Methods and systems are provided for an auto-focus system for a microscope. In one example, a method for the auto-focus system includes focusing the microscope at a glass-specimen interface of a sample by passing a primary laser beam through a beamsplitting device to generate an additional, secondary laser beam that is a mirror image of the primary laser beam. A location of an objective may be triangulated along a longitudinal axis of the microscope based on a centroid of spectral intensities of each of the primary and secondary laser beams.

This invention provides a removably mountable lens assembly for a vision system camera that includes an integral auto-focusing liquid lens unit, in which the lens unit compensates for focus variations by employing a feedback control circuit that is integrated into the body of the lens assembly. The feedback control circuit receives motion information related to the bobbin of the lens from a position sensor (e.g. a Hall sensor) and uses this information internally to correct for motion variations that deviate from the lens setting position at a desired lens focal distance setting. Illustratively, the feedback circuit can be interconnected with one or more temperature sensors that adjust the lens setting position for a particular temperature value. In addition, the feedback circuit can communicate with an accelerometer that reads a direction of gravity and thereby corrects for potential sag in the lens membrane based upon the spatial orientation of the lens.

A camera device including first and second cameras, focal position information of the first camera and focal position information of the second camera are matched with each other. Also, the accuracy of the current focal position of the first camera is determined based on the phase difference of images obtained by the first camera when the first camera is auto-focused. Subsequently, when the accuracy of the current focal position of the first camera is low, an accurate focal position of the first camera is tracked by using the matched focal position information of the second camera. When an auto-focusing function of the first camera is activated, focal position movements are tracked by using the focal position information of the second camera as well as zoom tracking of the first camera, and thus, the accuracy can be improved.

Methods and apparatus provide for: capturing an image of a subject from a position; capturing a plurality of images of the subject from a plurality of further positions around the position such that the plurality of captured images of the subject are different in image quality or view angles than the image of the subject from the position; and generating data to be output on a basis of the image captured from the position and the plurality of images captured from the plurality of further positions, where at least one of: the capturing the image or the plurality of images includes pixels capable of detecting light in an infrared wavelength band, and the generating includes synthesizing the image from the position and the images captured from the further positions and changing a synthesis ratio according to an image synthesis position.

A method for controlling microscopic imaging of a microscope includes providing a microscope control arrangement configured for receiving a focusing request and for receiving sample information on a sample to be imaged, wherein the microscope control arrangement activates, upon receipt of a focusing request and after having received the sample information, a predefined focusing setting depending on the sample information received for controlling focusing of the microscope for microscopic imaging of the sample.

Provided is a technology which is suitable for both widening an image capture view angle and securing an angular resolution across the entire image capture range. In an imaging optical system, a rate of change of an image height per view angle, i.e. dy/dθ, is greater than 0 at a maximum view angle θmax, a rate of change of a view angle per image height, i.e. D(θ)=1/(dy(θ)/dθ), satisfies an expression D(θp)>{(D(θmax)−D(0))/θmaxθ}θp+D(0), with θp which lies in a range of 0<θ<θmax, and it satisfies an expression 1.5<(y(θs)/θs)/{(y(θmax)−y(θs))/(θmax−θs)}<3.0 with a switching view angle θs of the rate of change D(θ) of the view angle per image height.

An electronic binoculars includes: first and second imaging units with a predetermined horizontal distance therebetween disposed in a housing; optical members that guide image light beams to the first and second imaging units; a sensor that detects angular acceleration or acceleration acting on the housing; an image processor that processes image signals produced by the first and second imaging units and corrects the image signals in terms of the change in motion of the housing in accordance with the angular acceleration or acceleration detected by the sensor; and first and second displays with a horizontal distance therebetween disposed in the housing, the first and second displays displaying the image signals processed by the image processor.

An electronic binoculars includes: first and second imaging units with a predetermined horizontal distance therebetween disposed in a housing; optical members that guide image light beams to the first and second imaging units; a sensor that detects angular acceleration or acceleration acting on the housing; an image processor that processes image signals produced by the first and second imaging units and corrects the image signals in terms of the change in motion of the housing in accordance with the angular acceleration or acceleration detected by the sensor; and first and second displays with a horizontal distance therebetween disposed in the housing, the first and second displays displaying the image signals processed by the image processor.

An imaging apparatus includes: a focus controller configured to adjust focus by driving a lens; a relative tilt angle controller configured to incline a focus surface by controlling a relative tilt angle of the lens to an image sensor; and an acquisition unit configured to acquire an installation angle of the imaging apparatus based on a relative tilt angle and a distance from a standard surface on the focus surface inclined in accordance with the standard surface. The acquisition unit acquires a relative tilt angle when the focus surface is inclined in accordance with a height of a subject based on the installation angle and a distance between the standard surface and height information of the subject, and outputs the relative ti It angle to the relative tilt angle controller.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in a camera device including first and second cameras, focal position information of the first camera and focal position information of the second camera are matched with each other. Also, the accuracy of the current focal position of the first camera is determined based on the phase difference of images obtained by the first camera when the first camera is auto-focused. Subsequently, when the accuracy of the current focal position of the first camera is low, an accurate focal position of the first camera is tracked by using the matched focal position information of the second camera. As described above, according to the present embodiment, when an auto-focusing function of the first camera is activated, focal position movements are tracked by using the focal position information of the second camera as well as zoom tracking of the first camera, and thus, the accuracy can be improved.