Abstract: A system for and method of determining calibration parameters while only capturing a single image is described herein. Furthermore, traditional calibration algorithms are avoided by the direct determination of the calibration parameters. The determination of the calibration parameters is possible by first determining a training data set from images acquired of a variety of objects with a multitude of colors. Then, using the training data set, regression coefficients are generated. A camera to be calibrated then acquires only one set of image information such as a single picture. Then, using the regression coefficients and the acquired information, the calibration parameters are directly estimated for that camera.

Abstract: The present invention is to allow an XY-address scanning-type imaging device such as a CMOS imaging device to detect a fluorescent flicker correctly and accurately and reduce a fluorescent flicker component surely and sufficiently. The RGB primary color signals arising from A/D conversion of the RGB primary color signals obtained from an imaging element are clamped. Subsequently, for the clamped RGB primary color signals, the following processes are executed: correction of the gains of reading-out channels; reduction of fixed pattern noise; correction of the data of defective pixels; noise reduction; lens shading correction; and gain adjustment for exposure adjustment. Thereafter, for the resultant signals, a flicker detection and reduction unit 60 detects and reduces a flicker component.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes a solid-state image pickup device including a plurality of pixels arranged in a two-dimensional array, a circuit necessary for the pixel structure being shared between the pixels of a predetermined number having the same arrangement pattern; correction value generating means for generating a correction value for the pixel data read out from the pixel position of each pixel having the same arrangement pattern, the correction value being used for correcting the nonuniformity in pixel characteristics caused by a difference in position between the pixels in the arrangement pattern; and correcting means for correcting each pixel data read out from the solid-state image pickup device on the basis of the correction value for the corresponding pixel data, generated by the correction value generating means.

Abstract: characteristic are improved. An imaging device having a hybrid RGBYC color filter using a primary color system RGB filter and a complementary color system YC filter is composed. Four G filters that directly relate to resolution and that is close to a luminance signal that human eyes sense are arrayed in a checker shape so that the number of the G filters is four times larger than the number of filters of each of the other colors. An array shown in FIG. 10A is composed of low resolution rows (G, R, G, and B) and high resolution rows (C, G, Y, and G) that are alternately arrayed in each line. When signals are read if exposure times are varied for individual lines, the signals that are read can easily have a wide dynamic range. An array shown in FIG. 10B has two Gs, a low sensitivity color, and a high sensitivity color in each line and each row. Thus, the luminance difference is small in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. Thus, the reading method in the array shown in FIG.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for processing a color image signal includes a signal processing unit for processing a plurality of image signals in parallel, where the plurality of image signals are in one-to-one correspondence with predetermined filter components; a storage unit including storage areas in one-to-one correspondence with the filter components; a parameter receiving unit for receiving a control parameter indicating a setting according to an input sequence of the filter components in the image signal; a writing unit for sorting multichannel input image signals based on a signal output from a solid-state image sensor by the filter components thereof based on the setting indicated by the control parameter and for writing the sorted image signals to the corresponding storage areas; and a reading unit for sequentially reading out the image signals from the storage areas via individual output channels and for delivering the image signals to the signal processing unit.

Abstract: A signal processing apparatus corrects color mixture between pixel cells in a solid-state imaging device in which the pixel cells including photoelectric transducers are two-dimensionally arranged in an array and in which color filters having primary color components for generating luminance components and other color components are arranged over the pixel cells. The signal processing apparatus includes correction processing means for performing the correction to the signal from a target pixel by using the signals from multiple neighboring pixels adjacent to the target pixel in the solid-state imaging device and correction parameters independently set for the signals.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus for imaging an image using a solid-state image pickup device includes a first linear matrix operation unit configured to perform matrix conversion upon a color component of an image signal obtained by imaging using coefficients capable of improving color reproducibility; a second linear matrix operation unit configured to perform matrix conversion upon the color component using coefficients capable of achieving noise component reduction; a signal combining unit configured to combine image signals output from a plurality of signal processing systems each of which includes one of the first or second linear matrix operation units; and a combination ratio setting unit configured to set a combination ratio so that, when a subject is bright, an image signal output from the signal processing system that includes the first linear matrix operation unit can be combined in an amount larger than the image signals output from the other signal processing systems.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for processing a color image signal includes a signal processing unit for processing a plurality of image signals in parallel, where the plurality of image signals are in one-to-one correspondence with predetermined filter components; a storage unit including storage areas in one-to-one correspondence with the filter components; a parameter receiving unit for receiving a control parameter indicating a setting according to an input sequence of the filter components in the image signal; a writing unit for sorting multichannel input image signals based on a signal output from a solid-state image sensor by the filter components thereof based on the setting indicated by the control parameter and for writing the sorted image signals to the corresponding storage areas; and a reading unit for sequentially reading out the image signals from the storage areas via individual output channels and for delivering the image signals to the signal processing unit.

Abstract: An image-processing apparatus includes an integration section to integrate an image signal in more than one unit of horizontal synchronization period; an interpolation section to carry out an interpolation on the basis of integration values output by the integration section in order to generate integration values corresponding to a predetermined number of sampling positions set in advance during at least one period of flickers appearing on a screen under a fluorescent lamp; a normalization section to normalize an integration value output by the interpolation section or to normalize a difference value between integration values output by the interpolation section as integration values for adjacent fields or frames, respectively; a frequency analysis section to extract a spectrum of normalized integration value or difference values output by the normalization section; and a flicker inference section to infer a flicker component from the spectrum extracted by the frequency analysis section.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for processing an image signal includes an integrator configured to acquire the image signal during each detection period having a length equal to or longer than one cycle of flicker occurring on an image under illumination of a fluorescent lamp, and to integrate the acquired image signal in a unit of time equal to one horizontal synchronization period or longer; and a flicker detector configured to estimate a flicker component on the basis of a frequency analysis result obtained in the unit of each detection period by using an integral result obtained by the integrator.

Abstract: A plurality of optical shutter elements having an electro-optical effect is juxtaposed in a main scanning direction, and the light emitted from a light source comprising LED groups is modulated by turning on and off the optical shutter elements to thereby form an image on a photosensitive material. The optical shutter elements are turned on at a predetermined timing every scanning. The light source is turned on after a lapse of a predetermined time from the turning-on of the optical shutter elements.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and method enabling to correct for camera shake given in image capturing, a recording medium, and a program. Discrete data pieces indicating shifts are obtained. The discrete data pieces are interpolated to obtain data indicating a shift every line. By the interpolation, a correction is calculated every line on the basis of the corresponding shift. On the basis of the corrections, pixel data read positions are determined. Pixel data is read based on the determined read positions. When a pixel to be read overlaps two pixels, pixel data of the pixel to be read is produced (interpolated) from pixel data pieces. In this manner, the effects of camera shake are corrected. The present invention is applicable to video cameras.

Abstract: A fluorescent light flicker characteristic of an XY addressing type image pickup device such as a CMOS image pickup device is accurately detected and reliably and sufficiently reduced through a simple signal processing without using an photosensitive element regardless of the level of a video signal of a subject and the type of a fluorescent lamp. A signal In?(x,y) is an RGB primary color signal or a luminance signal, each containing a flicker component. The signal In?(x,y) is integrated over a duration of time equal to or longer than one horizontal period, and a difference value between the integrated values of adjacent fields is normalized by the average value of the integrated values of three consecutive fields. The normalized difference value gn(y) is discrete Fourier transformed to extract a spectrum thereof, and a flicker coefficient ?n(y) is estimated from the extracted spectrum to calculate In?(x,y)/[1+?n(y)].

Abstract: In an NTSC imaging apparatus, the shutter speed is set to a first value other than N/120 second, and a flicker detecting process is performed on a video signal obtained at the first shutter speed to extract a particular frequency component. If the level of this frequency component is higher than a threshold value, it is determined that photographing is conducted under fluorescent light with a power supply frequency of 50 Hz. If it is not higher than the threshold value, the shutter speed is set to a second value other than N/100 second, and a flicker detecting process is performed on a video signal obtained at the second shutter speed to extract a particular frequency component. If the level of this frequency component is higher than a threshold value, it is determined that photographing is conducted under fluorescent light with a power supply frequency of 60 Hz.

Abstract: In an XY address scanning-type imaging apparatus, such as a CMOS imaging apparatus, a high-speed shutter which is capable of reducing fluorescent-lamp flicker components and which is required for electronic camera-shake correction can be realized. When the vertical synchronization frequency is denoted as fv (Hz) and N is a positive integer, the shutter is set to N/120 seconds when 120/fv is an integer, and the shutter is set to N/100 seconds when 100/fv is an integer. In the NTSC system, when camera-shake correction is ON, the shutter speed is set to {fraction (1/120)} seconds, and when camera-shake correction is OFF, the shutter speed is set to {fraction (1/60)} seconds. In the PAL system, when camera-shake correction is ON, the shutter speed is set to {fraction (1/100)} seconds, and when camera-shake correction is OFF, the shutter speed is set to {fraction (1/50)} seconds. The same applies to the progressive system.

Abstract: A zoom optical system has a focus adjusting unit that performs focusing for an object by moving along an optical axis thereof and a magnification adjusting unit that corrects a change in optical magnification caused by the focusing by moving along an optical axis thereof.

Abstract: A zoom optical system has a focus adjusting unit that performs focusing for an object by moving along an optical axis thereof and a magnification adjusting unit that corrects a change in optical magnification caused by the focusing by moving along an optical axis thereof.