| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 348348000 | Using active ranging | 50 |
| 20090251590 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - In an image capturing apparatus for carrying out TV-AF type autofocus control, a difference is provided between an AF frame set for a particular object detected in an image, for example, for a person's face, and a normal AF frame in the band of frequency components for use in the generation of an AF evaluation value. Specifically, an AF evaluation value is generated for the AF frame set in the face region based on components in a frequency band with the highest frequency lower than for the normal AF frame. | 10-08-2009 |
| 20090284644 | Optical Payload with Folded Telescope and Cryocooler - A compact optical payload for an unmanned aircraft includes two infrared cameras for wide and narrow field viewing, a daylight color camera, a laser pointer and a laser range finder. | 11-19-2009 |
| 20090303378 | Image pickup apparatus and method of controlling the same - An image pickup apparatus includes: a sub image sensor for obtaining a shot image with respect to a subject image; a subject detecting section for detecting a face region relevant to a subject; a shooting distance calculating section for calculating a shooting distance to the subject; a phase difference AF module for obtaining focus information according to a focusing condition obtained by use of a focusing lens; a phase difference AF control section which, when it is difficult to obtain the focus information, effects a determining operation for moving the focusing lens and determining a lens position at which the focus information can be obtained; and a control information obtaining section deciding the moving direction for the focusing lens in the determining operation, based on the shooting distance. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090310012 | DIGITAL CAMERA - A digital camera of the present invention includes a microcomputer | 12-17-2009 |
| 20100110273 | VOICE AND POSITION LOCALIZATION - Apparatus configured for processing of both audible and ultrasonic sound inputs, including a sensor with a frequency response spanning both audible and ultrasonic frequencies, and processing electronics configured to separate the audible and ultrasonic input frequencies for independent use. Apparatus configured for processing of both audible and ultrasonic sound inputs, including a sensor with a frequency response spanning both audible and ultrasonic frequencies, and processing electronics configured to process each one of the audible and ultrasonic input frequencies independently. Related apparatus and methods are also described. | 05-06-2010 |
| 20100128163 | Imaging device and imaging method - There is provided an imaging device which detects a focused position focused on a desired subject in an imaging range in response to a detection instruction, acquires the image data obtained by imaging the subject image at the focused position as saving image data in response to a release instruction, and sequentially changing a focal position with the focused position as a reference and acquiring the image data obtained by imaging the subject image at a plurality of changed different focal positions as saving image data. | 05-27-2010 |
| 20100149407 | Range Finder and Method for Finding Range - Provided is a range finder. The range finder comprises a light-emitting unit, a light-receiving unit, a reflection mirror, an actuator, and a controller. The light-emitting unit emits a light pulse, and a light-receiving unit detects reflected light incident thereto. The reflection minor reflects the light pulse emitted from the light-emitting unit to a measurement space, and reflecting the reflected light reflected by an object in the measurement space so that the reflected light is incident to the light-receiving unit. The actuator allows the reflection minor to move. The controller obtains distance information from a signal detected by the light-receiving unit, and obtains location information from the actuator. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100157135 | Passive distance estimation for imaging algorithms - The specification and drawings present a new method, apparatus and software product for a passive estimation of a distance between a camera or an electronic device comprising the camera (e.g., a wireless camera phone) and an identified object or objects (e.g., automatically recognizable by the camera) having one or more known dimensions and located substantially in one object plane using an image (e.g., provided by the camera) for implementing by the camera/electronic device one or more imaging algorithms (e.g., autofocusing, flash adjustment, etc.) using that distance. | 06-24-2010 |
| 20100171870 | LENS CONTROL APPARATUS, OPTICAL APPARATUS, AND LENS CONTROL METHOD - An imaging apparatus controls a movement of a second lens unit to compensate for an image-plane movement due to a movement of a first lens unit when a captured image is zoomed by moving the first lens unit, and controls the movement of the second lens unit to be performed within a range selected from data based on second information corresponding to an object distance. The data indicates a position of the first lens unit and a position of the second lens unit on an optical axis located behind the first lens unit, and is provided for each of object distances. The range of the movement of the second lens unit is changed according to a detection result by a second detection unit at a predetermined time. | 07-08-2010 |
| 20100182493 | ELECTRONIC CAMERA - An electronic camera includes an imaging device. The imaging device repeatedly outputs an object scene image produced on an imaging surface capturing an object scene through a focus lens. A position of the focus lens is repeatedly changed by a moving amount Wrough under the control of a CPU. Moreover, a distance from the focus lens to the imaging surface is repeatedly changed by a moving amount Wfine, smaller than the moving amount Wrough, under the control of the CPU. The CPU adjusts the position of the focus lens to a position corresponding to a focal point, based on the object scene image outputted from the imaging device, in parallel with such a rough adjusting process and/or a fine adjusting process. However, the CPU restricts the rough adjusting process when the contrast of an object belonging to the object scene falls below a reference. | 07-22-2010 |
| 20100188559 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR HIGH NUMERIC APERTURE IMAGING SYSTEMS - A system and method for high numeric aperture imaging systems includes a splitter, a defocusing system, and a combiner. The splitter reflects a portion of collected light and transmits another portion of the collected light. The defocusing system is configured to modify optical power of either the transmitted portion or reflected portion of the collected light. The combiner is oriented with respect to a mechanical angle. The combiner recombines portions of the transmitted portion and the reflected portion such that the transmitted portion and reflected portion are subsequently transmitted being separated by an optical separation angle based upon the mechanical angle of orientation of the combiner. Various other implementations are used to maintain focus with regards to the imaging systems involved. | 07-29-2010 |
| 20100283888 | METHOD FOR CONTAMINATION DETECTION IN A TOF RANGE CAMERA - A method for contamination detection in a time-of-flight (TOF) range imaging system is described, wherein the TOF range imaging system receives light reflected from a scene, through an optical interface, on an imager sensor having an array of pixels, and wherein distance information and amplitude information are determined for the sensor pixels. The presence of contamination on the optical interface is determined on the basis of amplitude information determined for the sensor pixels. | 11-11-2010 |
| 20110043679 | CAMERA DEVICE AND ADJUSTING METHOD FOR THE SAME - A camera device includes a light detection and ranging system to emit laser light to scan a determined scene to obtain three-dimensional information of the determined scene. The camera device stores a first set of three-dimensional information of the determined scene at a first time, and compares a second set of three-dimensional information of the determined scene at a second time with the first set of three-dimensional information, to determine whether there is an invading object in the determined or not, and then sends a driving command to a driving module to adjust a lens angle and a focus of an image capture module to capture images of the invading object in focus in response to there being a invading object. | 02-24-2011 |
| 20110075017 | PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MEASURING DISTANCE BY PERFORMING AUTO FOCUS FUNCTION - A portable electronic device for measuring a distance of an object by performing an auto focus function and a distance measuring method are provided. The portable electronic device includes an image pickup module and a distance measuring program. The image pickup module includes a lens, an optical sensing element and a transmission mechanism. The distance measuring program includes a distance look-up table. The distance look-up table is established by correlating a plurality of lens moving step numbers with corresponding object distance values. The auto focus function is performed to capture an image of an object by the image pickup module, thereby obtaining a current lens moving step number required for performing the auto focus function. A current object distance value corresponding to the current lens moving step number is acquired according to the distance look-up table. | 03-31-2011 |
| 20110075018 | COMPOUND-EYE IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - A compound-eye image pickup apparatus includes: a plurality of image pickup devices each including a focusing lens; a moving device configured to move the focusing lens; an automatic focusing device configured to cause the moving device to move the focusing lens within a predetermined range, to acquire focusing positions of each of the plurality of image pickup devices; and a detecting device configured to detect whether or not the focusing position can be acquired, wherein when the detecting device detects that the focusing position of at least one of the plurality of image pickup devices is acquired and the focusing position of the remaining image pickup device is not acquired, the automatic focusing device moves the focusing lens of the image pickup device for which it is detected that the focusing position thereof is not acquired, within an additional range outside of the predetermined range to acquire the focusing position thereof. | 03-31-2011 |
| 20110169998 | DYNAMIC CAMERA FOCUSING - Apparatus for focusing a camera having an optic axis, an optic center and a field of view, to image a scene, the apparatus comprising: an illumination system controllable to illuminate substantially any region of interest (ROI) of the scene in the field of view of the camera with a relatively small fiducial spot of light; a ranging system configured to determine a range for the fiducial spot relative to the camera; and a controller that focuses the camera to a distance responsive to the determined range. | 07-14-2011 |
| 20110181770 | DEPTH FROM DEFOCUS CALIBRATION - A device and methods are provided for calculating depth estimation for a digital imaging device are disclosed and claimed. In one embodiment, a method includes detecting a first image associated with a first focus parameter, detecting a second image associated with a second focus parameter, calculating a statistical representation of a region of interest in the first and second images, and determining a ratio for the region of interest based on the statistical representation. The method may further include determining one or more focus characteristics using a memory table based on the determined ratio for the region of interest, and calculating a focus depth for capture of image data based on the determined one or more focus characteristics associated with the memory table. | 07-28-2011 |
| 20110242402 | DIGITAL CAMERAS WITH TRIANGULATION AUTOFOCUS SYSTEM - Digital cameras with triangulation auto focus systems include a spot beam emitter than can be used to project a spot onto a subject that is captured in an image and used to electronically automatically determine a subject to camera distance. | 10-06-2011 |
| 20110292276 | IMAGING APPARATUS, IMAGING SYSTEM, CONTROL METHOD OF IMAGING APPARATUS, AND PROGRAM - An imaging apparatus is provided which includes an imaging section which converts incident light which is incident from a subject via a lens and generates an imaging image; a selection section which, in regard to each of a plurality of ranging areas arranged in the generated imaging image, obtains a subject distance which is a distance from the lens to a subject included in the ranging area and an MTF for each of the ranging areas in relation to the lens, and selects a ranging area which includes a subject to be a focusing target as a focusing target area based on the obtained subject distance and MTF; and a focus control section which performs focus control so as to focus on a subject included in the selected focusing target area. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110310290 | RANGE-FINDING DEVICE AND IMAGING APPARATUS - A range-finding device includes a plurality of image pickup units disposed at a predetermined interval with each other, a lens unit to form subject images of a subject on the plurality of image pickup units, the image pickup units on which the subject image is formed outputting signals of the subject image, and a distance calculation unit to calculate a distance to the subject based on the signals output from the image pickup units. The plurality of image pickup units are formed on a single substrate. The subject image is formed through the lens unit on at least two image pickup units of the plurality of image pickup units. The distance calculation unit calculates a distance to the subject based on the signals output from the at least two image pickup units on each of which the subject image is formed. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20120019708 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS AND IMAGE CAPTURING METHOD - An image capturing apparatus has a function of automatically focusing on an object to be photographed. The apparatus includes a first image-obtaining unit that includes a picture-taking lens which includes a focusing lens, and a first imaging sensor to obtain a first image of the object; a second image-obtaining unit that includes a range-finding lens and a second imaging sensor to obtain a second image of the object; a range finder that calculates a distance to the object by using the first image data and the second image data; and a focus control unit that moves the focusing lens according to the distance calculated by the range finder to attain focus on the object. The range finder includes an image-forming-position determining unit which determines a first image forming position and a second image forming position, based on which a distance calculating unit calculates a distance to the object. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120154667 | FOCUS DETECTING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An external AF focus detecting apparatus capable of achieving both good focus detection accuracy for a subject in a short distance and an appropriate amount of processing for a subject in a long distance is provided. In the case where the distance to the subject is less than a predetermined threshold value, with respect to accumulation pixels SA | 06-21-2012 |
| 20120154668 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing apparatus ( | 06-21-2012 |
| 20120281132 | IMAGE CAPTURING DEVICE, IMAGE CAPTURING METHOD, PROGRAM, AND INTEGRATED CIRCUIT - An image capturing device includes: a pre-capturing module which captures an imaging target at each of different focus positions in a predetermined focus range and outputs, as a capturing result, a plurality of pre-captured images lower in resolution than the output image; an object sharpness evaluating module which computes a sharpness level of each of the pre-captured images captured by the pre-capturing module; a focus varying range determining module which determines a focus position varying range within the predetermined focus range based on sharpness levels computed by the object sharpness evaluating module, such that a signal-to-noise ratio of the output image is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold; and an image capturing module which captures the imaging target while varying the focus position according to the focus position varying range determined by the focus varying range determining module, and outputs the output image as a capturing result. | 11-08-2012 |
| 20120300115 | IMAGE SENSING DEVICE - An image sensing device includes: a first image sensing portion that shoots a first image; a second image sensing portion that successively shoots a plurality of second images with focus positions different from each other; a distance information generation portion that generates, based on the second images, distance information on subjects on the first image; and an image processing portion that performs image processing using the distance information on the first image. | 11-29-2012 |
| 20120307132 | IMAGING MODULE, IMAGING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An imaging module includes a plurality of optical units configured to form an image of a subject. At least some of the optical units are each provided with a polarization filter. Information about a distance from the optical units to the subject is estimated based on image data acquired by the optical units provided with the polarization filters. | 12-06-2012 |
| 20130002935 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD, RECORDING MEDIUM, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM - An imaging apparatus includes: a control section configured to control timing for starting accumulations by photodiodes of a plurality of distance measuring sensors, wherein the control section controls the timing for starting the accumulations by the photodiodes such that the accumulations by the photodiodes of the plurality of distance measuring sensors end at same timing. | 01-03-2013 |
| 20130021518 | IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM - An image pickup system includes: an optical system including a focus lens unit; a camera platform apparatus driving the optical system to pan and tilt; a measuring unit measuring a distance to an object, the measuring unit operable to be driven independently from the pan/tilt-driving of the optical system; and a controller storing panning/tilting positions of the optical system as pre-set positions, and controls driving of the optical system to the pre-set positions, wherein upon input of a drive command for driving the optical system to the stored pre-set positions, the controller drives the measuring unit so that a panning position of the measuring unit and the stored panning position correspond to each other and starts measurement by the measuring unit before completion of the driving of the optical system to the stored panning/tilting positions. | 01-24-2013 |
| 20130141630 | OPTIMAL BLUR MATCHING SELECTION FOR DEPTH ESTIMATION - Autofocusing is performed in response to a capturing object images upon which multiple depth estimation techniques are applied to yield a plurality of iterations. An iteration from one of these depth estimation techniques is selected based on results, such as based on largest absolute value, and checked. If the iteration fails the check, another of the iterations is selected and tested. Once a valid iteration is found, additional focus positions are executed in like manner from which an accurate focus position is determined. | 06-06-2013 |
| 20130250164 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS AND IN-FOCUS POSITION DETECTION METHOD THEREOF - It is provided a image capturing apparatus including a control unit that determines whether to set a division number to a first division number n or to a second division number m which is larger than n based on the setting status of an image capturing apparatus, calculating a divided area evaluation curve by calculating a correlation between first detection information and second detection information for each of divided areas formed by dividing a phase difference detection area into the n or the m, and acquires a defocus amount to drive and control a focus lens to the in-focus position from a total evaluation curve obtained by conducting a required calculation processing on the divided area evaluation curves of the plural divided areas. | 09-26-2013 |
| 20130258166 | Camera Module with Processor-Based MEMS-Actuated Autofocus - A miniature MEMS autofocus camera module includes an image sensor and an optical assembly including a movable lens group that comprises one or more lenses and that is coupled to a MEMS actuator such that the movable lens group is movable relative to the image sensor. The optical assembly further includes at least a first fixed lens group that comprises one or more lenses and that is fixed relative to the image sensor. A processor is programmed to control an autofocus method designed to adjust a focus distance to an object disposed an arbitrary distance from the miniature MEMS autofocus camera module by actuating the MEMS actuator that is coupled with the movable lens group. | 10-03-2013 |
| 20130278817 | RANGING APPARATUS, RANGING METHOD AND IMAGING SYSTEM - A ranging apparatus has an imaging unit including a pixel group for acquiring first and second images formed by luminous fluxes having passed through first and second pupil areas of an imaging optical system, and a calculation unit configured to create third and fourth images by performing convolution integrals on the first and second images with corrected first and second image modification functions, and to calculate a distance up to the subject by comparison of the third and fourth images, wherein the corrected first and second image modification functions are formed by causing centroid positions calculated based on data of sampling points of the first and second image modification functions corresponding to pixel arrangement of the pixel group to each coincide with a sampling point closest to the centroid position; and the convolution integral is performed by taking the sampling point closest to the centroid position as a reference point. | 10-24-2013 |
| 20130293769 | FOCUS DETECTING APPARATUS - A focus detecting apparatus includes: a lens; a light-transmitting unit; a light-receiving unit; and an optical film that transmits a beam of light passing through the lens and includes a holographic optical element, a diffractive optical element, or a pellicle mirror, wherein a beam of light from the light-transmitting unit is reflected on a reflection mirror including the optical film, passes through a first exit pupil area on one side of an optical axis, and is transmitted to the subject, a beam of reflected light of light irradiated onto the subject passes through a second exit pupil area on another side of the optical axis, is reflected on the reflection mirror and received by the light-receiving unit, and a focal position is obtained using position information of the beam of light received by the light-receiving unit. Autofocusing can be continuously performed during continuous photographing operation and in low brightness environment. | 11-07-2013 |
| 20130314586 | IMAGING DEVICE, SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT, AND IMAGING METHOD - An image-capturing device disclosed in the present application includes: an image-capturing element including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged in two dimensions, wherein the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are exposed through successive scanning and electrical signals are read out from the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements through successive scanning, thereby generating an image signal; a lens optical system including a focus lens for collecting light toward the image-capturing element; a driving section for driving one of the image-capturing element and the focus lens so as to change a distance between the image-capturing element and the focus lens; a displacement control section for outputting a command to the driving section so as to control displacement of the image-capturing element or the focus lens to be driven based on a predetermined displacement pattern; and a synchronizing section for controlling the displacement control section based on exposure timing of the image-capturing element, wherein: the predetermined displacement pattern represents a reciprocal displacement of the image-capturing element or the focus lens to be driven over an entire section between a first focus position of the focus lens or the image-capturing element at which focus is at a first object distance in an image-capturing scene and a second focus position of the focus lens or the image-capturing element at which focus is at a second object distance in the image-capturing scene; and the image-capturing element or the focus lens to be driven is reciprocally displaced an integer number of times within an exposure time for one image of the image-capturing scene for each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements. | 11-28-2013 |
| 20140009663 | IMAGE CAPTURE DEVICE AND AUDIO HINTING METHOD THEREOF IN FOCUSING - An image capture device and an audio hinting method of focusing thereof are provided to perform the following steps. A first digital image is acquired by an image capture device. A focusing value of the first digital image is calculated by a focusing detection module. A second digital image is acquired by an image capture device. A focusing value of the second digital image is calculated by a focusing detection module. The focusing values of the first and second digital images are compared with each other by the focusing detection module. When the focusing values of the first and second digital images are different, a hint sound played by an audio output section is adjusted. | 01-09-2014 |
| 20140022440 | FOCUS EXTENDING OPTICAL SYSTEM AND EDOF IMAGING SYSTEM - A focus extending optical system has optical lenses and a focus extender. The optical lenses form an image of light, from an object, on an image sensor. The focus extender adjusts a wavefront so as to change a position of the image, formed by the optical lenses, in accordance with a distance from an optical axis and thereby extends a focus range. The focus extending optical system satisfies a condition that a value of a second MTF is less than or equal to three times a value of a first MTF. The first MTF is an MTF at a spatial frequency of ½ of a Nyquist frequency of the image sensor. The second MTF is an MTF at a spatial frequency of ¼ of the Nyquist frequency. | 01-23-2014 |
| 20140028895 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND DRIVING METHOD THEREOF - An imaging apparatus with a solid-state imaging device having phase difference detection pixels arranged on a light receiving surface acquires the size of a main subject image by identifying the main subject image picked on the light receiving surface of the solid-state imaging device, sets an AF region subjected to autofocus processing in accordance with an image size, and selects a phase difference AF mode (step S | 01-30-2014 |
| 20140078376 | SIMULATED LARGE AERTURE LENS - A camera apparatus includes a photogrammetric range sensor, small aperture lens and a processor configured to carry out a method for simulating a large aperture lens. The method includes capturing a photographic image data of a scene using the camera with the lens set to a small aperture size. Simultaneously or near-simultaneously with capturing the image, the camera captures photogrammetric range data pertaining to depth of objects in a field of view of the camera, using the range sensor. The processor then processes the photographic image data using the photogrammetric range data to obtain second photographic data simulating an image captured using a lens set to an aperture size larger than the small aperture size. | 03-20-2014 |
| 20140160344 | AUXILIARY LIGHT PROJECTION APPARATUS, FLASH APPARATUS, AND PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS - An auxiliary light projection system employed by a camera having an auto-focus detection unit, comprises a light pattern generator configured to generate an auto-focus detection pattern. The auto-focus detection pattern comprises a first pattern region and a second pattern region that is denser than the first pattern region, and a center of the first pattern region and a center of the second pattern region are separated by a distance determined in response to difference in visual characteristics of the auto-focus detection pattern between when viewed from (i) from an axis through the lens of a camera and (ii) from an axis through a focus pattern projection source. A light pattern projection source configured to project the generated auto-focus detection pattern onto a subject enabling auto-focus detection. | 06-12-2014 |
| 20140253784 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing apparatus includes a focus lens, an image sensor which captures an image and a controller which moves the image sensor or the focus lens. A distance measurer measures a distance to a subject based on a first image and a second image. A focal position moves for the first focal range by moving the image sensor or by moving the position of the focus lens during the first exposure time period, and the focal position moves for the second focal range by moving the image sensor or by moving the position of the focus lens during the second exposure time period. | 09-11-2014 |
| 20140320733 | IMAGE SENSOR, RANGING APPARATUS, AND IMAGING APPARATUS - Provided is a ranging apparatus or the like capable of high-accuracy ranging. The image sensor, comprising multiple pixels, wherein the pixels comprises a ranging pixel including a light collecting member, a waveguide, and first and second photoelectric conversion units, wherein: the first and second units are arranged along a first direction; when a region decentered from a center of pupil in a second direction opposite to the first direction is a first pupil region, a region decentered in the first direction is a second pupil region, a region located in the second direction is a first region, and a region located in the first direction is a second region, the collecting member collects lights passed through the first and second pupil regions to the second and first regions; and the waveguide guides lights collected in the second and first regions toward the first and second units. | 10-30-2014 |
| 20140354874 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTO-FOCUSING OF AN PHOTOGRAPHING DEVICE - An auto-focusing method of an electronic device is provided. The auto-focusing method includes collecting sensor information using a plurality of sensors of the electronic device when a camera of the electronic device is driven, determining at least one focusing sensor, from among the plurality of sensors, based on the collected sensor information, and focusing on a subject located in an image collected from the camera using the at least one determined focusing sensor. | 12-04-2014 |
| 20150042867 | OPTICAL APPARATUS THAT PERFORMS MANUAL FOCUS SHOOTING, AND FOCUSING METHOD - An optical apparatus which is capable of, when performing manual focus shooting, freely adjusting a rack focus speed and stabilizing a final focusing accuracy for a shooting subject. Operation of the focus lens, which is driven in a direction of an optical axis by a motor, is controlled in accordance with rotation of a manual focus ring. A position of the focus lens in the direction of the optical axis, which is detected when the focus lens lies at a predetermined position, is stored in a storage unit. According to the relationship between a signal indicative of a current position of a focus lens and a signal indicative of a position of the focus lens, which is stored in the storage unit, the amount by which the focus lens is driven relative to rotation of a manual focus ring is changed. | 02-12-2015 |
| 20150070565 | CAMERA MODULE AND CAMERA APPARATUS - There is provided a camera module including: a lens; an image pickup device arranged on an optical axis of the lens; and an actuator section configured to reciprocate the image pickup device in an optical axis direction of the lens, wherein the actuator section includes a movable joint section on which the image pickup device is fixed, a parallel link mechanism section having a movable end section attached to the movable joint section and a mounting end section, and a movable element that is configured to perform displacement motion by a displacement amount depending on a level of a voltage to be applied and that is coupled to a coupling region between the movable joint section and the movable end section of the parallel link mechanism section in such a manner that the displacement motion is transmittable. | 03-12-2015 |
| 20160012599 | INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS RECOGNIZING CERTAIN OBJECT IN CAPTURED IMAGE, AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME | 01-14-2016 |
| 20160088212 | DISTANCE MEASUREMENT DEVICE FOR MOTION PICTURE CAMERA FOCUS APPLICATIONS - A system for determining a distance to a region of interest. The system may be used to adjust focus of a motion picture camera. The system may include a first camera configured to have a first field of view, and a second camera configured to have a second field of view that overlaps at least a portion of the first field of view. The system may include a processor configured to calculate a distance of the selected region of interest relative to a location by comparing a position of the selected region of interest in the first field of view with a position of the selected region of interest in the second field of view. | 03-24-2016 |
| 20160094779 | IMAGING APPARATUS - The imaging apparatus of the present disclosure comprises the following structural elements: an optical system including at least one lens an imaging element configured to form an object image with light collected by the optical system, and produce first image data and an image processing section configured to calculate a distance to an object for the image, and produce second image data by providing the first image data with image processing. The image processing section sets a depth of field based on the calculated distance to the object, and carries out the image processing by applying the depth of field. | 03-31-2016 |
| 20160124288 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CAMERA AUTOFOCUS BASED ON WI-FI RANGING TECHNIQUE - Methods and apparatus for capturing an image using an automatic focus are disclosed herein. In one aspect, a method is disclosed which includes communicating, using a camera, with a wireless device via a wireless communication network. The method further includes determining a distance between the camera and the wireless device using the wireless communication network and adjusting a focus of the camera based upon the determined distance. Finally, the method includes capturing an image using the adjusted focus of the camera. In some aspects, this method may be done on a smartphone or digital camera which includes Wi-Fi capabilities. | 05-05-2016 |
| 20160150151 | RANGING APPARATUS, IMAGING APPARATUS, AND RANGING METHOD - A ranging apparatus includes: an output ratio data calculation unit for calculating an output ratio data of first and second image data; a correction function calculation unit for calculating a correction function approximating the output ratio data by an N-order function (N being an integer equal to or greater than 1) having a pixel position as a variable; a correction unit for correcting at least one of the first and second image data on the basis of the correction function; and a ranging unit for calculating the defocus amount by using the picture image data corrected by the correction unit. | 05-26-2016 |
| 20160173761 | IMAGING DEVICE, RANGING DEVICE AND IMAGING APPARATUS | 06-16-2016 |
