Abstract: With an image capturing apparatus placed in a photographing condition specification mode, a controller sets a plurality of photographing conditions corresponding to a variable condition item in response to the selection of the variable condition item by a user. Thereafter, the user manipulates a rear manipulation part to specify a specific photographing condition regarding the variable condition item prior to an actual photographing operation. In response to a photographing start instruction given by a press of a shutter release button, a plurality of images corresponding to the respective photographing conditions regarding the variable condition item are acquired in time sequence and temporarily stored in a memory. Then, a single image that most satisfies the specific photographing condition specified prior to the actual photographing operation is automatically extracted from among the plurality of images temporarily stored in the memory, and is stored in a memory card.

Abstract: The image capturing apparatus can perform an image capturing operation at a frame rate which is three times as high as a frame rate for displaying a moving image. At the time of moving image capturing, an operation of capturing three kinds of frame images is repeated while changing a focus condition in three levels of, for example, a focus backward of an infocus position on a main subject, a focus in the infocus position, and a focus forward of the infocus position. With this operation, a moving image constructed by images in which focus is achieved on a backward car, a moving image constructed by images in which focus is achieved on a car in the center, and a moving image constructed by images in which focus is achieved on a forward car can be recorded. As a result, moving images with three kinds of different image capturing conditions can be easily captured by a single image capturing operation.

Abstract: In a photographing condition specification mode, a user manipulates or presses a rear manipulation part to select at least one variable condition item from among photographing condition items: “focusing,” “exposure,” “white balance” and the like. In an actual photographing operation, a plurality of images corresponding to respective stepwise different photographing conditions regarding the variable condition item are acquired in time sequence and temporarily stored in a memory. Then, an evaluation area is specified in accordance with user's manipulation or press of the rear manipulation part. The single image that most satisfies an appropriate condition regarding the variable condition item is extracted from among the images temporarily stored in the memory, and is stored in a memory card. The remaining images are, for example, deleted.

Abstract: The image capturing apparatus can perform image capturing at a high frame rate higher than a frame rate used for displaying a moving image. In image capturing with flashlight in the image capturing apparatus, the high frame rate is set and three images are successively captured while increasing the light emission amount of the flashlight in order. A region in the lower portion of the image captured first, a region in the center portion of the image captured second, and a region in the upper portion of the image captured third, the exposure level being proper in each of these regions, are extracted and combined. As a result, a high-quality synthetic image in which exposure is proper from the front side to the deep side in image capturing in a room can be generated.

Abstract: In a recording mode, when a shutter release button is pressed with a panning mode being selected as a result of press of a panning-mode button, plural pre-combined images are captured through continuous photographing using an image sensor. After continuous photographing, partial images (moving-subject images) each showing a moving subject which is located differently among the pre-combined images are detected in an image combiner. Then, the plural pre-combined images are combined such that respective positions of the detected moving-subject images in the pre-combined images are substantially identical to one another, to create one frame of composite image. In the created composite image, while the moving subject is frozen, a background (objects other than the moving subject) appears to flow because of differences in positional relationship between the moving subject and the background among the pre-combined images.

Abstract: In an image taking apparatus according to the present invention, focus adjustment is performed based on image information in a focus adjustment area within a captured image in response to a movement instruction from a user as well as a focus adjustment mode switching instruction from the user. When detecting an instruction to switch to a position non-fixed focus adjustment mode, an initial position of the focus adjustment area in the position non-fixed focus adjustment mode immediately after mode switching is determined based on a position of a representative point of the focus adjustment area immediately before the mode switching.

Abstract: An image taking apparatus includes an image sensor which takes a plurality of images different in focal distance, a processor which creates a pan-focus image focused on each of different photographic objects from the plurality of images taken by the image sensor, a discriminator which discriminates whether or not it is appropriate to create the pan-focus image, and a controller which forbids the processor to create the pan-focus image when the discriminator discriminates that it is not appropriate to create the pan-focus image.

Abstract: The electronic payment method includes steps of registering at a website an amount informed from a salesperson terminal operated by a salesperson via the Internet, registering at the website an electronic payment method specified by a customer for the amount, when the customer accesses the website by operating a customer mobile terminal, and making an external payment system execute the electronic payment based on the electronic payment method.

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: On a screen G1 of a liquid crystal display, a digital camera displays an AF cursor for use as a focusing point. Thus, a shooter shifts the AF cursor to the portion of a subject to be focused, so as to carry out the setting. Here, when the subject is zoomed up to an enlarged screen G2 through an optical zooming operation, the AF cursor is displayed on the enlarged screen G2, following the subject. Moreover, in the case when the subject is electronically zoomed up to an enlarged screen G3, the AF cursor is also displayed on the enlarged screen G3, following the subject. Thus, even when a zooming process is carried out, it is not necessary to adjust the position of the AF cursor; thus, it becomes possible to improve the operability of the digital camera.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus capable of performing a suitable illuminance nonuniformity correction by setting a suitable ?-characteristic every block even in the case that the size of a character image projected on a sensing surface changes according to an image capturing magnification, and capable of extracting a boundary area between a white board portion and a background portion and applying a suitable image processing to this boundary area during the illuminance nonuniformity correction for a picked image, and capable of image capturing a representation such as characters drawn on a white board in such a manner that an obtained image is clear and easy to see by suitably performing an illuminance nonuniformity correction even in the case of color image capturing, and capable of detecting a regularly reflected light with high accuracy and can thereby securely prevent an error of obtaining an image of low quality by image capturing, and capable of preventing an error in flash-image capturing a representation

Abstract: The present invention provides a digital camera having an automatic tracking AF function, with shortened time required to re-achieve focusing after focusing becomes unmaintainable, which does not make the user feel strange. In a pattern drive AF control (normal control state), the digital camera performs pattern driving of finding an infocus lens position at the present time point around the latest infocus lens position while performing automatic tracking control of changing the position of the focus area so as to trace the movement of a main subject. When the digital camera loses the track of the subject during execution of the pattern drive AF control (normal control state), until at least predetermined time elapses (subject loss time point), pattern drive AF control (extended control state) is continued.

Abstract: An electrically driven waterpump includes a rotor having impellers for feeding fluid. The rotor is housed in a housing. The rotor includes: a working section located in the fluid and contacting the fluid in a main passage of the fluid stirred by the impellers; and a non-working section located in the fluid and apart from the main passage of the fluid. Water repellency is applied to at least either one of an outer surface of the non-working section or a plane of the housing confronting the outer surface of the non-working section with the fluid interposed, so that shear stress of the fluid is reduced, and pump efficiency is improved.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image-capturing apparatus having the function of keeping on properly achieving focus on a subject while dealing with movement of the apparatus (camera), movement of the subject, and the like. When a subject moving state is detected by a panning/subject moving state detector in a full-time AF operation, an image acquiring part enlarges an AF evaluation area for obtaining image data in the direction substantially perpendicular to the ground. After that, under control of a driving controller, while driving an imaging lens forward and backward in the optical axis direction around the focus position of last time as a center, the image acquiring part acquires a plurality of pieces of image data from the AF evaluation area.

Abstract: An autofocusing apparatus and method which prevents erroneously detecting a focus position due to a contrast pseudo peak. The system extracts an image component from an image signal and computes a contrast value. On the basis of the number of edges and the edge width center of gravity value the system determines whether the focusing lens is positioned close to the focus position or not. Even if the contrast value peaks, if the focusing lens is not close to the focus position, the lens position is not employed as a focus position.

Abstract: Impeller 21 is rotatably disposed within a pump housing that includes pump cover 5 and pump body 18. Inlet port 19, body groove 31, partition 33 and blocking wall 37 are formed in the pump body 18. The body groove 31 defines a first pump channel 35, and the blocking wall 37 defines a enlarged channel portion 38. Outlet port 20, cover groove 32 and partition 34 are formed in the pump cover 5. The cover groove 32 defines a second pump channel 36. Distance {circle around (1)} between a terminal end of the first pump channel 35 and a terminal end of the outlet port 20, distance {circle around (2)} between a starting end of the enlarged channel portion 38 and a starting end of the second pump channel 36, length {circle around (3)} of the partition 34 and length {circle around (4)} of the partition 33 each are chosen to be optimum values such that the amount of fluid that is discharged through the outlet port 20 and the amount of fluid that flows in though the inlet port 19 increase.

Abstract: A digital camera obtains image data of a subject by a CCD. The CCD has, as image data output modes, a “normal mode” of outputting all of pixels of the image data at 60 fps and an “area-limited mode” of outputting an area including a limited focus area in the image data at 180 fps. The output mode of the CCD is set to the “normal mode” in a live-view operation. At the time of an auto-focus control, the output mode is switched at the intervals of {fraction (1/60)} second between the “area-limited mode” and the “normal mode”. While the output mode of the CCD is set to the “area-limited mode”, the state of a display screen of a liquid crystal monitor is held. Consequently, while performing auto-focus promptly, a subject image can be appropriately displayed on the display screen of the liquid crystal monitor.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to prevent a focus position due to a pseudo peak from erroneously detecting and to properly bring a subject into a focusing state. An autofocusing control unit 20 extracts an image component in a focus evaluation area from an image signal when a focusing lens 12 is in a certain lens position. A contrast computing unit 22 computes a contrast value C on the basis of the image component and supplies the it to a focusing control unit 24. An edge computing unit 23 computes the number of edges EN and an edge width center of gravity value EW on the basis of the image component and supplies them to the focusing control unit 24. On the basis of the number of edges EN and the edge width center of gravity value EW received from the edge computing unit 23, the focusing control unit 24 determines whether the focusing lens 12 is positioned close to the focus position or not.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus is provided with: a partial image data generator for generating a plurality of partial image data pertaining to a plurality of partial images of an object respectively, one partial image being partially overlapped another partial image in a boundary portion; a boundary image data generator for generating boundary image data pertaining to the boundary portion based on image data pertaining to the respective overlapped portions; and an image synthesizer for synthesizing the plurality of partial image data by way of the generated boundary image data to generate image data pertaining to a single image of the object.

Abstract: An electronic camera is provided with an image pickup device for photoelectrically picking up a light image of an object to generate image data, an oblique angle information provider for providing information on an oblique angle between a sensing surface of the image pickup device and a surface of the object, a distance detector for detecting a distance to the object, and a corrector for correcting, based on the provided oblique angle information and the detected distance, the generated image data so as to produce a pseudo object image whose surface resides on a plane parallel with the sensing surface of the image pickup device.