Abstract: The invention provides an image detecting module including a base, a carrier movably disposed on the base, an image detecting unit disposed on the carrier, a contact portion fixed to the carrier, and a fixed member fixed to the base. The fixed member has a protrusion movably contacting a recess of the contact portion. When an external force is exerted on the base and the carrier moves with respect to the base, the protrusion slides on a surface of the recess. When the external force is released, the protrusion slides to the bottom of the recess, such that the carrier is held in a predetermined position with respect to the base.

Abstract: A photographic apparatus comprises a movable platform, an acceleration sensor, and a controller. The movable platform has an imager, and is movable and rotatable in an xy plane. The acceleration sensor detects a first gravitational component and a second gravitational component. The first gravitational component is the component of gravitational acceleration in the x direction. The second gravitational component is the component of gravitational acceleration in the y direction. The controller calculates an inclination angle of the photographic apparatus formed by rotation of the photographic apparatus around the optical axis, as measured with respect to a level plane perpendicular to the direction of gravitational force, on the basis of a magnitude relation between the absolute value of the first gravitational component and the absolute value of the second gravitational component, and performs a first movement control of the movable platform for an inclination correction based on the inclination angle.

Abstract: A photographic apparatus comprises a movable platform, an acceleration sensor, and a controller. The movable platform has an imager that captures an optical image, and is movable and rotatable in an xy plane. The acceleration sensor detects a first gravitational component and a second gravitational component. The first gravitational component is the component of gravitational acceleration in the x direction. The second gravitational component is the component of gravitational acceleration in the y direction. The controller specifies a holding state of the photographic apparatus, calculates an inclination angle formed by rotation of the photographic apparatus, as measured with respect to a level plane, on the basis of the first and second gravitational components, and performs a movement control of the movable platform for an inclination correction based on the inclination angle.

Abstract: A camera system for outputting deblurred still images includes a portable handheld camera device comprising an image sensor for recording an image; a two-dimensional accelerometer for detecting an angular velocity of the camera system relative to an external environment and to produce an angular velocity output indicative thereof; a linear image sensor for sensing data provided on an encoded card inserted into the camera system, the encoded card containing instructions for the manipulation of the image; and a processor for receiving the image from the image sensor, receiving the angular velocity output from the two-dimensional accelerometer, and processing the image in accordance with the instructions sensed from the encoded to deblur any blurred pixels present in the image in consideration of the angular velocity output.

Abstract: An image acquisition sensor of a digital image acquisition apparatus is coupled to imaging optics for acquiring a sequence of images. Images acquired by the sensor are stored. A motion detector causes the sensor to cease capture of an image when the degree of movement in acquiring the image exceeds a threshold. A controller selectively transfers acquired images for storage. A motion extractor determines motion parameters of a selected, stored image. An image re-constructor corrects the selected image with associated motion parameters. A selected plurality of images nominally of the same scene are merged and corrected by the image re-constructor to produce a high quality image of the scene.

Abstract: The present invention is for sensing camera shake and moving a lens toward a direction to correct the camera shake when photographing an object so that the object may be clearly photographed. A coil and a magnet are included in the invention, and the coil moves in a direction perpendicular to the optical-axis of the lens as a result of magnetic fields generated by the magnet and the coil when electric power is applied to the coil.

Abstract: The invention includes a vibration reduction mechanism, a vibration detecting part, a reference signal generating part, a target drive position calculating part, and a driving part. The vibration reduction mechanism reduces a vibration of a subject image. The vibration detecting part outputs a vibration detection signal. The reference signal generating part estimates a reference signal of the vibration detection part. The target drive position calculating part obtains a vibration component from a difference between the vibration detection signal and the estimated reference signal to obtain a target position to which the vibration reduction mechanism is driven. The driving part controls the vibration reduction mechanism to follow the target position. Particularly, the reference signal generating part corrects the reference signal according to a motion signal obtained from a captured image.

Abstract: System for producing a stabilized image of a scene viewed by an image detector, the image detector detecting a plurality of images of the scene, the image detector being supported by gimbals, the gimbals including a servo system for moving the gimbals at least one degree of freedom, the system including an angular movement detection device firmly coupled with the image detector, and a processor coupled with the angular movement detection device and with the image detector, the angular movement detection device detecting at least a portion of angular movements of the image detector about at least one axis of rotation, the angular movement detection device producing an angular output respective of the portion, the processor receiving the images from the image detector, and the angular output from the angular movement detection device, the processor determining at least one shifting displacement and at least one shifting direction for shifting a current image detected by the image detector, relative to a referen

Abstract: An image stabilizing apparatus is disclosed which is capable of sufficiently correcting shift shakes even with a small and lightweight accelerometer. The apparatus includes an angular velocity detector which detects angular velocity generated by a shake, an angular velocity computing unit which processes an angular velocity signal, the unit processing the angular velocity signal with a first frequency characteristic, an acceleration detector which detects acceleration generated by the shake, an acceleration computing unit which processes an acceleration signal, the unit processing the acceleration signal with a second frequency characteristic having a signal processing band narrower than the first frequency characteristic, an adder which adds an output signal from the angular velocity computing unit to an output signal from the acceleration computing unit, and an image stabilizing mechanism which performs an image stabilizing operation based on an output signal from the adder.

Abstract: A method of offset compensation for solid-state imaging devices is provided. In the method a first and second detection signal are obtained. The two signals are compared to obtain a difference value. A variable voltage is output according to the difference value to drive a magnetic element. The solid-state imaging device is moved by the magnetic element to compensate the offset of the solid-state imaging device. A system of offset compensation of the solid-state imaging device is also disclosed.

Abstract: A shaking sensing unit includes a sensor sensing a rotation about at least one axis, a high pass filter passing only a signal having a frequency not less than a cutoff frequency of the high pass filter, among electrical signals output from the sensor, and a low pass filter passing only a signal having a frequency not greater than a cutoff frequency of the low pass filter and higher than the cutoff frequency of the high pass filter, among the electrical signals output from the sensor. The cutoff frequency of the high pass filter and the cutoff frequency of the low pass filter are variably determined according to a shaking frequency.

Abstract: An image stabilization control apparatus including a mechanism which causes a vibration when the mechanism moves is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a vibration correction unit configured to correct image shake occurring due to vibration applied to the image stabilization control apparatus. A correction value of an angular velocity of the vibration is calculated based on signals based on the angular velocity and an acceleration of the vibration, frequency bands of the signals are narrowed. During the mechanism is moving, the image shake is corrected by driving the vibration correction unit based on the angular velocity of the vibration which is corrected by the corrected value calculated before the mechanism moves.

Abstract: A photographic apparatus comprises a movable platform and a controller. The movable platform has an imager, and is movable and rotatable in an xy plane. The controller performs a movement control of the movable platform for an inclination correction based on an inclination angle of the photographic apparatus formed by rotation of the photographic apparatus around the optical axis, as measured with respect to a level plane, for a first stabilization for correcting hand shake caused by yaw around the y direction, and for a second stabilization for correcting hand shake caused by pitch around the x direction. The controller performs at least one of a first determination of whether the first stabilization is to be performed and a second determination of whether the second stabilization is to be performed, on the basis of the inclination angle.

Abstract: A photographic apparatus comprises a movable platform and a controller. The movable platform has an imager, and is movable and rotatable in an xy plane. The controller performs a movement control of the movable platform for an inclination correction based on an inclination angle of the photographic apparatus formed by rotation of the photographic apparatus around the optical axis, as measured with respect to a level plane, for a first stabilization for correcting hand shake caused by yaw, and for a second stabilization for correcting hand shake caused by pitch. The controller performs a determination of whether the inclination correction is to be performed, on the basis of a first hand-shake quantity caused by yaw for the first stabilization, a second hand-shake quantity caused by pitch for the second stabilization, and the inclination angle.

Abstract: An anti-shake apparatus comprises an angular velocity sensor and a controller. The angular velocity sensor detects an angular velocity. The controller controls the angular velocity sensor and performs an anti-shake operation based on the output signal from the angular velocity sensor. The controller calculates an angular velocity signal, based on the output signal from the angular velocity sensor before a predetermined period which is longer than a predetermined time interval and the output signal from the angular velocity sensor after the predetermined period, at the predetermined time interval, during the predetermined period.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes an acceleration sensor having a first measurement axis and a second measurement axis that intersect each other, and arranged on a plane that intersects the imaging optical axis of the image capturing apparatus while inclining the first and second measurement axes by about 45° in the vertical direction, and a calculation unit that calculates the arc tangent of the ratio of the detection result of an acceleration due to gravity by the first measurement axis and the detection result of an acceleration due to gravity by the second measurement axis, thereby obtaining the inclination degree of the image capturing apparatus in the rolling direction.

Abstract: A photographic apparatus comprises a movable platform and a controller. The movable platform has an imager and is movable and rotatable in an xy plane. The controller performs a movement control of the movable platform for one of a translational movement and a rotational movement. The translational movement includes at least one of a first stabilization for correcting hand shake caused by yaw around the y direction and a second stabilization for correcting hand shake caused by pitch around the x direction. The rotational movement rotates the movable platform in the xy plane. The controller determines which of the translational movement and the rotational movement is to be performed, on the basis of a first hand-shake parameter caused by yaw that is calculated for the first stabilization and a second hand-shake parameter caused by pitch that is calculated for the second stabilization.

Abstract: A photographic apparatus comprises a movable platform, a translational movement switch, a rotational movement switch, and a controller. The movable platform has an imager, and is movable and rotatable in an xy plane. The translational movement switch is for selecting ON/OFF states of a translational movement including a first stabilization and a second stabilization. The first stabilization moves the movable platform in the x direction for correcting hand shake caused by yaw. The second stabilization moves the movable platform in the y direction for correcting hand shake caused by pitch. The rotational movement switch is for selecting ON/OFF states of a rotational movement that rotates the movable platform in the xy plane. The controller controls the movable platform for the translational movement on the basis of the state of the translational movement switch, and the rotational movement on the basis of the state of the rotational movement switch.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for image stabilization takes an input image sequence including a plurality of frames, estimates frame-level motion vectors for each frame, and adaptively integrates the motion vectors to produce, for each frame, a motion vector to be used for image stabilization. A copy of the reference image of a frame is displaced by the corresponding adaptively integrated motion vector. In one embodiment, the perimeter of the image sensor is padded with a margin to be used for image compensation. In another embodiment, vertical and horizontal components are treated independently. In still another embodiment, the motion estimation circuitry associated with an MPEG-4 encoder is used to calculate macroblock level vectors, and a histogram is used to compute a corresponding frame-level vector for that frame.

Abstract: An image stabilization control circuit comprises a plurality of vibration detecting elements for detecting vibration of an image pickup apparatus; a plurality of position detecting elements for detecting a position of an optical component; an analog/digital converter circuit for converting output signals of the plurality of vibration detecting elements and the plurality of position detecting elements to digital signals; and a logic circuit for generating a control signal for driving the optical component based on the output signals of the plurality of vibration detecting elements and the plurality of position detecting elements digitalized by the analog/digital converter circuit, wherein the analog/digital converter circuit digitalizes and outputs the output signal of the plurality of vibration detecting elements with respect to a plurality of axis directions, and successively digitalizes and outputs the output signal of the plurality of position detecting elements with respect to a plurality of axis directio

Abstract: An anti-shake apparatus comprises an angular velocity sensor and a controller. The angular velocity sensor detects an angular velocity. The controller controls the angular velocity sensor and performs an anti-shake operation based on the output signal from the angular velocity sensor. The controller calculates an angular velocity signal, based on the output signal from the angular velocity sensor before a predetermined period which is longer than a predetermined time interval and the output signal from the angular velocity sensor after the predetermined period, at the predetermined time interval, during the predetermined period.

Abstract: Provided is an optical image stabilizer for a camera module assembly including at least one or more guide portions for guiding linear movement while preventing friction in first and second drive portions. The optical image stabilizer includes a first drive portion including a tip provided between a housing and a first drive plate to drive the first drive plate in a first direction, a second drive portion including a tip provided between the first drive plate and a second drive plate to drive the second drive plate in a second direction, and first and second guide portions formed in the first and second drive plates in positions corresponding to the tips of the first and second drive portions such that the first and second guide portions guide linear movement of the tips and prevent friction when the first and second drive portions are driven in the first and second directions.

Abstract: Several methods and apparatuses for implementing automatic exposure mechanisms for image capturing devices are described. In one embodiment, an orientation detector located in the device determines orientation data for the device. The automatic exposure mechanism projects an orientation vector into an image plane of an image sensor. Next, the automatic exposure mechanism adjusts an initial position of a metering area used for automatic exposure towards a target position based on the projected orientation vector. The automatic exposure mechanism optionally dampens the adjustment of the metering area.

Abstract: A photographic apparatus comprises a movable platform and a controller. The movable platform has an imager and is movable and rotatable in an xy plane. The controller performs a movement control of the movable platform for a translational movement and an inclination correction during an imaging operation by the imager that commences when a shutter release switch is set to the ON state. The translational movement includes a first stabilization for correcting hand shake caused by yaw and a second stabilization for correcting hand shake caused by pitch. The inclination correction is based on an inclination angle of the photographic apparatus formed by rotation of the photographic apparatus around the optical axis, as measured with respect to a level plane perpendicular to the direction of gravitational force. The controller performs the inclination correction based on the inclination angle that is calculated before the imaging operation commences.

Abstract: A shake detection technique which does not mistakenly detect a swing-back component at the end of panning as a shake is provided. A shake detection apparatus includes: a sensor which detects velocity or angular velocity; a high-pass filter which removes a low-frequency component from an output signal of the sensor; a shake detection device which detects shake of an apparatus body based on an output signal from the high-pass filter; a determination device which determines whether the output signal of the high-pass filter contains a swing-back component outputted when a shake continued in one direction stops; and a removal device which removes the swing-back component from the output signal of the high-pass filter based on a determination result of the determination device.

Abstract: A vibration detecting device includes: a vibration amount detecting unit including at least a vibration amount sensor which is a portion for detecting a vibration amount, and outputting a vibration detection signal which is a signal indicating the detected vibration amount, and a high-pass filter configured to remove DC components to be superimposed on the vibration detection signal; a status detecting unit configured to detect a particular status which causes a result for providing particular change to the vibration amount detected by said vibration amount sensor; and an input control unit configured to prevent said vibration amount detection signal from being input to said high-pass filter in response to said particular status being detected by said status detecting unit.

Abstract: An imaging device according to the present invention comprises: an imaging section photoelectrically converting an object image and outputting image data; a display section displaying the object image based on the image data; an acceleration sensor section detecting vibration in at least one direction among a plurality of directions of a camera; a determination section continuously determining an output equal to or greater than a gravity force by means of the acceleration sensor section; and a power supply control section supplying power to the imaging section upon detection of an output equal to or greater than the gravity force by the determination section and also upon detection of an attitude change in a vertical direction or the like or a predetermined acceleration when a photographer sets the camera while viewing the display section of the camera.

Abstract: The invention aims to achieve slim design by employing a light path folding optical system, add a hand-shake correction capability, and lower power consumption. An imaging lens device includes a light path folding optical system having a reflector that folds the optical axis incident perpendicular to the gravitational direction toward the gravitational direction, and an imaging element that converts an image formed by the light path folding optical system into an electrical signal. The imaging lens device also includes drive means that moves some of lens groups or one lens (hereinafter referred to as “shake correction lens group”) in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis folded toward the gravitational direction by the reflector (hereinafter referred to as “vertical optical axis”). The shake correction lens group is moved in the direction perpendicular to the vertical optical axis to move the image in the direction perpendicular to the vertical optical axis.

Abstract: An image stabilizer of the present invention is provided with a lens module 101 that holds a lens and an imaging element, an inner frame that turnably supports the lens module 101, and driving portion that turns the lens module 101 relative to the inner frame 11, with the driving portion including a bimorph 14. An image stabilizer thereby can be provided that allows the overall size and profile of an imaging apparatus to be reduced.

Abstract: A disk type image pickup apparatus wherein a disk type recording medium is used as a recording medium on which a picked up image is to be recorded, including: a gyro sensor configured to detect impact or vibration to an apparatus body of the disk type image pickup apparatus to be used for camera shake correction and detect a gyro moment arising from a movement of the apparatus body in a horizontal direction; a detection signal decision section configured to compare a level of a detection signal outputted from the gyro sensor with a threshold value and output a signal representing that the level of the detection signal is higher than the threshold value; and a recording control section configured to receive the gyro detection signal from the detection signal decision section to temporarily stop the recording of data on the disk type recording medium for a predetermined period of time.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described wherein the composition responsiveness of a camera comprising an image stabilization system is adjusted. In example embodiments, the composition responsiveness may be adjusted in response to a particular photographic situation, including a scene condition, a camera optical configuration, a camera mode setting, or any combination of these. In another embodiment of the invention, the composition responsiveness is adjusted during a capture sequence used to take a photograph.

Abstract: When a camera body is shaken, a piezoelectric element generates a signal corresponding to angular velocity. The output signal of the element is amplified by a synchronous detection amplifier and is sent to a high-pass filter. An output signal of the filter is integrated after digital conversion and is outputted as a shake amount of the camera body. An initialization-trigger generating circuit generates an initialization trigger in predetermined cycles. When the trigger is inputted, the amplifier outputs a first zero-level signal. A zero-level initialization circuit initializes the filter every input of the trigger to output a second zero-level signal. The two zero-level signals have a reference signal value to be outputted at a time of the angular velocity zero. During the initialization, the reference signal value is applied to both sides of the filter to remove drift components included in the output signal thereof.

Abstract: An amplification signal of a difference signal between a sensor signal and an offset signal to be variably set is converted into a digital signal. The sensor signal is in accordance with shake of an imaging device and outputted from a sensor. The first digital signal is obtained while a conversion ratio between the difference signal and the digital signal is set to a first conversion ratio. The second digital signal is obtained while the conversion ratio is set to a second conversion ratio. In relation to a certain difference signal, the value of the second digital signal is smaller than that of the first signal. The offset signal is updated based on the second digital signal. The shake information is generated based on the first digital signal.

Abstract: A position and an orientation of an image capturing device or an object to which an inclination sensor is mounted are obtained without performing iterative calculation. A position and orientation measuring method includes the steps of: inputting a measured inclination value of an inclination sensor mounted to one of an object and an image capturing device; inputting a captured image from the image capturing device; detecting an index on the object from the captured image; and calculating a position and an orientation of one of the object and the image capturing device to which the inclination sensor is mounted on the basis of the measured inclination value, an image coordinate of the detected index, and already-known positional information on the detected index without performing iterative calculation.

Abstract: One apparatus embodiment includes a target tracking apparatus. The apparatus includes a reference camera, a processor to receive image data from the reference camera, and memory connected to the processor. The apparatus includes instructions storable in the memory and executable by the processor to process the image data to determine a target region within a first frame of the image data. The device also includes instructions that can be executed to compare image data of the first frame with image data of a second frame to locate the target region in the second frame.

Abstract: A digital camera has a pair of angular rate-sensing gyroscopic sensors with mutually perpendicular axes and an electronic circuit responsive to the sensor output signals to discriminate between voluntary and involuntary movements of the article as a function of the number of zero crossings per unit time of the signal and the average of the absolute amplitude of the signal.

Abstract: An imaging device according to the present invention includes: an image-capturing optical system forming an image of a subject on a surface of an image sensor; a blur-detecting unit detecting a blur of an optical axis in the image-capturing optical system; an image-capturing unit which divides a total exposure time by a predetermined dividing number to repeat image capturing, and generates a number of images corresponding to the dividing number; and a composing unit which finds a motion vector based on the images in the dividing number generated by the image-capturing unit and on the blur detected by the blur-detecting unit and composes the generated images in the dividing number based on the motion vector. Therefore, it is possible to precisely correct a blur while shortening the time required for the blur correction.

Abstract: An imaging device capable of detecting and correcting, with high accuracy, the motion (image rotation) in the rolling direction of the image caused by the camera shake during imaging without being influenced by the individual variation, temperature characteristic, and variation with time of the sensor. To correct the motion (image rotation) in the rolling direction of the image caused by the camera shake during imaging, the result of detection of the angle of inclination of the device by an angle sensor (8a) is corrected with the result of detection of the angle of inclination of the image on the basis of the feature of the captured image by an image inclination detecting section (7), and the imaging device (3) is rotated around the optical axis or an axis parallel to the optical axis according to the corrected angle of inclination of the device.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus wherein a captured image is subjected to a rotational transform so as to correct the inclination of one or more subjects in the captured image. The imaging apparatus defines, with reference to a physical inclination detected by a sensor, an angle range in which the image is to be processed. The imaging apparatus then processes the captured image and detects lines therein and inclination angles thereof. The imaging apparatus then creates histograms indicative of frequency distributions of the inclination angles of those lines, and selects, in the created histograms, an inclination angle having a frequency that satisfies a predetermined criterion, as a rotational angle to be used for the rotational transform.

Abstract: A photographic apparatus is provided and has a camera, an interchangeable camera lens, and a lens control unit. The camera unit has a blur signal-outputting unit and a camera control unit. The interchangeable camera lens has an image-displacing unit and a blur correcting unit. When a change in the state of an optical system of the interchangeable camera lens is recognized, the lens control unit generates blur correction process-information based on the state of the optical system after the change and transmits the blur correction process-information to a camera control unit.

Abstract: An image pickup device and image pickup method are disclosed, wherein an image is picked up by changing the shutter speed in accordance with the illuminance of an object in the case where the rate at which the object moves in the whole image is smaller than a predetermined value, and an image is picked up without changing the shutter speed regardless of the illuminance of the object in the case where the rate at which the object moves in the whole image is not smaller than the predetermined value.

Abstract: A shooting-information-detecting section detects shooting information from an image pick-up section. A motion-detecting section detects a motion direction of an image on an overall screen based on a motion direction of the image pick-up section contained in the shooting information. A processing-region-setting section sets a processing region in at least any one of a predicted target image and a peripheral image thereof, which correspond to a target pixel in the predicted target image. A processing-coefficient-setting section sets a motion-blur-removing-processing coefficient that corresponds to the motion direction detected in the motion-detecting section. A pixel-value-generating section generates a pixel value that corresponds to the target pixel based on a pixel value of a pixel in the processing region set in the processing-region-setting section and the processing coefficient set in the processing-coefficient-setting section. Motion-blur-removing processing can be accurately performed.

Abstract: A lens barrel includes a first optical element that is allowed to move along an optical axis, a first driven member connected to the first optical element, a second optical element disposed in the optical axis of the first optical element, which is allowed to move along the optical axis, a second driven member connected to the second optical element, a first drive shaft disposed substantially parallel to the optical axis to drive the first driven member along the optical axis, a second drive shaft disposed substantially parallel to the optical axis to drive the second driven member along the optical axis, a first drive unit connected to an end of the first drive shaft to drive the first drive shaft, and a second drive unit connected to an end of the second drive shaft to drive the second drive shaft and disposed at a position that partially overlaps a position of the first drive unit when viewed from the direction of the optical axis.

Abstract: Provided is a photographing apparatus including at least one shake correction lens through which image light is transmitted; a first driving unit moving the shake correction lens; an imaging device converting the image light transmitted through the shake correction lens to an electronic signal; a rotating unit rotating the imaging device about an optical axis of the image light; and a controller controlling the first driving unit and the rotating unit. A method on a photographing apparatus. The method including sensing shaking of the photographing apparatus; compensating for the shaking of the photographing apparatus by rotating an imaging device, the imaging device generating electrical signals from light incident to a subject image; and compensating for the shaking of the photographing apparatus by moving a shake correction lens in two directions, wherein light incident to the subject image passes through the shake correction lens and strikes the imaging device.

Abstract: A video image stabilization system includes a camera having an image capturing device capturing a video image. The camera has a selectively adjustable field of view. A processing device is operably coupled to the camera. The processing device receives signals indicative of the field of view of the camera and images captured by the camera. The processing device automatically tracks movements of at least one object in the images. The processing device determines a stabilizing adjustment for the video image as a function of an unintended change in the field of view of the camera during a time interval between capture of a first image and capture of a second image. The determining is based upon the signals indicative of the field of view and an analysis of the first and second images.

Abstract: A gain-adjusting apparatus and method thereof are described. The gain-adjusting apparatus includes an integrator, a first register, a control unit, and a second register. The integrator integrates the gyro signal data to generate the integral data. The control unit is coupled to the first register and the second register, respectively. The control unit determines whether the gyro signal data is either greater than an upper gyro threshold or less than a lower gyro threshold to detect the gyro signal data and decrease the gain value stored in the second register.

Abstract: A surveillance system and method for activating communication between at least one wireless input capture device ICD(s) and a corresponding digital input recorder (DIR) and/or another ICD, including the steps of providing base system; at least one user accessing the DIR via user interface either directly or remotely; the DIR and/or ICD searching for signal from the ICD(s) and establishing communication with them, and the DIR polling for information posted by a remote server computer (RSC) based upon user inputs thereto, for providing a secure surveillance system having wireless communication for monitoring a target environment.

Abstract: Exposed images from a CCD (101) are each captured to Surfaces A, B and C in an SDRAM (103) in a repeated sequence from A, B to C, and the latest image among the images thus captured is displayed. While an image on Surface B is being transferred, an image on Surface A is used as the image to be displayed. The next exposure is started, and images to be displayed are switched, at the same timing as the transfer is started. An image to be displayed on an LCD monitor (1?) is stopped from being updated when camera shake compensating device starts to be released from the mechanical holding. The next switching of images and the transfer of an exposed image from the CCD (101) to the SDRAM 103 are prohibited. When the release of the mechanical holding is completed, the next exposed image is transferred from the CCD (101) to the SDARM (103). Updating is permitted for displaying the image which is transferred to the SDRAM (103) on a display device.

Abstract: An optical device includes a lens holding member that holds a lens and that is movable in a direction along a plane that is orthogonal to an optical axis of the lens, and an actuator that moves the lens holding member in the direction along the plane. In the optical device, the actuator includes an actuator element, formed of electroactive polymer, and a connecting member that connects the lens holding member to the actuator element.

Abstract: An image system which captures, along with the images, information defining both the position and the orientation of the camera along with the distance to the subject. A video camera is attached to three accelerometers, two gyroscopes, and a rangefinder. Data gathered from these devices and defining the pitch, yaw, and roll of the camera, the camera's acceleration, and the distance to the subject is captured and recorded along with video images. The video images are later stored within a computer's data base along with data defining the position and orientation of the camera and the distance to the subject for each image, this latter data being computed from the captured data. The images may then be presented to the user in a three-dimensional display in which the user can navigate through the images using a joystick device, with the images located in positions corresponding to the positions in space of the objects that were imaged.