference image from the image pickup device when the imaging apparatus is disposed at the predetermined roll angle and a device that corrects a roll angle of the sensor by calculating a relative roll angle from the reference roll angle of the image pickup device and the reference roll angle of the sensor.

Abstract: Pixels are two-dimensionally arranged into rows and columns in an image sensing region of a solid-state image sensing device, and divided into a plurality of vertical blocks. A vertical signal line is connected to each pixel column. A voltage read out from a pixel is A/D-converted and held in a holding circuit. A vertical block selection circuit outputs a vertical block selection signal in response to a horizontal sync pulse. An intra-block line selection circuit selects one pixel row in one block or simultaneously selects a plurality of pixel rows in one block, in accordance with the selection signal and a signal for setting the number of lines to be selected. A pulse selector circuit supplies a pixel driving pulse signal to a pixel row selected by the intra-block line selection circuit.

Abstract: Acquiring enough brightness with flash and obtaining an image having a color close to a color which a human senses.

Abstract: A digital single-lens reflex camera is configured for making it possible to reduce deterioration in image quality due to a camera shake or an object movement and to easily pick up an image with a good image quality. In a digital single-lens reflex camera (1), when an object speed is detected on the basis of a detected object movement, a body microprocessor (12) judges if the object speed is equal to a threshold value (A) or more and, if it is smaller than the threshold value (A), controls a conversion lens camera shake correcting device (82) in a conversion lens (2) or a camera body shake correcting device (75) in a camera body (3) to carry out the camera shake correction.

Abstract: The image pickup apparatus of the present invention includes a front plate 12 fitted to an outer cylindrical surface of a lens barrel 5b and a rear plate 13 placed on the backside of a liquid crystal panel 7, and an accessory shoe 11 is fixed to a rib 12a formed on the top of the front plate 12 and a rib 13a formed on the top of the rear plate 13. Consequently, it is possible to enhance the strength of attachment of the accessory shoe 11. Therefore, even when an external device with a large weight such as a strobe device 51 is attached to the accessory shoe 11, it is possible to avoid deformation or damage to the accessory shoe 11.

Abstract: An image capture device includes an image detection unit, a display unit, and a control system. The image detection unit captures images of an object of which orientations can be detected. The display displays the captured images. The control system acquires the captured images, extracts features of the object, recognizes the orientations of the object, identifies an angle between the orientations and physical direction of the display unit, implements a corresponding command stored therein associated with the angle, and executes the corresponding command to adjust display direction of the display unit.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus including an imaging function having an imaging section configured such that a plurality of pixels are arrayed in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction, images a subject; a detecting function for detecting whether the imaging apparatus including the imaging section is held vertically or horizontally; a readout function for reading out the pixels information of the plurality of the pixels from the imaging section; a first readout controlling function for controlling a readout process of the pixel information executed by the readout function, in accordance with a detection result from the detecting section; a calculating function for calculating an auto-focus evaluation value in accordance with the pixel information read out by the first readout controlling function; and a focusing function for focusing in accordance with the auto-focus evaluation value calculated by the calculating function.

Abstract: An image shake correction apparatus of a camera in which an object image is formed on an image sensor that is driven to move in first and second directions, which are orthogonal to each other, in a plane orthogonal to an optical axis to compensate for camera shake. The image shake correction apparatus includes a first table provided in a camera body to be movable in the first direction, and a second table which supports the image sensor and is movable in the second direction on the first table. At least one of the first table and the second table is supported by one guide bar and supported by a linear actuator which moves the one of the first table and the second table along the one guide bar, the one guide bar extending in a corresponding one of the first direction and the second direction.

Abstract: Described herein are methods that may improve yield of an image sensor. In one embodiment, a method that may improve yield of an image sensor includes generating output values of control logic associated with an array of light sensitive elements. The method further may include determining if the control logic has one or more faulty output values. The method further may include automatically correcting the one or more faulty output values. In another embodiment, a method that may improve yield of an image sensor includes providing light to an array of light sensitive elements. The method further may include generating an image based on the light sensitive elements and associated control logic. The method further may include disconnecting control lines from control logic that has one or more faulty output values based on viewing the image. The method further may include generating another image based on the control logic having no faulty output values.

Abstract: An image capture device according to the present invention includes: an optical system for producing a subject's image; an imager with multiple photodiodes, which reads an electrical signal representing the intensity of light that has been incident on each photodiode from the photodiode, thereby generating an image signal representing the subject's image; a controller, which acquires sensitivity information by photometry in order to adjust the sensitivity of the imager to light and which selects one of multiple methods for reading the electrical signal from each photodiode according to the sensitivity information acquired; and a driver for driving the imager by the reading method selected. The multiple reading methods include a mixing reading method, by which the electrical signals supplied from the photodiodes are added together and then output.

Abstract: Methods and systems for capturing an image of a moving subject employ a camera image sensor that captures a blurred image of a moving subject. In-capture positions of the moving object are also determined using a high frame rate camera or other motion sensing device. The PSF for controlling modulation of the light hitting the camera image is successively updated by selecting, from among a plurality of pre-computed invertible PSFs, a pre-computed invertible PSFs for each estimated motion of the moving object. Light hitting the camera image sensor is modulated in capture phase according to one or more of the updated pre-computed invertible PSFs such that the captured blurred image is invertible. The resulting invertible blurred image can be de-blurred using the selected known PSFs to provide a substantially sharp image.

Abstract: An image processor (24) includes an image processing section (04) which performs a blurring process on a given image data. The image processing section (04) is provided with an image data reduction part (04A), a spatial filter processing part (04B), and an image data expansion part (04C). The image data reduction part (04A) reduces the given image data at a predetermined reduction rate to generate a reduced image data. The spatial filter processing part (04B) performs a spatial filter process on the reduced image data reduced by the image data reduction part (04A) to generate a processed image data. An image data expansion part (04C) expands the processed image data processed by the spatial filter processing part (04B) at an expansion rate inverse of the reduction rate.

Abstract: An image processing system includes a frequency decomposition unit adapted to decompose an image signal into a high frequency component and a low frequency component, a high frequency separation unit adapted to separate the high frequency component into an invalid component caused by noise and other valid component, a conversion characteristic calculation unit adapted to calculate a conversion characteristic on the basis of the low frequency component, a gradation processing unit adapted to perform a gradation processing on the low frequency component and the valid component on the basis of the calculated conversion characteristic, and a frequency synthesis unit adapted to generate an image signal on which a gradation conversion has been performed by synthesizing the low frequency component on which the gradation conversion has been performed, the valid component on which a gradation conversion has been performed and the invalid component.

Abstract: In a digital camera 1, a storing means stores feature quantities of a subject area in an image, and a search point setting means sets a plurality of search points in the subject area. Next, an updating means updates coordinates of the set plurality of search points using random numbers. Then, a weight setting means compares feature quantities of the updated search points with the stored feature quantities, and sets a weight for each search point based on similarity. Next, a sorting means sorts the search points depend on those weight, and a variance acquiring means calculates the variance of the sorted search points. Then, an angle-of-view adjusting means determines the amount of adjustment for the angle-of-view based on the calculated variance.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an image pickup device that images a photogenic subject, a drive part that drives the image pickup device in order to read out image signals from the image pickup device, a digital signal processing part in which image signals outputted from the image pickup device are inputted and processed, one image display part connected to the digital signal processing part and configured to display using one display format a processed image, another image display part connected to the digital signal processing part and configured to display using another display format the processed image and which requires more time for display processing than the time required for display processing by the one display format and an image switch-over part for switching over an image display device between the one image display part and the another image display part.

Abstract: Systems and methods of generating depth data using edge detection are disclosed. In a particular embodiment, first image data is received corresponding to a scene recorded by an image capture device at a first focus position at a first distance. Second image data is received corresponding to a second focus position at a second distance that is greater than the first distance. Edge detection generates first edge data corresponding to at least a first portion of the first image data and generates second edge data corresponding to at least a second portion of the second image data. The edge detection detects presence or absence of an edge at each location of the first portion and the second portion to identify each detected edge as a hard or soft edge. Depth data is generated based on the edge data generated for the first and second focus positions.

Abstract: Disclosed are a focus detecting apparatus capable detection in various light illumination conditions and an image acquiring apparatus having the same. The focus detecting apparatus may include a mark disposed on a primary image plane. A pair of images of the mark is detected by a sensor, the distance between which images is used to determine the main wavelength of the light received from a subject. The main wavelength is used in determining the chromatic aberration correction by which the defocus amount may be adjusted.

Abstract: A system and method for improving image processing. In one aspect of the invention the method includes receiving data indicating an intensity of light incident on a first pixel of a pixel array and determining from the received data if the intensity of incident light on the first pixel satisfies a first condition. A processing operation is performed on data received from a second, third and fourth pixel of the pixel array but skipped on the data received from the first pixel if the first condition is satisfied. The first condition includes whether the first pixel is substantially saturated in response to an intensity of light incident on the first pixel.

Abstract: An electronic camera includes an imager. The imager, having an imaging surface capturing an object scene, outputs an object scene image. A CPU searches a face portion of a person from the object scene based on the object scene image outputted from the imager. Moreover, the CPU sets to the imaging surface a cross area having a shape different depending on each attitude of the discovered face portion, in a manner to correspond to the discovered face portion. The CPU refers to an image of the cross area thus set so as to adjust imaging parameters such as a focus and an exposure amount.

Abstract: A digital camera function, such as can be implemented in a cellular telephone handset, and that includes automated segmentation of foreground subjects in acquired digital photos and images. Successive images are captured by the digital camera function at different flash exposure levels, for example using existing light only and using flash exposure. After alignment and registration of the images, luminance difference values in the two images are determined for each pixel, and the luminance difference values compared against a threshold value on a pixel-by-pixel basis. Those pixels with luminance difference values exceeding the threshold are segmented from the image as foreground subjects.