| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 348363000 | Automatic control of iris, stop, or diaphragm | 54 |
| 20080198260 | LENS BARREL AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - A lens barrel capable of, in a housed state of the photographing lens barrel, making an image pickup apparatus more compact than the conventional image pickup apparatuses, while protecting an image pickup element from harmful light. The lens barrel comprises a lens holding section adapted to hold a lens, a dimming filter adapted to be retractable to reduce light from an object, a shutter adapted to be opened and closed to shield the light from the object, and a control unit adapted to control the movement of the lens holding section, the dimming filter and the shutter. The control unit is adapted, in a non-image-pickup state, to close the shutter and to retreat the dimming filter, and adapted to move the lens or the lens holding section to a space formed by retreating of the dimming filter. | 08-21-2008 |
| 20090002544 | METHODS OF ADDING ADDITIONAL PARAMETERS DURING AUTOMATIC EXPOSURE FOR A DIGITAL CAMERA AND RELATED ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS - An electronic device includes a camera that includes an automatic exposure module. The automatic exposure module is configured to determine an exposure for a picture by automatically adjusting an aperture size, shutter timing, and/or an ISO setting. The automatic exposure module is further configured to automatically adjust at least one parameter in addition to the aperture size, shutter timing and/or ISO setting in determining the exposure for the picture. | 01-01-2009 |
| 20090066834 | Iris diaphragm device - There is provided an iris diaphragm device comprising: two blade members supported on two rotary shafts; a lamp optical path between the two blade members; a motor driving directly one of the rotary shafts; and a means of transmitting power from the one rotary shaft to the other, wherein the motor and the means are disposed off the lamp optical path, and the two blade members revolve respectively to the two rotary shafts whereby a blocked area of the lamp optical path is adjusted, and wherein a magnetic sensor including a plate-like magnetic sensing portion and a plate-like magnet and detecting a rotation angle of the rotary shafts is disposed on an axis line of one of the two rotary shafts and also off the lamp optical path such that facing surfaces of the magnetic detecting portion and the magnet are orthogonal to the rotary shafts. | 03-12-2009 |
| 20090185070 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND PROGRAM THEREOF - In a digital camera | 07-23-2009 |
| 20090256954 | DIAPHRAGM VALUE RECOGNITION - A method for determining the current camera aperture (working aperture) of lenses on digital cameras having a viewfinder eyepiece and internal exposure measurement through the lens is wherein a further external exposure measurement is carried out past the lens and the value of the working aperture is determined from a reference table stored in the digital camera from the difference ΔBV between the two measured exposure values BV(int) and BV(ext). A digital camera suitable for carrying out the method wherein outside the region covered by the lens tube, the housing of the digital camera has an additional window for a further exposure meter with an upstream optics that is directed onto the subject and serves to restrict the shooting angle, and includes a memory for a reference table for determining the aperture value. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20100118176 | 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. There is at least one electrode associated with each linear microshutter element and extended in the length direction parallel to the microshutter element. | 05-13-2010 |
| 20100201866 | DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS WHICH SETS A SHUTTER SPEED ACCORDING TO A FREQUENCY OF AN ILLUMINATION APPARATUS - A digital photographing apparatus may include an imaging device which captures an image of a subject using an illumination apparatus that operates using alternating current (AC) power, and a shutter speed derivation unit which derives at least one shutter speed that is n/2 times a reciprocal of the frequency at which the illumination apparatus operates when the frequency at which the illumination apparatus operates is not n/2 times the frame rate of the imaging device, according to a result of comparing the frequency at which the illumination apparatus operates and the frame rate of the imaging device. When using the digital photographing apparatus to photograph, frequency information of the illumination apparatus may be easily obtained and flicker may be prevented by using the frequency information to set the shutter speed. | 08-12-2010 |
| 20110019071 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND IMAGE PICKUP METHOD - An image pickup apparatus includes a pixel unit divided into at least two regions which generates pixel signals, driving controllers which controls reading of the pixel signals from the regions, a storage unit storing pixel signals for one screen, a timing controller controlling a timing when the pixel signals are read from the storage unit based on a setting value of an input frame rate, and a timing generator which generates a driving signal for performing the reading processes of the pixel signals the regions in parallel in terms of time when the frame rate is larger than a predetermined threshold value and generates a driving signal for performing the reading processes of the pixel signals from the regions in series in terms of time when the frame rate is not larger than the predetermined threshold value, and which supplies the generated driving signal to the driving controllers. | 01-27-2011 |
| 20110043682 | METHOD FOR USING FLASH TO ASSIST IN FOCAL LENGTH DETECTION - A method for assist in focal length detection is adapted to a digital camera having a flash. The method includes the following steps. First, the flash of the digital camera is actuated and an image having a face portion is captured. Afterwards, an exposure feature value of the face portion in the image is calculated. A focus range comparison table is looked up according to the exposure feature value to obtain an initial focus position. Then, a focus procedure is performed according to the initial focus position to obtain a target focal length. After the target focal length is obtained, a flash feature value of the image is further calculated, and a guide number (GN) and a diaphragm value are set according to the flash feature value. | 02-24-2011 |
| 20110085074 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - The image processing apparatus comprises, an image acquisition unit configured to acquire, as an image, a result of imaging, on an image sensor unit, light traveling from an object via an opening of a stop, a control unit configured to control a shape of the opening based on a function which defines a temporal change of the shape of the opening when the image acquisition unit acquires the image, and a detection unit configured to detect a blur state in the image based on the function. | 04-14-2011 |
| 20110310292 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND PROGRAM THEREOF - In a digital camera, in an automatic shooting stand-by state, when it is judged that an automatic shooting condition has not been satisfied, it is judged whether or not to issue an AE re-processing command (that is, it is judged whether or not the current shooting condition is similar to a condition where the automatic shooting condition is satisfied). When it is judged to issue the AE re-processing command, exposure tracking in an aperture-priority mode is performed, and shooting exposure conditions excluding the aperture value for still-image shooting in the aperture-priority mode are determined. Then, storage is updated. When it is judged that an automatic shooting condition has been satisfied, record processing for still-image shooting is performed with the updated shooting exposure conditions without changing the aperture value. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110317063 | EXPOSURE CONTROL APPARATUS AND EXPOSURE CONTROL METHOD - An exposure control apparatus does exposure control using an exposure evaluation value EV (pv) and an exposure target value EV (sp) according to brightness signals in an exposure adjustment range ER by a plurality of exposure adjustment units. The deviation EV (err) of the exposure target value EV (sp) and the exposure evaluation value EV (pv) is found, and when the deviation EV (err) is in a steady state of a specified level or less, and exposure control is done in a gain exposure control range ER-g, the gain exposure adjustment unit | 12-29-2011 |
| 20120013789 | 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. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120229698 | Digital Camera And Shutter Operation Estimating Method - A shutter blade is traveled to block light arriving at an image sensor at which light has arrived. Movement of a predetermined amount from traveling start of the shutter is detected (time) and a movement operation of the shutter blade is estimated based on a detection timing of the movement of the predetermined amount of the shutter blade, and a correction amount is set. The shutter is traveled at a travel start timing earlier than a basic travel start timing only by a timing correction amount correction amount based on the correction amount set until the previous time. Thus, an exposure period can be adjusted more properly. | 09-13-2012 |
| 20120293708 | DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME - A digital photographing apparatus and a method of controlling the same may reduce a photographing time by performing an operation of reading out data, an operation of closing an iris, and an operation of opening a shutter in parallel. | 11-22-2012 |
| 20130010184 | DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS, A METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME, AND A COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM FOR PERFORMING THE METHOD - A digital photographing apparatus in which iris patterns that have various shapes are provided. The digital photographing apparatus includes a lens unit; an iris in which an iris pattern, that defines a transmission area of incident light according to a signal, is determined; an imaging device that converts the incident light into an electrical signal; and an iris control unit which controls to form the iris pattern in the iris. | 01-10-2013 |
| 20130148014 | IMAGE PICK-UP APPARATUS TO PICK UP STATIC IMAGE - An image pick-up apparatus that is capable of correcting shading due to a closing travel operation of a shutter by a simple process. An image pick-up device picks up the image formed. A shutter unit opens and closes a substantially rectangular aperture corresponding to image pick-up area of the image pick-up device by means of a plurality of rotating shutter blades. The shutter blades travel in mutually opposite directions perpendicular to a long side of the aperture while keeping edges of the shutter blades facing the aperture are parallel to the long side so that edge portions that cover a center area of the aperture start shading the aperture before edge portions that cover four corner areas of the aperture start shading the aperture. | 06-13-2013 |
| 20130242176 | DIAPHRAGM CONTROL APPARATUS OF INTERCHANGEABLE LENS CAMERA - A diaphragm control apparatus of an interchangeable lens camera includes a photographing lens, a diaphragm control slider which is driven between first and second control ends corresponding to maximum and minimum apertures, a position detector, and a controller which drives the diaphragm control slider toward the first control end at high-speed, stores in a memory, as a temporary origin, a position to which the diaphragm control slider has rebounded after reaching the first control end. Thereafter, the controller compares the current position of the diaphragm control slider with the temporary origin while driving the diaphragm control slider at a low-speed towards the first control end. When the current position is within a predetermined range of the temporary origin, the controller determines the current position as the origin of the diaphragm control slider. | 09-19-2013 |
| 20140016025 | LENS APPARATUS AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS CAPABLE OF CONTROLLING APERTURE STOP - A lens apparatus includes an aperture stop unit that adjusts light intensity, a terminal configured so that a voltage is applied in a state of connecting to an image pickup apparatus, a drive circuit that drives the aperture stop unit, and a controller that controls the drive circuit, the controller controls the drive circuit in a drive mode that drives the aperture stop unit from a first position to a second position without driving the aperture stop unit to an open position. | 01-16-2014 |
| 20140055665 | LENS APPARATUS AND IMAGING APPARATUS DETACHABLE THEREFROM - An imaging apparatus includes a sensor configured to photoelectrically convert light from an object to output a signal, a selection unit configured to select one of a first exposure control mode and a second exposure control mode having an exposure changing amount per unit time larger than that of the first exposure control mode, and a controller configured to perform control to transmit diaphragm control information generated based on the output signal from the sensor, first information, and second information to a connected lens unit, wherein the first information is about the exposure control mode selected by the selection unit, and the second information is speed information of a diaphragm unit corresponding to the lens unit. | 02-27-2014 |
| 20140192257 | ELECTRO-OPTIC APERTURE DEVICE - An electro-optic aperture has a stack that includes a front transparent conductor medium, an active electro-chromic medium, and a rear transparent conductor medium. The front and rear transparent conductor mediums are directly connected to each other by a conductive section located within the imaging path. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. | 07-10-2014 |
| 20150062412 | EXPOSURE CONTROLLER, EXPOSURE CONTROL METHOD, AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - An image processing apparatus, including circuitry configured to cause an aperture diaphragm to move from a first diaphragm position to a second diaphragm position within a first exposure period. The circuitry is further configured to cause the aperture diaphragm to then move from the second diaphragm position to the first diaphragm position within the first exposure period or a second exposure period. The first and second exposure periods are used to capture different images. | 03-05-2015 |
| 20150062413 | LIGHT EMISSION CONTROL UNIT, LIGHT EMISSION CONTROL METHOD, AND IMAGE PICKUP UNIT - A light emission control unit includes: a light emission control section configured to control a light emission timing of a flash used in an image pickup unit, in which the image pickup unit has a function of variably controlling, during exposure, an aperture diaphragm between a first diaphragm position and a second diaphragm position at which the aperture diaphragm is closed more than at the first diaphragm position, and the light emission control section allows the flash to emit light at a first timing at which the aperture diaphragm is closed to the second diaphragm position in an exposure section. | 03-05-2015 |
| 20150062414 | EXPOSURE CONTROL UNIT, EXPOSURE CONTROLLING METHOD, AND IMAGE PICKUP UNIT - An image processing apparatus including circuitry configured to cause an aperture diaphragm to move from a starting position toward first and second diaphragm positions of the aperture diaphragm such that the aperture diaphragm reaches the first diaphragm position at the beginning of an exposure period. The circuitry is further configured to cause the aperture diaphragm to move from the first diaphragm position to the second diaphragm position during the exposure period. | 03-05-2015 |
| 20150350511 | AUTOMATIC ANTI-GLARE EXPOSURES FOR IMAGING DEVICES - Techniques related to anti-glare exposures for imaging devices and, in particular, for exposures that disable a flash when a flash reflecting surface is detected between the imaging device and an object of interest of the exposure are discussed. Such techniques may include determining a flash reflecting surface is between the imaging device and the object of interest based on a comparison of an autofocus distance to the object of interest and an estimated distance to the flash reflecting surface and disabling the flash based on the determination. | 12-03-2015 |
| 20160088208 | LENS APPARATUS AND IMAGING APPARATUS DETACHABLE THEREFROM - An imaging apparatus includes a sensor configured to photoelectrically convert light from an object to output a signal, a selection unit configured to select one of a first exposure control mode and a second exposure control mode having an exposure changing amount per unit time larger than that of the first exposure control mode, and a controller configured to perform control to transmit diaphragm control information generated based on the output signal from the sensor, first information, and second information to a connected lens unit, wherein the first information is about the exposure control mode selected by the selection unit, and the second information is speed information of a diaphragm unit corresponding to the lens unit. | 03-24-2016 |
| 20160105595 | Auto-Iris Control Method - An auto-iris control method, including setting a target luminance value of an auto iris; collecting an image at a current moment and calculating a luminance value of the image collected at the current moment; comparing the target luminance value with the luminance value of the image collected at the current moment; comparing an absolute value of the luminance difference at the current moment with a preset luminance difference threshold, determining a status of the auto iris at the current moment, and using a corresponding proportional-integral-derivative (PID) algorithm to calculate a direct current control voltage at the current moment; and adjusting an action of the auto iris according to the calculated direct current control voltage. | 04-14-2016 |
| 348364000 | Based on image signal | 19 |
| 20080316355 | CAMERA - A camera includes an image sensor, and a plurality of metering areas are assigned to an object scene captured by the image sensor. A CPU evaluates a luminance of the object scene for each metering area, and binarizes each of the plurality of obtained luminance evaluated values. Furthermore, on the basis of the plurality of binarized luminance evaluated values, a width of a high luminance area included in the object scene is calculated while a width of an adjacent area adjacent to the high luminance area out of a low luminance area included in the object scene is calculated. Then, each of the plurality of luminance evaluated values is corrected on the basis of a ratio between the width of the calculated adjacent area and the width of the calculated high luminance area. An exposure amount to the image sensor is adjusted on the basis of the luminance evaluated values thus corrected. | 12-25-2008 |
| 20100033619 | Exposure determining device and image processing apparatus - In an exposure determining device, an image acquiring unit acquires a first image. The first image is picked up by an image pickup unit at a first exposure. A light-intensity detecting unit extracts areas in the first image and detects a light intensity in area. A mismatch area determining unit determines, based on the detected light intensity in each area, whether each area is a mismatch area in which an edge is estimated to be undetected due to excess or shortage of the first exposure for a corresponding one of the areas. When it is determined that one of the areas is the mismatch area, a second exposure determining unit determines a second exposure of the image pickup unit. The second exposure is matched with the light intensity in the mismatch area. | 02-11-2010 |
| 20100039551 | DIGITAL IMAGE CAPTURE DEVICE AND EXPOSURE METHOD THEREOF - An exposure method is disclosed. Correct exposure settings are determined for an object in a scene. The determined exposure settings include an exposure time. Whether any portion of an image of the scene formed using the determined exposure settings is overexposed or underexposed is detected. Adjustment times of photometers of an image sensor corresponding to the over/underexposed region(s), if any, to the exposure time are calculated. The calculated adjustment times are converted into regional exposure time(s) for the over/underexposed region(s). The image sensor is exposed using the exposure time and the regional exposure time(s). | 02-18-2010 |
| 20100110280 | ENVIRONMENT RECOGNITION APPARATUS - In an environment recognition apparatus including a light projector that intermittently projects a light pattern toward an object to be measured existing in an environmental space in accordance with a duty factor of a pulse train defining one frame, a camera that outputs a difference image between an image of the object taken at an exposure where the light pattern is projected and an image of the object taken at an exposure where the light pattern is not projected and the object is recognized based on the difference image, there is equipped with a timing controller that controls the projection timing by varying a pulse repetition period in the pulse train in one frame at random, thereby effectively avoiding the interference with the other while using a camera of ordinary sensitivity. | 05-06-2010 |
| 20120057073 | 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. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120212663 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - There is provided an image capturing apparatus, comprising an image capturing unit configured to acquire video data at a first frame rate or a second frame rate higher than the first frame rate; and a control unit configured to perform control of an aperture and an exposure time within a range in which the exposure time is shorter than or equal to a maximum exposure time that is a reciprocal of a frame rate of the image capturing unit, so that luminance of the image signal acquired by the image capturing unit is at a predetermined level, wherein when the image capturing unit is operating at the first frame rate, the control unit performs the control within a range in which the exposure time is shorter than a first time that is a reciprocal of the first frame rate. | 08-23-2012 |
| 20130222680 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND LENS APPARATUS - An image pickup apparatus and a lens apparatus capable of photographing high-grade still images even where an interlace type image pickup element is used are to be provided. When an instruction to photograph a still image is entered, a camera microcomputer generates a timing to intercept light coming incident on a lens according to the aperture value of an iris, and transmits this timing to a lens microcomputer. The lens microcomputer supplies a control signal to an aperture control circuit according to the received timing, and a mechanical shutter is caused to operate as the aperture control circuit closes the iris at high speed. | 08-29-2013 |
| 20130258175 | IMAGE SENSING APPARATUS, EXPOSURE CONTROL METHOD AND RECORDING MEDIUM - An image sensing apparatus obtains the weighted average luminance of an image sensing target that puts weight on a main subject in an obtained luminance distribution of the image sensing target. The image sensing apparatus decides exposure control values based on the average luminance of a region that is lower than the weighted average luminance, out of regions each of a predetermined size contained in the image sensing target, and the weighted average luminance. | 10-03-2013 |
| 20140055666 | IMAGE CAPTURE APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME - An image capture apparatus comprises an image capturing unit that captures an object image and outputs image data; a photometric value acquisition unit that acquires, from the image data, a first photometric value and a second photometric value different from the first photometric value; and an exposure change unit that changes exposure such that the first photometric value comes close to a target value, wherein the exposure change unit calculates a third photometric value based on the first photometric value, the target value, and the second photometric value and corrects the exposure in accordance with a difference between the third photometric value and a reference value. | 02-27-2014 |
| 20140307159 | ACTION CONTROL DEVICE, ACTION CONTROL METHOD, IMAGING DEVICE, AND PROGRAM - Provided is an action control device, including a variable-transmittance ND filter configured to have transmittance that varies according to an applied voltage, an applied voltage control unit configured to control a voltage to be applied to the variable-transmittance ND filter, and a diaphragm control unit configured to control illuminance through a diaphragm. At a time of monitoring, the illuminance is controlled such that the applied voltage control unit applies a substantially minimum voltage to the variable-transmittance ND filter, and the diaphragm control unit opens or closes the diaphragm, and at a time of imaging preparation or imaging, the illuminance is controlled such that the applied voltage control unit applies a certain applied voltage to the variable-transmittance ND filter in a state of the substantially minimum voltage, and controls transmittance, and the diaphragm control unit performs control such that the diaphragm enters a fully opened state or substantially fully opened state. | 10-16-2014 |
| 20150015774 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD, and PROGRAM THEREOF - An image capturing apparatus includes an image capturing unit which captures an image of an object and outputs an image, a switching unit which switches modes between a first mode in which the image capturing unit outputs a first image and then outputs a second image having an exposure value different from the first image, and a second mode in which the image capturing unit continuously outputs an image not used for compositing, an exposure control unit which controls an exposure value for capturing an image of an object, following change in object luminance, when a parameter related to change in object luminance exceeds a predetermined range in which an exposure value for capturing an image of the object is not controlled to follow the change in object luminance, and a setting unit which sets the predetermined range. | 01-15-2015 |
| 20150036040 | EXPOSURE CONTROL APPARATUS AND METHOD, STORAGE MEDIUM, AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - An exposure control apparatus which is capable of making a backlight judgment with accuracy using image data on a main subject and image data on a photographer and controlling exposure according to the judgment result. First image data is generated according to a main subject image formed by light from the main subject via a first shooting optical system, and second image data is generated according to a photographer image formed by light from a photographer via a second shooting optical system. First luminance information is obtained based on the first image data, and second luminance information is obtained based on the second image data. According to the first luminance information and the second luminance information, whether or not the main subject is in backlight scene is judged, and based on a result of the judgment, exposure for the main subject is controlled. | 02-05-2015 |
| 20150312460 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING EXPOSURE SETTING - A device and method for determining exposure settings in a camera is disclosed. The method comprises capturing an image frame using an image sensor, the exposure of the capturing is based on an initial exposure value setting, determining a temporary exposure value by finding an exposure value that results in a substantially optimum value when applied to a total cost calculation, calculating a saturated pixels cost related to the saturated pixels for the captured image at the temporary exposure value, determining a next exposure value by finding a decrease in exposure value, in relation to the temporary exposure value, for which decrease a change in total cost for non-saturated pixels, in relation to the total cost for non-saturated pixels at the temporary exposure value, is substantially equal to the saturated pixel cost calculated at the temporary exposure value, using this determined next exposure value for capturing a new image frame. | 10-29-2015 |
| 20160037040 | LENS APPARATUS, IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, AND IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM - A lens apparatus attached to and detached from an image pickup apparatus includes a diaphragm unit, a driver configured to drive the diaphragm unit, and a lens controller configured to communicate with the image pickup apparatus to which the lens apparatus is attached, and to control the driver based on aperture driving instruction information or aperture stop time request received from the image pickup apparatus. The lens controller is configured to send to the image pickup apparatus time information necessary to drive the diaphragm unit according to the aperture driving instruction information or aperture stop time request, during a period that starts when the driver starts driving the diaphragm unit and ends when the driver stops driving the diaphragm unit. | 02-04-2016 |
| 20160182792 | IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGING METHOD | 06-23-2016 |
| 348365000 | Contrast | 4 |
| 20100091176 | System and method for automatic exposure - Disclosed are an auto exposure system and a method thereof. The auto exposure system may check whether an exposure target value is correct using brightness information of an input image. When the exposure target value is not proper, the auto exposure system may readjust the exposure target value through analyzing the brightness information of the input image. Also, the auto exposure system may correct exposure of the input image based on an exposure correction value according to the adjusted exposure target value, thereby adjusting the exposure of the input image to be proper. Also, exposure information of the input image may be easily obtained from a final exposure target value. | 04-15-2010 |
| 20110194021 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE CONTRAST RANGE OF AN IMAGE CAPTURING LIGHT FALLING ON AN IMAGE CAPTURING MEDIUM - A method for controlling the contrast range of the image recording light falling on an image recording medium by means of control light coupled into the optical path of the image recording light, which is composed of several base colors whose brightness is adjusted independent of each other, is provided. The brightness at least of those base colors of the control light is varied, whose dynamics in the recorded image go beyond the admissible dynamic range. | 08-11-2011 |
| 20150062415 | COMMODITY RECOGNITION APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - A commodity recognition apparatus comprises an image capturing unit for capturing image of a commodity in an image capturing area, a first unit for illuminating a first illumination area closer to the image capturing unit within the image capturing area according to an exposure period of the image capturing unit, a second unit for illuminating a second illumination area including part of the first illumination area and an area further than the first illumination area from the image capturing unit within the image capturing area for an illumination period according to the exposure period, and a control module for controlling, if overexposure of the image is detected, an execution timing of the second unit so that a shifting amount of the illumination period of the second unit to an exposure period next to the exposure period in which the overexposure is detected is different from a predetermined reference value. | 03-05-2015 |
| 20170237885 | Method and Apparatus for High Contrast Imaging | 08-17-2017 |
| 348366000 | Based on ambient light | 8 |
| 20100103310 | FLICKER BAND AUTOMATED DETECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD - A flicker band automated detection system and method are presented. In one embodiment an incidental motion mitigation exposure setting method includes receiving image input information; performing a motion mitigating flicker band automatic detection process; and implementing exposure settings based upon results of the motion mitigating flicker band automatic detection process. The auto flicker band detection process includes performing a motion mitigating process on an illumination intensity indication. Content impacts on an the motion mitigated illumination intensity indication are minimized. The motion mitigated illumination intensity indication is binarized. A correlation of the motion mitigated illumination intensity and a reference illumination intensity frequency is established. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20100157139 | SYSTEM AND METHOD TO ESTIMATE AUTOEXPOSURE CONTROL AND AUTO WHITE BALANCE - In a particular embodiment, a method is disclosed that includes determining at least one ambient exposure parameter using an ambient illumination, the at least one ambient exposure parameter including a first sensitivity parameter of an autoexposure controller using the ambient illumination. The method includes determining at least one low-illumination parameter using a first lamp level, the at least one low-illumination parameter including a second sensitivity parameter of the autoexposure controller using the first lamp level, where the autoexposure controller is configured to operate according to at least one high-illumination parameter based on the at least one ambient exposure parameter and the at least one low-illumination parameter. The method further includes performing an image capture operation using a second lamp level that is brighter than the first lamp level, where the at least one high-illumination parameter includes a third sensitivity parameter. | 06-24-2010 |
| 20120019713 | MEMS-BASED APERTURE AND SHUTTER - Some embodiments comprise at least one array that includes microelectromechanical systems (“MEMS”)-based light-modulating devices. Elements of the array(s) may be configured to absorb and/or reflect light when in a first configuration and to transmit light when in a second position. Such an array may be controlled to function as a camera aperture and/or as a camera shutter. For example, a controller may cause the array to function as a shutter by causing the MEMS devices to open for a predetermined period of time. The predetermined period of time may be based, at least in part, on input received from a user, the intensity of ambient light, the intensity of a flash, the size of the camera aperture, etc. Some embodiments provide a variable aperture device that does not add significant thickness or cost to a camera module. Such embodiments may enable a camera to function well in both bright and dark light, to control depth of field, etc. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120307136 | IMAGING APPARATUS, LIGHT AMOUNT MEASUREMENT APPARATUS, RECORDING MEDIUM AND METHOD OF CALCULATING EXPOSURE AMOUNT - An imaging apparatus includes a light beam division element for dividing an incident light beam into first and second light beams, a light reception unit on which the first beam is incident, for acquiring an intensity of a P or S-polarized component for the first beam, an irradiated body on which the second beam is incident, a signal processing unit for outputting a predicted value of an intensity of a P or S-polarized component for the second beam from the intensity of the P or S component acquired by the light reception unit, a shutter for switching incidence and blocking of the second beam on and to the body, and an iris for adjusting an amount of the second beam reaching the body. At least one of a speed of the shutter or an opening of the iris is adjusted according to an output from the processing unit. | 12-06-2012 |
| 20120327294 | APPARATUS, AND ASSOCIATED METHOD, FOR FACILITATING AUTOMATIC-EXPOSURE AT CAMERA DEVICE - An apparatus, and an associated method, for a device containing a camera module. An ambient light sensor senses ambient light conditions and provides an indication of the sensed conditions to an exposure setter. The exposure setter utilizes the indication of the ambient light conditions in the selection of the initial exposure. Convergence procedures are utilized to converge the exposure settings to a final exposure setting. | 12-27-2012 |
| 20160065823 | IMAGING DEVICE AND SCENE DETERMINATION METHOD - An imaging unit is configured to capture images of a subject. A sensor is configured to detect brightness. A first detector is configured to detect whether or not a period during which a predetermined brightness has been detected by the sensor continues for a first period of time. A second detector is configured to detect whether or not a period during which the predetermined brightness has been detected by the sensor continues for a second period of time shorter than the first period of time. A determiner is configured to determine a circumstance where the imaging unit captures images of the subject in a daytime in a specific state where light is temporarily cut off, based on a first detection result by the first detector and a second detection result by the second detector. | 03-03-2016 |
| 20160156827 | ROTATABLE OPERATING MEMBER AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE HAVING THE SAME | 06-02-2016 |
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