Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes an acceleration sensor having a first measurement axis and a second measurement axis that intersect each other, and arranged on a plane that intersects the imaging optical axis of the image capturing apparatus while inclining the first and second measurement axes by about 45° in the vertical direction, and a calculation unit that calculates the arc tangent of the ratio of the detection result of an acceleration due to gravity by the first measurement axis and the detection result of an acceleration due to gravity by the second measurement axis, thereby obtaining the inclination degree of the image capturing apparatus in the rolling direction.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup unit that picks up an image of a subject; an internal memory; a removable external memory; a compression processing unit that compresses the image picked up by the image pickup unit to generate a picked-up image; a recording processing unit that records the picked-up image in the removable external memory and records the compressed image corresponding to the picked-up image in the internal memory; and an editing processing unit that edits the picked-up image in the removable external memory and the compressed image in the internal memory. For a compressed image in the internal memory, a reservation for editing a picked-up image corresponding to the compressed image and recorded in the unmounted removable external memory can be made.

Abstract: A method, medium, and apparatus for setting an exposure time is provided. The apparatus includes a section setting module which sets one or more luminance sections based on a luminance distribution of an input image, an image division module which divides the input image into two or more regions, a region classification module which classifies the regions into the luminance sections, and an exposure-time setting module which sets an exposure time for each of the regions with reference to a target luminance value, the target luminance value being set based on the results of the classification performed by the region classification module.

Abstract: An interface for receiving data from an image sensor having an imaging array and a clock generator and for transferring the data to a processor system is described. The interface comprises a memory for storing the imaging array data and the clocking signals at a rate determined by the clocking signals. In response to the quantity of data in the memory, a signal generator generates a signal for transmission to the processor system and a circuit controls the transfer of the data from the memory at a rate determined by the processor system. The memory may be a first-in first-out (FIFO) buffer or an addressable memory. The interface is preferably integrated on the same die as the image sensor. The signal generator may generate either an interrupt signal for transmission to the processor system or a bus request signal for transmission to a bus arbitration unit for the processor system.

Abstract: A digital camera and an operating method thereof are disclosed. The digital camera includes an image sensing module, a display, an operating element, and a control module. The image sensing module consists of N pieces of image sensing elements. The display is used to show a first image. The operating element is used by a user to select a specific area in the first image and set correction parameters for the specific area. The control module is connected to the image sensing module and the display for obtaining information about a position of the specific area relative to the first image and the correction parameters, and uses the obtained position information and the correction parameters to control M pieces of the image sensing elements in the image sensing module corresponding to the specific area, so that a second image is obtained based on the correction parameters.

Abstract: A camera may include a lens, an image sensor, an image detection system, a controllable light source, and a light source control system. The image detection system may be configured to generate electronic information representative of images generated by the lens by detecting sequential images sensed by the image sensor. The detecting may not be done during certain periods of time. The controllable light source may be behind the lens and configured to controllably project light through the lens and back onto a scene in front of the lens. While in at least one mode, the light source control system may be configured to activate the controllable light source only while the image detection system is not detecting an image from the image sensor.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that a reset gate voltage VresH to be applied to a gate of a reset MOS transistor is lower than a power supply voltage SVDD of a power supply to which drains of an amplifying MOS transistor and the reset MOS transistor are connected.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for generating a low dynamic range image for a high dynamic range scene. In one aspect, a method to generate a low dynamic range image from a high dynamic range image, includes: determining one or more regions of the high dynamic range image containing pixels having values that are outside a first range and inside a second range; computing a weight distribution from the one or more regions; and generating the low dynamic range image from the high dynamic range image using the weight distribution. In another aspect, a method of image processing, includes: detecting one or more regions in a first image of a high dynamic range scene according to a threshold to generate a mask; and blending the first image and a second image of the scene to generate a third image using the mask.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus is provided that including a plurality of amplifiers each one amplifying a signal from each one of a plurality of pixels. The amplifier including first and second field effect transistors, gate electrodes of which are connected to the same voltage node (VBL); and a first wiring connected between the voltage node and the gate electrodes of the first and second field effect transistors. The first and second field effect transistors are arranged in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the plurality of amplifiers is arranged. Material of the first wiring has a resistivity smaller than that of the gate electrodes of the first and second field effect transistors.

Abstract: An electronic camera includes: an image sensor having a charge transfer unit that transfers an electric charge for each pixel column; a correction unit that corrects an electric charge signal outputted from the charge transfer unit using a correction coefficient; and a control unit that controls the correction unit so that the correction coefficient is different according to operational conditions of the image sensor.

Abstract: A captured image processing system includes a portable terminal apparatus and an image output apparatus. The portable terminal apparatus captures images consecutively while detecting a change in position of the portable terminal apparatus during the image capture, and transmits, to the image output apparatus, (i) a plurality of captured image data and (ii) motion information on the change in position detected for each of the plurality of captured image data. The output apparatus receives, from the portable terminal apparatus, the plurality of captured image data and the motion information, carries out, in accordance with the motion information, a positioning process in which the plurality of captured image data are positionally adjusted, prepares, by use of the plurality of captured image data subjected to the positioning process, high resolution image data, and outputs the high resolution image data prepared or an image displayed based on the high resolution image data.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus including a pixel, a current source, and a signal processing circuit. The pixel outputs signal charge, obtained by imaging, as a pixel signal. The current source is connected to a transmission path for the pixel signal and has a variable current. The signal processing circuit performs signal processing on a signal depending on an output signal to the transmission path and performs control so that a current of the current source is changed in accordance with the result of signal processing.

Abstract: An automated RAW image processing method and system are disclosed. A RAW image and metadata related to the RAW image are obtained from a digital camera or other source. The RAW image and the related metadata are automatically processed using an Operating System service of a processing device to produce a resulting image in an absolute color space. The resulting image is then made available to an application program executing on the processing device through an application program interface with the Operating System service.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for reducing motion blur. According to the method, at least two image frames are captured. A sequence of values is provided. All captured frames are processed by subsequently associating one sequence value with each captured frame. The processed captured frames are accumulated and a deconvolution is applied to the accumulated frame. The present invention further relates to system for reducing motion blur.

Abstract: A digital camera and an image capturing method for photographing at least one object in the digital camera. An image is sensed, and an eye-gazing detection process is accordingly preformed on the image to detect an eye-gazing direction of at least one pair of eyes of the at least one object. It is determined whether the eye-gazing direction meets a gazing criterion. If the eye-gazing direction meets the gazing criterion, an application of the digital camera is triggered.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes a first detection unit for detecting a rotation shake, a first computation unit for processing a detection signal of the rotation shake into a rotation shake correction target value, a second detection unit for detecting a parallel shake in a plane surface perpendicular to an optical axis, a second computation unit for process a detection signal of the parallel shake into a parallel shake correction target value, a shake correction unit for correcting an image shake in the plane surface of the image pickup apparatus based on the rotation and parallel shake correction target values, an initialization unit for initializing the parallel shake correction target value, and a control unit for moving the shake correction unit based on an image pickup start instruction prior to an image pickup operation while initializing the parallel shake correction target value.

Abstract: A lens unit 1 acquires identification information for an attached lens unit from the lens unit and stores the acquired identification information in a second memory 37. In a case in which correction information for the stored identification information is not registered, a CPU 36 reads the correction information for the stored identification information out from an external memory 39 and registers it.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes a first detection unit for detecting a rotation shake, a first computation unit for processing a detection signal of the rotation shake into a rotation shake correction target value, a second detection unit for detecting a parallel shake in a plane surface perpendicular to an optical axis, a second computation unit for process a detection signal of the parallel shake into a parallel shake correction target value, a shake correction unit for correcting an image shake in the plane surface of the image pickup apparatus based on the rotation and parallel shake correction target values, an initialization unit for initializing the parallel shake correction target value, and a control unit for moving the shake correction unit based on an image pickup start instruction prior to an image pickup operation while initializing the parallel shake correction target value.

Abstract: A condition change unit of the present invention changes operating conditions of a device. The condition change unit comprises a display section for displaying images, a touch panel provided on the display section, a detection section for detecting input operations to the touch panel, a change condition setting section for setting types of change conditions, based on form of the input operations detected by the detection section, an operation guide image display section for displaying guidance images, for setting specific parameters of the change conditions, on the display section, in accordance with the type of change condition that has been set, and a parameter change section for changing parameters of the change condition based on an input operation to a screen on which the operation guidance operation images are displayed that has been detected by the detection section.

Abstract: This is generally directed to systems and methods for reading optical black pixel cells. For example, in some embodiments, the columns of a pixel array can be shunted together during an optical black pixel readout phase of the imaging system. This may, for example, help improve correction of column fixed pattern noise or other noise. In some embodiments, the column may be shunted together during the optical black pixel readout phase of the imaging system and not shunted during other phases of the imaging system (e.g., when reading values from active pixel cells, barrier pixel cells, etc). In some embodiments, circuitry for providing the column shunting can be implemented as an independent block of the imaging system. In other embodiments, this circuitry can be implemented within other blocks of the imaging system. As an illustration, the shunting circuitry can be implemented within a VLN block of the imaging system.