A system and process for generating High Dynamic Range (HDR) video is presented which involves first capturing a video image sequence while varying the exposure so as to alternate between frames having a shorter and longer exposure. The exposure for each frame is set prior to it being captured as a function of the pixel brightness distribution in preceding frames. Next, for each frame of the video, the corresponding pixels between the frame under consideration and both preceding and subsequent frames are identified. For each corresponding pixel set, at least one pixel is identified as representing a trustworthy pixel. The pixel color information associated with the trustworthy pixels is then employed to compute a radiance value for each pixel set to form a radiance map. A tone mapping procedure can then be performed to convert the radiance map into an 8-bit representation of the HDR frame.

System and process for generating high dynamic range video

This invention provides a punch comprising: a center punch and an outer punch surrounding the outer periphery of the center punch, both of which being slidable and capable of compressing; and relative position restriction means for restricting a relative position of the center and outer punches, the relative position restriction means being configured to restrict a first position in which a punch tip of the center punch is protruded from a punch tip of the outer punch and a second position in which the punch tip of the center punch is substantially coincident with the punch tip of the outer punch, and being configured to fail to restrict a third position in which the punch tip of the center punch is retracted in the punch tip of the outer punch, as well as a rotary compression molding machine provided with the double-structured punch.

Image Pickup Apparatus

Systems and methods for providing accelerated loading of operating system and application programs upon system boot or application launch are disclosed. In one aspect, a method for providing accelerated loading of an operating system comprises the steps of: maintaining a list of boot data used for booting a computer system; preloading the boot data upon initialization of the computer system; and servicing requests for boot data from the computer system using the preloaded boot data. In another aspect, a method for providing accelerated launching of an application program comprises the steps of: maintaining a list of application data associated with an application program; preloading the application data upon launching the application program; and servicing requests for application data from a computer system using the preloaded application data.

Systems and Methods for Accelerated Loading of Operating Systems and Application Programs

Systems and methods for providing accelerated transmission of broadcast data, such as financial data and news feeds, over a communication channel using data compression and decompression to provide secure transmission and transparent multiplication of communication bandwidth, as well as reduce the latency associated with data transmission of conventional systems.

System and method for data feed acceleration and encryption

Systems and methods for providing accelerated data storage and retrieval utilizing lossless data compression and decompression. A data storage accelerator includes one or a plurality of high speed data compression encoders that are configured to simultaneously or sequentially losslessly compress data at a rate equivalent to or faster than the transmission rate of an input data stream. The compressed data is subsequently stored in a target memory or other storage device whose input data storage bandwidth is lower than the original input data stream bandwidth. Similarly, a data retrieval accelerator includes one or a plurality of high speed data decompression decoders that are configured to simultaneously or sequentially losslessly decompress data at a rate equivalent to or faster than the input data stream from the target memory or storage device. The decompressed data is then output at rate data that is greater than the output rate from the target memory or data storage device. The data storage and retrieval accelerator method and system may employed: in a disk storage adapter to reduce the time required to store and retrieve data from computer to disk; in conjunction with random access memory to reduce the time required to store and retrieve data from random access memory; in a display controller to reduce the time required to send display data to the display controller or processor; and/or in an input/output controller to reduce the time required to store, retrieve, or transmit data.

System and methods for accelerated data storage and retrieval

An image sensing apparatus which senses an object a plurality of times in different exposures to obtain a plurality of images and makes a single image with a widened dynamic range by processing the plurality of sensed images, generates a histogram of signal levels of an image sensed in a proper exposure by using a histogram generator, automatically decides whether a dynamic range expansion processing is to be processed or not on the basis of the generated histogram by using a dynamic range expansion deciding unit, determines a parameter for sensing another image of the object in an exposure which is different from the proper exposure in accordance with a decision by the dynamic range expansion deciding unit by using a parameter determination unit, and obtains a single image of the object by processing the image sensed in the proper exposure and the image sensed by using the parameter determined by said parameter determination unit an image processing unit. When an image sensing apparatus is not equipped with a photometer, a pre-sensing operation is performed, an image sensed in the pre-sensing operation is analyzed to find a proper exposure, and this image is also used in the dynamic range expansion processing. A part or whole image data of a plurality of images which are obtained as above and necessary for the dynamic range expansion processing are compressed by a compressing unit and the compressed image data is used in the dynamic range expansion processing.

Image sensing apparatus which performs dynamic range expansion and image sensing method for dynamic range expansion

An image sensing apparatus has a plurality of image sensing modes each of which performs image sensing operation using different pixel shifting method. One of these image sensing modes is selected through a selection unit in accordance with an object to be sensed, and a plurality of images of the object are sensed in image sensing position arrays on the basis of the selected image sensing mode. A combining unit combines the plurality of sensed images to obtain a single still image of high resolution.

Pixel shifting image sensor with a different number of images sensed in each mode

In order to attain a high-speed thin-out reading operation and to obtain high image quality in an image pickup apparatus, a color filter array of this invention is applied to an interline CCD (image pickup element) in which a vertical CCD is driven in eight phases). The high-speed thin-out reading operation is performed as follows. That is, photoelectrically converted carriers for two horizontal lines are transferred to the vertical CCD every third lines (e.g., C in the first line and M in the second line, C in the fifth line and G in the sixth line, . . . are transferred to the vertical CCD), and residual photoelectrically converted carriers (the Y carrier in the third line, the G carrier in the fourth line, the Y carrier in the seventh line, and the M carrier in the eighth line) are discharged by a substrate discharge operation. Thereafter, the photoelectrically converted carriers in the vertical CCD are sequentially transferred in the vertical CCD, and are output via a horizontal CCD and an output amplifier. Chrominance signal carriers on the 1/2PH axis generated by the color filter array of this invention can be removed by an optical LPF, thus obtaining high image quality.

Color filter array for a CCD driven in eight phases

of EP0758831An image sensing apparatus has a plurality of image sensing modes each of which performs image sensing operation using different pixel shifting method. One of these image sensing modes is selected through a selection unit (16) in accordance with an object to be sensed, and a plurality of images of the object are sensed in image sensing position arrays on the basis of the selected image sensing mode. A combining unit (11) combines the plurality of sensed images to obtain a single still image of high resolution.

Masato Ikeda

Papers

Image sensing apparatus which performs dynamic range expansion and image sensing method for dynamic range expansion

Pixel shifting image sensor with a different number of images sensed in each mode

Color filter array for a CCD driven in eight phases

Image sensing apparatus using different pixel shifting methods

Method and apparatus for image sensing with dynamic range expansion