Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes: flash driving means for driving a flash during a set preliminary emission period and a set main emission period; and an image sensor constituted by a plurality of photoelectric converting elements which are arranged in a matrix and capable of being accessed randomly. The charge accumulation initiation timing and the charge accumulation cessation timing of the photoelectric converting elements are controlled line by line or pixel by pixel. The imaging apparatus forms images employing pixel signals output from the photoelectric converting elements, and extracts pixel signals output from photoelectric converting elements in which charge accumulation is initiated prior to the preliminary emission period and ceased after the preliminary emission period. An emission amount to be employed during the main emission period is determined by executing predetermined calculations based on the extracted pixel signals. Main emission of flash is performed with the determined emission amount.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes: flash driving means for driving a flash during a set preliminary emission period and a set main emission period; and an image sensor constituted by a plurality of photoelectric converting elements which are arranged in a matrix and capable of being accessed randomly. The charge accumulation initiation timing and the charge accumulation cessation timing of the photoelectric converting elements line are controlled line by line or pixel by pixel. The imaging apparatus forms images employing pixel signals output from the photoelectric converting elements, and determines main regions within the images. The preliminary emission period is set such that charge accumulation in photoelectric converting elements corresponding to pixels that constitute the main region is initiated prior to the preliminary emission period and ceased after the preliminary emission period. The flash driving means drives the flash during the set preliminary emission period.

Abstract: An image shooting device includes an image shooting component, a brightness detector, a flash component, a shift detector, a controller, and a flash amount determining component. The shift detector detects a shift amount of a subject position in a set of image data that has arisen due to shaking of the image shooting device. The controller corrects, on the basis of the detected shift amount, at least one of two sets of image data acquired within non-flash state and flash-emitting state, such that positions of a detection target region with respect to the subject position of the respective sets of image data are substantially matched. The flash amount determining component determines a flash amount of the flash component on the basis of the detected brightness level.

Abstract: A digital camera includes an imaging unit for generating image data, an emission unit for emitting a flash, a face detection unit for detecting face information in the image data, and an emission amount control unit for controlling the emission amount of a flash. A plurality of time points is set in a period from the time when generation of image data is started to the time when a flash is emitted, each as a time point where a detection result of the face detection unit is supplied to the emission control unit. The emission amount for the flash is obtained by selectively referring to the plurality of detection results and performing one of a plurality of arithmetic operations selected based on the referenced detection result.

Abstract: An image taking system includes an image taking circuit which photographs the object upon receipt of a photographing instruction and obtains an image representing the object, a light emitting circuit which emits stroboscopic light, a photographing control circuit which controls the image taking circuit to execute a continuous photographing where a plurality of images are continuously taken including a plurality of images with following stroboscopic light, a stroboscopic light control circuit which controls the light emitting circuit to emit the stroboscopic light when photographing the images with following stroboscopic light, and an estimating circuit which estimates, when photographing the images with following stroboscopic light, the remaining energy in the charging unit after the photographing, on the basis of each light emission and the remaining energy in the charging unit upon the light emission.

Abstract: A photographing apparatus including: a photographing means that photographs a subject to obtain an image representing the subject by receiving an instruction to perform photographing; a camera shake correction means constructed to be driven in a direction different from the optical axis of the photographing means and corrects a camera shake induced blur of an image to be obtained by the photographing; and a correction system driving means that receives an instruction to perform main photographing and initiates driving of the camera shake correction means from a first predetermined position during a period from the time when the instruction to perform main photographing is given to the time when the subject is photographed, and drives the camera shake correction means to a second predetermined position during a period from the time when the driving is initiated to the time when the main photographing is performed.

Abstract: A photographing apparatus includes: a photographing unit for obtaining an image representing a subject through photographing; a face detecting unit for detecting a face from the image obtained by the photographing unit; and a reflectance calculating unit for calculating a reflectance of the face. The reflectance calculating unit obtains a result of the face detection by the face detecting unit at a predetermined point of time after acquisition of the image by the photographing unit has begun, obtains images of the same subject taken with flash emission and taken without flash emission, and if the obtained detection result indicates that a face is contained, calculates the reflectance of the face based on a difference in brightness of the face between the images taken with flash emission and taken without flash emission and the size of the face.

Abstract: A digital camera including an imaging unit, a flash unit, a face detection unit that performs face detection on image data generated by the imaging unit, and an emission control unit that controls a redeye reduction emission and a main emission performed by the flash unit. The emission control unit obtains a result of face detection performed on image data generated at the time of the redeye reduction emission. Alternatively, it obtains one or more results of face detection performed on one or more sets of image data generated during the period after the time point when the redeye reduction emission is performed and before the time point when the main emission is performed. Otherwise, it obtains both of them. The emission control unit determines the emission amount for the main emission using one of the obtained face detection results.

Abstract: A digital camera including an imaging unit, a flash device, a face region extraction unit for detecting a face region from image data generated by the imaging unit, and a flash control unit for controlling emission amount of the flash using the region information outputted from the face region extraction unit. The flash control unit includes a first calculation means for performing a calculation on the image data generated by the imaging unit without using the region information, a second calculation means for performing a calculation on the image data generated by the imaging unit using the region information, and an emission amount determination means for determining an adequate emission amount Ch of the flash by performing an adjustment using the provisional adequate value Cn supplied from the first calculation means and provisional adequate value Cf supplied from the second calculation means as reference values.

Abstract: A discriminating section determines whether a voice band signal is "voice" or "data". When the voice band signal is voice, a voice detector detects the presence or absence of voice in the signal. If silence is detected, a cell assembly section prohibits transmission of cells. In the meantime, when the voice band signal is data, a carrier detector detects the presence or absence of a carrier. A cell assembly section sends out a cell in response to the presence of the carrier in the input signal, while prohibiting the cell transmission when no carrier is detected in the input signal. The apparatus reduces the number of cells transmitted and achieves a high transmission efficiency.

Abstract: A marker apparatus including a retroreflector constituted by three reflective surfaces arranged on three surfaces of a trigonal pyramid and a light source disposed on an optical axis of the retroreflector. A lens is provided in front of the retroreflector and a condensing lens is formed on the lens for condensing light emitting from the light source. A plurality of retroreflectors are provided continuously on the same plane in such a manner that directions of the three reflective surfaces, which constitute each of the retroreflector, are different from one another, and a front view of the retroreflector is regular hexagonal. A wall surface is formed between the three reflective surfaces constituting each retroreflector so that the wall surface directed in parallel with an optical axis.