Abstract: Provided is an organic pixel, which includes a semiconductor substrate including a pixel circuit, an interconnection layer having a first contact and a first electrode formed on a semiconductor substrate, and an organic photo-diode formed on the interconnection layer. For example, the organic photo-diode includes an insulation layer formed on the first electrode, a second electrode and a photo-electric conversion region formed between the first contact, the insulation layer and the second electrode. The photo-electric conversion region includes an electron donating organic material and an electron accepting organic material. The organic photo-diode may further include a second contact electrically connected to the first contact. The horizontal distance between the second contacts and the insulation layer may be less than or equal to a few micrometers, for example, 10 micrometers.

Abstract: A zoom lens includes: first, second, third and fourth lens groups having negative power, positive power, negative power and positive power, respectively, and sequentially arranged from an object side toward an image side. When the magnification at a wide angle side is changed to the magnification at a telescopic side, the first lens group is so moved along an optical axis that the distance between the first lens group and the second lens group decreases, and the second third and fourth lens groups are moved from the image side toward the object side, the third lens group is moved along the optical axis for focusing, and the zoom lens satisfies the following conditional expression (1) ?2.0<f3/?(fw×ft)<?0.3??(1) where f3, fw and ft represent the focal lengths of the third lens group, the entire lens system at the wide angle end, and the entire lens system at the telescopic end, respectively.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject to obtain an image signal; a display unit configured to display an image based on the image signal and a specific index; an instruction-receiving unit configured to receive a specific instruction; and a control unit configured to perform control such that, in a case where a specific mode is set, when an auto-focus point is designated using the instruction-receiving unit, it is determined whether the face of a subject is located at the auto-focus point, and then if it is determined that the face of the subject is located at the auto-focus point, auto-focusing, auto-exposure, and auto-white-balance suitable for the position of the face are performed.

Abstract: This camera body includes an interchangeable lens detector, a lens information recognition component, a wireless communication component, and an output controller. The interchangeable lens detector detects whether or not the interchangeable lens is mounted to the camera body. The lens information recognition component recognizes lens information related to the interchangeable lens, according to the mounting state of the interchangeable lens. The wireless communication component performs wireless communication with the outside of the camera body. The output controller controls the output strength of the wireless communication component on the basis of the lens information in the information recognition component.

Abstract: A viewfinder of an electronic camera includes a color display monitor that is adapted to display a scene captured by an image sensor arrangement of the camera. The color temperature of the viewfinder is continuously variable adjustable between a minimum and a maximum value. The color temperature adjustment of the viewfinder does not affect the color temperature of a video signal produced by the camera that is recorded or transmitted.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus having a continuous shooting function includes an imaging unit configured to generate an image signal based on an optical signal of a subject, a storage unit configured to store an image file based on the image signal, a first detector configured to detect a motion of the imaging apparatus, and a controller configured to control a capturing interval of the imaging unit for capturing an image in a continuous shooting operation based on a detecting result of the first detector so that the capturing interval for a magnitude of the motion of the imaging apparatus which is larger than a predetermined value is shorter than the capturing interval for the magnitude of the motion of the imaging apparatus which is smaller than the predetermined value.

Abstract: One or more embodiments relate to an image pickup apparatus including multiple pixels. Each of the multiple pixels includes a photoelectric-conversion unit, and an amplifier which outputs a signal based on charge generated by the photoelectric-conversion unit. Within an electric path between the photoelectric-conversion unit and an input node of the amplifier, there are disposed a first holder, a second holder disposed following the first holder, a first transfer unit which transfers charge to the first holder, a second transfer unit which transfers charge of the first holder to the second holder, and a third transfer unit which transfers charge of the second holder. The first holder includes a first-conductive-type first semiconductor region holding charge. The second holder includes a first-conductive-type second semiconductor region holding charge. Impurity concentration of the first semiconductor region is lower than impurity concentration of the second semiconductor region.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus including: an image sensor including a plurality of focus detection pixel pairs that perform photoelectric conversion on each pair of light beams that have passed through different regions of a photographing lens and output an image signal pair; a flash memory that stores shift information on relative shift between an optical axis of the photographing lens and a central axis of the focus detection pixel pairs; a correction unit that corrects a signal level of the image signal pair based on the shift information and exit pupil information of the photographing lens so as to compensate for an unbalanced amount of light that enters each of the focus detection pixel pairs; and a focus detection unit that detects a focus of the photographing lens using the image signal pair corrected by the correction unit.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a comparator including: a first input sampling capacitance; a second input sampling capacitance; an output node; a transconductance (Gm) amplifier as a differential comparator section configured to receive a slope signal, a signal level of the slope signal changing with a slope, at one input terminal of the Gm amplifier via the first input sampling capacitance, and receive an input signal at another input terminal of the Gm amplifier via the second input sampling capacitance, and subject the slope signal and the input signal to comparing operation; and an isolator configured to hold a voltage of an output section of the Gm amplifier constant, the isolator being disposed between the output section of the Gm amplifier and the output node.

Abstract: A digital camera is disclosed. In an embodiment, the digital camera has an imaging unit including an image sensor and imaging optics and a digital image processor connected to receive raw digital images from the imaging unit and to process the raw digital images. The digital camera also includes a memory configured to store digital image data that has been processed by the digital image processor and a processor configured to direct retrieval of the digital image data that is stored in the memory and the digital image processor is further configured to generate control signals for use in operation of the imaging unit.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes: an imaging optical system having an aperture; an imaging device that outputs an image signal; an electronic shading processing portion that adds an electronic shading to a photographic image corresponding to the image signal; and a control portion which determines whether or not an optical shading can be added to the photographic image based on the imaging condition, the control portion controlling the aperture and adding the optical shading when the optical shading can be added, and the control portion controlling the electronic shading processing portion and adding the electronic shading when it is difficult to add the optical shading.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a mobile device that captures and produces images with high dynamic ranges. To capture and produce a high dynamic range image, the mobile device of some embodiments includes novel image capture and processing modules. In some embodiments, the mobile device produces a high dynamic range (HDR) image by (1) having its image capture module rapidly capture a succession of images at different image exposure durations, and (2) having its image processing module composite these images to produce the HDR image.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for processing an input image generated by an image pick-up device from an optical signal passing through a lens includes a first module comprising a plurality of chromatic aberration correction units that correct chromatic aberration in the input image; a second module, configured independently of the first module in terms of hardware, comprising a lens distortion correction unit that corrects lens distortion in the input image; a memory that stores data; and a bus connected to the first module, the second module, and the memory, and that transfers data between the first module, the second module, and the memory. The data is transferred in an on-the-fly method between the plurality of chromatic aberration correction units of the first module. The first module outputs data processed in units of blocks that are units for processing the data of the input image in the first module.

Abstract: A digital camera and an image sensor readout method with black level calibration are disclosed. In a readout circuit of the digital camera, a black reference for black level calibration and an analog-to-digital conversion reference voltage for analog-to-digital conversion are generated from reference voltages provided by one voltage ladder. Device-to-device variations of sensor characteristics are considered when selecting the reference voltage for generating the black reference, and, a gain between the selected reference voltage and the black reference varies with a gain of a programmable gain amplifier coupled after a compensator. The compensator subtracts the black reference from a sensed signal that the readout circuit receives from an image sensor of the digital camera.

Abstract: In a reference signal comparison AD conversion scheme, a reference signal SLP_ADC and each of P and D phases of a pixel signal voltage VX are compared. A count clock CKcnt1 is counted based on the comparison result. The counting result data is converted into signal data Dsig, i.e., the difference between the P and D phases, which is also subjected to CDS. At this time, the n-bit AD conversion is performed on each of the P and D phases of the pixel signal voltage VX, followed by summation for digital integration. This prevents any possible detrimental effects that may be caused by summation in the analog domain. Although the signal data becomes W times greater, noise will likely become ?W times greater. This alleviates the problem of random noise resulting from AD conversion such as quantizing noise and circuit noise that do not exist in the analog domain, thus reducing the noise.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging portion that takes an image of a subject, a position information acquisition portion that acquires position information of an imaging position, and an orientation information acquisition portion that acquires orientation information representing an imaging direction at the imaging position.

Abstract: An image processing device that corrects an obtained image includes: an image acquisition unit that obtains the image; a region setting unit that sets a first region including a main object and a second region not including the main object on the image; an image characteristic amount calculation unit that calculates a first image characteristic amount respectively in the first region and the second region; a comparison unit that compares the first image characteristic amounts of the first region and the second region; an image processing method setting unit that sets an image processing method to be applied to the image, from a plurality of image processing methods, on the basis of a comparison result obtained by the comparison unit; and an image characteristic adjustment unit that adjusts a second image characteristic amount of the obtained image using the method set by the image processing method setting unit.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus having a function of performing cut-out processing for an image for electronic image-stabilization and detecting a particular object of the image is provided. The image pickup apparatus detects a particular object from an image that has not been subjected to cut-out processing for electronic image-stabilization, adjusts position information of the detected object in accordance with a cut-out position of the image for electronic image-stabilization, and combining an indication indicating the position of the particular object with a display image based on positional information after the adjustment is performed.

Abstract: An improved ratio between hardware/manufacturing expenditure, on the one hand, and picture quality, on the other hand, when using a multi-channel optical element is achieved in that the samples of the pixels are arranged in accordance with an imaging direction from which the optical element images objects on the respective pixel, or with a lateral imaging position in a focal-depth area that is imaged to the respective pixel by the optical element, and when the distribution, thus arranged, of samples of the pixels is interpolated at intersection points of a regular grid extending over the entire distribution of the samples. In this manner, processing is standardized across the entire picture, so that transition problems between the subareas are avoided.

Abstract: One embodiment relates to a synchronized multiple imager system includes a plurality of imagers. One or more respective sensors are coupled to the imagers. The sensors output a vertical raster stream representative of pixel data from pixel columns, thereby generating a plurality of vertical raster streams. A clock circuit synchronizes the sensors to sense selected columns in the imagers and to output the vertical raster streams from the selected columns. A processor circuit stitches seam vertical raster streams from adjacent pairs of imagers. The synchronized multiple imager system may further include a plurality of input buffers coupled to respective sensors. The clock circuit may include input flip-flops configured to acquire the vertical raster stream from respective imagers in accordance with an imager bus clock. The clock circuit may further include asynchronous FIFOs to de-skew the vertical raster streams. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed.