Abstract: A digital camera comprises an image sensor for providing initial sensor image data and final sensor image data; a lens for exposing the image of a scene onto the image sensor; an exposure control system for adjusting an exposure level of a final image on the image sensor in response to a scene type; and a processor for processing the initial sensor image data to select one of a plurality of scene types, and to process the final sensor image data in response to the scene type.

Abstract: A digital camera comprises an image sensor for providing initial sensor image data and final sensor image data; a lens for exposing the image of a scene onto the image sensor; an exposure control system for adjusting an exposure level of a final image on the image sensor in response to a scene type; and a processor for processing the initial sensor image data to select one of a plurality of scene types, and to process the final sensor image data in response to the scene type.

Abstract: An imaging system 1 includes an imaging control device 10, an imaging device 20, and a light emitting device 30. The imaging control device 10 is provided for controlling the imaging device 20 and the light emitting device 30, and includes an evaluation unit 13, a light reception adjustment unit 14, and a light emission adjustment unit 15. The evaluation unit 13 evaluates respective brightnesses of the first image data and the second image data that are output from the imaging device 20. The light reception adjustment unit 14 adjusts any of an exposure time, a diaphragm value, and a gain that are to be used when the imaging device 20 captures an image, based on a brightness evaluation result. The light emission adjustment unit 15 causes the light emitting device 30 to emit light of either wavelength band of the first wavelength band and the second wavelength band, and adjusts a light emission intensity of the light, based on an evaluation result.

Abstract: A digital camera comprises an image sensor for providing initial sensor image data and final sensor image data; a lens for exposing the image of a scene onto the image sensor; an exposure control system for adjusting an exposure level of a final image on the image sensor in response to a scene type; and a processor for processing the initial sensor image data to select one of a plurality of scene types, and to process the final sensor image data in response to the scene type.

Abstract: A digital camera comprises an image sensor for providing initial sensor image data and final sensor image data; a lens for exposing the image of a scene onto the image sensor; an exposure control system for adjusting an exposure level of a final image on the image sensor in response to a scene type; and a processor for processing the initial sensor image data to select one of a plurality of scene types, and to process the final sensor image data in response to the scene type.

Abstract: A digital camera comprises an image sensor for providing initial sensor image data and final sensor image data; a lens for exposing the image of a scene onto the image sensor; an exposure control system for adjusting an exposure level of a final image on the image sensor in response to a scene type; and a processor for processing the initial sensor image data to select one of a plurality of scene types, and to process the final sensor image data in response to the scene type.

Abstract: An imaging system 1 includes an imaging control device 10, an imaging device 20, and a light emitting device 30. The imaging control device 10 is provided for controlling the imaging device 20 and the light emitting device 30, and includes an evaluation unit 13, a light reception adjustment unit 14, and a light emission adjustment unit 15. The evaluation unit 13 evaluates respective brightnesses of the first image data and the second image data that are output from the imaging device 20. The light reception adjustment unit 14 adjusts any of an exposure time, a diaphragm value, and a gain that are to be used when the imaging device 20 captures an image, based on a brightness evaluation result. The light emission adjustment unit 15 causes the light emitting device 30 to emit light of either wavelength band of the first wavelength band and the second wavelength band, and adjusts a light emission intensity of the light, based on an evaluation result.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus according to this invention comprises: an image capturing unit which performs continuous image capturing; a storing unit which stores a plurality of first images captured by the image capturing unit before a shutter button is pushed, and a plurality of second images captured by the image capturing unit after the shutter button is pushed; and a generating unit which generates a background image which is an image of a background of a dynamic body included in the first images and second images based on at least the plurality of first images.

Abstract: A digital camera comprises an image sensor for providing initial sensor image data and final sensor image data; a lens for exposing the image of a scene onto the image sensor; an exposure control system for adjusting an exposure level of a final image on the image sensor in response to a scene type; and a processor for processing the initial sensor image data to select one of a plurality of scene types, and to process the final sensor image data in response to the scene type.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus according to this invention comprises: an image capturing unit which performs continuous image capturing; a storing unit which stores a plurality of first images captured by the image capturing unit before a shutter button is pushed, and a plurality of second images captured by the image capturing unit after the shutter button is pushed; and a generating unit which generates a background image which is an image of a background of a dynamic body included in the first images and second images based on at least the plurality of first images.

Abstract: The present invention provides an imaging apparatus which, when a dynamic range is expanded, even if a subject is irradiated by a plurality of different light sources, can apply adequate white balances to respective light sources. The imaging apparatus captures two images from an image sensor at different exposures when a preview image, which is input from the image sensor but is not captured yet, includes an area which is irradiated by the different light sources and which comprises the different brightnesses. The imaging apparatus then composes a dark area of the one image captured at the over exposure and applied a white balance to and a bright area of the other image captured at the under exposure and applied a white balance to.

Abstract: In an image capturing apparatus, a hue shift is prevented. A digital camera has a gray level correction function. Image data obtained with a CCD 10 is divided into a plurality of blocks and further has brightness data and color difference data converted in a brightness/color difference conversion section 20. When it is determined, based on the color difference data, that image data includes blue sky image or that chroma of the image data is high, an image processing exposure compensation adjustment/exposure correction amount calculation section 30 sets an underexposure value, which is employed when capturing images with an exposure value being lower than a correct exposure value, to be smaller than a default value to prevent a hue shift caused by gray level correction performed by a gray level correction section 32.

Abstract: To provide an auto white balance apparatus and a white balance adjusting method capable of performing more stable white balance adjustment. For every block, a characteristic pixel determination circuit 106 determines a characteristic pixel from among a pixel group in a block and a light-source reflection determination circuit 108 determines whether the typical value of a block reflects the light source of an input image, by comparing the color difference of a characteristic pixel of the block with the typical color difference of the block. Then, as a result of the determination, a white balance evaluating circuit 110 determines the light source of an image by using blocks that reflect the light source.

Abstract: The present invention provides a white balance adjustment device that is capable of adjusting white balance by estimating a color of a light source with a high degree of accuracy, even for a scene in which an object such as a leaf is present. The white balance adjustment device divides a captured image into a plurality of blocks, and extracts a representative color difference (Tg, Ti) from each block, and a characteristic pixel (Tg0, Ti0) having a maximum color difference in each block. The white balance adjustment device calculates a light source color estimation vector from a representative value pixel and a characteristic pixel for each block, and estimates a convergence point of light source color estimation vectors of the plurality of blocks as the color of the light source used for the input image to adjust the white balance.

Abstract: In an image capturing apparatus, a hue shift is prevented. A digital camera has a gray level correction function. Image data obtained with a CCD 10 is divided into a plurality of blocks and further has brightness data and color difference data converted in a brightness/color difference conversion section 20. When it is determined, based on the color difference data, that image data includes blue sky image or that chroma of the image data is high, an image processing exposure compensation adjustment/exposure correction amount calculation section 30 sets an underexposure value, which is employed when capturing images with an exposure value being lower than a correct exposure value, to be smaller than a default value to prevent a hue shift caused by gray level correction performed by a gray level correction section 32.

Abstract: A digital camera comprises an image sensor for providing initial sensor image data and final sensor image data; a lens for exposing the image of a scene onto the image sensor; an exposure control system for adjusting an exposure level of a final image on the image sensor in response to a scene type; and a processor for processing the initial sensor image data to select one of a plurality of scene types, and to process the final sensor image data in response to the scene type.

Abstract: In order to automatically determine a scene, a probability that a presumed target which is a characteristic target in an imaging scene is present is calculated in advance for each imaging scene as scene reliability. In order to calculate the scene reliability, a color characteristic and a brightness characteristic of the presumed target of each imaging scene is stored in a digital camera as a scene characteristic in advance. When the scene reliability is calculated, a preview image is divided into a plurality of blocks and a representative brightness value and a representative color value of each block are calculated as block characteristics. The scene reliability is then calculated based on a comparison between the calculated block characteristics and the scene characteristic of each imaging scene.

Abstract: The present invention provides a white balance adjustment device that is capable of adjusting white balance by estimating a color of a light source with a high degree of accuracy, even for a scene in which an object such as a leaf is present. The white balance adjustment device divides a captured image into a plurality of blocks, and extracts a representative color difference (Tg, Ti) from each block, and a characteristic pixel (Tg0, Ti0) having a maximum color difference in each block. The white balance adjustment device calculates a light source color estimation vector from a representative value pixel and a characteristic pixel for each block, and estimates a convergence point of light source color estimation vectors of the plurality of blocks as the color of the light source used for the input image to adjust the white balance.

Abstract: To provide an auto white balance apparatus and a white balance adjusting method capable of performing more stable white balance adjustment. For every block, a characteristic pixel determination circuit 106 determines a characteristic pixel from among a pixel group in a block and a light-source reflection determination circuit 108 determines whether the typical value of a block reflects the light source of an input image, by comparing the color difference of a characteristic pixel of the block with the typical color difference of the block. Then, as a result of the determination, a white balance evaluating circuit 110 determines the light source of an image by using blocks that reflect the light source.