Abstract: An in-camera two-stage compression implementation is described that reduces the latency between snapshots to a fraction of that otherwise required by other systems that either process complete compression following each snapshot or that incorporate heavy, bulky, and expensive RAM hardware capable of maintaining several raw luminosity records (unprocessed file containing a digital image). In the 1st stage compression the raw luminosity record is quickly, yet partially, compressed to available RAM buffer space to allow a user to expeditiously capture a succeeding image. When the higher-priority processes, the user shooting pictures, and stage one compression subside, a 2nd stage compression, which is slower but more effective, decompresses the earlier partially-compressed images, and re-compresses them for saving in flash memory until they are distributed to a remote platform to be finally converted to the JPEG2000 format.

Abstract: The camera system of the present invention includes a plurality of cameras each including an imaging unit and an image processing unit. If configured to operate in a mode that is for cooperation with other cameras, a first camera included in the camera system causes the image processing unit thereof to receive images from other cameras, and generate synthesized image by synthesizing the received images and an image captured by the imaging unit thereof. The first camera transmits the generated synthesized image to a second camera included in the camera system. The second camera causes, if configured to operate in the mode that is for cooperation with other cameras, the image processing unit thereof to perform part or whole of encoding of the received synthesized image.

Abstract: A video content edition support system that includes an imaging device used to record captured video content data to a recording medium An editor's terminal unit displays video content data transmitted from the imaging device and a network connects the imaging device and the editor's terminal unit to each other. The video content edition support system further includes a recorder to describe electronic mark data related to the video content data in the video content data, an electronic mark list generator to generate electronic mark list data including header information on the video content data, and an edition unit to edit the video content data on the basis of the electronic mark list data.

Abstract: The technique of the present invention ensures flexible image processing that is performed integrally on a plurality of image data. In accordance with the present invention, an image output system enables output of the image data, which is generated in a digital still camera DSC 12, with a color printer 20. The DSC 12 generates an image file, in which the image data, image processing control data and an additional data are stored. The image processing control data, which is preset by the manufacturer, may be specified regarding each image. The additional data is the user-configurable data, which is stored into the DSC. The color printer 20 performs image processing based on the image processing control data and the additional data, which is included in the image file, and outputs the resulting image.

Abstract: A camera is provided comprising an image sensor for sensing images, a printhead for printing the sensed images on print media, and a controller for controlling the communication of the sensed images to the printhead. The controller comprises an image sensor interface, a very long instruction word vector processor responsive to the image sensor interface, and a printhead interface in communication with the processor and the printhead. The processor is comprised of a number of processing units interconnected by a crossbar switch.

Abstract: A method and system for providing instant review of a last image in an image capture device is disclosed. The image capture device includes a viewfinder for displaying a live image and each image of a plurality of previously captured images. The method and system include selecting instant review of the last image captured by the image capture device, determining the status and location of the last image, and providing the last image to the viewfinder for display. Therefore, the image capture device is capable of displaying the last image substantially immediately after the last image has been captured. In another aspect, the image capture device contains an image processing system. In this aspect, the method and system include allowing a user to access a play mode and a review mode while the last image captured undergoes processing by the image processing system.

Abstract: A method of operating a handheld camera comprises sensing an image via an image sensor, controlling the sensing of the image via a camera manager, manipulating the image via an image processing manager, and controlling printing of the manipulated image via a print manager. The step of controlling printing of the manipulated image includes causing the print manager to activate a guillotine, which guillotine is adapted to cut a print media, upon receipt of a signal indicative of an attempt to pull the print media from the camera.

Abstract: A imaging device includes an imaging element; a memory unit configured to temporarily store pieces of image data captured individually at predetermined timings via the imaging element; a comparator configured to compare the image data recorded in the memory unit to detect whether an image change greater than or equal to a first threshold has occurred; a determining unit configured to determine whether the image change has converged to an amount less than or equal to a second threshold by comparing the image data recorded in the memory unit when an image change greater than or equal to the first threshold has been detected; and a controller configured to exercise control so that image data captured via the imaging element is recorded on a predetermined recording medium when it is determined that the image change has converged to an amount less than or equal to the second threshold.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an image file creation unit, a storage control unit, an extracting unit, and a display controller. The image file creation unit is configured to create a file including a plurality of images, first management information indicating a specified Exif version, and second management information including an image size and a total number of the images in the file. The storage control unit is configured to store the image file in a storage. The extraction unit is configured to extract the image from the image file in the storage based on the second management information. The display controller is configured to display the image on a display.

Abstract: A CCD captures a subject image having passed through a taking lens and an image processing circuit performs various types of image pre-treatment including gamma correction and white balance on image data corresponding to n lines×m rows output by the CCD. The image processing circuit also performs format processing on the data. The data are then compressed at a compression circuit. The white balance adjustment and the like are implemented in line sequence at a line processing circuit which engages in signal processing in pixel sequence in units of individual lines in the output from the CCD. The image data having undergone the pre-treatment are then subjected to format processing prior to JPEG compression, at a block processing circuit that engages in signal processing in units of individual blocks each ranging over an n×m (N>n, M>m) block. In other words, the signal processing is performed in block sequence.

Abstract: A handheld camera comprising a sensor adapted to sense an image, a camera manager for controlling the sensing of the image, an image processing manager for manipulating the image, a print manager for controlling printing of the manipulated image, and a guillotine adapted to cut a print media on which the manipulated image is printed from a print roll. The print manager is operable to activate the guillotine upon receipt of a signal indicative of a manual attempt to pull the print media from the camera.

Abstract: A digital camera records, as image data for storage in storage memory, image data captured a preset time lag period before image data captured at the time of receipt of a capture instruction among a plurality of frames of image data consecutively output by an image sensor until receipt of the capture instruction. A time lag period setting section displays at least one frame of image data stored in a ring buffer to thus receive, from the user, an instruction for selecting image data captured at a user's intended capture timing; computes a period from which the image data specified by the selection instruction are recorded in the temporary storage memory until when image data captured at the time of receipt of the capture instruction are recorded in the temporary storage memory; and registers the computed period as the time lag period in the time lag period storage section.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus comprises: an endoscope comprising an imaging device that forms color image signals of a body to be observed; a Y/C signal processing circuit that forms brightness/color difference signals from a color image signal obtained by the imaging device; a storage portion that stores Y/C matrix data for forming a spectral image based on the brightness/color difference signals; and a Y/C spectral image forming circuit that conducts matrix calculation by the Y/C matrix data of the storage portion and the brightness/color difference signals output from the Y/C signal processing circuit and forms a spectral image of an arbitrarily selected wavelength range.

Abstract: A digital camera 1 comprising a key operation unit (27) for registering subject information for identifying the subject, and photography conditions or image processing conditions corresponding to the subject identified according to the subject information; image memory (31) for storing the subject information, and the photography conditions or image processing conditions registered by the key operation unit (27); and a CPU (20). The CPU (20) detects a characteristic portion of the subject from the acquired image, identifies a subject corresponding to the characteristic portion of the detected subject, by referring to the subject information stored in the image memory (31), acquires the photography conditions or image processing conditions corresponding to the identified subject identified from the image memory (31), and carries out image capturing or image processing based on the acquired photography conditions or image processing conditions.

Abstract: A hand-held digital camera device includes a programmable processing circuitry incorporating a four-way parallel VLIW vector processor; an image sensor interface connected to the programmable processing circuitry and configured to receive signals from an image sensor and pass data representing the signals to the programmable processing circuitry; and a printhead interface connected to the programmable processing circuitry and configured to receive data from the programmable processing circuitry and generate control signals to be received by a printhead of a printing mechanism. The programmable processing circuitry, the image sensor interface and the printhead interface all form part of CMOS integrated circuitry provided on a common wafer. An instruction set of the VLIW vector processor is tuned for image manipulation processing.

Abstract: A technique processes captured data on a device, wherein selected captured data of a given quality resolution is transferred via a communication link to a separate storage location for future availability. A storage protocol may include various storage organization categories. A possible aspect may provide an identifier record to enable future accessibility to selected captured data by one or more authorized parties or approved devices or authorized recipients. In some embodiments the captured data may include both a video data stream and one or more still image frames having different quality characteristics and/or formats. Initial and ongoing coordination as well as correlation may be facilitated between video and still image data derived from related fields of view.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a digital camera, which is designed such that a recording medium can be loaded thereon, the medium capable of recording photographed image data and prohibiting recorded image data from being erased. The digital camera includes an initialization instruction unit for instructing the loaded recording medium to initialize, and a notification unit for performing a predetermined notification operation for notifying execution of initialization. In the digital camera, the notification unit performs the predetermined notification operation when image data which is prohibited from being erased is recorded on the recording medium when the recording medium is instructed to initialize by the initialization instruction unit. When the recording medium on which the image data which is prohibited from being erased is recorded is loaded, and when the recording medium is instructed to initialize, the digital camera can prevent the image data from being inadvertently erased.

Abstract: An image capturing method including following steps is provided. A preview image is captured and compressed into a compressed preview image according to a preview quantization table. An image complexity is judged by determining the amount of high frequency components the preview image has according to a set of factors consisting of the preview quantization table, a resolution of the preview image and a size of the compressed preview image. The more the amount of high frequency components the preview image has, the higher the image complexity. A to-be-captured image is captured. An initial quantization table is determined according to a set of factors consisting of the image complexity, a resolution of the to-be-captured image and an image compression target. The to-be-captured image is compressed into an output image according to the initial quantization table.

Abstract: An automated RAW image processing method and system are disclosed. A RAW image and metadata related to the RAW image are obtained from a digital camera or other source. The RAW image and the related metadata are automatically processed using an Operating System service of a processing device to produce a resulting image in an absolute color space. The resulting image is then made available to an application program executing on the processing device through an application program interface with the Operating System service.

Abstract: A source electronic device, system and method that is configured to associate a digital image with the source electronic device that generated the digital image is described. The source electronic device comprises a camera, a source identification module, a processor and a memory module. The camera captures at least one unprocessed image. The source identification module identifies the source electronic device with one or more source identification information. The processor processes the captured unprocessed image, and generates a processed digital image. The processed digital image comprises an image header having the source identification information. The memory module stores the processed digital images having the source identification information in the image header. The system comprises a network server and the source electronic device, which further comprises an encryption module configured to encrypt the source identification information.

Abstract: A method of operating a handheld camera comprises causing a sensor to sense an image, supplying predetermined data to an input of the camera via a card on which the predetermined data is disposed, and causing a processing system to obtain the image from the sensor, determine a card image in accordance with signals received from the input, rotate the card image in accordance with a skew of the card with respect to the input, and manipulate the image in accordance with the predetermined data to thereby generate a manipulated image.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of storing and restoring an iris image, the method comprising the steps of: acquiring an original image Iori including an iris portion from a camera; acquiring a first image Iextract1 configured with an area removed of portions outside of an outer circle and images included within an inner circle (hereinafter, referred to as an ‘iris enveloping annulus’) in order to extract an iris image to be stored from the original image; acquiring a second image Iextract2 removed of an occlusion portion of the iris, such as a pupil, a white of an eye, an eyelash, an eyelid, hairs, and the like, from the first image; converting the second image Iextract2 removed of the occlusion portion into a polar image Ipolar of a polar coordinate system, or acquiring a compressed image Icomp compressing the converted polar image; storing the compressed image Icomp in memory, together with restoration information H, as storage image data Istore; and acquiring a restored image Irestored using a r

Abstract: A handheld camera comprises a sensor adapted to sense an image, a camera manager for controlling the sensing of the image, an image processing manager for manipulating the image, a print manager for controlling printing of the manipulated image, and a guillotine adapted to cut a print media on which the manipulated image is printed from a print roll. The print manager is operable to activate the guillotine upon receipt of a signal indicative of an attempt to dispense the print media at a rate greater than that of a print roll drive system for dispensing the print media.

Abstract: When there is created one composite image comprising an arrangement of a plurality of associated captured small images, an intended small image needs to be extracted from the composite image. When a plurality of small images are arranged to create one composite image, pixel data on the first row of a first small image is stored at a first address of DRAM. Pixel data on the second row and later are sequentially stored at specified addresses of DRAM. Likewise, second through ninth small images are stored at specified addresses of DRAM. In this manner, one composite image is created. When the first small image is selected to be extracted, pixel data on the first row of the first small image is read from the first address of DRAM. Pixel data on the second row is read from the second address. Pixel data on the third row and later are sequentially read by incrementing addresses. The present invention can be applied to a digital still camera.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an access unit, a setting unit and an image generation unit. The access unit accesses RAW data representing a tone level of one channel for each pixel and attribute data attached to the RAW data. The setting unit sets generation condition to generate an image from the RAW data. The image generation unit generates an output image from the RAW data on the basis of the generation condition, attaches attaching the attribute data to the output image for an item of which generation condition matches the attribute data, and attaches the attribute data to the output image for an item of which generation condition does not match the attribute data.

Abstract: In a digital camera including an electronic flash device using a light-emitting diode as a flash light source, white balance correction is performed by using a white balance correction value corresponding to a color temperature of light actually emitted from the electronic flash device.

Abstract: Group keys and image group names of image groups to which the owner of a digital camera belongs are transmitted from a server to the digital camera. The image group names are displayed in list form and an image group name is selected from the list. The group key of the selected image group is transmitted from the digital camera to the server. The server sends the digital camera access information for accessing the user computer of another user who belongs to the image group identified by the received group key. The digital camera accesses the user computer based upon the access information and receives the image file desired.

Abstract: A digital camera can employ logic to delay capturing a still image after a person has operated the control button until such time as predetermined subject criteria are met, e.g., the subject is smiling with eyes open, three or more players are in the field of view to ensure a good action shot, etc.

Abstract: A process time is shortened while a face detection precision is maintained high. A face detection unit for extracting a face area of a photographic subject from an image taken with a digital camera or the like includes a unit for acquiring focussing area information in an image area from image data and accessory information of image data regarding photographic conditions and the like, a unit for determining a face detection area in the image area in accordance with the focussing area information, and a unit for executing a face detection process not for a whole image area but partially for a face.

Abstract: A method of controlling a digital photographing device for storing an image file obtained by taking a photograph in a storage medium, and reproducing an image file stored in the storage medium to display on a display unit, the method including: marking an image file corresponding to an image last displayed on the display unit when a playback mode for displaying an image on a display unit is terminated; and loading, when a playback mode is started, an image file corresponding to an image that has been last displayed on the display unit when a previous playback mode is terminated, to display on the display unit.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus has a color conversion mode in which it generates color conversion data for color conversion based on an input color which is a source color and an output color which is a destination color. Using the generated color conversion data, the apparatus performs color conversion processing on image data acquired by means of an imaging section. To make the generated color conversion data reproducible, the apparatus outputs the image data obtained through the color conversion processing, associated with color conversion information including, for example, the source color and destination color. The apparatus generates a data file containing, for example, the color conversion information and image data, and records it on a recording medium.

Abstract: A camera control apparatus includes: an input section to which a plurality of cameras controlled by the apparatus are connected, each of the cameras including a first preset information storage section capable of storing up to n preset information on the state of the camera setting; a second preset information storage section capable of storing (n+1)-th to m-th preset information (n<m) in each camera; an operation input unit to which an operation of selecting a specific one of the cameras and an operation of instructing registration or read out of the preset information on the selected camera are inputted; and a control section registering the preset information in the information storage section when the operation of instructing registration of the preset information is inputted, whereas reading and incorporating the preset information into the state of the selected camera when the operation of instructing readout of the registered preset information is inputted.

Abstract: A method and an electronic device for adjusting a compression ratio of a JPEG image are used to adjust a size of a JPEG image file. The method includes the following steps. a raw image, a first compression parameter (SF1) and a second compression parameter (SF2) are obtained. Then, the first compression parameter and the second compression parameter is used to compress the raw image respectively to obtain a first file and a second file of the compressed raw image A target file size (Target) is set. The target file size, the size of the first file (FileSize1), and the size of the second file (FileSize2) are used to calculate a target compression parameter (NSF) that is generated according to the equation, log ? ( NSF ) = log ? ( SF ? ? 1 SF ? ? 2 ) log ( FileSize ? ? 1 FileSize ? ? 2 ) × log ? ( Target FileSize ? ? 1 ) + log ? ( SF ? ? 1 ) .

Abstract: If a plurality of objects exist, an image pick-up device of this invention more easily identifies an object that a user desires and optimizes an image pick-up condition.

Abstract: An image obtained as a result of an image-taking process carried out at a screen rate higher than a standard screen rate is stored in a recording medium in the contemporary video format. To put it more concretely, the image obtained as a result of an image-taking process is supplied at a first screen rate to first compression/coding means for carrying out a compression/coding process at the first screen rate and image data obtained as a result of the compression/coding process is temporarily stored in temporary storage means. After image data output by the first compression/coding means during a predetermined period of time is stored in the temporary storage means, decompression/decoding means reads out the image data from the temporary storage means at a second screen rate lower than the first screen rate, carries out a decompression/decoding process on the image data and stores a result of the decompression/decoding process in recording means.

Abstract: In order to make it possible to perform the starting or the changing of photographing, recording and reproducing modes easily and to eliminate walls between the modes, an image pickup apparatus includes a first mode for recording a photographed image on a record medium as an image file, a second mode for reproducing the image file, and an operation member which can switch to each mode by different operation methods, wherein the operation member returns to its original state after the performance of an operation.

Abstract: A method used for the compensation of vignetting in digital cameras has been achieved. The compensation for vignetting is done in two steps. The first step is done during production of the camera unit and involves taking and analyzing an image of a test screen, preferably a gray test screen. This results in a set of e.g. 5×5 coefficients describing a polynomial surface. The second step is done for each image that is taken by the camera and involves calculating and applying a gain-table based on polynomial coefficients to all pixels of the image to compensate vignetting.

Abstract: An evaluating method of image information acquires image information, performs camera shake evaluation of the image information by determining a camera shake direction on the basis of the image information, and performs out-of-focus evaluation of the image information by using information concerning a camera shake direction determined in the camera shake evaluation.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus control unit, comprising a calculation block, a first control block, an output block, and a second control block, is provided. The calculation block calculates the number of possible photographs. The number of possible photographs is set as the sequential-photographing number. The first control block carries out imaging control for either sequential-photographing or single-photographing. The output block outputs the compressed image signal to the memory. The second control block either repeatedly carries out the sequential control for sequential-photographing, or stops carrying out the sequential control for sequential-photographing and begins carrying out the sequential control for single-photographing when the sequential-photographing number is below a first predetermined number.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for arranging digital data in a file in an apparatus-implemented system, is disclosed. One or more pages are generated, where each page includes: i. a mode field containing a camera operation mode, ii. an image data field containing image data, iii. an offset field containing an offset to a next page in the file, and a total size field containing a page size. Each page is recorded in the file using the same format.

Abstract: This invention is applied to a system applied to an electronic still camera, for instance. According to the invention, thumbnail image data DT obtained by thinning RAW data is recorded along with the RAW data DR, and image correction information DS at the time of imaging-result capturing which is used in presentation.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus is provided which includes a memory for storing plural photographic images, an input key for instructing a desired photographic image among the photographic images stored in the memory to be subjected to image processing, a determining section to determine whether a photographic image related to the photographic image which is instructed to be subjected to the image processing by the input key is stored in the memory, and an informing section to inform a user when the determining section determines that the related photographic image is stored.

Abstract: Conventionally, there have been a problem that when an imaging device performs aberration correction by itself, the imaging device has to have high processing ability and a large storage capacity and a problem that since the object subjected to aberration correction is image data read from an analog film by means of a scanner or the like, a region on an analog film from which the gray scale is lost is corrected as the gray scale is lost. To solve the problems, the present invention provides an imaging device in which the image captured by a digital imaging device and information for aberration correction embedded in the image as tag data of the Exif format are transmitted to an image reproducing device and aberration correction is performed in the image reproducing device.

Abstract: A method for processing image data using a digital camera includes providing a digital camera having a first transformation program as a default program, the first transformation program supporting a first transformation technology. A first communication link is formed between the digital camera and a first remote image processing device. Transformation-related information is obtained from the first remote device, the transformation-related information including information about one or more transformation technologies supported by the first remote device. Whether the first transformation program is supported by the first remote device is determined. A second transformation program supported by the first remote device is searched if the first transformation program is determined not to be supported by the first remote device, the second transformation program supporting a second transformation technology.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus performs image processing on moving picture data by using image processing control information which defines image processing conditions and outputs the moving picture data subjected to the image processing to an image output device connected to the image processing apparatus. The image processing apparatus includes the following elements. A moving-picture-data obtaining unit obtains the moving picture data in units of blocks, each block including a plurality of unit images. An image-processing-control-information obtaining unit obtains image processing control information associated with each block of the moving picture data. An image processor performs image processing on each block of the moving picture data by using the image processing control information. An output unit outputs the moving picture data subjected to the image processing to the image output device.

Abstract: The data transfer apparatus according to the present invention includes a transfer portion that reads out image data stored in a first storage medium, and transfers the image data to a second storage medium; an identification portion that identifies image data stored in the first storage medium and image data stored in the second storage medium; a specification portion that, when transfer of image data by the transfer portion is terminated partway, determines the presence or absence of untransferred image data to the second storage medium among interrelated image data based on the identification result by the identification portion, and that, when the presence of untransferred image data is determined, specifies image data related to the untransferred image data among image data stored in the second storage medium; and a deletion portion that deletes the image data specified by the specification portion from the second storage medium.

Abstract: When shooting is made, an electronic camera selects a correction mode and a correction condition, which reflect the shooting intention of a user with the highest accuracy when a visible image is formed, based on a set shooting mode, a condition for image capturing at the time of shooting, and a camera mode. The electronic camera then associating the correction mode and the correction condition with the image data obtained by shooting, and records the mode and the condition in association with the image data on a memory card. When a printer prints an image based on the image data, it performs a process for a correction when a visible image is formed, based on the correction mode and the correction condition, which are associated with the image data.

Abstract: At least an embodiment enables displaying of a video image of a desired subject or a direction without a need for a camera operator to pay a special attention to the desired subject or the direction. The video displaying method may include cutting out a portion of a still image imaged by the wide-angle lens and producing a display data for a first display image, specifying a changed amount of an imaging angle from the imaging timing for the previously cut-out still image to the imaging timing for the still image to be cut-out, cutting out a second or later still image imaged by the wide-angle lens as well as shifting the cut-out region for the second or later still image so as to cancel the specified change amount of the imaging angle, forming a display data for the second or later display images.

Abstract: A setting for white balance used by a camera during image-capturing can be reflected in a printer, thereby preventing, during printing, execution of such correction as negates an atmosphere of a light source in a recorded image in which the atmosphere has been intentionally allowed to remain. A camera used for a system of the present invention is a digital camera having a white balance process function of allowing the atmosphere of a photographing light source to remain in an image. During image-capturing, WB adaptation rate information indicative of a level of white balance correction is recorded on a recording medium as additional information. A printer reads the WB adaptation rate information for the camera via the recording medium to control white balance in accordance with the setting for the WB adaptation rate. For example, if the WB adaptation rate is less than 100%, then an AWB process executed by the printer is turned off to print the recorded image without changing its tints.

Abstract: A digital camera which allows voice annotations to be recorded for each picture, but which includes text annotations with each such picture when the picture is transmitted from the camera. The digital camera includes an image sensing apparatus operable to receive light comprising an image and output image data representing the image, a first memory operable to store the image data, a sound sensing apparatus operable to receive a sound and output sound data representing the sound, wherein the sound is speech and the sound data is voice data, a second memory operable to store the voice data, a third memory operable to store text data; and a voice recognition apparatus operable to access the second memory, translate the stored voice data into text data and store the text data in the third memory, when the digital camera is provided with external power.