Abstract: A method of compensating for camera shake includes reading a sequential series of images from an image sensing array, establishing a sharpness value for each of the sequential series of images, and performing an image selection based upon each sharpness value. The sharpness value is calculated for each image of the sequential series thereof during the reading.

Abstract: System and method for capturing images with reduced blur. An embodiment includes an image sensor to capture optical information, a shutter coupled to the image sensor, a motion sensor to measure movement of an electronic device, and a processor coupled to the image sensor, to the shutter, and to the motion sensor. The shutter initiates a capturing of optical information, and the processor controls a state of the shutter based on predicted future movements of the electronic device based on movement information from the motion sensor. The predicted future movements permit a determination of image capture time to reduce blur.

Abstract: A camera creates successive digital images of a scene, and computes a stability measure estimate blur in a final photograph of the scene. The camera combines information such as lens focal length, focus distance, scene brightness value, and shutter speed to determine alternate camera settings that may reduce the blur. The camera communicates to the photographer suggested camera setting changes that may reduce the blur. The communication may optionally happen before the final photograph is taken or after, and may take one of several forms. The camera may optionally be a digital camera. The setting change suggestions may optionally be stored in an image file with a final digital photograph.

Abstract: A photographing apparatus includes a photographing plan memory for setting photographing conditions based on a predetermined photographing plan, a vibration sensor for detecting vibration caused by an explosion of a balloon serving as a photographic subject, and a trigger generating circuit for taking in the timing of detection by the vibration sensor as a trigger. The above photographing plan is prepared beforehand for changing from low-speed photography to high-speed photography in response to the trigger, and changing from high-speed photography to low-speed photography after acquiring “40 frames”. With this plan, the low-speed photography is adopted before and after the balloon explosion, an amount of photographic data tends to be small. Photographs may be taken out within limited photographic data, even with a limited memory capacity. At a moment of balloon explosion, rapid variations due to the explosion may be photographed by high-speed photography with high accuracy.

Abstract: A camera system has a recording portion for recording an object image, a display portion for displaying an object image, a first blur correction portion for correcting blur of the object image displayed on the display portion by signal processing, and a second blur correction portion for optically correcting blur of the object image recorded by the recording portion. The camera system includes a controller for switching between a first blur correction mode in which the first blur correction portion is operated, a second blur correction mode in which the second blur correction portion is operated and a third blur correction mode in which both the first blur correction portion and the second blur correction portion are operated.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus and a method for correcting a shake of an image photographing device, which enables miniaturization and thin-shaping of the image photographing device, and yet can implement an anti-shake function. This apparatus includes a shake sensing unit sensing the shake of the image photographing device which photographs an image of a subject, a first optical path changing unit changing an optical path of light incident to the image photographing device, an angle adjusting unit adjusting an angle of an light-incident surface of the first optical path changing unit according to the sensed shake, and an image generating unit generating the image of the subject through the light, the optical path of which has been changed by the first optical path changing unit.

Abstract: Digital cameras and methods that provide for a rapid camera power-on sequence. A warm-sleep state is defined in which the camera and nearly all of its internal components are shut down, yet just enough information is retained within high speed volatile storage and processing units to rapidly return the camera to full operating state. The warm-sleep state is managed to consume a minimum amount of power to keep the vital information intact. Upon receipt of a power-on indication, the camera then transitions from the warm-sleep state to full operation by simply activating the processing units, and continuing operation from the state it was in immediately prior to the power-off request.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to generate an image which is prevented from being influenced by a movement while suppressing increase in noise components. When a movement is detected during exposure of an image capturing device to light, an image capturing apparatus stops the exposure of the image capturing device and amplifies an image signal obtained with the exposure, thereby compensating exposure shortage. Luminance information is extracted from a captured image, and color information is extracted from a live view image obtained at a timing different from a timing at which the captured image is obtained. By synthesizing the luminance information of the captured image and the color information of the live view image, noise components included in color information are reduced.

Abstract: A digital camera delays the capture of a digital image after image capture has been requested until the motion of the digital camera satisfies a motion criterion. The digital camera thereby reduces image blur that would otherwise occur due to camera motion.

Abstract: Disclosed is an eye-start system that includes a light source adapted to be housed within a viewfinder of a device, and a light sensor also adapted to be housed within the device viewfinder, the light sensor being configured to sense light from the light source that reflects off of a user looking into the viewfinder. With this system, light reflected off of the user is sensed by the light sensor and, upon such an occurrence, a device action is activated.

Abstract: An image detection processor of the present invention enhances the processing speed of the calculation of the center of gravity or the like of a target with a simple constitution. The image detection processor arranges a plurality of image detection processing elements 1-1 to 1-64 on a plane. Each image detection processing element includes an adder circuit 15 which converts an output of a photoelectric conversion part 5 into digital signals and can receive the digital signals as an input in a matrix form. Cumulative adders are constituted by connecting the adder circuits 15 for respective rows. Series adders 2-1 to 2-8 which are connected in series respectively receive outputs of final stages of cumulative adders of respective rows as inputs and can cumulatively add these outputs.

Abstract: A digital camera comprises a camera body and an image sensing unit. The image sensing unit includes a taking lens, a driver of the taking lens and an image sensor, and is attachable to the camera body directly or by a cable. The camera body includes an image processor for processing image data from the image sensing unit, a flash for emitting flash light, a recorder for recording the image data, a display for displaying images, and other circuits. An interface for a personal computer and a video capture adaptor can be attached to the camera body instead of the image sensing unit. The camera body is provided with a power source section having power supplying portions each assigned to a specific circuit such as the lens driver, the image sensor, the flash, the image processor, the interface and the adaptor. The camera body detects what is attached thereto and whether the cable is used, and supplies power only to those circuits that should be activated in accordance with the result of the detection.

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 detecting system for detecting a deviation of a camera from shaking has at least two shaking detectors and one correcting device. The first shaking detector detects a camera shaking corresponding to one axis of a camera coordinate system. The second shaking detector detects a camera shaking corresponding to another axis of the camera coordinate system. The correcting device only adjusts a device corresponding to the first shaking detector in an optical system when a maximum or minimum value is detected on the output signal from the second shaking detector.

Abstract: A camera for automatically triggering a plurality of exposures during a pan based on a measure of camera displacement. During a pan, the camera regularly acquires images to compare a recently acquired image to a reference image. If the recently acquired image is optimally overlapped with the reference image, an exposure is triggered. In a digital camera, the images may be acquired with the native imager. In a film-based camera, or as an alternative embodiment for the digital camera, a sensor may be used to measure displacement. A series of images comprising a pan may be stored in the camera, or alternatively, each subsequent image may be stitched to a previous image to create a single panoramic image.

Abstract: A real-time screen recording system is disclosed. Under the design of the real-time screen recording system of this invention, the Event Inspector records updated regions of the screen when a windows update event is generated, the Periodical Extractor records the screen updates periodically. This mechanism ensures that all updates will be recorded. The Event Filter inspects the update events to identify events relating to updates of screen to ensure correct recording of the updated regions. The Sporadic Controller adjusts the working frequency of the Periodical Extractor, so that the Periodical Extractor operates in an efficient manner. The Update Region Filter filters out unnecessary updated regions to avoid heavy workload of the computer system. As a result, an efficient and correct screen recording system may be achieved.

Abstract: The invention provides a digital camera with a disposition device for automatically converting a picture to an appropriate image meeting the vision via the viewfinder, wherein the disposition device for auto-detecting the holding condition of a digital camera comprises: an insulating envelope having a cavity which is formed by an insulating bottom and side wall, wherein the cavity is divided into a plurality of concave regions; a conductive plate covering the cavity of the insulating envelope and connected to the power source; a plurality of conductive pads selectively located on the insulating bottom; and a conductive ball rolling in the cavity by the influence of gravity, wherein the movable sensor touching one of the conductive pads and the conductive plate represents the holding condition of the digital camera.

Abstract: An image-pickup apparatus which improves the S/N ratio of an image-pickup system, prevents image blur and saturation of signals from an image-pickup device, and enables taking an excellent image, is disclosed. The camera of the invention which takes images through an image-taking optical system having a shake correction unit which drives a part of an image-taking optical system to correct image blur caused by camera shake and includes an image-pickup device which photoelectrically converts an object image formed by the image-taking optical system and a control circuit which controls operations of the camera, wherein the control circuit changes the sensitivity and the exposure time of the image-pickup device whether the shake correction unit is in operation or not.

Abstract: A vibration correction apparatus has a motion vector detection circuit for detecting a motion vector signal at a predetermined sampling period, a signal processing circuit for calculating a correction target value in accordance with the motion vector signal detected by the motion vector detection circuit, a correction system for correcting a motion in accordance with the correction target value, and a control circuit for generating a new correction target value through interpolation of the correction target value, shortening a correction period of correction by the correction system shorter than a sampling period of the motion vector, and making the period of correction by the correction system variable with each image pickup system.

Abstract: A digital imaging system and method for viewing at least one digital image. The system includes a display. The method comprises the steps of: detecting a movement of the display; navigating within the at least one digital image in accordance with the detected movement to generate an updated view of the at least one digital image; and displaying, on the display, the updated view of the at least one digital image.

Abstract: A method, system and computer readable medium for controlling a digital camera including setting a shutter speed; receiving a light flux from an object to be photographed to form an image thereof at the set shutter speed; converting the received light flux into an image signal; amplifying the image signal with a variable gain; judging whether or not the shutter speed is set slower than a predetermined blur avoiding speed; and increasing the variable gain to a predetermined value when the shutter speed is set slower than the predetermined blur avoiding speed.

Abstract: A camera information coding/decoding method for synthesizing stereoscopic real video and a computer graphic image is disclosed. The method stores the camera information generated when picturing, which is not contained in the existing multimedia contents coding standard, that is, the location motion information of the camera and the camera viewpoint displacement information, together with contents as the camera motion information stream. The camera information obtained through the camera position sensor and the camera viewpoint displacement sensor when picturing image is coded and stored together with the contents, thereby easily and precisely synthesizing with the computer graphic image. In addition, since the information may be easily transformed to the descriptor of the camera motion information of MPEG-7 format, there is another advantage of easily carrying out camera motion information indexing operation among searching methods of the multimedia contents.

Abstract: An automatic focusing device capable of preventing the subject to be brought into focus from falling outside the AF block due to a light image shift, comprising: an automatic focusing controller for calculating an optical physical quantity within an automatic focusing block as which an area in image data is specified, and determining the degree of focus of the image data; and a light image shift occurrence determiner for predicting or detecting the occurrence of a light image shift, wherein the automatic focusing controller changes the size of the automatic focusing block when the light image shift occurrence determiner predicts or detects the occurrence of a light image shift.

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 minimise 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: Even if the digital camera is inexpensive without the function of reproducing images, it can effectively use a memory capacity and has the function of responding to quick image-capturing, and important images can be recorded with higher priority. The digital camera comprises a priority selection switch for selecting priority of an image, and information about selected priority is recorded in association with the image when the image is recorded. For example, priority is ranked on three stages of “important”, “normal”, and “memo”. When a recording medium for storing image data has an insufficient memory capacity, control is exercised such that an image with priority lower than a newly captured image is automatically erased to record the new image. Further, a recorded image may be analyzed to automatically assign a low priority value to an image that may be damaged.