Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Takenori Kobuse

Yusuke Yamashita

Daisuke Kobayashi

Takayuki Kimura

Yoshikazu Ishikawa

Tokuro Nishida

Takanori Yamashita

Hiroyuki Hasegawa

Kazuya Kitamura

Kento Watanabe

Takahiro Kamikura

Kentaro Tsukida

Shigeharu Aoki

Yusuke Onuki

Takeshi Akiyama

Naoki Ishikawa

Hajime Ikeda

Shintaro Takenaka

Takashi Fukuhara

Daisuke Higuchi

Kenzo Hisa

Taro Takita

Shuhei Hayashi

Takuya Nabeshima

Kazuho Tsukui

In an image processing apparatus, an image signal of a plurality of polarized lights is input, for each set of image signals corresponding to the polarized lights, a maximum value of polarization intensities of polarization components of the image signals and a polarization angle at which the maximum value of the polarization intensities is obtained are found, and a target area to which polarization reduction is to be applied is found based on the image signal and a statistical area is set in the target area. Representative intensity and angle which are modes of the polarization intensities and angles of the sets included in the statistical area are found, and first correction processing for correcting each image signal of the sets included in the target area is performed using the representative intensity and angle according to the polarization angle of the each image signal.

Image processing apparatus and method, and image capturing apparatus

A photoelectric conversion device includes pixels each including a photoelectric conversion unit for generating charge by photoelectric conversion, first to fourth charge holding portions configured to be transferred charge from the photoelectric conversion unit, and an output unit for outputting a signal corresponding to charge transferred from one of the first to fourth charge holding portions, and a control circuit for controlling the plurality of pixels. The control circuit performs, during one frame, transferring charge in the photoelectric conversion unit to the first or second charge holding portion a plural times for each of the first and second charge holding portions in each of the pixels at the same time, and performs, during the one frame, reading out from each pixel a signal corresponding to charge in the third charge holding portion and a signal corresponding to charge in the fourth charge holding portion.

Photoelectric conversion device and method of driving photoelectric conversion device

An image capturing apparatus that has an image capturing device including polarization elements and sets a proper frame rate according to a situation when acquiring a video using polarization information. The image capturing device an image capturing device including polarization pixels that detect polarization information of a plurality of different directions. The polarization information of the polarization pixels is determined by performing first polarization calculation or second polarization calculation which is smaller in calculation load than the first polarization calculation, on video signals output from the polarization pixels. A polarization-processed image is generated by using the polarization information. The first polarization calculation and the second polarization calculation are switched according to a predetermined timing, a mode, or a result of detecting a predetermined state.

Image capturing apparatus having image capturing device provided with polarization elements and method of controlling same

An image pickup apparatus that enables to quickly capture an image from which a predetermined reflected light component is removed with desired sensitivity. A polarizing filter two-dimensionally arranges a plurality of sets each of which includes polarizing filter elements having different polarization directions. A first image sensor has pixels that respectively correspond to polarizing filter elements of the polarizing filter. A polarization calculation unit detects a polarized component of light that enters into a region in which one set of polarizing filter elements are arranged based on signals output from pixels in the region of the first image sensor for each region. A correction unit corrects a pixel signal output from a pixel of a second image sensor corresponding to the region based on a calculation result by the polarization calculation unit for each pixel of the second image sensor.

Image pickup apparatus having image sensor equipped with polarizing element and control method therefor

An electronic device acquires polarization information of a subject based on a plurality of pieces of image data based on a first signal output from a first sensor. The first sensor can capture an optical image of the subject acquired via a polarizing filter provided with areas having different polarization angles. The device further acquires an evaluation value for controlling brightness of an image at the time of capturing the optical image of the subject, based on the plurality of pieces of image data. The plurality of pieces of image data have different polarization angles, by respectively being acquired via areas of the polarizing filter having the plurality of different polarization angles. A degree of weighting to be assigned to the plurality of pieces of image data at the time of acquiring the evaluation value based on the polarization information.

Electronic device for executing predetermine processing based on image data acquired via filters having different polarization angles, control method of the same, and storage medium

An imaging device includes: pixels each including a photoelectric converter, and an output unit that outputs a pixel signal based on charge in a holding portion; an output line to which signals from the pixels are output; a clip circuit that limits a signal level of the output line to a range whose upper or lower limit is a predetermined clip level; and an amplifier unit that amplifies a signal of the output line. The amplifier unit outputs first and second signals amplified at first and second amplification factors, respectively, for the same pixel signal. The clip circuit limits a signal level of the output line to a first clip level in a first period in which the pixel signal is amplified at a first amplification factor and to a second clip level in a second period in which the pixel signal is amplified at a second amplification factor.

Imaging device and imaging system having a clip circuit limiting a signal level of an output line

An imaging apparatus having a wide dynamic range and a stable black level without decreasing frame rate comprises a pixel unit including pixels, a read out unit for reading out the noise signal from each pixel and to amplify the noise signal by a first gain to generate a first noise signal, reads out the pixel signal and amplifies the pixel signal by the first gain and a second gain to generate a first and a second pixel signal, a first memory unit for storing a second noise signal generated by amplifying, by the second gain, the noise signal read out from a pixel of a predetermined row, and a subtraction unit for subtracting the first noise signal from the first pixel signal and to subtract the second noise signal stored in the first memory unit from the second pixel signal, while sequentially reading out signals from each pixel.

Imaging apparatus, imaging method, and storage medium

An object of the present invention is to obtain an image having a better S/N ratio in accordance with gain settings in an image pickup apparatus that enables amplifying a signal based on output of a photoelectric conversion unit, with a plurality of gains. An image pickup element provided in an image pickup apparatus has a photoelectric conversion unit in which unit pixels are arranged in a matrix and a signal voltage is generating by photoelectric conversion. A column amplifier of the image pickup element can amplify the signal voltage photoelectrically converted with a plurality of gains. An image pickup element control unit performs drive control of the image pickup element to perform gain settings. An image composition unit performs image composition by using a plurality of image signals having different gains. When the image pickup element changes an amplification factor of the column amplifier to output image signals with a plurality of gains, the image pickup element control unit changes a value of a second gain that is smaller than that of a first gain among the gains and performs control so as not to change the value of the first gain.

Image pickup apparatus and its control method

In order to provide an imaging device that includes an amplifier performing amplification with a plurality of gains for each signal from a pixel unit and can further reduce a noise component, an imaging device included in an imaging apparatus has the pixel unit in which unit pixels are arranged in a matrix and generates a signal voltage by photoelectric conversion. A column amplifier can amplify a photoelectrically converted signal with a plurality of gains. After an amplified signal is subjected to analog/digital conversion by a column ADC, a signal processing circuit subtracts a noise signal from a pixel signal. A noise signal read out after resetting a floating diffusion section included in the pixel unit and a pixel signal read out immediately thereafter are acquired by being multiplied by a first gain, and a pixel signal read out thereafter is acquired by being multiplied by a second gain. The first gain is set to a value larger than the second gain.

Imaging device, control method thereof, and imaging apparatus

In a photoelectric conversion apparatus, an amplification unit outputs a first amplified signal generated by amplifying a first signal using a first gain, a second amplified signal generated by amplifying the first signal using a second gain, a third amplified signal generated by amplifying a second signal using a third gain, and a fourth amplified signal generated by amplifying the second signal using a fourth gain to an analog to digital (AD) conversion unit in this order. The AD conversion unit generates first to fourth digital signals corresponding to the first to fourth amplified signals, respectively, and outputs the second digital signal and the third digital signal to an output unit prior to the first digital signal and the fourth digital signal.

Photoelectric conversion apparatus, signal processing circuit, image capturing system, and moving object

An image capturing apparatus comprises an image sensor in which a plurality of pixels are arranged two-dimensionally, wherein each of the pixels have a photoelectric conversion portion, a holding portion that holds a charge obtained by the photoelectric conversion portion, an amplification portion that outputs a signal based on a charge outputted from the holding portion, a first transfer switch that transfers the charge from the photoelectric conversion portion to the holding portion, and a second transfer switch that transfers the charge from the holding portion to the amplification portion; and a controller that controls a number of times that the first transfer switch is turned on in relation to the second transfer switch being turned on one time.

Image capturing apparatus and method of controlling the same

An image pickup apparatus which satisfactorily compensates for a flash band appearing due to an external flash and prevents a row insensitive to the flash from appearing in a corrected image. The flash band appearing in a plurality of frames consecutive in terms of time is detected based on an image signal output from an image pickup device which sequentially starts exposure and sequentially reads out signals for each row of pixels. An image in at least one of those frames is corrected to a full-screen flash image. When a width of the flash band is smaller than the number of rows in one frame, a row in which the flash band does not appear is interpolated using a row in which the flash band appears and which immediately precedes or immediately succeeds the row in which the flash band does not appear.

Image pickup apparatus that compensates for flash band, control method therefor, storage medium, and video processing apparatus

A flash band determination device that is capable of always detecting a flash band with high accuracy. It is determined whether or not there is a flash band caused by an external flash of light, which is an area having a luminance level higher than a threshold level, in a plurality of images which are continuously obtained. The threshold level is changed with respect to an image picked up with an exposure condition which is different from an exposure condition used in picking up a preceding image.

Flash band determination device for detecting flash band, method of controlling the same, storage medium, and image pickup apparatus

An image capturing apparatus including a pixel portion in which pixels that convert entered light into electric signals are arranged in a matrix, a column output line provided for each pixel column of the pixel portion, a clip portion configured to clip, at a predetermined signal level, signals respectively output from the pixels to the column output lines, an A/D conversion portion configured to A/D convert the signals clipped by the clip portion, and a control unit configured to change a signal level at which clipping is performed by the clip portion according to a maximum value of a conversion range of the A/D conversion portion.

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Kawasaki, Japan

Takenori Kobuse