Abstract: A projection image pickup device includes a pulsed-light emitter, an optical sensor, a reference timing generator that generates a signal indicating an operation reference timing, a controller, and a signal processor. The signal processor sets a differential signal between an output signal from the optical sensor in the second exposure period and an output signal from the optical sensor in the first exposure period as a first differential signal, sets a differential signal between an output signal from the optical sensor in the third exposure period and the output signal from the optical sensor in the first exposure period as a second differential signal, and outputs the sum total of at least two differential signals including the first differential signal and the second differential signal.

Abstract: An image recognition device includes: a luminance image generator and a distance image generator that generate a luminance image and a distance image, respectively, based on an image signal of an imaging target object output from a photoreceptor element; a target object recognition processor that extracts a target-object candidate from the luminance image using a machine learning database; and a three-dimensional object determination processor that uses the distance image to determine whether the extracted target-object candidate is a three-dimensional object. If it is determined that the target-object candidate is not a three-dimensional object, the target-object candidate extracted from the luminance image is prevented from being used, in the machine learning database, as image data for extracting a feature value of a target object.

Abstract: A distance measuring device that measures a distance to an object. The distance measuring device includes: a light source that emits pulsed light; a reflector that reflects and radiates, as radiation light, the pulsed light emitted from the light source, and reflects object light that is the radiation light reflected by the object and returning; and an imager that captures the object light reflected by the reflector. The pulsed light emitted from the light source is diffused light. The light source and the imager are located to face the reflector. The reflector radiates, as the radiation light, light in a shape with a long axis and a short axis. The imager performs exposure in synchronization with the pulsed light to image the object light.

Abstract: An image recognition device includes a light source that emits lighting pulses to a measurement space, a image generator that generates a distance image based on reflected light acquired by a light receiving element, a reflectivity calculator that calculates a correction coefficient corresponding to a reflectivity for each measurement section, and a lighting pulse controller that controls a number of lighting pulses emitted from the light source according to the correction coefficient for each measurement section.

Abstract: A distance measuring device includes a controller and a distance calculator. The controller sets, in a first time period, a first measurement time range corresponding to a first measurement distance range; causes a light emitter to emit light and places a light receiver into an exposure state, in the first measurement time range; sets, in a second time period, a second measurement time range corresponding to a second measurement distance range; and causes the light emitter to emit light and places the light receiver into an exposure state, in the second measurement time range. At least one measurement condition is different between the first and second time periods. The distance calculator calculates the distance from the distance measuring device to a measurement target, based on the time from the emission to the reflection of light. The time is in at least one of the first and second time periods.

Abstract: Heat-blocking filter is a heat-blocking filter to be installed in a window glass of a vehicle. The heat-blocking filter substantially transmits visible light and infrared light in a first wavelength range, and substantially blocks infrared light outside the first wavelength range.

Abstract: A distance measurement device includes: a pulse light emitter that emits pulse light to a measurement target; an optical sensor that receives reflected light which is the pulse light reflected by the measurement target; and a controller that controls a light emission timing of the pulse light emitted by the pulse light emitter, and determines a distance to the measurement target, from a light reception timing of the reflected light detected by the optical sensor. The controller sets the light emission timing in each of N periods (N being a natural number less than K) selected randomly from continuous K periods (K being a natural number greater than or equal to 2) to a timing that is delayed by a random first time from a start time of the period.

Abstract: A plurality of pixels in a solid-state imaging device each include: a light receiving circuit that includes a light receiving element performing photoelectric conversion, sets, by an exposure signal, a photoelectric time for performing the photoelectric conversion, and outputs a light reception signal depending on whether or not incident light has reached the pixel within the photoelectric time; a counter circuit that counts, as a count value, the number of times the incident light has reached the pixel, based on the light reception signal; a comparison circuit that sets a value corresponding to the count value as a threshold, and sets a comparison signal to an on state in the case where the count value is greater than the threshold; and a storage circuit that stores, as a distance signal, a time signal when the comparison signal is in the on state.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel unit in which a plurality of unit pixels is arranged in rows and columns, the unit pixels performing photoelectric conversion of incident light to generate pixel information; and a secondary memory unit in which a plurality of unit memories is arranged in rows and columns, the unit memories holding the pixel information, wherein each of the columns in the secondary memory unit includes, as a unit memory block, the unit memories in the column, the secondary memory unit includes: a memory signal line provided for each of the columns in the memory unit; and a selection transistor provided between the unit memory block and the memory signal line, and shared by the plurality of unit memories in the unit memory block.

Abstract: An image acquisition device includes an optical system, an illumination angle adjustment mechanism, and a stage. The optical system has a lens and a light source disposed in the focal plane of the lens, and generates a collimated illumination light. The illumination angle adjustment mechanism is configured so as to be able to change the irradiation direction of the illumination light with respect to an object. A module is detachably loaded on a stage. The module includes the object and an image sensor which are integrated such that the illumination light transmitted through the object is incident on the image sensor. The stage has a circuit for receiving an output of the image sensor in a state where the module is loaded on the stage.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel unit in which a plurality of unit pixels is arranged in rows and columns, the unit pixels performing photoelectric conversion of incident light to generate pixel information; and a secondary memory unit in which a plurality of unit memories is arranged in rows and columns, the unit memories holding the pixel information, wherein each of the columns in the secondary memory unit includes, as a unit memory block, the unit memories in the column, the secondary memory unit includes: a memory signal line provided for each of the columns in the memory unit; and a selection transistor provided between the unit memory block and the memory signal line, and shared by the plurality of unit memories in the unit memory block.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device having a color filter with high color reproducibility even in the case of using lighting of low color temperatures. The solid-state imaging device has a plurality of pixels arranged two-dimensionally, and comprises a color separation filter which allows transmission of light of a predetermined wavelength in incident light for each of the plurality of pixels, wherein the color separation filter includes: a visible-light and near-infrared filter having transmission bands in regions of a visible wavelength band and a near-infrared wavelength band; and a near-infrared normalization filter laminated with the visible-light and near-infrared filter, wherein the near-infrared normalization filter is substantially transparent in the visible wavelength band and a first near-infrared wavelength band, and is substantially not transparent in a second near-infrared wavelength band between the visible wavelength band and the first near-infrared wavelength band.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device including a color filter having a filter characteristic more approaching to a human visual sensitivity is provided. The color filter including a group of dielectric layers has high-refractive-index-material films and low-refractive-index-material films, the high-refractive-index-material film and the low-refractive-index-material film being n films and (n?1) films, respectively, which are laminated alternately, n being an integer equal to or larger than 4. The color filter includes at least a red-transmission filter, a green-transmission filter, and a blue-transmission filter. The group of dielectric layers is common in the color filter and includes two of the high-refractive-index-material films and one of the low-refractive-index-material films positioned between and in contact with the two of high-refractive-index-material films.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device having a color filter with high color reproducibility even in the case of using lighting of low color temperatures. The solid-state imaging device has a plurality of pixels arranged two-dimensionally, and comprises a color separation filter which allows transmission of light of a predetermined wavelength in incident light for each of the plurality of pixels, wherein the color separation filter includes: a visible-light and near-infrared filter having transmission bands in regions of a visible lo wavelength band and a near-infrared wavelength band; and a near-infrared normalization filter laminated with the visible-light and near-infrared filter, wherein the near-infrared normalization filter is substantially transparent in the visible wavelength band and a first near-infrared wavelength band, and is substantially not transparent in a second near-infrared wavelength band between the visible wavelength band and the first near-infrared wavelength band.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory includes a conducting film formed on a substrate; a ferroelectric film formed above or below the conducting film; a source electrode and a drain electrode disposed in positions opposing the conducting film with the ferroelectric film sandwiched therebetween and spaced from each other; and an insulating film formed between the source electrode and the drain electrode.

Abstract: A noise reduction circuit outputs a signal corresponding to a voltage difference between two different signals. The noise reduction circuit includes: an amplifier circuit for amplifying the two different signals at different timings; and a voltage difference detection circuit for detecting a voltage difference between the two different signals amplified by the amplifier circuit. The noise reduction circuit accumulates, a predetermined number of times, an electric charge corresponding to the voltage difference detected by the voltage difference detection circuit and combines the accumulated electric charges to output a resultant electric charge.

Abstract: The image-capturing apparatus according to the present invention is an image-capturing apparatus including a solid-state imaging device which generates a first image by image-capturing a subject using a first exposure time, a predicted-flare generating unit which generates a predicted-flare image showing a flare component included in the first image, a subtracting unit which generates a difference image by subtracting the predicted-flare image from the first image, and an amplifying unit which generates an amplified image by amplifying the difference image.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device including a color filter having a filter characteristic more approaching to a human visual sensitivity is provided. The color filter including a group of dielectric layers has high-refractive-index-material films and low-refractive-index-material films, the high-refractive-index-material film and the low-refractive-index-material film being n films and (n?1) films, lo respectively, which are laminated alternately, n being an integer equal to or larger than 4. The color filter includes at least a red-transmission filter, a green-transmission filter, and a blue-transmission filter. The group of dielectric layers is common in the color filter and includes two of the high-refractive-index-material films and one of the low-refractive-index-material films positioned between and in contact with the two of high-refractive-index-material films.

Abstract: A noise reduction circuit receives, as an input signal, a voltage difference between two different signals. The noise reduction circuit includes: an amplifier circuit for amplifying the two different signals; a voltage difference detection circuit for detecting a voltage difference between the two different signals amplified by the amplifier circuit; and an electric charge accumulation circuit section or a voltage adding circuit. The electric charge accumulation circuit section accumulates, a predetermined number of times, an electric charge corresponding to the voltage difference detected by the voltage difference detection circuit and combines the accumulated electric charges to output the resultant electric charge. The voltage adding circuit adds, a predetermined number of times, the voltage difference detected by the voltage difference detection circuit.

Abstract: A switch circuit that is simple in constitution and capable of reliably controlling a switch cell is provided. Since the, gate terminal G1 of a transistor M1 in a switch cell SC is connected only to the terminal 37 of a transistor M2, when the transistor M2 is set to off, the moving path of the charge accumulated at the gate G1 of the transistor M1 is shut off. Consequently, even if the transistor M2 is set to an on state and immediately set back to an off state, the transistor M1 remains for some period of time in an on or off state corresponding to the switching data given through a bit line BL. It is possible to cause the transistor M1 to remain in an on or off state for a specified period of time without disposing a specific circuit for temporary storing the switching data.