Abstract: Fuel pump (10)comprises a casing (18) and an impeller (20). A group of concavities (20a) are formed in an upper or a lower face of the impeller. A groove (24) communicating a discharge hole (25) is formed in a inner face of the casing. The groove has an opening portion (27e) that directly communicates with the discharge hole. The opening portion is shaped so as to extend in the rotation direction of the impeller, within a span extending from a position corresponding to substantially the central position of the concavities of the impeller, in the radial direction thereof, to a position corresponding to substantially the outer peripheral edge of the concavities of the impeller. The opening portion is be formed so as to extend in the rotation direction of the impeller beyond the position (29b) where the inner peripheral edge connects therewith.

Abstract: An image pickup element includes a light-receiving portion having a matrix arrangement formed by disposing first-direction arrays, each having photoelectric conversion portions arranged in a first direction with a predetermined gap maintained therebetween, in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and micro-lenses provided above the light-receiving portion. A certain first-direction array in the matrix arrangement is provided with a pair of photoelectric conversion portions that optically receive, via a pair of micro-lenses, photographic-subject light beams passing through a pair of segmental regions in an exit pupil of a photographic optical system, the pair of segmental regions being disposed biasedly in opposite directions from each other in the first direction. The pair of micro-lenses is disposed such that light axes thereof extend through vicinities of edges of the pair of photoelectric conversion portions, the edges being the farthest edges from each other in the first direction.

Abstract: An image pickup element includes a light receiver having a matrix arrangement formed by disposing first-direction arrays, each having photoelectric converters arranged in a first direction with a gap therebetween, in a second direction orthogonal thereto, and micro-lenses above the light receiver. In the matrix arrangement, a certain first-direction array has two first photoelectric converters receiving, via two micro-lenses, photographic-subject light passing through two segmental regions in an exit pupil of a photographic optical system, and a certain second-direction array has two second photoelectric converters receiving photographic-subject light passing through two segmental regions in the exit pupil. Light axes of the two micro-lenses extend through vicinities of edges, farthest from each other in the first direction, of the first photoelectric converters.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an imaging element having a group of AF pixel pairs that realizes a pupil-dividing function and a group of normal pixels without such a pupil-dividing function. The image pickup apparatus performs focus control for driving a focus lens toward an in-focus position detected by phase different AF based on a pixel signal generated from the group of AF pixel pairs when it is determined that the reliability of the phase difference AF is high based on the pixel signal. The image pickup apparatus performs focus control for driving a focus lens in an in-focus direction detected by contrast AF based on a pixel signal generated from the group of normal pixels when it is determined that the reliability of the phase difference AF is low.

Abstract: An image pickup device includes a group of photoelectric conversion cells that output distance-measurement signals for phase difference detection. Each photoelectric conversion cell includes a photodetector and a pupil restricting unit. The photodetector generates the distance-measurement signal. The pupil restricting unit restricts a size of a pupil area, from which arrival light has exited, to a predetermined size in an exit pupil of a taking optical system, object light exiting from the exit pupil of the taking optical system, the arrival light arriving at the photodetector. The predetermined size is less than half a size of an entire area of the exit pupil.

Abstract: An image-capturing element includes a group of first pixels configured to receive object light and generate an image signal representing an object image; and a group of second pixels configured to receive the object light and generate a ranging signal for detecting a phase difference. The second pixels each include an optical filter on a light-receiving side thereof. The optical filter allows visible light in a wavelength range wider than a wavelength range of visible light that is allowed by a green primary-color filter to be transmitted therethrough within the object light to be transmitted therethrough.

Abstract: An image-capturing apparatus includes an image-capturing element configured to receive object light and generate image signals representing an object image; a display unit; a phase-difference detector configured to receive the object light using a range-finding sensor and generate a phase-difference detection signal; a first focus detection unit configured to perform focus detection on the basis of the phase-difference detection signal; a display control unit configured to display a preview image before actual image capturing on the display unit on the basis of the image signals that are sequentially generated by the image-capturing element; and a setting unit configured to set whether or not an area display mode in which an area in which focus detection is possible on an image-capturing plane is combined with the preview image and displayed on the display unit should be enabled.

Abstract: An image-capturing element includes a pair of photoelectric conversion cells that pupil-divide object light in a first direction and in a second direction and that output a ranging signal. The photoelectric conversion cells include a photoreceiving element configured to receive the object light and generate a ranging signal, a first light-shielding layer having a first light-transmitting area, and a second light-shielding layer having a second light-transmitting area.

Abstract: An image-capturing apparatus includes an image-capturing optical system; a sensor unit having line sensors that receive light fluxes of an object, which have been transmitted through a pair of partial areas in an exit pupil of the image-capturing optical system; image-capturing elements having a pixel arrangement capable of generating an image signal and a focus detection pixel sequence, in which two or more pairs of pixels that receive the light fluxes of an object, are arranged in a predetermined direction; a continuous image-capturing unit configured to perform continuous image capturing of actually exposing the image-capturing elements; a signal generation unit configured to perform another exposure for the sensor unit; a first focus detection unit configured to perform focus detection of a phase-difference detection method; a second focus detection unit configured to perform focus detection; and a focus adjustment unit configured to perform focus adjustment.

Abstract: An imaging device having a shooting optical system, including an imaging element having a pixel array capable of generating image signals regarding light from a subject coming through the shooting optical system, and a focus-detection pixel line having pairs of pixels, the pixels of each of the pairs receiving luminous fluxes from the subject coming through a pair of individually corresponding partial regions of an exit pupil of the shooting optical system; a rapid-fire shooting unit configured to perform rapid-fire shooting to generate image signals at the pixel array on each exposure and to generate certain signals at the focus-detection pixel line; a focus detection unit configured to perform focus detection by a phase-difference detection method on the basis of the certain signals; and a focus adjustment unit configured to perform focus adjustment during each interval of the exposures on the basis of a result of focus detection.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes an image sensing device that receives object light and generates an image signal relating to the object image, a phase difference detection unit that receives the object light using a ranging sensor and generates a phase difference detection signal, a first focusing unit for performing a first focusing operation on the basis of the phase difference detection signal, and a display controlling unit for displaying a preview image on the basis of a plurality of image signals sequentially generated by the image sensing device before an image is actually recorded. The display controlling unit combines a first area for which the phase difference detection is performed using the ranging sensor and the preview image so as to display the combined image.

Abstract: An imaging device includes an imaging unit; a display unit; an electronic finder unit that performs preview display before actual shooting based on image signals successively generated by the imaging unit; an optical finder unit having a finder window; an optical-path switching unit that performs switching between a first optical path through which light from a subject is guided to the finder window and a second optical path through which the light is guided to the imaging unit; an eye detecting unit that detects presence of an eye in a proximity of the finder window; a first control unit that performs a first control operation so that the optical-path switching unit selects the first optical path upon detection of an eye; and a second control unit that performs a second control operation so that the optical-path switching unit selects the second optical path upon non-detection of an eye.

Abstract: An auto focus (AF) circuit includes a high-pass filter and band-pass filter having mutually different frequency characteristics. During contrast AF control prior to an actual shooting, AF evaluation values acquired by using the high-pass filter are used most preferentially in detecting the lens focusing position of a focus lens. In this way, the high-pass filter that emphasizes and extracts high frequency band components, which increase in image data when shooting a typical subject, is set to be used preferentially, thereby making it possible to perform high-precision focusing control with respect to various kinds of subjects.

Abstract: An imaging device includes an imaging unit that obtains an image signal relating to a subject, a driving unit that drives a focus lens, a first detecting unit that performs focus detection based on a contrast detection method to detect an in-focus position of the focus lens, a second detecting unit that performs focus detection based on a phase difference detection method, while the focus lens is being driven toward the in-focus position, to detect a provisional in-focus position of the focus lens, and an in-focus control unit that controls the driving unit to drive the focus lens to pass through the provisional in-focus position and then return to the in-focus position. Focus detection information is obtained at least for a given range of positions, and is stored in a predetermined storage unit. The in-focus position is detected based on the stored focus detection information.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is an imaging device having an imaging optical system, the device including: an imaging element configured to include a plurality of first pixels and a plurality of second pixels arranged along a predetermined direction; a first processor configured to execute focal detection processing by a phase difference detection system based on charge signals obtained from the plurality of second pixels; and a second processor configured to execute specific processing based on charge signals obtained from the plurality of first pixels, the specific processing being different from the focal detection processing by a phase difference detection system and being necessary for a function of the imaging device.

Abstract: An image pickup system includes an interchangeable lens and an image pickup apparatus on which the interchangeable lens is mounted. The image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup unit for generating image signals, a focus information obtaining unit for obtaining pieces of focus detection information generated on the basis of the image signals, and a focus time determining unit for determining a focus time when the focus lens has passed a focus position. The interchangeable lens includes a lens position detector for successively detecting positions of the focus lens, a storing unit for storing pieces of lens position history information in chronological order, and a focus position determining unit for determining a position of the focus lens at the focus time as the focus position on the basis of the pieces of lens position history information stored in chronological order in the storing unit.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging device receiving light from an object through an imaging lens at a predetermined imaging plane and performing photoelectric conversion of an object image to generate a captured image; a phase-difference detector for receiving the light from the object and generating a phase-difference detection signal corresponding to a focus level of the object image; an evaluation-value calculator for calculating a predetermined evaluation value corresponding to a contrast of the object image on the basis of the captured image; and a determining unit for selecting an optimum AF method from among a plurality of AF methods in which the phase-difference detection signal obtained by the phase-difference detecting unit and the predetermined evaluation value based on the captured image are used selectively or in combination, the optimum AF method being selected in accordance with image-capturing conditions of the object.

Abstract: Fuel pump (10) may comprise a casing (18) and an impeller (20) rotating within the casing. A group of concavities (20a) may be formed in an upper or a lower face of the impeller. A groove (24) communicating a discharge hole (25) may be formed in a inner face of the casing. The groove extends continuously in a direction of rotation of the impeller in an area facing the group of concavities of the impeller. The groove may have an opening portion (27e) that directly communicates with the discharge hole. The opening portion may be shaped so as to extend in the rotation direction of the impeller, within a span extending from a position corresponding to substantially the central position of the concavities of the impeller, in the radial direction thereof, to a position corresponding to substantially the outer peripheral edge of the concavities of the impeller.

Abstract: AF is started in response to the depression of a shutter button 61 by the user, and a plurality of images are obtained in succession with a time interval while a first image and a second image are obtained in this order with a time interval by a CCD 11. With respect to the AF area, of the first image, set so as to be used for the evaluation of the focus condition, the number of pixels belonging to a region in a predetermined color space is counted, and with respect to a plurality of color evaluation areas (the area corresponding to the AF area and a plurality of areas in the vicinity thereof) set for the second image, the number of pixels belonging to the region in the predetermined color space is counted. Then, the amount of shift between the color evaluation area where the number of pixels closest to the number of pixels counted with respect to the first image is counted, and the AF area is detected as the object movement amount.

Abstract: An image taking apparatus includes an image sensor which picks up an image of a photographic object and a selector which selects a first photographing mode or a second photographing mode and a controller. The second photographing mode is a mode for composing a plurality of picked-up images to create a composite image. The controller makes the image sensor pickup a photographic object image on the first photographing condition when the first photographing mode is selected by the selector, and makes the image sensor pick up a plurality of images of photographic objects on the second photographing condition different from said first photographing condition when the second photographing mode is selected by the selector.