Abstract: When calculating the amount of color blur suppression based on gradient values at edge portions of image data, the degree of color blur suppression has been different between a non-addition readout method and an addition readout method even with an identical subject. To solve this problem, there is provided an image processing apparatus that calculates a suppression coefficient so as to suppress color blur when a gradient value exceeds a threshold value, and sets up the threshold value so that the gradient value range required for color blur suppression when an image sensor is driven by the addition readout method to generate image data is wider than the gradient value range required when the image sensor is driven by the non-addition readout method.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an image capturing unit including an image sensor capable of photoelectrically converting a subject image and configured to generate moving image data based on an output signal of the image sensor, a storage unit configured to store foreign substance information including information relating to at least a position and a size of a foreign substance adhered to an optical element disposed on a front side of the image sensor, a detection unit configured to detect a shake amount of the image sensor, a control unit configured to control an image clipping position on an entire screen of the image sensor according to the shake amount of the image sensor detected by the detection unit, and a recording unit configured to record the foreign substance information and information indicating the image clipping position in association with the moving image data.

Abstract: An image processing device that performs color shading correction on an image formed by a plurality of pixel signals with correction data includes: a correction execution decision unit that decides whether or not color shading correction is to be executed for each pixel signal in order to perform color shading correction for a part of the plurality of pixel signals and not to perform color shading correction for another part of the plurality of pixel signals; and a correction unit that performs correction of the pixel signal of which execution of correction is decided by the correction execution decision unit for each color component thereof.

Abstract: An image stabilization control apparatus includes a vibration correction unit configured to correct an image shake occurring due to vibration, a first vibration detection unit configured to detect and output an angular velocity of the vibration, a second vibration detection unit configured to detect and output an acceleration of the vibration, a first extractor configured to extract a signal in a predetermined frequency band based on an output of the first vibration detection unit, a second extractor configured to extract a signal in a predetermined frequency band based on an output of the second vibration detection unit, an output correction unit configured to correct the output of the first vibration detection unit based on the signals extracted by the first and second extractors, and a driving unit configured to drive the vibration correction unit based on the output of the first vibration detection unit as corrected.

Abstract: When a hand shake reducing mode has been set for shooting a subject, an exposure is controlled in accordance with a program diagram (solid line) B for the shake reducing mode, which is different from a program diagram (broken line) A for a normal mode. In a state where a shutter speed is set to less than “ 1/80”, two-pixel addition and/or four-pixel addition is executed on an imaging signal to amplify subject luminance, raising ISO sensitivity. A shutter speed set to fall in a high speed range reduces deterioration in image quality due to hand shake and/or subject movement during a shooting operation.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus that includes an image sensing portion outputting the image data of an image by shooting and that generates an output image based on the output data of the image sensing portion obtained in response to a predetermined shooting command has: a first correction portion which, based on the image data of a first image shot by the image sensing portion and the image data of a second image shot by the image sensing portion with an exposure time longer than the exposure time of the first image, performs position adjustment between the first and second images and then synthesizes the first and second images to generate the output image; a second correction portion which generates the output image by reducing noise in the first image without using the second image; and a correction control portion which executes selection processing to alternatively select one of the first and second correction portions based on a shooting condition set for shooting of the second image or based on the output

Abstract: An image pickup device includes an image sensing device and a driving unit. The image sensing device includes a first pixel group and a second pixel group. The first pixel group includes a plurality of pixels arranged as a two-dimensional array in a semiconductor substrate surface portion that receives incidence light from a subject. The second pixel group includes a plurality of pixels arranged as a two-dimensional array in the semiconductor substrate surface portion in an area overlapping the first pixel group while the pixels in the first pixel group do not disposed in the same positions as the pixels in the second pixel group. The driving unit outputs a picked-up image signal of one frame from the first pixel group exposed over one vertical synchronizing time period for each vertical synchronizing signal.

Abstract: A template-matching apparatus includes a first calculating unit calculating a first characteristic amount from the image information of a template image, and extracting unit extracting a partial image, a second calculating unit calculating for image information of the partial image a second characteristic amount, a third calculating unit calculating a residual amount from the image information of the template image and the partial image, a first computing unit finding a first degree of similarity, a second computing unit that finds a second degree of similarity based on the residual amount, a third computing unit finding a third degree of similarity based on the first and second degree of similarity, and a specifying unit specifying a matching position, thereby specifying the matching position with good accuracy even if the input image is observed with some geometrical change.

Abstract: A solid-state image device is provided which has a semiconductor substrate, pixels A each containing a photoelectric conversion portion in which at least two PN junction parts are provide in a depth direction of the semiconductor substrate, pixels B each containing a photoelectric conversion portion in which at least one PN junction part is provided, first color filters provided above the pixels A, second color filters provided above the pixels B; and a detection mechanism for detecting a first color signal and a second color signal from the two PN junction parts of each of the pixels A and a third color signal from the PN junction part of each of the pixels B. According to the above solid-state image device, light can be more efficiently used than a color filter separation method, and superior color reproducibility to that of a three-well structure can be realized.

Abstract: A camera module includes an image capture unit used to capture at least one image of a subject. An image analysis unit is integrated in the camera module to analyze the quality of the image captured by the image capture unit to determine whether the camera module meets one or more preset requirements. The camera module further includes an output unit used to output one or more analysis results of the image analysis unit to determine whether the camera module meets preset capability requirements.

Abstract: A multi-pixel row wafer-scale cluster image sensor chip (WCISC) is proposed. Expressed in X-Y-Z coordinates with its pixel rows along X-axis, the WCISC converts areal image frame (IMFM) into areal image frame signal (AIFS). The WCISC includes multiple imaging pixel rows PXRW1, . . . , PXRWM. Each PXRWi has photoelectrical sensing elements spanning pixel row width PRWi and producing a pixel row image signal PRISi. Each PXRWi is offset from PXRW1 by distance XOFSTi and spaced from PXRWi?1 by distance SPi?1,I such that X- and Y-extremities of (PXRW1, . . . , PXRWM) define IMFM. The WCISC is so configured that any image pixel sweeping through IMFM will be sensed by at least one imaging pixel row. In the presence of Y-directional relative motion between WCISC and IMFM and an external electronic imaging controller (EEIC) interfacing with the WCISC, the EEIC can extract all PRISi from WCISC and reconstruct the AIFS.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining a shaken image by using auto focusing. The method includes calculating a maximum AF value of a preview image and a maximum AF value of a captured image that is down-sampled according to the preview image and comparing the maximum AF value of the preview with the maximum AF value of the captured image to determine whether the captured image is shaken or not.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for capturing and rendering images with focused plenoptic cameras employing different filtering at different microlenses. In a focused plenoptic camera, the main lens creates an image at the focal plane. That image is re-imaged on the sensor multiple times by an array of microlenses. Different filters that provide different levels and/or types of filtering may be combined with different ones of the microlenses. A flat captured with the camera includes multiple microimages captured according to the different filters. Multiple images may be assembled from the microimages, with each image assembled from microimages captured using a different filter. A final image may be generated by appropriately combining the images assembled from the microimages. Alternatively, a final image, or multiple images, may be assembled from the microimages by first combining the microimages and then assembling the combined microimages to produce one or more output images.

Abstract: An apparatus for rendering a three-dimensional model from a plurality of eye points to present a three-dimensional picture, wherein the position of a virtual camera for rendering apexes of the three-dimensional model is controlled in accordance with the amount of protrusion of an object under rendering from a display plane to create and present a non-perspective projection picture as a picture at each eye point position. Also, for this control, a weighting parameter is incorporated in each part of the three dimensional model, such that the presentation of stereoscopic sense can be finely controlled.

Abstract: A color representation technique to be effectively applicable to a pixel shifted arrangement to realize high sensitivity and high resolution is provided by using a dipersive prism or diffraction. A dispersive element is provided for an image sensor in which photosensitive cells are arranged to be shifted from each other by a half pitch both horizontally and vertically. The dispersive element makes at least G rays fall straight down to a pixel right under itself and also makes either R rays or B rays incident on an adjacent pixel. Meanwhile, a photosensitive cell, for which no dispersive element is provided, receives directly incident light, too. Color information can be obtained by making computations on photoelectrically converted signals provided by these pixels.

Abstract: An image recording device includes an obtaining module configured to obtain tilt information indicating a tilt direction and a tilt angle of an image with respect to a horizontal direction for a processing unit including frames, a rotational processing module configured to perform, in accordance with the tilt direction and the tilt angle indicated by the tilt information, a rotational process having a same rotational direction and a same rotational amount for correction of tilting with respect to images of the frames, and a storing module configured to store the images of the frames subjected to the rotational process.

Abstract: An electromagnetic driving apparatus includes a magnet member having a first face in which first and second magnetic poles are formed in a first direction and a second face in which the first and second magnetic poles are formed in a second direction, a first coil facing the first face, a second coil facing the second face, a first member holding the magnet member, and a second member holding the first and second coils. One of the first and second members holds a driven member. The first and second members are relatively moved in the first direction by the energization of the first coil, and the first and second members are relatively moved in the second direction by the energization of the second coil. The actuator constituted by the first and second coils and the magnet member can be compactly arranged in one region in the apparatus.

Abstract: A method of generating a high dynamic range (HDR) image and a digital image pickup device using the same are described. The digital image pickup device is employed to generate an HDR image according to a single digital image. The method includes the steps of obtaining an original image; performing a gray-scale processing to convert the original image into an original gray-scale pattern, in which each pixel in the original gray-scale pattern is assigned with a gray-scale value; performing a conversion procedure according to a gradient and a compensation value of the gray-scale value of each pixel in the original gray-scale pattern, and generating a high dynamic gray-scale pattern by using the gradients and the compensation values; and compensating the original image with the high dynamic gray-scale pattern, so as to generate the HDR image.

Abstract: An image stabilization control apparatus includes a vibration correction unit configured to correct an image shake occurring due to vibration, a first vibration detection unit configured to detect and output an angular velocity of the vibration, a second vibration detection unit configured to detect and output an acceleration of the vibration, a first extractor configured to extract a signal in a predetermined frequency band based on an output of the first vibration detection unit, a second extractor configured to extract a signal in a predetermined frequency band based on an output of the second vibration detection unit, an output correction unit configured to correct the output of the first vibration detection unit based on the signals extracted by the first and second extractors, and a driving unit configured to drive the vibration correction unit based on the output of the first vibration detection unit as corrected.

Abstract: A portable terminal, comprises: a terminal body provided with a display unit to output visual information relating to a capturing mode, and having wireless communication functions; a touch input unit provided at the display unit, and configured to input information when at least one of the visual information is touched; a camera body arranged at the terminal body in a longitudinal direction, and rotatably coupled to the terminal body so that a direction of a camera mounted therein rotates in a perpendicular direction to the longitudinal direction of the terminal body; and camera manipulation units disposed on the camera body, and receiving input manipulations relating to an operation of the camera.