Disclosed embodiments relate to an endoscopic camera and methods for operating the camera. In one embodiment, the endoscopic camera includes a grip region to facilitate holding by a user. The camera may also include a mechanism for correcting improperly exposed video signals by modulating illumination parameters

A focusing method and a focusing system based on a distance sensor of mobile terminal is provided. The method may include: acquiring an initial distance between a camera and an object to be shot by using the distance sensor; judging whether the distance between the camera and the object changed; in response to judging that the distance changed, acquiring a micro-adjustment range of a motor according to the distance; controlling the motor to move based on the micro-adjustment ranges; collecting images from the camera in a real-time manner; acquiring focus values of the collected images; and moving the motor to a position corresponding to a largest focus value of the focus values to focus the camera.

An imaging device includes a first pixel 51A including a first transfer transistor and a second transfer transistor. The imaging device includes a second pixel 51B adjacent to the first pixel and including a third transfer transistor and a fourth transfer transistor. The imaging device includes a first signal line SL0 coupled to the first transfer transistor that receives a first transfer signal having a first phase of 0 degrees, a second signal line SL180 coupled to the second transfer transistor and that receives a second transfer signal having a second phase of 180 degrees, a third signal line SL90 coupled to the third transfer transistor and that receives a third transfer signal having a third phase of 90 degrees, and a fourth signal line SL270 coupled to the fourth transfer transistor and that receives a fourth transfer signal having a fourth phase of 270 degrees. The imaging device 1 may further include a third pixel 51C, including a fifth transfer transistor and a sixth transfer transistor, adjacent to the second pixel 51B in the first direction, and a fourth pixel 51D, including a seventh transfer transistor and an eighth transfer transistor, adjacent to the third pixel 51C in the first direction. The fifth transfer transistor is coupled to the first signal line SL0, the sixth transfer transistor is coupled to the second signal line SL180, the seventh transfer transistor is coupled to the third signal line SL90, and the eighth transfer transistor is coupled to the fourth signal line SL270. The current path to form a circuit that provides transfer signals to taps A1 and A3 through wirings W1 and W5 is substantially the same. The same is true for signal line pairs SL90/SL90′, SL180/SL180′, and SL270/SL270′. The layout is semi-global in that the current path for connecting each signal line SL to taps A and B is substantially the same for a given phase for each pixel 51, thus allowing for the transfer signals for each phase to reach the taps A and B at a same time.

The present disclosure is directed to a system and method of controlling a facial recognition process by validating preconditions with a ranging sensor. The ranging sensor transmits a ranging signal that is reflected off of a user's face and received back at the ranging sensor. The received ranging signal can be used to determine distance between the user's face and the mobile device or to determine the reflectivity of the user's face. Comparing the distance to a range of distances corresponding to normal operation of the device or normal reflectivities associated with human skin tones can reduce the number of false positive activations of the facial recognition process. Furthermore, a multiple zone ranging sensor can produce a face depth map that can be compared to a stored face depth map or can produce a reflectivity map that can be compared to a stored face reflectivity map to further increase power efficiency and device security.

A terminal includes a camera, a laser transceiver, a protection glass, and an infrared cut-off coating. The camera includes an image sensor and N lenses; the image sensor is disposed at the rear of the N lenses, and is configured to: receive an optical signal penetrating the protection glass and the N lenses, and convert the optical signal into an electrical signal. The protection glass is disposed in front of the N lenses, and is configured to protect the N lenses. The laser transceiver is configured to transmit or receive a laser. The infrared cut-off coating is located on at least one surface of the protection glass and/or on at least one surface of at least one lens in the N lenses, and a cut-off wavelength of the infrared cut-off coating is corresponding to a center wavelength of the laser transmitted by the laser transceiver.

To provide a system, a method and the like for acquiring more images or more quickly focused images. A control device acquires information regarding a situation of a range captured by an imaging device, determines a mode according to an assumed situation of the range captured by the imaging device among a plurality of focusing modes, and transmits designation information specifying the determined mode to the imaging device. The imaging device receives the designation information from the control device, and captures an image using the mode specified by the received designation information.

Disclosed embodiments relate to an endoscopic camera and methods for operating the camera. In one embodiment, the endoscopic camera includes a grip region to facilitate holding by a user. The camera may also include a mechanism for correcting improperly exposed video signals by modulating illumination parameters.

An apparatus having a sensor that performs photoelectric conversion on light formed by an optical system and outputs a resultant image, stores in memory a first image output from the sensor in a state that the optical system is controlled to a first focal length, and displays, on a second image output from the sensor in a state that the optical system is controlled to a second focal length which is shorter than the first focal length, a shooting frame indicating an area in which the second image and the first image coincide.

A method for imaging of an object includes, for each of a plurality of surface-regions of the object, determining a corresponding image-sensor pixel group of a camera illuminated by light propagating from the surface-region via a lens of the camera. The method also includes, after the step of determining and for each surface-region: (i) changing a distance between the object and the lens such that the surface region intersects an in-focus object-plane of the camera and the lens forms an in-focus surface-region image on the corresponding image-sensor pixel group; (ii) capturing, with the corresponding image-sensor pixel group, the in-focus surface-region image of the surface-region; and (iii) combining the in-focus surface-region images, obtained by performing said capturing for each surface-region, to yield an all-in-focus image of the object.

A method and an apparatus for obtaining an extended depth of field image, and an electronic device are disclosed. The method includes: determining a target focal length range based on an initial focal length (101), where the target focal length range includes the initial focal length; obtaining a plurality of images of a photographed object for a plurality of focal lengths in the target focal length range (102); and registering and fusing, the plurality of images to obtain an extended depth of field image (103). The target focal length range of concern to a user is selected based on the initial focal length, so that there is no need to obtain images of all focal lengths of a lens, a quantity of obtained images and processing time of registration and fusion can be reduced.