Nikon Corporation

Souichi Ueta

Yoshiyuki Suzuki

Hidehisa Tsuchihashi

Toru Ochiai

Yasunori Nakamura

Hayato Hokoi

A focusing device comprises: an image capturing unit that captures a subject image formed via an optical system including a lens for executing focus adjustment and outputs an output signal; an edge detection unit that detects an edge signal among the output signal in correspondence to each color component among a plurality of color components contained in an image based upon the output signal; a calculation unit that calculates edge differential values each of which is a differential value of the edge signal in correspondence to the each color component; and a control unit that controls a moving direction along which the lens is to move based upon a comparison of the edge differential values.

Focusing device and camera

A focusing device including: an optical system that includes a focusing lens; an image sensor that captures a subject image formed via the optical system and outputs an image signal containing a plurality of color components; an edge detection unit that detects an edge in correspondence to each color component among the plurality of color components contained in the image signal; a differential value calculation unit that calculates a differential value of an edge strength of the edge detected by the edge detection unit, in correspondence to the each color component; and a decision-making unit that determines a moving direction along which the focusing lens is to move for purposes of focus adjustment of the optical system based upon the differential value calculated by the differential value calculation unit.

An image reading device selectively performs contrast adjustment on edge portions of the image, while suppressing contrast adjustment on noise and roughness of the image, thus obtaining a smooth and modulated image. Light emitted from a light source passes through or is reflected from an original document and is incident on a CCD line sensor, which outputs an electrical signal. This signal is input into an edge contrast unit, e.g., via a gain control amplifier, an A/D converter and a CCD signal processor. The edge contrast unit includes a computation unit by which edge contrast adjustment is accomplished selectively on input signals based on a comparison coefficient input from a comparison coefficient input unit and a contrast coefficient input from a contrast coefficient input unit. The resulting signal is stored in FIFO memory after passing through a normalizing processor, a DPI converter, and a LUT, for example.

Image reading device that selectively performs edge contrast adjustment

A color image scanner and color image scanning method that generates three different colors independently using multiple LEDs and controls the exposure time of a charge coupled device (CCD) and the light emitting time of the LEDs in order to maintain suitable balance and levels for the colors which are generated. A primary timer sets the operation time of the CCD and a secondary timer sets the ON time for each LED. In addition, an LED drive circuit driving the LEDs has two constant current circuits to more evenly read the images of the document to be scanned.

Color image scanner having multiple LEDS and color image scanning method

An image reading device (image scanner) includes a resolution changing device that changes a resolution of the image signals output by a photoelectric sensor device by changing a primary scanning direction aperture size, a secondary scanning direction aperture size, or both, of the photoelectric sensor device. In order to change a resolution in the secondary scanning direction, the secondary scanning direction aperture size is changed, for example, by a control device that controls a drive velocity of a drive device that drives the photoelectric sensor device in the secondary scanning direction relative to an original document. Alternatively, the control device can control a duration of an integral time of the photoelectric sensor device during which the photoelectric sensor elements of the photoelectric sensor device collect light from the original document in order to vary the secondary scanning direction aperture size. In order to change a resolution in the primary scanning direction, the primary scanning direction aperture size is changed, for example, by an averaging process circuit that averages the signals output from a plurality of adjacent photoelectric sensor elements. The averaging process circuit changes a resolution of the image by a factor of m by averaging the signals output by m adjacent photoelectric sensor elements, wherein m is an integer.

Growing community of inventors

Yokohama, Japan

Souichi Ueta