Abstract: Provided are amorphous silica particles for application to industrial fields where there are increasing desires for high purity and colorlessness. The amorphous silica particles are produced through the steps of hydrolysis of an alkoxide, vacuum drying, and firing. The amorphous silica particles have been reduced in coloration and in Fe content, which is causative of coloration of the silica, and can meet the desires. The amorphous silica is characterized by having an Fe content of 20 ppm or less.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment sets the game background image with surface objects (bricks, coins, item closed box baffles, monsters, and the like) arranged therein in the middle of the tennis court within a virtual space for executing a tennis game containing the motion of hitting the tennis ball according to an operation by the player, and scrolls the surface objects arranged in the game background image. Then, there is provided an effect corresponding to the type of the surface object (benefit object, the hit map switching object, scoring object, or the like) arranged in a position of the game background image, where the tennis ball shot in response to a player-operation has reached.

Abstract: A lens module includes a lens body; a lens holding member that movably holds the lens body along an optical axis of the lens body without tilting the optical axis; a displacement element that has a flat-plate shape of which one end edge on a side of the lens body along the optical axis is disposed as a free end and the free end is displaced to freely approach the lens body by applying a voltage; and a push-up member that is disposed on the free end of the displacement element and is inserted on one end surface side of the lens body, which is perpendicular to the optical axis, by the approach towards the lens body of the displacement element so as to push up the lens body in the optical axis direction.

Abstract: A compact and thin lens module that uses a flat-plate-shaped displacement device to drive a lens, and a compact, thin imaging apparatus and electronic system using the lens module.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an image pickup apparatus including, a lens driving control section configured to execute driving control of a lens, and a main control section configured to produce lens driving control information as setting information of a lens driving mode of the lens driving control section, the main control section produces lens driving control information which includes a final setting position for the lens and a returning amount as a distance over which the lens is returned after the lens passes the setting position, the lens driving control section being operable to execute a process of moving the lens to pass the setting position once in response to the setting position and the returning amount and then execute a returning process by the returning amount to position the lens to the setting position.

Abstract: A compact and thin lens module that uses a flat-plate-shaped displacement device to drive a lens, and a compact, thin imaging apparatus and electronic system using the lens module.

Abstract: A lens module includes a lens body; a lens holding member that movably holds the lens body along an optical axis of the lens body without tilting the optical axis; a displacement element that has a flat-plate shape of which one end edge on a side of the lens body along the optical axis is disposed as a free end and the free end is displaced to freely approach the lens body by applying a voltage; and a push-up member that is disposed on the free end of the displacement element and is inserted on one end surface side of the lens body, which is perpendicular to the optical axis, by the approach towards the lens body of the displacement element so as to push up the lens body in the optical axis direction.

Abstract: Provided are amorphous silica particles for application to industrial fields where there are increasing desires for high purity and colorlessness. The amorphous silica particles are produced through the steps of hydrolysis of an alkoxide, vacuum drying, and firing. The amorphous silica particles have been reduced in coloration and in Fe content, which is causative of coloration of the silica, and can meet the desires. The amorphous silica is characterized by having an Fe content of 20 ppm or less.

Abstract: Provided is an information processing terminal provided with an imaging function of photographing an image. In the information processing terminal, based on positional information, time information and photographed contents, an image file is automatically classified, and burden on a user in image file management is reduced.

Abstract: Provided is an information processing device operation control system which records an operation history of a function module; analyzes the operation history; extracts a reserved function module; references tutorial information according to the extracted reserved function module; acquires a tutorial of the reserved function module; adds to schedule information, the type of the plan content based on the position information, the time information, and the use example contained in the tutorial information, as a user plan; and reports the use example of a plurality of function modules according to the schedule information, so as to start a tutorial.

Abstract: [Problems] To provide a game machine comprising a controller including an acceleration sensor therein, personifiable and treatable as a mascot by using an information output function and expressiveness, and exhibiting an improved capability of entertaining the user gaming.

Abstract: A region in a captured image is set as a signal detection region, and signals from an CMOS sensor of the rolling shutter exposure type are detected only in an exposure period corresponding to the signal detection region to produce an evaluated value, after which a focusing lens is moved to a focusing lens position for acquiring a next evaluated value. Since the signal detection region is a partial region in the captured image, a long detection quiescent time is kept between signal detection periods corresponding to every two horizontal synchronizing periods. By moving the focusing lens in the detection quiescent time, the evaluated value is acquired and the focusing lens is moved in each horizontal synchronizing period.

Abstract: There is provided an image-pickup device including a light-emitting unit, an image-pickup unit, a brightness detection unit that detects an evaluation value, and a control unit that controls, on the basis of the evaluation value, the amount of light that the light-emitting unit is to emit. The control unit calculates the amount of light to be emitted in a case of main emission on the basis of the amount of emitted light in a case of pre-emission by using an evaluation value in a case of no emission, an evaluation value in a case of pre-emission, and a target value. The control unit multiples the amount of light to be emitted in a case of main emission by a correction coefficient, and causes the light-emitting unit to perform main emission so as to achieve the corrected amount of light to be emitted.

Abstract: A photographic image is divided into a central area and a surrounding area, and video signals for the central and surrounding areas are integrated by an area integrator circuit. When an operator of video camera attached to a notebook personal computer is to photograph himself/herself with an imager of the video camera pointing toward the operator, a control microcomputer causes the integration result for the former to be multiplied by a larger weighting before both are summed. The control microcomputer generates exposure information according to the result, and compares the exposure level indicated by this information with the reference level to control an electronic shutter of an imaging device and the gain of an amplifier circuit so that the exposure level matches the reference level. Thus, the exposure of the video camera can be adjusted to an appropriate level. If the imager points towards an object on the opposite side of the operator, exposure control is performed as usual.

Abstract: A lens barrel and imaging device advantageous for making unnatural brightness variation in an image, due to a liquid-crystal light control element, less noticeable, while reducing the size of an optical system, are disclosed. A lens barrel comprises an optical system, a rectangular planar liquid-crystal light control element, and an imaging element. An object image captured by the optical system is guided to the imaging element through the control element comprising a liquid crystal layer sealed in between a pair of alignment layers and containing rod-shaped liquid crystal molecules. A sensor unit of the imaging element has a rectangular imaging area. Light rays guided from the optical system to the imaging element diverge away from an optical axis. An orientational direction of the control element is substantially parallel to the shorter sides of the imaging area.

Abstract: An exposure control device accurately adjusts exposure even when photographing the operator. An area-integration circuit divides a photographed image into a central area and a peripheral area to integrate corresponding video signals for the respective areas. When the operator of a notebook personal computer sets the direction of an image pickup unit to photograph himself a control microcomputer multiplies the respective areas by weights so that the weight of the central area is larger than the others, and then it adds the two integration results. The control microcomputer sets the addition result as exposure information, compares the exposure level indicated by the information with a reference level, controls an electronic shutter of an image pickup device and a gain of an amplifier circuit so that the exposure level coincides with the reference level, and adjusts the exposure of a video camera to a proper level.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an image pickup apparatus including, a lens driving control section configured to execute driving control of a lens, and a main control section configured to produce lens driving control information as setting information of a lens driving mode of the lens driving control section, the main control section produces lens driving control information which includes a final setting position for the lens and a returning amount as a distance over which the lens is returned after the lens passes the setting position, the lens driving control section being operable to execute a process of moving the lens to pass the setting position once in response to the setting position and the returning amount and then execute a returning process by the returning amount to position the lens to the setting position.

Abstract: Provided is a calcined silica particle and a manufacturing method of the same, the calcined silica particle having a low hygroscopicity, and a narrow range of particle size distribution, and substantially even particle diameter, and containing little of large-diameter fused aggregation of the particulates of the calcined silica particle. A silica particle is obtained by hydrolyzing and condensing a hydrolyzable silicon compound in an organic solvent containing water, for example, at a reaction temperature ranging from 0° C. to 50° C., and then dried. Then, the silica particle is calcined at a temperature ranging from 1000° C. to 1200° C. It is preferable that the organic solvent contains the silicon compound in a range between 0.05 to 1.2 mol/L, the water in a range between 2.0 to 25.0 mol/L, and a catalyst in a range between 0.8 to 9.4 mol/L. The calcined silica particle has an average particle diameter ranging between 0.04 ?m and 5.0 ?m; a standard deviation of the average particle diameter of 1.

Abstract: A region in a captured image is set as a signal detection region, and signals from an CMOS sensor of the rolling shutter exposure type are detected only in an exposure period corresponding to the signal detection region to produce an evaluated value, after which a focusing lens is moved to a focusing lens position for acquiring a next evaluated value. Since the signal detection region is a partial region in the captured image, a long detection quiescent time is kept between signal detection periods corresponding to every two horizontal synchronizing periods. By moving the focusing lens in the detection quiescent time, the evaluated value is acquired and the focusing lens is moved in each horizontal synchronizing period.

Abstract: A photographic image is divided into a central area and a surrounding area, and video signals for the central and surrounding areas are integrated by an area integrator circuit. When an operator of video camera attached to a notebook personal computer is to photograph himself/herself with an imager of the video camera pointing toward the operator, a control microcomputer causes the integration result for the former to be multiplied by a larger weighting before both are summed. The control microcomputer generates exposure information according to the result, and compares the exposure level indicated by this information with the reference level to control an electronic shutter of an imaging device and the gain of an amplifier circuit so that the exposure level matches the reference level. Thus, the exposure of the video camera can be adjusted to an appropriate level. If the imager points towards an object on the opposite side of the operator, exposure control is performed as usual.