Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Automotive Systems Co., Ltd.

Tomokuni Iijima

Kazushige Narazaki

Satoshi Tamaki

Toru Tazawa

Ichiro Oyama

Shigeru Furumiya

Yoshiaki Igarashi

Masaki Tagome

Yukinori Maruyama

Taku Hirasawa

Michiyoshi Nagashima

Kenichi Suzuki

Takashi Ishikawa

Mineaki Isoda

Ikuo Numai

Masahito Hayakawa

Aki Takai

Hiroshi Iwai

Michihiro Yamagata

Makoto Gotou

Subrata Saha

Yasufumi Ikkai

Katsumi Imada

Takashi Haruguchi

Taro Kishibe

Masaru Nishizono

Hideo Matsushiro

Yoshiaki Doyama

Yasuyuki Yokouchi

Katsuyuki Morita

Yoshimitsu Noguchi

Makoto Yarino

Shoji So

Nobutoshi Fujinami

Manabu Yumine

Yutaka Sonoda

Yusuke Nihei

A detection system includes: an obtainer that obtains image data generated based on an amount of light received by each of a plurality of pixels from a detection target and event data generated based on a change in an amount of light received by each of a plurality of pixels from the detection target; a processor that extracts, from the event data as auxiliary information, information to be used to assist in detecting the detection target from the image data; and a detector that detects the detection target or a state of the detection target based on at least the image data and the auxiliary information.

Detection system and detection method

An image processor includes: an image sensor which outputs a short exposure image and a long exposure image; a sensor controller which controls first and second exposure sensitivities; a motion blending ratio calculator which calculates a motion blending ratio based on a motion amount of a subject; a motion-adapted image synthesizer which generates a motion-adapted image based on the motion blending ratio; and an HDR image synthesizer which synthesizes the motion-adapted image and the short exposure image, to generate an HDR image. The sensor controller controls the first exposure sensitivity: so that the first exposure time changes from increasing to constant and the first sensor gain changes from constant to increasing, when the brightness of the subject decreases from a first subject brightness; and so that the first exposure time changes to increasing and the first sensor gain changes to constant, when the brightness decreases from a second subject brightness.

Image processor and image processing method

An image processor includes: an image sensor outputting a short exposure image and a long exposure image; a sensor controller that, when brightness of the subject changes, controls first exposure sensitivity to cause the short exposure image to have first brightness and controls second exposure sensitivity to cause the long exposure image to have second brightness; a motion blending ratio calculator calculating a motion blending ratio based on a motion amount of the subject; a motion-adapted image synthesizer generating a motion-adapted image by synthesizing a corrected short exposure image and the long exposure image based on the motion blending ratio; and an HDR image synthesizer generating an HDR image by synthesizing the motion-adapted image and the short exposure image together. When the subject becomes darker, the sensor controller controls the first and second exposure sensitivities to cause the first sensor gain to be at most the second sensor gain.

An image pickup apparatus of the present invention includes: a lens array having a plurality of lenses; a plurality of image pickup regions disposed to correspond to the plurality of lenses one-to-one and each having a light receiving surface substantially perpendicular to a direction in which an optical axis of the corresponding lens extends; a temperature sensor () disposed in the vicinity of the lens array to detect a temperature; a movement distance estimating portion () configured to estimate movement distances of all the optical axes of the plurality of lenses based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor (); an image pickup signal correcting portion () configured to correct an image pickup signal, generated in the image pickup region, based on the movement distances estimated by the movement distance estimating portion (); and a parallax calculating portion () configured to calculate a parallax based on the image pickup signal corrected by the image pickup signal correcting portion ().

Image pickup apparatus and semiconductor circuit element

An image pickup apparatus of the present invention includes: a lens array having a plurality of lenses; a plurality of image pickup regions () disposed to correspond to the plurality of lenses one-to-one and each including a light receiving surface substantially perpendicular to a direction in which an optical axis of the corresponding lens extends; a temperature sensor () disposed in the vicinity of the lens array to detect a temperature; a correction coefficient generating portion () configured to generate, based on the temperature, correction coefficients including correction coefficients correlated to magnifications of images taken in the image pickup regions; and a correction calculating portion () configured to correct, based on the correction coefficients, image pickup signals generated in the image pickup regions and calculate a parallax using the corrected image pickup signals.

The number of thermal sensors in an imaging device that requires temperature measurement is reduced. The imaging device includes: a lens array () including lenses; an imaging element () provided at a predetermined distance from the lens array () and having imaging areas respectively corresponding to the lenses; a light-shielding wall () which partitions a space between the lens array and the imaging element so as to prevent light entering each of the lenses from reaching the imaging areas different from a corresponding one of the imaging areas; an imaging signal input unit () configured to generate an imaging signal by digitalizing an electric signal provided by the imaging element; and a temperature estimation unit () configured to calculate, from the imaging signal, a length of an image of the light-shielding wall projected on an imaging plane of the imaging element, and to estimate a temperature using the calculated length of the image of the light-shielding wall.

Imaging device, imaging system, and imaging method

The present invention includes: a plurality of lens portions, each having at least one lens; a plurality of image pickup regions which are provided to correspond to the lens portions, respectively, and each of which has a light receiving surface substantially perpendicular to a direction of an optical axis of the corresponding lens portion; an image pickup signal input portionwhich receives image pickup signals generated by the image pickup regions; a transfer range determining portionwhich determines a transfer range of the image pickup signals transferred from the image pickup regions to the image pickup signal input portion; an image pickup region driving portionwhich drives the image pickup regions such that the image pickup signals corresponding to the transfer range determined by the transfer range determining portionare transferred to the image pickup signal input portion; and a parallax calculating portionwhich calculates a parallax based on the image pickup signals transferred to the image pickup signal input portion, and the transfer range determining portionswitches between a first operating mode in which the image pickup signals generated by at least two image pickup regions of the plurality of image pickup regions are determined as the transfer range and a second operating mode in which the image pickup signals different from those of the first operating mode are determined as the transfer range.

A small, low-profile imaging device that obtains imaging signals having similar light intensity distributions for different colored light, even when there is variability in component precision or assembly. The imaging device () includes a plurality of lens units () each including at least one lens, a plurality of imaging areas corresponding one-to-one with the plurality of lens units, and each having a light receiving surface () substantially perpendicular to an optical axis direction of the corresponding lens unit, an imaging signal input unit () that receives as input a plurality of imaging signals each output from a different one of the plurality of imaging areas, and an intensity correcting unit () that corrects the intensity of each of the plurality of imaging signals, so that the degree of correction changes depending on the position of the imaging area.

Imaging device and manufacturing method thereof

A plurality of lensestoarranged in the same plane form a plurality of subject images on a plurality of imaging regionsto. Vertical line directions and horizontal line directions of the pixel arrangement in the respective plurality of imaging regions are equal to one another among the plurality of imaging regions. Further, at least one pair of subject images received by at least one pair of imaging regions having a parallax in the vertical line (or horizontal line) direction among the plurality of imaging regions are shifted from each other by a predetermined amount in the horizontal line (or vertical line) direction. By performing pixel shifting in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which a parallax is generated, it always is possible to obtain a high-resolution image even when the subject distance varies.

Imaging device with plural lenses and imaging regions

A camera module that can be made thinner and achieves a beautiful image over an entire image region regardless of a subject distance is provided. The camera module includes a plurality of lens portions, each including at least one lens, a plurality of imaging regions, provided in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of lens portions, each including a light-receiving surface that is substantially orthogonal to an optical axis direction of its corresponding lens portion, an imaging signal input portion to which a plurality of imaging signals outputted respectively from the plurality of imaging regions are inputted, a block division portion for dividing at least one imaging signal of the plurality of imaging signals into a plurality of blocks, a parallax computing portion for computing for each of the blocks a parallax between images formed respectively by the plurality of lens portions using the imaging signal, and a parallax correcting portion for correcting the plurality of imaging signals based on the parallax and performing an image synthesis.

Camera module and electronic apparatus provided with it

A plurality of imaging optical lenses (to) form a plurality of subject images on a plurality of imaging regions (to), respectively. When viewed along a direction parallel with optical axes, at least one straight line connecting corresponding points in at least one pair of the subject images that are formed by at least one pair of the imaging optical lenses is inclined with respect to a direction in which pixels are arranged in the imaging regions. In this way, a high-resolution image always can be obtained regardless of the subject distance.

Compound-eye imaging apparatus

A camera module including: a lens portion including at least one lens; an imaging element; a fixed portion; a first elastic body that is provided on a side opposite to the imaging element side with respect to the lens and couples the lens portion and the fixed portion; and a second elastic body that is provided on the imaging element side with respect to the lens and couples the lens portion and the fixed portion. The first elastic body and the second elastic body have the same shape. The first elastic body and the second elastic body are arranged so as to oppose each other while sharing a common central axis. The second elastic body is arranged so that so that the shape of the second elastic body is different from a shape of the first elastic body projected in the optical axis direction of the lens.

Camera module

An apparatus and method for controlling an electric motor is disclosed. The apparatus includes an instruction inputting section for transmitting an instruction for an electric motor or a control object coupled to said electric motor and a prefilter section for outputting a follow-up instruction value by acting on the instruction. The prefilter section has a prefilter concurrently having characteristics of lowered gain at a prescribed frequency and frequencies in the vicinity thereof, and characteristics of limiting the gain in a high range. An instruction follow-up controlling section provides a controlling instruction follow-up so that a quantity of a state of said electric motor or control object follows the follow-up instruction value.

Method for controlling electric motor and apparatus for controlling the same

In a brushless motor control method and a brushless motor controller in accordance with the present invention, a rotor rotation position detection means detects the time of the intersection of a detected induced voltage and an induced voltage reference value. In addition, a motor speed calculation means calculates the rotation speed of a brushless motor on the basis of the interval of the intersection times detected by the rotor rotation position detection means. Furthermore, a speed control means outputs a duty factor index on the basis of the deviation between the command speed and the rotation speed of the brushless motor. Still further, a switching signal generation means outputs switching signals to groups of switching devices on the basis of the rotation speed and the duty factor index at the time of the intersection.

Brushless motor control method and controller

An electric motor position control apparatus in accordance with the present invention has a plurality of sets of control parameters including at least the proportional gain of a position control section and the proportional gain of a speed control section beforehand, wherein set selection and the measurement of the response state of an electric motor to a position command at the time when the electric motor is controlled by using the control parameters of the selected set are carried out sequentially, one preferable set is selected depending on the measured response state, the control parameters of the selected set are set, and the control parameters are changed as a set.

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Osaka, Japan

Tomokuni Iijima