At a processor of a camera-equipped electronic device, a first data set generated at a sensor incorporated within a camera module is obtained, and a second data set generated at one or more sensors external to the camera module is obtained. Based on the first set and second data sets, a first set of control signals is transmitted to the camera module. At a disturbance rejection controller integrated within the camera module, a second set of control signals is generated, based on the first set of control signals and on a third set of data obtained from the sensor incorporated within the camera module. The second set of control signals is transmitted to an actuator, which causes a displacement of a camera lens.

The exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a camera module including a bobbin, a housing positioned at an outside of the bobbin, an elastic member coupled to the bobbin and the housing, a foreign object exhaust passage concavely formed at an upper surface of the housing, and an opening formed at the housing to open at least a part of the foreign object exhaust passage to an inside of the housing, wherein the foreign object exhaust passage is overlapped on at least a part of the housing-coupled elastic member to a vertical direction, whereby it is easy to wash foreign objects positioned between an elastic member and a housing to reduce an auto focus tilt defects generated after assembly.

A camera includes an image pickup device configured to receive a light flux passing through a photographing lens and to convert the light flux into an electric signal, a display device configured to perform a live-view display on the basis of the electric signal output from the image pickup device, an aperture driving actuator configured to adjust a light amount passing through the photographing lens, and a controller configured to control a stop timing of the live-view display performed before an exposure at the time of a still-image photography on the display device in accordance with an operation condition of the aperture driving actuator at the time of the still-image photography.

There is provided an imaging apparatus for continuously performing a plurality of photographing operations. The imaging apparatus includes an AF sensor and an image sensor. A microcomputer performs focal point detection (i.e., defocus amount calculation) processing based on a signal acquired by the AF sensor. Further, the microcomputer performs focal point detection processing based on a signal acquired by the image sensor. The microcomputer selects one of two focal point detection results and performs a control to drive a focusing lens in a lens drive 1 and a lens drive 2.

A method for acquiring an image comprises acquiring a first image frame including a region containing a subject at a first focus position; determining a first sharpness of the subject within the first image frame; identifying an imaged subject size within the first image frame; determining a second focus position based on the imaged subject size; acquiring a second image frame at the second focus position; and determining a second sharpness of the subject within the second image frame. A sharpness threshold is determined as a function of image acquisition parameters for the first and/or second image frame. Responsive to the second sharpness not exceeding the first sharpness and the sharpness threshold, camera motion parameters and/or subject motion parameters for the second image frame are determined before performing a focus sweep to determine an optimal focus position for the subject.

A focus detection apparatus that performs phase difference focus detection based on signals of a plurality of colors obtained from an image sensor, which is covered by color filters of the plurality of colors, that performs photoelectric conversion on light incident on the image sensor via an imaging optical system and outputs electric signals, the apparatus comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires an addition coefficient indicating weights to be applied to the signals of the plurality of colors on the basis of characteristic of chromatic aberration of magnification of the imaging optical system; a generation unit that generates a pair of focus detection signals by performing weighted addition on the signals of the plurality of colors using the addition coefficient; and a detection unit that detects an image shift amount between the pair of focus detection signals.

A method of image processing includes capturing two frames of image data using a camera having a phase detection auto focus (PDAF) sensor, subtracting phase difference pixel data associated with the two frames of image data to produce residual phase difference values, detecting a region-of-interest change based on the residual phase differences values, and determining a focus for the PDAF camera sensor based on the detected region-of-interest change. The method may further include compressing the residual phase difference values, sending the compressed residual phase difference values to a processor, and reconstructing, with the processor, the phase difference pixel data from the compressed residual phase difference values.

An imaging apparatus including: an image sensor for obtaining image data; a highlight signal generation circuit for generating a highlight signal from the image data; a highlight signal combining circuit for combining a plurality of the highlight signals to generate a combined highlight signal; a display image generation circuit for superimposing the combined highlight signal on the image data to generate display image data; and a controller for moving the focusing position to a different focus position, obtaining first image data and second image data, causing the highlight signal generation circuit to generate first and second highlight signals from these pieces of image data, causing the highlight signal combining circuit to combine the first and second highlight signals to generate a combined highlight signal, and causing the display image generation circuit to superimpose the combined highlight signal on the second image data to generate display image data.

An imaging area in an image sensor includes a plurality of photo detectors. A light shield is disposed over a portion of two photo detectors to partially block light incident on the two photo detectors. The two photo detectors and the light shield combine to form an asymmetrical pixel pair. The two photo detectors in the asymmetrical pixel pair can be two adjacent photo detectors. The light shield can be disposed over contiguous portions of the two adjacent photo detectors. A color filter array can be disposed over the plurality of photo detectors. The filter elements disposed over the two photo detectors can filter light representing the same color or different colors.

A multiple lenses system applied in an electronic device is provided. The multiple lenses system includes a camera module, a focus module, an image sensor and a processor. The camera module includes at least one macro lens, at least one functional lens and a focus distance threshold. The focus module focuses on an object to be captured and obtains a focus distance. The image sensor captures images cooperatively with the camera module. The processor compares the focus distance and the focus distance threshold. If the processor determines the focus distance crosses the focus distance threshold, then the processor triggers the camera module to switch between the at least one macro lens and the at least one functional lens for capturing images. An electronic device employing the multiple lenses system and an operation method thereof are also provided.