Abstract: An image generation method is provided and generates an image of a surface of a target object includes causing an image capturing unit placed at a first position to capture, as first image capturing, the surface of the target object through a periodic structure body including transmission regions and non-transmission regions having lower transmittance than the transmission regions alternately with a predetermined period P, causing an image capturing unit placed at a second position different from the first position to capture, as second image capturing, the surface of the target object through the periodic structure body, and generating the surface image using the first image and the second image, wherein the first and second positions are different from each other in a periodic direction of the periodic structure body.

Abstract: The present invention provides a classifying method of classifying an article into one of a plurality of groups based on an image of the article, comprising determining an evaluation method for obtaining an evaluation value of an image by using at least some of sample images, obtaining evaluation values for the sample images by the determined evaluation method, changing a group to which a sample of at least one sample image having a singular evaluation value among the sample images belongs, changing the evaluation method using the sample images after changing the group to which the sample of the at least one sample image belongs, obtaining an evaluation value for the image of the article using the changed evaluation method, and classifying the article into one of the plurality of groups based on the evaluation value for the image of the article.

Abstract: An image acquisition device includes a member having a plurality of non-transmissive portions that extends in a first direction and does not transmit at least a part of incident light. The plurality of non-transmissive portions being disposed in a second direction intersecting the first direction at intervals of a period P. The image acquisition device further includes a first illumination unit, an imaging unit that images an area of an illuminated target via the member, and a driving unit that relatively shifts the member and the target in the second direction during exposure for acquiring one image by imaging the target illuminated by the first illumination unit.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus for performing inspection of an object includes an illumination device that illuminates an object, an imaging device that images the illuminated object, and a processor configured to perform inspection processing based on plural images obtained by the imaging device respectively corresponding to plural light emitting regions of the illumination device. Two light emitting regions of the plural light emitting regions corresponding to mutually adjoining two azimuths of plural azimuths that illuminate the object have a mutually overlapping region.

Abstract: The present invention provides a classifying method of classifying an article into one of a plurality of groups based on an image of the article, comprising determining an evaluation method for obtaining an evaluation value of an image by using at least some of sample images, obtaining evaluation values for the sample images by the determined evaluation method, changing a group to which a sample of at least one sample image having a singular evaluation value among the sample images belongs, changing the evaluation method using the sample images after changing the group to which the sample of the at least one sample image belongs, obtaining an evaluation value for the image of the article using the changed evaluation method, and classifying the article into one of the plurality of groups based on the evaluation value for the image of the article.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an optical element used at a second air pressure different from a first air pressure comprises: a measuring step of measuring a surface shape of the optical member at the first air pressure; a calculating step of calculating a deformation amount of the optical member that occurs owing to an air pressure difference between the first air pressure and the second air pressure; and a processing step of processing the optical member at the first air pressure so as to make the surface shape of the optical member match a target shape at the second air pressure, based on the surface shape measured in the measuring step and the deformation amount calculated in the calculating step.