Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for removing color noise including: a color interpolation unit performing color interpolation on a bayer pattern image output from an image sensor; a high-pass filter unit performing high-pass filtering on each of the pixels of the bayer pattern image to generate high-pass filtered values of each of the pixels; a high frequency region determining unit comparing pixel values of a target pixel, from which color noise is removed, and pixels adjacent to the target pixel with the high-pass filtered values to determine whether the target pixel is included in a high frequency region; and a color noise region determining unit using differences between color values of the target pixel interpolated by the color interpolation unit and determining whether the target pixel is included in a color noise region when it is determined that the target pixel is included in the high frequency region.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus with artificial ommatidia includes an imaging optical lens group forming a concave focal surface, an artificial ommatidia unit having a curved top surface corresponding to the concave focal surface and a flat bottom surface, and an image sensor disposed under the artificial ommatidia unit. The artificial ommatidia unit is disposed under the imaging optical lens group so that the curved top surface is coincided with the concave focal surface of the imaging optical lens group. The artificial ommatidia unit having a plurality of artificial ommatidia collects light emitting from the imaging optical lens group, and guides the light to the bottom surface thereof.

Abstract: A multilayered coplanar waveguide (CPW) filter unit and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. A plate having a capacitance element is formed on or below a CPW layer including a signal line for transmitting a signal and a ground plane. As the filter unit has a multilayered structure, characteristic impedance may be reduced without increasing the width of the signal line. Where an inductor line is inserted between the signal line and the plate, a clear frequency response curve may be obtained without performing an additional process or increasing the area of the filter unit.

Abstract: Provided is an electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) structure, and particularly, an overlay EBG structure in which a plurality of vias and a plurality of plates are formed at intervals on a central signal line in such a manner that the vias and plates extend vertically from a substrate in order to reduce leakage loss of an electromagnetic wave through the substrate. Therefore, it is possible to prevent an electromagnetic wave passing through a transmission line from being lost through the substrate, to obtain desired frequency characteristics by adjusting the dimensions of the vias and plates, and to manufacture the overlay EBG structure using an existing CMOS process without having to perform any additional process.

Abstract: A varifocal optical device is provided. The varifocal optical device includes an optical lens, an actuator unit connected with the optical lens and having two areas that are bending-deformed in opposite directions to each other when a voltage is applied thereto, and a supporting unit to support the actuator unit, so that a focus of the optical lens is varied by the bending deformation when the voltage is applied to the actuator unit. Thereby, a driving displacement of the varifocal optical lens can be maximized.

Abstract: A histogram stretching apparatus and a histogram stretching method are disclosed to enhance image contrast by stretching a histogram of an input image within a range of a preset maximum expansion level and a preset minimum expansion level. The histogram stretching apparatus performs proper stretching suitable for a characteristic of the input image in due consideration of a saturation portion and a distribution range of a histogram of the input image. The histogram stretching apparatus can improve stretching effects by removing the saturated portion of the input image, and can prevent image distortion even for a monochromatic image. The histogram apparatus can improve histogram stretching effects by adjusting entire image levels of an image having a histogram frequency distribution skewed to a dark or bright side before a stretching operation.

Abstract: Provided is a square root calculation apparatus. The apparatus includes a section judgment unit, a coefficient storing unit, and an adder. The section judgment unit stores information regarding a plurality of sections obtained by dividing an entire range of an input value into predetermined intervals, and judges one of the sections to which the input value belongs when the input value is input. The coefficient storing unit stores, in advance, first-order term coefficients and constant terms of first-order approximate equations obtained by approximating square root curves for respective sections, multiplies a first-order term coefficient of the first-order approximate equation in the section to which the input value belongs, by the input value to output a first-order term, and outputs a constant term in the section to which the input value belongs. The adder adds the first-order term and the constant term output from the coefficient storing unit to calculate an approximated square root value.

Abstract: There is provided a CMOS image sensor including: a photodiode receiving light to generate photogenerated charges; a transmission gate unit transmitting the photogenerated charges generated by the photodiode to a first floating diffusion area, and increasing the capacitance of the first floating diffusion area; a transfer transistor transferring the photogenerated charges of the first floating diffusion area transmitted by the transmission gate unit to a second floating diffusion area; and a drive transistor converting the photogenerated charges of the second floating diffusion area into a detection voltage.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing fast authentication for a vertical handover are provided. The method includes requesting a handover from a serving network to a target network and generating a derivative Master Session Key (MSK) for key generation, and transmitting the derivative MSK to the target network. Accordingly, a key negotiation process can start by skipping an access authentication process. Therefore, there is an advantage in that a fast authentication process can be achieved.

Abstract: A method for eliminating noise from an image generated by an image sensor, includes: setting a group of pixels arranged in a square matrix and including a central pixel intended to eliminate the noise in the image and peripheral pixels arranged around the central pixel; obtaining absolute difference values between a luminance value of the central pixel and a luminance value of the peripheral pixels according to directionalities of the peripheral pixels about the central pixel; comparing the obtained absolute difference values with first critical values to determine a region to which the central pixel belongs; when the determined region is the contour region, eliminating noise of the group of the pixels according to directionality of the contour; and when the determined region is the noise region, eliminating the noise of the group of the pixels according to a noise level of the group of the pixels.

Abstract: An auto white balance method includes converting a color space of an input image from an RGB color space into the Commission International de I'Eclairage (CIE) L*a*b* color space, determining at least a portion of pixels of the input image, assumed that a reference white color is changed, in a range of a predetermined L*a*b* value as pixels to be used for estimating the reference white color, determining averages of an L* value, an a* value, a b* value of the determined pixels to be used for estimating the reference white color as a reference white color estimation value, and calculating a color gain to move the reference white color estimation value to a target value for a predetermined white balance.

Abstract: Provided is an output buffer circuit having a slew rate increasing part configured with a switching element. The output buffer circuit can obtain an output voltage having a high slew rate even though a smaller amount of a bias current than that required in a conventional output buffer is used. Therefore, the output buffer circuit can reduce power consumption. In the output buffer circuit with a compensation capacitive load, an input part has two input terminal receiving differential input voltage signals, and an output part increases a gain of the differential input voltages. A current source biases the output part, and a slew rate increasing part is connected to the output part and the compensation capacitive load. The slew rate increasing part includes a switching element to increase a slew rate of the output buffer circuit.

Abstract: There is provided a camera module including: first and second image sensors having different optical characteristics and sensing images; first and second auxiliary image processors electrically connected to the first and second image sensors, respectively, and correcting optical defects of the images sensed by the first and second sensors, respectively; and an image signal processing section selecting at least one image between the images corrected by the first and second auxiliary image processors, and processing the selected image into an image signal that can be displayed, wherein at least one of the first and second image sensors may include: a center pixel array having a square shape; and first to fourth pixel arrays having one set of sides connected to sides of the center pixel array and having the same length as the sides of the center pixel array.

Abstract: An apparatus for image processing includes an image sensor including a pixel array of a plurality of pixels, the pixel array having equal vertical and horizontal lengths; a buffer storing image signals scanned at the image sensor; and a controller reading out the image signals stored in the buffer according to a gradient of the image sensor with respect to a reference direction set to a predetermined value on an X-Y plane.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for automatically adjusting white balance, the apparatus including an Image Signal Processing (ISP) unit that processes image data; a first histogram setting unit that is connected to the ISP unit, stores the number of pixels corresponding to each Cb and Cr value of the image data applied from the ISP unit so as to set a first histogram, and sets an effective range of the first histogram; a second histogram setting unit that is connected to the first histogram setting unit, subdivides the first histogram included in the effective range so as to set a second histogram, and applies a weight to the second histogram; and a lean setting unit that is connected to the second histogram setting unit, applies preset lean values to the second histogram, to which the weight has been applied, so as to calculate a lean correction value, and delivers the calculated correction value to the ISP unit.

Abstract: An image forming element, a fabricating method of the image forming element, and an image forming apparatus having the image forming element is provided. The image forming element includes a drum body, a driving circuit mounted within the drum body, a support plate which penetrates through the drum body longitudinally along the drum body, the support plate being coupled to the driving circuit, an insulating layer formed on at least one portion of an outer circumference of the drum body, a conductive polymer layer formed on the insulating layer, the conductive polymer layer including one or more conductive areas and one or more insulating areas, which are aligned in an alternating pattern, and a protective layer formed on the conductive polymer layer, wherein the conductive areas on the conductive polymer layer are electrically connected to the driving circuit.

Abstract: Provided is a method for generating a three-dimensional (3D) mesh based on unorganized sparse 3D points to generate a mesh model that displays a 3D surface by using unorganized sparse 3D points extracted from a plurality of two-dimensional image. The 3D mesh generating method based on unorganized sparse 3D points includes the steps of: receiving a plurality of unorganized sparse 3D points, a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) corresponding point information, and images; generating an initial mesh by using the received 2D corresponding information; removing an abnormal face from the initial mesh; checking if unused 2D corresponding point information exists among the received 2D corresponding point information; if unused 2D corresponding point information exists, reorganizing the initial mesh by performing a constrained Delaunay triangulation; and if unused 2D corresponding point information does not exist in the result of the confirmation, generating a final mesh.

Abstract: Provided are an apparatus for removing ringing noise and an apparatus for removing noise. The apparatuses includes a representative value setting block dividing pixel data in one block including a plurality of pixel data into two groups through a K-means algorithm and setting a representative value in each of the groups; a parameter generator block calculating intervals and approaches between all the pixel data in the block and a pair of the representative values; and a correction block correcting an inputted pixel data value using the intervals and the approaches.

Abstract: An electroactive polymer actuator and a method for manufacturing the electroactive polymer actuator are provided. The electroactive polymer actuator includes an actuator unit which is a laminate of a plurality of deformation layers; and a support layer which supports the actuator unit so that the actuator unit provides displacement corresponding to a voltage if the voltage is applied to the actuator unit. Therefore, it is possible to provide an electroactive polymer actuator suitable for a compact mobile device with a low driving voltage.

Abstract: There is provided a camera module including dual image sensors used for different purposes, which corrects optical defects of images imaged by the dual image sensors individually to suit purposes and processes the imaged images into image signals. The camera module includes: a plurality of image sensors imaging images with different optical properties from one another; a plurality of auxiliary image processors electrically connected to the plurality of image sensors, individually, the auxiliary image processors correcting different optical defects of the images from corresponding ones of the image sensors, respectively; and an image signal processing part selecting at least one of corrected images from the auxiliary image processors to process into an image signal capable of being displayed.