An image processing apparatus that correctly acquires evaluation values when movie recording is performed at a fixed frame rate. A first readout unit reduces readout rows of an image pickup device, and acquires and outputs image data for movie recording from the reduced readout rows. A second readout unit acquires image data from readout rows that do not overlap with that by the first readout unit at higher rate than the first readout unit, and outputs the acquired image data simultaneously with the first readout unit. Whether a subject's state changes for both the image data acquired by the first and second readout units is determined. If it is determined that the subject's state in the image data acquired by the second readout unit is changed, a speed at which the second readout unit acquires image data is changed while the first readout unit maintains a fixed speed.

An image capturing apparatus includes a light emitting unit and an image sensor having a plurality of pixels are disposed in a matrix. Each pixel includes a photodiode, a pixel memory connected to the photodiode, and a floating diffusion portion connected to the pixel memory via a switch. The image capturing apparatus opens the switch from the start of a charge accumulation period that includes a light emission period of the light emitting unit until a predetermined time in the light emission period, reads out a first signal corresponding to the charge accumulated in the floating diffusion portion after the switch has been closed, reads out a second signal corresponding to a charge accumulated in the pixel memory when the charge accumulation period has passed and calculates a distance to the subject based on the first and second signals.

Devices and methods for adjusting an exposure window of a rolling shutter based on a frequency determined from ambient light gathered by a bimodal component are disclosed. Flickering light sources may cause artifacts in captured images, due to interplay between a period of a frequency of ambient light and the exposure window. An image capture device includes a semiconductor component configured to operate in two modes and an exposure window control component configured to compensate for the flickering based on a signal from the light source. In a sensor mode, the semiconductor component may operate to detect the frequency of ambient light. To avoid image artifacts, the frequency of the ambient light is analyzed and an exposure time is adjusted to an integer multiple of the period of the frequency such that exposure is matched to the periodic illumination of the flickering light source.

Systems an methods are provided that disclose providing a positioning service for devices based on light received from one or more light sources. This light based positioning service uses light information transmitted by each light source to determine the position of the device. The positioning information can include three dimension position information in a building that can then be used to deliver services and information to a mobile device. The content delivered to a mobile device can include multimedia, text, audio, and/or pictorial information. The positioning information along with other location or positioning information can be used in providing augmented reality or location aware services. The light sources can be independent beacons that broadcast information in visible light at a rate that is undetectable by the human eye. Content can be retrieved from a server over a communications connection.

An endoscope apparatus including: an image pickup device; a detection device that detects whether or not an image region at which a part of an object region is edged along a direction parallel to the scan lines in a state that is different to a case where a plurality of the scan lines are simultaneously exposed exists in a frame image due to differences of exposure timings for each of the scan lines of the image pickup device based on an image feature amount in the frame image that is obtained from the image data for each of the scan lines that is outputted from the image pickup device; and an exposure control device that changes an exposure time of each of the scan lines by the image pickup device simultaneously for all of the scan lines if the detection device detects the image region.

An endoscope system includes: an illumination unit configured to irradiate a visual field area with illumination light that produces return light from a specific substance; a sensor unit having a two-dimensional surface on which a plurality of pixels is arranged for receiving the return light from the visual field area and photoelectrically converting the return light to generate electrical signals; a reading unit configured to read out the electrical signals per a specified frame cycle; a reset pulse generation unit configured to generate reset pulses for releasing electric charges accumulated in the plurality of pixels; a reset pulse controller configured to adjust timing of generating the reset pulses such that a plurality of frame cycles is included in a period between generation of two consecutive reset pulses; and an illumination controller configured to cause the illumination unit to emit the illumination light in each of the plurality of frame cycles.

A camera system is described, particularly for a vehicle, the camera system having at least: a camera which has an image sensor and a filter mask, and a control and evaluation device which receives image signals output by the image sensor, the image sensor having an array of sensor pixels outputting pixel signals, and the filter mask having an array of filters which are disposed in front of the sensor pixels and have different wavelength-selective transmission response, a portion of the filters being attenuation filters, and sensor pixels, in front of which in each case one of the attenuation filters is disposed, outputting attenuation pixel signals. The attenuation filters advantageously attenuate white light more strongly than the other filters of the filter mask; in particular, they are blue pixels.

An imaging apparatus and an imaging method are provided. The imaging apparatus includes an imager configured to output image data for a subject, a motion detector configured to detect motion of the imaging apparatus, and a controller configured to control the imager to suspend output of the image data in response to the motion detector detecting the motion.

The invention relates to a structure of a semiconductor chip (100) comprising photosensitive elements (104) for image capturing. The semiconductor chip (100) comprises a set of photosensitive elements (104) for forming electric signals on the basis of electromagnetic radiation received by the photosensitive elements (104); and other electronic circuitry. A surface of the semiconductor chip comprises a first region (102) and a second region (110); and the set of photosensitive elements (104) is located in the first region (102) and the other electronic circuitry is located in the second region (110). The invention also relates to methods, apparatuses, and computer program products.

In a solid-state image sensor that transfers electric charges to a floating diffusion layer, exposure is started before transferring the electric charges to the floating diffusion layer.

A photodiode generates electric charges by photoelectric conversion. An electric charge accumulation unit accumulates electric charges. The floating diffusion layer converts electric charges into a signal level corresponding to the amount of the electric charges. An exposure end transfer transistor transfers the electric charges from the photodiode to the electric charge accumulation unit when a predetermined exposure period ends. A reset transistor initializes a voltage of the floating diffusion layer to a predetermined reset level when the exposure period ends. When a new exposure period is started after the electric charges are transferred to the electric charge accumulation unit, a discharge transistor discharges electric charges newly generated in the photodiode. When processing of converting a predetermined reset level into a digital signal ends, a conversion end transistor transfers the electric charges from the electric charge accumulation unit to the floating diffusion layer.