Abstract: An adaptive pixel compensation method for an image processing apparatus includes receiving an image array data, calculating an average of luminance values of a first plurality of green sub-pixels surrounding the green sub-pixel as a first average value, calculating an average of luminance values of a second plurality of green sub-pixels surrounding the green sub-pixel as a second average value, calculating an absolute luminance difference value of the first average value and the second average value, calculating an average luminance gradient value of the green sub-pixel and a third plurality of green sub-pixels surrounding the green sub-pixel, and determining whether to compensate the green sub-pixel according to a luminance value of the green sub-pixel, the absolute luminance difference value and the average luminance gradient value.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel that has a photoelectric conversion section which converts incident light into an electric signal; a color filter which is formed corresponding to the pixel; a micro lens which focuses the incident light to the photoelectric conversion section via the color filter; and an in-layer lens which is formed between the color filter and the micro lens and has a refractive index smaller than that of the micro lens.

Abstract: A portable digital image acquisition device includes multiple lenses and/or multiple flashes. A main digital image and first and second reference images are acquired. The first and second reference images are acquired with different flash-lens combinations that have different flash-lens distances. One or more flash eye defects are detected and corrected in the main image based on analysis of the first and second reference images.

Abstract: A non-transitory computer program product, photographing apparatus and a method of controlling the photographing apparatus, the method including obtaining sound information; calculating a shooting frequency based on the obtained sound information; and controlling a shutter of an imaging device to obtain image data according to the calculated shooting frequency.

Abstract: An image sensor that has a plurality of pixels within a pixel array coupled to a control circuit and to one or more subtraction circuits. The control circuit causes an output transistor coupled to a pixel to provide a first reference output signal, a common reset output signal, and a first sense-node reset output signal, between which a subtraction circuit may form a weighted difference to create a noise signal. The control circuit causes the output transistor to provide a second sense-node reset output signal, a light response output signal and a second reference output signal, between which a subtraction circuit may form a weighted difference to create a normalized light response signal. The light response output signal corresponds to the image that is to be captured by the sensor. The noise signal is subtracted from the normalized light response signal to generate a de-noised signal.

Abstract: An analog-digital converter includes: comparators disposed to correspond to analog signals which are converted into digital signals and configured to compare a voltage value of the analog signal, which is converted into the digital signal, with a voltage value of a predetermined reference signal; counters disposed to correspond to the comparators and configured to count a count value at the time point when the comparison process of the corresponding comparator is finished; and a determiner configured to determine a time point when all the comparators finish their comparison processes.

Abstract: Image processing apparatus comprises a demosaic processor for receiving a video signal comprising pixel data from an array of photosensors each having a respective color filter so as to restrict the sensitivity of that photosensor to a primary color range selected from a set of three or more primary color ranges, the array being such that the photosensors in alternate rows are sensitive to a first primary color range, and photosensors in intervening rows are sensitive to the other primary color ranges. The pixel data including pixel data from a first subset of the rows sensitive to the first primary color range, the first subset being the same from image to image of the video signal; and pixel data from a second subset of the rows of photosensors sensitive to the other primary color ranges, the second subset changing from image to image of the video signal.

Abstract: Interpolation precision of phase difference detection pixels is raised. An image sensor (14) is provided with a color filter (30) upon which a basic sequence pattern, formed by disposing a first sequence pattern and a second sequence pattern in point symmetry, is repeatedly disposed. In the first sequence pattern, first filters are disposed on pixels in the four corners and in the center of a square array of 3×3 pixels, second filters are disposed in a horizontal line in the center of a square array, and third filters are disposed in a vertical line in the center of a square array. In the second sequence pattern, the first sequence pattern and the positions of the first filters are the same, while the positions of the second filters and the positions of the third filters have been swapped.

Abstract: A method for associating event times or time periods with digital images in a collection for determining if a digital image is of interest, includes storing a collection of digital images each having an associated capture time; comparing the associated capture time in the collection with a special event time to determine if a digital image in the collection is of interest, wherein the comparing step includes calculation of a special event time associated with a special event based on the calendar time associated with the special event and using such information to perform the comparison step; and associating digital images of interest with the special event.

Abstract: A blur correction device includes: a base body; a holder that holds an optical element; a drive section that moves the holder with respect to the base body in two directions that are orthogonal to a direction of an optical axis of the optical element and that are orthogonal to each other; and a plate spring that couples the base body and the holder to each other and that urges the holder in the optical axis direction to position the optical element with respect to the base body, the plate spring being elastically deformed when the holder is moved with respect to the base body in the two directions.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus, comprising: a semiconductor chip having a principal face including a pixel region; a protruding portion disposed on the principal face to surround the pixel region; a cover member disposed over the pixel region; and an adhesive material surrounding the pixel region and bonding the cover member and the protruding portion, is provided. The protruding portion has top and first side faces facing the space, a first edge line being formed by this two faces. The adhesive material bonds the top face of the protruding portion and the cover member. The adhesive material has a first face facing the interior space, and the first face extends from the first edge line toward the cover member. Perimeters of the interior space, in planes parallel to the principal face become shorter in a direction from the top face of the protruding portion toward the cover member.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes: a first sound-collection unit that detects an ambient sound and outputs first sound information; a second sound-collection unit other than the first sound-collection unit that detects the sound and outputs second sound information; and a signal processing unit that generates a sound signal corresponding to the sound by eliminating a common noise signal included in the first sound information and the second sound information based on the first sound information and the second sound information.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a 16 bit floating point signal processor will typically give an order of magnitude more performance than a 32 bit floating point signal processor and about twice as much performance as a 16 bit fixed point processor. Capturing wide dynamic range images in 16 bit floating point format entails representing an iris of a imaging device as an exponent of a floating point number and representing the precision of said imaging device as a mantissa of said floating point number.

Abstract: An amplifier is provided. The amplifier includes a differential amplifier including a tail, a current mirror connected between output terminals of the differential amplifier and a power line receiving a supply voltage, and a first switching circuit for connecting and disconnecting one of the output terminals of the differential amplifier to and from the tail in response to a first switching signal.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: plural photodiodes formed in different depths in a unit pixel area of a substrate; and plural vertical transistors formed in the depth direction from one face side of the substrate so that gate portions for reading signal charges obtained by photoelectric conversion in the plural photodiodes are formed in depths corresponding to the respective photodiodes.

Abstract: The photographing apparatus includes an image pickup unit that generates a raw image; a feature extractor that extracts a feature image containing at least one feature part from the raw image; an image processor that performs image processing of the raw image according to a first scene information and that performs image processing of the feature image according to a second scene information; a quantizer that performs discrete cosine transform and quantization of a raw-processed image obtained by performing image processing of the raw image and a feature-processed image obtained by performing image processing of the feature image; a difference data generator that generates difference data indicating a difference between image data obtained by processing the raw-processed image in the quantizer and feature image data obtained by processing the feature-processed image in the quantizer on a feature image data basis; and an image compressor.

Abstract: First image data captured by a first image pickup apparatus and second image data captured by a second image pickup apparatus are stored in storing means. Thus, it is possible to correlate images with each other by using identification information of a user or the image pickup apparatus and identification information of an image capturing time, an image capturing position, or an image pickup target (event). Further, the correlated image data is edited on the basis of editing structure data, thereby generating album image data.

Abstract: An image capturing device capable of automatically switching the clock of the memory and a control method thereof. The image capturing device comprises an image capturing module, a display module, an image buffer module, an operating module and a processing module. The operating module increases the clock of the image buffer module to a first clock, and works with the image capturing module to perform an image capturing process. After the image capturing process is finished, the processing module stops a timing generating unit in the operating module from sending a synchronizing signal to the display module, and controls the operating module to decrease the clock of the image buffer module from the first clock to a second clock. Finally, the processing module controls the timing generating unit to re-send the synchronizing signal to the display module.

Abstract: A lens front cap module and an image pickup apparatus having a zooming barrel, a focusing barrel and a lens front cap body. Both zooming barrel and focusing barrel are hollow barrel shaped structures. The focusing barrel is installed in the zooming barrel. An abutting portion is formed on an inner wall of the zooming barrel. The lens front cap body comprises a driving plate and a vane module. The driving plate is installed at an end of the zooming barrel and has a central window aperture. A driving pin is axially extended from the driving plate. The vane module is disposed on a side of the zooming barrel for shielding or unshielding the central window aperture. When the abutting portion abuts the driving pin, the driving pin drives the driving plate to rotate, and to drive the vane module to shield the central window aperture.

Abstract: An image sensor that has a plurality of pixels within a pixel array coupled to a control circuit and to one or more subtraction circuits. The control circuit may cause an output transistor coupled to a pixel to provide a first reference output signal, a common reset output signal, and a first sense-node reset output signal, between which a subtraction circuit may form a weighted difference to create a noise signal. The control circuit may cause the output transistor to provide a second sense-node reset output signal, a light response output signal and a second reference output signal, between which a subtraction circuit may form a weighted difference to create a normalized light response signal. The light response output signal corresponds to the image that is to be captured by the sensor. The noise signal may be subtracted from the normalized light response signal to generate a de-noised signal.