Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and method for adjusting focus using the MTF characteristics of a lens in a digital image processing apparatus that adjusts focus using optical characteristics of a lens. The apparatus for adjusting focus includes: an image pickup unit in which modulation transfer function (MTF) data, which can be used to represent the performance of a lens, is stored; and a digital signal processing unit that calculates a focus peak value of an image and a defocus correction value based on the MTF data, and corrects the focus position using the focus peak value and the defocus correction value.

Abstract: Provided are a method of controlling a focus lens to be moved to a target location by generating a normalized focus graph by use of relative values of a plurality of focus values obtained by using a plurality of filters each having different cut-off frequencies, and predicting a target position of the focus lens according to the normalized focus graph, an apparatus operating by using the method, and a recording medium for recording the method. According to the present invention, in terms of performing an auto-focusing function, by optimizing the motion line of the focus lens, wasteful power consumption can be prevented and a scanning time of the focus lens can be shortened.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of producing transgenic plants having resistance to blast fungus and/or leaf-blight bacteria by transforming the plants with a DNA encoding a protein that induces hypersensitive reaction-like lesion mimic, and transgenic plants, plant cells, seed and progeny having resistance to blast fungus and/or leaf-blight bacteria.

Abstract: A plasma display device provided with a green color phosphor which is charged entirely with a positive potential, adsorbs only limited amounts of water, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrocarbon, and not liable to cause chemical reaction thereto. A green color phosphor layer is formed of the green phosphor comprising at least one compound selected from among materials defined by the general formulae of M1-a (Ga1-xAlx)2 O4:Mna (where “M” denotes one of Zn, Mg, Ca and Sr), (Y1-a-yGda) (Ga1-xAlx)3 (BO3)4:Tby, (Y1-a-yGda) (Ga1-xAlx)3 (BO3)4:Cey, Tby, (Y1-a-yGda) BO3:Tby and (Y1-a-yGda)3 (Ga1-xAlx)5 O12:Tby.

Abstract: An apparatus and appertaining method for controlling the apparatus are provided for processing a digital image, which can capture an image with reduced hand shake effect without using a hand shake sensor. The apparatus includes: an image input unit receiving a plurality of input images from the outside; and a control unit receiving the plurality of input images when a shutter-release button select signal is input from the outside, selecting a clearest image from among the input images as a best image, and capturing the best image.

Abstract: A plasma display device having a panel main body in which a pair of transparent substrates is arranged in opposition so as to form a discharge space between the substrates on at least a front side, barrier ribs are arranged on at least one of the substrates to divide the discharge space into a plurality of spaces, a group of electrodes is arranged on the substrates so as to generate discharge in the discharge space divided with the barrier ribs, and phosphor layers that emit by discharge are provided, in which the phosphor layers are equipped with a green phosphor layer including at least a mixture of Zn2SiO4:Mn and (Y, Gd)BO3:Tb, the surface of the Zn2SiO4:Mn is coated with magnesium oxide, and the ratio of the Mg element to the Si element on the surface measured with an XPS apparatus is 0.7 to 6.0.

Abstract: Phosphor layers (110G, 110B, and 110R) are made of a combination of: blue and green phosphors that are positively charged on their surfaces and baked in an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere to reduce oxygen vacancy, and that have a ?-alumina crystal structure; and a red phosphor made of an yttrium oxide compound. Uniformly forming such phosphor layers on the wall surfaces of barrier ribs (109) provides equal charge characteristics of the phosphors of respective colors, reduces oxygen vacancy in the phosphors, and inhibits adsorption of various gases in the panel production process. This can stabilize the discharge characteristics and prevent luminance degradation at driving the panel.

Abstract: A plasma display device having a panel main body in which a pair of transparent substrates is arranged in opposition so as to form a discharge space between the substrates on at least a front side, barrier ribs are arranged on at least one of the substrates to divide the discharge space into a plurality of spaces, a group of electrodes is arranged on the substrates so as to generate discharge in the discharge space divided with the barrier ribs, and phosphor layers that emit by discharge are provided, in which the phosphor layers are equipped with a green phosphor layer including at least a mixture of Zn2SiO4: Mn and (Y, Gd)BO3: Tb, the surface of the Zn2SiO4: Mn is coated with aluminum oxide, and the ratio of the Al element to the Si element on the surface measured with an XPS apparatus is 0.6 to 7.0.

Abstract: In a phosphor whose host crystal is constituted of an oxide, a method of preparing the phosphor where the oxygen deficiencies in the phosphor are not many, and a plasma display device using the same are provided. After processes of weighing, mixing and filling powders of the phosphor, a process for firing in a reducing atmosphere and a process for firing in an oxidizing atmosphere after the last reducing atmosphere process are provided. In addition, a firing temperature in the oxidizing atmosphere process is not less than 600° C. and not more than 1000° C.

Abstract: A plasma display device having a panel main body in which a pair of transparent substrates is arranged in opposition so as to form a discharge space between the substrates on at least a front side, barrier ribs are arranged on at least one of the substrates to divide the discharge space into a plurality of spaces, a group of electrodes is arranged on the substrates so as to generate discharge in the discharge space divided with the barrier ribs, and phosphor layers that emit by discharge are provided, in which the phosphor layers are equipped with a green phosphor layer including at least Zn2SiO4:Mn, a surface of Zn2SiO4:Mn is coated with aluminum oxide, and a ratio of an Al element to a Si element on the surface measured with an XPS apparatus is 0.6 to 4.0.

Abstract: A plasma display device having a panel main body in which a pair of transparent substrates is arranged in opposition so as to form a discharge space between the substrates on at least a front side, barrier ribs are arranged on at least one of the substrates to divide the discharge space into a plurality of spaces, a group of electrodes is arranged on the substrates so as to generate discharge in the discharge space divided with the barrier ribs, and phosphor layers that emit by discharge are provided, in which the phosphor layers are equipped with a green phosphor layer including at least Zn2SiO4:Mn, a surface of Zn2SiO4:Mn is coated with magnesium oxide, and a ratio of an Mg element to a Si element on the surface measured with an XPS apparatus is 0.7 to 4.0.

Abstract: Disclosed here is a plasma display unit that employs phosphors having an amount of charge controlled close to zero, by which degradation in luminance, color temperature, and charge characteristics can be minimized. A phosphor bearing positive or negative charge is coated with a compound for controlling the amount of charge of the phosphor through a strong chemical bonding, whereby the amount of charge of a phosphor can be suppressed within ±0.01 ?C/g. Controlling the amount of charge of phosphors close to zero can keep impurity gases away from the phosphor particle when the panel is in operation, suppressing problems critical to driving a plasma display unit, such as luminance degradation of phosphors, improper alignment of color in panel operation, luminance degradation when the panel displays all white.

Abstract: The present invention provides a plasma display panel that suppresses discharge sustain voltage, and reduces brightness degradation of a phosphor. In the plasma display panel, as protective film (14) made of magnesium oxide (MgO) formed on dielectric glass layer (13), protective film (14) made of magnesium oxide (MgO) with oxide added with an electronegativity of 1.4 or higher, is formed to suppress impure gas adsorption by protective film (14), stabilizes discharge sustain voltage, and reduces brightness degradation.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a plasma display panel is disclosed. The method includes forming at least one of a dielectric layer on a principal face of a substrate, barrier ribs which partition a discharging space on the dielectric layer, and a phosphor layer disposed between the barrier ribs using an inorganic material into which solution including a degassing material is impregnated.

Abstract: A plasma display device provided with a green color phosphor which is charged entirely with a positive potential, adsorbs only limited amounts of water, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrocarbon, and not liable to cause chemical reacttion thereto. The green color phosphor used is any one or a combination two or more kinds of phosphors selected from among compounds defined by the general formulae of M1-xAl12O19:Mnx (where “M” denotes one of Ca, Sr, Eu and Zn) having a magnetoplumbite crystal structure, (Y1-a-yGda) (Ga1-xAlx)3 (BO3)4:Tby, (Y1-a-yGda) (Ga1-xAlx)3 (BO3)4:Cey, Tby, (Y1-a-yGda) BO3:Tby and (Y1-a-yGda)3 (Ga1-xAlx)5 O12:Tby having any of an yttrium borate crystal structure and yttrium aluminate crystal structure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a plasma display device and to a method of producing a phosphor to be used for the device, that prevents the phosphor layer from deteriorating, and improves the luminance, life, and reliability, of a plasma display panel (PDP). The plasma display device is equipped with a plasma display panel in which a plurality of discharge cells are arranged, phosphor layers (110R, 110G, 110B) in color corresponding to each discharge cell are disposed, and phosphor layers (110R, 110G, 110B) are excited by ultraviolet light to emit light. Green phosphor layer (110G) has a green phosphor including Zn2SiO4:Mn, the element ratio of zinc (Zn) to silicon (Si) at the proximity of its surface is 2/1, which is the stoichiometric ratio, and the layer is positively charged or zero-charged.

Abstract: The present invention is a light-emitting device which is provided with a phosphor layer containing a blue phosphor, wherein the phosphor layer includes an aluminate phosphor, as the blue phosphor, that contains Ba, Sr, Eu, Mg, Al and O as constituting elements at an atom-number ratio Ba:Sr:Eu:Mg:Al:O=p:q:r:1:w:17 wherein 0.70?p?0.95, 0?q?0.15, 0.05?r?0.20, p+q+r?1, and 9.8?w?10.5 are satisfied, and a value of a linear coupling function s represented by a formula: s=?11622+2043.07La+199.24L1?116.91L2 is 1 or less, when a lattice constant is La(?), an interatomic distance between Al(2) and O(5) is L1(?), and an interatomic distance between Al(1) and O(4) is L2(?), which are obtained by an X-ray crystal structure analysis assuming that the aluminate phosphor belongs to a space group P63/mmc.

Abstract: A plasma display device including a green phosphor of which brightness is hardly deteriorated and a production method therefore are disclosed. The plasma display device comprises a plasma display panel in which a plurality of discharge cells of one color or a plurality of colors are disposed, red phosphor layers 110R, green phosphor layers 110G, and blue phosphor layers 110B are arranged correspondingly to the respective discharge cells, and the red phosphor layers 110R, the green phosphor layers 110G, and the blue phosphor layers 110B are excited by ultraviolet rays to emit light. The green phosphor layers 110G include a green phosphor expressed by (Ma-x-yEuxTby)O.MgO.2SiO2 (here, M is at least one element selected from Ca, Sr, and Ba).

Abstract: An electronic image pickup apparatus of the present invention is constructed so that an image pickup lens and a diaphragm for adjusting exposure can operate in interlocking relationship with each other. Furthermore, the apparatus has a panorama mode in which an image is obtained by connecting images taken in a plurality of continuous scenes with each other, and a rapid shooting mode in which continuous image pickup is performed. If the operating mode is set to the panorama mode or the rapid shooting mode, reset of the image pickup lens and diaphragm is performed at the first shot only and the backlash cancellation of the image pickup lens is performed starting from the second shot. Preferably, the exposure adjusting mechanism automatically places a predetermined limit on the exposure time in a normal mode and permits a longer exposure time in the panoramic mode.

Abstract: A phosphor in which water adsorption onto the surface of a blue phosphor is inhibited, luminance degradation and chromaticity shift of the phosphor is decreased, or discharge characteristics thereof is improved, and a plasma display device using the phosphor. In phosphor layers used for plasma display, selectively coating at least the vicinity of the sides of planes of mirror symmetry containing Ba atoms in a blue phosphor with an oxide or a fluorine-containing oxide inhibits water adsorption onto the surface of the blue phosphor, decreases luminance degradation and chromacity shift of a phosphor, or improves discharge characteristics thereof.