Abstract: 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 portion 133 which receives image pickup signals generated by the image pickup regions; a transfer range determining portion 144 which determines a transfer range of the image pickup signals transferred from the image pickup regions to the image pickup signal input portion 133; an image pickup region driving portion 132 which drives the image pickup regions such that the image pickup signals corresponding to the transfer range determined by the transfer range determining portion 144 are transferred to the image pickup signal input portion 133; and a parallax calculating portion 142 which calculates a parallax based on the image pickup signals tr

Abstract: A lens module (7) that includes a plurality of lenses (1a, 1b), a plurality of optical filters (2a, 2b) corresponding to the individual lenses (1a, 1b), an imaging device (4) that includes a plurality of imaging regions (4a, 4b) corresponding to the individual optical filters (2a, 2b), and a light-shielding wall (61a to 61d) that is provided perpendicularly to the imaging device (4) are provided. The adjacent imaging regions (4a, 4b) are partitioned by the light-shielding wall (61a). The light-shielding wall (61a) includes a plurality of inclined surfaces (63) that are inclined with respect to an imaging plane of the imaging regions (4a, 4b), and the plurality of inclined surfaces (63) are disposed sequentially from a side of the lens module (7) to a side of the imaging regions (4a, 4b). Each of the inclined surfaces (63) is inclined toward the side of the imaging regions (4a, 4b) with increasing distance from the light-shielding wall (61a).

Abstract: The generation of a false color at the periphery is prevented in an imaging device including a compound eye optical system in which parallax occurs for each color information.

Abstract: A plurality of imaging regions (104, 105 and 106) capture a plurality of images, respectively, via a plurality of imaging optical systems (101, 102 and 103) corresponding one to one to the plurality of imaging regions. An image combining means (115) eliminates a difference among the plurality of images and combines the plurality of images into a single image. Thereby, it is possible to obtain a combined image of high quality.

Abstract: A thin imaging apparatus with an extremely low profile captures high quality images with outstanding resolution. The imaging apparatus has a light guide, incidence mirror, imaging device, and aperture unit. The incidence mirror reflects and guides light from a subject into the light guide, and the imaging device receives the light from the subject reflected by the incidence mirror and passing through the light guide.

Abstract: A thin imaging apparatus with an extremely low profile captures high quality images with outstanding resolution. The imaging apparatus has a light guide, incidence mirror, imaging device, and aperture unit. The incidence mirror reflects and guides light from a subject into the light guide, and the imaging device receives the light from the subject reflected by the incidence mirror and passing through the light guide.

Abstract: A plurality of imaging regions are provided in one-to-one correspondence with a plurality of optical systems and are disposed on optical axes of the respective optical systems. Each imaging region has a plurality of pixels. The imaging apparatus further comprises an origin detecting means for detecting an origin of each imaging region, a pixel position specifying means for specifying positions of a plurality of pixels included in each imaging region using the origin as a reference, and a combination means for combining a plurality of images captured by the respective imaging regions. Thereby, it is possible to make a thin imaging apparatus capable of being easily assembled.

Abstract: A miniature pump includes a miniature pump portion including a suction passage through which a liquid flows in, and a discharge passage through which the liquid flows out, and a bubble trap portion for blocking an entry of air bubbles into the miniature pump portion. Since the bubble trap portion prevents the entry of air bubbles into the miniature pump portion, a deterioration of pump characteristics owing to the entry of air bubbles can be suppressed, making it possible to obtain a miniature pump that achieves both a large discharge flow rate and stable discharge flow rate characteristics.

Abstract: In a cooling device including a pump, a heat absorber, a heat radiator, a flow channel that allows communication between interiors thereof and forms a closed-loop circulating cycle therebetween, and a liquid refrigerant that circulates in the flow channel, a volume of a gas generated in the liquid refrigerant owing to temperature change within an operating temperature range of the liquid refrigerant is smaller than a volume of a sphere that is inscribed in a cross-section of the flow channel. In this way, even when the solubility changes due to rapid heating or cooling of the liquid refrigerant, no gas is generated in the liquid refrigerant. Thus, it is possible to provide a cooling device that maintains an excellent cooling effect even after a long time use.

Abstract: In a cooling device including a pump, a heat absorber, a heat radiator, a flow channel that allows communication between interiors thereof and forms a closed-loop circulating cycle therebetween, and a liquid refrigerant that circulates in the flow channel, a volume of a gas generated in the liquid refrigerant owing to temperature change within an operating temperature range of the liquid refrigerant is smaller than a volume of a sphere that is inscribed in a cross-section of the flow channel. In this way, even when the solubility changes due to rapid heating or cooling of the liquid refrigerant, no gas is generated in the liquid refrigerant. Thus, it is possible to provide a cooling device that maintains an excellent cooling effect even after a long time use.

Abstract: A miniature pump includes a miniature pump portion including a suction passage through which a liquid flows in, and a discharge passage through which the liquid flows out, and a bubble trap portion for blocking an entry of air bubbles into the miniature pump portion. Since the bubble trap portion prevents the entry of air bubbles into the miniature pump portion, a deterioration of pump characteristics owing to the entry of air bubbles can be suppressed, making it possible to obtain a miniature pump that achieves both a large discharge flow rate and stable discharge flow rate characteristics.

Abstract: A liquid jetting apparatus has a concave casing having an opened flat face, and a piezoelectric drive element for at least partly sealing the opened flat face to form a liquid reservoir to store a liquid, such as ink. The reservoir has a liquid injection port for injecting a liquid and a liquid jet port for jetting the stored liquid. The piezoelectric drive element is directly bonded to the open flat face.

Abstract: A head actuator mechanism characterized has a head that records and reproduces data; a suspension that holds the head; a support arm; a drive means for moving the support arm; a coupling section for coupling the support arm and the suspension together in such a way that the head can move relatively to the support arm; and at least one piezoelectric element for coupling the support arm and the suspension together to move the head relatively to the support arm for fine tuning, the piezoelectric element being fixed to the support arm and suspension at both ends.

Abstract: The drive section made by bonding the piezoelectric material on part of the elastic shim and the displacement amplifying section which amplifies the amplitude of vibration vibrated in the drive section are provided in the same plane. The device is driven at drive frequencies in a region between the resonance frequency of the drive section and the resonance frequency of the displacement amplifying section.

Abstract: A novel mineral-containing functional beverage is produced by adding weathered hermatypic coral to a water solution of an oxide or/and carbonate of an alkaline earth metal, such as calcium or magnesium. In particular, the ratio of the calcium or magnesium oxide or/and carbonate to the weathered hermatypic coral is from 0.01 to 1 part of the former to from 5 to 9.99 parts of the latter. A powdered mineral-containing functional food is produced by subjecting the water solution to spray drying or freeze drying.

Abstract: An acceleration sensor includes: a piezoelectric vibrator including a piezoelectric element having a first principal surface and a second principal surface opposed each other, a first and a second electrode formed on the first and the second principal surface, and conductive protrusions made of a metal material or a ceramic material and formed by a thermal spraying process; and a holding body for holding the piezoelectric vibrator via the conductive protrusions.

Abstract: A pyroelectric IR sensor equipped with a chopper for opening and closing a shielding plate so that infrared rays emitted from an object are allowed to be incident onto a pyroelectric sensor unit and intercepted therefrom, and having a structure capable of providing a large shielding width for the shielding plate without enlarging the chopper. Piezoelectric members are formed on a thin elastic sheet composed of a planar sheet having a tip to which a shielding plate is attached, except for a partial region which functions to magnify oscillations for enlarging displacement of the shielding plate.

Abstract: Rectangular piezoelectric substrates each of which has main surfaces opposed to each other, measures 50 .mu.m thick by 1 mm wide by 8 mm long, and is made of lithium niobate (LiNbO.sub.3), are directly bonded on the main surfaces so that their axes of polarization are set in directions reverse to each other, thereby composing a piezoelectric element. Electrodes which are 0.2 .mu.m thick and made of chromium-nickel are formed on the two main surfaces of the piezoelectric element opposed to each other, thereby resulting in a precision displacement control actuator of a bimorph type mechanical-electrical converter element. This configuration makes it possible to provide a compact precision displacement control actuator which has a large displacement and extremely small variations of characteristics such as displacement and resonance frequency.

Abstract: A pyroelectric IR sensor equipped with a chopper for opening and closing a shielding plate so that infrared rays emitted from an object are allowed to be incident onto a pyroelectric sensor unit and intercepted therefrom, and having a structure capable of providing a large shielding width for the shielding plate without enlarging the chopper. Piezoelectric members are formed on a thin elastic sheet composed of a planar sheet having a tip to which a shielding plate is attached, except for a partial region which functions to magnify oscillations for enlarging displacement of the shielding plate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for driving an ultrasonic motor of the type which includes a vibrator for causing a flexural vibration wave in response to a pair of AC driving voltage signals, and a rotor in contact with the vibrator and moved by the flexural vibration wave. The rotational speed of the ultrasonic motor is controlled by using a feedback signal and a data table, the feedback signal indicating the current rotational speed of the ultrasonic motor, and the data table storing values of the feedback signal as a standard function of the rotational 21 speed. The method includes the step of sampling the feedback signal and detecting the rotational speed in a plurality of rotation states of the ultrasonic motor. The method obtains an approximate function representing the relationship between the sampled feedback signal and the detected rotational speed of the ultrasonic motor, and calculates correction coefficients for adjusting the approximate function to the standard function.