Abstract: An apparatus includes an image sensor having a plurality of pixels that form regions of interest (ROIs), analog-to-digital converter (ADC) banks, and multiplexers. Each respective multiplexer is electrically connected to (i) a corresponding ADC bank and (ii) a corresponding subset of the ROIs. The apparatus also includes control circuitry configured to obtain a full-resolution image of an environment by electrically connecting, by way of the multiplexers, each respective ADC bank to the associated respective ROI. The control circuitry is also configured to select a particular ROI based on the full-resolution image and obtain a plurality of ROI images of the particular ROI by (i) electrically connecting, to the particular ROI, a first ADC bank associated with the particular ROI and a second ADC bank associated with another ROI and (ii) digitizing pixels of the particular ROI by way of parallel operation of the first and second ADC banks.

Abstract: A mobile terminal including a first camera on a first surface of the mobile terminal; a second camera on a second surface of the mobile terminal; a display unit; and a controller configured to control the first camera to obtain a first image, control the second camera to obtain a plurality of second images, and display the first image and the plurality of second images on the display unit.

Abstract: An electronic device for editing a dual image and a method thereof are provided. The method includes storing at least one photographed front and rear images, respectively, and editing a stored dual image using at least the one stored front and rear images.

Abstract: Technologies for audiovisual communication include an audiovisual server and a number of audiovisual client devices, including a presenter device and a number of audience devices. Each audience device captures an audiovisual stream and transmits the audiovisual stream to the audiovisual server. Each audience device also captures sensor input data such as eye tracking data or facial expression data and transmits abstracted sensor input data to the audiovisual server. The abstracted sensor input data may be based on the captured audiovisual stream. The audiovisual server determines an interestingness rating associated with each audience device based on the sensor input data, and selects one or more audiovisual streams based on the interestingness ratings. The audiovisual server transmits the selected audiovisual streams to the presenter device. The audiovisual server may update the interestingness rating algorithm based on feedback from the presenter device or the audience devices.

Abstract: A method in an electronic device, the method comprising displaying a first picture acquired from a first image sensor on a display functionally connected to the electronic device, and displaying a second picture acquired from a second image sensor on display, wherein the first picture and the second pictures are simultaneously displayed as a preview image on the display. An electronic device for processing an image comprises at least one memory configured to store image information and an image processing module, and at least one processor configured to execute the image processing module, wherein the image processing module comprises instructions of displaying a first picture acquired from a first image sensor on a display functionally connected to the electronic device, and according to a first input, displaying a second picture acquired from a second image sensor on the display, wherein the first picture and the second picture are simultaneously displayed as a preview image on the display.

Abstract: An automatic tracking camera system includes: a rotating unit for panning and tilting an image pickup unit including a lens apparatus and an image pickup apparatus; a tracking object detector; a motion vector detector for detecting a motion vector of the object to be tracked; a capture position setting unit for setting a capture position of the object to be tracked in the picked up image; and a controller for controlling drive of the rotating unit. The controller controls the rotating unit in a capture mode to capture the object to be tracked at the capture position based on the motion vector detected by the motion vector detector after the tracking object detector has detected the object to be tracked in the picked up image, and a maintenance mode to continuously capture the object to be tracked at the capture position after the capture mode.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an image sensor including N image sensor regions arranged thereon. N lens structures are included in a lens array disposed proximate to the image sensor. Each one of the N lens structures is arranged to focus a single image onto a respective one of the N image sensor regions. The N lens structures include a first lens structure having a red color filter, a second lens structure having a green color filter, and a third lens structure having a blue color filter. Each one of the N lens structures includes a glass wafer and a lens formed on the glass wafer. Each one of the red color filter, the green color filter, and the blue color filter is one of coated on the glass wafer underneath the lens and coated over the lens on the glass wafer.

Abstract: A digital image acquisition system having no photographic film, such as a digital camera, has a flash unit for providing illumination during image capture and a red-eye filter for detecting a region within a captured image indicative of a red-eye phenomenon, the detection being based upon a comparison of the captured image and a reference image of nominally the same scene taken without flash. In the embodiment the reference image is a preview image of lower pixel resolution than the captured image, the filter matching the pixel resolutions of the captured and reference images by up-sampling the preview image and/or sub-sampling the captured image. The filter also aligns at least portions of the captured image and reference image prior to comparison to allow for, e.g. movement in the subject.

Abstract: An apparatus, computer readable medium, and method of processing an image of a data format having a plurality of color components, the method including generating a plurality of color component images corresponding to the plurality of color components; correcting lens distortion (LD) and chromatic aberration (CA) for each of the plurality of color component images; and generating a corrected image by integrating the corrected plurality of color component images.

Abstract: A digital camera system including a first video capture unit for capturing a first digital video sequence of a scene and a second video capture unit that simultaneously captures a second digital video sequence that includes the photographer. A data processor automatically analyzes first digital video sequence to determine a low-interest spatial image region. A facial video sequence including the photographer's face is extracted from the second digital video sequence, and inserted into the low-interest spatial image region in the first digital video sequence to form the composite video sequence.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus according to the present invention includes: a lens optical system L having a first optical region D1 and a second optical region D2 having a different optical power from that of the first optical region D1; an imaging device N having a plurality of pixels P1, P2; and an array optical device K for causing light passing through the first optical region D1 to enter the pixel P1 and causing light passing through the second optical region D2 to enter the pixel P2.

Abstract: A novel technique for unsupervised feature selection is disclosed. The disclosed methods include automatically selecting a subset of a feature of an image. Additionally, the selection of the subset of features may be incorporated with a congealing algorithm, such as a least-square-based congealing algorithm. By selecting a subset of the feature representation of an image, redundant and/or irrelevant features may be reduced or removed, and the efficiency and accuracy of least-square-based congealing may be improved.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a face detector detecting face images from still-image frames successively extracted from a moving-image stream in accordance with image information items regarding the still-image frames, a face-feature-value calculation unit calculating face feature values of the face images in accordance with image information items regarding the face images, an identity determination unit determining whether a first face image in a current frame and a second face image in a previous frame represent an identical person in accordance with at least face feature values of the first and second face images, and a merging processor which stores one of the first and second face images when the first face image and the second face image represent an identical person, and which stores the first and second face images when the first face image and the second face image do not represent an identical person.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an image sensor including N image sensor regions arranged thereon. N lens structures are included in a lens array disposed proximate to the image sensor. Each one of the N lens structures is arranged to focus a single image onto a respective one of the N image sensor regions. The N lens structures include a first lens structure having a red color filter, a second lens structure having a green color filter, and a third lens structure having a blue color filter. Each one of the N lens structures includes a glass wafer and a lens formed on the glass wafer. Each one of the red color filter, the green color filter, and the blue color filter is one of coated on the glass wafer underneath the lens and coated over the lens on the glass wafer.

Abstract: A portable terminal with a pair of housings is provided, in which a guide rib is formed in a first housing for providing a reception groove, a first hinge member is engaged with the first housing for rotating upon a first hinge axis extended along a length direction of the first housing, a second hinge member is formed in a second housing and includes a hinge housing extended along a width direction of the second housing, and an additional device is accommodated in the hinge housing.

Abstract: A stereo-imaging system estimates depth based on two images; a multiview-imaging system estimates depth based on two or more images. A passive multiview-imaging system based on a sensor array is designed by considering different candidate partitions of the sensor array into imaging subsystems, especially three or more imaging subsystems.

Abstract: An image generating device and a method thereof are disclosed in the present invention. The image generating device and method may find out true motion for static text strings. The image generating device and method detect static text angles from consecutive frames and use a 3D-static text filter to recover correct motion vector fields. After our Static Text Detector fixing, the static text strings like subtitles can get more accurate motion vector and improve video quality.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a face detector detecting face images from still-image frames successively extracted from a moving-image stream in accordance with image information items regarding the still-image frames, a face-feature-value calculation unit calculating face feature values of the face images in accordance with image information items regarding the face images, an identity determination unit determining whether a first face image in a current frame and a second face image in a previous frame represent an identical person in accordance with at least face feature values of the first and second face images, and a merging processor which stores one of the first and second face images when the first face image and the second face image represent an identical person, and which stores the first and second face images when the first face image and the second face image do not represent an identical person.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus allowed to obtain parallax information while preventing a decline in apparent resolution. An image pickup apparatus includes: an image pickup lens having an aperture stop; an image pickup device including a plurality of pixels and obtaining image pickup data based on light received on the plurality of pixels; and a microlens array arranged between the image pickup lens and the image pickup device so that one microlens is allocated to 2×2 pixels in the image pickup device. The plurality of pixels are disposed in a fashion of two-dimensional arrangement along two directions rotated a certain angle with respect to a horizontal direction and a vertical direction, respectively.

Abstract: A plurality of image pickup areas is disposed in a semiconductor substrate so as to be separate from one another. Disposed in each of the image pickup areas are rows and columns of unit pixels, each of which includes a photoelectric conversion part and signal scanning circuit parts. Formed on the image pickup areas of the semiconductor substrate and opposite a interconnect layer formed on the semiconductor substrate are optical image formation lenses used for forming object images. Further, between the image pickup areas on the semiconductor substrate is a driving circuit area in which driving circuits are formed for driving the signal scanning circuit parts.

Abstract: An image capture system is configured to automatically focus upon an object (113) electronically, without moving mechanical parts. In one embodiment, a focal length alteration device (104), examples of which include an electronically switchable mirror (3041,3042) or an interference layer (204), is disposed between a lens assembly (102) and a reflective surface (103). The focal length alteration device (104) is configured to alter the distance light travels from the lens assembly (102) to the image sensor (101). In another embodiment, a light redirection device (1003), such as a phase shifting mirror (703), is configured to alter phases of various polarizations of light. An image processing circuit (105) then resolves images into a single, focused, composite image (113).

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging device, a light guide mechanism, and a signal processing unit. The imaging device converts light incident on a photoelectric conversion portion of the imaging device into electric signals. The light guide mechanism, arranged adjacent to the photoelectric conversion portion of the imaging device, includes a plurality of apertures that guide light from a subject to the photoelectric conversion portion of the imaging device. The signal processing unit performs desired signal processing on the electric signals output from the imaging device on the basis of subject information units derived from the light guided onto the photoelectric conversion portion of the imaging device through the apertures.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a face-image detector configured to detect a region of a face image from an image supplied thereto. A face-direction detector is configured to detect a direction that a face in the detected face image is facing and a feature-position detector is configured to detect feature positions corresponding to features of the face from the detected face image and the detected face direction. A feature-value calculator is configured to calculate feature values at the detected feature positions and a mapper is configured to map the calculated feature values using predetermined mapping functions. A a recognizer is configured to recognize whether the detected face is a registered face, using the mapped feature values and feature values registered in advance.

Abstract: A method is provided for reading a captured image, with the captured image comprising at least first and second parts and a border area positioned between the first and second parts. Converted pixels are obtained by applying digital-to-analog conversion to the pixels in the captured image, and the converted pixels corresponding to the border area of the captured image are stored in a buffer. A first set of processed pixels is obtained by applying image processing to the converted pixels corresponding to the first part of the image and to the converted pixels stored in the buffer, and a second set of processed pixels is obtained by applying image processing to the converted pixels corresponding to the second part of the image and to the converted pixels stored in the buffer. A processed image is provided by combining the first and second sets of processed pixels. Also provided is a processing device for reading a captured image.

Abstract: A digital filter configuration for the filtration of a digital video signal, wherein the functions of a zoom filter, in the form of a low-pass filter, which is a polyphase filter, and of at least one peaking filter, in the form of a high-pass filter, are realized, wherein the functions of the two filters are realized in a combined filter (1-17) in an integrated circuit in a manner such that, for each phase of the zoom filter to be set, combined filter coefficients are calculated from filter coefficients stored for this phase of the zoom filter and from filter coefficients stored for the peaking filter, which combined filter coefficients are applied to the video data to be filtered in a filtration process, so that both filtration functions are executed with the combined filter coefficients in this filtration process.

Abstract: To handle static text and logos in stabilized images without destabilizing the static text and logos, a method of handling overlay subpictures in stabilized images includes detecting an overlay subpicture in an input image, separating the overlay subpicture from the input image, stabilizing the input image to form a stabilized image, and merging the overlay subpicture with the stabilized image to obtain an output image.

Abstract: An image capturing device includes an image capturing module, an image processing module coupled to the image capturing module, a comparing module, and an activating module. The image capturing module is capable of capturing images of an object including a pair of sequential pre-images and a final image of the object. The image processing module is capable of determining a movement of the object in the pair of sequential pre-images. The comparing module determines whether the movement of the object is within the range of a pre-determined movement tolerance stored in the comparing module and is capable of outputting a first trigger signal if the movement of the object is within the range of the pre-determined movement tolerance. The activating module receives the first trigger signal and activates the image capturing module to capture the final image of the object according to the first trigger signal.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a face detector detecting face images from still-image frames successively extracted from a moving-image stream in accordance with image information items regarding the still-image frames, a face-feature-value calculation unit calculating face feature values of the face images in accordance with image information items regarding the face images, an identity determination unit determining whether a first face image in a current frame and a second face image in a previous frame represent an identical person in accordance with at least face feature values of the first and second face images, and a merging processor which stores one of the first and second face images when the first face image and the second face image represent an identical person, and which stores the first and second face images when the first face image and the second face image do not represent an identical person.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an image-pickup lens having an aperture diaphragm, an image-pickup element that has a color filter which is periodically allocated colors in units of a predetermined unit array and that generates picked-up image data including pixel data of colors using received light, the color filter being adjacent to a light receiving surface, a microlens array unit that is arranged on an image forming surface of the image-pickup lens and whose microlenses are each allocated a plurality of pixels of the image-pickup element, and an image processing unit that performs image processing on the picked-up image data generated by the image-pickup element. The image processing unit includes a parallax component image generation unit that generates a plurality of parallax component images and an interpolation processing unit that performs color interpolation processing for each of the parallax component images.

Abstract: A personal identification device compares personal identification dictionary data, which is generated from feature data extracted from an identification element for identifying a person and is stored in association with person-specifying information for specifying a person, against feature data extracted from an identification element extracted from a person to thereby identify a person having the captured identification element.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a first image pick-up unit, a projecting unit that projects imaging light, an optical unit that transmits part of light entering from a first image pick-up direction and guides the part of the light to the first image pick-up unit while reflecting part of the imaging light projected from the projecting unit and outputting the reflected light in the first image pick-up direction, and reflects part of light entering from a second image pick-up direction and guides the part of the light to the first image pick-up unit while transmitting part of the imaging light projected from the projecting unit and outputting the part of the imaging light in the second image pick-up direction, and an attenuating unit that is movably placed between two positions.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a dual-sensor video camera are disclosed. The dual-sensor video camera includes a color filter array (CFA) sensor, which has a low-pass filter. The dual-sensor video camera also includes a panchromatic sensor. A beam splitter directs an incoming light beam to both sensors. An output image is produced based on image information from the two sensors. The output image includes luminance information based on the image information from the panchromatic sensor and chrominance information based on the image information from the CFA sensor.

Abstract: Color shift correction comprising: (a) imaging an object and acquiring image data of each of a plurality of color planes including planes of primaries; (b) determining whether a color of each of pixels of color image data obtained by combining the image data of each of the plurality of color planes is imaginary; (c) counting the number of pixels determined in step (b) to have imaginary color and calculating the number of pixels within one frame which have imaginary color; (d) repeating a process of performing a pixel shift operation, relative to image data of each of the plurality of color planes, and performing steps (b) and (c) using the image data of each of the plurality of color planes having undergone the pixel shift operation, and obtaining, a pixel shift operation for the color planes; and (e) correcting the image data of the plurality of color planes on the basis of the pixel shift operation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a spectral filter for an optical sensor. The spectral filter includes a substrate having a focus region and a defocus region, a panchromatic filter region disposed on the focus region of the substrate and a multi-spectral filter region disposed on the defocus region of the substrate. The panchromatic filter region includes a plurality of panchromatic pixels, while the multi-spectral filter region includes a plurality of multi-spectral pixels. Each of the multi-spectral pixels includes a plurality of color pixels.

Abstract: An imaging device comprising at least one image capturing subsystem of a first type, comprising a lens arrangement, configured to produce images. The device further comprises at least one image capturing subsystem of a second type comprising a lens arrangement, having optical or light gathering properties different from the subsystem of first type, configured to produce an image, and a controller configured to select the subsystem with which an image is to be taken.

Abstract: An electronic still camera is provided with a photographic image capturing device that outputs image data by capturing a subject image passing through a taking lens, an analytic image capturing device provided at a position adjacent to the position that is conjugate with the photographic image capturing device relative to the taking lens that receives light forming the subject image and outputs image data for scene analysis, an analyzing circuit that performs scene analysis of the subject image based upon the image data for scene analysis output by the analytic image capturing device and an image processing circuit that performs image processing based upon the results of the scene analysis output by the analyzing circuit.

Abstract: A preselected lenticular image is created by capturing a first digital image on a plurality of first charged coupled device (CCD) sensor columns (21, 31). A second digital image is created on a plurality of second CCD sensor columns (22, 32). The first and second digital images are stored in an interleaved fashion and previewed on a lenticular screen (112) attached to a camera (10).

Abstract: A double-slope MOS active pixel sensor disposed on a semiconductor substrate has a first light-to-output-voltage transfer gain up to a first charge accumulation threshold, has a second light-to-output-voltage transfer gain lower than the first light-to-output-voltage transfer gain above the light accumulation threshold, and comprises first and second photodiodes each having a first terminal coupled to a fixed potential and a second terminal. The second photodiode is smaller than the first photodiode. First and second semiconductor reset switches each have a first terminal coupled respectively to the second terminal of the first and second photodiodes and a second terminal coupled respectively to first and second reset potentials that reverse bias the photodiodes. First and second semiconductor amplifiers each have an input coupled respectively to the second terminals of the first and second photodiodes and have their outputs coupled together.

Abstract: A triple-slope MOS active pixel sensor disposed on a semiconductor substrate comprises first and second capacitive storage elements each having a first terminal connected to a fixed potential and a second terminal. First and second photodiodes each have a first terminal connected to a fixed potential and a second terminal. The second photodiode is smaller than the first photodiode. First and second semiconductor reset switches each have a first terminal connected respectively to the second terminal of the first and second photodiodes and a second terminal connected respectively to first and second reset potentials that reverse bias the photodiodes. First and second semiconductor transfer switches each have a first terminal connected respectively to the second terminals of the first photodiode and a second terminal connected respectively to the second terminals of the first and second capacitive storage elements.

Abstract: A color image display system and a color image pickup system adapted to electronically correct the color shift of color separation images caused by a decentered optical system used to display or capture a color image. The color image display system has an image display apparatus including a color image display device for displaying a color image composed of color separation images superimposed on one another. The displayed color image is projected into an eyeball of an observer through a viewing optical system that is formed from a decentered optical system including a decentered prism having at least a decentered internally reflecting surface with a power, together with an entrance surface and an exit surface, which are transmitting surfaces. The pixel position of each color separation image to be displayed on the color image display device is shifted so as to cancel a color shift of the corresponding color separation image caused by the decentered optical system.

Abstract: An image-pickup apparatus, a control method applied to the image-pickup apparatus, and a control program for operating a computer used for the image-pickup apparatus are provided. The image-pickup apparatus comprises an image-pickup element for picking up the images of a subject. The image-pickup element can output image signals for performing finder display and focal-point detection. The image-pickup apparatus further comprises a control device for performing first-image pickup a predetermined number of times for performing the finder display and for performing second-image pickup for performing the focal-point detection every time the first-image pickup is performed the predetermined number of times.

Abstract: An electro-developing type camera using an electro-developing recording medium on which an image is developed while an electric voltage is applied thereto. The image is read out from the electro-developing medium by a scanning mechanism. A color separation filter is disposed in front of the recording medium, so that R, G and B images are recorded on first, second and third recording areas, respectively. The color separation filter and the recording medium are disks rotatably provided. A photographing optical system is disposed at a first position at which the optical axis thereof is positioned above the rotational axes. The scanning mechanism is disposed at a second position at which the scanning mechanism is positioned under the rotational axes of the electro-developing recording medium and the color separation filter.

Abstract: An electro-developing type camera using an electro-developing recording medium on which an image is developed while an electric voltage is applied thereto. The image is read out from the electro-developing medium by a scanning mechanism. A color separation filter is disposed in front of the recording medium, so that R, G and B images are recorded on first, second and third recording areas, respectively. The color separation filter and the recording medium are disks rotatably provided. A photographing optical system is disposed at a first position at which the optical axis thereof is positioned above the rotational axes. The scanning mechanism is disposed at a second position at which the scanning mechanism is positioned under the rotational axes of the electro-developing recording medium and the color separation filter.

Abstract: A triple view imaging apparatus is provided for measuring quantitative distribution of material or property in a sample. In the triple view imaging apparatus, an optical system receives an original optical image of the sample, separates the original optical image into at least two secondary optical images having different optical properties from one another, and projects the at least two secondary optical images into a single view angle. A single video camera simultaneously picks up the thus projected plurality of secondary optical images as a single composite image and produces image signals representing the light intensities of the plurality of secondary optical images. An image processor receives the image signals and processes the image signals to obtain final image signals representing a relationship between the image signals for respective ones of the plurality of secondary optical images.