Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
348224100 | Dependent upon operation or characteristic of iris, flash, lens, or filter) | 70 |
20080252749 | WHITE BALANCE CORRECTING METHOD AND IMAGE-PICKUP APPARATUS - The present invention provides a white balance correcting method and image-pickup apparatus which are able to perform white balance correction on a main subject even if mixed light of flash light and ambient light is radiated on the main subject, as the method and the apparatus are adapted to correctly predict the amount of flash reached, which is the amount of light reached a main subject in the main emission, for performing white balance correction according to the predicted amount of light reached. | 10-16-2008 |
20080297621 | Strategies for extracting foreground information using flash and no-flash image pairs - A flash-based strategy is used to separate foreground information from background information within image information. In this strategy, a first image is taken without the use of flash. A second image is taken of the same subject matter with the use of flash. The foreground information in the flash image is illuminated by the flash to a much greater extent than the background information. Based on this property, the strategy applies processing to extract the foreground information from the background information. The strategy supplements the flash information by also taking into consideration motion information and color information. | 12-04-2008 |
20080316332 | DUAL CAPTURE - Image acquisition device, method and computer program for digital image acquisition, where the image acquisition device comprises an actuated user interface, where the image acquisition device receives control information from a user indicative of actuation of the user interface, initiates an image acquisition process by receiving lighting data on its sensor and detecting light information. A processor in the image acquisition device analyzes then the detected light information and converts these to image data and acquires image data related to at least two different light configurations, where at least one of the light configuration comprises an image acquired by means of a flash output in the image acquisition device. | 12-25-2008 |
20090147101 | Solid-state imaging device, method of manufacturing the same, and camera - A solid-state imaging device is provided. The solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of arrayed pixels, an optical inner filter layer, and an inner-layer lens. Each of the plurality of arrayed pixels includes a photoelectric conversion portion and a pixel transistor. The optical inner filter layer is configured to block infrared light and faces a light-receiving surface of the photoelectric conversion portion of a desired pixel among the arrayed pixels. The inner-layer lens is formed below the optical inner filter layer. | 06-11-2009 |
20090147102 | Electronic Camera - Disclosed herein is an electronic camera for generating an image having a wide dynamic range by synthesizing two image pickup signals of different exposure amount generated by using an electronic shutter function and means for shutting off light, shading of image pickup signals resulting from difference in charge accumulating time among the pixels of image pickup device due to operation from opened state to closed state of the means for shutting off light being corrected by a shading correction means to form a synthesized image without an occurrence of false color due to shading. Also provided is an electronic camera generating two image pickup signals of different exposure amount by two shots of picture taking each using a flash emission in combination, at least one of an electronic shutter of image pickup device and means for shutting off light, as well as an emission of the flash emission means, being controlled to equalize between the two shots of picture taking ratio of exposure by normal light excluding light from the flash emission means and ratio of emission amount by the light from the flash emission means so that the two image pickup signals can be readily generated as having a predetermined exposure amount ratio in every part of a frame of picture even when a flash emission is used in combination. | 06-11-2009 |
20090167893 | RGBW Sensor Array - A color filter enhancement method for a portable digital image acquisition device includes digitally exposing color pixels of a color sensor array for a first digital exposure duration and digitally exposing white pixels of a color sensor array for a second digital exposure time shorter than the first digital exposure duration. A color filter enhanced digital image is generated using data from both the color pixels exposed for the first digital exposure duration and the white pixels exposed for the second digital exposure duration. | 07-02-2009 |
20090231463 | CALCULATION METHOD FOR THE CORRECTION OF WHITE BALANCE - A calculation method for calculating a white balance correction value is disclosed. When an image capture device utilizes an auxiliary light to capture an image, the weightings of the image color impacted by the color temperature of each light source are obtained by the brightness-rate which is provided by the environment light and the flash, and then the weightings of the color temperatures of the two light sources are balanced to obtain a white balance correction value. At last, the white balance correction value is applied to correct the white balance of the image. | 09-17-2009 |
20100053367 | PARTIAL FACE TRACKER FOR RED-EYE FILTER METHOD AND APPARATUS - An image acquisition device includes a flash and optical system for capturing digital images. A partial face tracker identifies partial face regions within a series of one or more relatively low resolution reference images, and predicts partial face regions within a main digital image. A red-eye filter for modifies an area within the main digital image indicative of a red-eye phenomenon based on an analysis of the partial face regions identified and predicted by the partial face tracker. | 03-04-2010 |
20100053368 | FACE TRACKER AND PARTIAL FACE TRACKER FOR RED-EYE FILTER METHOD AND APPARATUS - An image acquisition device includes a flash and optical system for capturing digital images. A face tracker identifies face regions within a series of one or more relatively low resolution reference images, and predicts face regions within a main digital image. A face analyzer determines one or more partial face regions within the one or more face regions each including at least one eye. A red-eye filter modifies an area within the main digital image indicative of a red-eye phenomenon based on an analysis of one or more partial face regions within the one or more face regions identified and predicted by the face tracker. | 03-04-2010 |
20100171842 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND IMAGING METHOD - An imaging apparatus includes: an image sensor; a pixel output judging processor which judges that at least one of a pixel output of a pixel of a specific color and a pixel output of a pixel of a color other than the specific color in the vicinity of the pixel of the specific color reaches a predetermined judging level; a pixel output compensation processor which compensates the pixel output of the pixel of the specific color; and a bit compression convertor which performs a bit compression such that pixel output data which is once converted from a first bit number to a second bit number is converted into the first bit number, wherein the bit compression convertor performs the bit compression on the pixel output data per segment based on a bit compression characteristic respectively set in accordance with the calculated pixel output distribution per segment. | 07-08-2010 |
20100194919 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND IMAGING METHOD - Acquiring enough brightness with flash and obtaining an image having a color close to a color which a human senses. | 08-05-2010 |
20100321524 | SHARPNESS PROCESSING METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DIGITAL IMAGE - A sharpness processing method and system for a digital image are applied to an image capturing device for capturing a raw image. The method includes the steps. An image processing procedure is performed on the raw image to generate a registered image. A first sharpness enhancement table and a second sharpness enhancement table respectively sharpness attenuation at an outer-edge region and a central region of the registered image are loaded, and a range between the outer-edge region and the central region is defined as a plurality of critical regions. A sharpness enhancement weight table is loaded, and weight values of each critical region respectively corresponding to the first sharpness enhancement table and the second sharpness enhancement table are searched, for obtaining a sharpness enhanced value of each critical region. An image sharpness processing procedure is performed on the critical region, for correct the registered image into a digital image. | 12-23-2010 |
20110007182 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND IMAGING METHOD - An imaging apparatus includes: an image sensor; a pixel output judging processor which judges if a pixel output reaches a saturation level or not; a pixel output compensation processor which performs a compensating operation to compensate a pixel output of a pixel of a specific color which reaches the saturation level; a bit compression convertor which performs a bit compression such that pixel output data, which is once converted from a first bit number to a second bit number, is converted again to the first bit number; a histogram producer which produces a brightness histogram of a photographic subject image; and a calculator which calculates a ratio of the number of pixels of a maximum brightness area to the number of entire pixels from the brightness histogram, wherein the bit compression convertor performs the bit compression based on a bit compression characteristic set on the basis of the ratio of the number of pixels of the maximum brightness area. | 01-13-2011 |
20110050950 | IMAGE DEVICE AND IMAGING METHOD - An imaging apparatus includes an image pickup element to acquire a short-exposure-image data and a long-exposure-image data; a white balance evaluation value acquiring device to acquire white balance evaluation value for each of short-exposure-image data and long-exposure-image data; a white extraction range setting device to set a white extraction range for each of short-exposure-image data and long-exposure-image data; a white extraction device to extract white extraction result on the basis of the white balance evaluation value and the white extraction range for each of short-exposure-image data and long-exposure-image data; a correction factor calculating device to calculate corrected white extraction results from the white extraction result on the basis of the white extraction range and calculate correction factor for each of short-exposure-image data and long-exposure-image data; a white balance correcting device to correct the short-exposure-image data and the long-exposure-image data to form white balance corrected short-exposure-image data and white balance corrected long-exposure-image data by using the correction factors; and a synthesizing device configured to synthesize the white balance corrected short-exposure-image data and the white balance corrected long-exposure-image data. | 03-03-2011 |
20110074975 | Detecting Red Eye Filter and Apparatus Using Meta-Data - A method of filtering a red-eye phenomenon from an acquired digital image including a multiplicity of pixels indicative of color, the pixels forming various shapes of the image, includes analyzing meta-data information, determining one or more regions within the digital image suspected as including red eye artifact, and determining, based at least in part on the meta-data analysis, whether the regions are actual red eye artifact. The meta-data information may include information describing conditions under which the image was acquired, captured and/or digitized, acquisition device-specific information, and film information. | 03-31-2011 |
20110080499 | RED-EYE FILTER METHOD AND APPARATUS - A digital image acquisition system having no photographic film, such as a digital camera, has a flash unit for providing illumination during image capture and a red-eye filter for detecting a region within a captured image indicative of a red-eye phenomenon, the detection being based upon a comparison of the captured image and a reference image of nominally the same scene taken without flash. In the embodiment the reference image is a preview image of lower pixel resolution than the captured image, the filter matching the pixel resolutions of the captured and reference images by up-sampling the preview image and/or sub-sampling the captured image. The filter also aligns at least portions of the captured image and reference image prior to comparison to allow for, e.g. movement in the subject. | 04-07-2011 |
20110128407 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMAGE RESTORATION - Systems and methods are provided for focus recovery of multi-channel images. Control circuitry of an imaging system can restore an image by removing image blurring introduced by the lens, sensor noise introduced by the sensor, and a signal offset between multiple channels of the image. In some embodiments, the control circuitry can calculate one or more estimates of a signal offset of multiple observed signals. Using statistics generated from offset-removed signals, the control circuitry can generate one or more recovery kernels which can be applied to offset-removed signals to generate recovered signals. In other embodiments, instead of explicitly removing a signal offset from each observed signal, the control circuitry can implicitly remove the signal offset when calculating the first and second order statistics of one or more observed signals. | 06-02-2011 |
20110205392 | IMAGE CAPTURE DEVICE - The present invention provides an image capture device that can fine-tune the colors so that the image captured has appropriate colors. A digital camera | 08-25-2011 |
20110234846 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING A CAMERA MODULE TO COMPENSATE FOR THE COLOR SPECTRUM OF A WHITE LED - A method and an apparatus enabling use of a light source emitting a spectrum of light not following characteristics of a blackbody source of light with a camera module programmed for use with light sources following characteristics of blackbody sources of light, wherein a white-balance patch is transmitted to the camera module to cause the camera module to accept color coordinates representing a point on a chromaticity chart that partly defines a region of color coordinates on the chromaticity chart into which color coordinates of the light source fall and to which color coordinates of a reference white color derived by a white-balance routine of the camera module are constrained. | 09-29-2011 |
20110292239 | COMPOSITE FLASH FOR A MOBILE DEVICE - An apparatus and method for capturing an image on a mobile device having a flash comprising a red light source and a white light source is presented herein. A detection of a color spectrum of ambient light is made using image data sensed by an image sensor. Additionally, a determination of an intensity of red light when combined with an associated intensity of white light results in a color spectrum that substantially matches the color spectrum of the ambient light. The flash emits white light from the white light source of the flash and red light from the red light source of the flash. An image from a camera module is recorded during the emission of the white and red light. | 12-01-2011 |
20110298947 | SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND DEVICES FOR FLASH EXPOSURE CONTROL USING PREFLASH STATISTICS - Systems, methods, and devices for obtaining a properly exposed strobe-illuminated image are provided. One method for doing so may include, for example, gathering image capture statistics during a first period when a strobe is not emitting light and during a second period when the strobe emits a preflash. These image capture statistics may include distinct image capture control statistics and luma values associated with the periods. Final image capture control statistics then may be determined based at least in part on the first luma value normalized to the first image capture control statistics and the second luma value normalized to the second image capture control statistics. Thereafter, the final image capture control statistics may be used to capture a properly exposed strobe-illuminated image when the strobe emits a main flash. | 12-08-2011 |
20110317029 | IMAGING APPARATUS WHICH CORRECTS EFFECTS OF FLASH - In an imaging apparatus, unevenness in brightness in screen due to flash is eliminated and video with secured continuity as a moving image can be obtained. In the imaging apparatus ( | 12-29-2011 |
20120092523 | IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, APPARATUS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT, AND IMAGING APPARATUS, METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT - An appropriate white balance coefficient is calculated using an evaluation value of a specific chromaticity or an imaging condition, in addition to face area detection information, in the following manner. A first white balance coefficient is calculated by a first white balance coefficient calculation unit based on a color image, and a second white balance coefficient is calculated by a second white balance coefficient calculation unit based on a specific subject of the color image. Then, a third white balance coefficient is calculated by a white balance combining unit by weighting the first white balance coefficient and the second white balance coefficient based on an evaluation result of a specific chromaticity evaluation unit or an imaging condition of an imaging condition control unit. | 04-19-2012 |
20120098996 | OPTICAL CHROMATIC ABERRATION CORRECTION AND CALIBRATION IN DIGITAL CAMERAS - Methods and the corresponding device are presented for the correction of lateral chromatic aberration within a digital camera or other imaging device, using calibration approaches that do not require previously acquired lens data to effect the correction. An in-camera auto-calibration procedure is performed on the attached lens, such as when a lens is exchanged, and extracts parameters required for chromatic aberration correction, respecting zoom and focus, from one or more captured images. Based on image data extracted as a plurality of channels of a chromatic decomposition of the image, the chromatic aberration information for the lens is extracted. From the chromatic aberration information, the correction factors for the lens are determined | 04-26-2012 |
20120105671 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND IMAGING APPARATUS - An image processing device includes: a first interpolation unit that performs interpolation using pixel information of pixels having a color same as a color of a pixel of attention and present around the pixel of attention; a second interpolation unit that interpolates color information lost in the pixel of attention using color information of the pixels around the pixel of attention; a combining unit that combines outputs of the first and second interpolation units; a first filter that includes a first filter frequency characteristic and detects a first image of a first region; a second filter that includes a second filter frequency characteristic and detects a second image of a second region; and a combination-ratio generating unit that generates a value for determining a combination ratio of the outputs of the first and second interpolation units in the combining unit. | 05-03-2012 |
20120113295 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS CAPABLE OF ADJUSTING WHITE BALANCE - An image capturing apparatus | 05-10-2012 |
20120154627 | Systems and methods for controlling color balance for a photographic illuminator - A system and method for generating controlled illumination having a color balance that corresponds to prevailing ambient color balance. A multi-spectral light source having a given spectral characteristic is filtered through an active color filter to produce multi-spectral light conforming to the prevailing ambient color balance. Embodiments of the present invention advantageously enable photographic capture of images without introducing color balance inconsistencies seen in prior art illumination solutions. | 06-21-2012 |
20120281110 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing apparatus calculates a difference in color temperature between a first white balance (WB) correction value based on image data with flash and a second WB correction value based on image data without flash. The image forming apparatus calculates motion amounts of an object and the apparatus, and corrects the first and second WB correction values based on the difference in color temperature and the motion amounts. The image processing apparatus, based on the corrected first WB correction value, develops first image data from the image data with flash, and, based on the corrected second WB correction value, develops second image data from the image data without flash. The image processing apparatus calculates a signal component of external light and a signal component of flash and calculates a combination ratio of the first and second image data to combine the first and second image data. | 11-08-2012 |
20120327264 | Real-Time Adjustment Of Illumination Color Temperature For Digital Imaging Applications - An approach is provided to adjust illumination color temperature at a flash unit of a camera. Data that corresponds to the ambient light of a physical environment is collected, such as at a color temperature meter included in the camera. The ambient light has a distribution of color temperatures that cycle over a fixed time period. When a flash request is received, a time is calculated at which the flash unit will flash. One of the color temperatures is identified from the distribution of color temperatures with the identified color temperature being the predicted color of the ambient light that will be present in the physical environment when the flash unit flashes. The color temperature of the flash unit is set to the identified color temperature. | 12-27-2012 |
20130002902 | FLARE DETERMINATION APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND STORAGE MEDIUM STORING FLARE DETERMINATION PROGRAM - A flare determination apparatus includes an image input unit inputting an image, an image correction unit correcting the image using a correction coefficient to be set based on a gain value for white balance processing depending on a light source type, a region detection unit detecting a region included in a predetermined color component range from the image being corrected by the image correction unit, and a determination unit determining whether or not a flare is generated in the region being detected by the region detection unit. | 01-03-2013 |
20130057726 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing apparatus determines a first white balance correction value corresponding to a first light source and a second white balance correction value corresponding to a second light source, determines a third white balance correction value by using a correction amount corresponding to a predetermined region detected in captured image data, and combines first image data determined based on the first white balance correction value and second image data generated based on the third white balance correction value. | 03-07-2013 |
20130057727 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing apparatus generates first image data based on a first white balance correction value corresponding to a first light source, and second image data based on second white balance correction value corresponding to a second light source, selects one white evaluation region for determining a combination ratio from a plurality of white evaluation regions, compares a color evaluation value of the image data with the selected white evaluation region under the second light source, determines a combination ratio of the first image data and the second image data based on a result of the comparison, and combines the first image data and the second image data according to the determined combination ratio. | 03-07-2013 |
20130063623 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD FOR IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS - An image processing apparatus can execute appropriate image processing while preventing increase in a capacity of a memory for storing a plurality of pieces of image data of different frequency bands. The image processing apparatus stores first image data having the highest frequency among the plurality of pieces of image data of different frequency bands in a state in which each pixel of the first image data includes a color component signal of any of a plurality of colors, on the memory, and further stores second image data and third image data whose frequency bands are lower than that of the first image data on the memory, in a state in which a part of or all pixels of the second and the third image data have color component signals of a plurality of colors. | 03-14-2013 |
20130070119 | COMPOSITE FLASH FOR AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE - An apparatus and method for capturing an image on an electronic device having a flash comprising a first light source and a second light source is presented herein. A detection of a color spectrum of ambient light is made using image data sensed by an image sensor of a camera module. Additionally, a determination of an intensity of a first light when combined with an associated intensity of a second light results in a color spectrum that substantially matches the color spectrum of the ambient light. The flash emits a first light from the first light source of the flash and second light from the second light source of the flash. An image from a camera module is recorded during the emission of the first and second light. | 03-21-2013 |
20130076938 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD - An image processing apparatus for performing recovery processing of correcting degradation of an image due to an aberration of an optical imaging system with respect to image data obtained by sensing an object image entering through the optical imaging system using an image sensor, comprises: a selection unit configured to select a filter to be used for recovery processing in accordance with an image sensing condition at the time of the image sensing; an image processing unit configured to perform recovery processing for the image data by using the filter selected by the selection unit; and a correction unit configured to determine a correction value based on a difference between the value of a pixel before and after recovery processing by the image processing unit, and correcting the pixel value before the recovery processing by the image processing unit using the determined correction value. | 03-28-2013 |
20130076939 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM - Provided are an apparatus and method for executing sensitivity difference correction processing of an image signal, which is generated by a single plate-type image sensor through a color filter. The sensitivity difference correction is executed for Gr and Gb signals included the image signal, for example, an RGB signal, which is generated by the single plate-type image sensor through the color filter. A pixel value of a color filter unit which has the same color as a correction target pixel and is present in surroundings of the correction target pixel is acquired. An additional value is calculated by adding a difference between weighted mean pixel values “a” and “b” of two kinds of pixel groups “A” and “B” classified according to positions of pixels to the pixel value of the correction target pixel in which the weighted mean values correspond to distances of the pixel groups from the correction target pixel. A mean value of the pixel value of the correction target pixel and the additional value is calculated as a corrected pixel value of the correction target pixel. | 03-28-2013 |
20130093918 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING A CAMERA MODULE TO COMPENSATE FOR THE LIGHT LEVEL OF A WHITE LED - A method and an apparatus enabling use of a light source emitting a light of changing intensity and changing spectrum as a flash with a camera module having a white-balance routine and an exposure routine, wherein an initial value representative of a color spectrum emitted by the light source is transmitted to the camera module, the light source is turned on, and the camera module is signaled to scan a plurality of images of the scene while the light source is turned on, allowing the white-balance and exposure algorithms to be employed with each image scanned to refine the first initial value to refine the degree of compensation employed in correcting a color and a light level in the last one of the images of the plurality of images scanned. | 04-18-2013 |
20130308010 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS AND EXPOSURE CONTROL METHOD - In an image capturing apparatus, a subject image is converted into an image signal, which undergoes automatic correction processing including white balance correction processing, and further undergoes image quality change processing. A first evaluation value indicating a largest value of an R signal, a G signal, and a B signal of the image signal undergone the image quality change processing and a second evaluation value indicating a luminance of the image signal undergone the image quality change processing are detected. A control evaluation value is calculated using weighted average of the first evaluation value and the second evaluation value according to at least one of an amount of image quality changing effect due to the image quality change processing and a reliability of the automatic correction processing, and exposure control is performed based on the control evaluation value. | 11-21-2013 |
20130308011 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image pickup apparatus having an obtaining unit for obtaining a pixel signal of a first image and a pixel signal of a second image having a parallax to the first image performs a position adjustment to the first and second images having the parallax, subtracts the pixel signal of the second image from the pixel signal of the first image with respect to a corresponding pixel, and obtains a specular reflection light component, thereby specifying light source color. | 11-21-2013 |
20130314565 | AUTOMATIC EXPOSURE CONTROL FOR FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY - A photographic flash unit comprises a direct flash unit and a bounce flash unit rotatably connected to the direct flash unit. Status and control lines coupled between a hot shoe and each flash unit enable independent triggering and control of each flash unit. The direct and bounce flash units may be a part of a digital camera adapted to make a first test exposure using direct flash illumination and second test exposure using bounce flash illumination, then computing an attenuation factor for compensating a selected flash exposure parameter by dividing the selected parameter by the attenuation factor. Steps in a method embodiment include making a first test image, making a second test image, selecting regions in the first and second test images, computing an attenuation factor from luminosity values for the first and second test images, and compensating settings for a final bounce flash image by the attenuation factor. | 11-28-2013 |
20140022411 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF, AND IMAGE CAPTURE APPARATUS - Provided is an image processing apparatus that corrects differences in the tints of captured images caused by differences in the color characteristics of lenses used to shoot the images, as well as a control method for such an apparatus. The type of an interchangeable lens used to shoot an image is determined from a plurality of types of interchangeable lenses having different color characteristics. The influence of differences in the color characteristics of the interchangeable lenses on the tint of the image is then reduced by setting at least one of white balance coefficients used in white balance adjustment of the image and conversion characteristics of a color space conversion process applied to the image to correspond to the type of the interchangeable lens used to shoot the image. | 01-23-2014 |
20140036106 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - A white balance control circuit calculates a first white balance correction value based on image data captured at light-emission timing of a flash unit and calculate a second white balance correction value based on image data captured at non-emission timing of the flash unit. The white balance control circuit acquires an image capturing condition corresponding to the image data captured at the light-emission timing of the flash unit or scene information obtained from color information of the image data captured at the light-emission timing of the flash unit. The white balance control circuit corrects at least one of the first white balance correction value and the second white balance correction value based on the image capturing condition or the scene information. | 02-06-2014 |
20140043501 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING IMAGE BY USING CHARACTERISTIC OF LIGHT SOURCE - A method and an apparatus are provided for processing an image of an image signal projected through a digital camera lens. The apparatus includes an image sensor module to transform an optical signal projected through the digital camera lens into an electric signal, to generate and output an image signal. The apparatus includes a light receiving module to receive a light source, wherein the light receiving module is disposed close to the image sensor module. The apparatus also includes a light source characteristic detector to detect a frequency of the light source received by the light receiving module. The apparatus further includes an auto color adjustment controller to identify a kind of light source based on the frequency of the light source, and control a white balance gain of the image signal based on the kind of the light source. | 02-13-2014 |
20140098258 | COLOR DISTORTION CORRECTION METHOD AND DEVICE FOR IMAGING SYSTEMS AND IMAGE OUTPUT SYSTEMS - The present invention discloses a color-distortion-correction method and device in an imaging system or an image output system. The method includes: capturing by the imaging system an object to be captured to generate the original image data of the object; based on the priori knowledge of color distortion previously stored in the imaging system, correcting color distortion of the original image data to generate the corrected image data. In embodiments of the present invention, since the priori knowledge of color distortion of the imaging system or the image output system is obtained in advance, that is, the characteristics of the color distortion in the imaging system or the image output system are known in advance, it is capable of correcting color distortion of the image data of captured images based on the priori knowledge of color distortion of the system. Therefore, the color deviation of the color images introduced due to the characteristics of the system itself is eliminated and the goal of “what you see is what you get” is realized. | 04-10-2014 |
20140125838 | IMAGING SYSTEMS WITH MODIFIED CLEAR IMAGE PIXELS - An image sensor may have an array of image sensor pixels arranged in unit pixel cells each having at least one modified clear image pixel. Each modified clear image pixel may include a modified clear color filter element formed from a transparent material such as an oxide material that is modified with a colored pigment or colored dye such as yellow pigment. Each unit pixel cell may include one or more color pixels of other colors such as red pixels, blue pixels, and green pixels. Image signals such as yellow image signals from the modified clear pixels may be processed along with other color image signals such as red image signals and blue image signals to generate standard red, green, and blue image data. Image processing operations may include chroma demosaicing or point filtering of the image signals from the modified clear image pixels. | 05-08-2014 |
20140132797 | TELEVISION CAMERA - There is provided a television camera that can automatically adjust a detected video signal balance without using a grayscale chart in order to satisfactorily capture a subject. The television camera adjusts the detected video signal balance by using a white (achromatic) subject and without using the grayscale chart. The television camera firstly captures a white (achromatic) subject. The television camera detects a level of a G signal on a detection gate, and sequentially and automatically adjusts a lens iris in order that the level of the G signal becomes a predetermined signal level (level | 05-15-2014 |
20140139702 | ELECTRONIC FLASH, ELECTRONIC CAMERA AND LIGHT EMITTING HEAD - An electronic camera having an electronic flash including a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) that emit different wavelength light is disclosed. Electric energy is supplied to a capacitor to the LEDs. A system controller controls light emitting amounts of the LEDs so that a color temperature of the electronic flash light becomes a color temperature that has been manually set with a color temperature setting switch or a color temperature of a light source determined by color temperature sensors. | 05-22-2014 |
20140168466 | PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS AND METHOD - An electronic apparatus includes an exposure difference value calculator that calculates an exposure difference between a flash turned-off image and a flash turned-on image, a flash mixture ratio calculator that calculates first flash mixture ratio in blocks, a subject area selector that selects a block having maximum first flash mixture ratio and selects an area including the selected block and a block having first flash mixture ratio ranging between the maximum value and a threshold value, a flash light color balance calculator that calculates color balance of the selected area from the flash turned-on image, a flash mixture ratio correction unit that calculates second flash mixture ratio by multiplying the first flash mixture ratio by a coefficient, and a white balance gain calculator that calculates white balance gain in the blocks based on the second flash mixture ratio, the calculated color balance, and a color balance of normal light. | 06-19-2014 |
20140168467 | FOCUS ADJUSTMENT APPARATUS AND METHOD, AND IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS - A focus adjustment apparatus comprises: a focus adjustment unit configured to execute focus adjustment processing by driving a focus lens based on focus evaluation values calculated respectively for periodically sensed images while scanning the focus lens within a predetermined scan range; a first processing unit configured to execute processing, an operation of which is affected by driving of the focus lens; a second processing unit configured to execute processing, an operation of which is not affected by driving of the focus lens; a determination unit configured to determine a start position of the scan range; and a control unit configured to control the first processing unit to execute the processing before the focus lens is scanned to the start position, and controls the second processing unit to execute the processing during the scan of the focus lens to the start position. | 06-19-2014 |
20140176759 | IMAGING DEVICE, IMAGING METHOD AND IMAGING PROGRAM - An imaging device includes a flash ratio calculator calculating a flash ratio based on a flash image and a non-flash image, a main subject flash ratio selector selecting a flash ratio of an area of a main subject, a preliminary white balance coefficient determination unit determining a preliminary white balance coefficient used in adjusting a white balance, a flash ratio range calculator calculating an upper limit value and a lower limit value of a range of the flash ratio based on the flash ratio of the main subject and the preliminary white balance coefficient, a flash ratio processor altering the flash ratio so that the flash ratio is in the calculated range, and a white balance coefficient calculator calculating a white balance coefficient based on the altered flash ratio. | 06-26-2014 |
20140176760 | Image Processing Apparatus, Image Processing Method, and Imaging Apparatus - According to an image processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit, a storage unit, and a convolution unit. The acquisition unit is configured to acquire an input image captured via an optical system. The storage unit is configured to store therein a coefficient designed through learning for each of positions of respective pixel sets referred to in a convolution such that a result of the convolution of a second image with the coefficient is brought nearer to a first image, the second image being obtained by deteriorating the first image through a predetermined deterioration process. The convolution unit is configured to read the coefficient from the storage unit correspondingly to a position of a pixel set referred to in the input image, and generate an output image by convoluting the pixel set with the coefficient. | 06-26-2014 |
20140192224 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR USING MULTIPLE OPTICAL CHAINS IN PARALLEL TO SUPPORT SEPARATE COLOR-CAPTURE - Methods and apparatus for capturing or generating images using multiple optical chains operating in parallel are described. Pixel values captured by individual optical chains corresponding to the same scene area are combined to provide an image with at least some of the benefits which would have been provided by capturing an image of the scene using a larger lens than that of the individual lenses of the optical chain modules. By using multiple optical chains in parallel at least some benefits normally obtained from using a large lens can be obtained without the need for a large lens. Furthermore in at least some embodiments, a wide dynamic range can be supported through the use of multiple sensors with the overall supported dynamic range being potentially larger than that of the individual sensors. Some lens and/or optical chain configurations are designed for use in small handheld devices, e.g., cell phones. | 07-10-2014 |
20140293089 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS CAPABLE OF ADJUSTING WHITE BALANCE - An image capturing apparatus includes an image capturing unit that acquires data of a first image captured with light and a second image captured without light, a white balance gain calculation unit that acquires gain values of each color component of the first and second images, an image partitioning unit that divides the first and second images into areas, a luminance acquisition unit that acquires luminance values for each area of the first and second images, a luminance acquisition unit that calculates relative values with respect to luminance values for each area of the first image and second image, and a luminance acquisition unit that selects specific relative values among the relative values. The white balance gain calculation unit corrects the gain value for each color component of the first image, based on the specific relative values. | 10-02-2014 |
20140307123 | IMAGING DEVICE, METHOD FOR CONTROLLING IMAGING DEVICE, AND STORAGE MEDIUM STORING A CONTROL PROGRAM - An imaging apparatus ( | 10-16-2014 |
20150029359 | COLOUR BALANCE PROCESSOR - It is inter alia disclosed a method comprising: capturing an image with a flash; forming at least one weighted masked area of the image by masking at least one area of the image with a weighting mask; and determining an impact metric indicating the combined impact of the brightness and pixel colour components for the at least one weighted masked area. | 01-29-2015 |
20150042844 | DYNAMIC COLOR SHADING CORRECTION - Certain embodiments relate to systems and methods for dynamic color shading correction, which can estimate the color shading in a captured image on the fly. The color shading may be estimated from the scene statistics of the captured image, and the estimated shading may be used for color shading correction. The color shading estimation method may separate out the color shading component from the actual image content by its unique characteristic in the gradient domain. | 02-12-2015 |
20150070528 | IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGE GENERATION METHOD - An imaging device includes: an image sensor that includes a color filter array in which normal image generation color filters corresponding to three or more bands and correction information generation color filters differing in spectral sensitivity characteristics from the normal image generation color filters are placed in an array; a normal image generation section that generates a normal image in which pixel values of missing pixels are interpolated; a spectral estimation section that performs a spectral estimation process based on pixel values obtained using at least the correction information generation color filters; a correction information generation section that generates correction information that corrects the normal image based on a spectral estimate value; and a corrected image generation section that performs a correction process on the normal image based on the correction information to generate a corrected image. | 03-12-2015 |
20150097985 | COMPENSATING FOR SENSOR SATURATION AND MICROLENS MODULATION DURING LIGHT-FIELD IMAGE PROCESSING - According to various embodiments, the system and method of the present invention process light-field image data so as to reduce color artifacts, reduce projection artifacts, and/or increase dynamic range. These techniques operate, for example, on image data affected by sensor saturation and/or microlens modulation. Flat-field images are captured and converted to modulation images, and then applied on a per-pixel basis, according to techniques described herein. | 04-09-2015 |
20150116535 | WHITE-BALANCE COLOR TEMPERATURE MEASURING DEVICE FOR IMAGE PICK-UP DEVICE - A white-balance color temperature measuring device for image pick-up device includes a white or gray light transmitting sheet and a color temperature sensing element and installed in a camera body of a camera, camera phone, video camera or any other image pick-up device such that when focusing or pressing the shutter, incident light is changed by white or gray light transmitting sheet into a neutral light that falls upon the color temperature sensing element, causing the color temperature sensing element to induce a spot color temperature signal and to provide the signal to a CPU for processing, and thus, the color of the captured photos or images can be close to the natural colors of the shooting scene. | 04-30-2015 |
20150116536 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM - The present invention generates first developed image data by correcting image data with use of a first white balance correction value corresponding to a first light source, generates second developed image data by correcting the image data with use of a second white balance correction value corresponding to a second light source, calculates a color evaluation value of each of blocks by adding and averaging color evaluation values of pixels in the image data for each of the divided blocks, calculates a combining ratio based on a difference between the calculated color evaluation value of each of the blocks and a color evaluation value of white under the second light source, and combines the first developed image data and the second developed image data according to the calculated combining ratio. | 04-30-2015 |
20150296194 | IMAGE SENSOR AND IMAGE SENSOR SYSTEM INCLUDING THE SAME - An image sensor includes a pixel array, a micro lens array and polarizing filters. The pixel array includes a plurality of pixels. The micro lens array is disposed on the pixel array and includes a plurality of micro lenses. The micro lens overlaps a pixel group of the pixel array. The polarizing filter is disposed on the micro lens and includes a plurality of polarizing filters having at least two different polarizing phases. Accordingly, the accuracy and the reliability of the local auto white balancing may be improved. | 10-15-2015 |
20150304620 | Color Calibration and Use of Multi-LED Flash Modules - Systems, methods, and computer readable media to identify the operating characteristics of a multi-LED flash module for use with a image capture device are described. Flash modules having multiple LEDs have been found to exhibit large module-to-module variation in the light spectrum they emit. It has been determined that such variations make defining a “golden module” impractical. To overcome this and other issues, techniques to characterize the operational behavior of a flash module having multiple LEDs using easily obtained measurements are disclosed. Such characterizations permit the characterization of each flash module to account for the particular lighting capability of its specific LEDs during image capture operations. | 10-22-2015 |
20150319343 | CAMERA, IMAGE SENSOR THEREOF, AND DRIVING METHOD THEREOF - Disclosed are a camera, an image sensor thereof, and a driving method thereof. An image sensor converts an incident light into an electrical image signal. The image sensor outputs the converted electrical image signal by removing noise from the electrical image signal. An image processing unit processes the output image signal to generate screen image data. The image sensor effectively removes noise, thereby improving the optical precision of the camera. | 11-05-2015 |
20150319362 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME - An imaging apparatus is capable of preventing unintended shooting setting when a through-image is displayed at a zoom position different from a field angle for reach shooting. The imaging apparatus includes a recording control unit configured to record a zoom position taken before a start of a function for temporarily changing the zoom position as a first position, a zoom control unit configured to perform control to move the zoom position from the first position to a second position when the function is started, and from the second position to the first position when the function is ended, and a control unit configured to perform control, when the zoom position is at the second position by the function, not to make any changes according to an instruction for changing specific shooting setting. | 11-05-2015 |
20150346585 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND FOCUSING CONTROL METHOD - Provided is an imaging apparatus capable of performing AF with a high precision regardless of an object while realizing increase in AF speed. When there is an AF instruction, photographing is performed while a focus lens is moved. AF evaluated values are calculated at every position of the focus lens by a contrast AF processing unit | 12-03-2015 |
20150365594 | ELECTRONIC DEVICE, METHOD FOR GENERATING AN IMAGE AND FILTER ARRANGEMENT - An electronic device including: an image sensor including plural sensors divided into groups; a multi-lens array including plural lenses configured to each form an image of a scene on a distinct group of the groups of pixel sensors; and a filter including plural color filter elements arranged in rows and columns. Each color filter element is associated with one of the lenses and the respective distinct group and configured to filter an image of the scene into one of plural color channels. A first group of pixel sensors can define a perspective of the scene for an image reconstruction, and the color filter elements in the row of the color filter element corresponding to the first group and the color filter elements in the column of the color filter element corresponding to the first group can filter the image of the scene into each of the plural color channels. | 12-17-2015 |
20150381957 | COLOR IMAGE SENSOR AND OPERATING METHOD THEREOF - There is provided a color image sensor including a sensing array and a processing unit. The sensing array includes a red pixel, a green pixel, a blue pixel, a red and green pixel and a red and blue pixel configured to output a detected signal, respectively. The processing unit is configured to calculate a signal difference between detected signals associated with the red pixel and the red and green pixel to be served as a red detected signal, calculate a signal difference between detected signals associated with the green pixel and the red and green pixel to be served as a green detected signal, and calculate a signal difference between detected signals associated with the blue pixel and the red and blue pixel to be served as a blue detected signal. | 12-31-2015 |
20160191881 | IMAGE CAPTURING METHOD - A first line passing through a coordinate point which represents the light-source color of ambient light is drawn so as to cross a line segment connecting two coordinate points which points respectively represent colors of light emitted from the two light-emitting sources. An image of a subject is captured while light is emitted from the two light-emitting sources toward the subject in such a manner that the volumes of light emitted from the two light-emitting sources respectively correspond to those represented by a predetermined point which is, or close to, the intersection point of the first line and the line segment on the basis of the intersection point and light volume information. A White Balance adjustment correction value is obtained on the basis of light volume information with respect to the two light-emitting sources, the predetermined point, and the point representing the light-source color. | 06-30-2016 |
20160196637 | RAW SENSOR IMAGE AND VIDEO DE-HAZING AND ATMOSPHERIC LIGHT ANALYSIS METHODS AND SYSTEMS | 07-07-2016 |
20190149790 | ILLUMINATION APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING ILLUMINATION APPARATUS | 05-16-2019 |