The present invention provides a technique of reducing colored afterimages. To solve this problem, an image capturing system includes the following structure: A color separation optical system disperses subject light into a plurality of wavelength ranges, and forms images of a plurality of color components. A plurality of image capturing elements capture the respective images of the plurality of color components, and generate the respective color components of a video signal. A color-specific exposure setting unit sets respective exposure periods for the plurality of color components. An exposure control unit performs exposure control α of approximately simultaneously exposure-controlling each of the plurality of image capturing elements to obtain a video signal (hereafter referred to as a reference video signal) in a common period shorter than or equal to a shortest period of the respective exposure periods set for the color components. The exposure control unit also performs exposure control β of exposure-controlling each of the plurality of image capturing elements to obtain a video signal (hereafter referred to as an extended video signal) in a period obtained by subtracting the common period from an exposure period of a corresponding color component.

The present invention provides a technique of reducing colored afterimages. To solve this problem, an image capturing system includes the following structure: A color separation optical system disperses subject light into a plurality of wavelength ranges, and forms images of a plurality of color components. A plurality of image capturing elements capture the respective images of the plurality of color components, and generate the respective color components of a video signal. A color-specific exposure setting unit sets respective exposure periods for the plurality of color components. An exposure control unit performs exposure control α of approximately simultaneously exposure-controlling each of the plurality of image capturing elements to obtain a video signal (hereafter referred to as a reference video signal) in a common period shorter than or equal to a shortest period of the respective exposure periods set for the color components. The exposure control unit also performs exposure control β of exposure-controlling each of the plurality of image capturing elements to obtain a video signal (hereafter referred to as an extended video signal) in a period obtained by subtracting the common period from an exposure period of a corresponding color component.

An optical system includes: a lens group having an optical axis, a focal length of a first light, and a focal length of a second light; and a light splitter disposed at rear side of the lens group and splitting the first light and the second light incident from the lens group respectively, to guide the first light onto first imaging position and guide the second light onto second imaging position. The lens group includes lens elements transmitting the first light and the second light to match the first imaging position with the focal length of the first light and match the second imaging position with the focal length of the second light separately from the first imaging position. The lens element of the lens group is provided in front side of the light splitter with no lens element being provided in the rear side of the light splitter.

An optical system includes: a lens group having an optical axis, a focal length of a first light, and a focal length of a second light; and a light splitter disposed at rear side of the lens group and splitting the first light and the second light incident from the lens group respectively, to guide the first light onto first imaging position and guide the second light onto second imaging position. The lens group includes lens elements transmitting the first light and the second light to match the first imaging position with the focal length of the first light and match the second imaging position with the focal length of the second light separately from the first imaging position. The lens element of the lens group is provided in front side of the light splitter with no lens element being provided in the rear side of the light splitter.

In a color separation prism that includes a first and second prism blocks bonded to each other, the first and second prism blocks are bonded to the first and second adhesive portions of the first and second base plates, respectively. The first and second base plates are fixed to the first and second base plate-fixing portions of a base with the first and second base-fixing portion interposed therebetween, respectively. The second adhesive portion is disposed between the first and second base plate-fixing portions so that a direction in which the second base plate-fixing portion is displaced from the first base plate-fixing portion and a direction in which the second adhesive portion is displaced from the second base-fixing portion are opposite to each other in a case in which the base and the second base plate expand or contract due to a change in temperature.

A novel dual-path-endoscope where a multi-function light source produces a first-light and a second-light toward an object. The first-light exhibits first-light-characteristics. The second-light exhibits second-light-characteristics different from the first-light-characteristics. The endoscope includes two light-paths, the disparity there between is larger than zero. Each light-path includes a respective pupil and a respective light-separator coupled with the pupil, transmitting there through one of the first-light and the second-light, associating the first-light and the second-light with a respective light-path. The dual-channel-imager includes two imaging sensors, each associated with a respective light-path and optically coupled with a respective light-separator. Each imaging-sensor exhibits sensitivity to the characteristics of the respective one of the first-light and the second-light. A first imaging-sensor acquires a first-image of the first-light reflected of the object and a second imaging-sensor acquires a second-image of the second-light reflected of the object. The processor processes the acquired images.

An endoscope includes a four color separation prism having a first color separation prism, a second color separation prism, a third color separation prism, and a fourth color separation prism which respectively separate light incident from an affected area into a blue, red and green color components, and an IR component, first, second, third and fourth color image sensors, and a signal output. The first color separation prism, the second color separation prism, the third color separation prism, and the fourth color separation prism are sequentially disposed from an object side when receiving the light incident from the affected area. The first color image sensor is disposed opposite to the second color image sensor and the third color image sensor across an incident ray which is incident vertically to an object side incident surface of the first color separation prism.

A multi-aperture imaging system comprising a first camera with a first sensor that captures a first image and a second camera with a second sensor that captures a second image, the two cameras having either identical or different FOVs. The first sensor may have a standard color filter array (CFA) covering one sensor section and a non-standard color CFA covering another. The second sensor may have either Clear or standard CFA covered sections. Either image may be chosen to be a primary or an auxiliary image, based on a zoom factor. An output image with a point of view determined by the primary image is obtained by registering the auxiliary image to the primary image.

An imager integrated circuit intended to cooperate with an optical system configured to direct light rays from a scene to an inlet face of the circuit, the circuit being configured to perform a simultaneous stereoscopic capture of N images corresponding to N distinct views of the scene, each of the N images corresponding to light rays directed by a portion of the optical system which is different from those directing the rays corresponding to the N−1 other images, including: N subsets of pixels made on a same substrate, each of the N subsets of pixels being intended to perform the capture of one of the N associated images, means interposed between each of the N subsets of pixels and the inlet face of the circuit, and configured to pass the rays corresponding to the image associated with said subset of pixels and block the other rays.

Imager arrays, array camera modules, and array cameras in accordance with embodiments of the invention utilize pixel apertures to control the amount of aliasing present in captured images of a scene. One embodiment includes a plurality of focal planes, control circuitry configured to control the capture of image information by the pixels within the focal planes, and sampling circuitry configured to convert pixel outputs into digital pixel data. In addition, the pixels in the plurality of focal planes include a pixel stack including a microlens and an active area, where light incident on the surface of the microlens is focused onto the active area by the microlens and the active area samples the incident light to capture image information, and the pixel stack defines a pixel area and includes a pixel aperture, where the size of the pixel apertures is smaller than the pixel area.