Abstract: The present invention provides an imaging apparatus capable of performing a live view display showing a multiple image combination result image generated by combining a through-the-lens image with an already captured image at a more suitable combination ratio according to a user's intended operation during multiple exposure shooting. The imaging apparatus switches a multiple image combination result image displayed as a live view from a multiple image combination result image combined at a first combination ratio to a multiple image combination result image combined at a second combination ratio allowing a user to preliminarily check a combination ratio for generating a multiple image combination result image to be recorded into a recording medium, according to a user's operation.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus capable of not only detecting whiteout or blackout but also effectively achieving exposure control. In the image pickup apparatus, an entire-screen brightness frequency distribution is detected based on a picked-up image signal. The image pickup apparatus calculates a first exposure control value from the entire-screen brightness frequency distribution. The image signal is divided into a plurality of small areas, and the brightness of each of the small areas is detected. The image pickup apparatus calculates a second exposure control value from the brightness. The image pickup apparatus calculates an exposure correction value based on the first exposure control value and the second exposure control value. An exposure value is calculated using the exposure correction value and an exposure value of the image signal. The image pickup apparatus performs exposure control of the image pickup section based on the calculated exposure value.

Abstract: Techniques for creating a High Dynamic Range (HDR) image within a consumer grade digital camera from a series of images of a scene captured at different exposure levels, and displaying the HDR image on the camera's built-in display are provided. The approach employs mixing images of the series to incorporate both scene shadow and highlight details, and the removing of “ghost” image artifacts appearing in the mixed HDR image resulting from movement in the scene over the time the series images are captured. The low computational resource utilization of the image mixing and ghost removal processing operations, along with the ability to commence image mixing and ghost removal prior to the acquisition of all series images, can significantly reduce the time required to generate and display a tone mapped HDR image.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit operable to capture a subject image to generate image data, a controller operable to calculate a target exposure value based on the image data and control exposure based on a first shooting parameter set by a user to obtain the target exposure value, and a display unit operable to provide a display. The controller calculates a first suitable range which is a range of the first shooting parameter for obtaining the target exposure value, and calculates a second shooting parameter based on the target exposure value and the first shooting parameter set by the user. The display unit displays exposure guide information including the first shooting parameter set by the user, information representing the first suitable range, and the calculated second shooting parameter.

Abstract: An image acquisition apparatus includes: an imaging device on which an image of a small area allocated to an area to be imaged is formed; a detection section detecting intensity of light irradiated on the small area from a light source; an integration section integrating the intensity of light detected by the detection section; if an integration value of the intensity of light integrated by the integration section from a point in time when light is emitted from the light source is greater than a predetermined threshold value, a light-source control section terminates light emission; an exposure control section starting exposure of the imaging device before light is emitted from the light source and terminating exposure of the imaging device after emission of light from the light source is terminated; and an image acquisition section acquiring the image of the small area as a divided image from the imaging device.

Abstract: Compensation of ambient illumination. A visible image of an object with ambient illumination is captured. Image brightness of at least a portion of said object of said visible image is sampled. A difference between sampled image brightness of at least said portion of said object and a target brightness profile is determined. The difference is compensated for by projecting additional illumination onto said object.

Abstract: The present invention is an image pickup apparatus including an image pickup device having an image pickup plane on which pixels are two-dimensionally arranged, a mechanical rear curtain shutter that runs along the image pickup plane to control passage/shielding of light, a system control section that divides the image pickup plane into a plurality of pixel groups along the running direction ahead of running of the mechanical rear curtain shutter and collectively resets charge of all pixels in one pixel group sequentially at timing per pixel group according to running characteristics of the mechanical rear curtain shutter, and an image processing section that corrects a signal level of an image signal read from the image pickup device to approximate to an image signal obtained when the pixels have a same exposure time based on the running characteristics of the mechanical rear curtain shutter and reset timing for each pixel group.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus obtains the weighted average luminance of an image sensing target that puts weight on a main subject in an obtained luminance distribution of the image sensing target. The image sensing apparatus decides exposure control values based on the average luminance of a region that is lower than the weighted average luminance, out of regions each of a predetermined size contained in the image sensing target, and the weighted average luminance.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus and method for obtaining a high dynamic range (HDR) image. The apparatus includes an image sensor generating a first image by applying different exposure times for units of different predetermined regions, an image separating unit separating the first image into images, each of which is composed of regions having an identical exposure time, an image restoring unit restoring the separated images in such a way that each of the separated images has a resolution that is the same as a resolution of the first image, and an image synthesizing unit synthesizing the restored images into a second image.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for enabling wide intensity range in digital imaging using a small amount of memory beyond the memory required for storing the relevant image. The methods and apparatus disclose exposing few-line segments within an image using two different exposure times before continuing with other segments of the image. In alternative configurations, sensors are sampled such that neighboring sensors having the same colors are sampled after being exposed for different durations.

Abstract: There is provided an image capturing method for use in an image capturing apparatus including an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of an object to output image data. The method includes performing a first position adjustment between the image data obtained under the first image capturing control and the image data obtained under the second image capturing control, thereby calculating a first displacement, performing a second position adjustment between the image data obtained under the second image capturing control and the image data obtained under the third image capturing control, thereby calculating a second displacement, and performing an image composition of obtaining image data representing a composite image, by performing a position adjustment between the image data obtained under the first image capturing control and the image data obtained under the third image capturing control, using the first and second displacements.

Abstract: An image pickup device (100) wherein a target area, on which an exposure control is based, is accurately detected to perform the exposure control most favorably to the target.

Abstract: A method for adjusting an exposure condition of an optical sensor module includes the following steps, (A) receiving reflected light reflected by a working surface; (B) generating an image signal by exposing the optical sensor module to the reflected light, in which the image signal includes a plurality of luminance signals and an image quality signal; (C) setting an exposure condition of the optical sensor module according to part of the luminance signals; (D) repeating Step (B) and Step (C) under different exposure conditions so that the optical sensor module generates a plurality of image quality signals; and (E) setting an optimal exposure condition corresponding to the working surface according to the image quality signals under the different exposure conditions. The optical sensor module is applicable to a pointing device.

Abstract: Techniques for creating a High Dynamic Range (HDR) image within a consumer grade digital camera from a series of images of a scene captured at different exposure levels, and displaying the HDR image on the camera's built-in display are provided. The approach employs mixing images of the series to incorporate both scene shadow and highlight details, and the removing of “ghost” image artifacts appearing in the mixed HDR image resulting from movement in the scene over the time the series images are captured. The low computational resource utilization of the image mixing and ghost removal processing operations, along with the ability to commence image mixing and ghost removal prior to the acquisition of all series images, can significantly reduce the time required to generate and display a tone mapped HDR image.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus and a lens apparatus capable of photographing high-grade still images even where an interlace type image pickup element is used are to be provided. When an instruction to photograph a still image is entered, a camera microcomputer generates a timing to intercept light coming incident on a lens according to the aperture value of an iris, and transmits this timing to a lens microcomputer. The lens microcomputer supplies a control signal to an aperture control circuit according to the received timing, and a mechanical shutter is caused to operate as the aperture control circuit closes the iris at high speed.

Abstract: An imaging unit obtains image data. An imaging controller controls the imaging unit to obtain a plurality of pieces of image data having different exposure values. A standard image decision unit decides the image data with the shortest length of exposure time of the plurality of pieces of image data as standard image data. A correlation quantity detection unit detects a correlation quantity between the standard image data and the plurality of pieces of image data. A first combination processing unit generates first combined image data by combining the plurality of pieces of image data in accordance with the correlation quantity. A second combination processing unit combines the standard image data and the first combined image data.

Abstract: A method and a circuit for controlling a dynamic image sensor defining, for each image, several successive time intervals of exposure of photodiode cells, starting from successive decreasing reset levels, wherein the time intervals of exposure of the image respect a homogeneous distribution of the amount of cells in ranges of brightness levels.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a histogram shape determination unit that acquires a histogram of luminance values from video captured by an image capturing unit and determines whether or not the captured video is a night scene from the shape of the histogram. The imaging apparatus also includes a point light source determination unit that acquires the maximum value of contrast for each horizontal line in the video as a line evaluation value and determines whether the captured video is a night scene based on whether or not the line evaluation value has a characteristic of an object as a point light source. If the histogram shape determination unit and the point light source determination unit determine that the captured video is a night scene, the imaging apparatus determines that the scene captured by the image capturing unit is a night scene.

Abstract: A scene-aware auto-exposure control process stabilizes changes in a camera's auto-exposure settings so as to reduce lighting and color flicker during image capture operations. A metric, referred to as the Modified Adjusted Luminance (MAL) metric, is defined to remain relatively constant as long as the lighting of the scene being captured remains relatively constant. Thus, scene changes such as an object moving into, out of, or around in a scene do not significantly affect the MAL metric's value and do not, therefore, trigger an exposure adjustment. Once the MAL metric indicates a scene's lighting is stable, the camera's auto-exposure operation may be suppressed. As long as incoming frames indicate a stable lighting condition (based on the MAL metric), auto-exposure operation may remain suppressed. When incoming frames result in a substantially different MAL over a specified number of frames, auto-exposure operation may be restored.

Abstract: In a solid state image sensor having a pixel array, a first frame is imaged using varying exposure times in a series of zones. The exposure time for a subsequent frame is selected from the results of the first frame, The exposure times are controlled in a rolling blade manner by controlling the number of lines between reset and readout. The sensor is particularly suited to use in bar code readers.

Abstract: An output value calculating unit 5 performs weighting arithmetic operations on a plurality of filter values calculated by a filter value calculating unit 4 by using a feature quantity detected by a feature quantity detecting unit 1, a directional correlation value calculated by a directional correlation value calculating unit 2 and an amplitude level calculated by an amplitude level calculating unit 3, and multiplies a result of the weighting arithmetic operations by a sensitization magnification to create pixel signals of a correctly exposed image.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an imaging device, a drive control method, and a program configured to be capable of making sensitivity ratios constant and improving a S/N ratio. When a storage period of pixels (G pixels) with a green filter as a reference does not exceed a predetermined threshold value, an adjustment of the sensitivity ratio by gains by color is performed. When the storage period of the pixels with a green filter is larger than the predetermined threshold value, the storage periods of the pixels with a red filter (R pixels) and the pixels with a blue filter (B pixels) are calculated from the set sensitivity ratios, and if the calculated values do not exceed a maximum setting value, the adjustment of the sensitivity ratios by the storage periods by color is performed. In contrast, if the calculated storage period is larger than the maximum setting value, the adjustment of the sensitivity ratio is performed by combining the storage period by color and the gains by color.

Abstract: Circuitry, apparatus and methods provide flicker detection and improved image generation for digital cameras that employ image sensors. In one example, circuitry and methods are operative to compare a first captured frame with a second captured frame that may be, for example, sequential and consecutive or non-consecutive if desired, to determine misalignment of scene content between the frames. A realigned second frame is produced by realigning the second frame with the first frame if the frames are determined to be misaligned. Luminance data from the realigned second frame and luminance data from the pixels of the first frame are used to determine if an undesired flicker condition exists. If an undesired flicker condition is detected, exposure time control information is generated for output to the imaging sensor that captured the frame, to reduce flicker. This operation may be done, for example, during a preview mode for a digital camera, or may be performed at any other suitable time.

Abstract: In an image pickup device of the present invention, in the case where a mode switch 116 selects a finder mode, a focusing lens is driven at a first speed when a focusing operation is performed in a focus control unit 203. In the case where the mode switch 116 selects a live view mode, the driving speed of the focusing lens is switched in a range lower than the first speed in accordance with brightness of an object detected by a photometric unit 114 when the focusing operation is performed in the focus control unit 203. With such a configuration, a lens driving control method is changed by AF control of a phase difference detection system and AF control of a hill climbing system, and a driving system suitable for each AF system is performed, whereby the focusing operation can be performed normally at a high speed.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus has an image sensing element which accumulates received light as a charge, a mechanical shutter which travels to shield the image sensing element, and a scan unit which makes a scan for starting charge accumulation. The image sensing apparatus executes the scan for starting charge accumulation prior to traveling of the mechanical shutter and controls the scan for starting charge accumulation and traveling of the shutter to serve as a front curtain and a rear curtain of a shutter. Note that a scan pattern setting unit (113b) sets the scan pattern of the charge accumulation start scan based on information associated with a mounted photographing lens.

Abstract: Systems and methods for imaging objects are provided. An imaging device includes a sensor to provide an image of an object. The sensor can have a sensor exposure time and a sensor gain and the image includes a plurality of frames, each of the plurality of frames that can depict at least a portion of the object. The imaging device includes a motion detector to determine whether there is movement of the at least a portion of the object between adjacent frames of the plurality of frames. The imaging device also includes a controller. The controller can set the sensor exposure time to a first value in response to a determination by the motion detector that there is movement of the at least a portion of the object between adjacent frames. The controller can also set the sensor exposure time to a second value in response to a determination that there is no movement of the at least a portion of the object between adjacent frames.

Abstract: Techniques for reducing the amount of time a camera device requires to automatically adjust focus and/or exposure settings prior to image capture are described. As disclosed, sensor data is used to identify the camera device's orientation. Once known, face detection operations are performed for only that orientation thereby dramatically reducing the amount of processing time required to perform the face detection. The result of the face detection operations may be used to automatically adjust the image capture device's focus and/or exposure.

Abstract: There is provided an imaging device including: an image pick-up device for imaging a chemiluminescent imaging subject; a pre-exposure section that performs pre-exposure of the image pick-up device to the imaging subject plural times to acquire plural pre-exposure images; a light emission characteristic calculation section that calculates the light emission characteristics of the chemiluminescent imaging subject based on the plural pre-exposure images; an exposure time calculation section that calculates an exposure time for main exposure corresponding to a target density for the imaging subject based on the light emission characteristics; and a main exposure section that performing main exposure to the imaging subject with the calculated exposure time so as to acquire a main exposure image.

Abstract: In an exposure determining device, an image acquiring unit acquires a first image. The first image is picked up by an image pickup unit at a first exposure. A light-intensity detecting unit extracts areas in the first image and detects a light intensity in area. A mismatch area determining unit determines, based on the detected light intensity in each area, whether each area is a mismatch area in which an edge is estimated to be undetected due to excess or shortage of the first exposure for a corresponding one of the areas. When it is determined that one of the areas is the mismatch area, a second exposure determining unit determines a second exposure of the image pickup unit. The second exposure is matched with the light intensity in the mismatch area.

Abstract: A shooting parameter adjustment method for face detection includes (A) acquiring an image; (B) dividing the image into a plurality of blocks, and calculating a brightness value of each of the blocks; (C) selecting at least one of the plurality of blocks, and adjusting a shooting parameter according to the brightness value of the selected block; and (D) acquiring another image according to the shooting parameter, and performing a face detection procedure with the another image. The shooting parameter adjustment method can automatically adjust a shooting parameter of an image capturing device according to brightness of different blocks in an image. Therefore, by using this method, the brightness of a face, no matter being too high or too low, can be adjusted to a value suitable for face detection, so as to improve the accuracy of the face detection procedure.

Abstract: A method of dynamically changing a parameter of a frame is disclosed. An input frame is determined as a special scene or a general scene. A subsequent frame is predicted by changing the parameter of the subsequent frame according to a special-scene operation when the input frame is the special scene, and by changing the parameter of the subsequent frame according to a general-scene operation when the input frame is not the special scene. The predicted frame is determined whether to be a special scene. Accordingly, the parameter of the input frame is changed according to the special-scene operation when both the input frame and the predicted frame are the special scenes; the parameter of the input frame is changed according to the general-scene operation when both the input frame and the predicted frame are not the special scenes; and the parameter of the input frame is maintained without change when only one of the input frame and the predicted frame is the special scene.

Abstract: A video image pickup apparatus (10) includes an image sensor (120), a knee processor (132) for performing a compression in a high-luminance characteristic interval of a picture signal based on an output signal of the image sensor, a block luminance calculator (151) for dividing a frame of image based on the output signal of the solid-state image pickup device into a set of blocks, calculating a set of luminance indices of respective blocks, an extreme extractor (152) for extracting a block having a highest luminance index, together with the luminance index, a display information generator (153) for generating a set of pieces of image information for exposure guide display including an image representing a region of the extracted block and an image representing the luminance index, an image superposer (160) for superposing the set of pieces of image information for exposure guide display on a frame of image based on the compressed picture signal to generate a frame of superposed image, and a view finder (170)

Abstract: An imaging control apparatus inputs an image signal from an image sensing unit, controls, based on a first image signal from the image sensing unit for a first region, a mechanical component which controls an aperture for image sensing by the image sensing unit, and electronically controls, based on the first image signal and a second image signal from the image sensing unit for a second region, the image luminance represented by an output from the image sensing unit for the second region.

Abstract: Provided is an image capturing apparatus and method, in which the limit of the application of blurring to an input image is determined with the use of a database of recognizable blur levels, and the input image is processed by applying filtering properties corresponding to variations in digital gain and an exposure time. The image capturing apparatus includes a light reception module which receives an optical signal; and an image processing module which adjusts an exposure time-to-digital gain ratio with reference to the amount of light included in the optical signal.

Abstract: An image processing device and an image processing method determine whether the photographic scene has a high luminance difference. If the photographic scene has a high luminance difference, the image processing device and method switch the image pickup unit to a high luminance difference exposure mode. If the photographic scene does not have a high luminance difference, the image processing device and method switch the image pickup unit to a normal exposure mode.

Abstract: According to the embodiment, a camera module has a variable aperture unit and a control driver. In the variable aperture unit, switching is made between transmitting and blocking of the light incident from the imaging lens for each region. In the variable aperture unit, at least one of an area and a position of the transmissive region for transmitting light can be changed. The control driver can adjust the imaging timing of the image sensor in response to at least one of the area and the position of the transmissive region.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a luminance value calculation unit configured to calculate a luminance average value and a luminance peak value from an image obtained by image-capturing for each of frames formed by dividing one screen, a first calculation unit configured to combine the luminance average value and the luminance peak value obtained for each of the frames, a second calculation unit configured to calculate an average value of composite values equal to or more than a predetermined threshold value among composite values obtained by the first calculation unit, and a setting unit configured to set knee strength based on the average value of the composite values obtained by the second calculation unit.

Abstract: An electronic camera includes: an image-capturing unit with variable image-capturing sensitivity, which captures an image of a subject through a photographic lens; a brightness detection unit that detects subject brightness; an exposure calculation unit that executes an exposure calculation by using, at least, the image-capturing sensitivity set at the image-capturing unit and the subject brightness having been detected; a flash quantity calculation unit that calculates a main flash quantity for a flash unit that illuminates the subject when capturing an image thereof; and a sensitivity adjusting unit that adjusts the image-capturing sensitivity so as to achieve optimal exposure with a main flash quantity within a flash quantity control range of the flash unit when the main flash quantity having been calculated by the flash quantity calculation unit is outside the flash quantity control range.

Abstract: The present invention is applied to an image pickup apparatus for which, for example, a CMOS solid-state image pickup element is used. One screen image is divided into a plurality of blocks, and a motion is detected for each of the blocks to control the exposure time of the block.

Abstract: A system and method of image capture parameter adjustment using face brightness information is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, a method is disclosed that includes determining a luma value based on a brightness variation within a selected portion of an image, where the selected portion of the image corresponds to at least a portion of a face. The method further includes adjusting an image capture parameter at least partially based on the determined luma value.

Abstract: A toll violation enforcement system that contains a capture unit that receives a trigger signal and takes vehicle images of passing vehicles. A lighting unit configured to operate continuously is provided to establish a major lighting source incident on the vehicle. A processing unit is provided that processes the vehicle image and controls the settings employed by the capture unit. The processing unit preferably contains a plate location module for extracting an original resolution license plate area image from a first vehicle image; an exposure control module for controlling the exposure setting on the capture unit to provide consistent intensity of the license plate area; a resolution reset module for changing the image resolution for a second vehicle image; an image enhancement module for brightening pixels of the second vehicle image; and an image compression module for compressing the license plate area image and second vehicle image to a predetermined format.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus including a half mirror, a phase difference detecting AF sensor, an image pickup device, and a display is provided. The half mirror is provided so as to be movable between a first position on an optical path of the subject image light from the photographing optical system and a second position to which the half mirror is evacuated from the optical path of the subject image light. When the half mirror is in the second position, the image pickup device generates an actual photographing image on the basis of the subject image light reaching the image pickup device from the photographing optical system without passing through the half mirror.

Abstract: An image sensor includes: image-capturing pixels that generate first image signals with a charge storage time controlled by a first storage control signal; and focus detection pixels that generate second image signals with a charge storage time controlled by a second storage control signal generated independently of the first storage control signal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to improved imaging devices having high dynamic range and to monitoring and automatic control systems incorporating the improved imaging devices.

Abstract: The invention accomplishes an image capture apparatus capable of allowing a user to more easily attain, as compared to a conventional image capture apparatus, image data of a captured image which includes no blown-out highlights or loss of shadow detail throughout an entire image.

Abstract: In an imaging apparatus, a function whose value increases in time is used as a threshold electric-signal level, and an electric-signal level of a photoreceptor element is compared with the threshold electric-signal level. Even if a light received by the photoreceptor element has a low luminance, the electric-signal level of the photoreceptor element crosses the threshold electric-signal level in a short time, allowing calculation of the amount of optical energy received by the photoreceptor element. Furthermore, when an object having a region where brightness changes in time and also having a region with a low luminance is imaged, imaging interval is changed in accordance with luminance. Accordingly, information regarding how the brightness of the object is rapidly changing in time can be obtained more precisely, and an image can be output without making a projection image of the dark region completely black.

Abstract: A digital camera of the present invention includes a microcomputer 110 having a live view mode controlling so that image data generated by a CMOS sensor 130 or image data obtained by subjecting the image data generated by the CMOS sensor 130 to predetermined processing is displayed on a liquid crystal monitor 150 as a moving image in real time, and the microcomputer 110 controls so that movable mirrors 121a and 121b to enter an optical path of an image pickup optical system after the amount of light from a subject is obtained based on the image data generated by the CMOS sensor 130, a strobe 137 emits light, and measurement results of an AE sensor 133 are obtained. Due to this configuration, in a digital camera that includes a movable mirror and is capable of displaying a subject image in a live view through an electronic viewfinder, the operability thereof can be enhanced.

Abstract: An imaging device includes an imaging sensor, a switching section, and a controlling section. The imaging sensor includes a light receiving surface to which light receiving elements capable of addressing reading are arranged, and having, on the light receiving surface, an imaging area capturing a subject image and an optical black area outputting a signal of a dark current component, the optical black area which the light receiving elements are covered with a light shielding member. The switching section switching a first state and a second state. The controlling section reads a signal level by each partial area at the optical black area when a dark image is captured in the second state after capturing a normal image in the first state, sequentially compares with the signal level at a corresponding position of the normal image, and controls a exposure time of the dark image according to the comparison result.

Abstract: A detection system for an image capture device includes an image detecting unit, a calculation unit, a selection unit and a switching unit. The image detecting unit provides a plurality of focus modes suitable for different ambient light conditions, and acquires image parameters. The calculation unit determines exposure time suitable for the current ambient light conditions based on the acquired parameters. The selection unit selects a suitable detection mode based on the determined exposure time. The switching unit switches the image capture device to the selected suitable detection mode.

Abstract: In a digital camera, in an automatic shooting stand-by state, when it is judged that an automatic shooting condition has not been satisfied, it is judged whether or not to issue an AE re-processing command (that is, it is judged whether or not the current shooting condition is similar to a condition where the automatic shooting condition is satisfied). When it is judged to issue the AE re-processing command, exposure tracking in an aperture-priority mode is performed, and shooting exposure conditions excluding the aperture value for still-image shooting in the aperture-priority mode are determined. Then, storage is updated. When it is judged that an automatic shooting condition has been satisfied, record processing for still-image shooting is performed with the updated shooting exposure conditions without changing the aperture value.