Abstract: An image generation apparatus includes an objective optical system, an optical-path splitter, an image sensor, and an image processor. Both a first imaging area and a second imaging area are images of a field of view of the objective optical system. An outer edge of the first imaging area and an outer edge of the second imaging area are located at an inner side of a predetermined image pickup area, and an image of the outer edge located in the predetermined image pickup area is captured by the image sensor. The image processor has reference data, and in the image processor, a feature point is extracted on the basis of the imaging area. An amount of shift between the predetermined imaging area and the image sensor is calculated from the feature point and the reference data.

Abstract: An image generation apparatus includes an objective optical system, an optical-path splitter, an image sensor, and an image processor. Both a first imaging area and a second imaging area are images of a field of view of the objective optical system. An outer edge of the first imaging area and an outer edge of the second imaging area are located at an inner side of a predetermined image pickup area, and an image of the outer edge located in the predetermined image pickup area is captured by the image sensor. The image processor has reference data, and in the image processor, a feature point is extracted on the basis of the imaging area. An amount of shift between the predetermined imaging area and the image sensor is calculated from the feature point and the reference data.

Abstract: An image processing device includes a processor including hardware, the processor being configured to implement an image acquisition process that acquires captured images from an imaging section that performs a frame sequential imaging process in which one cycle includes first to N-th frames, and a synthesis process, wherein the processor implements the image acquisition process that acquires a plurality of captured images that have been captured in an i-th frame and differ from each other as to an in-focus object plane position, and the processor implements the synthesis process that calculates a second synthesis map based on a first synthesis map calculated with respect to the i-th frame, and the first synthesis map calculated with respect to a k-th frame, and synthesizes the plurality of images that have been captured in the i-th frame based on the second synthesis map.

Abstract: An image processing device according to the present invention includes: a color space conversion unit that calculates brightness signals and color difference signals from RGB signals of two images of a single subject acquired under different image acquisition conditions; a color difference determination unit that determines whether or not the absolute value of the difference between the color difference signals of the two images calculated by the color space conversion unit is smaller than a predetermined threshold value; and a color averaging unit that, if the color difference determination unit determines that the absolute value of the difference between the color difference signals of the two images is smaller than the threshold value, averages the color difference signals of the two images and calculates average color difference signals.

Abstract: An endoscope system includes: a generating means generating a compositing mask that serves as compositing ratios of the corresponding pixels between a pair of images acquired by simultaneously imaging two optical images having different focus positions, into which a subject image is divided on the basis of the ratios of contrasts; a correcting means subjecting compositing masks generated for pairs of images acquired in time series, to weighted averaging for respective pixels, thus generating a corrected mask; and an compositing means compositing the two images according to the corrected mask. The correcting means subjects the compositing masks to weighted averaging by performing weighting such that the percentage of the past compositing masks is higher at pixels constituting a static area and an area having contrast lower than a threshold than at pixels constituting a moving-object area or an area having contrast equal to or higher than the threshold.

Abstract: This endoscope device can simplify the determination of the moving direction of a focusing lens, and can improve the accuracy of auto focusing. The endoscope has the following elements: an optical system having a focusing lens; a lens moving unit which moves the focusing lens along an optical axis thereof; an image capturing unit which obtains an optical image of an object from the optical system as a plurality of images each of which has a different focal position from each other; a moving direction determining section which determines whether to change the observation depth on the basis of the plurality of images, and determines a moving direction toward which the focusing lens is to be moved on the bases of the images; and a drive control unit which controls the lens moving unit to move the focusing lens toward a determined moving direction.

Abstract: An image processing device according to the present invention includes: a color space conversion unit that calculates brightness signals and color difference signals from RGB signals of two images of a single subject acquired under different image acquisition conditions; a color difference determination unit that determines whether or not the absolute value of the difference between the color difference signals of the two images calculated by the color space conversion unit is smaller than a predetermined threshold value; and a color averaging unit that, if the color difference determination unit determines that the absolute value of the difference between the color difference signals of the two images is smaller than the threshold value, averages the color difference signals of the two images and calculates average color difference signals.

Abstract: An imaging device includes a first image sensor that is placed to intersect the optical axis of an imaging lens, a second image sensor that is placed to intersect the optical axis of the imaging lens so as to be situated at a given distance from the first image sensor, and receives light that has passed through the first image sensor, and a processor including hardware, wherein the processor is configured to implement a brightness correction process that amplifies the pixel value of the second image captured by the second image sensor using a gain set based on the light transmittance of a light-receiving section of the first image sensor, and an object distance calculation process that performs a depth-from-defocus (DFD) process based on the pixel value of the first image and the pixel value of the second image subjected to the brightness correction process to calculate an object distance.

Abstract: An image processing device includes a processor including hardware, the processor being configured to implement an image acquisition process that acquires captured images from an imaging section that performs a frame sequential imaging process in which one cycle includes first to N-th frames, and a synthesis process, wherein the processor implements the image acquisition process that acquires a plurality of captured images that have been captured in an i-th frame and differ from each other as to an in-focus object plane position, and the processor implements the synthesis process that calculates a second synthesis map based on a first synthesis map calculated with respect to the i-th frame, and the first synthesis map calculated with respect to a k-th frame, and synthesizes the plurality of images that have been captured in the i-th frame based on the second synthesis map.

Abstract: An endoscope system includes: a generating means generating a compositing mask that serves as compositing ratios of the corresponding pixels between a pair of images acquired by simultaneously imaging two optical images having different focus positions, into which a subject image is divided on the basis of the ratios of contrasts; a correcting means subjecting compositing masks generated for pairs of images acquired in time series, to weighted averaging for respective pixels, thus generating a corrected mask; and an compositing means compositing the two images according to the corrected mask. The correcting means subjects the compositing masks to weighted averaging by performing weighting such that the percentage of the past compositing masks is higher at pixels constituting a static area and an area having contrast lower than a threshold than at pixels constituting a moving-object area or an area having contrast equal to or higher than the threshold.

Abstract: This endoscope device can simplify the determination of the moving direction of a focusing lens, and can improve the accuracy of auto focusing. The endoscope has the following elements: an optical system having a focusing lens; a lens moving unit which moves the focusing lens along an optical axis thereof; an image capturing unit which obtains an optical image of an object from the optical system as a plurality of images each of which has a different focal position from each other; a moving direction determining section which determines whether to change the observation depth on the basis of the plurality of images, and determines a moving direction toward which the focusing lens is to be moved on the bases of the images; and a drive control unit which controls the lens moving unit to move the focusing lens toward a determined moving direction.

Abstract: An imaging device includes a first image sensor that is placed to intersect the optical axis of an imaging lens, a second image sensor that is placed to intersect the optical axis of the imaging lens so as to be situated at a given distance from the first image sensor, and receives light that has passed through the first image sensor, and a processor including hardware, wherein the processor is configured to implement a brightness correction process that amplifies the pixel value of the second image captured by the second image sensor using a gain set based on the light transmittance of a light-receiving section of the first image sensor, and an object distance calculation process that performs a depth-from-defocus (DFD) process based on the pixel value of the first image and the pixel value of the second image subjected to the brightness correction process to calculate an object distance.

Abstract: An optical device where an image of an object is formed on an image pickup element and where an image restoration process is performed on the image obtained by the image pickup element, comprising a MTF that satisfies the following conditional expression (1): 0.001<L×NA<0.5,5<a<30??(1) where L: the width of the MTF when the MTF is a %, and NA: a numerical aperture of the optical device.

Abstract: The invention provides an imaging apparatus and an imaging system, each one comprising an optical system having characteristics matching with image restoration processing, thereby achieving effective image restoration processing. To this end, the imaging apparatus or system comprises an imaging device 12, an optical system 11 for forming a subject image on the imaging device 12, and an image processing means 14 for implementing image processing for an image being viewed, the image produced out of the image device 12. The imaging apparatus or system is characterized in that the optical system 11 has a substantially constant MTF at a position where the imaging device 12 is located and in the predetermined distances before and after that position.

Abstract: An optical device where an image of an object is formed on an image pickup element and where an image restoration process is performed on the image obtained by the image pickup element, comprising a MTF that satisfies the following conditional expression (1): 0.001<L×NA<0.5,5<a<30??(1) where L: the width of the MTF when the MTF is a %, and NA: a numerical aperture of the optical device.

Abstract: An optical device where an image of an object is formed on an image pickup element and where an image restoration process is performed on the image obtained by the image pickup element, comprising a MTF that satisfies the following conditional expression (1): 0.001<L×NA<0.5,5<a<30??(1) where L: the width of the MTF when the MTF is a %, and NA: a numerical aperture of the optical device.

Abstract: The invention provides an imaging apparatus and an imaging system, each one comprising an optical system having characteristics matching with image restoration processing, thereby achieving effective image restoration processing. To this end, the imaging apparatus or system comprises an imaging device 12, an optical system 11 for forming a subject image on the imaging device 12, and an image processing means 14 for implementing image processing for an image being viewed, the image produced out of the image device 12. The imaging apparatus or system is characterized in that the optical system 11 has a substantially constant MTF at a position where the imaging device 12 is located and in the predetermined distances before and after that position.

Abstract: An optical device where an image of an object is formed on an image pickup element and where an image restoration process is performed on the image obtained by the image pickup element, comprising a MTF that satisfies the following conditional expression (1): 0.001<L×NA<0.5,5<a<30??(1) where L: the width of the MTF when the MTF is a %, and NA: a numerical aperture of the optical device.

Abstract: An electronic camera detects a person's face image from an object image obtained by photographing an object, executes an enlarging process on the detected face image so as to obtain a face image whose face size is suitable, and displays the face image which is enlarged into the suitable size on a display device. When a plurality of people are present on the object image, the enlarged face images are switched by an image operating switch. As a result, the switched face image is displayed on the display device.

Abstract: A blurring parameter operating section calculates a blurring parameter corresponding to a distance from an optical system to a subject, based on two luminance information items which have different blurring degrees and are acquired by changing an arrangement setting of the optical system. A distance estimating section estimates distance information corresponding to the distance from the optical system to the subject, based on the blurring parameter. A focus detection section acquires luminance information after changing arrangement setting of the optical system based on the distance information, acquires luminance information items having different blurring degrees by further changing arrangement setting of the optical system, calculates an evaluation value indicating a degree of focus from each of the luminance information items having the different blurring degrees, and determines the focal position based on the evaluation value.