Abstract: A thermal infrared solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array having pixels diodes, a vertical power supply line connected to horizontal drive lines and commonly connecting the horizontal drive lines, integrating circuits for integrating voltages at the ends of the vertical signal lines for a predetermined integration time, and current sources connected to the vertical signal lines at an opposite end to the end of the vertical signal line which is connected to the integrating circuit. The integration time is equally divided substantially into two periods, and during one divided period of the integration time, energization is performed between one end of the vertical power supply line and the current source, and during the other divided period of the integration time, the energization is performed between other end of the vertical power supply line and the current source.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for image pickup and an image pickup device using the same. The image pickup device includes a lens, an image-processing program, and a user interface. The lens is utilized to obtain a main image by shooting an object. The image-processing program divides the main image into a plurality of sub-image blocks, computes the resolution of every sub-image block, and compares each resolution with a threshold. The user interface displays the compared result of each sub-image block to indicate if the lens and the object are parallel.

Abstract: In a case where a position information acquisition setting unit sets to acquire position information and in a case where a determination unit determines that the image data recorded in a recording medium is automatically transmitted to an external device, a transmission setting confirmation screen is displayed, so that the image data to which the position information is attached is prevented from being transmitted to the external device while the user does not intend to do so.

Abstract: A captured image processing system includes a portable terminal apparatus and an image output apparatus. The portable terminal apparatus captures images consecutively while detecting a change in position of the portable terminal apparatus during the image capture, and transmits, to the image output apparatus, (i) a plurality of captured image data and (ii) motion information on the change in position detected for each of the plurality of captured image data. The output apparatus receives, from the portable terminal apparatus, the plurality of captured image data and the motion information, carries out, in accordance with the motion information, a positioning process in which the plurality of captured image data are positionally adjusted, prepares, by use of the plurality of captured image data subjected to the positioning process, high resolution image data, and outputs the high resolution image data prepared or an image displayed based on the high resolution image data.

Abstract: An audio, visual and device data capturing system including an audio recorder for recording audio data, at least one visual recorder for recording visual data, at least one device data recorder for receiving device data from at least one device in communication with the system, a speech recognition module for interpreting the audio data, a transcript module for generating transcript data from the interpreted audio data, a data capturing module for generating a data record including at least a portion of each of the audio data, the transcript data, the visual data and the device data, and at least one storage device for storing the data record.

Abstract: An optical system comprising an aberration control optical system is disclosed. An aberration control optical system is operable to produce an image aberration, and an aperture stop is operable to limit a light beam passing through the aberration control optical system. An image pickup device is operable to capture an object image passing through the aberration control optical system, and the aberration control optical system provides inflection points within a diameter of the aperture stop to obtain a depth extending effect.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit that includes a shooting lens for collecting an image of a subject to be shot; and an imaging element that forms the image collected by the shooting lens and generates image data through photoelectric conversion of formed image. The imaging apparatus also includes an inclination detector that detects an inclination of the imaging apparatus from a predetermined position, through a rotation around a shooting optical axis of the shooting lens. The apparatus also includes a control unit that changes an operating mode to a switchable state capable of switching between operating modes when a predetermined time has elapsed in a state in which the inclination detected by the inclination detector falls within a predetermined range in which the operating modes of the imaging apparatus are switched to each other.

Abstract: A database of user preferences for a high quality picture is maintained. Preferences may be generated over time by tracking attributes of pictures that the user has deleted or failed to select for storage. When the camera is in preview mode, the camera may automatically capture image data for one or more pictures as a background operation. When the user commands the taking of a picture, the camera will capture image data for a user photo. A comparison may be made to determine which one of the automatically taken picture or the user photo has a higher correlation to user preferences for a quality photo. If the user photo has higher correlation, it may be retained in the customary manner for digital pictures. If the automatically taken photo has higher correlation, the user may be given the option to select the user photo or the automatically taken photo for retention.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus (1) performs matching processing with respect to a first video signal and a second video signal obtained from two imaging devices (3). The matching processing minimizes a disparity amount between the first video signal and the second video signal. A third video signal obtained from one of the imaging devices (3) is shifted by a minimum disparity amount obtained as a result of the matching processing, and is added to a fourth video signal obtained from the other imaging device (3). Non-linear processing and/or contour correction processing is performed on the video signal obtained by adding the two video signals, and a monitoring image is generated. Thus, an image processing apparatus is provided that can obtain a monitoring image of high image quality by adding two video signals and utilizing the resulting video signal as a monitoring image.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprising: an input visual environment acquisition unit that acquires a shooting scene viewing condition at the time of shooting an image, an output visual environment acquisition unit that acquires a shot image viewing condition, a converting unit that converts the image using a predetermined color appearance model based on the shooting scene viewing condition acquired by the input visual environment acquisition unit and the shot image viewing condition acquired by the output visual environment acquisition unit, and a correction unit that corrects a parameter of the color appearance model used by the converting unit by using at least one of a shooting condition of the image and a scene judging result based on at least one of the image and the shooting conditions of the image.

Abstract: In an image pick-up apparatus 1, when an instruction of setting white balance is given by user's manual operation, a central region of a picked up image is set and further the central region of image is divided into plural regions of image. In each of the plural regions of image, RGB components are detected, and gain values of R and B components are calculated, which make these R and B components equivalent to G component. Further, when a variance of colors of the plural regions of image is less than a predetermined threshold value, it is determined that a picture is taken with a color pattern set at the center of viewing angle, an average of gain values set for the plural regions of image is calculated and the average is supplied to a gain controlling unit 41 to be applied to an image signal.

Abstract: When an interchangeable lens in which a memory that records image data is provided is mounted to a camera main body including a display section that displays an image, a signal processing and control section of the camera main body reads in a sample image that is previously stored in the memory. The sample image serves as a model with respect to an image that can be photographed by the interchangeable lens. The sample image is displayed by the display section for a predetermined time. Thereafter, the signal processing and control section performs display control that switches the display of the display section so as to display an image in which a subject is picked up by the interchangeable lens and the image pickup section.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus can correct band-like unevenness due to flickering with a simple arrangement. For this purpose, the image processing apparatus includes a detecting unit which detects, in the image to be processed, a band-like unevenness occurring along a direction substantially perpendicular to the scanning direction of the imaging sensor included in the image-capturing apparatus used when performing image-capturing of the image, a calculating unit which calculates a correction amount to correct the band-like unevenness, and a correcting unit which corrects the band-like unevenness in the image based on the correction amount.

Abstract: There is provided a solid-state image sensing device including a pixel section in which cells are arrayed, each cell including a photoelectric conversion unit, a reading circuit reading out, to a detection unit, signal charges obtained by the photoelectric conversion unit, an amplifying circuit amplifying and outputting a voltage corresponding to the signal charges, and a reset circuit resetting the signal charges, an exposure time control circuit controlling an exposure time and controlling the exposure time to be equal for all cells, an A/D conversion circuit A/D-converting a signal output from the pixel section by changing a resolution of a signal level, line memories storing an A/D-converted signal, and a signal processing circuit processing output signals from the line memories to have a linear gradient with respect to an optical input signal amount by controlling an amplification factor in accordance with a resolution of a pixel output signal after A/D-conversion.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus is provided including an acquiring unit configured to acquire information regarding a set of frames that is associated with a condition indicating a relative relationship between a set of images to be arranged in the set of frames, an extracting unit configured to extract the set of images from a plurality of images, wherein the set of images extracted satisfies the condition that is associated with the information regarding the set of frames acquired by the acquiring unit, and an arranging unit configured to arrange the set of images extracted by the extracting unit in the set of frames corresponding to the information acquired by the acquiring unit.

Abstract: A solid-state image capturing device includes: a pixel array including a plurality of two-dimensionally arrayed pixels; a row scanning circuit that performs row scanning to sequentially select a row; a column ADC circuit that simultaneously converts analog pixel signals output from the plurality of pixels belonging to a row selected by the row scanning circuit into pieces of digital pixel data; a column digital memory that stores pixel data of one row therein; and a one-line compression circuit that sequentially performs compression coding to pixel data output from the column digital memory. In the solid-state image capturing device, when performing the compression coding to the pixel data, the one-line compression circuit refers to pixel data belonging to a row identical to that of the pixel data in question while not referring to pixel data belonging to a row different from that of the pixel data in question.

Abstract: A switcher control device includes: a superimposition determining unit that determines whether a superimposition image is superimposed on an image taken by a camera based on angle information and zoom value information about the camera in selecting a camera image when an effects switcher selects the image taken by the camera as a background image; and a switcher instructing unit that instructs the effects switcher to superimpose the superimposition image based on a determined result of the superimposition determining unit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for realizing a dynamic image effect by which a user can have fun by setting a moving direction and speed of an object (e.g., snow, flowers and autumn leaves) and displaying the object together with an image. The apparatus for realizing the dynamic image effect includes a digital image processing apparatus, and includes a digital signal processor (DSP) for adjusting direction and speed of the object displayed together with the image.

Abstract: A device for correcting a defect pixel value of a CMOS image sensor unit is proposed, the image sensor unit comprising at least a first and a second pixel array. The image sensor unit is arranged to project the same image onto each pixel array. The correcting device comprises at least a first and a second input channel for receiving pixel values of the first and the second pixel array, respectively. The processing device is operable to replace the defect pixel value by a corrected pixel value, which is determined from values of neighboring pixels to the defect pixel of the same pixel array. The corrected pixel value is evaluated with respect to values of a corresponding pixel and its neighboring pixels of the second pixel array at the same location as the defect pixel of the first pixel array in respect to the projected image.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus capable of increasing the accuracy of detection of an outside flash of light. The imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit that sequentially captures images using a CMOS-type image sensor, and a flash determination unit that determines the presence/absence of a flash based on the images captured by the imaging unit. The flash determination unit monitors an amount of change in the average luminance level of a predetermined region in the lower area of the screen in the images captured by the imaging unit, and determines the presence/absence of a flash based on the amount of change in the average luminance level.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for reducing artifacts in images and video, such as ringing or halo artifacts. The system may include an edge detector and a gain controller. The edge detector may create an edge image used by the gain controller to create a gain image, and the gain image may be used to reduce artifacts in an image. The gain controller may, for a current pixel in the edge image, compute the maximum value of the edge image over a window containing the current pixel. The gain controller may also perform averaging to determine a maximum edge value and a current edge value, and may also use a ratio of the current edge value and the maximum edge value to determine a gain to be applied to a pixel of an image.

Abstract: A method of capturing an image of a scene using an image capture device having an array of pixels, wherein the array of pixels includes pixels of different colors, includes, for a first duration, capturing a first portion of the scene with a first plurality of the pixels of a first color, and for a second duration, capturing a second portion of the scene with a second plurality of the pixels of a second color. The first and second durations are different and the first and second durations are chosen, at least in part, to improve the signal to noise ratio of the image capture device.

Abstract: An imaging device includes: a lens optical system, for focusing light from a subject; a single chip color imaging element equipped with a Bayer pattern color filter, for imaging an image of the subject focused by the lens optical system; and an image processing section, for performing a filtering process in which data output by the imaging element is passed through an image reconstructing filter having properties inverse blur properties of the optical system, and then performing a synchronization process. The image processing section collects data excluding zero elements for each of R, G, and B channels, to generate reduced data arrays in which the amount of data is ¼ for the R and B channels, and ½ for the G channel, and administers the filtering process using the image reconstruction filter onto data of the reduced data array for each of the R, G, and B channels.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a cell includes 2N pixels configured to accumulate charges generated based on incident light, an amplifier transistor is formed for each the cell and amplifies, for each of the pixels, signals read out from the pixels to a floating diffusion, and charge coupled devices transfer the charges accumulated in the pixels to the floating diffusion.

Abstract: Pixels in an imaging device pixel array are sized according to their geographic location in the pixel array to compensate for various optical characteristics/issues. In one example, pixel size is increased according to the distance of the pixel from the x-axis and/or the y-axis of the pixel array to correct for lens shading.

Abstract: In a reference signal comparison AD conversion scheme, a reference signal SLP_ADC and each of P and D phases of a pixel signal voltage Vx are compared. A count clock CKcnt1 is counted based on the comparison result. The counting result data is converted into signal data Dsig, i.e., the difference between the P and D phases, which is also subjected to CDS. At this time, the n-bit AD conversion is performed on each of the P and D phases of the pixel signal voltage Vx, followed by summation for digital integration. This prevents any possible detrimental effects that may be caused by summation in the analog domain. Although the signal data becomes W times greater, noise will likely become ?W times greater. This alleviates the problem of random noise resulting from AD conversion such as quantizing noise and circuit noise that do not exist in the analog domain, thus reducing the noise.

Abstract: A circuit board is arranged on an end face of a lens barrel on a lens mount side and installed with an electronic circuit device, a plurality of connection terminals which are arranged in an electrically insulating state in the lens mount and serve to connect the electronic circuit device on the circuit board with an electronic circuit device inside a camera body, and a wiring member is for connecting the plurality of connection terminals with the circuit board, where the wiring member is provided with a ground connection section which is connected to a ground pattern of the circuit board and also electrically connected to a connection terminal that is to be a ground terminal among the plurality of connection terminals, and an extended wiring pattern is for electrically grounding the ground connection section on a metal portion of the lens mount.

Abstract: An image capture method is provided for a portable communication device having a display unit, which real-time displays an image at least including an object to be shot. The method includes sensing a moving acceleration of the portable communication device based on a first gravity-sensing threshold value. A touch focus signal is received so that the portable communication device focuses on one of the objects to be the focus-lock object. Then, according to the touch focus signal, the first gravity-sensing threshold value is changed to a second gravity-sensing threshold value, which is larger than the first gravity-sensing threshold value. The image at least including the focus-lock object is captured.

Abstract: A semiconductor device obtains highly accurate image data regardless of the intensity of incident light. The semiconductor device includes a first photo sensor provided in a pixel, a second photo sensor provided around the pixel, and a controller for setting the drive condition of the first photo sensor in accordance with the intensity of outside light obtained by the second photo sensor. An image is taken after the sensitivity of the first photo sensor is changed in accordance with the drive condition set by the controller. Thus, in the semiconductor device, an image can be taken using the first photo sensor whose sensitivity is optimized in accordance with the intensity of incident light.

Abstract: There is provided an image processing device including a superimposition display position determining unit which determines a position of an object having a predetermined flat surface or curved surface out of an object imaged in an input image based on an environment map, a superimposition display image generating unit which generates a superimposition display image by setting superimposition display data at the position of the object determined by the superimposition display position determining unit, an image superimposing unit which superimposes the superimposition display image on a visual field of a user, an operating object recognizing unit which recognizes an operating object imaged in the input image, and a process executing unit which executes a process corresponding to an item selected based on a position of the operating object recognized by the operating object recognizing unit.

Abstract: Provided are a digital photographing apparatus which provides the benefit of distorting an image of an object display on an electronic viewfinder so that the object does not appear to be distorted to a user with astigmatism, and a method of controlling the digital photographing apparatus. The digital photographing apparatus includes an image capture device configured to generate data from light incident to an object to generate preview images of the object; and an electronic viewfinder configured to display preview images, wherein the digital photographing apparatus is configured to distort the preview image to correct for the vision of a user and to control the electronic viewfinder to display the distorted preview image.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a solid-state imaging device includes: an imaging optical system including: a first and second surfaces facing each other; a flat reflector provided on the first surface and having an aperture in an outer circumferential portion; and a plurality of reflectors provided on the second surface and located in a plurality of ring-like areas, each of the reflectors being inclined in a radial direction, the reflectors having different diameters from one another; and an imaging element module including: an imaging element including an imaging area having a plurality of pixel blocks each including a plurality of pixels, and receiving and converting light from the imaging optical system into image data; a visible light transmission substrate provided between the imaging optical system and the imaging element; a microlens array provided on a surface of the visible light transmission substrate on the imaging element side; and an image processing unit processing the image data obtained by the imaging ele

Abstract: Provided is a small-sized five-element image pickup lens which ensures a sufficient lens speed of about F2 and exhibits various aberrations being excellently corrected. The image pickup lens is composed of, in order from the object side, a first lens with a positive refractive power, including a convex surface facing the object side; a second lens with a negative refractive power, including a concave surface facing the image side; a third lens with a positive or negative refractive power; a fourth lens with a positive refractive power, including a convex surface facing the image side; and a fifth lens with a negative refractive power, including a concave surface facing the image side. The image-side surface of the fifth lens has an aspheric shape, and includes an inflection point at a position excluding an intersection point with the optical axis.

Abstract: Provided is a small-sized five-element image pickup lens which ensures a sufficient lens speed of about F2 and exhibits various aberrations being excellently corrected. The image pickup lens is composed of, in order from the object side, a first lens with a positive refractive power, including a convex surface facing the object side; a second lens with a negative refractive power, including a concave surface facing the image side; a third lens with a positive or negative refractive power; a fourth lens with a positive refractive power, including a convex surface facing the image side; and a fifth lens with a negative refractive power, including a concave surface facing the image side. The image-side surface of the fifth lens has an aspheric shape, and includes an inflection point at a position excluding an intersection point with the optical axis.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus capable of assisting such shooting that a designated subject is accommodated in a predetermined reference range without user's continuing gazing at a display screen. Imaging apparatus 100 has: imaging optical system 310 that forms an optical image of a subject; solid-state image sensor 330 that converts the optical image into an electrical signal; video signal processing section 350 that carries out a predetermined processing for the electrical signal and generates image data; tracking processing section 390 that decides whether or not the designated subject is in a predetermined range within a trackable range, using the image data generated in video signal processing section 350; and reporting section 410 that reports a decision result in tracking processing section 390 by means of light.

Abstract: Light field imaging systems, and in particular light field lenses that can be mated with a variety of conventional cameras (e.g., digital or photographic/film, image and video/movie cameras) to create light field imaging systems. Light field data collected by these light field imaging systems can then be used to produce 2D images, right eye/left eye 3D images, to refocus foreground images and/or background images together or separately (depth of field adjustments), and to move the camera angle, as well as to render and manipulate images using a computer graphics rendering engine and compositing tools.

Abstract: A light-collecting device includes at least one first annular region having a first refractive index, and at least one second annular region having a second refractive index different from the first refractive index, the at least one first annular region and the at least one second annular region are adjacently and alternately arranged in a concentric manner, and at least one of the at least one first annular region and the at least one second annular region includes a gap at a portion where a width of the annular region gradually decreases.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes: an image pickup lens; an image pickup device to obtain image pickup data; a microlens array on an image forming plane of the image pickup lens; and an image processing section producing an image based on the image pickup data. The microlens array includes microlenses each provided corresponding to pixels of the image pickup device. The image processing section includes a parallax image producing section and a resizing section. The parallax image producing section extracts pixel data from the image pickup data and synthesizes the pixel data to produce a plurality of parallax images. Each of the extracted pixel data corresponds to each of pixels located at the same position in image pickup regions of the image pickup device, each region corresponding to each microlens. The resizing section resizes each parallax image to change the resolutions thereof.

Abstract: A focusing apparatus is configured to execute a focusing operation without using any auto-focus evaluation value obtained from an auto-focus evaluation value detection area set for an object other than that of an intended object when a plurality of objects is detected.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a histogram shape determination unit that acquires a histogram of luminance values from video captured by an image capturing unit and determines whether or not the captured video is a night scene from the shape of the histogram. The imaging apparatus also includes a point light source determination unit that acquires the maximum value of contrast for each horizontal line in the video as a line evaluation value and determines whether the captured video is a night scene based on whether or not the line evaluation value has a characteristic of an object as a point light source. If the histogram shape determination unit and the point light source determination unit determine that the captured video is a night scene, the imaging apparatus determines that the scene captured by the image capturing unit is a night scene.

Abstract: A circuit-substrate support structure includes a circuit substrate having electronic components mounted thereon, a first substrate-holding member provided at one side edge of the circuit substrate to hold the circuit substrate, a second substrate-holding member provided at the other side edge of the circuit substrate, opposite the one side edge, to hold the circuit substrate, and an elastic member provided together with the second substrate-holding member to hold the circuit substrate by applying elasticity in a surface direction of the circuit substrate.

Abstract: An imaging device according to the present invention comprises a lens unit having a frame to which a lens is attached, an image sensor which ray of light that has passed the lens should enter, and a board member fixed to the frame of the lens unit, the board member being provided with an aperture for accommodating the image sensor, and the image sensor being adhered and fixed to the board member. Here, a protrusion which extends along an edge of the aperture is formed on a lens-side surface or a rear surface of the board member in at least a part of an area surrounding the aperture, and an adhesive is filled between the protrusion and the image sensor to fix the image sensor to the board member.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a video signal processing method and apparatus. In an embodiment of the present invention, video having a second screen size is generated from input video having a first screen size through Wavelet/Bicubic video interpolation, and a parallel Projection Onto Convex Sets (POCS) method is applied to the generated video having the second screen size. In this embodiment, the video having the second screen size, which is generated through Wavelet/Bicubic video interpolation, is used as an initial value for the POCS method, and a motion component estimated based on the video having the first screen size and the video having the second screen size obtained through the use of the POCS method is used as a correction value for the POCS method. Accordingly, HD-class video can be rapidly produced from SD-class video without image degradation.

Abstract: The present invention is arranged such that interlace image data, which has been supplied, is converted to progressive image data in an I/P conversion section, and the image data converted to progressive style in the I/P conversion section is subjected to image processing including data comparison in spatial or time series manner, in an image processing section.

Abstract: A signal control method of analyzing audio and video signals and interdependently enhancing each audio and video signal with regard to a multimedia input sequence including audio and video signal components are provided. The method of controlling audio and video signals includes: analyzing characteristics of components of the audio and video signals; interdependently modifying the audio signal and/or video signal according to the analyzed characteristics of components of the audio and video signals; and synchronizing the modified audio and video signals.

Abstract: Provided is a video display device that quickly determines, when a video signal of unknown resolution is input from the outside, the resolution of the video signal to correctly display a video.

Abstract: Various embodiments are described herein for a universal television receiver that is capable of processing television channel signals, that are transmitted according to a variety of broadcast standards, to provide video and audio information for a desired television channel signal. The processing includes producing a coarse channel signal that includes a desired television channel signal and then applying resampling techniques to adjust a normalized bandwidth of the desired television channel signal to generally correspond to the normalized passband of a main filter that is used for each of the broadcast standards.

Abstract: The digital broadcast receiver according to the present invention includes: a signal separating section that separates a main audio signal and a video signal from a decoded digital broadcast signal, and when the decoded digital broadcast signal includes the sub-audio signal, further separates the sub-audio signal; an audio generating section that decodes the main audio signal to generate a decoded main audio signal, and decodes the sub-audio signal, when it has been further separated, to generate a decoded sub-audio signal; a video generating section that decodes the video signal to generate a decoded video signal; a detecting section that detects an input to the audio generating section of the separated sub-audio signal; and a control section that, when the detecting section has detected an input of the sub-audio, controls the video generating section to further generate a sub-audio image signal to display a sub-audio image indicating the presence of sub-audio.

Abstract: A multimedia device and a play mode determination method of the same are provided. The multimedia device includes a frame difference calculation unit, a global threshold determination unit and a play mode determination unit. The frame difference calculation unit calculates the frame difference between two continuous frames to obtain a global variation. The global threshold determination unit determines a film mode threshold corresponding to a film mode and a video mode threshold corresponding to a video mode according to a current frame of the two frames and a previous global variation, and selects a global threshold from the film mode threshold and the video mod threshold. The selected threshold is smaller than the film mode threshold. The play mode determination unit compares the global variation with the global threshold, and enables the multimedia device to enter one of the film mode and the video mode according to the comparison result.

Abstract: A method for switching a channel of an image display device and an apparatus adopting the method are disclosed. The method for switching a channel includes switching a currently displayed channel to a major channel, which is adjacent to the currently displayed channel, if a channel switch command is input using a first direction key, and switching the currently displayed channel to a minor channel, which is adjacent to the currently displayed channel, if a channel switch command is input using a second direction key. Accordingly, a user can switch to a desired channel, thereby increasing user convenience, and a list of minor channels pertaining to a current channel is displayed, so that all channels provided by the broadcasting station of the current channel can be identified.