Apparatus and methods employing a PDAF optical system are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes an image sensor comprising a plurality of pixels. The plurality of pixels include a set of pixels configurable to be imaging pixels or focus pixels. The image sensor is configured to generate image data of a scene based on received light at the plurality of pixels. The example apparatus also includes a processor coupled to the image sensor. The processor may be configured to receive first image data of a first frame of the scene, determine at least one region of interest or region of non-interest of the first frame, select, based on the determined at least one region of interest or region of non-interest, a subset of the set of pixels to be focus pixels, and cause the selected subset of the set of pixels to operate as focus pixels.

An autofocus device is disclosed, including a focusing lens which is movable. A laser beam passes through the focusing lens toward a focal plane; and a detector collects laser scatter from a nonfocal position outside of the focal plane. The device determines, from the collected laser scatter, the nonfocal position of the scattering source, and moves the focusing lens, based on the determined nonfocal position, such that the scattering source is at an origin of the focal plane.

An autofocus device is disclosed, including a focusing lens which is movable. A laser beam passes through the focusing lens toward a focal plane; and a detector collects laser scatter from a nonfocal position outside of the focal plane. The device determines, from the collected laser scatter, the nonfocal position of the scattering source, and moves the focusing lens, based on the determined nonfocal position, such that the scattering source is at an origin of the focal plane.

There are provided an imaging device, a distance measurement method, a distance measurement program, and a recording medium capable of accurately measuring a distance to a subject without depending on a color of the subject. A bifocal imaging lens, a first pixel and a second pixel that respectively pupil-divide and selectively receive luminous flux incident through a first region of the first region and a second region having different focusing distances of the imaging lens, an image sensor having a third pixel and a fourth pixel corresponding to the second region, a first image acquisition unit (41-1) and a second image acquisition unit (41-2) that acquire a first image and a second image having asymmetric blurs from a first pixel group (22A) and a third pixel group (22C) of the image sensor, a third image acquisition unit (43-1) and a fourth image acquisition unit (43-2) that add pixel values of adjacent pixels of the first and second pixels of the image sensor and add pixel values of adjacent pixels of the third and fourth pixels to acquire a third image and a fourth image having symmetric blurs, and a distance calculation unit (45) that calculates a distance to a subject in the image based on the acquired first and third images or the acquired second and fourth images are included.

There is provided a solid-state imaging device including a substrate having a pixel array unit sectioned into a matrix, a plurality of normal pixels, a plurality of phase difference detection pixels, and a plurality of adjacent pixels adjacent to the phase difference detection pixels, each provided in each of the plurality of sections, in which each of the normal pixel, the phase difference detection pixel, and the adjacent pixel has a photoelectric conversion film, and an upper electrode and a lower electrode that sandwich the photoelectric conversion film in a thickness direction of the photoelectric conversion film, and the lower electrode, in the adjacent pixel, extends from the section in which the adjacent pixel is provided to cover the section in which the phase difference detection pixel adjacent to the adjacent pixel is provided, when viewed from above the substrate.

An image capturing apparatus includes an area sensor on which photoelectric conversion elements are arranged two-dimensionally, and that includes a plurality of regions, a reading unit for reading, from the area sensor, signals photoelectrically converted by the photoelectric conversion elements, a focus detection unit for performing focus detection using the signals read by the reading unit, and a control unit for performing control as to from which region of the plurality of regions the reading unit preferentially reads the signals of the photoelectric conversion elements.

A user may routinely wear or hold more than one computing devices. One of the computing devices may be a head-mounted computing-device configured for augmented reality. The head-mounted computing-device may include a camera. While imaging, the camera can consume power and processing resources that diminish a battery of the head-mounted computing device. To improve a battery life and to enhance a user's privacy, imaging of the camera can be deactivated during periods when the user is not interacting with the head-mounted computing device and activated when the user wishes to interact with the head-mounted computing device. The activation of the camera can be triggered by gestured data collected by a computing device other than the head-mounted computing-device.

The present technology relates to a focus detection device and method and a program by which an accurate image shift amount can be detected. A calculation unit performs calculation based on learning on the basis of a received light amount distribution of an A pixel group having a first property for phase difference detection and a received light amount distribution of a B pixel group having a second property different from the first property and outputs defocus amount related information relating to a defocus amount. The present technology can be applied to an imaging apparatus that performs focus detection by a phase difference detection method.

The present technology relates to a focus detection device and method and a program by which an accurate image shift amount can be detected. A calculation unit performs calculation based on learning on the basis of a received light amount distribution of an A pixel group having a first property for phase difference detection and a received light amount distribution of a B pixel group having a second property different from the first property and outputs defocus amount related information relating to a defocus amount. The present technology can be applied to an imaging apparatus that performs focus detection by a phase difference detection method.

An image sensor includes a pixel portion in which a plurality of unit pixels each having one micro lens and a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions are arrayed in a matrix, a signal readout portion that reads out signals accumulated in the photoelectric conversion portions and converts the read signals to digital signals, a signal processor that processes signals read out by the signal readout portion and has an image capture signal processor that performs signal processing for generating a captured image on signals read out by the signal readout portion and a focus detection signal processor that performs signal processing for focus detection on signals read out by the signal readout portion, and an output portion that outputs signals processed by the signal processor.