Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes: obtaining a first image of a scene while an illumination component is set to an inactive state; obtaining a second image of the scene while the illumination component is set to a pre-flash state; determining one or more illumination control parameters for the illumination component for a third image of the scene that satisfy a foreground-background balance criterion based on a function of the first and second images in order to discriminate foreground data from background data within the scene; and obtaining the third image of the scene while the illumination component is set to an active state in accordance with the one or more illumination control parameters.

Abstract: A ramp generator includes an integrator including a first stage having first and second inputs and first and second outputs, and a second stage including first and second transistors coupled between a power supply rail and ground. A node between the first and second transistors is coupled to the output of the integrator amplifier. A control terminal of the first transistor is coupled to the first output of the first stage, and a control terminal of the second transistor is coupled to the second output of the first stage. A first current flows from the output to ground during a ramp event in the ramp signal generated from the output. Trimming circuitry is coupled to the output of the integrator amplifier to provide a second current to the output of the integrator amplifier in response to trimming inputs. The second current substantially matches the first current.

Abstract: A method includes: obtaining a target zoom ratio; simultaneously photographing a monochrome image and a color image of a target scene based on the target zoom ratio, where resolution of the monochrome image is higher than that of the color image, and there is at least one monochrome image and at least one color image; correspondingly cropping the monochrome image and the color image based on the target zoom ratio, where a field of view corresponding to a monochrome image obtained through cropping is the same as a field of view corresponding to a color image obtained through cropping; and performing fusion on the monochrome image obtained through cropping and the color image obtained through cropping, to obtain a color zoom image.

Abstract: Techniques related to image rectification for fisheye images are discussed. Such techniques may include iteratively determining warpings for equirectangular images corresponding to the fisheye images using alternating feature mappings between neighboring ones of the equirectangular images until mean vertical disparities between the features are reduced below a threshold, and warping the equirectangular images to rectified equirectangular images.

Abstract: Cameras may monitor its operation and automatically switch between operation modes thereby to best capture users' experiences. Auxiliary sensor data collected by the one or more sensors and/or captured image data may be analyzed to determine when a camera should switch to a high-motion operation mode. The auxiliary sensor data include motion information of the camera and the content of the captured images include motion information of the captured objects. When a camera or objects captured by the camera are moving rapidly, the camera is switched to operate at the high-motion operation mode to ensure image quality and minimize artifacts to best capture users' experiences. Motion of the camera may be detected or predicted by analyzing the auxiliary sensor data and motion of the captured objects may be detected by analyzing the captured image data thereby to determine whether or not the camera should switch to the high-motion operation mode.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an image processing method, and a device. The method includes controlling a first camera to capture a plurality of first images and controlling a second camera to capture a plurality of second images; acquiring a first reference image from the plurality of first images and acquiring a second reference image from the plurality of second images; performing composition and noise reduction processing on the plurality of primary images by a first thread to generate a composited and noise-reduced image and processing the composited and noise-reduced image according to a preset image processing strategy to generate a target image and acquiring depth of field information based on the first reference image and the second reference image by a second thread; and blurring a background region of the target image according to the depth of field information.

Abstract: An image capture apparatus extracts a motion component caused by an operation of a vibration source included in the image capture apparatus, based on output signals of motion detection sensors positioned at different distances from the vibration source. The image capture apparatus then corrects one of the output signals of the motion detection sensors using the motion component and controls image stabilization based on the corrected output signal.

Abstract: Shared-readout pixels conventionally disposed in two or more physical columns of a pixel array are spatially interleaved (merged) within a single physical column to yield a pixel array in which each physical pixel column includes two or more logical columns of shared-readout pixels coupled to respective logical-column output lines.

Abstract: A single user input element in an image capture device is used for both image and video capture, based on detecting a state change of the single user input element from a first state to a second state based on a detected user activity, and determining a duration of the second state. A first distinct signal indicating that an image capture is triggered is provided based on the duration of the second state being less than a time interval and a second distinct signal indicating that a video recording is triggered is provided based on the duration of the second state being greater than the time interval. The video recording is captured until a state change of the single user input element from the second state to the first state is detected.

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 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: 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 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: 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: 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 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.