Abstract: A shot image processing system (100) includes a mobile terminal (1) that shoots an image of a conversion target region containing a character and/or an image, and displays the shot image containing the conversion target region on a display unit; a server that receives the shot image from the mobile terminal (1), wherein the server (2) determines a specifying method for specifying a location of the conversion target region in the received shot image, and transmits the determined specifying method to the mobile terminal, and the mobile terminal (1) specifies the location of the conversion target region in the shot image based on the specifying method received from the server (2), converts the conversion target region specified in the shot image into a prescribed format, and displays a converted image obtained by the conversion on the display unit (16).

Abstract: A scanning microscope is provided with a scan unit that scans a sample, the scanning microscope including: a transmissive VPH grating for dispersing light from the sample; and a photodetector for detecting the light diffracted by the VPH grating.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image comparing method for comparing plural first images and a second image, includes: converting the second image to generate a second numerical data; dividing each of plural first numerical data corresponding to the plural first images into plural parts, and dividing the second numerical data into plural parts; comparing a first part of the divided parts of the plural first numerical data and a first part of the divided parts of the second numerical data; outputting a first result, when the first part of the divided parts of the plural first numerical data satisfies a first condition; and comparing a second part of the divided parts of the plural first numerical data and a second part of the divided parts of the second numerical data, when the first part of the divided parts of the plural first numerical data satisfies a second condition.

Abstract: The automatic adjustment method of a microscopic image for automatically adjusting an image on the basis of the lightness of the microscopic image includes distinguishing an observation pixel being an observation target in the image from a non-observation pixel not being an observation target on the basis of the lightness of each pixel of the image, determining a representative value for representing the lightness of the image on the basis of the lightness of a selection pixel identified as the observation pixel and adjusting the lightness of the image on the basis of the representative value.

Abstract: A fluorescence microscope includes: a light source that emits excitation light for exciting a sample; an optical detector that detects fluorescence emitted from the sample excited by the excitation light; a first wavelength selection filter arranged in an optical path leading from the light source to the sample to reflect at least an S-polarized component of the excitation light and transmit the fluorescence; and a second wavelength selection filter arranged in an optical path between the optical detector and the first wavelength selection filter to reflect at least the S-polarized component of the excitation light and transmit the fluorescence. In the fluorescence microscope, light entering and transmitted through the first wavelength selection filter as P-polarized light enters the second wavelength selection filter as S-polarized light.

Abstract: To improve the recognition accuracy even when a plurality of words including a matched portion are selected as candidates for recognition. A word recognition apparatus according to the present invention includes input means for inputting a word image representing a plurality of characters; word candidate selection means for recognizing the word image input by the input means and selecting a first word candidate and a second word candidate based on a plurality of words registered in a word dictionary; and verification means for comparing the first word candidate and the second word candidate character by character and verifying a likelihood of the first word candidate based on an evaluation value obtained when the word image is recognized by characters determined as unmatched.

Abstract: An image processing device of the present invention is an image processing device that reads an address of a piece of mail, comprising: a storage section that correlatively stores image data of the piece of mail containing an address region in which the address of said piece of mail is present and region data that represent a position of said address region of the piece of mail; an obtaining section that obtains image data of said piece of mail; a search section that searches said storage section for image data that match the image data obtained by said obtaining section with respect to regions other than said address region; an extraction section that extracts a region represented by region data correlated with image data retrieved by said search section as an address region of said piece of mail from the image data obtained by said obtaining section; and a read section that reads an address from the address region extracted by said extraction section.

Abstract: Words possibly included in a scene image shot by a mobile camera can be efficiently extracted using a word dictionary or a map database. Positional information acquiring means 101 measures a current position of the device to acquire positional information. Directional information acquiring means 102 detects a direction of the device to acquire directional information. Character recognizing means 104 determines a range of shooting of a scene image based on the current positional information and the directional information. The character recognizing means 104 extracts from a map database 103 information such as store names, building names, and place names associated with positions in the shooting range. Then the character recognizing means 104 conducts character recognition using word knowledge such as the extracted store names, building names, and place names.

Abstract: A scanning microscope is provided with a scan unit that scans a sample, the scanningmicroscope including: a transmissive VPH grating for dispersing light from the sample; and a photodetector for detecting the light diffracted by the VPH grating.

Abstract: The microscope comprises a first phase-contrast objective including a first phase film shaped like a ring and having a 20-fold magnification or lower, a second phase-contrast objective including a second phase film shaped like a ring and having a 60-fold magnification or higher; and a ring slit shared and used by the first and second phase-contrast objectives.

Abstract: Words possibly included in a scene image shot by a mobile camera can be efficiently extracted using a word dictionary or a map database. Positional information acquiring means 101 measures a current position of the device to acquire positional information. Directional information acquiring means 102 detects a direction of the device to acquire directional information. Character recognizing means 104 determines a range of shooting of a scene image based on the current positional information and the directional information. The character recognizing means 104 extracts from a map database 103 information such as store names, building names, and place names associated with positions in the shooting range. Then the character recognizing means 104 conducts character recognition using word knowledge such as the extracted store names, building names, and place names.

Abstract: Words possibly included in a scene image shot by a mobile camera can be efficiently extracted using a word dictionary or a map database. Positional information acquiring means 101 measures a current position of the device to acquire positional information. Directional information acquiring means 102 detects a direction of the device to acquire directional information. Character recognizing means 104 determines a range of shooting of a scene image based on the current positional information and the directional information. The character recognizing means 104 extracts from a map database 103 information such as store names, building names, and place names associated with positions in the shooting range. Then the character recognizing means 104 conducts character recognition using word knowledge such as the extracted store names, building names, and place names.

Abstract: The automatic adjustment method of a microscopic image for automatically adjusting an image on the basis of the lightness of the microscopic image includes distinguishing an observation pixel being an observation target in the image from a non-observation pixel not being an observation target on the basis of the lightness of each pixel of the image, determining a representative value for representing the lightness of the image on the basis of the lightness of a selection pixel identified as the observation pixel and adjusting the lightness of the image on the basis of the representative value.

Abstract: A fluorescence observation or fluorescence measuring system has at least one of a low-fluorescence objective lens including optical elements made of low-fluorescence glass, satisfying Condition (a) described below, a low-fluorescence immersion substance satisfying Condition (b) described below, and a low-fluorescence cover glass satisfying Condition (c) described below: BOB?/BOB?0.7??(a) BIM?/BIM?0.7??(b) BCG?/BCG?0.7??(c) where BOB?, BIM?, and BCG? are average intensity values of auto-fluorescence from the low-fluorescence objective lens, immersion substance, and cover glass, respectively, and BOB, BIM, and BCG are average intensity values of auto-fluorescence from a conventional objective lens, immersion substance, and cover glass, respectively, generally used.

Abstract: The microscope comprises a first phase-contrast objective including a first phase film shaped like a ring and having a 20-fold magnification or lower, a second phase-contrast objective including a second phase film shaped like a ring and having a 60-fold magnification or higher; and a ring silt shared and used by the first and second phase-contrast objectives.

Abstract: An optical apparatus minimizes autofluorescence and stray light as well as leakage of excitation light and efficiently utilizes illuminating light from a fluorescence illumination optical system to allow observation of a bright fluorescence image. An observation apparatus has an objective, an observation optical system unit including a variable magnification optical system, and an imaging optical system unit including an imaging lens and an eyepiece. A fluorescence illumination apparatus, which is provided separately, is removably attached to the observation apparatus. The fluorescence illumination apparatus has a light source, a collector lens unit, and a reflecting member placed between the objective and the observation optical system unit at a position displaced from the optical axis of the objective to make light from the light source incident on the objective. An excitation filter is provided between the light source and the reflecting member.

Abstract: In a confocal laser scanning microscope that is equipped with a first scanning optical system for emitting an observation beam to scan and observe a sample and a second scanning optical system for emitting an excitation beam to scan and stimulate optically a part of the sample, the improvement of providing a micromirror device that simultaneously reflects the observation beam and the excitation beam as multiple sub-beams onto the sample. An optical scanning method using a confocal laser scanning microscope is disclosed that scans a sample with an observation beam and an excitation beam simultaneously using multiple observation beam spots and multiple excitation beams spots, thereby enabling events of short duration to be observed and/or recorded.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image comparing method for comparing plural first images and a second image, includes: converting the second image to generate a second numerical data; dividing each of plural first numerical data corresponding to the plural first images into plural parts, and dividing the second numerical data into plural parts; comparing a first part of the divided parts of the plural first numerical data and a first part of the divided parts of the second numerical data; outputting a first result, when the first part of the divided parts of the plural first numerical data satisfies a first condition; and comparing a second part of the divided parts of the plural first numerical data and a second part of the divided parts of the second numerical data, when the first part of the divided parts of the plural first numerical data satisfies a second condition.

Abstract: In a confocal laser scanning microscope that is equipped with a first scanning optical system for emitting an observation beam to scan and observe a sample and a second scanning optical system for emitting an excitation beam to scan and stimulate optically a part of the sample, the improvement of providing a micromirror device that simultaneously reflects the observation beam and the excitation beam as multiple sub-beams onto the sample. An optical scanning method using a confocal laser scanning microscope is disclosed that scans a sample with an observation beam and an excitation beam simultaneously using multiple observation beam spots and multiple excitation beams spots, thereby enabling events of short duration to be observed and/or recorded.

Abstract: A fluorescence observation or fluorescence measuring system has at least one of a low-fluorescence objective lens including optical elements made of low-fluorescence glass, satisfying Condition (a) described below, a low-fluorescence immersion substance satisfying Condition (b) described below, and a low-fluorescence cover glass satisfying Condition (c) described below: BOB?/BOB?0.7 ??(a) BIM?/BIM?0.7 ??(b) BCG?/BCG?0.7 ??(c) where BOB?, BIM?, and BCG? are average intensity values of auto-fluorescence from the low-fluorescence objective lens, immersion substance, and cover glass, respectively, and BOB, BIM, and BCG are average intensity values of auto-fluorescence from a conventional objective lens, immersion substance, and cover glass, respectively, generally used.