Entries |
Document | Title | Date |
20080218627 | IMAGE CAPTURING SYSTEM - An image capturing system comprises an image sensor and a mechanical shutter, wherein a charge accumulation operation of the pixels of each row of the image sensor starts at a timing of ending a reset operation, and ends at a timing of causing the mechanical shutter to set a light-shielded state of the pixels of each row, the reset operation of the pixels of each row of the image sensor is performed to select rows sequentially in a first direction from an upper surface to a lower surface of a housing, the mechanical shutter ends exposure of the image sensor while causing a shutter curtain to run in the first direction, and a readout operation of the pixels of each row of the image sensor is done to select rows sequentially in a second direction reverse to the first direction. | 09-11-2008 |
20080259203 | Systems And Methods For Identifying Camera Sensors - Systems and methods for identifying camera sensors are disclosed. In an exemplary implementation, a method for identifying camera sensors may include exposing a plurality of camera sensors at a time T1, each of the plurality of camera sensors having an array of pixels, and storing the location of unique pixels within the array of pixels for each of the camera sensors exposed at time T1 in a data structure. The method may also include exposing one of the plurality of camera sensors at time T2, and comparing the unique pixels within the array of pixels for the one camera sensor exposed at time T2 with locations of unique pixels of each of the camera sensors exposed at time T1. The one camera sensor may be identified based on the comparing step. | 10-23-2008 |
20080316354 | Method and Device for Creating High Dynamic Range Pictures from Multiple Exposures - The invention relates to a method and a device for creating pictures and more particularly a method for creating an enhanced picture by means of several consecutive exposures. The exposures are combined to create pictures with enhanced properties, especially better color and light content. Sufficient light is obtained by performing a series of first exposures together with one second exposure in rapid succession. The first exposures are combined to provide sufficient luminance and sharpness. The second exposure is made to collect color information. The first exposures are combined with the second exposure to provide an enhanced picture. | 12-25-2008 |
20090021633 | IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGING SYSTEM - To provide the technology of an image-pickup device that can easily determine whether or not an image is photographed by mounting an interchangeable lens designed for an image-pickup device of an exposure-surface size different from an image-pickup element provided in a camera body. In an image-pickup system, when shooting is performed by mounting an interchangeable lens ready for an image-pickup surface of a size smaller than an image-pickup surface of an image-pickup element installed in the camera body (camera-main body), the main image (high-resolution record image) corresponding to a partial region at the center of the image-pickup surface, the partial region being free of vignetting caused by an insufficient circle, is generated, and a reduced image (e.g, a thumbnail image) is generated by reducing a whole image obtained on the entire image-pickup surface (steps ST | 01-22-2009 |
20090027545 | Exposure control for an imaging system - A device that analyzes an image. The device includes a circuit that receives an image that includes a plurality of pixels. The circuit creates a histogram of the image and analyzes the histogram to determine an acceptable exposure of the image. The histogram may include a plurality of bins versus a population of pixels associated with each bin. By way of example, the bins may be associated with an intensity of light. The images and histograms may include data defined by low dynamic range number of bits and/or an extended dynamic range number of bits. Certain features and criteria of the image may be determined and analyzed to determine whether the image has an acceptable exposure. If the image is unacceptable, an exposure characteristic can be changed and the process can be repeated until an acceptable image is obtained. | 01-29-2009 |
20090040364 | Adaptive Exposure Control - A method for constructing a final image using adaptive exposure control in multiple exposure photography, comprising: (a) capturing an exposure; (b) analyzing the exposure at least to determine deficiencies in the exposure; (c) setting exposure parameters for at least one next exposure adapted to construct the final image with ameliorated deficiencies; (d) capturing the at least one next exposure using the set exposure parameters; and, (e) constructing a final image utilizing portions of at least the two exposures. | 02-12-2009 |
20090040365 | Imaging system - The invention relates to an electronic camera or other imaging system that is less susceptible to shake, makes an optical system less susceptible to decentration by distortion of a body itself, and enables taking without locating any button on a side face. The imaging system | 02-12-2009 |
20090073306 | Method, medium, and apparatus for setting exposure time - A method, medium, and apparatus for setting an exposure time is provided. The apparatus includes a section setting module which sets one or more luminance sections based on a luminance distribution of an input image, an image division module which divides the input image into two or more regions, a region classification module which classifies the regions into the luminance sections, and an exposure-time setting module which sets an exposure time for each of the regions with reference to a target luminance value, the target luminance value being set based on the results of the classification performed by the region classification module. | 03-19-2009 |
20090086085 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, IMAGE PICKUP METHOD, AND PROGRAM THEREFOR - An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup unit configured to output a long-exposure image signal with a relatively long exposure time and a short-exposure image signal with a relatively short exposure time; a signal processing unit configured to generate a combined image signal with a relatively wide dynamic range at least wider than that of the long-exposure image signal or that of the short-exposure image signal by combining the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal; a detection unit configured to generate a luminance integrated value of the combined image signal; and a control unit configured to perform exposure correction control using the luminance integrated value. The control unit initializes a correction value for use in the exposure correction control during a scene change. | 04-02-2009 |
20090086086 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPTIMIZING IMAGE SENSOR NOISE AND DYNAMIC RANGE - A method and apparatus for optimizing the voltage supply of an image sensor pixel array to minimize pixel noise and maximize dynamic range is disclosed. The voltage supply is adjusted in response to the exposure level of the pixel array when it captures an image. The voltage supply is increased in higher exposure levels to expand the dynamic range of the pixel array. In lower exposure levels, when the full dynamic range of the pixel array is not utilized, the voltage supply is decreased to lower pixel noise level and reduce its effect on image quality. | 04-02-2009 |
20090096916 | CAMERA AND PHOTOGRAPHING METHOD THEREOF - A closed circuit television (CCTV) camera includes an image pickup unit to receive an image based on an object, convert the image to an electric signal, and output the electric signal, and a controller to adjust a photographing time or a photographing mode of the CCTV camera based on information of the object derived from the electric signal and pre-set condition information. | 04-16-2009 |
20090109323 | IMAGE PICK-UP APPARATUS, IMAGE PLAYBACK APPARATUS, METHOD OF CONTROLLING A RECORDING OPERATION, METHOD OF CONTROLLING A DISPLAYING OPERATION, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - A shooting operation is performed using a short exposure time at least one to obtain frame image data “A”, and a shooting operation is performed a plurality of times using a long exposure time to obtain sequential frame image data “B”. The image data “A” and “B” are recorded in a single file. In a moving image displaying operation, a moving image consisting of the plural pieces of frame image data “B” sequentially shot using the long exposure time is displayed. When the moving image being displayed is paused, a still image is displayed based on the frame image data “A” shot using the short exposure time. | 04-30-2009 |
20090115888 | EXPOSURE APPARATUS AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING DEVICE - An exposure apparatus according to this invention comprises a detector configured to obliquely project detection light to a surface of a substrate and to detect a position of the surface based on the detection by the detector, and exposes the substrate to radiant energy based on the calculated position of the light. The controller is configured to correct, to obtain the calculated position of the surface, a position of the surface calculated based on the detection by the detector, in accordance with a period before the detection, during the period the detector being in a dark state in which the detection light is not incident on the detector. | 05-07-2009 |
20090135295 | IMAGING DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD FOR IMAGING DEVICE - An imaging device of the present invention comprises an imaging section, including an image sensor for imaging a subject, for generating image data based on output signals of the image sensor; a control section for casing repeated operation of the imaging section in accordance with a single release operation; an adding processing section for sequentially adding image data repeatedly output from the imaging section and generating added mage data; an image display section for displaying the added image data; and a setting section for setting a repeat period for the imaging section and instructing to the control section. Also, an imaging device of the present invention, comprises an imaging section for repeatedly forming an image of a subject at a set period, while performing a bulb exposure operation, and outputting image data; an adding processing section for performing adding processing of the image data and previously output image data; an added image storage section for respectively independently storing a plurality of added images that have been added by the adding processing section, and a display section for displaying, in a list, the plurality of added images that have been stored in the added image storage section after completion of the bulb exposure operation. | 05-28-2009 |
20090153727 | IMAGE-PICKUP DEVICE, METHOD FOR CONTROLLING IMAGE-PICKUP DEVICE, PROGRAM OF METHOD FOR CONTROLLING IMAGE-PICKUP DEVICE, AND RECORDING MEDIUM HAVING RECORDED PROGRAM OF METHOD FOR CONTROLLING IMAGE-PICKUP DEVICE THEREON - There is provided an image-pickup device including a light-emitting unit, an image-pickup unit, a brightness detection unit that detects an evaluation value, and a control unit that controls, on the basis of the evaluation value, the amount of light that the light-emitting unit is to emit. The control unit calculates the amount of light to be emitted in a case of main emission on the basis of the amount of emitted light in a case of pre-emission by using an evaluation value in a case of no emission, an evaluation value in a case of pre-emission, and a target value. The control unit multiples the amount of light to be emitted in a case of main emission by a correction coefficient, and causes the light-emitting unit to perform main emission so as to achieve the corrected amount of light to be emitted. | 06-18-2009 |
20090153728 | Camera performing photographing in accordance with photographing mode depending on object scene - A camera includes a CPU. The CPU individually detects a ratio of an object which exceeds a threshold value in a moving amount to a center area of an object scene and a ratio of an object which exceeds the threshold value in the moving amount to a peripheral area of the object scene. If differences between the respective detected ratios are large, the CPU sets a photographing mode to a sports mode. When a shutter button is operated, the object scene is photographed in accordance with a set photographing mode. | 06-18-2009 |
20090167932 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS - Appropriate gray level processing is applied to various image data. A digital camera having a gray level correction function is provided. An AE control section generates a brightness histogram of a preview image which is obtained by a CCD. An exposure correction amount calculation section, based on the brightness histogram which is generated, sets an exposure value which is under an appropriate exposure value in consideration of gray level correction to be performed by a gray level correction section. The gray level correction section applies gray level correction to each partial region of image data of an image which is captured. The exposure correction amount calculation section varies the exposure value between when a face is included in a subject and when a face is not included in the subject. | 07-02-2009 |
20090174808 | Exposure control apparatus and exposure control program for vehicle-mounted electronic camera - In an exposure control apparatus for a vehicle-installed camera which captures images of an external scene ahead of the vehicle as arrays of picture elements, a measured brightness value is obtained from each image based on respective spatial-domain average brightness values of a plurality of picture element groups, such as horizontal rows of picture elements. For each of at least part of the groups, time-axis filtering is applied to a plurality of average brightness values that have been successively obtained for that group, to obtain an average brightness values with reduced effect of time-axis variations in brightness. | 07-09-2009 |
20090174809 | Exposure control apparatus and exposure control program for vehicle-mounted electronic camera - In an exposure control apparatus for exposure control of a vehicle-mounted camera which captures successive images of a scene ahead of the vehicle, two different regions (sets of picture elements) in each image are selected for use in measuring the brightness of an object such as a preceding vehicle and the brightness of the road surface, respectively. The camera exposure is controlled based upon both of these brightness measurement results. | 07-09-2009 |
20090180022 | System and method for acquiring moving images - A system and a method for acquiring a moving image are provided. The system includes an image capturing unit capturing two images having different exposure times at a predetermined time slot, an image storing unit storing at least one of two images which were captured at a time slot previous to the predetermined time slot and which have different exposure times, an output image generating unit generating an output image by synthesizing the two images captured at the predetermined time slot or by synthesizing any one of the two images captured at the predetermined time slot and any one of the two images captured and stored at the previous time slot, an exposure time calculating unit receiving the images captured at the predetermined time slot and setting exposure times for a next time slot, and an exposure time storing unit storing the exposure times for the next time slot. | 07-16-2009 |
20090207300 | Lens Driving Device and Imaging Device - A contact portion | 08-20-2009 |
20090251591 | Digital Camera with High Dynamic Range Mode of Operation - A digital camera is provided with a high dynamic range (HDR) mode of operation wherein a nominal exposure is automatically bracketed by one or more under exposures and one or more over exposures. The images thus obtained can then be used by suitable software to process the images to produce a final HDR image. | 10-08-2009 |
20090268083 | IMAGING SYSTEM, IMAGE SENSOR, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING IMAGING SYSTEM - An imaging system includes an image sensor and a mechanical shutter which controls the termination of exposure of the image sensor. The image sensor includes a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels are arrayed in a matrix, and a vertical scanning unit which scans the pixel array for each row. The vertical scanning unit parallelly executes some of the reset operations of pixels on at least two adjacent rows of the pixel array. The charge accumulation operation of pixels starts upon completion of the reset operation and terminates in response to light shielding by the mechanical shutter. | 10-29-2009 |
20090295983 | Camera module and electronic device including the same - In a camera module | 12-03-2009 |
20100013982 | IMAGING DEVICE - 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. | 01-21-2010 |
20100013983 | MULTIPLE EXPOSURE METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ELECTRONIC CAMERAS - A method for capturing multiple sets of image data with an electronic camera having a shutter and an electronic shutter for selectively allowing light to reach an image sensor comprises opening the shutter and the electronic shutter, allowing light to reach the image sensor for a first exposure time, closing the electronic shutter, reading out pixel data captured during the first exposure time, allowing light to reach the image sensor for a second exposure time, and, reading out pixel data captured during the second exposure time. The method may be used to obtain multiple differently exposed images of a scene for combination into a high dynamic range image. | 01-21-2010 |
20100026881 | FOCAL PLANE SHUTTER, PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME, AND PHOTOGRAPHING METHOD FOR THE PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS - A focal plane shutter, a photographing apparatus including the same, and a photographing method for the photographing apparatus are provided. More specifically, provided are a focal plane shutter, which is easily manufactured and controlled because of its simple mechanical structure and can offer a live view function, a photographing apparatus including the focal plane shutter, and a photographing method for the photographing apparatus. The focal plane shutter includes a front curtain and a rear curtain for moving relative to each other to expose and conceal the focal plane shutter, a cam for independently controlling movements of the front curtain and the rear curtain, a front curtain lever interposed between the front curtain and the cam to transmit movement of the cam to the front curtain, and a rear curtain lever interposed between the rear curtain and the cam to transmit movement of the cam to the rear curtain. | 02-04-2010 |
20100045851 | Method of controlling mechanical shutter - There is provided a method of controlling a mechanical shutter that can ensure faster shutter speed by preventing a reduction of the shutter speed of the mechanical shutter caused by signal loss and physical loss caused by inertia. A method of controlling a mechanical shutter according to an aspect of the invention may include performing a row reset operation to remove image information remaining in an image sensor according to input of a trigger event generated by a user to acquire an image; transmitting a shutter close operation start signal for a mechanical shutter to the mechanical shutter before the row reset operation ends after a predetermined delay time from a time when the row reset operation starts; exposing the imager sensor right after the row reset operation ends; and fully closing the mechanical shutter. | 02-25-2010 |
20100045852 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - An image pickup apparatus includes a controlling unit moving an electronic front curtain in a simulated manner from an exposure start position towards an exposure end position by successively performing reset operations on a plurality of pixels in an image pickup element in a predetermined direction; a rear curtain that moves from the exposure start position towards the exposure end position by a biasing force of a biasing unit; and a storage unit storing data indicating a change in movement characteristics of the rear curtain with time. On the basis of the data, the controlling unit changes movement characteristics of the electronic front curtain in accordance with the change in the movement characteristics of the rear curtain with the time. | 02-25-2010 |
20100053420 | MULTIPLE EXPOSURE METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ELECTRONIC CAMERAS - A method for capturing multiple sets of image data with an electronic camera having a shutter and an electronic shutter for selectively allowing light to reach an image sensor comprises opening the shutter and the electronic shutter, allowing light to reach the image sensor for a first exposure time, closing the electronic shutter, reading out pixel data captured during the first exposure time, allowing light to reach the image sensor for a second exposure time, and, reading out pixel data captured during the second exposure time. The method may be used to obtain multiple differently exposed images of a scene for combination into a high dynamic range image. | 03-04-2010 |
20100066897 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - When luminance of an object changes, aperture value and shutter speed are changed. Shutter speed, in case of an electric shutter, is changed immediately. On the other hand, aperture value is driven over the span of several frames, due to delays in communication between the lens and the camera body or mechanical delays. During aperture driving duration, the aperture value deviates from the program diagram, leading to inappropriate exposure and drop in image quality. Correction coefficient B is calculated from ratio of luminance values of certain regions of a frame that are appropriately exposed according to the program diagram and a frame that are inappropriately exposed and deviates from the program diagram. Then, correction of gain is performed on the frames that are inappropriately exposed using the correction coefficient B, obtaining output image signals for which deterioration in image quality due to inappropriate exposure is suppressed. | 03-18-2010 |
20100073552 | IMAGE BRIGHTNESS CORRECTION METHOD - An image brightness correction method is described. First, a pre-flash is fired and a pre-flash image is shot. After a main flash duration is estimated according to the pre-flash image and an automatic exposure time of a camera device, a main flash is fired and a raw image is shot. Then, a brightness gain of the raw image is compensated according to a preset gain threshold, and a digital brightness gain of the image is adjusted to enable the image shot each time to achieve the same brightness gain. | 03-25-2010 |
20100110279 | DIGITAL CAMERA - A digital camera is provided with a special successive shooting mode wherein an imaging device makes a series of successive shots upon each shutter release operation, including at least a non-flash shot and at least a flash shot. When a shutter button is pressed halfway in the successive shooting mode, an exposure condition deciding device decides an exposure condition common to the non-flash and flash shots, or individual exposure conditions for the non-flash shot and the flash shot. When the shutter button is fully pressed, the imaging device starts the successive shots of one series. Images captured by the non-flash shot and the flash shot are displayed on an LCD panel. Before the imaging device starts the successive shots, necessary warning marks are displayed together with the exposure conditions decided by the exposure condition deciding device. | 05-06-2010 |
20100157137 | CAMERA MODULE - A shutter section ( | 06-24-2010 |
20100157138 | OPTICAL DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - Provided is an optical device having image capturing means that converts an optical image of an object to an electric signal, and an optical element arranged before the image capturing means. In the optical device, an insulation member is arranged at a position facing the optical element in a way to be movable in a substantially entire area of a light entering surface of the optical element, and an electric control unit is provided for at least electrostatically charging or neutralizing the insulation member. | 06-24-2010 |
20100171873 | Solid-state imaging device and driving control method - A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel array section formed by a plurality of pixels including a photoelectric conversion element disposed in the form of a matrix; and control means for selectively controlling shutter operations and readout operations performed on the pixels of the pixel array section on a row-by-row basis to control an exposure time for the pixels, wherein the control means provides an exposure time lasting for Q frame periods to expose the pixels in each row of the pixel array section when sub-sampling reading is performed at a sub-sampling ratio of 1/Q (Q is a positive integer). | 07-08-2010 |
20100182496 | PROGRAMMABLE MICRO-ELECTROMECHANICAL MICROSHUTTER ARRAY - A microshutter array has a frame having a light transmissive portion. Linear microshutter elements extend across the light transmissive portion and in parallel to each other. Each microshutter element has a flat blade extended in a length direction and first and second torsion arms extending outwards from each side of the blade in the length direction, the blade extending across the light transmissive portion. A control circuit provides a separately-controlled and independent voltage that is applied to each of the linear microshutter elements. A controller sets the respective voltages applied to each of the linear microshutter elements. | 07-22-2010 |
20100201865 | IMAGING METHOD FOR USE WITH VARIABLE CODED APERTURE DEVICE AND IMAGING APPARATUS USING THE IMAGING METHOD - Provided are an imaging method for use with a variable coded aperture filter and an imaging apparatus using the imaging method. The variable coded aperture filter includes a plurality of regulated patterns which may be properly selected, and an image obtained via a certain pattern of the variable coded aperture filter may be processed by a deconvolution method related to the certain pattern. The patterns in the variable coded aperture filter have different aperture degrees from each other so as to adjust an exposure amount, and accordingly, a subject which is extremely bright or extremely dark may be photographed and depth information and focus information may be obtained from the photographed image. Therefore, images of high image quality may be obtained in a large range of brightness variation. | 08-12-2010 |
20100245658 | SHUTTER FOR CCD IMAGER - 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. | 09-30-2010 |
20100253833 | EXPOSING PIXEL GROUPS IN PRODUCING DIGITAL IMAGES - A method for producing a digital image from pixel signals captured by an image sensor array is disclosed. The method includes: providing an image sensor array having at least two groups of pixels wherein the pixels of each group are uniformly distributed over the sensor; exposing the image sensor array to scene light and reading pixel charge from only the first group of pixels to produce a first set of pixel signals; after producing the first set of pixel signals, exposing the image sensor array, and then reading pixel charge from the second group of pixels and reading again pixels from the first group to produce a second set of pixel signals; and using the first and second sets of pixel signals to produce the digital image. | 10-07-2010 |
20100271538 | IMAGING APPARATUS - An imaging apparatus includes: an image sensor including a plurality of charge storage-type photoelectric conversion elements disposed along a first and a second direction; a rolling shutter control unit that executes storage control to store electrical charges in a first element row and in a second element row with different timing for electrical charging, the first element row including a plurality of the charge storage-type photoelectric conversion elements along the first direction and the second element row including a plurality of the charge storage-type photoelectric conversion elements along the first direction at a different position along the second direction; a detection unit that detects light emission timing indicating a light emission cycle of each of a plurality of color components in light entering the image sensor; and a start instruction unit that engages the rolling shutter control unit to start the storage control based upon the light emission timing. | 10-28-2010 |
20100328523 | Method of luminance compensation for a camera lens using multiline interpolation - Provided is a method of luminance compensation for a camera lens by performing a multiline interpolation algorithm. Preferably, a plurality of directional lines are radially arranged on a curved surface of the lens. Sampling dots are then designated along the directional lines in equal or variant distances. Steps including a step of determining the location of a target for luminance compensation, a step of obtaining adjacent directional lines by referring to a slope at the target, a step of calculating the correction values and the weights for interpolation are further introduced. The interpolation algorithm is used to restore a correction plane of a whole image. A polynomial equation is preferably used to obtain two correction values of two directional lines with the same radius. Alternatively, a lookup table is introduced to find the two correction values. It's featured that a symmetric or asymmetric compensation for the camera lens is achieved. | 12-30-2010 |
20110001872 | CAM FRAME STRUCTURE, LENS BARREL STRUCTURE, SHAKE COMPENSATION DEVICE AND IMAGING ELEMENT UNIT - The lens barrel includes a lens frame and a cam frame. The lens frame has a body supporting a lens element in the optical system, at least three through-holes formed in the lens frame body, at least three cam members arranged on the lens frame body and at least one protruding member that protrude from the lens frame body. The cam frame has a body, at least three projection members extending from the cam frame body and inserted through the through-holes, at least three cam grooves formed in the cam frame body and the projection members to guide the cam members and to movably support the lens frame with respect to the cam frame body. The cam frame also has at least one auxiliary groove to guide the protruding member. One end of the auxiliary groove is disposed in the circumferential direction between two adjacent projection members. | 01-06-2011 |
20110007204 | Imaging optical system and imaging apparatus - An imaging optical system includes: a light control element formed of a dye pigment-containing dichroic guest-host liquid crystal, and that is disposed on a light path to adjust a quantity of incident light for an image sensing device; and an optical filter disposed on the light path, and that includes an infrared absorbing material, the optical filter having a spectral transmittance that satisfies the following conditions (1), (2), and (3) | 01-13-2011 |
20110019069 | IMAGING APPARATUS - An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit operable to capture a subject image via an optical system and generate image data, a regulating unit operable to regulate an exposure amount for the imaging unit; a shake detector operable to detect a shake of the imaging apparatus; an operation unit capable of being in a first operating state and a second operating state; and a controller operable to control the recording unit to record the image data generated by the imaging unit in the recording medium, when the operation unit is in the first operating state. The controller determines whether or not the operation unit is in the second operating state before the first operating state, and regulates an exposure time of the regulating unit based on the determination result and the shake of the imaging apparatus detected by the shake detector. | 01-27-2011 |
20110019070 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING TRAVELING CHARACTERISTICS OF SHUTTER - A method and apparatus are provided for detecting traveling characteristics of a mechanical shutter. After performing a reset scan operation on a plurality of pixels of an imaging device, first quantities of light are detected by reading pixels of even rows or odd rows of the imaging device. The imaging device is shielded from light by causing a mechanical trailing curtain included in the shutter to travel. Second quantities of light are detected by reading pixels of rows that are different from the rows read to detect the first quantities of light. Traveling characteristics of the mechanical trailing curtain are obtained based on the first quantities of light and the second quantities of light. | 01-27-2011 |
20110025905 | IMAGING DEVICE AND OPTICAL AXIS CONTROL METHOD - To create a high-resolution color image, an imaging device includes: a plurality of green image pickup units picking up images of green components; a red image pickup unit picking up an image of a red component; a blue image pickup unit picking up an image of a blue component; a high-definition synthesis processor adjusting an optical axis of light incident to the green image pickup units, so that the resolution of a green image obtained by synthesizing a plurality of images picked up by the plurality of green image pickup units becomes a predetermined resolution, and synthesizing the plurality of images to obtain a high-resolution green image; and a color synthesis processor adjusting an optical axis of light incident to each of the red image pickup unit and the blue image pickup unit, and synthesizing the green image, the red image and the blue image to obtain a color image. | 02-03-2011 |
20110058098 | Setting Exposure Attributes for Capturing Calibration Images - In an example embodiment, a calibration module in a projector platform establishes an initial configuration of settable exposure attributes for a digital camera. The calibration module projects a preview image onto a surface and captures the projection of the preview image with the digital camera and receives input from a user identifying regions of interest in the capture of the preview image. Next the calibration module projects an exposure image onto the surface. The calibration module then computes a final configuration of exposure attributes for the digital camera by iteratively: (a) capturing the projection of the exposure image with the digital camera; (b) measuring descriptive statistics relating to the color channels of pixels in the regions of interest in the capture of the exposure image; (c) evaluating the descriptive statistics with an evaluation function determined by a calibration process; and (d) establishing a revised configuration of exposure attributes. | 03-10-2011 |
20110069218 | IMAGE SENSING APPARATUS - 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 ( | 03-24-2011 |
20110122311 | SHUTTER DEVICE - A shutter device is disclosed, the device including a base formed with a lens hole through which reflective light from an object passes, a first blade and a second blade rotating about a hinge provided at the base to open or close the lens hole, and an actuator provided with a linearly-shifting slider at an area eccentrically positioned from the hinge to allow the first and second blades to be activated with rotation moment. | 05-26-2011 |
20110128435 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing apparatus includes a distribution detection unit configured to detect whether a luminance distribution on the screen changes to a hill-shaped form, based on a result of adding photometric values of each of divided photometry areas by rows and by columns, a difference calculation unit configured to calculate a luminance value difference between one portion of the screen and the peripheral portion thereof, a ratio calculating unit configured to calculate a ratio of pixels having a luminance value higher than or equal to a threshold value in the one portion, and a spotlight determination unit configured to determine whether a scene of the captured image is a spotlight scene according to a detection result of the distribution detection unit, calculation result of the difference calculation unit, and a calculation result of the ratio calculation unit. | 06-02-2011 |
20110164172 | CAMERA BODY AND IMAGING DEVICE - A camera body | 07-07-2011 |
20110176052 | Camera shutter and position control thereof - Systems and methods using the same to achieve a precise timing of a camera shutter, which can be used also for a controllable aperture, are disclosed. A bidirectional linear motor having two coils driving the shutter blades can also be used as a position sensor. A movable iron is driven dependent upon currents through the coils and as the iron moves, the inductance of both coils changes. The difference of inductance of both coils indicates the actual position of the iron. Since the movable iron is mechanically connected to the entirety of shutter blades the difference of inductance indicates the actual position of the shutter blades. A read-out circuit senses the difference of inductance of both coils, which is indicating the actual position, and a control loop is comparing the inductance difference signal with a target signal in order to control the current through the coils in a way that the shutter blades are moved quickly to their target position. | 07-21-2011 |
20110194020 | Digital camera - A digital camera includes: a light guide section that defines a space in which a light flux from a photographic lens to an imaging unit is guided; a mirror unit arranged inside the light guide section, that is adapted to rotate between a viewing position in which the mirror unit is inserted in a photographic light path from the photographic lens to the imaging unit to reflect the light flux and a photographing position in which the mirror unit is retracted from the photographic light path; a mirror unit control section that controls rotation of the mirror unit; a rotation instruction section that outputs a signal to rotate the mirror unit while no photography is performed to the mirror unit control section; and an opening section provided in the light guide section that discharges from the light guide section air that is moved by the rotation of the mirror unit. | 08-11-2011 |
20110211109 | IMAGE SENSOR WITH IMPROVED LIGHT SENSITIVITY - A system for capturing a color image, includes a two-dimensional array having first and second groups of pixels, pixels from the first group of pixels have narrower spectral photoresponses than pixels from the second group of pixels and the first group of pixels has individual pixels that have spectral photoresponses that correspond to a set of at least two colors; the placement of the first and second groups of pixels defining a pattern that has a minimal repeating unit including at least twelve pixels, and a plurality of non-overlapping cells wherein each cell has at least two pixels representing a specific color selected from the first group of pixels and a plurality of pixels selected from the second group of pixels; a structure for combining pixels of like color from at least two of the plurality of cells within the minimal repeating unit. | 09-01-2011 |
20110221954 | ELECTRONIC CAMERA AND METHOD WITH FILL FLASH FUNCTION - A method and camera for electronic image capture provide an electronic image capture device, a scanning aperture shutter located to control light energy received by the image capture device, a flash unit oriented to illuminate an image scene, a photocell unit adapted for sensing visible spectrum energy and infrared spectrum energy received from the image scene, and an exposure control system responsive to the photocell unit and operatively connected to the scanning aperture shutter and the flash unit. The exposure control system is adapted to control an amount of fill flash energy received from the image scene in relation to visible ambient light energy received from the image scene during image capture by illuminating the flash unit once a predetermined amount of ambient visible spectrum energy is sensed by the photocell unit and by extinguishing the flash unit once a predetermined amount of infrared energy is sensed by the photocell unit. | 09-15-2011 |
20110221955 | MULTIPLE LENS IMAGING APPARATUSES, AND METHODS AND PROGRAMS FOR SETTING EXPOSURE OF MULTIPLE LENS IMAGING APPARATUSES - When an exposure value calculated according to a result of photometric measurement for predetermined main imaging units among a plurality of imaging units is used for setting exposure of the main imaging units and sub-imaging units other than the main imaging units, judgment is carried out as to whether an image or images obtained in photography with the sub-imaging units by setting the exposure thereof according to the exposure value is/are saturated. In the case where a result of the judgment is affirmative, any one of the sub-imaging units having obtained the saturated image or images is designated as new main imaging units. The exposure value is calculated newly, and the exposure is set for the new main imaging units and for new sub-imaging units other than the new main imaging units. | 09-15-2011 |
20110228163 | IMAGING APPARATUS, CAMERA BODY AND INTERCHANGEABLE LENS - An imaging apparatus includes an optical system configured to collect subject light, an imaging device having an electronic front curtain function, configured to receive the subject light to generate an image signal, a data storage unit configured to store an exit pupil distance of the optical system and a correction amount of the exit pupil distance, a mechanical shutter capable of cutting off the subject light passing through the optical system to the imaging device, and a correction unit configured to obtain the exit pupil distance of the optical system and the correction amount of the exit pupil distance from the data storage unit, obtain a corrected exit pupil distance using the obtained exit pupil distance of the optical system and a correction amount of the exit pupil distance, and correct brightness unevenness of the image signal based on the corrected exit pupil distance. | 09-22-2011 |
20110249175 | Single-lens 2D/3D digital camera - A single-lens 2D/3D camera has a light valve placed in relationship to a lens module to control the light beam received by the lens module for forming an image on an image sensor. The light valve has a light valve area positioned in a path of the light beam. The light valve has two or more clearable sections such that only one section is made clear to allow part of the light beam to pass through. By separately making clear different sections on the light valve, a number of images as viewed through slightly different angles can be captured. The clearable sections include a right section and a left section so that the captured images can be used to produce 3D pictures or displays. The clearable sections also include a middle section so that the camera can be used as a 2D camera. | 10-13-2011 |
20110254998 | METHOD AND DEVICE TO CAPTURE IMAGES BY EMULATING A MECHANICAL SHUTTER - To capture an image, the image sensing period of this image is subdivided into a plurality of successive illumination periods, and the value which is assigned to each pixel to capture the image is the sum of the integrals of intensity of illumination of this pixel over each of said successive illumination periods. According to the invention, this sum is weighted by an apodization function in order to emulate a mechanical shutter. Temporal aliasing issues and temporal ringing artifacts of digital imaging are prevented or at least limited. | 10-20-2011 |
20110298965 | SCENE-AWARE AUTOMATIC-EXPOSURE CONTROL - 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. | 12-08-2011 |
20110298966 | Camera having multiple focal lengths | 12-08-2011 |
20120002098 | IMAGE CAPTURE APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD THEREOF, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - An image capture apparatus includes: a capturing unit that captures an object image and generates image data; a setting unit that sets an exposure time for the capturing unit; a composition unit that generates composite image data, in which a predetermined number of pieces of image data have been composed, by dividing the exposure time set by the setting unit into multiple exposure time segments and sequentially composing image data obtained from the capturing unit for each of the exposure time segments into which the exposure time has been divided; and a recording control unit that records, into a recording medium, the composite image data generated by the composition unit and history image data generated by sequentially composing the image data, obtained from the capturing unit, that has been sequentially generated up until the composite image data has been generated. | 01-05-2012 |
20120002099 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - Disclosed herein is an image pickup apparatus, including: an image pickup lens; a shutter capable of changing over a plurality of light paths from the image pickup lens individually between a light transmission state and a light blocking state; an image pickup element including a plurality of light receiving pixels for which exposure and signal reading out are carried out line-sequentially and adapted to acquire picked up image data based on transmission light beams of the light paths; and a control section adapted to control changeover between the light transmission state and the light blocking state of the light paths by the shutter. | 01-05-2012 |
20120008040 | EXPOSURE CONTROL DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC CAMERA HAVING THE SAME - An exposure control device including a control unit configured to set a shutter speed and an aperture using a predetermined program chart based an exposure value calculated through photometry, an ISO sensitivity setting unit configured to set at least one of an upper limit and a lower limit of an ISO sensitivity to be used for photo shooting, and an ISO sensitivity change point determining unit configured to determine a point at which the ISO sensitivity is to be changed on the predetermined program chart. | 01-12-2012 |
20120013788 | Exposure method and exposure device - An exposure method capable of performing accurate exposure without using a large photomask. The exposure method performs exposure while relatively moving a photomask above a substrate and includes a step of performing position correction of the photomask by performing, on a front side of the photomask relatively moved in a moving direction, image recognition of a pattern prearranged on the substrate such as a line and a black matrix and by correcting deviation of the photomask with respect to the pattern, and a step of checking the position correction of the photomask by performing image recognition of a reference mark arranged on the photomask and by determining whether or not the position correction of the photomask is accurately performed in the step of performing the position correction of the photomask. | 01-19-2012 |
20120140111 | ADJUSTING METHOD FOR A LENS UNIT, LENS UNIT AND IMAGE READING APPARATUS - An adjusting method for a lens unit used in an image reading apparatus which images image information of an original onto an image reading unit by the lens unit and reads the image information, the lens unit including rotationally-symmetrical lenses, a lens barrel including the rotationally-symmetrical lenses and an adjusting lens, the adjusting method including: performing rotational adjustment of the lens barrel with respect to the adjusting lens; and imaging an adjusted chart onto one-dimensional photoelectric transducers via the lens unit, obtaining contrast depth characteristics of images corresponding to at least three angles of field of the lens unit among images of the adjusted chart, and, according to the obtained contrast depth characteristics, performing position adjustment of the adjusting lens in at least one of an array direction of the one-dimensional photoelectric transducers, a direction orthogonal to the array direction and an optical axis direction of the lens unit. | 06-07-2012 |
20120176533 | IMAGING DEVICE WITH AMBIENT LIGHT SENSING MEANS - An imaging device includes a fixed focused lens, an image sensor having a image matrix of a plurality of pixels arranged on a semiconductor substrate and supplying image data, and electronic means for reading the image matrix. The image sensor also comprises at least two ambient light sensors arranged on the semiconductor substrate on opposite sides of the image matrix, and configured to capture an ambient light intensity through the fixed lens, and the electronic means is also configured to read the two ambient light sensors and to supply ambient light data and the image data. | 07-12-2012 |
20120188439 | MULTI-EXPOSURE SUMMING - Systems and methods for multi-exposure imaging are provided. Multiple images may be captured having different exposure times. The multiple images may be processed to produce an output image. Multi-exposure images may be summed prior to linearization. Pixel values in multi-exposure images may be summed to nonlinear pixel values. The nonlinear pixel values may be linearized using one or more knee points. Multi-exposure imaging may be used to motion-intensive application such as automotive applications. | 07-26-2012 |
20120188440 | CAMERA DEVICE, MOBILE TERMINAL AND AE CONTROLLING METHOD - A mobile phone apparatus is provided with a camera module | 07-26-2012 |
20120206642 | IMAGE SENSING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - An image sensing apparatus that carries out image sensing continuously and inputs a plurality of images, having a digital signal processing circuit that detects, at each input image, from image data thereof, an object that satisfies a preset condition, a first exposure value determination unit that calculates a first exposure value from the image data, a second exposure value determination unit that calculates a second exposure value based on the detected object, and a selection unit that selects either the first exposure value, the second exposure value, a currently set exposure value, or an exposure value calculated based on a luminance of an area referenced when calculating a currently set exposure value as an exposure value to be used for a next image sensing based on object detection results obtained by the digital signal processing circuit. | 08-16-2012 |
20120224097 | DIGITAL CAMERA SYSTEM AND METHOD - A digital camera system ( | 09-06-2012 |
20120229697 | Digital Camera And Exposure Control Method - Shutter blades are driven so that light which hits an image sensor which has been hit by the light is blocked (timing t | 09-13-2012 |
20120249860 | IMAGING DEVICE - An imaging device includes an imaging element, a shutter mechanism, an actuator, a position detector, and a drive controller. The shutter mechanism is switchable between an open and a closed state to control the light incident on the imaging element. The actuator is configured to drive the shutter mechanism. The position detector is configured to detect the time between when the actuator begins storing the driving force and when the shutter mechanism switches from the closed state. The drive controller is configured to direct the actuator to begin storing the driving force while image data is being read from the imaging element, and to control the actuator so as to delay the time when the shutter mechanism is switched from the closed state if the position detector detects that the shutter mechanism is in the first state prior to completion of the image data being read from the imaging element. | 10-04-2012 |
20120249861 | IMAGING DEVICE - An imaging device includes an imaging element, a shutter mechanism, an actuator, a rotatable transmission member, a position detector, and a drive controller. The shutter mechanism is switchable between an open and a closed state to control the light incident on the imaging element. The transmission member is configured to transmit a driving force produced by the actuator to the shutter mechanism. The position detector is configured to detect the rotational position of the transmission member. The drive controller is configured to direct the actuator to begin storing the driving force while image data is being read from the imaging element, to control the timing at which the actuator begins driving the shutter mechanism based on the position of the transmission member detected by the position detector, and to switch the shutter mechanism from the closed state to the open state after the actuator has stopped storing the driving force. | 10-04-2012 |
20120249862 | IMAGING DEVICE, IMAGING METHOD, AND COMPUTER READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM - There is provided an imaging device that has: light source elements that illuminate a subject; an image pick-up element that picks-up an image of the subject; storage unit that stores relationships of correspondence between the light source elements and regions that are illuminated by the light source elements respectively; pre-exposure unit that lights all of the light source elements and pre-exposing the subject; specifying unit that, on the basis of a pre-exposure image of the subject that is picked-up by the image pick-up element due to the pre-exposure, specifies a saturated region that is saturated when exposed for an exposure time of actual exposure; and actual exposure unit for, on the basis of the relationships of correspondence, specifies a light source element that corresponds to the saturated region, and carries out actual exposure by shortening a lighting time of the specified light source element. | 10-04-2012 |
20120257101 | IMAGE CAPTURE DEVICE AND METHOD - An image capture device including a sensor having an active area including a plurality of pixels and a shutter array for controlling the exposure of individual pixels. The pixels are grouped in a plurality of pixel subsets and are arranged to capture a plurality of time-separated lo-res images, which can be viewed sequentially as a movie or combined to form a hi-res still image. | 10-11-2012 |
20120281133 | IMAGE CAPTURE DEVICE, IMAGE CAPTURE DEVICE CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM - A moving subject detection map is generated by performing moving subject region determination based on input image information from an image capture portion, and is used to set an exposure pattern for a moving subject detected pixel region. The exposure pattern is cyclically arranged with multiple different exposure times. The exposure time for a stationary subject region is set according to the brightness of the subject. Regarding an image captured based on the exposure time control, an output image is generated by computing pixel values for a moving subject region, using pixel value combination processing that utilizes the pixel values of pixels with a plurality of different exposure times being set, and by computing pixel values for the stationary subject region by multiplying a gain according to the exposure time. This achieves the acquisition of a dynamic range image while keeping deterioration of the resolution to a minimum. | 11-08-2012 |
20120281134 | CAMERA - In a camera, a first cam is rotated to assume a rotational phase at which drive of a first shutter blade set with a first drive force is not hindered and a second drive force charge cam face in contact with a second charge member charges a second drive force as a rotating shaft is caused to rotate to a first rotational phase. A second drive force charge cam in contact with the second charge member sustains a second drive force charging state period in which the shaft in the first rotational phase rotates to a second rotational phase. A first drive force charge cam face in contact with the first charge member charges the first drive force and the second cam face in contact with the second charge member charges the second drive force as the shaft rotates from the first rotational phase to the second rotational phase. | 11-08-2012 |
20120287332 | IMAGING READER WITH INDEPENDENTLY CONTROLLED ILLUMINATION RATE - An imaging module for electro-optically imaging a target, includes an energizable illuminating light source for illuminating the target with illumination light for return from the target, an energizable solid-state imager for capturing return light from the target, and a controller for energizing the imager during an exposure time period to capture the return light at a frame rate, for deenergizing the imager during a non-exposed time period, and for energizing the illuminating light source not only during the exposure time period, but also during the non-exposed time period, to produce a plurality of illumination light pulses at an illumination rate that enables the human eye to perceive the illumination light pulses as substantially continuous. The illumination rate of one or more of the illumination light pulses produced during the non-exposed time period is substantially independent and decoupled from the frame rate. | 11-15-2012 |
20120300119 | LIGHT AMOUNT ADJUSTMENT DEVICE OPERABLE AT HIGH SPEED AND WITH HIGH RESOLUTION, AND OPTICAL APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME - An optical apparatus having a light amount adjustment device capable of realizing a high-speed operation and a high-resolution operation. The light amount adjustment device includes a second motor that has a rotor provided with magnetized poles whose number is two times the number of magnetized poles provided in a rotor of a first motor, so that the second motor has a resolution two times higher than that of the first motor. A control unit of the optical apparatus controls the drives of the first and second motors independently of each other. In a high-speed drive mode, the first and second motors are driven simultaneously or only the first motor is driven. In a low-speed drive mode, only the second motor is driven. | 11-29-2012 |
20120314123 | System and Method of Driving Shutter by Tendency of Moving Object - A system and method of driving shutter by an object moving tendency. In this method, an image capture process is performed, wherein a sensor captures a first image of a moving object in a first resolution in the image capture process. Then, a prediction moving module analyzes the first image to acquire a prediction time for the moving object to reach a feature position. Finally, an automatic shutter control process is performed according to the prediction time, and a second image with a second resolution is captured, wherein the value of the second resolution is larger than that of the first resolution. This method automatically captures the second image of the moving object when situated at the feature position by using the prediction moving system to analyze the moving object. | 12-13-2012 |
20120314124 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM - There is provided an image pickup apparatus including: a control unit generating exposure time control data in which an exposure time of an image sensor is set in pixel region units; and an image sensor inputting the exposure time control data and carrying out image acquisition based on exposure time control in the pixel region units. The control unit successively and sequentially generates the exposure time control data in region units based on luminance information in the pixel region units that form part of a preceding picked-up image and outputs the exposure time control data to the image sensor. The image sensor inputs the exposure time control data in the region units from the control unit and successively and sequentially uses the inputted exposure time control data to carry out the image acquisition based on the exposure time control in the pixel region units. | 12-13-2012 |
20120327293 | APPARATUS, A METHOD, AND A COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR AUTOMATIC FOCUSING - An apparatus ( | 12-27-2012 |
20130002941 | METHOD OF CONTROLLING ADAPTIVE AUTO EXPOSURE BASED ON ADAPTIVE REGION WEIGHT - Provided is a method of controlling adaptive auto exposure. In the method, a digital photograph captured from an object and a background is divided into an object region where the object is mainly located and a background region where the background is mainly located. Average luminances of the object and background regions are calculated, and a luminance difference between the average luminances of the object and background regions is calculated. If the luminance difference is within a predetermined range, an average luminance of the entire photograph is calculated by applying a weight to the average luminance of the object region, and exposure is controlled based on the calculated average luminance of the entire photograph so as to emphasize the object region. | 01-03-2013 |
20130010183 | SENSING RANGE SELECTABLE IMAGE SENSOR MODULE - A sensing range selectable image sensor module includes a lens defining a first light-sensing area, which allows a relatively larger amount of light to pass, and a second light-sensing area, which allows a relatively smaller amount of light to pass, two sensors respectively arranged at one side relative to the lens corresponding to the first light-sensing area and the second light-sensing area and electrically coupled to a controller for receiving light from the first or second light-sensing area and generating a respective trigger signal selectively receivable by the controller. | 01-10-2013 |
20130038785 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING ADAPTIVE EXPOSURE AND IMAGE SENSOR HAVING THE SAME - Provided are a method and apparatus for controlling adaptive exposure, and an image sensor including the same. The method includes calculating a pixel saturation level of an entirety of pixels provided within an image frame and resetting a target brightness value according to the pixel saturation level; and controlling an exposure level of the pixels such that pixel brightness values of the pixels are within the target brightness value and a predetermined range. | 02-14-2013 |
20130057754 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - The invention relates to an image pickup apparatus including a pixel section in which plural pixels are arrayed two-dimensionally, an exposure amount control section that determines an exposure amount and controls the pixel section to be continuously exposed plural times, a memory section that can store a pixel signal from the pixel section for plural frames of an output image, a vertical scanning circuit that reads out the pixel signal of the pixel section and stores the pixel signal in the memory section, and a column processing section that reads out the pixel signal stored in the memory section. The vertical scanning circuit sequentially reads out respective pixel signals related to the plural times of exposures and stores the pixel signals in the memory section | 03-07-2013 |
20130063652 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup element configured to provide a photoelectric conversion to an optical image formed by an image pickup optical system, a correlation image acquirer configured to obtain a product between a pixel value of an image output from the image pickup element and a representative value of a reference signal that fluctuates during an exposure time period for each of a plurality of divided time periods made by dividing the exposure time period by a predetermined division number, and a correlation image calculator configured to obtain an output from the image pickup element and to calculate a sum of the product for the exposure time period as a correlation image. | 03-14-2013 |
20130063653 | IMAGE SHOOTING DEVICE - There is provided an image shooting device including a pixel part that is formed with a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, and a timing control part that provides an exposure start timing and a reading timing after exposure to the pixel part, in which the timing control part controls the exposure start timing and the reading timing such that a time interval between the exposure start timing and the reading timing is longer than the frame rate and that a row that outputs the reading timing is different for each frame when reading a plurality of successive images at a preset frame rate. | 03-14-2013 |
20130070151 | Auto Exposure Techniques for Variable Lighting Conditions - Systems, methods, and a computer readable medium for performing auto exposure (AE) techniques that are beneficial in variable lighting conditions—and particularly applicable to handheld and/or mobile videoconferencing applications—are disclosed herein. Handheld and/or mobile videoconferencing applications—unlike their fixed camera counterparts—are often exposed to a wide variety of rapidly changing lighting and scene conditions, and thus face a difficult trade-off between adjusting exposure parameter values too frequently or not frequently enough. In personal electronic devices executing such handheld and/or mobile videoconferencing applications, it may be desirable to: use a small, centered, and center-weighted exposure metering region; set a relatively low brightness target value; and adjust the camera's exposure parameter values according to a distance-dependent convergence speed function. The use of such techniques, in conjunction with a relatively large stability region, may also improve the quality of a video encoder's temporal predictions—and thus video quality—in videoconferencing applications. | 03-21-2013 |
20130076973 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR, AND STORAGE MEDIUM STORING CONTROL PROGRAM THEREFOR - An image pickup apparatus that is capable of reducing the load of the process required to combine images with different exposures to generate a composite image. An image pickup unit performs continuous image pickup that shoots a subject continuously under different exposure conditions. A control unit controls the image pickup unit so that the exposure condition for the first shot in a current set, which is a second or later set, is coincident with the exposure condition for the last shot in the previous set when a plurality of sets of the continuous image pickup are performed. A composing unit composes the images acquired by one set of the continuous image pickup by the image pickup unit to generate one output image. | 03-28-2013 |
20130076974 | Image Formats and Related Methods and Apparatuses - Image data may be color graded, distributed and viewed on target displays. Mappings that preserve mid-range points and mid-range contrast may be applied to view the image data for color grading and to prepare the image data for display on a target display. The image data may be expanded to exploit the dynamic range of the target display without affecting mid-tone values. | 03-28-2013 |
20130083236 | METHODS AND DEVICES FOR IMPROVING DYNAMIC RANGE IN IMAGE SENSORS - Methods and devices for improving dynamic range in image sensors are disclosed. An image sensing device comprises an image sensor having a plurality of rows of pixels, and a controller for controlling the exposure of each row of pixels. The controller is programmed to perform a shutter operation for one of the plurality of rows of pixels, and to sample the one of the plurality of rows after a predetermined duration following the performance of the shutter operation. The predetermined duration is different from a multiple of a row time period of the image sensing device. | 04-04-2013 |
20130083237 | IMAGING APPARATUS, IMAGING METHOD, AND PROGRAM - An imaging apparatus includes an image analysis unit obtaining brightness information for respective hue regions from an image signal of a picked-up image and an exposure control unit carrying out exposure control based on the brightness information obtained in the image analysis unit. | 04-04-2013 |
20130093945 | IMAGING APPARATUS - An imaging apparatus includes a controller configured to calculate a target exposure value based on image data generated by an imaging unit and control an exposure to obtain the target exposure value based on a first shooting parameter set by a user, and a predetermined operation member for receiving operation of the user. The controller calculates a first appropriate range which is a range in which the first shooting parameter is settable for obtaining the target exposure value, calculates a second shooting parameter based on the target exposure value and the first shooting parameter set by the user, and performs an exposure control operation for setting the first shooting parameter within the first appropriate range, when the predetermined operation member receives user's operation in cases where the first shooting parameter set by the user is out of the first appropriate range. | 04-18-2013 |
20130113988 | FLASH SYSTEM FOR MULTI-APERTURE IMAGING - A method and a system for forming an image of a scene are provided. The method includes capturing an image of the scene by exposing an image sensor to radiation from one part of the EM spectrum using one aperture and to radiation from another part of the EM spectrum using another aperture having a different size than the first aperture. Simultaneously with capturing the image, the scene is illuminated with radiation from the second part of the EM spectrum. The image is then formed on the basis of image data generated by the radiation from the first part of the EM spectrum and image data generated by radiation from the second part of the EM spectrum. | 05-09-2013 |
20130148013 | IMAGE CAPTURING DEVICE AND IMAGE CAPTURING METHOD - A first state where an image is captured with a predetermined exposure in which an aperture of a diaphragm is a first aperture and a shutter speed is a first shutter speed is changed to a second state where an image is captured with the predetermined exposure in which the aperture of the diaphragm is a second aperture larger than the first aperture and the shutter speed is a second shutter speed higher than the first shutter speed, and a focal point is adjusted. The second aperture is set to be as large as possible within a range of maintaining the predetermined exposure. | 06-13-2013 |
20130182177 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPROVING VIDEO STUTTER IN HIGH RESOLUTION PROGRESSIVE VIDEO - Systems and methods for improving video stutter in high resolution progressive video captured with fast exposure times. In a first approach, digital video is captured with fast shutter speeds that cause each frame of the video to be sharp. A motion blur is not captured for objects moving within the frame. The video codec generates motion information that may be utilized to add an artificial motion blur to each frame of the digital video during processing in a digital video pipeline. In a second approach, the lens assembly of the digital camera includes an electronically actuated filter that attenuates the light reaching an image sensor such that the shutter speeds may be decreased in order to capture motion blur. The electronically actuated filter may be a liquid crystal display (LCD) device that is set to a plurality of different transparency levels based on the voltage applied to the LCD device. | 07-18-2013 |
20130201390 | DARK EXPOSURE CONTROL DEVICE - A dark exposure control device comprises a dark exposure performing processor, an aperture-stop, and an aperture-stop driving processor. The dark exposure performing processor detects an image signal generated by an imaging device while the shutter is closed. The aperture-stop adjusts the amount of light incident on the imaging device. The aperture-stop driving processor adjusts the opening degree of the aperture-stop to smaller than the opening degree set for a main exposure while the dark exposure performing processor is operated. | 08-08-2013 |
20130235257 | IMAGE COMPOSITION APPARATUS AND IMAGE COMPOSITION METHOD - An image composition apparatus that is capable of acquiring a high-quality composite image that keeps continuity of the gradation of the whole image. Different exposures are set for images to be taken. Each of taken images is divided into small regions. A measured value is found based on brightness values in each of the small regions. A comparison value for each of the small regions is calculated based on the measured value of a small region of one image and the measurement value of the same small region of another image. A representative value is calculated based on the comparison values calculated for the respective small regions. A level-matching gain used for compositing the image data of the images is calculated based on an exposure level difference and the representative value. The image data of the images of which the image levels are adjusted are composited by multiplying the gain. | 09-12-2013 |
20130258174 | IMAGE ENHANCEMENT BASED ON MULTIPLE FRAMES AND MOTION ESTIMATION - A system and method for capturing images is provided. In the system and method, preview images are acquired and global local and local motion are estimated based on at least a portion of the preview images. If the local motion is less than or equal to the global motion, a final image is captured based at least on an exposure time based on the global motion. If the local motion is greater than the global motion, a first image is captured based on at least a first exposure time and at least a second image is captured based on at least one second exposure time less than the first exposure time. After capturing the first and second images, global motion regions are separated from local motion regions in the first and second images, and the final image is reconstructed at least based on the local motion regions. | 10-03-2013 |
20130308044 | IMAGING APPARATUS, IMAGE SENSOR, IMAGING CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM - There are provided an imaging apparatus and method which perform different exposure control in pixel group units. Brightness in the pixel group units obtained by dividing a plurality of pixels of an imaging area of the image sensor is evaluated, and pixel group unit exposure control values are calculated according to an evaluation result. The image sensor outputs a control signal matching the calculated pixel group unit exposure control value to each pixel group constituent pixel, and controls exposure in the pixel group units. For example, the exposure control signal including an identical pattern is sequentially output to a plurality of pixels in a pixel group in a time sequence, and exposure control which sets an identical exposure time for a plurality of pixels belonging to one pixel group is realized. | 11-21-2013 |
20130321695 | IMAGING APPARATUS - There is provided an imaging apparatus including an image sensor that converts an optical image captured through a lens into an electrical signal, and a shutter that has blade members to be opened and closed at a time of photographing. Correction of shading that is generated by an operation of the shutter is performed on a basis of an elliptical shape, and the elliptical shape is inclined in a direction according to an operation direction of the blade members. | 12-05-2013 |
20130329127 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - A first control unit, which controls the timing when a first image pickup unit starts exposure, obtains a second difference by subtracting a first difference from an exposure-output time of the first image pickup unit, and outputs a first control signal for delaying the timing when the first image pickup unit starts exposure, by the second difference. The exposure-output time is a time lag between when the image pickup unit starts exposure and when output of an image signal obtained by the exposure is started. The first difference is a difference between a timing at which the first image pickup unit started outputting a predetermined image signal and a timing at which a second image pickup unit started an exposure for obtaining an image signal that the second image pickup unit outputted immediately after the first image pickup unit started outputting the predetermined image signal. | 12-12-2013 |
20140002718 | Digital Image Capture Under Conditions Of Varying Light Intensity | 01-02-2014 |
20140002719 | Digital Image Capture Under Conditions Of Varying Light Intensity | 01-02-2014 |
20140002720 | IMAGE CAPTURE APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME | 01-02-2014 |
20140009670 | Camera system comprising a camera, camera, method of operating a camera and method for deconvoluting a recorded image - A system and camera wherein the camera comprises in the light path a diffuser ( | 01-09-2014 |
20140016022 | CAMERA MODULE, EXPOSURE ADJUSTING METHOD OF CAMERA MODULE, AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT - According to one embodiment, a camera module has an exposure control unit. When an exposure error has reached within a coring range by first exposure control, the exposure control unit switches exposure control from the first exposure control to second exposure control. The exposure error shows a deviation of an exposure evaluation value to an exposure target value. In the second exposure control, an exposure change amount is reduced than at the time of the first exposure control. When the exposure error has reached a zero level by the second exposure control, the exposure control unit stops the exposure control. | 01-16-2014 |
20140016023 | SHUTTER DRIVING SYSTEM AND CAMERA DEVICE HAVING THE SAME, AND DRIVING METHOD THEREOF - A shutter driving system and a camera device having the same, and a driving method thereof are provided. The shutter driving system includes a base plate including an opening part, a front-curtain and a rear-curtain, a front-curtain link and a rear-curtain link supporting respective folding and unfolding operations of the front-curtain and the rear-curtain, a front-curtain drive lever and a rear-curtain drive lever controlling respective drives of the front-curtain link and the rear-curtain link for opening and closing the opening part, a front-curtain electromagnet and a rear-curtain electromagnet selectively and respectively stopping the front-curtain and rear-curtain drive levers, a cam gear mechanically closing the opening part of the front curtain and mechanically opening the opening part of the rear-curtain, a motor rotating the cam gear, and a reduction gear train including at least one gear disposed between the cam gear and the motor. | 01-16-2014 |
20140016024 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - An image pickup apparatus is provided which includes an image pickup device; a display unit configured to perform a control operation to display a signal output from the image pickup device on a monitor; a first photometry section configured to measure luminance of an image of an object based on the signal output from the image pickup device; a second photometry section configured to measure luminance of the image of the object using a photometric sensor mounted at a position different from the image pickup device; and a controller configured to control exposure based on photometric information obtained from the second photometry section in a case where, before photometric information is obtained from the first photometry section, a request is made by a user to capture an image for recording an output of the image pickup device. | 01-16-2014 |
20140036141 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS THAT PERFORMS EXPOSURE CONTROL, METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - 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. | 02-06-2014 |
20140043527 | INTEGRATED THIN FILM IMAGER FOR BRIGHT FIELD, DARK FIELD, AND FRUSTRATED TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION IMAGING - An optical imaging system includes a thin film imager that is able to create images of objects in various modes of imaging such as bright field, dark field, frustrated total internal reflection, fly eye, and the like. The imaging system may be an integrated optical design that performs different modes of optical imaging in the same imaging device by positioned pin hole structures in geometries that capture images according to the desired mode of imaging. | 02-13-2014 |
20140125863 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND IMAGING METHOD - An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit, a main subject detecting unit, and control unit. The imaging unit includes an imaging element. The imaging unit generates image data. The main subject detecting unit detects a main subject from the image data. The control unit compares an exposure value of the image data with a predetermined appropriate value and performs an exposure control so that the exposure value for the main subject part in the image data changes to the appropriate value and the exposure value for a part excluding the main subject part in the image data changes to a value larger than the appropriate value. | 05-08-2014 |
20140168505 | DIGITAL IMAGING EXPOSURE METERING SYSTEM - A system comprises a digital imaging system for capturing digital images. The system includes a controller that captures at least one digital image, determines a brightness level of at least one bright region of the digital image, and generates brightness data representing the brightness level of the at least one bright region. The brightness data is compared with compositional information for determining a maximum brightness level of the at least one bright region of the digital image. The maximum brightness level comprises a level of brightness where information about the at least one bright region remains. The controller then determines an exposure value of a final digital image, where at least one region of the final digital image has a brightness level equal to or less than the maximum brightness level. At least one final digital image is then captured. | 06-19-2014 |
20140176788 | ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH CAMERA MODULE - An electronic device includes a casing, a camera module, a shielding plate, and an actuator. The casing includes a front plate and a sidewall extending from an outer periphery of the front plate. The front plate defines a through hole. The camera module is positioned on and received in the casing and aims at the through hole. The shielding plate is rotatably positioned on and received within the casing and located between the front plate and the camera module. The shielding plate defines an aperture. The actuator is positioned on and received in the casing for driving the shielding plate to rotate between a closed position, in which the through hole is shielded by the shielding plate, and an open position, in which the aperture is aligned with the through hole. | 06-26-2014 |
20140176789 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An image capturing apparatus comprises a capturing unit which captures an image; a detection unit which detects an object from the captured image; a generating unit which generates a luminance distribution of the captured image; a calculating unit which calculates, based on the luminance distribution, an exposure amount used when performing autoexposure bracketing that captures a plurality of images at different exposures; a determining unit which determines whether or not to perform the autoexposure bracketing using the calculated exposure amount; and a correcting unit which corrects the calculated exposure amount based on feature information of the object detected by the detection unit. | 06-26-2014 |
20140184894 | SYSTEM, METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT IMPLEMENTING AN IMAGE PROCESSING PIPELINE FOR HIGH-DYNAMIC RANGE IMAGES - A system, method, and computer program product for generating high-dynamic range image data is disclosed. The method includes the steps of receiving image sensor data from an interleaved image sensor. The interleaved the image sensor includes a first portion of pixels exposed for a first exposure time and a second portion of pixels exposed for a second exposure time that is shorter than the first exposure time. The method further includes the steps of identifying a first subset of pixels in the second portion having an intensity value above a first threshold value, identifying a second subset of pixels in the first portion having an intensity value below a second threshold value, and generating high-dynamic range (HDR) data based on the first subset and the second subset. | 07-03-2014 |
20140192255 | Dynamic Adjustment of Multimode Lightfield Imaging System Using Exposure Condition and Filter Position - An adjustable multimode lightfield imaging system. A non-homogeneous filter module is positioned at the pupil plane of the lightfield imaging system and provides the multimode capability. The filter module can be moved relative to the imaging system with the exposure conditions adjusted accordingly, thus allowing adjustment of the multimode capability. | 07-10-2014 |
20140192256 | ELECTRO-OPTIC APERTURE DEVICE - A portable consumer electronics device has a handheld portable device housing, and an electronic camera module integrated in the housing. The module has a focusing lens to focus light from a scene, an imaging sensor to receive the focused light, and an electro-optic variable aperture to allow different amounts of the light from the scene to reach the imaging sensor. The aperture has a stack that includes a front transparent conductor medium, an electrolyte medium, an active electro-chromic medium, and a rear transparent conductor medium. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. | 07-10-2014 |
20140204267 | CONTROL OF EXPOSURE OF CAMERA - A device for controlling exposure of a camera is provided. An image of an area ahead of a vehicle is acquired by a camera provided in the vehicle. A traveling speed of the vehicle is acquired. An exposure area in the acquired image is set by a setting section, in which the exposure area is used for exposure control of the camera. By a calculating section, a control value for performing the exposure control is calculated based on pixel values of pixels included in the exposure area. The setting section changes a size of the exposure area based on the traveling speed, such that, when the traveling speed is a first speed, the size of the exposure area in the acquired image is smaller compared to that when the traveling speed is a second speed that is lower than the first speed. | 07-24-2014 |
20140232929 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME - There is provided an image capturing apparatus. An image capturing control unit performs image capturing using a first pixel group of an image capturing unit during a first exposure time to obtain a high-exposure image. It also performs image capturing using a second pixel group of the image capturing unit during a second exposure time which is shorter than the first exposure time to obtain a first low-exposure image. It also performs image capturing using the second pixel group during a third exposure time which is shorter than the first exposure time to obtain a second low-exposure image. The second and third exposure times at least partially overlapping the first exposure time. A detection unit compares the first low-exposure image with the second low-exposure image to detect a motion of the subject. | 08-21-2014 |
20140240586 | VARIABLE LIQUID DEVICE HAVING UNEVEN CHANNEL AND APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - The variable liquid device includes: a chamber including a channel, in which a fluid flows, having an inconsistent height in at least a part of the channel; a first fluid filled in the chamber and formed of a non-transmissive material; and a second fluid filled in the chamber and formed of a light transmittable material that does not mix with the first fluid, wherein an aperture, through which light is transmitted, is adjusted according to a variation of an interface between the first fluid and the second fluid. | 08-28-2014 |
20140247386 | ACTION CONTROL DEVICE, ACTION CONTROL METHOD, IMAGING DEVICE, AND PROGRAM - According to the first aspect of the present technology, there is provided an action control device, including a transmittance specifying unit configured to specify a transmittance of a variable-transmittance neutral density (ND) filter having a transmittance that varies according to an applied voltage, and an applied voltage control unit configured to control a voltage to be applied to the variable-transmittance ND filter such that the transmittance specified by the transmittance specifying unit is obtained. The applied voltage control unit controls the voltage to be applied to the variable-transmittance ND filter such that the transmittance of the variable-transmittance ND filter specified by the transmittance specifying unit is maintained at a timing at which an imaging preparation instruction or an imaging instruction is given. | 09-04-2014 |
20140253791 | METHOD, APPARATUS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR SELECTING IMAGES - The present disclosure relates to method, apparatus and computer program selecting captured images. According to an example, a method comprises causing, at least in part, actions that result in: capturing an image; associating the captured image with at least one parameter; capturing a reference image; associating the captured reference image with at least one reference parameter; and determining to select the captured image based on a comparison of its associated at least one parameter against the at least one reference parameter. | 09-11-2014 |
20140253792 | IMAGE CAPTURE APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - Evaluation values relating to image capture are detected from at least two out of a plurality of images having different exposure amounts, which are used to generate a composite image. From a plurality of detected evaluation values relating to image capture, an evaluation value relating to image capture used to control an operation of an image capture apparatus is selected under a predetermined operation, thereby improving the detection accuracy of evaluation values relating to image capture in an HDR moving image capture operation. | 09-11-2014 |
20140267883 | METHOD OF SELECTING A SUBSET FROM AN IMAGE SET FOR GENERATING HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE IMAGE - A method for selecting an optimum subset of images from a larger set of images for optimal HDR image creation. For each of the set of images, an exposure quality map is computed by assigning, to each pixel of the image, an exposure quality value based on the pixel brightness value of that pixel. A suitable exposure quality function, typically reflecting the properties of the imaging device, is used for this purpose. Then, for each possible subset of images, the exposure quality maps for the images in the subset are combined using a max operation to generate a combined exposure quality map for the subset. An average pixel value of the combined exposure quality map of the subset is then calculated and serves as a quality score. The subset of images processing the highest quality score are used to generate the HDR image. | 09-18-2014 |
20140267884 | Increasing Dynamic Range Using Multisampling - Methods and systems for increasing the effective dynamic range of an image sensor are disclosed. Each pixel in the sensor is exposed for a respective first exposure time. Each pixel's response to the respective first exposure is measured and compared to threshold values. Based on the pixel's response to the respective first exposure time, an optimal exposure is calculated for each pixel. The optimal exposure time is applied to each pixel by utilizing row-enabled and column-enabled signals at each pixel within the sensor. | 09-18-2014 |
20140267885 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME - An image capturing apparatus comprises an image capturing unit configured to capture an image; a determination unit configured to determine a plurality of object regions from the captured image; an acquisition unit configured to acquire a photometric value for each of the object regions; a decision unit configured to decide an exposure condition from the photometric value for each of the object regions; and a tone conversion unit configured to convert a tone of the captured image based on the exposure condition. | 09-18-2014 |
20140267886 | IMAGE GENERATION SYSTEM, METHOD, AND MEDIUM, GENERATING PLURALITY OF IMAGES WITH DIFFERENT RESOLUTION AND BRIGHTNESS FROM SINGLE IMAGE - Provided is an image generation system and method, more particularly, an image generation system and method which can generate a high dynamic range image from a plurality of images acquired in a single short exposure. The image generation system To includes an image generation system having an image acquisition unit to acquire an image, an image generation unit to generate, from the acquired image, a plurality of images with different resolution and brightness, and an image synthesis unit to synthesize the generated images. | 09-18-2014 |
20140300805 | OPTICAL FILTERING FOR CAMERAS - In one embodiment, a camera includes an image sensor within a camera housing that converts light entering the camera housing through an optical filter into digital image data. The optical filter can have a variable opacity. A processor in communication with the image sensor identifies operation settings for the optical filter and adjusts an opacity level of the optical filter over an exposure period in accordance with the operation settings for the optical filter. In addition, the processor modifies values of the digital image data based at least on the operation settings for the optical filter. | 10-09-2014 |
20140307153 | ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING PHOTOGRAPHIC LAMP - In a method for adjusting a photographic lamp of an electronic device, the electronic device obtains a preview image from a camera device of the electronic device, and obtains a brightness value of an ambient environment of the electronic device. When a human face is detected in the obtained preview image, the electronic device changes a current output power value of the photographic lamp to be a first output power value, according to the obtained brightness value. When no human face is detected in the obtained preview image, the electronic device changes the current output power value to be a second output power value according to the obtained brightness value. | 10-16-2014 |
20140307154 | IMAGING APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD AND PROGRAM - An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit configured to image a subject, a photometry unit, an exposure compensation unit, an exposure control unit configured to control exposure for a captured image and a display control unit configured to control display of the captured image on a display unit. The photometry unit is configured to perform photometry, based the imaging unit's output, to obtain an exposure value. The exposure compensation unit is configured to compensate the obtained exposure value to an exposure value that would be used for exposure control, if photometry of the photometry unit is not fixed. The exposure control unit is configured to allow exposure control at an exposure value within wider range than a range of available exposure values of the cases where photometry of the photometry unit was not fixed, if photometry of the photometry unit is fixed. | 10-16-2014 |
20140307155 | INFORMATION COMMUNICATION METHOD - An information communication method selects between a visible light communication mode in which information is obtained from a subject using an image sensor having a plurality of exposure lines and a normal imaging mode. The information communication method includes obtaining first image data by image capture with a first exposure time in the normal imaging mode by sequentially starting exposure of each of the exposure lines of the image sensor at different times. Second image data is obtained by image capture with a second exposure time in the visible light communication mode. The information is obtained by demodulating data specified by a direction in a pattern of a bright line corresponding to the exposure lines, the second exposure time being shorter than the first exposure time. The second image data is obtained by capturing light emitted from the subject and spread by an optical system. | 10-16-2014 |
20140307156 | INFORMATION COMMUNICATION METHOD - An information communication method selects between a visible light communication mode in which information is obtained from a subject using an image sensor having a plurality of exposure lines and a normal imaging mode. The method includes obtaining first image data by image capture with a first exposure time in the normal imaging mode. When an image is presented that prompts a user of a terminal device including the image sensor to move the terminal device to enable the information to be obtained, second image data is obtained by image capture with a second exposure time, shorter than the first exposure time, in the visible light communication mode. The information is obtained by demodulating data specified by a direction in a pattern of a bright line appearing in the second image data and corresponding to the exposure lines that is substantially perpendicular to the exposure lines. | 10-16-2014 |
20140307157 | INFORMATION COMMUNICATION METHOD - An information communication method selects between a visible light communication mode, in which information is obtained from a subject using an image sensor having a plurality of exposure lines, and a normal imaging mode. The information communication method includes obtaining first image data by image capture with a first exposure time in the normal imaging mode and obtaining second image data by image capture with a second exposure time, shorter than the first exposure time, in the visible light communication mode. When the second image data is obtained by capturing a plurality of subjects reflected on a reflection surface, the information is obtained by separating a bright line corresponding to each subject from bright lines included in the second image data according to a strength of the bright line and demodulating, for each subject, the data specified by the pattern of the bright line. | 10-16-2014 |
20140307158 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS CONTROL METHOD THAT GENERATES AN IMAGE WITH TRANSFORMED NUMBER OF PIXELS - Apparatus and method for realizing a processing with which a pixel gravity center control can be conducted when a pixel number reduction image is generated in an image pickup apparatus. A pixel unit configured to output a pixel addition signal obtained by adding output pixel signals from pixels having different sensitivities to each other and a pixel information synthesis unit configured to execute a weighted addition processing of multiplying plural pixel addition signals output from the pixel unit by a previously set gain and calculate a configuration pixel value of a pixel number reduction image where a total number of pixels is lower than a number of pixels of the pixel unit are provided. | 10-16-2014 |
20140313400 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM - There is provided an image processing apparatus including an HDR (High Dynamic Range) processing unit inputting images picked up while exposure control that changes an exposure time is being carried out with a predetermined spatial period and a predetermined temporal period on pixels that compose an image sensor, and carrying out image processing. The HDR processing unit generates a first combined image by combining pixel values of a plurality of images with different sensitivities generated by an interpolation process using a plurality of consecutively picked-up images, generates a second combined image by combining pixel values of a plurality of images with different sensitivities generated by an interpolation process that uses a single picked-up image, and generates an HDR image by executing a pixel value blending process on the first combined image and the second combined image in accordance with a blending ratio calculated in accordance with movement detection information. | 10-23-2014 |
20140333825 | IMAGING APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - An imaging apparatus has a first mode in which a determination unit determines an exposure timing of an imaging unit based on a timing calculated by a calculation unit after a light metering unit performs light metering a first number of times, and a second mode in which the determination unit determines the exposure timing of the imaging unit based on the timing calculated by the calculation unit after the light metering unit performs the light metering a second number of times. | 11-13-2014 |
20140347552 | Determining an Image Capture Payload Burst Structure Based on a Metering Image Capture Sweep - A first plurality of images of a scene may be captured. Each image of the first plurality of images may be captured with a different total exposure time (TET). Based at least on the first plurality of images, a TET sequence may be determined for capturing images of the scene. A second plurality of images of the scene may be captured. Images in the second plurality of images may be captured using the TET sequence. Based at least on the second plurality of images, an output image of the scene may be constructed. | 11-27-2014 |
20140362281 | EXPOSURE CONTROL DEVICE, IMAGING DEVICE, IMAGE DISPLAY DEVICE, AND EXPOSURE CONTROL METHOD - It includes a face detection unit that acquires an image from a camera and detects a person's face from the image, a region division unit that acquires an image from the camera and divides an imaging region of the image, a luminance calculation unit that calculates luminance of the person's face detected by the face detection unit and luminance of each divided region obtained by dividing by the region division unit, and a diaphragm adjustment information calculation unit that obtains the divided region having a difference between the luminance of the person's face and the luminance of the divided region which is larger than a predetermined value, calculates a region excluding the obtained divided region as a diaphragm adjustment region of an imaging unit, and outputs the obtained diaphragm adjustment region as diaphragm adjustment information to a diaphragm adjustment unit of the camera. | 12-11-2014 |
20140362282 | EXPOSURE CONTROLLER - An image sensor provides a first image with a first exposure and a second image with a second exposure. An exposure controller sets the first exposure in dependence on pixel intensities of at least one of the images. It sets the second exposure in dependence on a factor and the first exposure. The factor is determined in dependence on pixel intensities of at least one of the images. | 12-11-2014 |
20140368727 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE APPARATUS - An image capturing apparatus and its control method for capturing a moving image. Plural movie capturing modes with different control parameters are set in accordance with an instruction from a user. One of selectable frame rates is selected in accordance with video output setting by the user. Moving image frames are generated based on the selected frame rate and a control parameter corresponding to the frame rate, and recorded as a moving image on a recording medium. | 12-18-2014 |
20150009396 | APPARATUS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING BY USING ELECTRONIC FLASH - An apparatus for photographing by using an electronic flash has a photography controller that carries out a pre-flash photography by emitting strobe light in a pre-flash exposure period and subsequently carries out a main flash photography by emitting strobe light; and an exposure adjuster that sets at least one exposure value associated with the pre-flash photography and/or the main flash photography. The exposure adjuster sets an aperture value of a diaphragm that suppresses an occurrence of saturation in image-pixel signals that are generated in an image sensor in the pre-flash exposure period. The photography controller drives the diaphragm in accordance to the set aperture value for the pre-flash photography. | 01-08-2015 |
20150015773 | IMAGE GENERATING APPARATUS AND METHOD AND NON-TRANSITORY RECORDABLE MEDIUM - An image generating apparatus and method are provided. The image generating apparatus includes: a main lens; a microlens array configured to transmit light that is incident on and received from the main lens; an image sensor configured to sense the light received from the microlens array according to a direction; and a digital iris configured to selectively assign, according to the direction of the light, a weight to a light sensing value of the light that is sensed by the image sensor. | 01-15-2015 |
20150062410 | IMAGE STABILIZATION METHOD AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE THEREFOR - An apparatus and method for reducing or preventing image degradation due to shaking of a camera upon image acquisition is provided. The method includes determining illuminance corresponding to a subject, automatically determining a capturing mode of an electronic device based on at least the illuminance, acquiring a first resulting image of the subject based on a first exposure time, if the capturing mode is a first capturing mode, and acquiring a plurality of images of the subject based on a second exposure time, if the capturing mode is a second capturing mode, and generating a second resulting image based on at least two images among the plurality of images. | 03-05-2015 |
20150062411 | EMBEDDED LINEAR MOTOR DRIVE FOR IR CAMERA SHUTTER - An embedded linear motor drive for an IR camera comprising linear motor components that integrates into a sliding shutter is disclosed. The linear motor components can be a linear array of magnets, or a series of ridges or gear teeth. A motor drive is aligned with the linear motor components. The drive can be a series of coils connected to a power source that can move the shutter when the coils are energized in series. The drive can also be a pinion shaft with a friction wheel at one end or pinion gear that can connect to the ridges or gear teeth and move the shutter when the shaft is rotated. | 03-05-2015 |
20150070569 | Enhanced Dynamic Range Image Processing - The present disclosure relates to a system and method for an enhanced dynamic range image sensor. In some implementations, multiple A/D converters may be applied to sample a plurality of image exposure data while camera shutter remains open. | 03-12-2015 |
20150070570 | Adaptive Auto Exposure and Dynamic Range Compensation - This disclosure pertains to systems, methods, and computer readable media for extending the dynamic range of images using an operation referred to herein as “Adaptive Auto Exposure” (AAE). According to the embodiments disclosed herein, the AAE-enabled higher dynamic range capture operations are accomplished without blending multiple or bracketed exposure captures (as is the case with traditional high dynamic range (HDR) photography). AAE also enables high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) rendering when scene content allows for it and/or certain highlight clipping is tolerable. Decisions with regard to preferred AE strategies may be based, at least in part, on one or more of the following: sensor characteristics; scene content; and pre-defined preferences under different scenarios. | 03-12-2015 |
20150098012 | LIGHT QUANTITY CONTROL APPARATUS, OPTICAL APPARATUS AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - The light quantity control apparatus includes multiple blade members each including a first curved surface-shaped portion and a hole portion, and a member including multiple protrusion portion each inserted into the hole portion of each of the blade members. The member includes a second curved surface-shaped portion in contact with the first curved surface-shaped portion of each of the blade members. The protrusion portions extend from the second curved surface-shaped portion in parallel to each other. | 04-09-2015 |
20150109522 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND ITS CONTROL METHOD AND PROGRAM - The imaging apparatus has: a first exposure mode in which an exposure condition is determined based on pixel data generated by photoelectrically converting, by a plurality of pixels, light rays entering through a pupil division unit, a state of vignetting of the photographing optical system is determined based on information about a construction of a photographing optical system, and an exposure condition is determined based on the pixel data selected from the pixel data generated in accordance with the vignetting state; and a second exposure mode in which an exposure condition is determined based on data obtained by adding the generated pixel data with respect to the exit pupil area of the photographing lens. | 04-23-2015 |
20150116582 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - A captured image obtained by capturing, by an image capturing unit, a target object to which a pattern has been projected is acquired. At least either of a first parameter for controlling brightness of the pattern projected from a projection unit configured to project the pattern, and a second parameter for controlling the exposure amount of the image capturing unit is adjusted in accordance with the luminance value of the pattern in the acquired captured image. | 04-30-2015 |
20150116583 | Apparatus Methods and Computer Readable Storage Mediums - An apparatus comprising: a processor configured to control a flash unit in an exposure time period of an image sensor array, to provide a first non-zero light intensity in a first portion of the exposure time period and to provide a second non-zero fight intensity, different to the first light intensity, in a second portion of the exposure time period. | 04-30-2015 |
20150146089 | IMAGING SYSTEMS AND METHODS WITH PIXEL SENSITIVITY ADJUSTMENTS - Imaging systems, such as time-of-flight imaging systems, and methods with pixel sensitivity adjustments. An embodiment includes a method, comprising: for a plurality of pixels having a first output and a second output, measuring the first outputs and the second outputs in response to a demodulation signal; and adjusting the demodulation signal such that a combination of the first outputs is substantially similar to a combination of the second outputs. | 05-28-2015 |
20150319349 | A Module for Plenoptic Camera System - An apparatus including a substrate; a plurality of first image sensels supported by the substrate and arranged in rows and columns, wherein the substrate includes one or more apertures. | 11-05-2015 |
20150350509 | Scene Motion Correction In Fused Image Systems - Techniques to capture and fuse short- and long-exposure images of a scene from a stabilized image capture device are disclosed. More particularly, the disclosed techniques use not only individual pixel differences between co-captured short- and long-exposure images, but also the spatial structure of occluded regions in the long-exposure images (e.g., areas of the long-exposure image(s) exhibiting blur due to scene object motion). A novel device used to represent this feature of the long-exposure image is a “spatial difference map.” Spatial difference maps may be used to identify pixels in the short- and long-exposure images for fusion and, in one embodiment, may be used to identify pixels from the short-exposure image(s) to filter post-fusion so as to reduce visual discontinuities in the output image. | 12-03-2015 |
20150350513 | Constant Bracket High Dynamic Range (cHDR) Operations - Systems, methods, and computer readable media to capture and process high dynamic range (HDR) images when appropriate for a scene are disclosed. When appropriate, multiple images at a single—slightly underexposed—exposure value are captured (making a constant bracket HDR capture sequence) and local tone mapping (LTM) applied to each image. Local tone map and histogram information can be used to generate a noise-amplification mask which can be used during fusion operations. Images obtained and fused in the disclosed manner provide high dynamic range with improved noise and de-ghosting characteristics. | 12-03-2015 |
20150350533 | REALTIME CAPTURE EXPOSURE ADJUST GESTURES - Disclosed herein are systems, device, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for enabling semi-manual media capture. Semi-manual media capture can involve calculating optimal exposure settings in an auto-exposure loop, displaying a scene with optimal exposure settings in real time, receiving a manual adjust gesture, and adjusting the scene, in real time, based on the manual adjust gesture. | 12-03-2015 |
20150358524 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND STORAGE MEDIUM, AND EXPOSURE AMOUNT CONTROL METHOD - An imaging apparatus includes an imaging module configured to capture an image, and a controller. The controller obtains a luminance of a minimum luminance area or a maximum luminance area in an imaging target area of an image captured by the imaging module and controls an exposure amount in the imaging module on the basis of the luminance. | 12-10-2015 |
20160050353 | IMAGE FORMATS AND RELATED METHODS AND APPARATUSES - Image data may be color graded, distributed and viewed on target displays. Mappings that preserve mid-range points and mid-range contrast may be applied to view the image data for color grading and to prepare the image data for display on a target display. The image data may be expanded to exploit the dynamic range of the target display without affecting mid-tone values. | 02-18-2016 |
20160057328 | ELECTRONIC DEVICE, METHOD AND STORAGE MEDIUM - In an embodiment, an electronic device includes circuitry configured to automatically execute exposures at a photographing range including at least a first region and a second region, with different focuses by a camera, and acquire first images generated by the exposures, and display a second image on a display based on the first images. A number of exposures at the photographing range of a first photographing and a second photographing are different. The first photographing is a case when a difference between a distance from the camera to the first subject and a distance from the camera to the second subject is greater than or equal to a first value. The second photographing is a case when the difference is smaller than the first value. | 02-25-2016 |
20160065822 | IMAGE SENSOR, IMAGE SENSING METHOD, AND IMAGE PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS INCLUDING IMAGE SENSOR - An image sensor operates in a base mode according to a first sampling rate and a first pixel exposure time and includes a light condition detector that extracts illuminance information from a pixel signal received from pixels in a pixel array, and generates a low-illuminance information signal upon detecting that a value of the illuminance information falls within a first range, a sampling controller that changes the first sampling rate to a second sampling rate in response to the low-illuminance information signal, and an exposure time controller that changes the first pixel exposure time to a second pixel exposure time in response to the low-illuminance information signal. | 03-03-2016 |
20160088207 | IMAGE ADJUSTMENT APPARATUS, IMAGE ADJUSTMENT METHOD, IMAGE ADJUSTMENT PROGRAM, AND IMAGING APPARATUS - An image adjustment apparatus includes a boundary calculation unit that calculates a boundary between a follow light region and a back light region in an image based on a position of a light source and an image adjustment unit that adjusts a state of the follow light region or the back light region with the boundary being a reference. | 03-24-2016 |
20160105597 | CMOS VIDEO CAMERA AND METHOD FOR FILLING LIGHT - The present disclosure provides a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) video camera and method for filling light. The method includes: acquiring a frame interval and an exposure time of each line of pixels; determining a strobe period according to the acquired frame interval and exposure time of each line of pixels; and filling light for each frame of an image by using a light-filling lamp according to the determined strobe period and a predetermined duty cycle, wherein the predetermined duty cycle is larger than 0 and lower than 1. According to the present disclosure, the light-filling efficiency is improved, and the working life of the light-filling lamp is prolonged. | 04-14-2016 |
20160119575 | IMAGE DATA PROCESSING FOR DIGITAL OVERLAP WIDE DYNAMIC RANGE SENSORS - Methods and integrated circuits to process image data from single or multiple digital overlap (DOL) wide dynamic range (WDR) sensors, in which first received pixel data associated with a first exposure of a sensor image is stored in a DDR memory circuit, second received pixel data associated with a second exposure of the image is stored in the first buffer, third received pixel data associated with a third exposure of the image is stored in a second buffer, and fourth received pixel data associated with a fourth exposure of the image is provided to a merge circuit, and merged pixel data is stored in a dynamically partitioned line buffer for processing by an image pipeline circuit to facilitate interfacing multiple DOL WDR sensors in an interleaved fashion. | 04-28-2016 |
20160127629 | DIGITAL IMAGE CAPTURE DEVICE HAVING AN IMAGE SENSOR MECHANISM TO COMPENSATE FOR OCCURRENCES OF EXPOSURE BLOWOUTS - An image sensor mechanism for use in a digital image capture device. The mechanism generally includes a photo sensor array, a liquid crystal light valve array, and a control module. The liquid crystal light valve array is operatively disposed in front of the photo sensor array and includes a plurality of light valves, each of which is independently controllable and corresponds to at least one pixel sensor of the photo sensor array so as to selectively prevent light from reaching the photo sensor array. The control module is electrically coupled to the liquid crystal light valve array and the photo sensor array for applying a variable electric field across each of the light valves and for selectively adjusting the light valves with different transmittances based on a preliminary image previously captured by the photo sensor array in order to transform the preliminary image into a resultant image to be re-captured by the photo sensor array. | 05-05-2016 |
20160142606 | ELECTRO-OPTIC APERTURE DEVICE - A portable consumer electronics device has a handheld portable device housing, and an electronic camera module integrated in the housing. The module has a focusing lens with an optical axis, an imaging sensor to receive the focused light, and an electro-optic variable aperture to allow different amounts of focused light to reach the imaging sensor. The aperture has a stack that includes a front transparent conductor medium, an electrolyte medium, an active electro-chromic medium, and a rear transparent conductor medium. The front transparent conductor medium contains an outer region and an inner region. The inner region is aligned with the optical axis, surrounded by the outer region, and electrically isolated from the outer region. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. | 05-19-2016 |
20160150144 | SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING EXPOSURE OF CAMERA AND METHOD THEREOF - A system for controlling an exposure of a camera may include: a histogram calculator configured to calculate a histogram from an input image; a virtual histogram generator configured to generate a virtual histogram by differently applying the exposure to the calculated histogram; a histogram hole filter configured to generate a final histogram by filtering a hole generated in the virtual histogram; a histogram uniformity unit configured to perform uniformity of the final histogram; and an optimum exposure setting unit configured to apply an exposure value depending on the uniformized histogram. | 05-26-2016 |
20160156825 | OUTDOOR EXPOSURE CONTROL OF STILL IMAGE CAPTURE | 06-02-2016 |
20160165116 | COMPUTING DEVICE CAMERA VIEW CONTROLLER AND SHUTTER - A camera control device may include a housing to store the camera and various control modules. The housing may also have a movable camera shutter operating on a shutter track that is close to the camera inside the camera housing. The shutter may include an open portion and a closed portion and a knob which extends beyond a surface area of the camera housing to control movement of the shutter along the shutter track. The movement of the shutter may also be automated and may be subject to sensors triggering sensed conditions. | 06-09-2016 |
20160165117 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR SHOOTING A PICTURE - The present disclosure relates to a method and a device for shooting a picture, which belongs to a photography field. The method includes: obtaining a motion parameter of a mobile terminal; determining a current shooting parameter according to the motion parameter; shooting the picture according to the current shooting parameter. The present disclose solves the problem that there is obvious smear in a shot picture due to a movement of a mobile terminal and achieves the effects that the current shooting parameter is determined according to the motion parameter of the mobile terminal and that there is no smear or little smear in the shot picture. | 06-09-2016 |
20160173750 | IMAGE SIGNAL PROCESSOR AND MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICE INCLUDING THE SAME | 06-16-2016 |
20160173751 | CONTROL DEVICE, CONTROL METHOD, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE | 06-16-2016 |
20160182795 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS HAVING LIVE VIEW FUNCTION, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME | 06-23-2016 |
20160182839 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS AND DRIVING METHOD OF IMAGE SENSOR | 06-23-2016 |
20160182841 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND IMAGING METHOD | 06-23-2016 |
20160191776 | EXPOSURE CONTROL METHODS AND APPARATUS - Methods and apparatus for controlling exposure in a camera device are described. A depth map is used in combination with user selection of a portion of scene as part of an exposure control operation. Exposure control is based on portions of the scene, e.g., in a local window surrounding the user selected point, at the same depth as the user selected portion of the scene with other portions of the scene being excluded from consideration when controlling exposure or being given less weight than the portion or portions at the same depth as the user selected scene portion. Color maybe and in some embodiments is used in combination with depth information to identify an object of interest identified by the user selection. The identified object is then used in some embodiments in making exposure control determinations with portions of a scene outside the object being ignored or given less weight in determining an exposure to be used than the portions corresponding to the identified object. | 06-30-2016 |
20160205307 | EXPOSURE CONTROL APPARATUS THAT CONTROLS EXPOSURE DURING SHOOTING, CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR, STORAGE MEDIUM, AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS | 07-14-2016 |
20160381258 | CAMERA SKID TRACTOR NOZZLE ASSEMBLY - A camera skid and thrust nozzle assembly for supporting a camera while being positioned in a tubular pipe or conduit spaced from any wall of the conduit and permitting movement of the assembly along the conduit. The assembly includes a cage rotatably fastened to a high pressure fluid tractor nozzle, wherein the cage can rotate about an axis through the tractor nozzle. A camera support structure is fastened within the cage for rotation of the support structure about the axis independent of rotation of the cage. The camera support structure has a weight attached thereto for urging rotational orientation of the camera support structure within the cage according to a sensed external gravitational force on the assembly. | 12-29-2016 |
20160381270 | OPTICAL FILTERING FOR CAMERAS - In one embodiment, a camera includes an image sensor within a camera housing that converts light entering the camera housing through an optical filter into digital image data. The optical filter can have a variable opacity. A processor in communication with the image sensor identifies operation settings for the optical filter and adjusts an opacity level of the optical filter over an exposure period in accordance with the operation settings for the optical filter. In addition, the processor modifies values of the digital image data based at least on the operation settings for the optical filter. | 12-29-2016 |
20160381274 | Image Sensing Module - An image sensing module includes a plurality of pixels forming a pixel array, wherein each of the pixels consists of a plurality of sub-pixels with the same color; and a control circuit coupled to the sub-pixels for controlling exposure periods of the sub-pixels. | 12-29-2016 |
20220141371 | CONTROL APPARATUSES, PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUSES, MOVABLE OBJECTS, CONTROL METHODS, AND PROGRAMS - An exposure time may become extremely long due to automatic exposure control. A control apparatus includes a circuit, configured to set an upper limit of an exposure time is provided. The circuit is configured to determine an exposure time of a photographing apparatus within a range below the upper limit according to an exposure control value of the photographing apparatus. A control method includes steps of setting an upper limit of an exposure time is also provided. The control method includes the following step: determining an exposure time of a photographing apparatus within a range below the upper limit according to an exposure control value of the photographing apparatus. | 05-05-2022 |