Abstract: Upon detection of the attachment of a recording medium, an image signal obtained by taking a picture and condition information representing a condition in which the picture is taken are read out form a memory in an image pickup apparatus and recorded on the recording medium. The apparatus is also arranged in such a manner that the condition information recorded on the recording medium may be transferred to the memory. With this arrangement, it becomes possible to process the image signal by using the condition information stored in the memory, even in a situation in which the recording medium is detached. Furthermore, it becomes possible to inherit the condition information even when the recording medium is exchanged.

Abstract: An object detecting device can prevent a seizure of an object between an opening and an opening-closing unit for opening and closing the opening. The object detecting device includes a pressure-sensitive sensor disposed at one of the opening and the opening-closing unit, and judging means for judging the contact of the object with the pressure-sensitive sensor on the basis of an output signal of the pressure-sensitive sensor. The pressure-sensitive sensor includes pressure-sensitive means for generating an output signal depending on deformation, and support means for supporting the pressure-sensitive means at the one of the opening and the opening-closing unit, the support means including a vibration damping portion for damping vibration propagated to the pressure-sensitive means.

Abstract: Individual droplets of a liquid composition landing on a printing medium during one pass (one scan) are connected to the respective adjacent droplets and integrated with them to form a flat coat layer. Thus, the surface of the coat layer is almost flat, thus increasing the amount of regularly reflected light. This increases the degree of gloss. When the liquid composition is ejected during two passes, a smaller number of droplets of the liquid composition can be connected together than in the case of one pass. Thus, the droplets are not completely integrated and start to be insolubilized before the second scan. In this manner, the individual droplets are insolubilized while maintaining their original shapes. The resultant coat layer has a surface with many concaves and convexes. Consequently, the degree of gloss decreases.

Abstract: This invention has as its object to execute an optimal automatic focusing operation in both a case that attaches an importance on the focusing precision, and a case that attaches an importance on quick photographing. To this end, an apparatus includes a focus lens used to make focus adjustment of an object image, a motor and focus lens drive circuit for driving the focus lens, and an image sensing element for converting an object image formed by the focus lens into an electrical signal, and extracts a signal that represents the high-frequency component of a luminance signal of an object from the output signal of the image sensing element.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an image forming process for forming an image-recorded article having a coating layer on at least a part of an image formed, which comprises the steps of providing a liquid composition containing a polymer, providing an image-recorded article formed on a recording medium by an ink-jet recording method, and applying the liquid composition to at least a part of an image of the recorded article to insolubilize the polymer contained in the liquid composition on the surface of the image, thereby forming the coating layer at a position to which the liquid composition has been applied, wherein the recording medium has a surface which insolubilizes the polymer.

Abstract: A pressure sensitive sensor provided in at least one of an opening section and an opening and closing section for opening and closing the opening section and serving to detect pinching of an object between the opening section and the opening and closing section based on an output signal generated by deformation upon receipt of external force, comprising pressure sensitive means 33 for generating an output signal corresponding to deformation and support means 35 for supporting the pressure sensitive means 33 on at least one of the opening section and the opening and closing section, the support means 35 including at least a first deformation section 37 having a first elastic modulus and serving to increase deformation of the pressure sensitive sensor 17, and a second deformation section 39 having a second elastic modulus which is higher than the first elastic modulus.

Abstract: A bumper sensor unit including a cord-shaped pressure sensitive sensor is fixed around a bumper of a running device to detect a contact of an obstacle based on a signal output from the cord-shaped pressure sensitive sensor. In that case, contact detecting means comprises a filtering section for removing the oscillation frequency component of a contact detecting object from the signal output from the cord-shaped pressure sensitive sensor.

Abstract: In a pressure-sensitive sensor for detecting seizure of an object in the window frame or the like, support means (13) is more flexible than a piezoelectric sensor (12), and the support means (13) is easily deformed together with the piezoelectric sensor (12) without impeding the deformation of the piezoelectric sensor (12), and an output signal is issued from the piezoelectric sensor (12) depending on this deformation. Accordingly, when detecting the contact of an object with a pressure-sensitive sensor (4) by a judging device, the pressure-sensitive sensor (4) for generating an output signal of a sufficient magnitude for detection can be presented.

Abstract: A contact detecting device includes a flexible piezoelectric sensor of a cable shape, a resilient member including a hollow portion having a free end to allow the hollow portion to be opened, a sensor holding portion for holding therein the piezoelectric sensor. The hollow portion is provided with a support for maintaining a hollow state thereof.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide an autofocus method and apparatus capable of always performing proper focusing operation. To achieve this object, a control device drives a focus lens in accordance with the operation of an operation device, and stores the stop position of the focus lens. While the focus lens is driven within a predetermined range using the stop position as a reference, the control device stores an output from an extraction device in association with the position of the focus lens. The control device determines the focusing state of the focus lens from the output from the extraction device, and when determining from the determination result that the focus lens is incapable of focusing, drives the focus lens to the stop position.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus is adapted to eject ink from an ink-jet head onto a recording medium held in position by means of an electrostatic adsorption system. The surface resistance of the recording medium is not greater than 1×1011 &OHgr;/□.

Abstract: A recording medium having a non-sized single-layer fibrous structure which is composed mainly of a fibrous material and contains no filler and employing a face of the single-layer fibrous structure as an ink-receiving face, wherein alumina hydrate of a boehmite structure and a cationic resin are present at least near the surface of the fibrous material.

Abstract: A memory section includes an array of a plurality of memory elements, an address selecting circuit, a data selecting circuit having a data writing section for being driven for writing or reading normal data or test data, and a data reading section for generating an output to represent a positive and a negative of a read value of stored data from the memory elements. A memory controlling section includes a computing means for inputting/outputting, computing, storing, or controlling data and control information, a nonvolatile defect-and-fault recovery table used for holding an inherent history of a semiconductor memory, registering a detected defect or fault, and mapping the memory element by the unit of address or by the unit of data selection path of the memory element to a registered alternative address or data selection path, and a controlling and storing means for storing data, information for control or test, or a processing procedure.

Abstract: The present invention, employing a method of obtaining a final focus position by re-driving a lens before an actual image sensing operation in the vicinity of a focus position which has been obtained by the hill-climbing focusing method, has as its object to enable accurate focusing even in a case where a focus position is not yet obtained by the hill-climbing focusing method. To achieve this object, the driving range of the focus lens at the time of actual exposure is changed in accordance with whether or not AF operation in the hill-climbing mode has been completed and a peak position has been detected. Furthermore, a focus evaluation value is compared with a predetermined value, and the driving range of the focus lens at the time of actual exposure is changed in accordance with the comparison result.

Abstract: In a recording medium having an ink accepting layer formed on at least one surface of a base paper, the ink accepting layer is formed in the form of islands scattered on the surface of the base paper with a uniform plane density.

Abstract: An apparatus for inputting an image, includes a principal optical system on which a light beam corresponding to a single image is incident; light beam separating means for separating the light beam which passed through the principal optical system into a plurality of light beams; optical receiving and divided image group forming means for receiving the plurality of light beams, respectively, and forming divided image groups, each of said divided image group corresponding to the received light beams; and an image generating means for generating said single image by combining said divided image groups with one another. The single image is composed of the divided images. The number of the divided images is not less than that of the plurality of light beams. Each of the divided image groups has one or a plurality of divided images not adjacent to one another. The optical receiving and divided image forming means have imaging devices corresponding to the divided images, respectively.

Abstract: In an image pickup apparatus and method, and an image-pickup control computer program, a photographing optical system is driven, when a plurality of objects are present at different distances in a same detection field of view for identifying an object to be focused, so as to be focused on each of the plurality of objects, and a photographing operation is performed at each position of the photographing optical system driven so as to be focused on each of the plurality of objects.

Abstract: There is provided an extrusion head that is capable of largely increasing a production speed rather than a conventional head that extrudes supplies a high viscous melt-coating composition.

Abstract: The present invention, employing a method of obtaining a final focus position by re-driving a lens before an actual image sensing operation in the vicinity of a focus position which has been obtained by the hill-climbing focusing method, has as its object to enable accurate focusing even in a case where a focus position is not yet obtained by the hill-climbing focusing method. To achieve this object, the driving range of the focus lens at the time of actual exposure is changed in accordance with whether or not AF operation in the hill-climbing mode has been completed and a peak position has been detected. Furthermore, a focus evaluation value is compared with a predetermined value, and the driving range of the focus lens at the time of actual exposure is changed in accordance with the comparison result.

Abstract: A printing apparatus which uses a printing medium, which can retain a large amount of coloring material near its surface and can cause ink solvent to permeate rapidly, and can perform printing in a printing mode that is suitable for the above-mentioned printing medium, is provided. Furthermore, a user friendly printing apparatus is realized. More specifically, the printing mode for the above-mentioned printing medium is a mode that uses less ink ejection per one pixel. Even in this case, high speed printing based on printing of sufficient density and high ink absorption become possible. Furthermore, even in the case printing is made on ordinary paper, a lesser ink ejection amount in the same printing mode is performed, but since this printing mode uses processing liquid that makes the ink insoluble, in a similar way, printing of sufficient density and high speed printing becomes possible.