Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
348352000 | With motion detection | 28 |
20080297649 | METHODS AND APPARATUS PROVIDING LIGHT ASSISTED AUTOMATIC FOCUS - Methods and apparatus for accurately auto focusing a lens of an imaging device. The method includes the steps of focusing an image of a subject on an imager, determining that the subject has moved, and refocusing the image of the subject on the imager by comparing a first brightness of a first scene captured before determining that the subject has moved and a second brightness of a second scene captured after determining that the subject has moved. The first brightness and second brightness are provided with the assistance of a light source. | 12-04-2008 |
20090027544 | SOLID STATE OPTICAL MOTION COMPENSATION - Methods and systems for capturing an image. Light is received through an imaging lens that has an adjustable focal center. A motion vector representing motion of the imaging lens is estimated and a shift vector is estimated in response to the motion vector. The shift vector is converted into a voltage gradient and provided to the imaging lens. The voltage gradient shifts the focal center of the imaging lens to compensate for the motion of the imaging lens. | 01-29-2009 |
20090237554 | AUTOFOCUS SYSTEM - If another registration pattern exists in an image as well as a selected tracking target in the course of tracking the selected tracking target and if the tracking target disappears from the image, said another registration pattern existing in the image is tracked. Thereafter, even if the tracking target, which disappeared, appears in the image again, it is continued to track said another registration pattern | 09-24-2009 |
20100026879 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING FOCUS LENS - Provided are a method of controlling a focus lens to be moved to a target location by generating a normalized focus graph by use of relative values of a plurality of focus values obtained by using a plurality of filters each having different cut-off frequencies, and predicting a target position of the focus lens according to the normalized focus graph, an apparatus operating by using the method, and a recording medium for recording the method. According to the present invention, in terms of performing an auto-focusing function, by optimizing the motion line of the focus lens, wasteful power consumption can be prevented and a scanning time of the focus lens can be shortened. | 02-04-2010 |
20100026880 | Image Processing Apparatus, Image Processing Method, and Program - An image processing apparatus includes a motion-blur adding mechanism performing filter processing on moving image data to be subjected to coding processing in accordance with motion information indicating motion of an image between unit images included in the moving image data as pre-processing of the coding processing so that motion-blur addition processing is performed. | 02-04-2010 |
20100053419 | IMAGE PICK-UP APPARATUS AND TRACKING METHOD THEREFOR - An image pick-up apparatus that enables to appropriately set a holding time in which there is a possibility of returning to a state that allows tracking when a subject cannot be tracked temporarily during the subject tracking to improve the ease-of-use for a user. A specifying unit specifies a subject included in a captured image. A display unit displays the captured image on a screen and displays identification information showing that the specified subject is tracked. A tracking unit tracks the subject. A setting unit sets a holding time in which the display of the identification information is held according to at least one of a focal length of the image pick-up apparatus and a subject distance. An elimination unit eliminates a display of the identification information when the holding time has passed after the tracking unit lost the subject. | 03-04-2010 |
20120120305 | IMAGING APPARATUS, PROGRAM, AND FOCUS CONTROL METHOD - An imaging apparatus includes an optical system, a first focusing section that controls a focus of the optical system, and performs a first focusing process based on a first evaluation value, a second focusing section that controls the focus of the optical system, and performs a second focusing process based on a second evaluation value, and a focusing process switch section that switches a focusing process between the first focusing process and the second focusing process. The first focusing section includes an in-focus determination section that determines whether or not the first focusing process has been accomplished. The focusing process switch section switches the focusing process from the first focusing process to the second focusing process when the in-focus determination section has determined that the first focusing process has been accomplished. | 05-17-2012 |
20120147255 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND LENS UNIT - An image pickup apparatus arranged to detachably mount a lens unit including a focus lens, controls such that if the focus lens is movable by the amount of movement within a predetermined time, a next amount of movement of the focus lens is decided on the basis of a first focus signal extracted from an image signal corresponding to charges accumulated in a focus detection area at a first timing, and if the focus lens is not movable by the amount of movement amount within the predetermined time, a next amount of movement of the focus lens is decided after completion of the movement of the focus lens on the basis of a second focus signal extracted from the image signal corresponding to the charges accumulated in the focus detection area at a second timing at which the focus lens is stopped. | 06-14-2012 |
20120176532 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, IMAGE CAPTURING DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM - An image processing device includes: a detection unit detecting a movement amount of an image between first image data constituting image data generated by an image capturing element provided with a plurality of image generating pixels generating pixel values for generating an image and a plurality of pairs of phase difference detecting pixels generating pixel values for performing focusing determination by phase difference detection, and second image data subsequent to the first image data on a time axis, wherein the movement amount is a movement amount of one phase difference detecting pixel when a defective pixel included in the pair of phase difference detecting pixels is one of the pair; and a correction unit correcting the pixel value of the defective pixel in the second image data on the basis of the detected movement amount and the pixel value of one phase difference detecting pixel in the first image data. | 07-12-2012 |
20120182462 | AUTO-FOCUSING APPARATUS - An auto-focusing apparatus controls backlash compensation driving of a focus lens during exposure preparation when focusing is performed by moving the focus lens to a target position of the focus lens. A shutter release time lag can be reduced, and in particular, the auto-focusing apparatus can be usefully applied to the case where a moving subject is photographed. | 07-19-2012 |
20120229694 | Digital Image Processing Using Face Detection Information - A method of processing a digital image using face detection within the image achieves one or more desired image processing parameters. A group of pixels is identified that correspond to an image of a face within the digital image. Default values are determined of one or more parameters of at least some portion of the digital image. Values are adjusted of the one or more parameters within the digitally-detected image based upon an analysis of the digital image including the image of the face and the default values. | 09-13-2012 |
20120236198 | AUTO-FOCUSING APPARATUS - An auto-focusing apparatus detects a speed of a moving object accurately even in a system in which backlash exists in focusing control by performing moving object prediction auto-focusing (AF). | 09-20-2012 |
20130083231 | MULTI-DRIVE MECHANISM LENS ACTUATOR - Subject matter disclosed herein may relate to lens actuators used, for example, in auto-focus and/or vibration compensation systems of digital cameras. | 04-04-2013 |
20130194486 | IMAGE BLUR DETECTION - Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for quantifying blur of an image. Blur may result due to motion of a camera while the image is captured. Accordingly, motion measurement data corresponding to motion of the camera during an exposure event may be used to create a camera rotation matrix. A camera intrinsic matrix may be obtained based upon a focal length and principle point of the camera. A transformation matrix may be estimated based upon the camera rotation matrix and/or the camera intrinsic matrix. The transformation matrix may be applied to pixels within the image to determine a blur metric for the image. In this way, blur of an image may be quantified offline and/or in real-time during operation of the camera (e.g., so that the image may be re-acquired (e.g., on the fly) if the image is regarded as being overly blurry). | 08-01-2013 |
20140022444 | Method of Notifying Users Regarding Motion Artifacts Based on Image Analysis - A digital image acquisition system having no photographic film comprises a portable apparatus for capturing digital images and a digital processing component for reducing camera motion blur in an image captured by the apparatus. The digital processing component operates by comparing the image with at least one other image, for example a preview image, of approximately the same scene taken outside the exposure period of the main image. In one embodiment the digital processing component identifies at least one feature which is relatively less blurred than the corresponding feature in the main image, and/or calculates a trajectory of at least one feature in a plurality of preview images and extrapolates such feature onto the main image, and calculates a PSF in respect of the feature, and de-convolves the main image using the PSF. | 01-23-2014 |
20140043523 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME - A shift amount between a plurality of image signals that is obtained from pixels in each of which a plurality of photoelectric conversion units are provided is computed from an amount of correlation based on a difference value between the plurality of image signals. Also, if the difference value that is used for computing the amount of correlation is not less than a predetermined upper limit, a predetermined value that is not more than the upper limit is used as the difference value. | 02-13-2014 |
20140063330 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS THAT PERIODICALLY CHANGES EXPOSURE CONDITION, A METHOD OF CONTROLLING IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - An image pickup apparatus capable of performing proper image evaluation in photographing a moving image by changing the exposure condition. An image pickup unit picks up an image of an object and a driving unit drives a focus lens in an optical axis direction. A control circuit controls a focus state of the object by causing the driving unit to move the focus lens in the optical axis direction. A focus evaluation value is acquired from each image. The control circuit causes the image pickup unit to pick up images of a multistage exposure image group by changing exposure time, selects an image according to exposure time, updates a direction of driving the focus lens using the focus evaluation value acquired from the selected image, and causes the driving unit to move the focus lens in the updated driving direction. | 03-06-2014 |
20140104485 | IMAGING APPARATUS - An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit configured to capture an image, a subject detector configured to detect a subject from the image captured by the imaging unit, a setting unit configured to set, in accordance with a change of a position of the subject detected by the subject detector, an image region to be focused on for the changed position of the subject, a focus unit configured to perform a focus operation to the subject included in the set image region, and a controller configured to control a speed of the focus operation according to a moving speed of the subject detected by the subject detector. | 04-17-2014 |
20140184888 | DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME - A digital photographing apparatus includes a focus lens, a focus detection unit that detects focus in a contrast auto focusing (AF) method by moving the focus lens, and a controller that calculates a velocity of a subject from a first focus detection result and a second focus detection result in a continuous shooting operation. The controller restricts a U-turn driving for correcting backlash of the focus lens when the calculated velocity of the subject is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. An AF initiating location and a final correction operation are adaptively adjusted based on the velocity of the subject in each process of the continuous shooting, thereby improving an AF performance and the continuous photographing speed. | 07-03-2014 |
20140327810 | FOCUS ADJUSTING APPARATUS, CAMERA SYSTEM, AND FOCUS ADJUSTING METHOD - Lh indicates the amount of image-surface movement of a photographic subject; Ls, a scan driving range; Lps, a scan driving range required to detect a peak; Li, the amount of initial position driving. Based on the speed of a photographic subject (inclination of a photographic-subject movement amount profile H), a body controlling unit sets Li as a driving amount and a driving direction of initial position driving in such a manner as to satisfy Lh<(Ls−Lps+Li), and performs initial position driving to move a focus lens, with the result that the profile H and a scan driving amount profile S of the focus lens intersect with each other within a section k4 where contrast AF is performed. Then, a scan driving operation is performed within the section k4, thereby detecting an in-focus position without fail regardless of the image-surface movement speed of the photographic subject (inclination of the profile H). | 11-06-2014 |
20150022711 | APPARATUS, MEDIUM, AND METHOD FOR PHOTOGRAPHING BASED ON FACE DETECTION - A photographing method, medium, and apparatus based on face detection in a portable camera. The portable photographing apparatus may include an image input unit that receives an image, a face detection unit that detects a face from the received image, a storage unit that stores the image detected by the face detection unit as a moving image in a first mode, and a quality evaluation unit that evaluates the quality of the image detected by the face detection unit and stores the same as a still image in a second mode upon satisfaction of predetermined conditions evaluated based on the quality evaluation of the still image. | 01-22-2015 |
20150022712 | IMAGING DEVICE AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT SAVING PROGRAM - An imaging device includes an imaging unit configured to generate a moving-image signal by capturing an image of a subject formed by an imaging optical system, a focus adjustment information acquisition unit configured to acquire focus adjustment information related to human subjective focus adjustment, and a focus adjustment determination unit configured to determine behavior of the focus adjustment of the imaging unit using the focus adjustment information obtained by the focus adjustment information acquisition unit. | 01-22-2015 |
20150319357 | RANGING APPARATUS, IMAGING APPARATUS, RANGING METHOD AND RANGING PARAMETER CALCULATION METHOD - A ranging apparatus includes: a first calculation unit configured to calculate an image shift amount between a first image and a second image, the first image being based on a first signal which corresponds to a light flux transmitted through a first pupil area of an imaging optical system, and the second image being based on a second signal which corresponds to a light flux transmitted through a second pupil area of the imaging optical system; and a second calculation unit configured to calculate a defocus amount from the image shift amount, using a conversion coefficient based on a received light quantity distribution in accordance with the position of the ranging pixel. | 11-05-2015 |
20150350523 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM - There is provided an image processing device including a subject distance change determination unit configured to detect a temporal change of a distance from an imaging position to each subject present in an image and determine a tendency toward approach or recession of the each subject with respect to the imaging position on the basis of the detection, and a main subject determination unit configured to determine a main subject on the basis of the tendency toward approach or recession of the each subject determined by the subject distance change determination unit. | 12-03-2015 |
20160021296 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - Provided is an image processing device including an image state detection unit which detects a state of a captured image after a processing for determining a captured image has been performed, and a trimming-decision processing unit which performs a trimming decision of the captured image based on a state of the captured image. | 01-21-2016 |
20160037053 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND CAMERA BODY - An imaging apparatus of the present disclosure includes a body, an imaging unit provided in the body, the imaging unit for capturing an image of an object and generating an image, a focus lens movable in an optical axis direction, the focus lens for adjusting a focus state of the image, an evaluation value detector for detecting a focus evaluation value of the image, a movement detector for detecting a moving direction and an amount of movement of the body in the optical axis direction, and a controller for controlling movement of the focus lens. The controller determines a direction to which the focus lens is to be moved, based on the moving direction of the body in the optical axis direction detected by the movement detector and the focus evaluation value detected by the evaluation value detector. | 02-04-2016 |
20160134786 | SHOOTING APPARATUS AND CAMERA SYSTEM - A shooting apparatus comprising: a photographing optical system having a variable aperture diaphragm; an imaging section that outputs an image signal; a diaphragm position detection section that detects a diaphragm position; a lens control section that controls movement of a focus lens; a storage section that stores an amount of focal shift corresponding to the diaphragm position; a focus detection section that detects a peak of a contrast value based on the image signal, wherein the lens control section, while moving the focus lens to a focusing position based on a position at which the contrast value indicates the peak, corrects a position of the focus lens to be moved, on the basis of a diaphragm position when the position at which the contrast value indicates the peak is detected, a diaphragm position while moving the focus lens, and the amount of focal shift stored in the storage section. | 05-12-2016 |
20160142619 | FOCUS CONTROL APPARATUS, IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS, METHOD FOR CONTROLLING FOCUS CONTROL APPARATUS AND STORAGE MEDIUM - There is provided a focus control apparatus. A first extraction unit extracts frequency components of a first band from a predetermined evaluation area of image data generated by an image capturing unit. A change unit changes the evaluation area based on the frequency components extracted by the first extraction unit, so that the evaluation area after the change is narrower than the evaluation area before the change. A second extraction unit extracts, from the evaluation area after the change, frequency components of a second band that includes a higher band than the first band. A calculation unit calculates a focus evaluation value for performing focus control of the image capturing unit based on the frequency components extracted by the second extraction unit. | 05-19-2016 |