Abstract: A backside illumination image sensor that includes a semiconductor substrate with a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements and a read circuit formed on a front surface side of the semiconductor substrate, and captures an image by outputting, via the read circuit, electrical signals generated as incident light having reached a back surface side of the semiconductor substrate is received at the photoelectric conversion elements includes: a light shielding film formed on a side where incident light enters the photoelectric conversion elements, with an opening formed therein in correspondence to each photoelectric conversion element; and an on-chip lens formed at a position set apart from the light shielding film by a predetermined distance in correspondence to each photoelectric conversion element. The light shielding film and an exit pupil plane of the image forming optical system achieve a conjugate relation to each other with regard to the on-chip lens.

Abstract: In an imaging apparatus, a first motion vector detector calculates a first motion vector on the basis of images with a low spatial resolution and a second motion vector detector calculates a second motion vector on the basis of images with a high spatial resolution. A first control amount having a great weight for information with a low frequency resolution with respect to frequency components of the first motion vector information and a second control amount having a great weight for information with a high frequency resolution with respect to frequency components of the second motion vector information are calculated. A third control amount is calculated through multiplication by a predetermined weight regardless of the frequency resolution with respect to frequency components of the first or second motion vector information. Drive control of an image blur correction lens is performed according to the first to third control amounts.

Abstract: A pixel cell with a photosensitive region formed in association with a substrate, a color filter formed over the photosensitive region, the color filter comprising a first material layer and a second material layer formed in association with the first shaping material layer.

Abstract: An optical image capturing module is provided, including a circuit assembly and a lens assembly. The circuit assembly may include a circuit substrate, a plurality of image sensor elements, a plurality of signal transmission elements, and a multi-lens frame. The image sensor elements may be connected to the circuit substrate. The signal transmission elements may be electrically connected between the circuit substrate and the image sensor elements. The multi-lens frame may be manufactured integrally, be covered on the circuit substrate, and surround the image sensor elements and the signal transmission elements. The lens assembly may include a lens base, an auto-focus lens assembly, and a driving assembly. The lens base may be fixed to a multi-lens frame. The auto-focus lens assembly may have at least two lenses with refractive power.

Abstract: An image sensor and an electronic device are disclosed. They are configured to output, from the image sensor, a plurality of different pieces of image data based on a full-size original image. In one example, an image sensor includes: a pixel unit that generates a full-size original image corresponding to incident light with many photoelectric conversion elements; a holding unit that has a capacity capable of holding at least the full-size original image; an image processing unit that generates a full-size processed image by performing predetermined image processing with respect to the full-size original image; and a modification unit that generates a modified-size processed image by modifying a size of the full-size processed image. The full-size processed image and the modified-size processed image are output. Applications include a CMOS image sensor in which a DRAM is installed.

Abstract: An actuator of a camera module includes a driving coil disposed to face a detection target; a driving circuit including a plurality of transistors connected to the driving coil; and a processor configured to provide a respective gate control signal to a gate of each of the plurality of transistors, and detect a displacement of the detection target based on a component of an oscillation signal generated in a driving signal applied to the driving coil in response to an operation of any one of the plurality of transistors being switched by the respective gate control signal.

Abstract: An auto exposure method for an image capture device includes the steps of gathering ambient light data using an ambient light sensor of the image capture device, selecting a frame rate corresponding to the gathered ambient light data, and determining an optimal image capture frame rate for the image capture device. The auto exposure method determines the optimal image capture frame rate by executing an auto exposure algorithm with a processor using the selected frame rate as an initialization parameter for the auto exposure algorithm.

Abstract: Provided are a camera capable of preventing an erroneous operation with a compact configuration and has high operability, a setting method of the camera, and a setting program of the camera. A touch sensor is provided on a top surface of an operation dial. A change in a setting value by the operation dial is switched between valid and invalid according to a detection result of the touch sensor, and an operation by the operation dial becomes possible only in a case where the change in the setting value is valid. A setting value of an item to be set by the operation dial is displayed on a sub-display provided near the operation dial.

Abstract: A Time-of-Flight (TOF) technique is combined with analog amplitude modulation within each pixel in a pixel array using multiple Single Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs) in conjunction with a single Pinned Photo Diode (PPD) in each pixel. A SPAD may be shared among multiple neighboring pixels. The TOF information is added to the received light signal by the analog domain-based single-ended to differential converter inside the pixel itself. The spatial-temporal correlation among outputs of multiple, adjacent SPADs in a pixel is used to control the operation of the PPD to facilitate recording of TOF values and range of an object. Erroneous range measurements due to ambient light are prevented by stopping the charge transfer from the PPD—and, hence, recording a TOF value—only when two or more SPADs in the pixel are triggered within a pre-defined time interval. An autonomous navigation system with multi-SPAD pixels provides improved vision for drivers under difficult driving conditions.

Abstract: A communication device includes a recording unit that records an image and a reduced image corresponding to the image, a first communication unit, a second communication unit with a faster communication speed, a setting unit that sets an external device connected via the first communication unit or the second communication unit, and a control unit that performs control such that the reduced image is transmitted, via the first communication unit, to the external device set as the device connected via the first communication unit and the image is transmitted, via the second communication unit, to the external device set as the device connected via the second communication unit in a case where an instruction for transmitting the image has been received from the external device set as the external device connected via the first communication unit.

Abstract: An imaging device includes an imaging unit, a sensor, and a controller. The imaging unit sequentially outputs a digital image by capturing a subject. The sensor includes a photoelectric element for receiving a part of luminous flux from the subject incident on the imaging unit. The sensor detects an AC current component of the luminous flux from the luminous flux received by the photoelectric element. The controller detects a flicker cycle in the luminous flux from the AC current component.

Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) sampling system and method for imaging and non-imaging systems to conserve power consumption is provided. The ADC sampling system performs only two comparisons for each pixel based on a background value and a threshold value to determine whether the light detected by the pixel is different from a background image.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image processing device includes a detection circuit configured to detect a luminance range for each of a plurality of images captured with a different exposure time, a white balance processing circuit configured to separately perform white balance processing for each of the images based on the detected luminance range, and an image synthesis circuit configured to generate a synthetic image from the images in which the white balance processing is separately performed.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for managing power use of a camera and/or camera system. In response to a wakeup trigger, contents of a scene are captured by the camera. Based on a received energy budget for the camera, a scene analysis is performed on the scene, where the contents of the scene are analyzed according to one or more analytics models. Based on the output of the one or more analytics models and the received energy budget for the camera, it is determined whether the camera should continue capturing the contents of the scene or enter a power state lower than a previous power state (e.g., go to sleep).

Abstract: A camera system comprises an image capturing device, and connected to it are an object classification module and a calibration module. The object classification module is operable to determine whether or not an object in an image is a member of an object class, and the calibration module is operable to estimate representative sizes of the object. The object classification module may determine a confidence parameter that is used by the calibration module, or conversely, the calibration module may produce a size that is used by the classification module.

Abstract: Provided are methods, systems, and computer-program products for determining one or more settings of a content capture device. In some examples, to determine the one or more settings, luma values of pixels of an image from the content capture device may be identified. Objects in the image and information associated with the objects may also be identified. The information associated with the objects may be divided into categories of the information. And using the objects and the information, a separate weight array for each category of the information may be computed. The separate weight arrays may be combined to create a total weight array to augment the luma values. The augmented luma values may be aggregated to compute a weighted luma average for the image. Based upon a difference of the weighted luma average and a target, the one or more settings may be adjusted.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided that detects four sides of a subject image included in a captured image. It is determined, based on a width and a height of the captured image and the detected four sides of the subject image, whether imaging guides of vertical lines are to be displayed or imaging guides of horizontal lines are to be displayed. The vertical lines are displayed in a left end and a right end of a region in which the captured image is displayed when it is determined that the imaging guides of the vertical lines are to be displayed. The horizontal lines are displayed in an upper end and a lower end of the region in which the captured image is displayed when it is determined that the imaging guides of the horizontal lines are to be displayed.

Abstract: An image sensing device includes: a pixel array suitable for generating a plurality of pixel signals corresponding to incident light; a comparison block suitable for comparing the pixel signals with a ramp signal to generate a plurality of comparison signals; a logic block suitable for adjusting slew rates of the respective comparison signals to generate a plurality of logic signals; a global count block suitable for generating a global count signal; and a storing block suitable for storing counted values of the global count signal based on the logic signals received from the logic block.

Abstract: Image processing method and device are disclosed. The image processing method is inclusive of a step of obtaining a target image; a step of performing motion estimation on the target image so as to attain motion paths; a step of determining, on the basis of the motion paths, whether there exists a fluctuation meeting a predetermined requirement in the target image; and a step of taking, if there exists a fluctuation meeting the predetermined requirement in the target image, the target image as a reference image. The reference image is utilized to carry out inter frame motion estimation with respect to the respective images acquired.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel that outputs a pixel signal of an analog signal, a readout unit that converts the pixel signal into a digital signal to generate a digital pixel signal, a memory unit that stores the digital pixel signal, and a first inspection signal output unit that outputs a first inspection signal to the memory unit such that the memory unit stores the first inspection signal. The first inspection signal stored in the memory unit is output from the memory unit in a period after output of the digital pixel signal of a frame ends and before output of the digital pixel signal of a next frame starts.