| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 348351000 | With oscillation of lens or sensor to optimize error signal | 7 |
| 20110001870 | IMAGING APPARATUS - An apparatus includes an imaging unit including an image sensor configured to photoelectrically convert an object image formed by a photographic lens, a light-blocking member configured to adjust an exposure time of the image sensor by mechanically closing an aperture thereof to block a light flux from the photographic lens from entering the image sensor through the aperture, and a driving unit configured to drive the imaging unit along an optical axis within a range including a position where at least a part of the imaging unit is inside the aperture of the light-blocking member. | 01-06-2011 |
| 20110032413 | AUTO-FOCUSING TECHNIQUES BASED ON STATISTICAL BLUR ESTIMATION AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS - This is generally directed to auto-focusing techniques based on statistical blur estimation. An image can be captured at two or more candidate lens positions. The amount of blur of each image can then be determined, and the image containing the least amount of blur can be chosen as the “in-focus” image. In some embodiments, the amount of blur of an image can be determined by identifying how “Gaussian” an image is. Characteristics that are more Gaussian in nature can indicate that the image is more blurry. The Gaussianity of an image can be determined by estimating a generalized Gaussian shape parameter for that image. A smaller shape parameter can indicate the image is less Gaussian in nature. The shape parameter can be estimated in any suitable manner such as, for example, through a 2-d discrete wavelet transform, through a 1-d discrete wavelet transform, or through any other suitable manner. | 02-10-2011 |
| 20140176786 | IMAGE CAPTURE APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - Subject distances of a plurality of subject areas included in a captured image are computed based on a plurality of focus evaluation values indicating in-focus positions of a plurality of focus detection areas set in the captured image. Upon detection of a change in the captured image, the subject distances of the plurality of subject areas are re-computed by re-moving a focus lens. In this case, a driving range of the focus lens includes in-focus positions corresponding to previously-calculated subject distances and corresponds to the distribution of the previously-calculated subject distances. | 06-26-2014 |
| 20140211078 | IMAGE PICKUP MODULE - An image pickup module is provided with: lenses; a lens support unit that supports the lenses in a freely movable manner in the optical axis direction; an image pickup unit that detects light from the lenses and outputs an image signal; an operation information storage unit in which information about the operating state of the image pickup unit is stored; and a lens drive control unit including a drive circuit for driving the lenses in the optical axis direction and a drive method switching circuit for switching the drive method therefor between linear drive and pulse drive. The drive method switching circuit of the lens drive control unit is made so as to switch the drive method in accordance with the operating state information stored in the operation information storage unit. | 07-31-2014 |
| 20140347551 | AUTOFOCUS CAMERA AND CAMERA-EQUIPPED ELECTRONIC DEVICE - An autofocus camera is provided which restrains and corrects any tilt that may occur in the optical axis direction without the need of providing any additional new sensors for that purpose. The autofocus camera includes an image sensor for receiving light from an object and converting the light into corresponding electrical signals, a lens driving device having a lens for focusing the light from the object upon said image sensor, and a control portion for causing said lens driving device to adjust any tilt that may occur in the optical axis in response to the electrical signals received from said image sensor. The control portion is operated to cause the lens driving device to adjust any tilts of the optical axis with respect to the image sensor in the orthogonal directions with each other, so that the resolution signals at the predetermined positions of said image sensor can be maximized. | 11-27-2014 |
| 20140375873 | OPTICAL DEVICE - An optical device includes a base; an image sensing element disposed on the base; a focusing motor connected to a frame and mounted on the base by the frame; a barrel adjacent to the base, wherein the focusing motor and the frame are disposed within the barrel; and a first lens group disposed within the barrel, having at least one first lens and connecting to the focusing motor. In operation, the focusing motor drives the first lens group to approach or move away from the image sensing element so that the light is focused on the image sensing element via the first lens group. | 12-25-2014 |
| 20160042526 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME - An imaging apparatus is provided, which includes an image sensor which includes a plurality of image pixels and a plurality of sensing pixels, and is configured to capture images through collection of light that is incident through a lens and the plurality of phase sensing pixels; and a processor configured to divide a region of interest of the image sensor into a plurality of sub-regions of interest, calculate disparity information of objects that correspond to the plurality of sub-regions of interest using at least one of the plurality of phase sensing pixels included in the plurality of sub-regions of interest, and determine a focal region in the region of interest on the basis of the disparity information. Accordingly, user convenience is increased. | 02-11-2016 |
