Abstract: An illumination optical system includes a plurality of light sources arranged in an annular shape, and a prism plate that is formed in an annular shape about an optical axis of illumination light from the light sources. The prism plate includes a prism surface, upon which the illumination light falls incident and on which prism a plurality of prisms arranged in an annular shape along a circumferential direction of the prism plate, are formed, a flat section upon which the illumination light falls incident and which is formed in an annular shape along the circumferential direction of the prism plate, and an emission plane that emits the illumination light. The prism surface is formed on an outer peripheral side outward from a radius of the prism plate that is centered on the optical axis, and the flat section is formed on an inner peripheral side inward from the radius.

Abstract: An optical element includes: a first transmissive section 3 that causes light emitted from a light source to be incident on the optical element; a first reflection section 4 which is located at a facing section facing the first transmissive section and from which light incident from the first transmissive section is reflected; a second reflection section 5 which is located around the first transmissive section and from which the light reflected from the first reflection section is reflected; and a second transmissive section 6 that causes the light reflected from the second reflection section to be emitted out of the optical element in an optical axis direction of the light source.

Abstract: An imaging device includes: an image sensor that images an object to be imaged through polarizing plates arranged to have a different polarization direction for each pixel in a pixel group that includes a plurality of pixels corresponding to each of points of the object to be imaged; a pixel selecting unit that selects a pixel having a lowest brightness for each of the pixel group corresponding to each of the points; and an image output unit that outputs a captured image of the object to be imaged that is generated from pixels selected by the pixel selecting unit.

Abstract: An illumination optical system includes a plurality of light sources arranged in an annular shape, and a prism plate that is formed in an annular shape about an optical axis of illumination light from the light sources. The prism plate includes a prism surface, upon which the illumination light falls incident and on which prism a plurality of prisms arranged in an annular shape along a circumferential direction of the prism plate, are formed, a flat section upon which the illumination light falls incident and which is formed in an annular shape along the circumferential direction of the prism plate, and an emission plane that emits the illumination light. The prism surface is formed on an outer peripheral side outward from a radius of the prism plate that is centered on the optical axis, and the flat section is formed on an inner peripheral side inward from the radius.

Abstract: A biometric image capturing apparatus includes an irradiating unit configured to irradiate a subject with light, a camera configured to capture an image of the subject, a polarizing unit which is disposed on an optical path between the irradiating unit and the camera, and configured to allow passage of light in a first polarization direction and light in a second polarization direction, a processor configured to perform computation using a first image captured by the camera according to the light in the first polarization direction that has passed through the polarizing unit and a second image captured by the camera according to the light in the second polarization direction that has passed through the polarizing unit, and to determine whether the subject is a biological body according to a result of the computation performed by the computing unit.

Abstract: A a body-site image obtained by capturing an image of a body site of a user is acquired. On the basis of the acquired body-site image, the orientation of the body site within the body-site image is detected. A template pattern conforming with the detected orientation is extracted from a template-pattern storage unit storing a plurality of template patterns. The acquired body-site image is converted into a body-site pattern obtained by extracting characteristic information from the body-site image. Authentication of the user is performed by comparing the body-site pattern obtained as a result of the converting and the extracted template pattern, thereby allowing appropriate personal authentication to be performed even when the orientation of a hand held over an imaging apparatus and the orientation of the imaging apparatus in registering vein data are different from those in performing authentication.

Abstract: An optical element includes: a first transmissive section 3 that causes light emitted from a light source to be incident on the optical element; a first reflection section 4 which is located at a facing section facing the first transmissive section and from which light incident from the first transmissive section is reflected; a second reflection section 5 which is located around the first transmissive section and from which the light reflected from the first reflection section is reflected; and a second transmissive section 6 that causes the light reflected from the second reflection section to be emitted out of the optical element in an optical axis direction of the light source.

Abstract: An image capturing device includes an imaging device, a board on which the imaging device is mounted, an optical unit that forms an image of a target object onto the imaging device, and mounting units that is used to mount the optical unit on the board. The mounting units include a first mounting unit and a second mounting unit and the board includes an attachment portion having a smooth surface. The first mounting unit is attached to the attachment portion by mechanical joining and the second mounting unit is bonded to the first mounting unit while the optical unit is attached to the second mounting unit.

Abstract: A device includes an illumination device that casts light of a prescribed polarization direction on a scattering body, a camera that picks up images of the scattering body at a plurality of different polarization angles, and a processor that executes a process of generating and outputting an inner layer image, of an inner layer of an inside of the scattering body, in response to a depth from a surface of the scattering body on the basis of the images of the scattering body picked up at the plurality of different polarization angles.

Abstract: A biometric image capturing apparatus includes an irradiating unit configured to irradiate a subject with light, a camera configured to capture an image of the subject, a polarizing unit which is disposed on an optical path between the irradiating unit and the camera, and configured to allow passage of light in a first polarization direction and light in a second polarization direction, a processor configured to perform computation using a first image captured by the camera according to the light in the first polarization direction that has passed through the polarizing unit and a second image captured by the camera according to the light in the second polarization direction that has passed through the polarizing unit, and to determine whether the subject is a biological body according to a result of the computation performed by the computing unit.

Abstract: A server includes a database that stores template pairs for a plurality of persons, the template pairs each pairing a first template and a second template that are acquired by using first and second polarization methods different from each other, respectively, from a same person, and a collating unit that collates a third template by the first polarization method, the third template being transmitted from a terminal device, with the template pairs for the persons, collates a fourth template by the second polarization method, the fourth template being transmitted from another server, with the template pairs for the persons, and performs personal authentication according to whether a first template pair and a second template pair are an identical template pair, the first template pair including the first template that coincides with the third template, and the second template pair including the second template that coincides with the fourth template.

Abstract: In order to capture an image of a living body with reduced noise, an image capturing apparatus includes a main body that captures a living body image, and a support attachable to and detachable from the main body. The image capturing apparatus supports the living body with a finger guide and a wrist guide of the support, and guides light emitted from the main body through the support toward its top face side from its bottom face side where the main body contacts with the support, and radiates the guided light toward the living body from a light radiating section provided at a predetermined position of an inner wall and an end portion of the top face side of the support, so that the main body captures a living body image.

Abstract: A device includes an illumination device that casts light of a prescribed polarization direction on a scattering body, a camera that picks up images of the scattering body at a plurality of different polarization angles, and a processor that executes a process of generating and outputting an inner layer image, of an inner layer of an inside of the scattering body, in response to a depth from a surface of the scattering body on the basis of the images of the scattering body picked up at the plurality of different polarization angles.

Abstract: A palm vein imaging apparatus includes: a tubular-frame-shaped housing; a printed circuit board horizontally held within the housing; an imaging system consisting of an image sensor and imaging lens module mounted on a top surface of the printed circuit board; and a top cover that covers a top opening of the housing so as to protect the imaging lens module of the imaging system, wherein the top cover includes a recess at a portion of an inner top surface of the top cover that faces the imaging lens module, the recess being thinner than a portion therearound, and the imaging lens module is located in a manner such that an upper portion thereof is in the recess.

Abstract: An illumination optical system for an image pickup apparatus includes a plurality of light sources arranged in a circular loop pattern and a prism plate shaped like a circular loop. the prism plate includes a prism surface at which illumination light from the light sources enters and on which a plurality of prism columns arranged in a circular loop pattern in a circumference direction of the prism plate are formed and an outgoing surface from which the illumination light is emitted. the prism surface includes a flat portion on at least one of a peak formed by each of the plurality of prism columns and a trough formed between the plurality of prism columns. the flat portion is substantially parallel to a tangential direction of the prism plate.

Abstract: A liquid crystal panel includes an iris unit for limiting the incident range of light from an object to be shot, and a filter unit for assigning a exposure energy distribution varying with the position to incident light whose incident range is limited by the iris unit. The control unit controls the ON time and the OFF time of each pixel of the liquid crystal panel, and then a low pass filter operation on the captured image as an image processing can be optically replaced.

Abstract: An illumination optical system for an image pickup apparatus includes a plurality of light sources arranged in a circular loop pattern and a prism plate shaped like a circular loop. the prism plate includes a prism surface at which illumination light from the light sources enters and on which a plurality of prism columns arranged in a circular loop pattern in a circumference direction of the prism plate are formed and an outgoing surface from which the illumination light is emitted. the prism surface includes a flat portion on at least one of a peak formed by each of the plurality of prism columns and a trough formed between the plurality of prism columns. the flat portion is substantially parallel to a tangential direction of the prism plate.

Abstract: A prism plate is obtained which gives directivity to the exit directions of illumination light and enables control of the illuminance distribution. A prism plate 11 includes a prism surface 12 on which a prism array in the shape of a triangular pole having multiple ridgelines 13 is formed, and in which minute bumps and dips 14 are formed on the prism surface 12.

Abstract: A position Z of an image sensor is moved to an initial position A (image forming position) in a Z axis direction. An exposing operation is performed at a position A, and it is determined whether or not an exposing time counted by a timer has reached ta. If the exposing time has reached ta, an image sensor 27 is moved to a position B. The exposing operation is performed at the position, and it is determined whether or not a total exposing time has reached ta+tb. If the total exposing time t has reached ta+tb, the image sensor is moved to a position C, and the exposing operation is performed at the position. Thus, the output distribution of the image sensor can be assigned a desired low pass filter characteristic.

Abstract: The optical path of the light having spread at each point of an object to be shot is limited by an iris unit of a density filter. Since the density filter unit has a desired transmittance characteristic, the amount of the light passing through the density filter unit continuously changes from the center of the luminous flux toward the periphery. After the luminous flux forms an image on the image forming surface, it spreads toward the light-receptive surface of an image sensor, and becomes an image spreading on the light-receptive surface in a predetermined range.