Abstract: The invention relates to a current output stage (100) comprising an input (IN), an output (OUT) for connecting to an input of a unit (200) to be supplied with current, a control stage (T1, T2, Z1), which sets the output current (Iout), and an energy supply stage (Uv;Uv,?Uv), which can provide energy for the output current (Iout). The current output stage (100) comprises a first transistor (T1), which controls the output current in a closed-loop in the passive operating mode, and the current output stage (100) contains a second transistor (T2; T2, T3), which controls the output current (Iout) in a closed-loop in the active operating mode, wherein the first transistor (T1) and the second transistor (T2; T2, T3) is controlled by a control stage OP1) in an open loop, and wherein in the active operating mode the energy supply stage (Uv;Uv,?Uv) is controlled in an open loop such that same provides energy for the output current (Iout).

Abstract: A method for determining a level of degradation of a road marking is executed by a determination unit. The method includes generating a plurality of reference images by an image capturing device photographing a reference road marking with a plurality of shutter speeds. The reference images are stored in a database. The method further includes generating an image by the image capturing device photographing an examined road marking according to a selected shutter speed, retrieving one of the reference data from the database that has the same shutter speed as the examined road marking by a processor, and performing a difference determination procedure between the retrieved reference data and the examined data by the processor, and outputting a determined result of the level of degradation of the examined road marking by the processor. As such, accurate determination on the level of degradation of the examined road marking can be achieved.

Abstract: A photodetector control circuit in a photodetector for detecting light from a photodiode using a phototransistor and controls drive of the photodiode and detection of a current of the phototransistor has a received light amount detecting unit that detects a detection current, which flows through the phototransistor in accordance with a received light amount, by converting the detection current into a detection voltage, and compares the detection voltage with a reference voltage detected during reception of a reference light amount, to thereby detect a change in the received light amount, a diode current control unit for controlling a diode current that is caused to flow through the photodiode, and a control unit that detects a temperature based on a forward drop voltage of the photodiode and estimates a current change rate of the phototransistor based on the detected temperature.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus including an image sensor having a first area and a second area and a gradation converter for applying a gradation conversion to an image signal is provided with a gradation conversion LUT storage storing at least two kinds of gradation conversion information. The image sensing apparatus is also provided with a gradation conversion information rewriting section for rewriting the gradation conversion information into new gradation conversion information. There can be provided an image sensing apparatus capable of carrying out a precise gradation conversion even in the case that the inflection point between the first area and the second area of the image sensor constantly changes.

Abstract: A terminal 102 creates setting data 400 and inputs setting data 400 into an image output apparatus 101. The image output apparatus 101 sets the initial settings, operation settings, equipment settings, etc. based on the setting data, holds the setting data, and performs various processes based on the set settings and the held setting data. In addition, the image output apparatus 101 performs a media identification process, a media reader switching process, and the like using a media detection means 117, a media reader switching means 118, and the like, and allows only the use of the insertion opening of a predetermined media reader.

Abstract: An image capture apparatus includes a photometry unit, which performs photometry of luminance in each of the photometry areas in an image sensing scene, a photometry mode determination unit, which determines a photometry mode, a filter operation unit, which performs an operation on a luminance value of a photometry area by taking into account luminance values of photometry areas around the photometry area, and an exposure value determination unit, which determines an exposure value without using a result of the operation by the filter operation unit when the photometry mode determination unit determines that the photometry mode is a first photometry mode, and when the photometry mode determination unit determines that the photometry mode is a second photometry mode, determines the exposure value by performing an operation in accordance with the second photometry mode after the operation performed by the filter operation unit.

Abstract: A light measuring device includes an integration-type light measuring sensor having a plurality of pixels and arranged to logarithmically compress a signal of light received by each pixel and to output the signal as a light measurement value for each pixel, a memory arranged to store an average of gain correction values for all pixels of the light measuring sensor, a deviation from the average of gain correction values obtained for each pixel of the light measuring sensor, a level correction value for each pixel of the light measuring sensor obtained for a reference integration period, and an average of level shift amounts of all pixels of the light measuring sensor caused by a change of integration period, and a computing circuit arranged to compute, from the level correction value for each pixel and the average of level shift amounts of all pixels stored in the memory, a level correction value for each pixel of the light measuring sensor for an integration period other than the reference integration period.

Abstract: In a camera controller using a CMOS-analog-IC, a microcomputer, logarithmic compression type distance measuring and photometric circuits, each constituted by a CMOS device having a parasitic bipolar transistor having a p- or n-type well as a base and an n.sup.+ -type layer in the p-type well or p.sup.+ -type layer in the n-type well as an emitter, and the like are arranged on the same chip.

Abstract: A photometric device, used in an optical apparatus such as a camera, which includes photometric elements to measure photometric values according to plural regions of a subject field, and corrects the photometric values of photometric elements corresponding to specific regions within the plural regions based on the photometric values of regions outside the specific region and on previously set correction coefficients according to each region. The location of the specific regions on the subject field may be adjusted either manually or automatically based upon a focus adjustment state of a focus detection unit.