# US 2014/0152877 A1 · Imaging apparatus

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- Number: US 2014/0152877 A1
- Document ID: US20140152877A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/172,588
- Filed: 2014-02-04
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-01-19
- Assignees: Panasonic Corporation
- Applicants: Panasonic Corporation
- Inventors: Hironori HONSHO
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140152877A1

## CPC

- H04N 5/262: Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects {; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects}
- G03B 15/00: Special procedures for taking photographs; Apparatus therefor
- G03B 17/00: Details of cameras or camera bodies; Accessories therefor (lens hoods or caps G03B11/04)
- G03B 17/561: {Support related camera accessories}
- G03B 29/00: Combinations of cameras, projectors or photographic printing apparatus with non-photographic non-optical apparatus, e.g. clocks or weapons; Cameras having the shape of other objects (combinations with flash apparatus G03B15/03)
- H04N 23/51: Housings
- H04N 23/57: Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
- G03B 2217/002: Details of arrangement of components in or on camera body
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D)

## Abstract

An imaging apparatus (100) includes an outer shell (1), a camera body (2) configured to move in the outer shell (1) and shoot an image of an object outside the outer shell (1) through the outer shell (1), an obstruction detector (71) configured to detect an obstruction in or on the outer shell (1) from the image shot by the camera body (2), and an obstruction remover (73) configured to remove an image of the obstruction detected by the obstruction detector (71) from the shot image.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An imaging apparatus for shooting an object image, comprising:
a case;
an imager configured to move in the case and shoot an image of an object outside the case through the case;
an obstruction detector configured to detect an obstruction in or on the case from the image shot by the imager; and
an image processor configured to remove an image of the obstruction detected by the obstruction detector from the image shot by the imager.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The imaging apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a position detector configured to detect a position of the imager in the case,
wherein the case is formed such that a plurality of parts are joined together at a joint part, and
based on the position of the imager detected by the position detector, the obstruction detector detects, as the obstruction, the joint part from the image shot by the imager.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The imaging apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:
at least three measurers configured to measure a distance between the imager and the case,
wherein the position detector detects the position of the imager in the case based on measurement results of the at least three measurers.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein
the imager is configured to perform shooting with the case being focused to acquire a reference image, and
the obstruction detector detects the obstruction based on the reference image.