A control apparatus includes an angle control unit configured to change a tilt angle by tilting an imaging sensor, a first determination unit configured to determine a first area from among a plurality of areas in an image, an evaluation value acquisition unit configured to acquire a contrast evaluation value of each of second areas excluding the first area among the plurality of areas by changing the tilt angle through the angle control unit, and a second determination unit configured to determine the tilt angle for each area based on the contrast evaluation value acquired by the evaluation value acquisition unit, and determining the tilt angle of the image sensor based on the tilt angle determined for each area. The angle control unit tilts the image sensor so as to obtain the tilt angle determined by the second determination unit.

Automatic focus-adjusting glasses includes an imager configured to be capable of acquiring image information; a variable focus lens configured to be capable of changing a focal length; a depth-information acquiring unit configured to acquire depth information of each position of the image information acquired by the imager; an attention-position determining unit configured to determine an attention position in the image information acquired by the imager; a depth-information identifying unit configured to identify a depth of the attention position based on the attention position in the image information determined by the attention-position determining unit and the depth information; and a focal-length controller configured to set a focal length of the variable focus lens based on the depth of the attention position.

Automatic focus-adjusting glasses includes an imager configured to be capable of acquiring image information; a variable focus lens configured to be capable of changing a focal length; a depth-information acquiring unit configured to acquire depth information of each position of the image information acquired by the imager; an attention-position determining unit configured to determine an attention position in the image information acquired by the imager; a depth-information identifying unit configured to identify a depth of the attention position based on the attention position in the image information determined by the attention-position determining unit and the depth information; and a focal-length controller configured to set a focal length of the variable focus lens based on the depth of the attention position.

Because of modern computers and digital cameras, it is now possible to take a series of photographs at incremental focus distances and then combine all of these into a single composite photograph. There are three ways to acquire the stepwise images, either manually or automatically. This invention allows all three methods to be executed using a single automated apparatus by using different means of positioning/moving the camera or lens. This includes external rotation of the focus ring (1), or linearly moving the camera and lens together (2), or moving just the camera (3a), or moving just the lens (3b) in highly controlled steps, thus allowing rapid collection of many images, each at incremental focus depths into the subject. These stacks can then be processed using any of several commercial software packages to combine all the images into a single high-resolution composite image.

A focus setting display unit for a moving image camera comprises a data input that is configured to receive a focus setting that represents an instantaneous focal distance of an objective of the moving image camera as well as to receive distance values that represent the distances of a plurality of scene points in the field of view of the objective from the moving image camera. The focus setting display unit further comprises a display device and an evaluation and control device that is configured to control the display device to display a graphical representation of the focus setting and a graphical representation of a frequency distribution of the distance values in a spatial relationship to one another that reflects the spatial relationship of the instantaneous focal distance of the objective to the distances of the plurality of scene points.

Embodiments are directed to devices and methods including a time-of-flight sensor and a camera. In one embodiment, a device is provided that includes a time-of-flight sensor, distance estimation circuitry, a camera, and processing circuitry. The time-of-flight sensor transmits an optical pulse signal and receives return optical pulse signals corresponding to portions of the transmitted optical pulse signal reflected by an object. The distance estimation circuitry estimates a minimum distance to the object based on a time between transmitting the optical pulse signal and receiving a first portion of the return optical pulse signals, and estimates a maximum distance to the object based on a time between transmitting the optical pulse signal and receiving a second portion of the return optical pulse signals. The processing circuitry controls a focus distance and an aperture setting of the camera based on the estimated minimum and maximum distances to the object.

A control apparatus 220 controls the in-focus positions of a plurality of image capturing apparatuses that perform image capturing from a plurality of directions in order to generate a virtual-viewpoint image. Specifically, the control apparatus 220 obtains an image capture parameter related to image capturing by one or more image capturing apparatuses included in an image capturing apparatus group 100. The control apparatus 220 controls on the basis of the obtained image capture parameter, the in-focus position of a target image capturing apparatus corresponding to the image capture parameter such that the distance from the target image capturing apparatus to the in-focus position of the target image capturing apparatus is shorter than the distance from the target image capturing apparatus to a point of interest.

The present disclosure provides a detection system, which includes an image sensor, a lens device, and a processor. The image sensor is configured to take a first picture of a foreground object and a background object. The lens device is attached to the image sensor and configured to allow the foreground object to form a clear image on the first picture and the background object to form a blurred image on the first picture. The processor is configured to determine the image of the foreground object by analyzing the sharpness of the images of the first pictures.

A control apparatus includes an angle control unit configured to change a tilt angle by tilting an imaging sensor, a first determination unit configured to determine a first area from among a plurality of areas in an image, an evaluation value acquisition unit configured to acquire a contrast evaluation value of each of second areas excluding the first area among the plurality of areas by changing the tilt angle through the angle control unit, and a second determination unit configured to determine the tilt angle for each area based on the contrast evaluation value acquired by the evaluation value acquisition unit, and determining the tilt angle of the image sensor based on the tilt angle determined for each area. The angle control unit tilts the image sensor so as to obtain the tilt angle determined by the second determination unit.

An imaging device, comprising an image sensor that receives subject light and generates image data, and a processor comprising a focus control section, an index generating section, and a control section, wherein the focus control section performs focus detection based on the image data, and controls focus drive based on focus detection results, the index generating section is input with the image data, and generates a first index representing which image of a given plurality of types of image the image data is close to, and a second index representing Bokeh state of an image corresponding to the image data, and the control section changes control of focus drive by the focus control section based on output of the index generating section.