Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080231728 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS, LIGHT METERING METHOD, LUMINANCE CALCULATION METHOD, AND PROGRAM - An image capturing apparatus includes: an image capturing processing unit capable of selectively performing a normal image capturing process in a normal image capturing mode and a combined image capturing process in a combined image capturing mode, the normal image capturing process being a process of obtaining a single exposure image signal in a unit period and generating captured image data by performing signal processing upon the obtained signal, and the combined image capturing process being a process of obtaining a long-exposure image signal and a short-exposure image signal and generating captured image data by performing signal processing including signal combination upon these obtained signals; a detection unit for performing light metering upon the captured image data; and a control unit for controlling switching between light metering methods used in the detection unit in accordance with an image capturing mode used. | 09-25-2008 |
20080266424 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS, IMAGE CAPTURING METHOD, EXPOSURE CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM - An image capturing apparatus includes: an image capturing unit configured to generate a long-exposure image signal and a short-exposure image signal on the basis of light transmitted from a subject and output the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal as image capturing signals; a signal processing unit configured to generate a combined image signal by combining the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal, the combined image signal having a dynamic range that is relatively wider than that of at least any one of the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal; a detection unit configured to generate luminance information of the combined image signal; and a control unit configured to perform automatic exposure control for the short-exposure image signal using the luminance information in an exposure setting mode in which exposure control is performed in accordance with a user's setting. | 10-30-2008 |
20080284872 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, IMAGE PICKUP METHOD, EXPOSURE CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM - An image pickup apparatus includes: an image pickup unit configured to generate a long-exposure image signal and a short-exposure image signal from incident light and output the generated signals as image pickup signals, the long-exposure image signal being generated by exposure for a relatively long period and the short-exposure image signal being generated by exposure for a relatively short period; a signal processing unit configured to generate a combined image signal by combining the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal, the combined image signal having a dynamic range that is relatively wider than that of at least any one of the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal; a detection unit configured to obtain a luminance integrated value and a luminance histogram of the combined image signal; and a control unit configured to perform exposure correction control using the luminance integrated value and the luminance histogram. | 11-20-2008 |
20090086056 | IMAGING APPARATUS, IMAGING METHOD, AND PROGRAM - An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit capable of selectively executing an imaging operation in a normal imaging mode that outputs a normal exposure image signal in a unit period and an imaging operation in a combined imaging mode that outputs a long-time-exposure image signal and a short-time-exposure image signal, a pre-processing unit that performs gain processing on the normal exposure image signal, or the signals, a signal processing unit that, by combining the image signals, generates a combined image signal, and a control unit that performs control in which, by switching a reference gain setting value in the gain processing in the pre-processing unit in accordance with the normal or combined imaging mode, when the imaging unit is in the combined imaging mode, the reference gain setting value is set to be greater than the reference gain setting value when the imaging unit is in the normal imaging mode. | 04-02-2009 |
20090086061 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, IMAGE PICKUP METHOD, AND PROGRAM THEREFOR - An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup unit selectively performing an image capturing operation in a normal image capturing mode where an exposure image signal is output in a unit period and a combined image capturing mode where long- and short-exposure image signals are output in the unit period; a signal processing unit generating a combined image signal with a dynamic range wider than that of the long-exposure image signal or the short-exposure image signal by combining the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal; a detection unit generating a luminance integrated value of the combined image signal; and a control unit performing exposure correction control using the luminance integrated value. The control unit initializes a correction value used in the exposure correction control when the mode is switched from the normal image capturing mode to the combined image capturing mode. | 04-02-2009 |
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 |
20090153699 | IMAGING APPARATUS, IMAGING PROCESSING METHOD, AND IMAGING CONTROL PROGRAM - An imaging apparatus includes: an imaging device outputting, during a unit period of time, a long-exposure-time image signal having a relatively long exposure time and a short-exposure-time image signal having a relatively short exposure time; a first clipping processing mechanism clipping a part not lower than a first signal level of a luminance signal obtained from the long-exposure-time image signal; a second clipping processing mechanism clipping a part not higher than a second signal level of a luminance signal obtained from the short-exposure-time image signal; and a signal processing mechanism generating a synthesized image signal having a dynamic range wider than dynamic ranges of both of the image signals by synthesizing the clipped image signals, wherein the second signal level is not lower than a signal level obtained by dividing the first signal level by a ratio in time of the long exposure time to the short exposure time. | 06-18-2009 |
20100066858 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND IMAGING MODE CONTROL METHOD - In an imaging apparatus capable of selectively performing an imaging operation in normal imaging mode and that in composite imaging mode, an object is imaged by performing the imaging operation in normal imaging mode to generate an exposure image signal, a brightness rate of a bright portion and dark portion of the object is calculated by detecting the exposure image signal, an exposure rate, which is a ratio of a long-time exposure time and a short-time exposure time in composite imaging mode, is calculated, and the imaging mode of the imaging apparatus is switched from the normal imaging mode to the composite imaging mode based on a comparison result of the brightness rate and the exposure rate. | 03-18-2010 |
20100097493 | Imaging apparatus, imaging method and program - In an imaging apparatus capable of selectively performing an imaging operation in normal imaging mode and that in composite imaging mode, auto exposure control is stopped after the auto exposure control for long-time exposure image signals and short-time exposure image signals is temporarily completed in composite imaging mode and if, after the auto exposure control is stopped, a predetermined brightness change in images is detected continuously for a predetermined time or longer based on brightness values detected from the images obtained from a composite image signal, the imaging mode of the imaging apparatus is switched from the composite imaging mode to the normal imaging mode. | 04-22-2010 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090034398 | OBJECT LENS, OPTICAL PICKUP, AND OPTICAL DISC DEVICE - An optical pickup includes: a first emitting unit to emit an optical beam of a first wavelength; a second emitting unit to emit an optical beam of a second wavelength; a third emitting unit to emit an optical beam of a third wavelength; an object lens to condense optical beams emitted from the first through third emitting units onto a signal recording face of an optical disc; and a diffraction unit provided on one face of an optical element or the object lens positioned on the optical path of the optical beams of the first through third wavelengths; wherein the diffraction unit includes a generally circular first diffraction region provided on the innermost perimeter, a ring zone shaped second diffraction region provided on the outer side of the first diffraction region, and a ring zone shaped third diffraction region provided on the outer side of the second diffraction region. | 02-05-2009 |
20090135705 | OPTICAL PICKUP AND OPTICAL DISC DEVICE - An optical pickup for performing recording and/or playback of information by selectively irradiating the corresponding wavelength optical beam to first through third optical discs having a protection layer with different thickness, includes emission units for emitting first-wavelength through third-wavelength optical beams corresponding to the respective optical discs respectively, a condensing optical device for condensing each wavelength optical beam on an optical disc signal recording face, a divergence angle transformation device, which can be moved in the optical axis direction, for transforming the divergence angle of each wavelength optical beam according to the moved position in the optical axis direction so as to obtain a predetermined divergence angle, and a detector having a common light receiving unit for receiving each wavelength optical beam separated by an optical path separating unit and returned, with the condensing optical device condensing each wavelength optical beam on the corresponding optical disc signal recording face appropriately. | 05-28-2009 |
20110075543 | OBJECT LENS, OPTICAL PICKUP, AND OPTICAL DISC DEVICE - An optical pickup includes: a first emitting unit to emit an optical beam of a first wavelength; a second emitting unit to emit an optical beam of a second wavelength; a third emitting unit to emit an optical beam of a third wavelength; an object lens to condense optical beams emitted from the first through third emitting units onto a signal recording face of an optical disc; and a diffraction unit provided on one face of an optical element or the object lens positioned on the optical path of the optical beams of the first through third wavelengths; wherein the diffraction unit includes a generally circular first diffraction region provided on the innermost perimeter, a ring zone shaped second diffraction region provided on the outer side of the first diffraction region, and a ring zone shaped third diffraction region provided on the outer side of the second diffraction region. | 03-31-2011 |
20110112795 | LIGHT CONDENSING LENS AND THREE-DIMENSIONAL DISTANCE MEASURING APPARATUS - A light condensing lens includes a plurality of lenses disposed side by side in a splitting direction of a view angle to condense incident light over a range corresponding to respective split portions of the view angle. The view angle is split in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis of the incident light. | 05-12-2011 |
20130223075 | LIGHT CONDENSING LENS AND THREE-DIMENSIONAL DISTANCE MEASURING APPARATUS - A light directing system including first and second relay lenses through which light passes, the first and second relay lenses being positioned at conjugate positions, the first relay lens being positioned between the second relay lens and a light source, a focal length of the first relay lens being longer than a focal length of the second relay lens. | 08-29-2013 |