Pentax Corporation

Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Hoya Corporation

Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd.

Satoru Horita

Masahiro Nakata

Osamu Sato

Tomoaki Kobayashi

Hisashi Tatamiya

Takahiro Kobayashi

Toshihiro Hamamura

Makoto Iikawa

Teppei Okamoto

Hiroaki Suzuki

Tetsuaki Kato

Shigenori Fujio

Naoto Kawanami

A dust detection system, comprising a receiver, a dust extraction block, a memory and an image correction block, is provided. The receiver receives an image signal. The dust extraction block generates a dust image signal on the basis of the image signal. The memory stores an intrinsic-flaw image signal corresponding to an intrinsic-flaw image including sub-images of dust that the dust extraction block extracts in initializing. The image correction block generates a corrected dust-image signal on the basis of the intrinsic-flaw image signal and a normal dust-image signal. The normal dust-image signal corresponds to a normal dust image including sub-image of dust that the dust extraction block extracts after initializing. The corrected dust image is the normal dust image that sub-images of dust in the intrinsic-flaw image are deleted from.

Dust detection system and digital camera

A photographing apparatus comprises an imaging sensor, a memory, and a display unit. The imaging sensor obtains image data. The memory stores the image data. The display unit indicates a still picture based on the image data and a white balance setting picture on the still picture. The white balance setting picture is used for setting a white balance gain in a white balance adjustment.

Photographing apparatus having a white balance adjustment function

Original image data has original luminance data and color difference data. The original luminance data is separated into first luminance data and second luminance data. The second luminance data undergoes low-pass filter process so as to produce the third luminance data. The first luminance data and the third luminance data are synthesized. Due to this, the soft focus picture image, which consists of the synthesized luminance data and the difference luminance data, is generated.

Filter process for obtaining a soft focus picture image

The image resolution of an original image is reduced, so that the original image is changed to a low-resolution image. Here, a bi-linear interpolation or a bi-cubic convolution is carried out for the resolution reduction. Pixel data from each pixel of the low-resolution image is filtered by a low-pass filter. Due to this, the low-resolution image changes to a filtered image. The number of pixels forming the filtered image is restored to the number of pixels forming the original image to generate a restored image. In the restored image, the contours of the objects are sufficiently unclear even if a small matrix is used in the filtration.

Filter process

A focus detection device includes a plurality of line sensors, each having a plurality of pixels, the line sensor photoelectrically converting and integrating light from a photographic object received by each of the pixels so as to output the received light as an image signal; a plurality of monitor sensors provided adjacent to respective the line sensors, each of the monitor sensors monitoring an integrated value of the respective line sensors; an output terminal for externally outputting a monitor signal which is output from each of the monitor sensors and the image signal which is output from each of the line sensors; and an output selection device for selectively outputting any one of the monitor signal and the image signal from a common the output terminal.

Focus detection device

A focus detection device includes a plurality of line sensors, a plurality of monitor sensors provided adjacent to respective the line sensors, wherein each of the monitor sensors monitors the quantity of light received by a corresponding the line sensor, and a control device which controls the driving of the line sensors and the monitor sensors in a desired combination thereof. The line sensors, the monitor sensors, and the control device are provided on a common circuit board.

A focus detection device includes line sensors which each photoelectrically convert and integrate light from an object so as to output the received light as an image signal; monitor sensors provided adjacent to the line sensors; a control device which controls an integration operation of a predetermined line sensor and a predetermined monitor sensor; and a detection device which detects that a monitor signal of each of the monitor sensors reaches a predetermined termination value for terminating integration of the corresponding line sensor after the control device allows the predetermined line sensor and monitor sensor to start the integration. The control device outputs a first termination signal from a first control terminal when the detection device detects the monitor signal first reaching the termination value, and thereafter outputs integration termination information of the respective monitor sensors detected sequentially from the first control terminal.

An automatic focusing apparatus in which the quantity of auxiliary light can be precisely controlled regardless of conditions of an object to be taken is disclosed. The apparatus includes a passive AF sensor unit, a flash device and a main CPU which controls the flash device as an auxiliary light source for the focus detection, so that the flash device intermittently emits flashes of light. The main CPU increases emission time and emission time interval stepwise from the minimum value when the flash device intermittently emits flashes of light as the auxiliary light source upon detection of the focused state.

Automatic focusing apparatus

A camera body includes a plurality of body contact members which can contact and electrically connect to a plurality of lens contact members of a photographic lens when the photographic lens is attached to the camera body. The camera body also includes a communication device which can receive fixed information via a first predetermined body contact member group if a photographic lens that allows the reception of fixed information is attached to the camera body, and which can transmit arbitrary information via a second predetermined body contact member group if a photographic lens that allows the transmission of arbitrary information is attached to the camera body. The camera body further includes an identifying device that determines whether or not an attached photographic lens allows the transmission of arbitrary information via first and second body contact members not belonging to the first predetermined body contact member group.

Photographic lens recognition system for a camera body

A camera body in which, when a photographic lens is attached to the camera body, data exchange is carried out by communicating with the photographic lens via a plurality of contact pins electrically connected to each other. The camera body includes: a reset pin as one of the contact pins which outputs a reset signal and a reset release signal; an identifying pin as another of the contact pins for identifying an attached photographic lens; and an identifying device which identifies an attached photographic lens according to the change of electric potential of the identifying pin upon the output of the reset release signal to the reset pin.

Growing community of inventors

Tochigi, Japan

Satoru Horita