Abstract: A camera module is provided.

Abstract: A lens apparatus includes an imaging optical system including a movable lens unit, a drive unit configured to drive the movable lens unit, and a control unit configured to cause the movable lens unit to perform a wobbling motion in an optical axis direction by alternatively outputting to the drive unit a first drive command for driving the movable lens unit at a first driving speed and a stop command for stopping driving of the movable lens unit, and to move the movable lens unit based on contrast information obtained from an image pickup unit during the wobbling motion of the movable lens unit, wherein, at least one of before and after outputting the first drive command to the drive unit, the control unit outputs to the drive unit a second drive command for driving the movable lens unit at a second driving speed lower than the first driving speed.

Abstract: An image-capturing apparatus includes an image-capturing device having an image-capturing surface, a shutter unit having an aperture configured to allow light from an object to pass through the aperture, and a controller that controls the shutter unit. The shutter unit includes a curtain unit that selectively executes an opening operation of opening the aperture and a closing operation of closing the aperture, and an actuator that drives the curtain unit. The controller is operable to control the shutter unit to execute: an image-capturing operation in which the shutter unit executes the closing operation after resetting an electric charge stored in the image-capturing device; and a pre-driving operation in which the actuator drives the curtain with a small motion before executing the image-capturing operation.

Abstract: A shutter assembly includes: a driver for generating a rotation force; an input gear unit rotated by the driver; a transmission gear unit rotated by the input gear unit; an output gear unit rotated by the transmission gear unit; and a rotation unit that is rotated by the output gear unit between a position for transmitting light and a position for blocking light, wherein the transmission gear unit at least partially corresponds to a rotation path of the rotation unit and is spaced apart from a surface containing the rotation path along a direction of a central axis of the transmission gear unit.

Abstract: A micro-electro-mechanical system based device for adjusting aperture and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. The system includes: an opaque deformable aperture ring, multiple groups of conductive deformable crossbeams and conductive structs; and one or more fixed parts. In each group, each conductive deformable crossbeam corresponds to a conductive struct. The conductive deformable crossbeams and the conductive structs are arranged around the deformable aperture ring and spaced from each other. The conductive deformable crossbeams are suspended in the air, their inner edges are connected with an external edge of the deformable aperture ring, and their external edges are connected with the fixed parts. The conductive structs are connected with the fixed parts and remain stationary.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an imaging device including: a lens mount section with a removable lens section; an imaging element adapted to generate a video signal by converting image light of the subject entering through the lens section attached to the lens mount section into an electric signal; a disk-shaped shutter having a light shielding section and a transmission section, the light shielding section adapted to shield the imaging element from incident light, and the transmission section adapted to transmit incident light onto the imaging element; a shutter drive motor adapted to drive the disk-shaped shutter; a detection section adapted to detect whether the lens section is attached or detached; and a shutter control section adapted to supply a control signal to the shutter drive motor to stop the shutter if the detection section has detected that the lens section is detached.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an imaging device including an imaging element, an imaging controller, first and second shutter members, and a shutter controller. The imaging element carries out photoelectric conversion of subject image light incident through a lens and produces an imaging signal. The imaging controller controls readout of the imaging signal and carries out control of change setting of a frame cycle of imaging. The shutter members are disposed on an optical path of image light incident and can set a state in which incident light on the imaging element is blocked and a state in which incident light on the imaging element is not blocked. The shutter controller sets a timing at which the optical path is blocked by the first shutter member and a timing at which the optical path is blocked by the second shutter member.

Abstract: A CCD sensor has a shutter to prevent frame shift smear during transfer of an image from the image region to a store region. The CCD sensor has an extended dynamic range, because each integration is in two parts, the second part of which has a different sensitivity than the first part. In order to avoid an asymmetry in the uncovering and covering of the image region, a two-bladed shutter is used.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an imaging device including: an imaging element configured to carry out photoelectric conversion of subject image light incident through a lens and produce a video signal; an imaging element controller configured to control timing of readout of the video signal from the imaging element; a circular disk shutter configured to have a light-blocking part and a passage part, the shutter being driven to rotate by a motor; a shutter position detector configured to detect a rotational position of the shutter; and a shutter controller configured to control a rotational speed of the shutter and cause the imaging element controller to start readout of a video signal from the imaging element when the light-blocking part of the shutter is located in front of the imaging element based on information on the rotational position of the shutter, detected by the shutter position detector.

Abstract: A digital motion picture camera for the taking of motion pictures includes an optoelectronic sensor device having a plurality of sensor elements for the generation of received signals in dependence on the exposure time, a digitizing device for the digitizing of the received signals and an electronic control device for the control of the exposure time and the reading out of the received signals and for the evaluation of these received signals. A plurality of images taken with different exposure times are combined with one another by means of the control device, with the time centers of the images to be combined with one another between a respective start of recording and a respective end of recording coinciding at least substantially.

Abstract: A shutter device includes first and second shutter blades, a shutter base plate rotatably supporting the first and second shutter blades, a partition plate arranged between the first and second shutter blades supported by the shutter base plate, and a cover plate fixed to the shutter base plate while the first and second shutter blades are supported by the shutter base plate and the partition plate is arranged between the first and second shutter blades. The first and second shutter blades, the partition plate, and the cover plate have conductivity. The cover plate is electrically connected to the partition plate. The cover plate has a potential at a ground level.

Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a light quantity adjusting apparatus that can include a first blade member configured to be driven by a drive source, such as a motor, and a second blade member whose movement is configured to be related to the movement of the first blade member.

Abstract: A lens barrel 11 is mounted in a collapsible imaging device 1 and includes a third lens frame 55. The third frame 55 is a lens frame to which correction lenses L5, L6, L7 are mounted and includes a shutter unit 57, a vibration compensation actuator 71, a lens frame main body 95, a focus lens frame 105, and a focus motor 115. The focus lens frame 105 is urged against the lens frame main body 95 toward the image plane side by means of a focus spring 110. A motor section 117 of the focus motor 115 is arranged in a region interposed between two multilayer printed circuit boards 77, 79 when viewed from the image plane side or the object side.

Abstract: Rotary shutter assemblies for imaging photometers and methods for using such shutters are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, for example, a method for capturing an image with an imaging photometer can include positioning a rotary shutter having an aperture at a first position such that the shutter blocks light traveling along an optical axis from a light source being measured to an image sensor of the photometer. The method can include pivotably moving the shutter at a generally constant angular speed to a second position with the aperture aligned with the optical axis to expose at least a portion of the image sensor to the light for a first predetermined exposure time.

Abstract: A shutter assembly has an actuator for applying a whip action on a shutter wing for blocking or exposing an aperture. The shutter wing has a first blade fixedly connected to the actuator and a second blade movably connected to the first blade. When the shutter wing is in the closed position, the blades form a folded shape with a waist section large enough to cover the entire aperture. When the shutter wing is in the open position, the blades form an extended shape having a narrower waist section. The blades can be connected to each other by a hinge or a wire. Two shutter wings located on opposite sides of the aperture can be used to create a gap therebetween to control the exposure in a camera. As the shutter wings move from one side to another, the gap acts like a moving slit across the aperture.

Abstract: An enhanced 8-VSB reception system and E8-VSB data demultiplexing method, by which an E8-VSB signal can be stably received as well as a previous ATSC 8VSB signal, is disclosed. Herein, the enhanced data are coded at ½ code rate and ¼ code rate in the new E8-VSB transmission system compatible with the conventional ATSC 8VSB system, respectively. The ½ and ¼ enhanced data are multiplexed by 164-byte packet unit according to the previously determined multiplexing format and further pre-processed to output as the format of the MPEG transport packet. And, the pre-processed enhanced data and the main data are multiplexed again by 188-byte packet unit according to the previously determined multiplexing format. The E8-VSB map information, which was inserted in the field sync section in the E8-VSB transmission system to be transmitted, is extracted to generate the information indicating the attributes of the respective E8-VSB data.

Abstract: An electronic imaging device includes a zoom lens that includes a plurality of lens groups and an imaging element that converts an optical image formed by the zoom lens into an electric signal. The zoom lens includes at least a first lens group having a negative focal length and a second lens group having a positive focal length sequentially from an object side, and a diaphragm on the object side of the second lens group. The diaphragm includes a first diaphragm having an aperture size A and a second diaphragm having an aperture size B, where A is greater than B, and the diaphragm is controlled such that the first diaphragm is effective on a long focus end and the second diaphragm is effective on a short focus end.

Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a light quantity adjusting apparatus that can include a first blade member configured to be driven by a drive source, such as a motor, and a second blade member whose movement is configured to be related to the movement of the first blade member.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic motion picture camera having an optical receiving system and a beam splitter which splits the receiving beam path into a taking beam path leading to an optoelectronic taking sensor and a viewfinder beam path leading to an optical viewfinder. The camera has an electronic display for the reproduction of an additional image. An optical vision mixer is arranged in the viewfinder beam path by which the taken image and the additional image can be directed in the direction of the viewfinder such that the taken image or the additional image, or the taken image and the additional image as a uniform image, can be observed in the viewfinder.

Abstract: A viewfinder system for a digital camera comprises a main optical path for projecting an outside scene image onto a light sensitive area facility, which facility determines a user field, and an optical extraction path for through mirror-operation extracting a fraction of the outside scene image onto a viewer optical path. The viewer optical path comprises a first mask for inserting a negative delineating outline into a viewer field and a second mask for inserting a positive delineating outline into the viewer field, both said first and second masks corresponding to the user field. In particular, at least one of the first and second masks is realized by an electronic device that has its mask size variably controlled by an electronic facility on the basis of pixel-wise driving. Advantageously, the electronic device is controlled by a sensor facility that is adapted for with respect to the other of the masks that has a fixed size sensing the latter size.

Abstract: A blade driving apparatus for cameras includes a base plate having an aperture for a photographing optical path; a cover plate having the aperture for the photographing optical path, provided with a blade chamber between the base plate and the cover plate; at least one blade rotatably mounted to the base plate in the blade chamber; and at least one electromagnetic driving source driving the blade. The electromagnetic driving source includes a rotor magnetized to have a plurality of magnetic poles at preset angles on its peripheral surface and having a driving pin for driving pin for driving the blade by its rotation, a yoke having a plurality of magnetic pole sections opposite to the peripheral surface of the rotor, and a coil wound through the yoke. At least, the rotor and the yoke are interposed between the base plate and the cover plate so that, at least, the rotor is rotatably mounted to the base plate.

Abstract: A high output light source, such as a stage lighting luminaire, produces light along a path. The belt which drives a driven device is kept away from that path by passing it around the opposite side of the pulley.

Abstract: An optical system controller for a video camera having a lens barrel in which is arranged a movable optical system and on the outer surface of which is arranged an adjusting movable mechanism for the movable optical system. It permits the user to recognize easily and directly the display indicating the position of the movable optical system or the opening of the aperture in the lens barrel.

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 improved method and module for auto focusing utilizes a variable thickness focus element. A different thickness, and thus a different focus, is optically coupled to an image sensor by rotating the focus element. Movement along the optic axis is not required. This minimizes the amount of space required to provide the auto focusing function, allowing a mobile device utilizing the module to be smaller while still providing the auto focusing feature. In addition, the mechanism for rotating the focus element is smaller and/or less complex than a mechanism for moving a lens assembly along the optic axis, further allowing the device to be smaller. The focus element has less inertia than conventional lens assemblies and so required less power to move and allows for fast focusing.

Abstract: A rotor is constituted by a two-pole permanent magnet, and enabled to rotate by a predetermined angle in a direction corresponding to the direction electric current supplied to a stator coil. Two shutter blades are moved by a driving pin which is integrally provided with the rotor, to perform opening and closing operations. A fully opened state and a closed state, which are obtained by such operations, are maintained by an attractive force, which is obtained from a magnetic force of the rotor and acts between the rotor and each of four iron pins, even when the stator coil is not energized. Further, an exposure aperture regulating position established by a closing operation of the two shutter blades is beyond a midpoint position corresponding to an intermediate state from the fully opened state to the closed state.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic image pickup system whose depth dimension is extremely reduced, taking advantage of an optical system type that can overcome conditions imposed on the movement of a zooming movable lens group while high specifications and performance are kept. The electronic image pickup system comprises an optical path-bending zoom optical system comprising, in order from its object side, a 1-1st lens group G1-1 comprising a negative lens group and a reflecting optical element P for bending an optical path, a 1-2nd lens group G1-2 comprising one positive lens and a second lens group G2 having positive refracting power. For zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the second lens group G2 moves only toward the object side. The electronic image pickup system also comprises an electronic image pickup device I located on the image side of the zoom optical system.

Abstract: A technique for producing electronic video signals representative of color images of a scene, includes the following steps: providing a luminance sensor and a color sensor having a color filter thereover; providing a beamsplitter, and providing a motion picture film camera type of lens system that focuses light from the image, via the beamsplitter, onto the luminance sensor and the color sensor; and producing electronic video signals from outputs of the luminance sensor and the color sensor.

Abstract: A method is provided for real time control and manipulation of a moving imaging system lens's (prime, close-up, zoom, or anamorphic) depth of field. A computer control system is programed to perform a coordinated adjustment of a closed loop lens iris (aperture) and the shutter angle of a motion picture camera. The iris of the lens is reduced in size while simultaneously increasing the motion picture camera shutter angle an equal exposure (light transmission) amount, therefore, increasing the apparent image depth of field without a perceivable luminance shift. The image depth of field can be reduced by performing the above operation in reverse.

Abstract: A camera is provided with a lens for focusing an optical image of a subject onto an image focusing surface; photographing elements, provided on the image focusing surface, for photoelectrically converting the optical image into image signals, the photographing elements arranged with an arrangement pitch not larger than 7.0 &mgr;m; and a diaphragm having a photographing aperture through which the optical image enters into the photographing elements, the diaphragm adjusting the area of the photographing aperture so as to control a light amount of the optical image, wherein when the diaphragm adjusts the photographing aperture so as to have the smallest area, F-number is smaller than 5.6.

Abstract: A method is provided for real time control and manipulation of a moving imaging system lens's (prime, close-up, zoom, or anamorphic) depth of field. A computer control system is programed to perform a coordinated adjustment of a closed loop lens iris (aperture) and the shutter angle of a motion picture camera. The iris of the lens is reduced in size while simultaneously increasing the motion picture camera shutter angle an equal exposure (light transmission) amount, therefore, increasing the apparent image depth of field without a perceivable luminance shift. The image depth of field can be reduced by performing the above operation in reverse.

Abstract: A color scannerless range imaging system comprises an illumination system for illuminating a scene with modulated illumination of a predetermined modulation frequency, whereby some of the modulated illumination is reflected from objects in the scene; a sequentially selectable color filter arrangement positioned in an optical path of the reflected illumination and comprised of a first color filter that preferentially transmits the reflected modulated illumination and a plurality of other color filters that preferentially transmit reflected unmodulated illumination; a control system for driving the color filter arrangement to sequentially provide each of the color filters in the optical path; an image intensifier for modulating the reflected modulated illumination from the scene with the predetermined modulation frequency, thereby generating phase images needed for range information; and an image capture system for capturing a plurality of images output by the image intensifier, including a plurality of phase i

Abstract: A high output light source, such as a stage lighting luminaire, produces light along a path. The belt which drives a driven device is kept away from that path by passing it around the opposite side of the pulley.

Abstract: In a camera provided with a lens system to focus light from an object along an optical path through an aperture so as to form an image of the object on a focal plane; an aperture regulator for adjusting the opening area of the aperture so as to regulate an incoming light amount on the focal plane, wherein f-number of the lens system is changed in accordance with the adjusted opening area of the aperture; image pickup elements arranged with a pitch of 7.0 &mgr;m or less on the focal plane for photoelectrically converting the light of the image so as to generate image signals; and an optical low-pass filter for eliminating high frequency components of the light of the image; there is further provided a controller for controlling the filtering performance of the optical low-pass filter in accordance with the f-number of the lens system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a digital camera with an adjusting device coupled with the lens and holes of the digital camera. The digital camera comprises a housing with a front opening installed at its front end for receiving incident light, a sensor installed at a rear end of the housing for recording the incident light, an iris strip moveably installed in the housing having a plurality of irises of different sizes for adjusting the amount of the incident light emitted to the sensor, a lens moveably installed in the housing for concentrating the incident light onto the sensor, and an adjusting device rotatably installed in the housing for adjusting positions of the lens and the iris strip. The adjusting device is rotated to move the lens to a plurality of lens positions to change the distance between the lens and the sensor.

Abstract: Apparatus for displaying a combined image of an auxiliary image and a main image includes a source of a main image signal and a source of samples representing an auxiliary image signal. A quincunx subsampler is coupled to the auxiliary image sample source and the quincunx subsampler. The sample combiner combines the main image signal and a signal representing the quincunx subsampled samples to generate a signal representing a combined image of the main and auxiliary images.

Abstract: An electronic camera comprises a casing in which a photographing section is accommodated; a rotating member mounted rotably to the casing; a plurality of light amount regulating members for regulating a light amount incident to the photographing section; a cover for covering the photographing section; and a rotating member mounted rotably to the casing; wherein the plurality of light amount regulating members and the cover are attached to the rotating member so that each of the plurality of light amount regulating members and the cover member is located at the front of the photographing section in the photographing direction by rotating the rotating member.

Abstract: A shutter intended for use with a light-sensitive material. The shutter includes a light-blocking disk having a light-passing portion through which light can pass to reach a light-sensitive material. The disk is rotated to locate its light-passing portion in line with the light-sensitive material to allow light passing through the light-passing portion to advance towards the light-sensitive material. The shutter also includes a capping element which is moved between a light-blocking position and a non-light-blocking position relative to the light-sensitive material and the light-passing portion of the disk. A single sensor is used to detect a predetermined rotational position of the disk and in response thereto the capping element is moved from one of its light-blocking and non-light-blocking positions to the other.

Abstract: A real-time telecine system for converting motion picture film to high definition video contains a control unit comprising a database which provides complete control over all parameters associated with the film to high definition video conversion. The telecine system comprises a film transport sub-system, camera sub-system, rotating shutter and lamphouse. To convert a motion picture film to high definition video, the motion picture film is advanced, by the film transport sub-system, a single frame at a time during a pulldown period, and the film is held steady during a register period. The lamphouse emanates a single diffused light source to illuminate the film frame to generate an optical film image. The rotating shutter permits exposure of the optical film image to the camera sub-system in a 3-2 pulldown arrangement. Values for controlling the lamphouse light intensity are stored in the database and are subsequently retrieved for film to video conversion.

Abstract: In a video camera having at least a semiconductor image sensor and a rotary sector shutter arranged in the radiation path of the semiconductor image sensor, in which the light-dependent charge integration in the semiconductor image sensor is released by applying a control signal, the sector shutter includes a plurality of light-transmissive sectors of different size. The charge integration of the semiconductor image sensor is released before a selected light-transmissive sector enters the radiation path thereby ensuring equal integration periods for all portions of the semiconductor image sensor.