Abstract: A control method of detecting an object image to be focused from a sensed image, setting a focus detection area in detecting an in-focus state of a photographing optical system, and exercising control such that the photographing optical system is moved based on a signal output in the focus detection area to carry out focus control, wherein, in the setting of the focus detection area, a first focus detection area corresponding to an object to be focused detected from the sensed image and a second focus detection area which is larger than the first focus detection area are set, and in the focus control, control is exercised such that the photographing optical system is moved based on output signals in the set first and second focus detection areas.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus performs autofocus control that uses a face detection function. The image capturing apparatus sets a face region as an AF frame if face detection is successful. However, if a state in which face detection is successful transitions to a state in which face detection has failed, and furthermore a variation between subject distances is less than or equal to a threshold value, the image capturing apparatus maintains the previous AF frame setting instead of changing the AF frame setting. If the variation in subject distances is greater than the threshold value, the image capturing apparatus sets the AF frame to a predetermined region that does not follow a face region.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a video obtaining unit configured to obtain a plurality of items of video data captured by a plurality of image-capturing devices; a position information obtaining unit configured to obtain position information including an orientation and an angle of view of each of the image-capturing devices; a reproduction position calculation unit configured to calculate a reproduction position of each item of the video data so that a projection direction and an angle of view of the item of the video data matches the orientation and the angle of view of a corresponding one of the image-capturing devices by using the position information; and a reproduction controller configured to reproduce each item of the video data at the corresponding reproduction position.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention pertain to enhanced zooming capability of user devices. A user device such as a mobile phone with a camera may capture images of different objects of interest. The capture and zooming limitations of the user device are overcome by replacing, supplementing or otherwise enhancing the image taken with one or more geo-coded images stored in a database. For instance, if the user attempts to zoom in on a feature of an object of interest and exceeds the zooming capability of the user device, a request is sent to a remote server to provide an image showing the feature of the object of interest at a desired resolution. The server determines which, if any, stored images correlate to the captured image of the object of interest. The resulting imagery is provided to the user device and is presented on a display.

Abstract: It is enabled to check a detail of a subject being a tracking object more rapidly and easily by including an image-capturing unit capturing a subject image and generating an image, a selecting unit continuously selecting a focus detection object area at the time of image-capturing by the image-capturing unit based on the image generated by the image-capturing unit, a displaying unit capable of displaying the image generated by the image-capturing unit, a generating unit cutting out a part corresponding to the focus detection object area from the image generated by the image-capturing unit and generating a tracking object checking image, and a controlling unit displaying on the displaying unit by overlapping a through image for a composition checking based on the image generated by the image-capturing unit and the tracking object checking image at the time of image-capturing by the image-capturing unit.

Abstract: A lens driver includes a lens unit, a polymer actuator, and an orthogonal transformation mechanism. The lens unit includes a lens holding frame having a pressed portion at an outer peripheral surface of the lens unit, a lens being held thereby. The lens unit is movable in an optical-axis direction of the lens. The polymer actuator is arranged outside the outer peripheral surface and having an electrode to which a voltage is applied. The polymer actuator is bent in a direction orthogonal to the optical-axis direction and presses the pressed portion in that direction when the voltage is applied to the electrode. The orthogonal transformation mechanism converts a force in a pressing direction into a moving force in the optical-axis direction and moves the lens unit in the optical-axis direction when the pressed portion of the lens holding frame is pressed by the bent polymer actuator.

Abstract: A method is described for forming a full-color output image from a color filter array image comprising capturing an image using an image sensor including panchromatic pixels and color pixels having at least two different color responses, the pixels being arranged in a rectangular minimal repeating unit wherein for a first color response, the color pixels having the first color response alternate with panchromatic pixels in at least two directions, and for each of the other color responses there is at least one row, column or diagonal of the repeating pattern that only has color pixels of the given color response and panchromatic pixels. The method further comprising, computing an interpolated panchromatic image from the color filter array image; computing an interpolated color image from the color filter array image; and forming the full color output image from the interpolated panchromatic image and the interpolated color image.

Abstract: A brightness adjusting system for an image of an object captured by a camera includes a plurality of light sources configured for emitting light to the object, a driving device driving the light sources to emit the light, and an adjustment device electrically connected to the camera and the driving device. The adjustment device pre-stores a plurality of standard brightness value ranges, analyzes a brightness distribution of the image, compares the brightness distribution of the image with the standard brightness value ranges, determines required adjustment of the brightness distribution of the image according to the comparison, and directs the driving device to drive the light sources to emit the light with a required intensity according to the required adjustment of the brightness distribution of the image.

Abstract: To allow much better user control of how a camera output image captures an original scene, the imaging camera unit (401), arranged to form part of a image-capturing camera system (400), includes a user-interface (420), allowing a user to specify at least one indication (gp) of a geometric position of an object (101) of his preference in a captured image (Io) received from an imaging sensor (406) via an input (403), a user-adaptable object segmentation unit (410), arranged to determine a set of pixels (sg) being part of the object (101), on the basis of the indication (gp), and a color composition monitor unit (412), arranged to determine at least one statistic (ST) on the basis of at least one color property of pixels in the set of pixels (sg).

Abstract: An imaging apparatus capable of preventing photographing sensitivity from being increased more than necessary, reducing image quality degradation caused by camera shake or object shake and easily photographing images in good image quality.

Abstract: An image recognition device includes; an image sensor that captures an image via an image forming optical system and outputs image information repeatedly; a detector that detects differences between reference image information related to a reference image and a plurality of sets of partial information included in the image information; a recognition circuit that includes a microprocessor and recognizes a set of partial information, for which a smallest difference value among a plurality of differences detected in correspondence to the plurality of sets of partial information is calculated, as information matching the reference image information if the smallest value is smaller than a threshold value; and a controller that includes a microprocessor and sets the threshold value in correspondence to a color indicated in the reference image information.

Abstract: A method for acquiring images using at least one CMOS-type sensor with four transistors including an acquisition node and a read node, where the read node can receive a compression signal, including a step of reading a reference state of the sensor; a reset step; an integration step, during which the sensor is exposed and during part of which the compression signal is applied to the read node; and a step of reading the data acquired during the integration step; the read node being, during the integration step, isolated from the acquisition node, except immediately before the application of the compression signal, at which time the acquisition node is connected to the read node long enough to enable a transfer of the charges present at the acquisition node to the read node.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging device operable to convert an optical image input through a focus lens for adjusting focus into electric signals in each of RGB colors, a luminance signal generator operable to generate a luminance signal based on the electric signal output from the imaging device, a low-frequency filter for transmitting low-frequency components of the luminance signal output, which has a frequency lower than a predetermined frequency, a high-frequency filter for transmitting high-frequency components of the luminance signal output, which has a frequency higher than a predetermined frequency, and a processor. The processor determines if focusing is influenced by a subject with high luminance. If determining that focusing is influenced, the unit detects a focal point based on high-frequency components. If determining that focusing is not influenced, the unit detects a focal point based on low-frequency components and then based on high-frequency components.

Abstract: The interchangeable lens apparatus is attachable to a camera and selectively uses at least one of a plurality of accessories. The apparatus includes an aberration data memory configured to store optical aberration data for each of the plurality of accessories, an order data memory configured to store sending order data for determining a sending order of the optical aberration data to the camera, a determining means configured to determine particular optical aberration data, from the optical aberration data stored in the aberration data memory, to be sent to the camera based on information indicating which of the plurality of accessories have been selected for use and to determine the sending order of the particular aberration data based on the sending order data stored in the order data memory, and a transmitting means configured to send the particular optical aberration data, determined by the determining means, to the camera in the sending order determined by the determining means.

Abstract: A color interpolation device may include a gradient grade calculation block calculating horizontal derivatives and vertical derivatives using composite video signals output from a current pixel and adjacent pixels and calculating a gradient grade using a linear composition of the horizontal derivatives and vertical derivatives, a horizontal/vertical YUV calculation block calculating horizontal YUV components and vertical YUV components of the current pixel from the composite video signals, and a YUV/RGB conversion circuit mixing the horizontal YUV components and the vertical YUV components based on the gradient grade and converting mixed YUV components generated as a result of the mixing to RGB components.

Abstract: There is provided an image processing apparatus allowing a user to easily process a captured image. This image processing apparatus displays an image generated based on image data and an item representing processing for the image data on a screen, detects a change in the orientation thereof, and performs processing upon the image data corresponding to the displayed image based on a detection result of the change in the orientation thereof.

Abstract: A camera support or head has a pan frame pivotably attached to a support hub. The support hub is attached to a camera crane or similar apparatus. The pan frame has first and second spaced apart and parallel adjustable length pan arms. A pan motor is attached to the pan frame and adapted to pivot the pan frame about a pan axis relative to the support hub. A tilt frame is pivotably attached to the pan frame. The tilt frame may include first and second spaced apart and parallel adjustable length tilt arms attached to opposite ends of a camera mounting plate. A tilt motor is attached to the tilt frame and to the pan frame and is adapted to pivot the tilt frame about a tilt axis perpendicular to the pan axis. The adjustable length tilt arms allow the camera head to extended to accommodate cameras requiring more vertical clearance. The adjustable length tilt arms allow the camera platform to be moved to better locate the center of gravity of the camera on the tilt axis, for more balanced loading.

Abstract: A viewfinder according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a display unit including a display surface on which a picture is displayed based on a picture signal supplied from an imaging apparatus; and an eyepiece unit, which is detachably attached to the display unit, configured to enlarge a picture displayed on the display surface to make the picture visually recognizable; wherein the display unit includes the display surface, a display control unit configured to display the picture on the display surface based on the picture signal, and a detecting unit configured to detect the presence/absence of attachment of the eyepiece unit; and wherein the display control unit is configured so as to laterally invert a picture to be displayed on the display surface based on the detection of the detecting unit, and also so as to change the brightness of a picture to be displayed on the display surface.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a reading means for reading information stored in a non-contact communication type portable information storage device and a control means for storing first information in information read by the reading means by associating the information with recorded images.

Abstract: A technology for recognizing one or more quadrangles from an input image is disclosed. Edge areas are detected from the input image, lines corresponding to the edge areas are extracted, a line pair selected from the extracted lines is categorized according to a positional relationship between two lines included in the line pair, a line pair evaluation value is calculated for the line pair, a combination of two line pairs is selected, a quadrangle is generated from four lines included in the two line pairs selected, a quadrangle evaluation value is calculated for the quadrangle based on the categories and the line pair evaluation values of the two line pairs forming the quadrangle, and a quadrangle is selected based on the calculated quadrangle evaluation value.