Abstract: A zoom control method and apparatus. The zoom control method allows a subject to be photographed by automatically performing a zooming operation with a proper composition and resolves a problem where a subject disappears from a screen due to the zooming operation.

Abstract: A zoom lens system comprising a positive first lens unit composed of three or four lens elements, a negative second lens unit, and subsequent lens units, wherein the subsequent lens units include an aperture diaphragm, an image blur compensating lens unit, and a focusing lens unit, which are provided on the image side relative to the aperture diaphragm, and the conditions: 1.8<|(YW/fW)×FNOT×(fT/fW)|<4.5 and 0.001<(D1W+D2T)/fW<0.200 (YW=fW×tan(?W), fW, fT: focal length of the zoom lens system at wide-angle limit, telephoto limit, ?W: half view angle at wide-angle limit, FNOT: F-number at telephoto limit, D1W: inter-apex distance between the first and second lens units at wide-angle limit, D2T: inter-apex distance between the second lens unit and a most object side lens unit among the subsequent lens units at telephoto limit) are satisfied.

Abstract: Present embodiments provide for a mobile device and an optical imaging lens thereof. The optical imaging lens comprises four lens elements positioned sequentially from an object side to an image side. Though controlling the convex or concave shape of the surfaces, the refracting power and/or the ratio or difference among the parameters of the lens element(s), the optical imaging lens shows better optical characteristics and the total length of the optical imaging lens is shortened.

Abstract: A method of controlling a digital photographing apparatus is provided. The control method includes detecting a gesture of a user for the digital photographing apparatus using a plurality of video images sequentially generated according to live view photographing, changing an operation of the digital photographing apparatus to a zoom adjustment mode when the detected gesture of the user includes a preset first user gesture, and controlling a zooming state of the digital photographing apparatus step-by-step according to a moving path of a second user gesture after the first user gesture has ended, when the operation mode has been changed to the zoom adjustment mode.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup element; a heat dissipating member including a heat dissipating portion and thermally connected to the image pickup element; a housing that retains the image pickup element and the heat dissipating member such that the image pickup element and the heat dissipating member are movable, the housing having an opening at which the heat dissipating portion is exposed irrespective of the position of the image pickup element and the heat dissipating member in a movable range; a fan that generates an airflow; and a duct that forms an air flow channel that directs the airflow generated by the fan toward the opening.

Abstract: A zoom lens includes a first lens group having a positive refractive power; a second lens group having a negative refractive power; a third lens group including a first sub-lens group having a positive refractive power, an iris, and a second sub-lens group having a positive refractive power; and a fourth lens group having a positive refractive power, wherein the first to fourth lens groups are sequentially arranged from an object side to an image side, the distance between each of the first through fourth lens groups changes when zooming, the surface of the lens closest to the image side in the first sub-lens group is concave, the lens closest to the object side in the second sub-lens group is a meniscus lens concave towards the object side, and the lens located closest to the object side in the third lens group is an aspheric lens.

Abstract: A method of analyzing images captured using an imaging device is provided herein. The analysis provides suggestions for changing a parameter of the imaging device during subsequent image capture.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an imaging apparatus configured to display a through image in a visible manner when it is assumed that a status of a focus is confirmed even if a multiple live view display suitable for composition adjustment is performed in multiple exposure photography. The imaging apparatus includes a generation unit configured to multiple-synthesize a through image and at least a captured image, and to generate a multiple-composite image, a display control unit configured to perform control to display the multiple-composite image on a display unit while sequentially updating the multiple-composite image, a magnification instruction receiving unit configured to receive an image magnification instruction, and a control unit configured to perform control to display a through image magnified without multiple-synthesizing, on the display unit when receiving the magnification instruction while displaying the multiple-composite image.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a frame containing an object of interest and determining a current pixel density of the object of interest. The current pixel density is compared to a minimum pixel density to generate a comparison result and an indication is received of available throughput of a wireless network used to transmit the video. Based on the comparison result and the available throughput, a pixel density compensation method is selected from multiple methods, which include adjusting a zoom feature of a camera used to capture the video and adjusting encoded frame resolution. Using the selected pixel density compensation method, a pixel density compensation parameter is determined to adjust the current pixel density with respect to the minimum pixel density for the object of interest. The pixel density compensation parameter is provided to one or both of the camera or an encoder that sends the video over the wireless network.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are described in which image information is received from an image sensor relating to one image frame, one or more sub-images are produced from the received image information according to given cropping data; and the produced one or more sub-images are forwarded through an output.

Abstract: The zoom lens comprises five or more groups of lens pieces, namely, the foremost or first lens group of positive refractive power located the closest to an object, the succeeding second lens group of negative refractive power, the third lens group of positive refractive power, the fourth lens group of positive refractive power, and the fifth lens group all arranged in this order, and if any, the rearmost lens group(s) closer to the imaging plane than the fifth lens group. The zoom lens meets requirements as defined in the formula regarding a synthetic optical power of the fifth lens group and, if any, the rearmost lens group(s) closer to the imaging plane than the fifth lens group while the zoom lens is taking a posture of the telephoto end.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an image capturing device and a lens actuating device and a lens actuating method thereof. The lens actuating device comprises a focus lens group, a zoom lens group, a motor and a microcontroller. The focus lens group is arranged for changing a focus point of the image. The zoom lens group is arranged for changing distance of the image. The motor is arranged for driving the movements of the focus lens group and the zoom lens group respectively. The microcontroller is arranged for receiving a plurality of instructions, and controlling the motor at one of a plurality of predetermined speeds according to the instruction received to control the motor to drive the focus lens group or the zoom lens group to perform a focus motion or a zoom motion.

Abstract: This camera system comprises a novel or new combination of three elements or parts including a 1000 mm focal length Maksutov Cassegrain MTO or Rubinar mirror lens threaded to an M42 to Sony Alpha mount or M42 to Olympus 4/3 mount adapter, both with their own “dandelion chip”, programmed with the focal length of 1000 mm allowing for the only currently image stabilized lens of this length, also allowing the lens to communicate with the camera to allow proper metering and exposure as well as focus confirmation for faster, more certain sharp photos whether through “focus peaking” in the case of the Sony, or “catch in focus” and a confirmation beep with the Olympus, as well as 3 variable levels of zoom from 1500 mm to 3000 mm in the case of the Sony (incorporating both the crop factor of the sensor and the crop zoom push button feature) and 2× crop with Olympus.

Abstract: An image-capturing device includes: an image sensor that captures an image of a photographic subject and outputs the image; an image size conversion unit that converts a whole of the image outputted from the image sensor to an entire region image having a lesser number of pixels than a number of pixels of the whole of the image; a cutting out region setting unit that sets a cutting out region for a partial region image to be cut out from the image outputted from the image sensor; an image cutting out unit that cuts out the partial region image corresponding to the cutting out region from the image outputted from the image sensor; and a recording control unit that records the entire region image converted by the image size conversion unit and the partial region image cut out by the image cutting out unit in an image recording unit, while establishing a relation to each other.

Abstract: An electronic device and method capture multiple images of a scene of real world at a several zoom levels, the scene of real world containing text of one or more sizes. Then the electronic device and method extract from each of the multiple images, one or more text regions, followed by analyzing an attribute that is relevant to OCR in one or more versions of a first text region as extracted from one or more of the multiple images. When an attribute has a value that meets a limit of optical character recognition (OCR) in a version of the first text region, the version of the first text region is provided as input to OCR.

Abstract: Processing images of a scene taken with different focus includes, for each of at least some of the images, determining at least one portion of the image having a predetermined characteristic. A representation of the scene is generated that includes an array of elements, where each of at least some of the elements corresponds to a determined portion of at least one of the images. An element of the array is based on a correspondence between a distance associated with a determined portion of at least one image and a focused distance associated with at least one image. The generated representation is stored or provided as output.

Abstract: A method and apparatus support a zoom microphone function in a mobile terminal. The apparatus includes a plurality of microphones, a camera, and a controller. Each of the plurality of microphones has a different directional characteristic. The camera captures an image. And the controller determines a zoom level of the camera, and adjusts gains of the plurality of microphones based on a zoom range to which the zoom level belongs.

Abstract: An example embodiment provides a resizer in an image processing system. The resizer includes a receiving module that receives pixel data representative of an image. A triple line buffer is coupled to the receiving module that stores the pixel data in response to a write control signal from control logic. The triple line buffer is operated as a circular buffer. The resizer further includes a resizer core that reads pixel data from the triple line buffer in response to a read control signal from the control logic. The pixel data is replicated to up-scale the image vertically according to a vertical up-scale ratio such that the resizer achieves a maximum input data rate and also eliminates an overflow condition in the resizer. The vertical up-scale ratio is a fraction.

Abstract: There is provided an imaging device including an image sensor that performs photoelectric conversion on subject light coming through a lens and generates an image signal, a first development unit that generates first image data having first resolution from the image signal, a second development unit that generates second image data having second resolution that is lower than the first resolution from the image signal or the first image data, and a display processing unit that selects image data of one of the first image data and the second image data as a range to be displayed on a screen for reviewing an image captured by the image sensor according to a size of a region cropped from an image of the first image data or an image of the second image data, and generates an image for display to be displayed using the selected image data.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a touch sensitive display device, a camera device, and a processor that executes computer readable program code embodied in a computer readable storage medium. Some of the computer readable program code is configured to control magnification of a digital image from the camera device to generate a magnified digital image that is displayed on the display device in response to distance between at least two touch points detected relative to a surface of the display device. Some other computer readable program code is configured to initiate capture of the magnified digital image in response to cessation of detection of at least one of the two touch points.

Abstract: An apparatus for capturing images. The apparatus includes a camera unit configured to capture images of target objects, and a processing unit configured to control the apparatus to detect close-up photography conditions, and to automatically zoom said camera unit in response to said detection.

Abstract: A lens barrel includes a lens group including a fixed lens including one or more lenses and an adjustment lens including one or more lenses, and a lens frame to hold the lens group, including an adjustment lens frame to hold the adjustment lens and an aligning mechanism to hold the adjustment lens frame movably in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis of the lens group relative to the lens frame.

Abstract: A system and method for image capture. The method includes configuring an image sensor to capture at a full resolution of the image sensor and automatically capturing a first image with the image sensor irrespective of a shutter button of a camera. The method further includes receiving an image capture request and accessing a second image after the receiving of the image capture request. The first image is captured prior to the receiving of the image capture request. The first image and the second image may then be stored.

Abstract: A method for capturing an image using an image acquisition device, includes determining that at least one area of an image to be captured has been selected, analyzing geometrical and compositional properties of an area surrounding the at least one area, providing a dynamic compositional guideline based on a result of analyzing the geometrical and compositional properties, and indicating when the image to be captured should be captured based on a position of the dynamic compositional guideline relative to the image to be captured.

Abstract: To provide a mobile terminal, a method for adjusting the magnification of a camera and a program that enable a photographer, who shoots an image using a display screen, to easily see an image displayed on the display screen. A mobile terminal including a camera and a display screen comprises: a display control section that displays an image of an object picked up by the camera on the display screen; a detecting section that detects a photographer's eye position with respect to the display screen and measures a distance from the eye position to the display screen; a measuring section that measures a distance from the camera to the object; and an adjusting section that adjusts a magnification of the camera on the basis of the distance measured by the detecting section and the distance measured by the measuring section.

Abstract: It is an object to provide an image processing device capable of obtaining a high precise image while aberration asymmetry is corrected. An image processing device according to the present invention includes image obtaining means configured to obtain an input image, image restoration means configured to restore the input image using a generated or selected image restoration filter in accordance with a transfer function of an image pickup system used for forming the input image from an object image. The image restoration filter makes a difference between absolute values of transfer functions of two azimuthal directions at a time when the restoration image is obtained from an object smaller than a difference between absolute values of transfer functions of the two azimuthal directions of the image pickup system.

Abstract: A mobile terminal and a method of displaying an object related information in the mobile terminal are disclosed, in which the method includes receiving an image via a camera module of the mobile terminal, the received image depicting objects located within a predetermined distance from the mobile terminal, obtaining at least one object related information corresponding to the received image, displaying the received image including the obtained at least one object related information, receiving a zoom-in command signal for the camera module, zooming in on the displayed image according to the received zoom-in command signal such that the zoomed-in image is displayed at a zoom position, and displaying object related information in the obtained object related information corresponding to at least one object of the zoomed-in image depicted between the zoom position and the predetermined distance.

Abstract: A zoom lens system comprising a first lens unit having positive optical power, a second lens unit having negative optical power, a third lens unit having positive optical power, a fourth lens unit having negative optical power, and a fifth lens unit having positive optical power, wherein the third lens unit includes at least one lens element having positive optical power and at least one lens element having negative optical power, at least the first to third lens units are moved along an optical axis in zooming so that air spaces between the respective lens units vary, thereby performing magnification change, a lens unit positioned on the image side relative to an aperture diaphragm is moved along the optical axis in focusing, and the conditions: 8.1<fG1/Ir<10.4 and Z=fT/fW?9.

Abstract: A user enters an input for selecting an image-capturing mode. The user then captures the image of a target with a desired zoon factor as a target image. An image-capturing device determines a zoom factor for an image to be captured starting from the target image and then captures an image while zooming out to the determined zoom factor. A process of changing the zoom factor and capturing an image is repeated until the smallest zoom factor among determined zoom factors is used. When image capturing of an image of the smallest zoom factor is completed, metadata is created that includes the respective zoom factors of images and relative position information of the images, and the metadata is stored in a memory unit in relation with the data of the captured images.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus capable of switching between an optical viewfinder and live view which involves periodically reading out an image signal out of an image sensor and sequentially displaying the image signal on a display unit, comprises a phase difference focus control unit that performs auto focus control using a phase difference detection method; a selection unit that selects one of a plurality of focus detection areas used for the auto focus control; an electronic zoom unit that changes an angle of view; and a control unit that causes the phase difference focus control unit to perform auto focus control by the phase difference detection method using the selected focus detection area if the selected focus detection area is located within the changed angle of view, otherwise not to perform auto focus control by the phase difference detection method using the selected focus detection area.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for quickly and accurately extracting an object in an image, the method including: performing at least one resizing on an extraction model pattern for of the object to be extracted; scanning an image frame, captured by a camera, using each of the at least one resized extraction model pattern, and extracting the object that is matched with any one of the at least one resized extraction model pattern; and displaying information about a position of the extracted object.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling zoom of a digital photographing apparatus using a touch screen. According to the method, a view angle may be modified by inputting a zooming gesture to the touch screen and zooming operation may be conveniently performed on a reproduced image.

Abstract: A device and a method for image zooming are provided, in which two FIFO buffer units and a read/write control unit are added between a data storage unit and an image zooming unit. The read/write control unit respectively controls two FIFO buffer units to obtain and output the gray values of the pixels on the two adjacent channels to the image zooming unit in parallel. Then, the image zooming unit calculates gray values of pixels to be inserted between the two adjacent channels to finish interpolation. The image zooming unit need not read the gray values of the pixels on the two adjacent channels in the zooming direction from the data storage unit in series and in turn, but instead, may simultaneously read the gray values of the pixels on the two adjacent channels to pixels to be inserted from the two FIFO buffer units in parallel.

Abstract: A system and method for creating composite images by utilizing a camera comprises a cradle device that transports the camera across a target area during a scanning procedure that captures and stores image data. During the scanning procedure, a motion detector captures and provides scan motion data to a scanning manager from the camera. The scanning manager may then responsively utilize the scan motion data to accurately extract still frames corresponding to the target area from the captured image data at pre-determined time intervals. A stitching software program may then access and combine the still frames generated by the scanning manager to thereby create composite images.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus is such that in a case where an operation is instructed by an operation member, a mode changing unit changes operation modes or control amounts in the operation modes of at least two controllers from among a plurality of controllers.

Abstract: The lens apparatus is detachably attachable to a camera apparatus. The lens apparatus includes an image taking optical system, a memory configured to store aberration correction data being used for image correction processing corresponding to aberration of the image taking optical system, the image correction processing being performed on an image captured by the camera apparatus through the image taking optical system, and a data sending part configured to send the aberration correction data to the camera apparatus. The data sending part is configured to select partial data that is part of the aberration correction data depending on one of a position and a state of an optical adjustment member included in the image taking optical system and information on an image pickup element provided in the camera apparatus, and to send the partial data to the camera apparatus.

Abstract: The optical system capable of performing zooming includes a first lens unit and a second lens unit and satisfies conditions of |(?TMyu+?TMyl)/(?WMyu+?WMyl)|<0.67 and 0.75<|(?WMyu+?WMyl)|/2P<16.0. ?WMyu represents a lateral aberration amount for a d-line of a 70 percent upper ray reaching an 80 percent image height at a wide-angle side middle focal length, ?WMyl represents a lateral aberration amount for the d-line of a 70 percent lower ray reaching the 80 percent image height at the wide-angle side middle focal length, ?TMyu represents a lateral aberration amount for the d-line of the 70 percent upper ray reaching the 80 percent image height at a telephoto side middle focal length, ?TMyl represents a lateral aberration amount for the d-line of the 70 percent lower ray reaching the 80 percent image height at the telephoto side middle focal length, and P represents a pixel pitch of the image sensor.

Abstract: A photographing control method is provided. The photographing control method includes capturing an image of an object, detecting a facial area from within the captured image of the object, adjusting a location of the photographing apparatus based on a location of the detected facial area, and adjusting a zooming state of the photographing apparatus so that a size of the detected facial area falls within a predetermined size range.

Abstract: A method is provided for automatically adjusting a size of characters using a camera. The method includes receiving an image with characters; adjusting a focus of the image with characters and detecting a region and a size of characters in the image; determining whether the size of the characters in the image falls within a preset range; recognizing the characters in the image and displaying the recognition results, if the size of the characters falls within the preset range; and automatically adjusting a zoom ratio of the image and recognizing the characters in the resized image, if the size of the characters does not fall within the preset range.

Abstract: There is provided a server including a reception section which receives, from a client terminal, present position information showing a position of the client terminal, and direction information showing an orientation of the client terminal, a retrieval section which retrieves sensory data to which detection position information is added corresponding to a position in a vicinity of an axial line extending in a direction shown by the direction information from the position of the client terminal, and a transmission section which transmits the sensory data retrieved by the retrieval section to the client terminal.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit, a first display unit, a second display unit, and a controller. The imaging unit is configured to obtain an image of an object. The first display unit is configured to be observed through an ocular lens. The second display unit includes a touchpanel. The controller is configured to cause the first display to display a live view which is based on the image obtained by the imaging unit and temporarily store the image in a first state. The controller is configured to cause the second display unit to display the image temporarily stored and obtain information concerning image processing based on an output from the touchpanel in a second state.

Abstract: The interchangeable lens unit (2) includes the fourth lens group unit (78), the sixth lens group unit (77), the focus lens unit (75), the zoom ring unit (83), the focus motor (64) and the lens microcomputer (40). The focus motor (64) is fixed to the sixth lens group unit (77) and is configured to electrically drive the focus lens unit (75) in the optical axis direction with respect to the sixth lens group unit (77). The lens microcomputer (40) is configured to control the focus motor (64) so that the focus lens unit (75) is driven in one direction with respect to the sixth lens group unit (77) when the sixth lens group unit (77) is driven in one direction with respect to the imaging sensor (11) by the zoom ring unit (83).

Abstract: A photographing control apparatus for controlling a shooting direction of a camera determines as to whether the shooting direction of the camera is controlled or not according to a designation of a position in a display area in which an image captured by the camera is displayed, based on a parameter derived by the camera.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus which stores an image signal from an image sensing element and reads out and processes the stored image signal to magnify and display an image on a display device includes a designation unit that designates the magnification ratio of the image to be displayed, a storage unit that stores the magnification ratio designated by the designation unit, and a magnifying processing unit that executes magnifying processing for the stored image signal on the basis of the magnification ratio stored in the storage unit and outputs the image signal to the display device. The magnification ratio stored in the storage unit is updated when a different magnification ratio is designated by the designation unit, and the magnification ratio stored in the storage unit is used for a plurality of images that are sequentially displayed.

Abstract: The image control unit (51) controls the image capture unit (17) so as to acquire data of captured images successively. The shading correction unit (61) performs the shading correction on the data of captured images captured successively. The moving object detection accuracy control unit (101) controls a detection accuracy of a moving object on each data set of captured images on which the shading correction is performed. The combination unit (66) sets a combination ratio corresponding to a detection result of a moving object with an accuracy controlled by the moving object detection accuracy control unit (101), and generates data of a composite image by combining each data set of captured images captured successively by the image capture control unit (51) with this combination ratio.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus comprising an image capturing unit is provided. A zoom control unit controls a zoom ratio during shooting. An image capture control unit controls the image capturing unit such that a plurality of images with different exposure conditions are captured in a predetermined period. A generation output unit generates a composite image from the plurality of images and outputs the generated composite image. A determination determines whether or not the zoom ratio is being changed during the predetermined period. In a case where it is determined that the zoom ratio is being changed, the generation output unit outputs one of the images captured by the image capturing unit during the predetermined period, instead of the composite image.

Abstract: There is provided a method, a system and a device for displaying an image corresponding to a first field of view to an operator of an image capturing device. The method comprises receiving input data relating to a change in at least one of a position, an orientation, or a scaling of the first field of view and determining, based on the input data, at least one of a position, an orientation or a scaling of the first field of view with respect to a second field of view which is larger than the first field of view. Further, the method comprises receiving an image captured by the image capturing device and determining an overlapping portion of the first field of view and the received image. An image to be displayed is then determined by using image data of the received image in the overlapping portion, and using image data of the second field of view in the non-overlapping portion. The invention is advantageous in that it provides an improved operation of the image capturing device.

Abstract: A hindsight mirror apparatus that includes a mirror device that displays an image of an object thereon, a monitor unit coupled with the mirror device at a rear thereof and providing the image to the mirror device to be displayed, an image capturing device electrically connected with the monitor unit capturing the image to be displayed. The image to be displayed is at least a rear view of the object. A control mechanism is provided to control the image capturing device, the mirror device and the monitor unit, to capture and display the image and supplies power to the hindsight mirror apparatus.

Abstract: An example device includes at least one camera, a memory, a processing system, and a user interface. The user interface includes concurrently displayed first and second buttons, the first button operable for taking a picture using the camera and the second button operable for launching a picture editing application.

Abstract: When a user selects digital zooming in a camera such as might be included in a wireless telephone or PDA, a series of images are automatically obtained and superimposed using super-resolution techniques to produce an improved digital zoom image transparently to the user.