Abstract: An imaging method and an imaging apparatus are provided in which information about white points determined is stored and operation is performed only between the stored white points. The imaging method includes the steps of: automatically or manually determining at least two white points (Steps S1-2, S1-3 and S1-4); storing the above described at least two white points determined (Steps S5, S8 and S13); and manually or automatically adjusting a white point with the range between the above described at least two white points stored as a white point adjustment range (Step S23).

Abstract: An image-capturing apparatus, a method for processing signals, a recording medium, and a program that can improve the accuracy of an autofocus function with respect to a subject at the time of fill-light projection. A microcomputer monitors a fill-light controller and determines whether or not a fill-light projection flag is ON. If it is determined that the fill-light projection flag is ON, the microcomputer performs computation of the amount of control of image-blur correction to determine the amount of control of image-blur correction, and outputs the determined amount of control of image-blur correction to a detector. The detector determines the position of a detection frame for autofocus, changes the size or number of detection frames based on information on the zoom factor, and controls the position of the detection frame, and the size or number of detection frames.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an image capturing unit for capturing a first image by using an image capturing device, a detection unit for detecting applied vibration and outputting a vibration value representing a magnitude of the vibration, a calculation unit for calculating a first correcting value and a second correcting value from the vibration value, an alteration unit for altering, when a difference between the first and second correcting values is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, a region of the second image so as to reduce a distance between the center of an image obtained by correcting the second image on the basis of the first correcting value and the center of another image obtained by correcting the third image on the basis of the second correcting value, and a correction unit for correcting the second image on the basis of the first correcting value.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an image pickup unit picking up an image with an image pickup device, a vibration amount output unit detecting vibration and outputting a vibration amount indicating a size of the vibration, a calculation unit calculating a first correction amount for reducing influence of the vibration to the image from the vibration amount output by the vibration amount output unit, a determination unit determining whether a zoom magnification ratio at a time that the image is picked up by the image pickup unit is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold, a generation unit generating a second correction amount based on the first correction amount when the zoom magnification ratio is equal to or higher than the threshold value by the determination unit and a correction unit correcting the image picked up by the image pickup unit based on the first or second correction amount.

Abstract: When an operation mode of a digital camera is the manual focus control mode and an auxiliary function is performed, a microcomputer serves to set an enlarged image generation region, a signal processing unit implements processing to an image signal of the enlarged image generation region, and a display processing unit generates an image enlarged so as to take a predetermined size from an image signal processed by the signal processing unit to display the enlarged image on a display unit. The microcomputer sets the enlarged image generation region at a position moved manually from a predetermined position.

Abstract: In an image pickup device, a controller includes a surplus area calculation unit to detect a surplus area for use in correcting camera shake based upon a size of an effective area on an image pickup surface and a size of an efficient area extracted in response to camera shake. Thus, this image pickup device can prevent a troublesome aspect in which camera shake correction reaches the correction end from occurring, even when a large camera shake that is beyond the surplus area occurs.

Abstract: The present invention provides a camera shake correction device enabled to quickly correct a camera shake. This device has a sensor for detecting movement of a camera, a high-pass filter, an amplifier, an A/D converter, a camera-shake/pan/tilt detection unit, and a switching unit. The filter includes a circuit having a capacitor and a resistor connected in series. A reference voltage is inputted to a common ground terminal of the circuit. An output signal of the sensor is amplified by the amplifier. The A/D converter converts the amplified signal into a digital value. The detection unit detects a camera shake or panning/tilting according to the digital value. When detected, the switching unit turns on a switch connected to the resistor so as to discharge the capacitor to the reference voltage.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an image capturing unit for capturing a first image by using an image capturing device, a detection unit for detecting applied vibration and outputting a vibration value representing a magnitude of the vibration, a calculation unit for calculating a first correcting value and a second correcting value from the vibration value, an alteration unit for altering, when a difference between the first and second correcting values is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, a region of the second image so as to reduce a distance between the center of an image obtained by correcting the second image on the basis of the first correcting value and the center of another image obtained by correcting the third image on the basis of the second correcting value, and a correction unit for correcting the second image on the basis of the first correcting value.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus is disclosed. The imaging apparatus includes an image capturing section, a motion detecting section, a reliability determining section, a shaking compensating section, and a filtering section. The image capturing section captures a plurality of images which chronologically differ. The motion detecting section detects motion of the plurality of images and generates motion information. The reliability determining section determines reliability of the motion information. The shaking compensating section compensates shaking which takes place among the plurality of images corresponding to the motion information. The filtering section filters an image which has been compensated for shaking by using a recursive filter. A characteristic of the filtering section is varied corresponding to the reliability of the motion information.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus including: an image pickup unit picking up an image with an image pickup device; a vibration amount output unit detecting exerted vibration and outputting a vibration amount indicating a size of the vibration; a calculation unit calculating a first correction amount for reducing influence of the vibration to the image from the vibration amount output by the vibration amount output unit; a determination unit determining whether or not a zoom magnification ratio at a time that the image is picked up by the image pickup unit is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold; a generation unit generating a second correction amount based on the first correction amount when the zoom magnification ratio is determined to be equal to or higher than the threshold value by the determination unit; and a correction unit correcting the image picked up by the image pickup unit based on the first correction amount or the second correction amount.

Abstract: An imaging method and an imaging apparatus are provided in which information about white points determined is stored and operation is performed only between the stored white points. The imaging method includes the steps of: automatically or manually determining at least two white points (Steps S1-2, S1-3 and S1-4); storing the above described at least two white points determined (Steps S5, S8 and S13); and manually or automatically adjusting a white point with the range between the above described at least two white points stored as a white point adjustment range (Step S23).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image-capturing apparatus, a method for processing signals, a recording medium, and a program that can improve the accuracy of an autofocus function with respect to a subject at the time of fill-light projection. A microcomputer 13 monitors a fill-light controller 15 and determines whether or not a fill-light projection flag is ON. If it is determined that the fill-light projection flag is ON, the microcomputer 13 performs computation of the amount of control of image-blur correction to determine the amount of control of image-blur correction, and outputs the determined amount of control of image-blur correction to a detector 121. The detector 121 determines the position of a detection frame for autofocus, changes the size or number of detection frames based on information on the zoom factor, and controls the position of the detection frame, and the size or number of detection frames. The present invention is applicable to camcorders.

Abstract: When an operation mode of a digital camera is the manual focus control mode and an auxiliary function is performed, a microcomputer serves to set an enlarged image generation region, a signal processing unit implements processing to an image signal of the enlarged image generation region, and a display processing unit generates an image enlarged so as to take a predetermined size from an image signal processed by the signal processing unit to display the enlarged image on a display unit. The microcomputer sets the enlarged image generation region at a position moved manually from a predetermined position.

Abstract: In an image pickup device, a controller includes a surplus area calculation unit to detect a surplus area for use in correcting camera shake based upon a size of an effective area on an image pickup surface and a size of an efficient area extracted in response to camera shake. Thus, this image pickup device can prevent a troublesome aspect in which camera shake correction reaches the correction end from occurring, even when a large camera shake that is beyond the surplus area occurs.

Abstract: The present invention provides a camera shake correction device enabled to quickly correct a camera shake. This device has a sensor for detecting movement of a camera, a high-pass filter, an amplifier, an A/D converter, a camera-shake/pan/tilt detection unit, and a switching unit. The filter includes a circuit having a capacitor and a resistor connected in series. A reference voltage is inputted to a common ground terminal of the circuit. An output signal of the sensor is amplified by the amplifier. The A/D converter converts the amplified signal into a digital value. The detection unit detects a camera shake or panning/tilting according to the digital value. When detected, the switching unit turns on a switch connected to the resistor so as to discharge the capacitor to the reference voltage.