Abstract: There is provided an apparatus and method for controlling auto exposure (AE) that is used in digital imaging devices. The apparatus which controls the luminance of an image being outputted from an image sensor by controlling exposure time and analog gain of the image sensor includes: a luminance operation unit operating and outputting a mean luminance of the image outputted from the image sensor; a shutter index determination unit comparing a predetermined target luminance with the mean luminance of the outputted image and determining a shutter index in different manners according to the magnitude of the difference between the target luminance and the mean luminance of the outputted image; and an exposure time/analog gain determination unit generating exposure time and analog gain corresponding to the shutter index determined in the shutter index determination unit and applying the generated exposure time and analog gain to the image sensor.

Abstract: There is provided a method of controlling a mechanical shutter that can ensure faster shutter speed by preventing a reduction of the shutter speed of the mechanical shutter caused by signal loss and physical loss caused by inertia. A method of controlling a mechanical shutter according to an aspect of the invention may include performing a row reset operation to remove image information remaining in an image sensor according to input of a trigger event generated by a user to acquire an image; transmitting a shutter close operation start signal for a mechanical shutter to the mechanical shutter before the row reset operation ends after a predetermined delay time from a time when the row reset operation starts; exposing the imager sensor right after the row reset operation ends; and fully closing the mechanical shutter.

Abstract: A telephone signal cancellation circuit, a digital broadcasting reception circuit and a portable digital broadcasting reception apparatus is provided. The telephone signal cancellation circuit, includes a signal coupler for separating a part of a reception signal, a telephone signal selection filter for passing a telephone signal among signals from the signal coupler, a phase shifter for performing phase inversion on the telephone signal among the signals from the telephone signal selection filter, and a combiner for combining the signal from the phase shifter and the reception signal, and canceling the telephone signal included in the reception signal.

Abstract: There is provided a method of controlling auto white balance that can be appropriately used for a camera of an electric device that uses a wide-angle or a super wide-angle lens.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for improving the sharpness of an image. The apparatus includes an edge detector, an effective edge judging unit, an effective edge classifying unit, an isolated edge judging unit, and a 2-D HPF applying unit. The edge detector calculates an edge value using brightness relation with neighboring pixels with respect to each of pixels of an input image. The effective edge judging unit determines effective edge pixels. The effective edge classifying unit determines weak edge pixels and strong edge pixels. The isolated edge judging unit judges an isolated edge pixel included in an isolated edge. The 2-D HPF applying unit applies a first 2-D HPF to the weak edge pixels, and applies a second 2-D HPF to the strong edge pixels to generate edge strengthening values. The edge strengthening value applying unit adds the edge strengthening values to brightness values of the respective pixels of the input image.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling gain of color signal includes an auto white balance algorithm applying unit determining a white estimation region from an input image, and calculating a first color signal gain for correcting an average color signal level of pixels of the white estimation region to white, a pixel determining unit determining a form of each pixel according to brightness and color using the color signal level of the each pixel of the input image, and a color signal gain determining unit determining a color signal gain to be applied to the each pixel according to the form of the each pixel of the input image as any one of the first color signal gain, a second color signal gain determined by the color signal level of the each pixel for correcting the each pixel to white and a unit gain.

Abstract: Provided is a digital/analog converter including a voltage dividing unit that includes a plurality of voltage dividing elements and divides a reference voltage by voltage division; a first decoder that selects a plurality of voltages among the voltages divided by the voltage dividing unit; a first voltage output unit that is connected to nodes among adjacent voltage dividing elements of the voltage dividing unit and the first decoder, and outputs a plurality of voltages selected by the first decoder; a second decoder that selects any one of the plurality of voltages output from the first voltage output unit; and a second voltage output unit that is connected to the first voltage output unit and the second decoder and outputs the voltage selected by the second decoder.

Abstract: A Two-Dimensional (2D) image segmentation apparatus for segmenting pixels of a progressive input 2D image includes a group information storing unit storing information of pixel groups including a plurality of adjacent pixels; a pixel determining unit determining coordinates of an input pixel, and determining whether the input pixel is an effective pixel for segmentation; a group scanning unit scanning a adjacent pixel group disposed in a scan range preset from the effective pixel in the group storing unit when the input pixel is determined as the effective pixel by the pixel determining unit; and a group information updating unit updating information of a pixel group stored in the group information storing unit according to whether there is the scanned adjacent pixel group and a pixel group including an input pixel preceding the effective pixel. Moreover, a method is provided that removes red-eye using area information of a pixel group determined by the segmentation apparatus.

Abstract: In a clock noise canceling circuit, a coupler extracts a signal from a clock signal. A filter selects a harmonic component of a preset frequency in the extraction signal from the coupler. A phase shifter phase inverts the harmonic component of the preset frequency from the filter. An AGC amplifier amplifies the phase-inverted harmonic component from the phase shifter. Also, a combiner combines the amplified component from the phase shifter with the clock signal to eliminate the harmonic component of the preset frequency from the clock signal. A power detector detects a power level of the harmonic component of the preset frequency in an output signal of the combiner. Additionally, a controller controls gain of the automatic gain control amplifier based on the power level of the harmonic component detected by the power detector, thereby canceling noises.

Abstract: There is provided a method of performing auto white balance including: setting a plurality of sections of a whole range of a value of each of Y, Cb, and Cr in the YCbCr color space, according to a size of each value; calculating an accumulated Y, Cb, and Cr value of pixels included in each of the plurality of sections; determining effective sections according to the number of the pixels included in each of the plurality of sections; calculating a mean Y, Cb, and Cr value of pixels included in all of the effective sections by using the accumulated Y, Cb, and Cr value of each of the effective sections; calculating a mean RGB value by converting the mean Y, Cb, and Cr value into an RGB color space; and determining an RGB color gain of a Bayer image outputted from an image sensor by using the mean RGB value.

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: 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 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.