Abstract: An image pickup apparatus comprises an image pickup unit including a plurality of photoelectric conversion units for picking up an image of an object; and a filter, arranged on the image pickup unit, for reducing a light amount that causes a flicker.

Abstract: An object shooting condition judging device for an image shooting apparatus of the present invention includes: an ultraviolet light detecting element for detecting received ultraviolet light; comparing means for comparing ultraviolet light intensity detected by the ultraviolet light detecting element with predetermined intensity that has been determined in advance; and judging means for judging shooting conditions of an object based on the comparison result of the comparing means. This object shooting condition judging device enables quick response and is capable of adjusting white balance of images between indoors and outdoors in a simple and easy manner.

Abstract: An image input apparatus. A detection section detects a change cycle of an intensity of an external light inputted to a camera. A timing control section synchronizes the change cycle of the intensity of the xternal light with a plurality of input timings of the camera by changing a phase difference in order. An evaluation section compares each storage quantity of the external light inputted to the camera at the plurality of input timings synchronized by the timing control section for each phase difference. A selection section selects the phase difference whose difference of the storage quantities of the external light is smallest from all phase difference changed by the timing control section.

Abstract: An image device, such as a digital camera, detects specific repeating patterns of signal variations by processing columnar information from the device's two-dimensional sensor array used to generate images. In one embodiment, the columnar information is derived from calculating row averages for two image frames, with each row average being a computed average of the multiple signal intensities generated from some or all of the sensors within a particular row. After the columnar information is determined for each of the two frames, a difference signal is generated as a sequence of the differences between the row averages for the first frame and the row averages for the second frame. This row averaging and frame differencing removes a large percentage of the signal energy that is not a result of the artifact of interest, such as the flicker generated by illumination having intensity fluctuations at 100 Hz or at 120 Hz.

Abstract: An image capture apparatus which is compact and structurally simple and allows for prevention of a flicker noise, a method of capturing an image which allows for prevention of a flicker noise, and a mobile terminal using the apparatus and the method, are provided. In the image capture apparatus, a vertical cycle is adjusted so as to maintain 20 fps or 20/2m (m is an integer) fps, thereby to prevent a flicker noise in an image as obtained. To this end, in the image capture apparatus, a frequency of a horizontal transfer clock, a horizontal count level and a vertical line count level may be adjusted. Further, a fraction count is provided to adjust the length of one vertical cycle. Moreover, the image capture apparatus may be incorporated in a mobile terminal.

Abstract: An environment-compliant image display system, image processing method and information storage medium which can reproduce the same colors at different locations by absorbing any difference in the visual environment. In an individual environment, an image data is generated by absorbing any difference between a reference environment and the individual visual environment by a colored light information processing section 140, based on X, Y and Z values of an image in an image display area measured by a colored light sensor 60 as well as X, Y and Z values measured in the reference environment. A profile for projector input/output is corrected by a profile managing section 130 and then an image is projected by using an L/V drive section 190.

Abstract: A camera and method are usable for capturing images of scenes illuminated by ambient light. The camera has a body and an electronic imager disposed in the body. The electronic imager captures an ambient light image as a multicolored electronic image. A color detector is disposed in the body. The color detector measures the ambient light to provide a color value. A look-up table, disposed in the body, has an assignment of the color value to one of a designated illuminant and one or more non-designated illuminants. Each non-designated illuminant has a color cast relative to the designated illuminant. A user interface, disposed on the outside of the body, shows the electronic image and an indication of the illuminant to which the color value is assigned.

Abstract: A method for automatically removing strobe in a digital image capturer of a mobile communication apparatus and a mobile communication apparatus thereof are provided. The method comprises: providing a local area data by the mobile communication apparatus, the local area data indicating an area the mobile communication apparatus is located; generating a power frequency data corresponding to the local area data; and setting the digital image capturer based on the power frequency data to remove the strobe. The method may further includes the mobile communication apparatus detecting/communicating a telecommunication service network, the telecommunication service network providing a mobile communication service; and the telecommunication service network sending the local area data to the mobile communication apparatus.

Abstract: A camera capable of white balance correction (WBC) of this invention has an image pickup optical system, an image sensor for receiving light from an object, a three-primary-color (3-color) detection section for detecting 3-color signals based on the image sensor output, a matrix processing section for calculating 2-color difference signals from the 3-color signals, a visible-light brightness detection section for detecting visible-light brightness by the output from the 3-color detection section or by a photometric section, an infrared-light detection section for detecting the lightness of infrared-light, and an artificial-light detection section for calculating the ratio of artificial light and natural-light. A correction range for performing the WBC is obtained based on the ratio of artificial-light and natural-light computed by the artificial-light detection section, and the WBC is performed when the 2-color difference signals are within the correction range.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining a type of an illuminant including a spectrum diffraction unit and a sensor coupled to the spectrum diffraction unit. An illuminant discrimination unit is coupled to the sensor and configured to receive a set of signals representative of a set of spectral components in the illuminant and to determine the type.

Abstract: The camera has a body and an electronic imager disposed in the body. The electronic imager captures an ambient light image as a multicolored electronic image. Memory is operatively connected to the imager and stores the electronic image as a stored image. The camera has a color adjuster that includes a user interface ambient light detector and color balancer. The user interface ambient light detector has a light sensor and measures ambient illumination to provide an ambient light color value. The color balancer generates a copy of the stored image and modifies the color balance of that copy, responsive to the color value, to generate a compensated image. An image display mounted on the body adjacent the sensor, shows the compensated image. A switch mounted on the body, is switchable independent of the imager, to actuate and deactuate the color adjuster.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided that determine the suitability of an image for use by an object tracking system. According to one embodiment of the present invention an image is preprocessed to separate one or more objects to be tracked from the rest of the image and compute statistics for the one or more objects to be tracked and the rest of the image. A quality measure is generated based on the statistics for the one or more objects to be tracked and the rest of the image that indicates the suitability of the image for use by an object tracking system.

Abstract: There is provided a method outputting multi-band image data, including the steps of obtaining a spectral waveform per pixel of an image photographed by a multi-band camera; performing conversion of the thus obtained spectral waveform per pixel into control signals corresponding to a plurality of image reproduction processes, for outputting to an image outputting machine; and obtaining a final control signal synthesizing the plurality of control signals. There is also provided an apparatus for implementing the above method. The image reproduction processes can be consecutively switched in accordance with the purpose of the image reproduction, whereupon the image can be outputted in the image reproduction process suited most to the purpose for reproducing the color with a higher priority given to which factor, the coincidence of the visual appearance between the original image and the duplicate image or the stability of visual appearance.

Abstract: A surrounding light judging method and a video compensation control apparatus which are capable of securing an optimum quality of picture by detecting a color signal near a video displaying instrument, judging a lighting environment from the detected color signal, and automatically correcting a video data in accordance with the judged lighting environment and a variation in the lighting environment.

Abstract: A solid-state image sensor, which has a two-dimensional matrix of a plurality of pixels used to sense the two-dimensional spatial distribution of radioactive rays, light rays, electrons, ions, or the like, is provided with an aperture that extends through a substrate at an image sensing unit on which the pixels are arranged, and a signal transfer path that connects signal transfer electrodes for reading images of the respective pixels kept clear of the aperture. Furthermore, the image sensing unit is divided into at least two regions by a boundary including the aperture, and these regions have individual signal read registers. With this structure, the image sensor serves as both an image sensor for sensing the two-dimensional distribution of radiation or the like, and an aperture for passing such radiation.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide an image sensing apparatus capable of sensing an image in consideration of the influence of inserting/removing an optical filter, an image sensing method, a recording medium, and a program. To achieve this object, a brightness value calculation unit calculates the first brightness value representing the brightness of part or all of an object which is imaged on a CCD image sensing element. A brightness value correction unit calculates the second brightness value by correcting the first brightness value calculated by the brightness value calculation unit on the basis of the light reduction amount generated by inserting an ND filter. A system controller controls an optical system and signal processing in a DSP circuit by using the second brightness value calculated by the brightness value correction unit.

Abstract: An image input apparatus. A detection section detects a change cycle of an intensity of an external light inputted to a camera. A timing control section synchronizes the change cycle of the intensity of the external light with a plurality of input timings of the camera by changing a phase difference in order. An evaluation section compares each storage quantity of the external light inputted to the camera at the plurality of input timings synchronized by the timing control section for each phase difference. A selection section selects the phase difference whose difference of the storage quantities of the external light is smallest from all phase difference changed by the timing control section.

Abstract: The image capture device detects a sudden light change event and captures images associated with the sudden light change event. Exposure values associated with the captured images are calculated. The difference between the exposure values are compared to an exposure value change criteria. If the difference is at least equal to the exposure value change criteria, the presence of a sudden light change event is determined and the most recently captured image is saved into memory. Thus, only images associated with the sudden light change event are saved, thereby more efficiently utilizing limited memory capacity. The sudden light change event is typically characterized by a relatively large, sudden and unpredictable increase in light such that the object of interest is more lighted. Also, after the onset of the sudden light change event and/or before the onset of the sudden light change event, images may be stored in memory.

Abstract: A white balance adjusting device for use in a camera which photographs a field and forms a video signal representing the field. In the white balance adjusting device, while a sequential photographing is under way, updating of the color temperature data to be used for adjusting a white balance is prohibited. Therefore, the hues of main objects in the respective frames of still images photographed by the sequential photographic operation remain unchanged, thereby maintaining the homogeneity of the main objects. Also, in the white balance adjusting device, control a device is used to provide a short response time for a quick response property in a still mode and to provide a longer response time in a movie mode when compared with the still mode. As a result, the white balance can be adjusted according to the photographic modes of the camera.