Digital camera

About: Digital camera is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 12169 publications have been published within this topic receiving 137431 citations. The topic is also known as: digicam & digital still camera.

Integration of image capture and processing: beyond single-chip digital camera

Abstract: An important trend in the design of digital cameras is the integration of capture and processing onto a single CMOS chip. Although integrating the components of a digital camera system onto a single chip significantly reduces system size and power, it does not fully exploit the potential advantages of integration. We argue that a key advantage of integration is the ability to exploit the high speed imaging capability of CMOS image senor to enable new applications such as multiple capture for enhancing dynamic range and to improve the performance of existing applications such as optical flow estimation. Conventional digital cameras operate at low frame rates and it would be too costly, if not infeasible, to operate their chips at high frame rates. Integration solves this problem. The idea is to capture images at much higher frame rates than he standard frame rate, process the high frame rate data on chip, and output the video sequence and the application specific data at standard frame rate. This idea is applied to optical flow estimation, where significant performance improvements are demonstrate over methods using standard frame rate sequences. We then investigate the constraints on memory size and processing power that can be integrated with a CMOS image sensor in a 0.18 micrometers process and below. We show that enough memory and processing power can be integrated to be able to not only perform the functions of a conventional camera system but also to perform applications such as real time optical flow estimation.

True space tracking of axisymmetric object flight using diameter measurement

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining a trajectory of a axisymmetric object in 3-D physical space using a digital camera which records 2-D image data are described. In particular, based upon i) a characteristic length of the axisymmetric object, ii) a physical position of the camera determined from sensors associated with the camera (e.g., accelerometers) and iii) captured 2-D digital images from the camera including a time at which each image is generated relative to one another, a position, a velocity vector and an acceleration vector can be determined in three dimensional physical space for axisymmetric object objects as a function of time. In one embodiment, the method and apparatus can be applied to determine the trajectories of objects in games which utilize axisymmetric object objects, such as basketball, baseball, bowling, golf, soccer, rugby or football.

Digital camera and method of enhancing zoom effects

Abstract: A digital camera includes a processor having an algorithm for comparing a set of resolution pixel values in a generated image file with corresponding ones of resolution pixel values in a user selected file and for providing as a final digital zoom image resolution the set of resolution pixel values in the generated image file when the corresponding ones of the resolution pixel values in the user selected file are at least equal but not less than the corresponding resolution pixel values in the generated image file, and a scaled down set of resolution pixel values when the corresponding ones of the resolution pixel values in the user selected file are less than the corresponding resolution pixel values in the generated image file.

Digital camera network for commercial aircraft

Abstract: An aircraft camera system is described for passenger entertainment and safety that includes several arrays of digital cameras mounted on a passenger aircraft. These arrays of digital cameras, which include a top camera array, a bottom camera array, and two side camera arrays, are connected to and controlled by a central computer system. These arrays of digital cameras are positioned to view the wings, tail section, engines, and flaps on the aircraft as well as views of the horizon and ground. The passengers can access the views gathered by these multiple cameras for entertainment on their personal liquid crystal display screens, mounted in the rear back portion of each passenger seat. The crew can access the views gathered by these multiple cameras to check on the integrity of the aircraft. Also, in an emergency, the flight crew can restrict camera access to the passengers, to prevent panic.

Focus control system and process

Abstract: The system employs hardware and software that enable a user to adjust the focal point, and focus of a motion picture, digital movie camera, still digital camera (includes all uses, including sound), or other image recording apparatus, by providing a field of view analogous to the camera's field of view. When this field of view is displayed on a touch screen or other suitable user interactive display device, a user may provide input to control camera aim and/or selects a distance finding mechanism, drive the lens to the correct focal length based on preset preferences and thereby bring the image into a desired “focus.”