Abstract: An imaging apparatus of the invention comprises a camera body and a lens unit which can be mounted on and removed from the camera body. The focusing lens of the lens unit is moved along the optical axis. The position of the focusing lens on the optical axis is detected by a position detection section in response to a synchronization signal according to the photographic timing of the imaging device. A second transmission section transmits position data on the focusing lens detected by the position detection section to the camera body.

Abstract: An image pickup device is provided with an optical low pass filter capable of advancing into and retreating from between an optical system and a photoelectric conversion element array in accordance with a selected mode, wherein the optical low pass filter is advanced into between the optical system and the photoelectric conversion element array so as to block a high frequency component of an optical image.

Abstract: An imaging system for use in an exterior or interior of a vehicle comprises a camera having an image sensor with an associated optical path and viewing area and an infrared filter associated with the image sensor for automatically selectively attenuating infrared radiation according to light conditions of the viewing area. The imaging system can further comprise a selectively acutable supplemental illumination system comprising at least one light source for providing supplemental illumination to the viewing area of the camera.

Abstract: A system for optical sensing in an aerial vehicle has at least one camera, an electronically-controlled mirror configured to dynamically direct light from a region of interest into the at least one camera, and at least one electronically-controlled adaptive polymer lens disposed between the mirror and the camera.

Abstract: An area image sensor outputs the difference between charges received by light-receiving cells arranged in an array pattern. A system controller generates a timing signal for generating a pulse or modulation signal. A control signal generator generates a control signal for separately controlling the light-receiving timings of the light-receiving cells of the area image sensor on the basis of the timing signal from the system controller. A light emitting controller controls a light source to generate light, the intensity of which changes on the basis of the timing signal from the system controller. A reflected light image processor extracts a reflected image of an object from the difference outputted from the area image sensor.

Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an image pickup apparatus configured to switch between a color and a black & white photographing modes, which includes an image pickup optical system, an image pickup element that receives a light through the image pickup optical system and opto-electronically converts the received light, a first luminance detecting unit that detects a luminance of a photographed object based on a signal from the image pickup element, a second luminance detecting unit that detects the luminance of the photographed object by receiving a light without intervention of the image pickup optical system, and a filter converting mechanism for interposing any one of a infrared cutoff filter and an optical element in an optical path of the image pickup optical system.

Abstract: An auto focus lens for digital cameras comprises a coil base, a lens barrel, and an elastic component. The coil base which has a coil wounded around in a specific direction and which has an accommodation hole whose bottom is provided with a stopper. The surface of the lens barrel is distributed with a permanent magnet and the lens barrel is rotatably installed inside the accommodation hole. One of the lens barrel's ends has a guide surface, slant and close to the stopper. The elastic component presses against the other end of the lens barrel so that the guide surface touches the stopper permanently. When the coil is provided with an electric current, a magnetic force is generated to repel the permanent magnet on the lens barrel. The lens barrel thus rotates up and down according to the design of the guide surface, and thereby the focal length of the camera is changed.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus capable of preventing a decline of resolution of a still image while keeping a dynamic range of exposure control. The image pickup apparatus capable of photographing with changing over a moving image and a still image, includes an iris mechanism for changing an amount of light input to an image pickup element by changing an aperture diameter, a filter unit, having a single density or a plurality of densities, for changing the amount of the light input to the image pickup element by its advancing towards and withdrawing from the aperture diameter of the iris mechanism, a unit for driving the iris mechanism and the filter unit independently, and a control unit for setting the filter unit in one of two types of states such as fully covering the aperture diameter of the iris mechanism and fully withdrawing from the aperture diameter in the still image photography.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling an auto-zooming operation of a mobile terminal. The apparatus and method for controlling an auto-zooming operation of a mobile terminal can automatically adjust the size of a target subject captured by an image capture device such as a camcorder to be equal to a predetermined size irrespective of a distance between the image capture device and the target object.

Abstract: An electro-optical device in which an image to be projected on a projection surface as a projection image having a size changed by a display device is displayed on a display area on the basis of input image data includes a first input image correction circuit generating first correction data which is used for reducing color non-uniformity of the projection image that occurs due to the size change on the basis of the size of the projection image using first reference correction data and correcting the input image data using the generated first correction data and a second input image correction circuit correcting the corrected input image data on the basis of a plurality of second reference correction data corresponding to a plurality of specific levels among levels that the input image data can have and set for a plurality of sets of reference coordinates in the display area for reducing the color non-uniformity.

Abstract: A movement control system useful for an apparatus comprising a movable member movable between two positions, a motor and a sensor device for producing an output value which changes during the movement of the movable member. The control system drives the motor in a first amount so as to move the movable member from one of the two positions to the other position and thereafter drives the motor in a second amount to move the movable member toward said one position when the output value of the sensor device remains unchanged. When the sensor device produces a changed output value, the system drives the motor in a third amount to move the movable member toward said one position. Subsequently, the system drives the motor in a fourth amount when the output value of the sensor device is different from the output value before the motor is driven in the first amount, so as to move the movable member toward said other position.

Abstract: An optical apparatus including an imaging apparatus and a lens apparatus each having a communicating portion performing communications is disclosed. The optical apparatus is provided with: an imaging optical unit; a memory in which information of an optical performance of the imaging optical unit is stored; an image pickup device imaging a subject image from the imaging optical unit; an imaging controller changing an information size of image information from the image pickup device; and a lens controller connected to the imaging controller through the communicating portions and performing communications with the imaging controller. The lens controller takes out the information of the optical performance from the memory in response to an instruction from the imaging controller, and transmits the information to the imaging controller through the communicating portions.

Abstract: A lens unit consists of a plurality of lens frames, a stepping motor, and a driving control unit. The plurality of lens frames for holding an imaging optical system lies in a lens barrel and moves over a stowage interval and a zoom interval. The stowage interval is an interval between a position of stowage at which the lens frames are stowed and a ready-to-image position at which imaging is enabled. The zoom interval is an interval over which the ready-to-image position exists and a power varying action is executed. The stepping motor moves the plurality of lens frames. During execution of a thrusting action or storing action, the driving control unit drives and controls the stepping motor in a first driving mode. The thrusting action is executed for moving the plurality of lens frames from the position of stowage to the ready-to-image position. The stowing action is executed for moving the lens frames from any position within the zoom interval to the position of stowage.

Abstract: To aim at achieving reduction in size and weight of a diaphragm device provided with an optical filter insertable into and retractable from a light path, so that the diaphragm device can be easily installed into a lens tube of a CCTV camera. The diaphragm device comprises a diaphragm board 10 having an aperture 10a forming a light path, a pair of diaphragm blades 12 and 13 disposed on one face of the diaphragm board and adjusting the aperture of the diaphragm for the light path by sliding along the board face, a diaphragm driving device 20 driving the diaphragm blades 12 and 13 to adjust the aperture of the diaphragm for the light path, an optical filter (infrared cutoff filter) 15 having transmission characteristics in accordance with a wave length, and a filter driving device 30 to insert the optical filter into and retract it from the light path.

Abstract: In a digital camera, a solid state imaging device is used to catch subject light so that an image signal is created. The digital camera contributes to effectively implementing further thinness in such a manner that a part of image taking lenses is saved to a suitable position at the time of the collapse. Both the rear elements lens and the focus lens are revolved between a position on the optical axis and a saving position coming into a hollow portion beside the CCD solid state imaging device, or between the position on the optical axis and a saving position in which the front elements lens, the rear elements lens and focus lens form a line substantially on a plane.

Abstract: In a TV lens system including a TV lens apparatus and a control unit, CPUs of the TV lens apparatus and the control unit monitor intervals between received data in serial communication in a digital control mode. If the data transmission stops for a predetermined time or the received data has an error, the CPUs determine that the communication is abnormal and switch the control modes of the TV lens system from the digital control mode to an analog control mode by operating switching devices. Display units show that the system has been switched to the analog control mode. If the CPUs detect the communication being abnormal, they may display abnormality of the communication on the display units to inform the user of the abnormality of the communication so that the user can switch the control modes by manually operating analog setting switches. Information indicating the abnormality of the communication is stored in an EEPROM, and presented to the user when the TV lens system starts to operate afterward.

Abstract: An area image sensor outputs the difference between charges received by light-receiving cells arranged in an array pattern. A system controller generates a timing signal for generating a pulse or modulation signal. A control signal generator generates a control signal for separately controlling the light-receiving timings of the light-receiving cells of the area image sensor on the basis of the timing signal from the system controller. A light emitting controller controls a light source to generate light, the intensity of which changes on the basis of the timing signal from the system controller. A reflected light image processor extracts a reflected image of an object from the difference outputted from the area image sensor.

Abstract: A digital camera is provided with an optical filter unit 43 which is movable in the slide direction SL in front of the CCD 41, and infrared light emitters 25 and 32 for emitting near-infrared light. The optical filter 43 has an infrared cut filter 45 for cutting light in the infrared range, and a visible light cut filter for selectively transmitting light of the infrared range by cutting light in the visible light range. While maintaining the identicalness of the main object, the infrared cut filter 45 is disposed above the CCD 41 to acquire visible light image data via the CCD 41, and the object is irradiated with infrared light emitted from the infrared emitters 25 and 32, and the visible light cut filter is disposed above the CCD 41 to acquire infrared image data, i.e., non-visible light image data, by the CCD 41. As a result, a visible light image and a non-visible light image are easily acquired of the same object.

Abstract: A vehicle traffic detecting device is provided with an automatic cleaning device. The detecting device has an emitter and a receiver facing each other and respectively emitting and receiving a beam of electromagnetic radiation along opposite ends of a beam path. The cleaning device has first and second cleaning units for respectively cleaning the emitter and the receiver. Each cleaning unit includes a fastener fastening the cleaning unit to a casing of the detecting device, a dispenser dispensing a transparent film, a contoured guide defining a film path along which the dispensed film resides, and an actuator for moving the dispensed film along the defined film path. A portion of the defined film path is located in front of the emitter/receiver of the detecting device and thereby positions a portion of the dispensed film in front of the emitter/receiver of the detecting device.

Abstract: The image sensing device adapted to compose an appropriate single picture from a plurality of pictures of different exposures obtained from the same subject, wherein the camera operation is controlled using as a reference the signal of one of said plurality of pictures of different exposures.

Abstract: An object tracking apparatus for an automatic zoom lens control in a video camera includes a memory for storing data for zoom track lines showing the relationship between the distance variation of a zoom lens and the distance variation of a focus lens while the distance of an object is kept constant, a zoom encoder for producing a zoom position signal showing the zoom lens position, a microcomputer for detecting the variation amount of the zooming position, and a zoom motor for variably controlling the zoom lens position corresponding to the detected zoom speed. A corresponding method for automatic object tracking using a zoom lens is also described.

Abstract: A camera attachment converts a standard day-light video camera into a day/night-vision video camera. The attachment device has a threaded input and output to physically and optically interconnect an auto-iris lens to a video camera. The attachment device contains an image intensifier tube and a fiber optic image conduit either of which may be switched into the through optical path to receive and either amplify or simply conduct the light image to a relay lens. The relay lens focuses the output image from either the image tube or the fiber optic image conduit onto the optical input of the video camera. The switching of the image intensifier tube or the fiber optic image conduit is dependent upon the ambient light conditions of the camera so that if there is insufficient lighting for normal daytime viewing the image tube is activated and switched into the through optical path of the camera.