Abstract: An imaging apparatus comprises a plurality of pixels, a driving unit configured to successively reset signal charges stored in a photoelectric conversion unit at every predetermined line and successively read out a signal based on the signal charges at every predetermined line, and a control unit. The control unit has a first mode in which a starting readout line of the pixels is fixed and a second mode in which the starting readout line of the pixels is changeable based on input control information. The control unit changes a reset timing of the pixels of the starting readout line in the second mode so as to cause a second charge storage period to be less or equal to a first charge storage period in the second mode.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus and method is disclosed that is applied for image stabilization. The method comprises the following steps of: At least two images are captured by the image capture module. A sharpest image and a sharper image are selected from the at least two images. At least a motion vector is generated between the sharpest image and the sharper image. The sharpest image is combined with the sharper image based on the motion vector and a combination ratio so as to generate a combined image.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes: an image pickup device in which photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to color components are arranged in a predetermined pattern; an acquisition unit that successively acquires a plurality of images by using the image pickup device; a detector that detects a positional deviation among the plurality of images; and a synthesis unit that compensates the positional deviation to synthesize the plurality of images by addition, wherein the synthesis unit adds the plurality of images in a state where the images have the same color layout as that of the photoelectric conversion elements in the image pickup device.

Abstract: A shooting device includes a image sensor for capturing an image of a subject, a detection unit detecting stabilization information from the image, a stabilization information recording unit associating a shooting condition during shooting with the detected stabilization information and recording the shooting condition and the stabilization information, and an electronic image stabilization unit. The electronic image stabilization unit extracts the stabilization information corresponding to the shooting condition having a predetermined relationship with the shooting condition by referring to the stabilization information recording unit using the shooting condition, and stabilizes the shooting device shake based on the extracted stabilization information.

Abstract: An imaging unit, including: a lens housing section to accommodate a lens; a lens driving section, including: a moving member which supports the lens and moves the lens in an optical axial direction, and an electro-mechanical transduction element to drive the moving member in the optical axial direction; a camera-shake preventing section which drives the lens housing section to prevent camera-shake; and a rotation regulating section to prevent the lens from rotating around an optical axis.

Abstract: A method of stabilizing an image sequence, said method comprising the following phases: estimating a first global motion vector comprising a first motion component in a predetermined direction that has associated with it a first respective amplitude and a first respective direction, said first vector being representative of the motion with respect to a reference image of a first image consisting of a pixel matrix, associating said first component with either a wanted motion or an unwanted motion, compensating said first component when it is associated with an unwanted motion, characterized in that the association phase comprises a phase of comparing the first amplitude of said component with a threshold compensation value T comp hor assigned to the predetermined direction, said first component being associated with an unwanted or wanted motion whenever the first amplitude is, respectively, smaller than said threshold value T comp hor or greater than/equal to it.

Abstract: A system for displaying a digital video sequence includes a graphics processing unit (GPU) and a display device. The GPU receives and modifies the digital video sequence to compensate for perceived blur based on motion between frames of the digital video sequence. The display device displays the modified digital video sequence. A method and computer readable medium having computer readable code is also provided.

Abstract: Provided is an image-taking apparatus having an easier human machine interface than before. Instead of operating an operator, a mode for a flash condition among multiple shooting conditions displayed on a display panel of a liquid crystal display device is switched from an automatic mode to a forced on mode by shaking a digital camera vertically. Then, the shooting condition is switched to a focusing condition by shaking the digital camera horizontally. The shooting condition is switched from the focusing condition to a white balance condition by shaking this image-taking apparatus horizontally again. Thereafter, a mode for the shooting condition is switched from a macro mode to a macro-off mode by shaking this image-taking apparatus vertically again. Likewise, it is possible to set up various modes for the respective shooting conditions by shaking this image-taking apparatus.

Abstract: The image pickup apparatus of the present invention is for taking a static image during a predetermined exposure period. The image pickup apparatus includes: a shaking motion detecting section for detecting an amount of shaking motion between a plurality of frames representing the static image; a shaking motion correcting section for correcting a plurality of frame information indicating the plurality of frames in accordance with the detected amount of the shaking motion; a storage section for storing the plurality of frame information subjected, to the correction of the shaking motion; and an information generating section for generating static image information indicating the static image based on the plurality of frame information stored in the storage section.

Abstract: Deblur digital camera image captured in low-light, long-integration-time conditions by deconvolution based on motion estimation from preceding and following reference images. Alternatively, capture multiple short-integration-time images and fuse after motion estimation and alignment.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus having a function for generating wide dynamic range, synthesized image by synthesizing image signals corresponding to a plurality of frames of different exposure amounts. A correcting section for correcting exposure amounts of at least one image signal of the image signals corresponding to the plurality of frames of different exposure amounts.

Abstract: Systems and methods for implementing programmable anti-aliasing in cameras are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment the method may comprise characterizing at least one image for existing aliasing, and characterizing existing blur in the at least one image. The method may also include introducing blur during image capture operations by the camera based on the aliasing and existing blur in the at least one image.

Abstract: A method of representing a 2-dimensional image comprises deriving at least one 1-dimensional representation of the image by projecting the image onto at least one axis, and applying a Fourier transform to said 1-dimensional representation. The representation can be used for estimation of dominant motion between images.

Abstract: A method for generating a panoramic image that enables a user to obtain panoramic photographs with a digital camera without the aid of a computer system or specialized lenses. A digital camera according to the present techniques captures a series of image frames as a user pans the digital camera through a panoramic image scene and combines the captured image frames while the image frames are being captured.

Abstract: Video data of successive image frames are processed in a digital camera or other video image data acquisition device immediately after acquiring the video data, or during post-processing of the video data at some time after acquiring the video data, to reduce the effects of unintended motion (jitter) of the hand-held devices by stabilizing the images. A processing circuit used to calculate an estimate of motion between components of successive image frames as part of a MPEG-4 or other compression algorithm is also used to estimate motion upon which the video data are altered to stabilize the images. The individual images may be pre-stabilized by using the results of stabilizing a prior image in order to reduce the amount of processing necessary to stabilize a current image.

Abstract: A photographing apparatus is provided that is capable of minimizing an access bandwidth of memory included in the photographing apparatus and is capable of reducing power consumption, and a method of controlling the photographing apparatus. The photographing apparatus includes a distortion correction unit for performing distortion correction on a captured image by performing image processing; a digital zoom unit for performing digital zoom on the captured image by performing image processing; and a host central processing unit (CPU) for controlling the photographing apparatus to perform one of the distortion correction by the distortion correction unit and the digital zoom by the digital zoom unit. A method of controlling the photographing apparatus is also provided. In addition, a recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program to implement the method is also provided.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus is disclosed which can increase recording resolution while reducing data amount handled during compression processing. The imaging apparatus includes a first imaging unit capturing an image of a subject and outputting a frame in first resolution in first time intervals, a second imaging unit capturing the image of the subject and outputting a frame in second resolution higher than the first resolution in second time intervals longer than the first time intervals, a detecting unit detecting motion vectors between the adjacent frames outputted from the first imaging unit and outputting the motion vectors as vector distribution information in the first resolution, a converting unit converting the vector distribution the in the first resolution into vector distribution information in the second resolution, and a recording unit recording on a storage media the vector distribution information in the second resolution and the frames outputted from the second imaging unit.

Abstract: A signal processing device and signal processing method, and program and recording medium, whereby images and the like closer approximating real world signals can be obtained. An object which is moving at a movement amount v in the horizontal direction is photographed, and an image wherein the object is blurred is input into a signal processing device. A continuity setting unit supplies the movement amount v of the object to an actual world estimating unit as continuity information. The actual world estimating unit estimates a pixel value for an image without blurring, by computing a normal equation comprising a model equation which models the relation of the pixel values in the input image and the pixel values in an image without blurring according to the movement amount v, and a constraint condition expression which constrains between the pixels in an image without blurring, and supplies this to an image generating unit.

Abstract: The present invention utilizes video compression techniques in providing multi display and user control of picture layout with a single non-mechanical camera. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a subsection of interest within a general view captured by the camera is coded based on the prediction of the main picture. In one aspect of the embodiment, scaling of the predicted pixel values in the subsection to match with the corresponding raw pixel data of extended resolution is carried out before subtracting the prediction from the raw data to provide the residual in the coding process. In a second aspect, the frame rate and the number of quantization intervals are increased when coding the subsection relative to the coding of the general view.

Abstract: An image processing device that performs registration processing between a plurality of images using an image transformation defined by at least one inter-frame motion vector, is provided with a lens characteristic acquisition unit for obtaining a lens characteristic of an imaging lens that photographs the plurality of images; a motion vector measurement region setting unit for setting, on the basis of the lens characteristic, a plurality of motion vector measurement regions in each of which a motion vector is to be measured; a motion vector reliability calculation unit for calculating a reliability of each of calculated motion vectors; and a motion vector integration processing unit for calculating the at least one inter-frame motion vector by integrating the motion vectors of the plurality of motion vector measurement regions in accordance with the reliability of the motion vectors.

Abstract: The present invention enables the high speed processing of a foreground component image and a background component image associated with images received on a network platform. A client computer outputs information specifying image data to a separation server. The separation server then obtains the specified image data from a storage server and outputs it to a motion detecting server to perform motion detection processing. Thereafter, the image data, a motion vector, and positional information are output to an area specifying server. The area specifying server generates area information corresponding to the image data and outputs the area information to a mixture ratio calculating server in addition to the image data, the motion vector, and the positional information.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a substantially de-blurred image of a scene from a motion blurred image of the scene are disclosed. An exemplary system includes a primary detector for sensing the motion blurred image and generating primary image information representing the blurred image, a secondary detector for sensing two or more secondary images of the scene and for generating secondary image information representing the two or more secondary images, and a processor for determining motion information from the secondary image information, estimating a point spread function for the motion blurred image from the motion information, and applying the estimated point spread function to the primary image information to generate information representing the substantially de-blurred image.

Abstract: An anti-shake apparatus comprises a movable-unit, a fixed-unit, a signal-processor, and a controller. The movable-unit has an imaging-device and is movable in first-and second-directions, supported by the fixed-unit. The fixed-unit has a horizontal-hall-element for detecting a first-location, and a vertical-hall-element for detecting a second-location. The signal-processor outputs a first-signal specifying the first-location, from output signals of the horizontal-hall-element, to a first A/D-converter of the controller, and outputs a second-signal specifying the second-location, from output signals of the vertical-hall-element, to a second A/D-converter of the controller. The controller calculates the first-location in an A/D-converting-operation for the first-signal, and the second-location in an A/D-converting-operation for the second-signal.

Abstract: A technique of reconstructing a high resolution image from at least one image sequence of temporally related high and low resolution image frames wherein each of said high resolution image frames includes a low spatial frequency component and a high spatial frequency component is described. The high-resolution image reconstruction technique uses spatial interpolation to generate a low spatial frequency component from a low-resolution image frame of the image sequence. The technique is adapted to generate a high spatial frequency component from at least one high resolution image frame of the image sequence which is closely related to the low resolution image frame, and to remap the high spatial frequency component to a motion-compensated high spatial frequency component estimate of the low resolution image frame.

Abstract: An imaging device includes: a capturing unit that captures a motion picture at one of a plurality of frame rates; a buffer that temporary stores the motion picture captured by the capturing unit; a signal generation unit that generates a signal used for specifying a core frame that is to be subjected to a resolution enhancement processing, while the capturing unit captures the motion picture at a first frame rate; a capturing control unit that controls the capturing unit to capture the motion picture, after the core frame specified by the signal, at a second frame rate that is higher than the first frame rate; a reference frame determination unit that determines a frame stored in the buffering unit at the second frame rate as a reference frame; and an image processing unit that performs the resolution enhancement processing by converting the core frame into a high-resolution frame by reference to the reference frame determined by the reference frame determination unit.

Abstract: A method and system for detecting faces at different views within images that allocates the computational effort based on a prior probability associated with a view is provided. A face detection system determines whether an image contains a face using detectors that are adapted to detect faces at various views and a filter that filters out windows of the image that are provided to a detector based on a prior probability associated with the view of the detector. Each view has an associated prior probability that a face from a collection of real-life home photographs will be at that view. The face detection system allocates increasing computational effort to a detector as the prior probability of its view increases.

Abstract: For compensating for misalignment of pixels at the time of reproduction in a Holographic Digital Data Storage (HDDS) system, and thereby correcting an image, a stored page-based image is detected using a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) through a one-to-one (1:1) pixel matching between data pixels and CCD detector pixels at the time of reproduction. And then, in case the misalignment of pixels occurs during the 1:1 pixel matching, an amount of the misalignment d (0?d<1) between a corresponding data pixel and a corresponding CCD detector pixel is calculated. Further, an interference influence of a neighboring pixel on the corresponding CCD detector pixel is calculated based on the calculated amount of the misalignment, to thereby correct image data of the CCD detector pixel. And last, a misalignment influence in accordance with the amount of the misalignment is compensated for, to thereby correct the image data of the CCD detector pixel.

Abstract: Included are embodiments for reducing undesirable motion in a video. At least one embodiment of a method includes receiving a plurality of video frames that comprise at least one segment of a video, the plurality of video frames being captured by a capture device and determining a maximum undesired movement of the capture device for the plurality of video frames during the at least one segment. Some embodiments include trimming at least a portion of the video frames according to the determined maximum undesired movement such that the undesirable movement in the video is reduced.

Abstract: In an image acquisition apparatus, RAW data obtained in image acquisition with an imager in which a color filter is disposed in a front face is divided into each identical color by a RAW data dividing unit, a compression coding processing unit produces coded data of each color by compressing the RAW data at a compression rate controlled for each color, and the coded data of each color is recorded in a recording unit. A motion compensation unit compensates a relative positional relationship between frames by estimating a motion of a subject between frames of plural images, using specific color division coded data which is decoded by the compression coding processing unit and a RAW format data reproducing unit, the specific color division coded data being coded data of a color close to a peak of spectral sensitivity of human vision in the coded data of each color.

Abstract: In a method for processing an image, a scene to be captured is divided into multiple zones and statistical values for a plurality of the multiple zones are obtained. In addition, a short-exposure time and a long-exposure time from the statistical values of the plurality of zones are determined. A long-exposure frame is captured at the long-exposure time and a short-exposure frame is captured at the short-exposure time. The long-exposure frame and the short-exposure frame are combined into a combined image while correcting for motion estimated to have occurred between the long-exposure frame and the short-exposure frame, and the combined image is stored.

Abstract: A digital imaging device having a CCD sensor array with one or more fields captures both short and long exposures of a particular field during the capture of a single image frame. The short-exposure image data and the long-exposure image data from the particular field may be correlated to estimate motion within the image frame.

Abstract: A digital camera comprising: a solid-state image pickup device having an image pickup region; a signal processing unit for generating a through-image on a basis of an image signal read from a region extracted from a through-image extraction frame of said image pickup region; a display unit for displaying said through-image generated by said signal processing unit; a camera shake detection unit for detecting an amount of camera shake; and a control unit for calculating an amount of displacement by amplifying said amount of camera shake detected by said camera shake detection unit and shifting said through-image extraction frame on a basis of said amount of displacement.

Abstract: An anti-shake apparatus of a photographing apparatus comprises a movable unit and a fixed unit. The movable unit has an imaging device and is movable in first and second directions. The fixed unit slidably supports the movable unit in both the first and second directions. The movable unit has a hall-element unit. The magnetic-field change-detecting unit has a horizontal hall-element which is used for detecting a position of the movable unit in the first direction as a first location, and a vertical hall-element which is used for detecting a position of the movable unit in the second direction as a second location. Application of voltage to input terminals of the horizontal hall-element and the vertical hall-element is performed during a position detecting operation of the movable unit, and is stopped at a time other than that for the position detecting operation.

Abstract: An anti-shake-apparatus comprises a movable-unit, a fixed-unit, a signal-processor, and a controller. The movable-unit has an imaging-device and is movable in first-and second-directions. The fixed-unit has a hall-element-unit. The controller controls the movable-unit, the fixed-unit, and the signal-processor, and has first- and second-A/D-converters. The hall-element-unit has first and second horizontal-hall-elements for detecting a first-location, and first and second vertical-hall-elements for detecting a second-location. The movable-unit has a magnetic-field-generating unit having a coil for detecting the first- and second-locations. The signal-processor outputs a first-signal, specifying the first-location from the horizontal-hall-elements, to the first-A/D-converter, and a second-signal, specifying the second-location from the vertical-hall-elements, to the second-A/D-converter.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to make it possible to detect the mixture state of an image. An area specifying unit 103 specifies, in correspondence with image data, a mixed area in which foreground object components forming a foreground object and background object components forming a background object are mixed and a non-mixed area formed of a foreground area consisting of only the foreground object components and a background area consisting of only the background object components. A mixture-ratio calculator 104 estimates, based on the ratio of the width of the mixed area in a predetermined direction with respect to the moving direction of the foreground object, the width of the mixed area being specified by the area information, to the distance from the position of a designated pixel to the edge of the mixed area in the predetermined direction, the mixture ratio indicating the ratio of the foreground object components and the background object components of the designated pixel.

Abstract: A digital camera, having a function for optically compensating for camera shake, comprises: a movement detector that detects a movement of the digital camera; a movement prediction unit that employs the movement detected by the movement detector to predict a movement of the digital camera after a predetermined period of time has elapsed; an optical system moving unit that moves an optical system of the digital camera so as to compensate for the movement of the digital camera predicted by the movement prediction unit; and an image data correction unit that corrects image data obtained while taking a photograph, based on a difference between an actual movement of the digital camera, which is detected by the movement detector while taking the photograph, and the movement of the digital camera that is predicted, by the movement prediction unit, to occur while taking the photograph, so that the image data will be the same as image data that are obtained when the optical system is moved while taking the photograph

Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises a detection unit adapted to detect a positional shift of a main object in each of the images, a coordinate converting unit adapted to convert coordinates of each of the images using a detection result of the detection unit, and a correcting unit adapted to correct image exposure by combining the images after coordinate conversion. In combination of the images, images that have fewer positional shifts are selected and combined among images that have been sensed in a number larger than the number of images with correct exposure.

Abstract: A system and method for increasing space or time resolution of an image sequence by combination of a plurality input sources with different space-time resolutions such that the single output displays increased accuracy and clarity without the calculation of motion vectors. This system of enhancement may be used on any optical recording device, including but not limited to digital video, analog video, still pictures of any format and so forth. The present invention includes support for example for such features as single frame resolution increase, combination of a number of still pictures, the option to calibrate spatial or temporal enhancement or any combination thereof, increased video resolution by using high-resolution still cameras as enhancement additions and may optionally be implemented using a camera synchronization method.

Abstract: An image pick-up device and a chromatic aberration correcting method are provided in which a satisfactory correction processing can be performed even when the image pickup device, such as a camera, simultaneously performs shake correction. An output signal from a camera-signal processing circuit is selected by a selector switch and is supplied to a chromatic aberration correcting unit. An angular velocity due to the camera shake is detected using sensors and the detected signal is supplied to a camera shake correcting vector calculating unit. A driving state of a camera lens is supplied to a conversion-ratio calculating unit. An optical axis centered shift vector of camera lens is obtained from the camera shake correcting vector and is supplied to the correcting unit.

Abstract: The present invention aims at depth or field improvements or digital cameras, where differently-focused images of a scene, to be photographed, are exposed. A final image is produced from these primary-shots, where depth of field-limitations related to classic photo-lenses, are essentially eliminated. Specific new problems related to camera-viewfinders and camera-focusing are emerging however, due to the increasing number of images being registered. Following the present invention, advantageous procedures regarding camera viewfinders, for visualizing the individual primary shots as well as images processed for improved depth of field, are outlined. A simple technique for upgrading a standard digital camera for depth of field-improvement operation, including an adequate method for preselecting focuses, is illustrated by FIG. 5. These problems and others, related to a photographers adjustments and handling of various kinds of depth of field-enhancing cameras are remedied by applying the present invention.

Abstract: An image capturing device is capable of capturing and encoding image data so as to output a streaming media file from the device. Vector information derived from the captured image data may be altered to change, i.e., the frame capture rate of subsequent image data, according to frame resolution requirements.

Abstract: A camera for creating a manipulated image. The camera has an image capture device, an input device, an image manipulator, an output device and a display device. The image capture device is designed to capture a captured image. The input device is designed to receive an input image. The image manipulator is designed to receive the input image from the input device and to manipulate the input image to form a manipulated image. The output device is designed to receive the manipulated image from the image manipulator and to output the manipulated image. The display device is designed to receive the manipulated image from the image manipulator and to display the manipulated image. The image manipulator is designed to manipulate the input image by combining at least part of the input image with at least part of the captured image to form the manipulated image.

Abstract: A class sorting section obtains a class code CL indicating a class to which pixel data y of a target position in an image signal Vb belongs using motion compensation vector information mi stored in a buffer memory in pair with pixel data of an image signal Va corresponding to the pixel data y. An estimated prediction calculation circuit obtains the pixel data y based on an estimation equation, using pixel data xi of a prediction tap and coefficient data Wi read from a coefficient memory. The coefficient data Wi has been obtained beforehand by a learning executed by use of a student signal which corresponds to the image signal Va and contains the same encoded noise as of the image signal Va, and a teacher signal which corresponds to the image signal Vb and contains no encoded signal.

Abstract: A short-time exposure image data and a long-time exposure image data of the same object to be photographed are stored to SE memory and LE memory and then transferred to CPU, motion thereof being detected at a motion detecting section on the basis of the two image data; if no motion is detected, a wide dynamic range, synthesized image as synthesized at a synthesizing circuit on the basis of image data read out from the two memories and compressed is outputted through a selector controlled by CPU. If a motion is detected, the long-time exposure image data read out from the LE memory and processed at a signal processing circuit is outputted through the selector.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the operation of a system having a plurality of video cameras. The cameras are linked to a control unit which has a motion detection apparatus for monitoring the images received from the cameras and detecting motion therein. The cameras are adapted to operate in at least two modes: a low resolution mode and a high resolution mode. Under normal circumstances, cameras will be operating in low resolution mode to minimize use of system resources. If activity is detected within the field of view of one of the cameras, that camera is switched to high resolution, the other cameras remaining in the low resolution mode.

Abstract: In an image display apparatus in which a display attribute of a specific area of the display can be modified based on an information input from a processor, a resolution of the image is determined from the input vertical and horizontal synchronization signals, dot clocks are generated by multiplying the horizontal synchronization signals depending on the determined resolution, a horizontal display period in one horizontal synchronization signal is detected using a signal in the image signals input from the processor, the actual count value of the dot clocks in the detected horizontal display period is compared with a standard value thereof in the horizontal display period in one line at the determined resolution of the image and the multiplication number of a dot clock generation circuit is corrected so that the count value coincides with the standard value to modify the display attribute of the specific area of the display.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for detecting and reducing motion blur caused by the movement between a camera and an object including calculation of first and second figures of merit associated with two substantially orthogonal directions and comparison of the figures of merit and adjustment of the magnitude of the amplitude of spatial frequencies of the image in response to the comparison.

Abstract: A correction variable is calculated based on vibration data of an image sensing apparatus. Based on the calculation result, timing of reading image signals from an image sensing device is controlled. The read image signals are delayed by predetermined time, the read image signals and the delayed image signals are added at a predetermined addition ratio based on the calculation result of the correction variable calculator. In still image sensing, the above addition operation is not performed.

Abstract: A method, a circuit arrangement and a display device which suppresses motion blur due to motion integration carried out along a motion trajectory on the image data, which occurs in matrix type displays in which a motion trajectory is integrated by the viewer and/or the display, includes an inverse integration filtering of the video signal. To avoid de-blurring in image regions where motion cannot be detected, or image is low and to avoid noise modulation, motion estimation as well as further image characteristic are used.

Abstract: An image sensor comprises a photoelectric conversion element group and a charge storage element group connected through a plurality of charge transfer routes by achieving a multiplexed relationship. A hand movement detection unit detects a hand movement during an exposure period at the image sensor and generates an unsteady hand movement signal. A sensor control unit selects charge transfer routes so that the electrical charge corresponding to a single position of the subject image is stored at a single charge storage element in correspondence to the extent and the direction of the displacement of the subject image indicated by the hand movement signal.