Abstract: A control apparatus includes an acquirer (129a) that acquires a first signal and a second signal that correspond to output signals of a first photoelectric converter and a second photoelectric converter, respectively, the first and second photoelectric converters receiving light beams passing through different pupil regions of an image capturing optical system from each other, and a calculator (129b) that calculates a correlation value of the first signal and the second signal to calculate a defocus amount based on the correlation value, and the calculator corrects the correlation value based on a light receiving amount of at least one of the first photoelectric converter and the second photoelectric converter.

Abstract: An image sensor includes an optical sensor layer including a plurality of light-sensitive cells configured to sense light to generate electrical signals, and a color filter array layer disposed on the optical sensor layer and including a plurality of color filters respectively facing the plurality of light-sensitive cells. Each of the plurality of color filters includes a nanostructure in which a first material having a first refractive index and a second material having a second refractive index higher than the first refractive index are arranged. The first material and the second material are alternatively positioned at an interval less than a central wavelength of a color of the color filter. Thus, a thin image sensor having good wavelength selectivity and suitable for obtaining high resolution images is provided.

Abstract: A digital imaging system and method for correcting errors in the digital imaging system, the digital imaging system having an image sensor, a readout apparatus for reading out the image sensor, wherein a dark current image is captured using the image sensor and the readout apparatus, and a processor comprising hardware wherein the processor is configured to perform the method comprising: generating a Fourier transform by means of a Fourier transformation on the basis of the image data of the dark current image; storing data which describe the Fourier transform; back-transforming the Fourier transform by subjecting the saved data to Fourier transformation and generating a corrective image from the back-transformed data, and correcting image errors in the digital imaging system in another image captured using the digital imaging system by offsetting image data from the captured image with image data from the corrective image.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus comprising: an image sensor having a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions that correspond to each of a plurality of microlenses arranged in a matrix; a control circuit that controls read-out from the image sensor by either of first read-out control for obtaining focus detection signals and second read-out control for obtaining an image signal, a setting circuit that sets rows to be read out by the first read-out control among rows that include a focus detection area; an amplification circuit that amplifies a signal with a gain set in accordance with an exposure state; and a signal processing circuit that performs signal processing on an image signal using an image signal of neighboring rows, wherein the setting circuit sets the rows to be read out by the first read-out control according to the gain.

Abstract: Techniques related to automatic aperture control for an imaging device are discussed. Such techniques may include implementing an aperture control value to adjust an aperture opening, measuring a rate of change in measured luminance at an image sensor in response to the aperture control value, and determining an aperture control hold value to hold the aperture opening at a current position using the aperture control value and the rate of change.

Abstract: Provided are an image processing apparatus and method. The image processing apparatus includes a main device configured to capture a moving picture including first audio data and first video data of an object at a location, and a subdevice connected to the main device through wireless communication and including first to Nth devices configured to convert first video data of the object captured at least one location different from the location into second video data.

Abstract: Foreign lighting effects, such as lens flare, are very common in natural images. In a two-camera-system, the two images may be fused together to generate one image of a better quality. However, there are frequently different foreign light patterns in the two images that form the image pair, e.g., due to the difference in lens design, sensor and position, etc. Directly fusing such pairs of images will result in non-photorealistic images, with composed foreign light patterns from both images from the image pair. This disclosure describes a general foreign light mitigation scheme to detect all kinds of foreign light region mismatches. The detected foreign light mismatch regions may be deemphasized or excluded in the fusion step, in order to create a fused image that keeps a natural-looking foreign light pattern that is close to what was seen by the user of an image capture device during an image capture preview mode.

Abstract: An image capturing device includes a substrate, a black matrix layer, an anti-reflection layer, a counter substrate, a sealant, a plurality of spacers and a photo-sensitive component. The black matrix layer is disposed on the substrate. The black matrix layer has a via exposing a portion of the substrate. The anti-reflection layer covers the via of the black matrix layer. The counter substrate is disposed opposite to the substrate. The counter substrate has an opening, and a orthographic projection of the opening onto the black matrix layer is overlapped with the anti-reflection layer and a portion of the black matrix layer surrounding the via. The sealant is disposed between the counter substrate and the substrate. The spacers are disposed over the portion of the black matrix layer surrounding the via. The photo-sensitive component is disposed at the opening of the counter substrate.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device includes: a filter section including filters that are disposed corresponding to respective pixels, and each allowing light of a color that corresponds to corresponding one of the pixels to transmit therethrough, in which the pixels are each configured to receive the light of the predetermined color; and a microlens array section including a plurality of microlenses each configured to collect the light for corresponding one of the pixels, in which the microlenses are stacked with respect to the filter section, and are arranged in an array pattern corresponding to the respective pixels. The microlenses have two or more shapes that are different from one another corresponding to the respective colors of the light to be received by the pixels, and each having an end that is in contact with the end of adjacent one of the microlenses.

Abstract: There is provided a signal processor including a phase difference detection part configured to acquire a pixel value of one light-shielding pixel having a part of a light-receiving region shielded therein and pixel values of a peripheral pixel row of the light-shielding pixel in a light shielding direction. A corrected pixel value obtained by subjecting the pixel value of the light-shielding pixel to a reduced sensitivity correction is compared with the pixel values of the peripheral pixel row to detect a phase difference of the light-shielding pixel.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a first chip including a plurality of pixels, each pixel including a light sensing unit generating a signal charge responsive to an amount of received light, and a plurality of MOS transistors reading the signal charge generated by the light sensing unit and outputting the read signal charge as a pixel signal, a second chip including a plurality of pixel drive circuits supplying desired drive pulses to pixels, the second chip being laminated beneath the first chip in a manner such that the pixel drive circuits are arranged beneath the pixels formed in the first chip to drive the pixels, and a connection unit for electrically connecting the pixels to the pixel drive circuits arranged beneath the pixels.

Abstract: Disclosed are techniques that provide a “best” picture taken within a few seconds of the moment when a capture command is received (e.g., when the “shutter” button is pressed). In some situations, several still images are automatically (that is, without the user's input) captured. These images are compared to find a “best” image that is presented to the photographer for consideration. Video is also captured automatically and analyzed to see if there is an action scene or other motion content around the time of the capture command. If the analysis reveals anything interesting, then the video clip is presented to the photographer. The video clip may be cropped to match the still-capture scene and to remove transitory parts. Higher-precision horizon detection may be provided based on motion analysis and on pixel-data analysis.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes: an imaging section having a focusing function, the imaging section being configured to generate a shooting image based on a subject and to output the generated shooting image; a calculation section configured to calculate a variation amount of focus level of the shooting image generated by the imaging section; and a display control section configured to allow a shooting image screen based on the shooting image and to allow information in accordance with the variation amount of the focus level calculated by the calculation section to be displayed on a display section.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus performs first image processing of processing a target image as a processing target and writing a first image as a processing result in a storage, and second image processing of reading out the first image written in the storage, processing the first image, and outputting a second image as a processing result. The first image processing and the second image processing are performed for each of a plurality of regions. Readout of the first image in the second image processing is performed in parallel with writing of the first image in the first image processing. A size of a second region defined for the first image as a processing target of the second image processing is set to be smaller than a size of a first region defined for a processing target image of the first image processing.

Abstract: There is provided a lens element which is capable of obtaining a small-sized image capturing device with excellent resolving power, and an image capturing device including the lens element. A shape of an outer profile of an image side surface (L2) is substantially rectangular.

Abstract: An image sensor may include an array of pixels arranged in rows and columns. The array of pixels may operate in a global shutter mode. Each pixel in the array of pixels may have a floating diffusion node for storing charge and may include an active reset circuit that acts as an inverting amplifier and that resets the floating diffusion node to a predetermined reference voltage, which eliminates the need for correlated double sampling readout. A sampling circuit may be coupled to the active reset circuit. The sampling circuit may sample and store signals that correspond to the amount of charge stored at the floating diffusion node. The sampling circuit may pass stored signals to a column sensing line through an amplifier. The amplifier may include a source follower transistor that provides proportional amplification to the stored signals and may include an active reset circuit for resetting the sampling circuit.

Abstract: A display-data processor includes a first buffer, a display data generator, a second buffer, a timing signal generator, and a display data output circuit. The first buffer stores image data corresponding to an Nth line of a display. The display data generator generates display data corresponding to the Nth line of the display based on the image data. The second buffer stores the display data corresponding to the Nth line of the display. The timing signal generator outputs a horizontal synchronization signal corresponding to the Nth line of the display after the display data had been generated. The display data output circuit outputs the display data corresponding to the Nth line of the display within a horizontal synchronization period prescribed by the horizontal synchronization signal corresponding to the Nth line of the display after the horizontal synchronization signal corresponding to the Nth line of the display had been outputted. The horizontal synchronization period is variable.

Abstract: An imaging device of the present disclosure includes: a unit pixel cell comprising a photoelectric converter converting incident light into signal charge, a semiconductor substrate, a charge storage region located in the semiconductor substrate and storing the signal charge, and a signal detection circuit detecting the signal charge; a feedback circuit negatively feeding back output of the signal detection circuit and comprising a signal line; and at least one wiring layer located between the semiconductor substrate and the photoelectric converter. The at least one wiring layer includes a portion of the signal line, the portion overlapping the unit pixel cell in a plan view. In the plan view, the portion is located on an opposite side from the charge storage region across a center line of the unit pixel cell, the center line being in parallel with a direction in which the signal line extends.

Abstract: The present solid-state imaging apparatus includes: a light receiving element with a photoelectric conversion function; a readout circuit that reads out pixel information from the light receiving element, and outputs an output voltage; a CDS circuit that is composed of three-stage common source circuits, and generates a pixel signal based on a difference between an output voltage output from the readout circuit at the time of reset and an output voltage output based on the readout of the pixel information, the three-stage common source circuits being connected in series to one another and provided with direct-current cut elements that are each disposed on a corresponding one of input paths of the three-stage common source circuits; and a bias voltage supply circuit that supplies a direct-current bias voltage to gates of transistors of the three-stage common source circuits.

Abstract: An image stabilization apparatus includes: a first detection unit that detects object moving amounts at a plurality of positions on a screen; a determination unit that determines an object range on the screen based on a result of detection performed by the first detection unit; a holding unit that holds object position information regarding an object position within the object range in association with moving amount information at the object position based on the result of detection performed by the first detection unit and a result of detection performed by a second detection unit that detects a motion of the apparatus; and a control unit that controls an operation of an image stabilization unit that corrects object image blur at the object position held in the holding unit.