Abstract: An image capturing element having an electric shutter function of controlling exposure time for each frame includes: a photoelectric converter that has a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix each of which converts light into charge and stores the converted charge; a first reading unit that reads charge exposed for a predetermined exposure time from each pixel formed by the photoelectric conversion element in the entire exposure region of the photoelectric converter by a destructive readout method; and a second reading unit that reads charge from each pixel formed by the photoelectric conversion element in a specific region, which is a portion of the entire exposure region of the photoelectric converter, plural times by a non-destructive readout method in a period in which the first reading unit reads the charge from the entire exposure region.

Abstract: An image recording device that includes: a photographing condition information storing unit that stores photographing condition information including information of an area in which an image is photographed and information of a period of time in which the image is photographed; photographing control means that allows the photographing unit to photograph an image when it is determined that current location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit and current time information acquired by the time information acquisition unit satisfy a condition shown in the photographing condition information stored in the photographing condition information storing unit; and image recording means that records local image data, and allowing the local image data to correspond to recording content information including information of an area in which the photographing is executed and time information acquired by the time information acquisition unit in a photographing period.

Abstract: An image pickup device having a photoelectric conversion unit having a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix pattern for converting exposed light into electric charges and accumulating the same and an electronic shutter function for controlling the exposure time for each frame including: a first reader for reading out electric charges exposed during a standard exposure time from respective pixels including the photoelectric conversion elements in the exposed area of the photoelectric conversion unit in a destructive read-out method; a second reader for reading out electric charges exposed during a short exposure time, which is an exposure time shorter than the standard exposure time, from the respective pixels including the photoelectric conversion elements during the same exposure period as the first reader in a nondestructive read-out method; and a saturation predictor for predicting whether or not the amounts of accumulated electric charges in the respective pixels being expos

Abstract: An imaging control apparatus includes an HDR signal processor and a frame memory. The HDR signal processor obtains pixel data S1 and S2 obtained by imaging with a very short exposure time T1 and a short exposure time T2 earlier than obtaining pixel data S3 obtained by imaging with a normal exposure time T3, generates a luminance image data by separating illumination light component from the pixel data S1 and S2, the generation of the luminance image data starting when the pixel data S2 is obtained, and generates a gain for tone mapping from the luminance image data. On the other hand, the HDR signal processor generates an HDR image data from the pixel data S1 to S3, the generation of the HDR image starting when the pixel data S3 is obtained, and performs tone mapping by multiplying this image data by the gain.

Abstract: There is provided an image sensing apparatus.

Abstract: When a saturation flag of HDR-RAW data accumulated in a BRAM data accumulating section 19 is “1” and a saturation flag of HDR-RAW data accumulated in an input data accumulating section 18 is “0,” i.e., when a pixel being in a saturated state no longer attains the saturated state, the HDR-RAW data accumulated in the input data accumulating section 18 are recorded to BRAN 10 instead of the HDR-RAW data recorded that far. Therefore, the image data of the pixel within the second image is recorded, and it is not necessary to arrange the delay element. As a result, manufacture cost can be reduced by the amount for arranging the delay element.

Abstract: An image recording device that records image data in a recording medium includes: a photographing unit capable of photographing an image so as to provide the image data; a location information acquisition unit for acquiring location information; a time information acquisition unit for acquiring time information; a photographing condition information storing unit that stores photographing condition information including information of an area in which an image is photographed and information of a period of time in which the image is photographed; photographing control means that allows the photographing unit to photograph an image when it is determined that current location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit and current time information acquired by the time information acquisition unit satisfy a condition shown in the photographing condition information stored in the photographing condition information storing unit; and image recording means that records local image data, which i

Abstract: An image sensor includes: a photoelectric conversion unit including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, the photoelectric conversion elements being disposed in a two-dimensional matrix, the photoelectric conversion elements converting received light into electric charge and accumulating the electric charge; a reset processing unit for performing a reset process, the reset process being a process of removing electric charge accumulated in the photoelectric conversion elements of the photoelectric conversion unit in a first sub-frame period among the first to N-th sub-frame periods, the N being a natural number of two or more, the first to N-th sub-frame periods being obtained by dividing each frame period of a frame rate corresponding to a normal exposure time into an N number of periods in the first to N-th order; and a pixel signal readout unit for reading out a pixel signal in a non-destructive manner, the pixel signal being an electric signal corresponding to an amount of electrical charge ac

Abstract: An image taking apparatus includes: a photoelectric conversion unit including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, the photoelectric conversion elements disposed in a two-dimensional matrix, the photoelectric conversion elements converting received light into electric charge and accumulating the electric charge; an image sensor having a function of controlling an exposure time of each of the photoelectric conversion elements of the photoelectric conversion unit on a line-by-line basis; an area division unit for logically dividing the photoelectric conversion unit into an N number of uniform areas on the basis of information related to a taken image of a subject, each of the uniform areas including a line having some of the photoelectric conversion elements, N being a natural number of two or more; an interlaced scanning unit for scanning the photoelectric conversion elements in the first to N-th areas by M lines starting with a predetermined line in a predetermined area of the first to N-th areas

Abstract: An imaging device that realizes a rolling shutter by performing reset, exposure, and read-out for respective lines sequentially, the imaging device including a reset unit that resets plural lines simultaneously.

Abstract: An image pickup device includes: an image pickup unit which picks up a subject at first and second exposure times; a high dynamic range (HDR) image data generating unit which generates first HDR image data configured by pixel data of which pixel values are expressed by a floating-point form in which a mantissa part has N bits (N is a natural number of 2 or more), a cardinal number is X (X is a natural number of 2 or more) and an exponential part of the cardinal number has M bits (M is a natural number of 2 or more), on the basis of first image data obtained by picking up the subject at the first exposure time and second image data obtained by picking up the subject at the second exposure time; an image processing unit which performs a predetermined image process including a floating-point arithmetic operation process, with respect to the first HDR image data generated by the HDR image data generating unit; and a HDR image data converting unit which converts the first HDR image data after the image process int

Abstract: The invention provides an image processing system which is suitable to carry out image processing in excellent accuracy while removing influence due to characteristics depending on the type difference and which facilitates wide and flexible adaptation over image capturing devices. A digital camera includes an image pick-up sensor unit which receives images as data, a URL memory unit which stores a URL to indicate an acquisition site of image processing data, and a URL adding unit which adds the URL in the URL memory unit to the image data. The printer includes an RAW data read unit which reads out the image data, a URL acquisition unit which acquires the URL added to the image data, an image processing data acquisition unit which acquires the image processing data from the image processing data storage server based on the acquired URL, and an image data processing unit to process the image data based on the acquired image processing data.

Abstract: A digital clamping circuit and a digital clamping method are provided which can effectively use the dynamic range of an output signal in black-level correction. When subtracting a black level serving as a reference value from an output signal of an analog front end circuit, a digital clamp circuit permits the production of a negative value, amplifies the dynamic range including the-negative value to increase the dynamic range, adds a predetermined value to the resulting signal, and performs clipping. As a result, the dynamic range of the digital clamp circuit is increased, so that the dynamic range of an output signal can be effectively utilized. Thus, processing that makes good use of a wider dynamic range can be performed in image processing at a subsequent stage, so that image quality can be improved.

Abstract: A video output device which converts image data into a YUV system video signal composed of a brightness signal Y and a chrominance signal UV and outputs the video signal obtained by the conversion through a predetermined interface is disclosed.

Abstract: An image pickup device having a photoelectric conversion unit having a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix pattern for converting exposed light into electric charges and accumulating the same and an electronic shutter function for controlling the exposure time for each frame including: a first reader for reading out electric charges exposed during a standard exposure time from respective pixels including the photoelectric conversion elements in the exposed area of the photoelectric conversion unit in a destructive read-out method; a second reader for reading out electric charges exposed during a short exposure time, which is an exposure time shorter than the standard exposure time, from the respective pixels including the photoelectric conversion elements during the same exposure period as the first reader in a nondestructive read-out method; and a saturation predictor for predicting whether or not the amounts of accumulated electric charges in the respective pixels being expos

Abstract: There is provided an image sensing apparatus.

Abstract: An image capturing element having an electric shutter function of controlling exposure time for each frame includes: a photoelectric converter that has a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix each of which converts light into charge and stores the converted charge; a first reading unit that reads charge exposed for a predetermined exposure time from each pixel formed by the photoelectric conversion element in the entire exposure region of the photoelectric converter by a destructive readout method; and a second reading unit that reads charge from each pixel formed by the photoelectric conversion element in a specific region, which is a portion of the entire exposure region of the photoelectric converter, plural times by a non-destructive readout method in a period in which the first reading unit reads the charge from the entire exposure region.

Abstract: When a saturation flag of HDR-RAW data accumulated in a BRAM data accumulating section 19 is “1” and a saturation flag of HDR-RAW data accumulated in an input data accumulating section 18 is “0,” i.e., when a pixel being in a saturated state no longer attains the saturated state, the HDR-RAW data accumulated in the input data accumulating section 18 are recorded to BRAM 10 instead of the HDR-RAW data recorded that far. Therefore, the image data of the pixel within the second image is recorded, and it is not necessary to arrange the delay element. As a result, manufacture cost can be reduced by the amount for arranging the delay element.

Abstract: An imaging device that realizes a rolling shutter by performing reset, exposure, and read-out for respective lines sequentially, the imaging device including a reset unit that resets plural lines simultaneously.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus that corrects the gradation scale of brightness values of an image represented by image data produced in a predetermined imaging apparatus. The image processing apparatus including: an acquiring mechanism that acquires information identifying a predetermined location within the image represented by the image data or information concerning brightness values of the predetermined location or both, and also the image data; and a correcting mechanism that corrects the gradation scale of the brightness values of the image represented by the image data using, as a reference value, the average of the brightness values of the predetermined location identified by the acquired information.