Abstract: An example photographing apparatus module includes: a photographing apparatus configured to rotate on a first axis and a second axis perpendicular to the first axis; and an actuator module configured to rotate the photographing apparatus on the first axis or the second axis. The actuator module includes: one or more first actuator devices configured to apply a contact force along an optical axis direction of the photographing apparatus that is perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis; and one or more second actuator devices configured to apply a driving force to the photographing apparatus along the first axis direction or the second axis direction.

Abstract: A viewfinder apparatus includes a window on which a reference mark is disposed; a photography unit (e.g., an eye imaging camera) configured to photograph eyes of a user via the window; and a controller configured to detect a location where the photography unit has been moved, based on a location of the reference mark included in a first image captured by the photography unit before the photography unit is moved and a location of a reference mark included in a second image captured by the photography unit after the photography unit is moved, wherein the controller tracks the eyes of the user by using the detected location.

Abstract: Disclosed are a bifocal lens having two focal distances to enable near image capturing and far image capturing and capable of being manufactured to have a thin profile, and an imaging device including same. A bifocal lens according to disclosed embodiments may include: a refractive optical system having at least one refractive lens element and having a first focal distance; and a reflective optical system having multiple reflective surfaces and having a second focal distance that is different from the first focal distance. Because the refractive optical system and the reflective optical system have mutually different focal distances, the bifocal lens according to an embodiment may be capable of both near image capturing and far image capturing.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus is provided, including: a first camera module and a second camera module configured to capture an image of a same subject; and a controller configured to map a second image obtained from the second camera module to a first image obtained from the first camera module, and to synthesize a third image of the subject using the first image and the mapped second image, wherein an image sensor included in the first camera module has a first pixel structure in which a pixel has a square shape, and an image sensor included in the second camera module has a second pixel structure that is different from the first pixel structure.

Abstract: An image photographing apparatus is provided. The image photographing apparatus includes a first photographing unit configured to photograph an image by using a phase difference image sensor, a second photographing unit configured to be spaced on a side of the first photographing unit, a controller configured to generate a first depth map by using a first image photographed by the first photographing unit and generate a second depth map by using a second image photographed by the second photographing unit, and an image processor configured to generate a three-dimensional (3D) image by using the first depth map and the second depth map.

Abstract: A photographing apparatus capable of automatic detection of a focus of a subject and a method thereof are disclosed. The photographing apparatus includes a control unit for detecting the focus of the subject using images of the subject acquired with a moveable lens being in different positions so as to allow the detection of the focus of the subject automatically and nearly simultaneously with the photographing the subject without using a separate AF module that requires light separation and/or separate dedicated focus image sensor.

Abstract: A compatible optical pickup including an optical unit and a focusing unit. The optical unit emits a short wavelength light for high-density recording media and a long wavelength light for low-density recording media, directs the short and long wavelength light to a recording medium, receives lights reflected by the recording medium, and detects an information reproduction signal and/or an error signal from the received lights. The focusing unit focuses light received from the optical unit to form a light spot on a recording surface of the recording medium, diffracts the short wavelength light into a zero order light and the long wavelength light into a second order light to be used as effective light for recording and/or reproduction. Thus, a high-density recording medium and a low-density recording medium having different thicknesses can be compatibly used.

Abstract: An image stabilizer is provided, which compensates for an external turbulence caused by hand-shake by moving an imaging unit. The image stabilizer includes a first yoke, a second yoke, and a driving frame interposed between the first yoke and the second yoke and movable in a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, and a rotation direction with respect to an optical axis. The imaging unit is mounted in a center of the driving frame. The image stabilizer also includes a coil plate connected to a surface of the driving frame facing the first yoke and having a plurality of pattern coils arranged at locations corresponding to a plurality of magnets of the second yoke. The image stabilizer further includes a support unit disposed on a surface of the driving frame facing the second yoke and supporting the driving frame in pitch, yaw and roll directions with respect to the second yoke.

Abstract: An optical pickup device includes a light source to emit light, an objective lens to focus the light on a recording medium to form a light spot, an optical path changer on an optical path between the light source and the objective lens to change the path of incident light, a chromatic aberration correction lens disposed on an optical path between the light source and the objective lens, and a photodetector to receive light which is reflected from the recording medium and is then incident thereon through the optical path changer. The chromatic aberration correction lens corrects a chromatic aberration occurring due to a change in the wavelength and/or due to an increase in a wavelength bandwidth of the light. The chromatic aberration correction lens includes at least two lenses such that a lens having a positive power and a lens having a negative power are adjacent to each other.

Abstract: An optical disc apparatus, and a method of driving the same, includes a light focusing element disposed to focus light emitted from a light source onto a disc; an actuator to move the light focusing element toward or away from the disc according to a voltage applied to the actuator; a light intensity detection unit to detect the intensity of light reflected from the disc; a servo unit to generate a gap error signal and a third voltage, the third voltage being the sum of a first voltage and a second voltage, and to apply the generated third voltage to the actuator; and a control unit to control the servo unit to perform a gap pull-in operation when the light focusing element is moved toward the disc according to the gap error signal and the third voltage.

Abstract: An image stabilizer includes a rotor including a lens assembly, and configured to move perpendicular to an optical axis of light passing through the lens assembly, and a suspension unit configured to support movement of the rotor and to prevent the rotor from moving non-perpendicular to the optical axis of the light passing through the lens assembly. Accordingly, the image stabilizer prevents variance of characteristics of a rotor in a low frequency band according to the position and distortion of phase characteristics in a high frequency band. Therefore, the image stabilizer has consistent operation characteristics regardless of the position, posture, and movement of a person using an image capture device containing the image stabilizer.

Abstract: An image stabilizer is provided, which compensates for an external turbulence caused by hand-shake by moving an imaging unit. The image stabilizer includes a first yoke, a second yoke, and a driving frame interposed between the first yoke and the second yoke and movable in a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, and a rotation direction with respect to an optical axis. The imaging unit is mounted in a center of the driving frame. The image stabilizer also includes a coil plate connected to a surface of the driving frame facing the first yoke and having a plurality of pattern coils arranged at locations corresponding to a plurality of magnets of the second yoke. The image stabilizer further includes a support unit disposed on a surface of the driving frame facing the second yoke and supporting the driving frame in pitch, yaw and roll directions with respect to the second yoke.

Abstract: Disclosed are an auto-focusing apparatus and a camera employing the same. The auto-focusing apparatus includes a pupil division unit including a plurality of holes of different sizes. The pencil of light ray entering through the photographing lens of the camera are divided into a plurality of pencils of light ray by being passed through the plurality of holes. The pupil division unit is arranged to focus the plurality of pencils of light ray onto an image capturing unit of the camera. The auto-focusing apparatus further includes a calculation unit that determines the focusing state of the camera based on combined images of the plurality of pencils of light ray captured by the image capturing unit.

Abstract: An optical information storage medium includes a lead-in area, a lead-out area, and a user data area between the lead-in and lead-out areas and in which user data is recorded. Pits are formed in the lead-in area, the user data area, and the lead-out area, and a track pitch in all or a portion of the lead-in area is different from a track pitch in the remaining area of the optical information storage medium.

Abstract: A photographing apparatus capable of automatic detection of a focus of a subject and a method thereof are disclosed. The photographing apparatus includes a control unit for detecting the focus of the subject using images of the subject acquired with a moveable lens being in different positions so as to allow the detection of the focus of the subject automatically and nearly simultaneously with the photographing the subject without using a separate AF module that requires light separation and/or separate dedicated focus image sensor.

Abstract: A data reproducing method reproducing data recorded in a super resolution information storage medium in a form of marks having magnitudes less than a resolving power of an incident light beam, and an apparatus thereof. The data reproducing method includes irradiating a first beam having a resolving power causing a super resolution phenomenon and a second beam having a resolving power not causing a super resolution phenomenon into different places on the information storage medium, detecting a first reproduction signal based on the first beam and a second reproduction signal based on the second beam, and compensating for and calculating a temporal delay between the first reproduction signal and the second reproduction signal. Therefore, a signal reflected from a peripheral area of a reproduction beam spot other than a super resolution area can be excluded, thereby improving reproduction signal characteristics.

Abstract: A method relative to an optical information storage medium including a lead-in area, a lead-out area, and a user data area between the lead-in and lead-out areas and in which user data is recorded. Pits are formed in the lead-in area, the user data area, and the lead-out area, and a track pitch in all or a portion of the lead-in area is different from a track pitch in the remaining area of the optical information storage medium.

Abstract: An image stabilizer includes a rotor including a lens assembly, and configured to move perpendicular to an optical axis of light passing through the lens assembly, and a suspension unit configured to support movement of the rotor and to prevent the rotor from moving non-perpendicular to the optical axis of the light passing through the lens assembly. Accordingly, the image stabilizer prevents variance of characteristics of a rotor in a low frequency band according to the position and distortion of phase characteristics in a high frequency band. Therefore, the image stabilizer has consistent operation characteristics regardless of the position, posture, and movement of a person using an image capture device containing the image stabilizer.

Abstract: An apparatus for recording data on and reproducing data from the disk in which a recording area is divided into sectors, includes a reproducing signal generator for generating a reproducing signal including sum signals V1 and V2 of radial pairs, a sum signal RF_sum, and a push-pull signal RF_pp from an optical signal reflected from the disk, a header area detector for generating a header area signal including a header area from the reproducing signal, a first synchronous signal level detector for detecting a magnitude Ivfo1 of a first synchronous signal in the first header by being synchronized with the header area signal, a second synchronous signal level detector for detecting a magnitude Ivfo3 of a second synchronous signal in the second header by being synchronized with the header area signal, and a balance calculator for calculating the balance of the magnitude Ivfo1 and the magnitude Ivfo3.

Abstract: A multilayer recording medium that prevents deterioration of a signal characteristic due to a mirror effect that may occur between recording layers and a method of manufacturing the same, the multilayer recording medium having at least two recording layers, wherein a thickness of at least one spacer layer between adjacent recording layers is different from a thickness of the other spacer layers such that a beam focusing on a recording layer is prevented from focusing on another recording layer corresponding to a mirror layer due to reflection. In the multilayer recording medium, a mirror effect is greatly reduced. In addition, the thickness of only a spacer layer exerting the most significant influence on the mirror effect is changed to prevent the deterioration of signal quality due to the mirror effect, and therefore, the structure of a multilayer recording medium is simplified.