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 AF control portion of a digital camera has therein a histogram generating circuit for generating a histogram of widths of edges in an AF area, a noise eliminating portion for eliminating noise components from the histogram, a histogram evaluating portion for calculating an evaluation value indicative of the degree of achieving focus from the histogram, and a contrast calculating circuit for calculating contrast in the AF area. Further, a driving amount determining portion for determining an amount of driving a focusing lens, and a driving direction determining portion for determining a direction of driving the focusing lens are provided. The driving direction determining portion determines the direction of driving the focusing lens by using contrast. The driving amount determining portion positions the focusing lens to an in-focus position promptly with high precision while changing the driving amount by using the evaluation value of the histogram and the contrast.

Abstract: The image sensing device or image processing apparatus has a synthesizing capability enabling the device or apparatus to perform blur control using a specified amount of blur and to prepare a blur-controlled image, as well as a blur-controlled image processing capability enabling the device or apparatus to carry out processes other than blur control on the prepared blur-controlled image and to change the degree of processing in accordance with the amount of blur.

Abstract: A metallic ring 45 molded by punching a copper plate having hooks 43, etc., and a carbon member 46 are brazed to each other by a brazing material having a higher melting point than the temperature for connecting a coil to conductive members 52, that is, a brazing material containing, for example, nickel and chromium. Next, resin is filled up inside the metallic ring 45 and carbon member 46 to form a resin substrate 48. Next, slits 50 are formed at the metallic ring 45 and the carbon member 46 in the radial direction, so that generally fan-shaped segments 51 insulated from each other and conductive members 52 are formed. Next, a coil is connected to hooks 43 of the conductive members 52 by soldering, welding, etc.

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.

Abstract: An impeller 16 has a plurality of blade grooves 16a formed along a perimeter thereof. A pump casing 17 has an inlet port 22, a discharge port 24, a first circumferential groove 20 contiguous with the inlet port 22, a second circumferential groove contiguous with the discharge port 24 and a partition 25 between a groove inlet portion 23 and the discharge port 24. An opening end face of the discharge port 24 on the side of the pump casing 17 that faces the impeller has a tapered portion 24a and a damping portion 24b. The tapered portion 24a has an opening width W that gradually decreases along the direction of rotation of the impeller 16. The damping portion 24b has an opening width that is substantially constant along the direction of rotation of the impeller. In one embodiment, a corner portion, which is defined by wall surfaces 24c, 24d defining the tapered portion 24a and the damping portion 24b of the discharge port 24, respectively, and a lower surface 9a of the pump casing 17, is chamfered.

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: 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: When a taking lens (3) is replaced with another taking lens (3) and the another taking lens (3) is attached to a camera body (2), a detector (12) specifies the kind of the another taking lens (3) and transmits the information to a CPU (31). The CPU (31) obtains processing parameters of an image process adapted to the specified taking lens (3), which are prestored in a ROM (38). The processing parameters are set in an aperture converting and coring unit (24). The processing parameters to be set include setting of a filter size of an image filter, a gain, and a coring amount in an aperture converting process. Since the processing parameters are changed according to the kind of the taking lens (3), the resolution and noise of captured images can be maintained at a constant level. Consequently, the invention is directed to maintain resolution and noise of images captured with interchanged taking lenses at an almost constant level.

Abstract: A metallic ring 45 molded by punching a copper plate having hooks 43, etc., and a carbon member 46 are brazed to each other by a brazing material having a higher melting point than the temperature for connecting a coil to conductive members 52, that is, a brazing material containing, for example, nickel and chromium. Next, resin is filled up inside the metallic ring 45 and carbon member 46 to form a resin substrate 48. Next, slits 50 are formed at the metallic ring 45 and the carbon member 46 in the radial direction, so that generally fan-shaped segments 51 insulated from each other and conductive members 52 are formed. Next, a coil is connected to hooks 43 of the conductive members 52 by soldering, welding, etc.

Abstract: Vanes (73) are provided on the outer peripheries of both surfaces of an impeller in a circumferential direction, and vane grooves (72) are provided between the vanes. The vane grooves are formed to be curvilinear as viewed from a radial cross section. Also, connections of the vane grooves (72) with end surfaces (74) of the vanes are formed to be curvilinear as viewed from a circumferential cross section, and portions which extend from a forward side of a direction of rotation toward the connections are formed to be curvilinear. Communication holes (76) are formed forwardly or rearwardly of the vane grooves in the direction of rotation to allow communication between the vane grooves on both surfaces. An opening of the vane grooves is formed into various shapes, for example, straight in a radial direction, curved in the direction of rotation, or inclined in the direction of rotation.

Abstract: The image reading apparatus is able to execute two image density controls. In one image density control, the image density of the document is detected and adjusted based on the detection, and in the other image density control, the document height is detected and the image density of the document is adjusted based on the detected height. Either of the two image density controls is selected based on the type or the shape of the document for execution of the density control.

Abstract: In a fuel pump unit including a substantially disc-like rotating impeller, a pump casing for accommodating the impeller, the pump casing having a pressurizing passage surrounding an outer peripheral edge of the impeller and extending along the outer peripheral edge from its upstream end to downstream end, an inlet hole communicating with the upstream end of the pressurizing passage, an outlet hole communicating with the downstream end of the pressurizing passage, and a partition wall formed at a range circumpherentially upstream of the upstream end and downstream of the downstream end of the pressurizing passage, the improvement comprises a cutout slot formed at an end of the partition wall facing the outlet hole, the width of the cutout slot in an axial direction being gradually reduced as the cutout slot extends from the end of the partition wall in a circumferentially downstream direction.

Abstract: An image reader reads images from above a document platen upon which is placed a document such as a book or the like while using fingers or hands to press both edges of said document so as to prevent the pages of the document from rising upwardly, wherein the image reader determines the position of blank area in accordance with a background luminance, a character frequency of picture element, and position in subscan direction, and erases image data of blank area and its outside image data to erase image data of fingers or hands.

Abstract: In a method for making splice indicating holes through photographic paper, a long strip of photographic paper web is conveyed in its longitudinal direction and is slit into a plurality of narrow webs, a tail end of the photographic paper web is spliced to a leading end of a new photographic paper web, and a plurality of splice indicating holes are made through the new photographic paper web at positions, which are spaced a predetermined distance from the splice of the new photographic paper web, the predetermined distance being taken in the longitudinal direction of the new photographic paper web, and which coincide with center parts of narrow webs into which the new photographic paper web will later be slit.

Abstract: In a document reading apparatus capable of picking up image data of documents from above position thereof, curvature of the documents is detected by measuring the height of the document surface. In accordance with the detected curvature, interpolative and expansional processing to the picked up image data is executed. Distorted image data of the documents due to the curvature is thereby corrected.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus for reading an object having a curved document surface such as an opened book, constructed to focus an optical system all the object. A line sensor is moved for scanning the object, thereby a distance between the line sensor and the object is measured, and the object is imaged while controlling an optical system based on data of measured distance so that an object image is in focus on the line sensor. This allows all over the object surface to be in focus, whereby the clear image without blur is obtainable.

Abstract: A filter for an in-tank pump of an automobile fuel tank includes a flat bag-shaped filter body, a connector body and a suction nozzle. The filter body has a closed front end and a rear end wall and includes a mesh member and a filter frame having a plurality of longitudinal and lateral ribs formed on the upper and lower portions thereof. The connector body includes a cylindrical attachment for attaching the filter body to a suction port of an in-tank pump and an end plate joined to an outer surface of the rear end wall of the filter body. The suction nozzle is attached to the end plate of the connector body so that it communicates with the cylindrical attachment and thrusts into the filter body. The suction nozzle is made of a deformable material and formed into a mesh cylinder having a closed forward end disposed within the filter body at a position of the closed front end of the filter body.

Abstract: A substrate of a photosensitive web material of which the base end portion is gradually thinned toward the base end a core for a rolled photographic film which comprises a core body and a crosslinked foamed sheet having an expansion ratio of 18 to 45 times and a thickness of 0.2 to 2.0 mm which contains more than 50 wt. % in the sum of one or more members selected from the group consisting of polyethylene resin having a density of less than 0.930 g/cm.sup.3, ethylenevinyl acetate copolymer resin having a comonomer content of less than 25 wt. % and ethylene-ethyl arcylate copolymer resin having a comonomer content of less than 25 wt. % is disposed on the surface of the core body. The substrate and core sharply reduce the occurrence of marking troubles and pressure mark troubles on the photosensitive web material near the core caused by the difference in levels induced by the base end portion of the web.

Abstract: A motor-driven fuel pump including a cylindrical pump casing having top and bottom ends; a pump section; a motor section has a motor shaft, an armature and a commutator. A spring loaded brush has one end contacting the cummutator and a second end connected to a choke coil. A terminal plate includes one end connected to an external power supply and the other end connected to the choke coil. A cover assembly for the pump casing provides a cover body with an opening holding a bearing, and appropriate recesses for accommodating the brush, spring, and choke coil components. A valve opening through which fuel is discharged from the pump section is provided. Simplification of the steps of assembling the various parts into the cover body is accomplished.