Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for determining the number of available shots and an image-shooting apparatus. The method includes: determining a current shooting mode; acquiring an average value of a picture size before current shooting in the current shooting mode, where the average value of the picture size is calculated according to storage space occupied by pictures shot before the current shooting in the current shooting mode and the number of the pictures shot before the current shooting in the current shooting mode; and determining, according to currently available storage space and the average value of the picture size, the number of available shots before the current shooting. The technical solution of the present invention improves precision of the determined number of available shots.

Abstract: Digital photographing apparatus and methods of providing picture at the digital photographing apparatus are disclosed. An example digital photographing apparatus transmits a picture of an object to be captured to a server, acquires at least one pre-captured picture of the object and a captured position of the at least one pre-captured picture from the server, and presents the at least one pre-captured picture and the captured position. The digital photographing apparatus selectively provides the at least one pre-captured picture in consideration of whether the captured position of the object is the same capture position or a different capture position.

Abstract: This solid-state image sensor includes an array of photosensitive cells and an array of dispersive elements. The photosensitive cell array is comprised of a plurality of unit blocks 40, each including four photosensitive cells 2a, 2b, 2c and 2d. A condensing element 4c is further arranged to cover the photosensitive cells 2a and 2b and condenses incoming light onto the photosensitive cells 2a and 2b.

Abstract: An information display apparatus includes an input device adapted to input user operation information, a touch sensor adapted to detect the state of the input device in terms of whether the input device is touched by a user, a display adapted to display information, and a control unit adapted to receive user operation information from the input device and sensor detection information from the touch sensor, and control displaying of the information on the display in accordance with the received user operation information and the sensor detection information. If the touch information indicating that the input device is touched by the user is received from the touch sensor, the control unit displays first information associated with the input device on the display. If the input device is maintained in the touched state longer than a predetermined period, the control unit switches the displayed information into second information.

Abstract: An image sensor may have an array of image sensor pixels having varying light collecting areas. The light collecting area of each image pixel may vary with respect to other image pixels due to varied microlens sizes and varied color filter element sizes throughout the array. The light collecting area may vary within unit pixel cells and the variability of the light collecting areas of pixels within each pixel cell may depend on the location of the pixel cell in the pixel array. Each unit pixel cell may include at least one clear pixel having a light collecting area that is smaller than the light collecting areas of other single color pixels in the unit pixel cell.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for utilizing any of a plurality of disparate types of lens actuators on a mobile device. The method may include launching a configurable actuator driver and identifying a particular type of lens actuator that resides on the mobile device. Based upon the particular type of lens actuator that resides on the mobile device, lens-actuator-specific parameter values are obtained that facilitate control interfacing with the particular type of lens actuator. In addition, tuning parameter values are obtained that characterize a displacement-response of the particular type of actuator to control signal values, and the tuning parameter values for the particular type of lens actuator are provided to a configurable lens-actuator driver. The particular type of lens actuator that resides on the mobile computing device is then operated using the tuning parameter values.

Abstract: An apparatus and method generate and store metadata in a moving image shooting mode for use in playing and editing the moving image. The moving image processing method of the apparatus equipped with a camera includes acquiring images at every frame period in a moving image shooting mode; generating metadata of the images; encoding the images into the moving image; storing the moving image with the metadata; and displaying a specific metadata selected among the metadata as supplementary functions of the moving image in a moving image playback mode.

Abstract: A method for automatic image capture control and digital imaging is described. An image buffer is initialized to store a digital image produced by an image sensor, through allocation of a region in memory for the buffer that is large enough to store a full resolution frame from the image sensor. While non-binning streaming frames, from the sensor and in the buffer, are being displayed in preview, the sensor is reconfigured into binning mode, and then binned streaming frames are processed in the buffer, but without allocating a smaller region in memory for the buffer. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Abstract: There is provided a camera module including: a lens barrel including at least one lens disposed along an optical axis; a housing in which the lens barrel is disposed; and an infra-red (IR) filter adhesively bonded to an inner surface of the housing and disposed below the lens barrel, wherein protective tape is adhered to a contact surface of the IR filter in contact with the inner surface of the housing.

Abstract: A photographing device includes a display that displays a screen, a photographing unit that is arranged on the same plane as the display, and a mirror that is arranged so that at least a portion of the display is capable of being photographed by the photographing unit.

Abstract: An encoder includes a base, a cylinder rotatable in a circumferential direction with respect to the base, at least three supporting portions rotatably supporting the cylinder with respect to the base, a connecting portion provided on the cylinder and rotatable within a first range between two supporting portions of the at least three supporting portions, a scale attached to the cylinder, and a detector configured to detect a position of the cylinder with respect to the base by using the scale, and the detector is arranged within a second range different from the first range.

Abstract: A device is provided that includes a recording medium with embedded communication functionality, a communication controller, a communication status verifier, a communication period calculator, and a verification interval setter. The recording medium stores data. The communication controller transmits the data to an external system via the recording medium. The communication status verifier obtains the communication status of the recording medium at a predetermined interval. The communication period calculator estimates a communication period required by the communication controller when transmitting the data to the external system. The verification interval setter relatively increases the frequency of the communication status verification, which is performed by the communication status verifier, from a predetermined time before or a predetermined time after the end of the estimated communication period until the obtained communication status indicates completion of the data transmission.

Abstract: A computing device, such as a mobile device, can capture pictures or video images using a digital camera and obtain associated orientation information using an accelerometer. The orientation information can be used to adjust one or more of the captured pictures or video images to compensate for rotation in one or more planes of rotation. The orientation information can be saved along with the captured pictures or video images. The orientation information can also be transmitted or streamed along with the captured pictures or video images. Image matching operations can be performed using pictures or video images that have been adjusted using orientation information.

Abstract: An imaging device includes a histogram unit that extracts luminance information from video signals obtained by image capture and generates a histogram, a white balance detector unit that detects the deviation in the white balance of the video signal, and a white balance processor unit that corrects the white balance of the video signal; and along with selecting the imaging conditions of the imaging unit based on the deviations detected by the white balance detector unit, also controls the white balance processor unit. When there is a large deviation in the white balance, the imaging device decides whether or not to correct the white balance according for example to the hue.

Abstract: Provided is an AD converter including a first AD converting unit in which pixel columns of a pixel array are divided into at least two groups, and that compares a first ramp signal and a first pixel signal output from a first group of the pixel columns and performs AD conversion on the first pixel signal; and a second AD converting unit that compares a second ramp signal and a second pixel signal output from a second group of the pixel columns and performs AD conversion on the second pixel signal, in which the first ramp signal is a signal of which a level is decreased with a constant slope over time in a D-phase period for detecting a signal level of a pixel signal, and the second ramp signal is a signal of which a level is increased with a constant slope over time in the D-phase period.

Abstract: A structured light 3D scanner consisting of a specially designed fixed pattern projector and a camera with a specially designed image sensor is disclosed. A fixed pattern projector has a single fixed pattern mask of sine-like modulated transparency and three infrared LEDs behind the pattern mask; switching between the LEDs shifts the projected patterns. An image sensor has pixels sensitive in the visual band, for acquisition of conventional image and the pixels sensitive in the infrared band, for the depth acquisition.

Abstract: A focus detecting device that addresses unstableness in frame rate by performing optimal focus detection depending on a frame rate setting, an AF frame selection setting, and a shooting speed priority/focus priority setting is provided. A focus adjusting device includes means for storing an object signal in an AF sensor; focus detecting means for detecting a defocus amount from the object signal; and focus adjusting means for adjusting the focus of an image taking lens based on the defocus amount. The focus adjusting device also includes a readout time adjusting means for adjusting processing of waiting for a predetermined time since the AF sensor starts storing until the object signal is read out.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus which includes a semiconductor portion having a first face on the light incident side and a second face opposite to the first face, and an optical system arranged on the first face, comprising a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type provided on the second face side in the semiconductor region, a photoelectric conversion portion provided in the semiconductor portion so as to surround the first semiconductor region, including a second semiconductor region of the first conductivity type, and a gate electrode arranged between the first and the second semiconductor regions on the second face, for transferring a charge generated in the photoelectric conversion portion to the first semiconductor region, wherein the optical system is configured so that a light intensity in the second semiconductor region is higher than that in the first semiconductor region.

Abstract: There is provided a signal processing device including a signal generation unit that generates a control signal for controlling an imaging device connected via one cable, a signal superimposition unit that superimposes the control signal generated by the signal generation unit on a video signal received from the imaging device via the cable without an influence on display of a video corresponding to the video signal, and a transmission unit that transmits the signals superimposed by the signal superimposition unit to the imaging device via the cable.

Abstract: An image sensing device and image sensing method are described herein. By way of example, the imaging sensing device includes a two-dimensional array of light sensing elements, each light sensing element being configured to generate an output signal indicative of an intensity level of light impinging on the light sensing element, one or more analog-to-digital converters configured to digitize output signals read out from the array of light sensing elements to generate digital output pixel values, a control circuit configured to generate digital pixel reset values, and a compression module configured to receive the digital pixel reset values and to generate a compressed digital pixel reset value corresponding to each digital pixel reset value.