There are provided a photographing apparatus and a photographing method capable of generating an added image by adding up images, the apparatus and the method achieving image quality of the added image. A photographing apparatus includes: a photographing section that photographs a subject a plurality of times sequentially; an image processing section that adds up images so as to generate an added image; and an exposure condition calculation section that calculates the minimum number of shots of the photography, which is for calculating a plurality of predetermined exposure time periods, and unit exposure time periods of the shots of the photography performed the minimum number of times, on the basis of set and input exposure conditions. The image processing section generates an added image of the plurality of exposure time periods by adding up images which are captured through the shots of the photography for the unit exposure time periods.

A method for determining a distance between an image sensor and an object includes acquiring a first image for an object and a second image distinguished from the first image, using a cut-off filter for cutting off one of R G and B signals, and determining a distance between the image sensor and the object.

In an embodiment, a method for removing flare in images is proposed. The method includes utilizing an image capturing unit to continuously take an equally-exposed image and under-exposed images with variant exposure settings; determining whether a flare is in the equally-exposed image; in response to determining that the flare is in the equally-exposed image, aligning image objects of the under-exposed images with respect to the equally-exposed image; and removing the flare in the equally-exposed image by using the aligned under-exposed images, wherein the under-exposed images used to remove the flare in the equally-exposed image are normalized in brightness based on the brightness of the equally-exposed image and the normalized under-exposed images are then denoised. Also, a system and a non-transitory computer-readable medium performing the method are provided.

An image capturing apparatus comprises an image sensor; a readout unit that reads out an added signal and that independently reads out the signal of the first photoelectric conversion portion; a calculation unit that calculates a signal corresponding to a signal of the second photoelectric conversion portion by subtracting the signal of the first photoelectric conversion portion from the added signal; a correlation calculation unit that performs correlation calculation for the signal of the first photoelectric conversion portion and the signal corresponding to the signal of the second photoelectric conversion portion; and a subtraction unit that subtracts, from the result of the correlation calculation on an object image by the correlation calculation unit, a correction value for correcting noise caused by obtaining the signal corresponding to the signal of the second photoelectric conversion portion.

The various implementations described herein include methods, devices, and systems for implementing high dynamic range and automatic exposure functions in a video system. In one aspect, a method is performed at a video camera device and includes, while operating in a non-high dynamic range (HDR) mode: capturing first video data of a scene with the image sensor; determining whether a minimum number of pixels of the first video data meets one or more first color intensity criteria; and in accordance with the determination that the minimum number of pixels of the first video data meets the one or more first color intensity criteria, switching operation from the non-HDR mode to an HDR mode.

Systems and methods for controlling camera settings of a camera to improve detection of faces in an uncontrolled environment are described. A first image is received from the camera, where the first image is captured by the camera at a first set of camera settings. A face is detected in the first image. The camera is adjusted to a second set of camera settings based on the detected face, where the second set of camera settings different from the first set of camera settings. A second image is received from the camera, where the second image is captured by the camera at the second set of camera settings. The face is detected in the second image. A quality metric of the face in the second image is determined where the quality metric is indicative of an image quality of the face in the second image. The camera is adjusted to a new set of camera settings to increase the quality metric of the face in subsequent images, the new set of camera settings different from both the first set of camera settings and the second set of camera settings. Once a sufficient quality metric of the face is achieved, the face is acquired, or otherwise captured, by the camera or other sensors.

There is provided an image processing apparatus that displays the camera captured image via the spin window on the display and the condition of the travel direction even in the bad weather can be more reliably checked. The image processing apparatus includes a camera that captures an image via the spin window, an image processor that generates a display image, and a display that displays the generated image by the image processor. The image processing apparatus further includes a pulse light output unit, and the camera includes a first camera and a second camera that capture images at timings after elapse of different times from a pulse light output timing of the pulse light output unit. The respective cameras capture images of different spaces, and the image processor generates a differential image between the images captured by the respective cameras and displays the differential image on the display.

An image processing method by an image processing apparatus, including: acquiring a first image which is a first area of a subject displayed with first resolving power; acquiring a second image which is a second area smaller than the first area of the subject, displayed with second resolving power higher than the first resolving power; and generating a third image by compositing the first image and the second image with the first resolving power and the second resolving power remaining.

A digital camera comprises an image sensor for providing initial sensor image data and final sensor image data; a lens for exposing the image of a scene onto the image sensor; an exposure control system for adjusting an exposure level of a final image on the image sensor in response to a scene type; and a processor for processing the initial sensor image data to select one of a plurality of scene types, and to process the final sensor image data in response to the scene type.

In a state that a plurality of capacitances are connected between input and output nodes of an amplifier, a short circuit is established between the input and output nodes of the amplifier. In a state that at least one of the capacitances is isolated from the input and output nodes of the amplifier, the plurality of capacitances are connected to the input and output nodes of the amplifier, in a case that an output from the amplifier is larger than a threshold.