Abstract: A zoom lens has, in order from the object side thereof, a positive first lens unit G1, a negative second lens unit G2, a positive third lens unit G3, a fourth lens unit G4, and an aperture stop S disposed closer to the image side than the second lens unit and closer to the object side than the lens surface closest to the image side in the third lens unit, wherein during zooming from the wide angle end to the telephoto end, the distance between the first lens unit G1 and the second lens unit G2 is larger at the telephoto end than at the wide angle end, the distance between the second lens unit G2 and the third lens unit G3 is smaller at the telephoto end than at the wide angle end, the distance between the third lens unit G3 and the fourth lens unit G4 changes, and the first lens unit G1, the third lens unit G3 and the aperture stop S move in such a way that they are located closer to the object side at the telephoto end than at the wide angle end. The zoom lens satisfies prescribed conditional expressions.

Abstract: A zoom lens has, in order from the object side thereof, a positive first lens unit G1, a negative second lens unit G2 and a rear group having a positive refracting power and composed of at least one lens unit. The lens unit located closest to the object side in the rear group is a third lens unit G3. An aperture stop S is provided at a position closer to the image side than the second lens unit G2 and closer to the object side than the lens surface located closest to the image side in the third lens unit.

Abstract: A media server device (40) can reproduce each of music compositions held in a built-in storage device (45). Moreover, the media server device (40), while being connected, can stream-distribute a digital content to a network player (51) so as to be reproduced in the network player (51). Reproduced digital content detection means (41) detects a music composition being reproduced. Stream-distribution means (42) stream-distributes data for reproducing the currently reproduced music composition as a notification music composition in the network player (51). Thus, it is possible to provide a media server device, a media server control method, and a program capable of enabling a particular partner to understand the reproduced digital content effectively and in the reproduction format.

Abstract: An electronic imaging apparatus comprises a zoom lens including at least two lens groups and adapted to implement zooming by changing the spacing between the respective lens groups, and an electronic imaging device. The zoom lens includes at least one positive lens on an imaging device side with respect to an aperture stop, and satisfies the following conditions (1), (2) and (3). |?t??w|>8 ??(1) 1.0×10?3<P<4.

Abstract: A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus having an infrared imaging device including a binarized object extraction device that extracts binarized object from image data obtained by binarizing gray scale image; a region setting device that sets a region including the binarized object on the gray scale image; a luminance status quantity calculation device that calculates a luminance status quantity of the region; a luminance distribution status quantity calculation device that calculates luminance distribution status quantity relating to the luminance distribution in the region based on the luminance status quantity, in which the luminance status quantity is equal to or greater than a predetermined value; a luminance distribution status quantity determination device that determines whether or not the luminance distribution quantity exceeds a predetermined value; and an object type determination device that determines the type of the object based on the determination result of the luminance distribution statu

Abstract: The present invention provides an asymmetric reduction catalyst effective in preparing optically-active alcohol compounds having various functional groups, and a process for preparing optically-active alcohol compounds using said asymmetric reduction catalyst. The organic metal compound of the present invention is represented by the following general formula (1): wherein R1 and R2 may be mutually identical or different, and are an alkyl group, a phenyl group, a naphthyl group, a cycloalkyl group, or an alicyclic ring formed by binding R1 and R2, which may have a substituent; R3 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group; Cp is a cyclopentadienyl group, which may have a substituent, bound to M1 via a ? bond; X1 is a halogen atom or a hydrido group; M1 is rhodium or iridium; and * denotes asymmetric carbon.

Abstract: A structure for attaching a stereoscopic camera in a vehicle allows a plurality of cameras to be attached to a vehicle body frame, in order to stereoscopically capture images surrounding the vehicle. The structure includes: a lateral stay for coupling the plurality of cameras with each other; and brackets for fixing the lateral stay or the plurality of cameras at a cross member having both ends folded upward, having the terminals connected to the front end parts of the side frames at both sides of the engine room, and having a radiator supported at the middle part thereof, wherein at least a part of the plurality of cameras is disposed between both the ends of the cross member and the radiator.

Abstract: A vehicle zone monitoring apparatus that detects physical bodies present in the vicinity of the vehicle from infrared images photographed by infrared cameras provided on the vehicle includes an object extracting device that extracts object images that emit infrared radiation from the infrared image and an artificial structure identifying device that identifies whether or not an object is an artificial structure by comparing an image of a search zone in proximity to the object extracted by the object extraction device, to a reference image of a pre-registered artificial structure which serves as an element that defines an artificial structure, and that identifies the object as an artificial structure if: within the search zone in proximity to the object, a section having a high correlation with the reference image exists; and a distance between the vehicle and the object is equal to a distance between the vehicle and the section having the high correlation with said reference image.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic image pickup system whose depth dimension is extremely reduced, taking advantage of an optical system type that can overcome conditions imposed on the movement of a zooming movable lens group while high specifications and performance are kept. The electronic image pickup system comprises an optical path-bending zoom optical system comprising, in order from its object side, a 1-1st lens group G1-1 comprising a negative lens group and a reflecting optical element P for bending an optical path, a 1-2nd lens group G1-2 comprising one positive lens and a second lens group G2 having positive refracting power. For zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the second lens group G2 moves only toward the object side. The electronic image pickup system also comprises an electronic image pickup device I located on the image side of the zoom optical system.

Abstract: An image processing unit determines the size of a circumscribed quadrangle of the target object, and predicts the overlap of the two different objects. If overlap is predicted, the target object is divided into two divided regions L_b and R_b containing the left and right edges of the target object respectively, and by performing a correlation calculation between the left image and the right image captured by a stereo camera for each of the divided regions, the parallaxes of the respective divided regions L_b and R_b can be determined. Then, if the absolute value of the difference between the parallaxes of the respective divided regions L_b and R_b is greater than a predetermined value, a determination is made that different objects are overlapping within the target object, and the target object is divided for recognition, and the distance to the respective objects is calculated independently.

Abstract: A three-unit zoom lens system comprising, in order from an object side, a first lens unit having a negative refractive power; a second lens unit having a positive refractive power; and a third lens unit having a positive or negative refractive power, wherein during magnification change from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end, a space between the first lens unit and the second lens unit narrows, the second lens unit and the third lens unit move toward the only object side, and a space between the second lens unit and the third lens unit changes during a focusing operation.

Abstract: The invention relates to an imaging system in which, while high image quality is maintained with the influence of diffraction minimized, the quantity of light is controlled, and which enables the length of the zoom lens to be cut down. The imaging system comprises a zoom lens comprising a plurality of lens groups G1 and G2 wherein the spacing between individual lens groups is varied to vary a focal length and an aperture stop located in an optical path for limiting at least an axial light beam diameter, and an electronic image pickup device I located on the image side of the zoom lens. The aperture stop has a fixed shape, and a filter S2 for performing light quantity control by varying transmittance is located on an optical axis of a space located at a position different from that of a space in which the aperture stop is located.

Abstract: A zoom lens system comprising, in order from an object side: a first lens unit comprising two lens components; and a second lens unit comprising one lens component, during zooming, a space between the first lens unit and the second lens unit changing, the first lens unit and the second lens unit having aspherical surfaces, at least one aspherical surface of the first lens unit satisfying the following condition: R1/h1<1.35, wherein R1 denotes a paraxial radius of curvature of the at least one aspherical surface, and h1 denotes a length from a first intersection between a chief ray reaching a point of maximum image height on an image surface and the at least one aspherical surface to an optical axis in the wide-angle end at a time when the chief ray enters the zoom lens system with an angle of incidence equal to or larger than 36 degrees and passes through the at least one aspherical surface.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic image pickup system whose depth dimension is extremely reduced, taking advantage of an optical system type that can overcome conditions imposed on the movement of a zooming movable lens group while high specifications and performance are kept. The electronic image pickup system comprises an optical path-bending zoom optical system comprising, in order from its object side, a 1-1st lens group G1-1 comprising a negative lens group and a reflecting optical element P for bending an optical path, a 1-2nd lens group G1-2 comprising one positive lens and a second lens group G2 having positive refracting power. For zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the second lens group G2 moves only toward the object side. The electronic image pickup system also comprises an electronic image pickup device I located on the image side of the zoom optical system.

Abstract: The two-group zoom lens comprises in order from the object side, the first negative lens group, and the second positive lens group. Change of magnification from a wide angle end to a telephoto end is performed by narrowing the interval between two lens groups, and the first negative lens group is moved toward the object side when focusing from focusing at the infinite object point to focusing at a short-distance object point performed, and specific conditions are satisfied.

Abstract: The invention relates to a high-performance, high-zoom-ratio zoom lens that can be much more reduced in terms of thickness upon received at a collapsible lens mount, and an imaging system incorporating the same. The zoom lens comprises a positive first lens group G1, a negative second lens group G2, a positive third lens group G3 and a positive fourth lens group G4. Upon zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the first G1, the second G2, the third G3 and the fourth lens group G4 each move such that the air spacing between the first G1 and the second lens group G2 grows wide, the air spacing between the second G2 and the third lens group G3 becomes narrow, and the air spacing between the third G3 and the fourth lens group G4 grows wide.

Abstract: An electronic image pickup apparatus includes a zoom lens system which is a taking optical system, an electronic image pickup element which is disposed at an image side of the taking optical system (zoom lens system), and which converts an image formed by the taking optical system (zoom lens system) to an electric signal, and an image restoring section which restores electrically a photographed image according to a difference in occurrence of an aberration by the taking optical system (zoom lens system) in an air environment photography and in a underwater environment photography.

Abstract: An apparatus for testing infrared cameras includes: a cover plate which has a plurality of holes formed therethrough and arranged in line in a horizontal direction at a regular interval, the cover plate being adapted to emit an amount of infrared light; and an emission source which is disposed in parallel to and behind the cover plate as viewed from infrared cameras to be tested, the emission source being adapted to emit a different amount of infrared light when compared with the cover plate.

Abstract: The invention makes a suitable selection from zoom modes and lens elements so thin that the thickness of each lens group can reduced, thereby slimming down a zoom lens with great thoroughness and, hence, an electronic image pickup system. The electronic image pickup system a zoom lens and an electronic image pickup device located on the image plane side of the zoom lens. The zoom lens comprises, in order from the object side, a first lens group G1 comprising two lens components and having generally negative power and a second lens group G2 comprising two lens components and having generally positive power. The focal length of the zoom lens can be varied by varying the air separation between the first lens group G1 and the second lens group G2. The zoom lens should satisfy at least one of conditions (a) to (n).

Abstract: The invention makes a suitable selection from zoom modes and lens elements so thin that the thickness of each lens group can reduced, thereby slimming down a zoom lens with great thoroughness and, hence, an electronic image pickup system. The electronic image pickup system a zoom lens and an electronic image pickup device located on the image plane side of the zoom lens. The zoom lens comprises, in order from the object side, a first lens group G1 comprising two lens components and having generally negative power and a second lens group G2 comprising two lens components and having generally positive power. The focal length of the zoom lens can be varied by varying the air separation between the first lens group G1 and the second lens group G2. The zoom lens should satisfy at least one of conditions (a) to (n).