The present disclosure provides a method and an apparatus for binocular ranging, capable of achieving an improved accuracy of binocular ranging. The method includes: extracting features from a left image and a right image to obtain a left feature image and a right feature image; selecting a standard feature image and obtaining a cost volume of the standard feature image by applying a correlation calculation to the left feature image and the right feature image using a block matching algorithm; obtaining a confidence volume by normalizing computational costs of all disparity values in a disparity dimension for each pixel point in the cost volume; obtaining a confidence map by selecting a maximum value from confidence levels of all the disparity values in the disparity dimension for each pixel point in the confidence volume; obtaining a mask map by mapping each pixel point having a confidence level higher than a predetermined threshold in the confidence map to 1 and mapping each pixel point having a confidence level lower than or equal to the threshold in the confidence map to 0; obtaining a disparity map by calculating an argmax value for the confidence levels of all disparity values in the disparity dimension for each pixel point in the confidence volume; obtaining a target disparity map by multiplying the mask map with the disparity map; and estimating a distance based on the target disparity map.

The present disclosure provides a method and an apparatus for binocular ranging, capable of achieving an improved accuracy of binocular ranging. The method includes: extracting features from a left image and a right image to obtain a left feature image and a right feature image; selecting a standard feature image and obtaining a cost volume of the standard feature image by applying a correlation calculation to the left feature image and the right feature image using a block matching algorithm; obtaining a confidence volume by normalizing computational costs of all disparity values in a disparity dimension for each pixel point in the cost volume; obtaining a confidence map by selecting a maximum value from confidence levels of all the disparity values in the disparity dimension for each pixel point in the confidence volume; obtaining a mask map by mapping each pixel point having a confidence level higher than a predetermined threshold in the confidence map to 1 and mapping each pixel point having a confidence level lower than or equal to the threshold in the confidence map to 0; obtaining a disparity map by calculating an argmax value for the confidence levels of all disparity values in the disparity dimension for each pixel point in the confidence volume; obtaining a target disparity map by multiplying the mask map with the disparity map; and estimating a distance based on the target disparity map.

Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable media are provided for implementing a tracking camera system onboard an autonomous vehicle. Coordinate data of an object can be received. The tracking camera system actuates, based on the coordinate data, to a position such that the object is in view of the tracking camera system. Vehicle operation data of the autonomous vehicle can be received. The position of the tracking camera system can be adjusted, based on the vehicle operation data, such that the object remains in view of the tracking camera system while the autonomous vehicle is in motion. A focus of the tracking camera system can be adjusted to bring the object in focus. The tracking camera system captures image data corresponding to the object.

Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable media are provided for implementing a tracking camera system onboard an autonomous vehicle. Coordinate data of an object can be received. The tracking camera system actuates, based on the coordinate data, to a position such that the object is in view of the tracking camera system. Vehicle operation data of the autonomous vehicle can be received. The position of the tracking camera system can be adjusted, based on the vehicle operation data, such that the object remains in view of the tracking camera system while the autonomous vehicle is in motion. A focus of the tracking camera system can be adjusted to bring the object in focus. The tracking camera system captures image data corresponding to the object.

There is provided an image capturing apparatus comprising an image sensor that outputs a plurality of parallax images in a single instance of shooting, the parallax images having different viewpoints. A shooting control unit carries out, using the image sensor, first shooting and a plurality of instances of second shooting. The plurality of instances of second shooting is carried out under a shooting condition in which a depth of field is shallower than in the first shooting. A generating unit generates a plurality of range images corresponding to the plurality of instances of second shooting. A detection unit detects an amount of positional skew, relative to a first image generated through the first shooting, of each of a plurality of second images generated through the plurality of instances of second shooting.

There is provided an image capturing apparatus comprising an image sensor that outputs a plurality of parallax images in a single instance of shooting, the parallax images having different viewpoints. A shooting control unit carries out, using the image sensor, first shooting and a plurality of instances of second shooting. The plurality of instances of second shooting is carried out under a shooting condition in which a depth of field is shallower than in the first shooting. A generating unit generates a plurality of range images corresponding to the plurality of instances of second shooting. A detection unit detects an amount of positional skew, relative to a first image generated through the first shooting, of each of a plurality of second images generated through the plurality of instances of second shooting.

A lens device includes: a movable lens capable of being moved in a direction of an optical axis and configured to be moved by an operating member driven by an operating member driving unit; an optical member that reflects a portion of light having passed through the movable lens; a target position information acquiring unit that acquires information of a target position of the movable lens by calculating the target position based on the reflected light; and a movable lens driving unit that performs first driving for moving the movable lens based on a position of the operating member detected by an operating member position detection unit, and the operating member driving unit drives the operating member based on the information of the target position.

A lens device includes: a movable lens capable of being moved in a direction of an optical axis and configured to be moved by an operating member driven by an operating member driving unit; an optical member that reflects a portion of light having passed through the movable lens; a target position information acquiring unit that acquires information of a target position of the movable lens by calculating the target position based on the reflected light; and a movable lens driving unit that performs first driving for moving the movable lens based on a position of the operating member detected by an operating member position detection unit, and the operating member driving unit drives the operating member based on the information of the target position.

A camera (10) is provided for the detection of objects (48) moved through a detection zone that has an image sensor (18) for recording image data, a reception optics (16) having an adjustable diaphragm (17), and a control and evaluation unit (38) to read the image data and to set the diaphragm (17), In this respect, the control and evaluation unit (38) is furthermore configured to set the diaphragm (17) per object (48) such that the object (48) is recorded in a depth of field range.

Systems, methods, and computer-readable mediums for autofocusing cameras in a videophone are disclosed. A videophone system may include a camera having a lens, a lens actuator configured to move the lens, and an image sensor configured to capture images received through the lens. The videophone system may also include a distance sensor configured to determine an object of focus distance between the camera lens and the object of focus. The system includes memory for storing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the camera lens to automatically focus on the object of focus. The processor includes a lookup table configured to correlate an object of focus distance determined by the distance sensor with a digital number that can be converted by a digital to analog converter to a power value sufficient to power lens actuator to move the lens to a predetermined focus position. The lookup table is configured to correlate an object of focus distance returned by the distance sensor with a digital number representing a lens position, such that the object of focus falls within a depth of field about a focal plane corresponding to the lens position.