Eastman-kodak Company

Masao Kobayashi

Hideo Nakamura

Kazuyasu Kurata

Shuji Asami

Taro Kushida

Kunihiko Kanai

Kazuo Ishikawa

Hirokazu Nakazawa

Gakuji Horigome

A digital camera enables high-speed zooming operation without use of a zoom lens. Light originating from a fixed-focal-length lens is split into two beams by a beam splitter, to thus form respective images on a first image sensor and a second image sensor. The first image sensor and the second image sensor are equal to each other in terms of the number of pixels, but differ from each other in terms of a pixel size. The first image sensor acquires a wide image, and the second image sensor acquires a telephotography image. An output is produced by means of switching between the first image sensor and the second image sensor, in response to zooming operation. When the image from the first image sensor is recorded, focus detection is performed by use of an image signal from the second image sensor, to thus effect automatic focusing.

Image-capturing apparatus

In a digital camera having multiple optical systems, multiple image capturing elements are effectively driven to reduce power consumption. A digital camera has a first image capturing optical system having a lens and a first image sensor and a second image capturing optical system having a lens and a second image sensor. A controller and timing generator selects the image signal from the first image capturing optical system while controlling an operation or power of the second image sensor and a clock driver to be OFF when the zoom position falls within a first zoom range. When the zoom position falls within a second zoom range, the image signal from the second image capturing optical system is selected while an operation or power of the first image sensor and a clock driver is controlled to be OFF. An operation or power of the image capturing optical system which is not selected is stopped so that power consumption is reduced.

Image capturing device having multiple optical systems

When composition of a first captured image having a tilted subject image is corrected, the first image is rotated such that the subject image stands in an erect position, according to the attitude of the camera achieved during capture of the first image. Images corresponding to missing portions, which arise in the image area for recording due to rotation, are extracted from a second captured image as compensation images. The second image is obtained by capturing an image of the same subject as that captured by the first image, at the different angle of view and attitude of the camera. An image obtained by enlarging the compensation images extracted from the second image according to the angle of view employed for capturing the first image is synthesized with the rotated first image, to thus make the subject image stand in an erect position and to obtain a corrected image without involving a decreased number of pixels.

Digital camera, composition correction device, and composition correction method

Image data captured by digital cameras are shared among the digital cameras. Image data captured by digital cameras constituting members of an image-sharing group are shared, by way of a network, within the image-sharing group. Every time captured image data are output, the digital camera generates for each of the members distribution information, including a storage source directory, a distribution destination address, and a storage destination directory, all pertaining to the image data, by reference to a group list where member information is registered for each of the members, including a distribution destination address and a storage destination directory, to thus generate a distribution list having respective pieces of distribution information registered therein. Further, the digital camera sequentially reads distribution information from the distribution list and distributes the image data to respective other digital cameras, which constitute the members, on the basis of the read distribution information.

Digital camera and image-sharing method

In an image-capturing device having multiple optical systems, power consumption is reduced and operativity by the user is improved. The image-capturing device has an optical system having a relatively wide angle of view, and an optical system having a relatively narrow angle of view. An image processing system displays an image obtained by the optical system on a display device, crops, from the image of the optical system, an image corresponding to an image-capturing area according to an amount of operation of a zoom operation lever by the user, and displays the cropped image on the display device. When the user operates a release button, the image processing system and a lens control system drive the optical system to an angle of view corresponding to the image-capturing area and stores an image obtained by the optical system in a storage device.

Image-capturing device having multiple optical systems

Coordinated image capturing is appropriately performed even if an error occurs in the synchronization between cameras that are connected via a network. Camera A for image capturing and camera B for providing strobe light are connected via a radio network, and camera A sets a point at which to start exposure for image capturing Tx and a point at which to start strobe emission Tf such that Tx is earlier than Tf, the time difference Id between Tx and Tf becomes larger than a synchronization error Ie between a synchronous clock of camera A and a synchronous clock of camera B, and the sum (Id+If+Ie) of the time difference Id, the strobe emission period If and the synchronization error Ie becomes smaller than exposure period Ix. Then, camera A outputs a strobe emission command with Tf designated and an exposure command with Tx designated, and controls the exposure control mechanism to start exposure at Tx in response to the exposure command. On the other hand, camera B controls the strobe mechanism to start strobe emission at Tf in response to the strobe emission command received via the radio network.

Camera system and cameras connectable to radio network, which are used in the camera system

A storage compartment for loading and unloading batteries of varying sizes efficiently. The storage compartment is internally equipped with a position regulating plate part on a ceiling part, an ejection urging part, a thickness judging part, and a contact point part on an end surface at the back side. The position regulating plate part is equipped with rotatable position regulating plates urged to protrude vertically into the storage compartment. When a battery is inserted, the position regulating plates guide the battery and cause it to be pressed to a bottom surface part of the storage compartment. Any one of the position regulating plates that does not abut the battery opposes the battery in a perpendicular direction and prohibits movement of the battery in the thickness direction.

Growing community of inventors

Nagano, Japan

Masao Kobayashi