Abstract: In a focus demand connected to a lens unit of a television camera, a joystick for designating the direction of movement of an AF area is disposed. A direction change switch for reversing the direction of movement of the AF area with respect to the direction of operation of the joystick is also provided. The focus demand is reversed in vertical and horizontal directions between the case of being mounted to be operated by the right hand and the case of being mounted to be operated by the left hand.

Abstract: The autofocus system of the present invention is characterized by comprising a target subject specifying device which specifies a target subject to be put into focus, a tracking image pickup device which captures a subject image in the shooting range of the camera, and is provided in addition to an image pickup device of the camera which captures a subject image to be recorded or regenerated, a target subject movement detection device which detects a movement in the shooting range of the target subject specified by the target subject specifying device according to an image signal of a subject image captured by the tracking image pickup device, and an AF area change device which changes a range of the AF area such that the movement of the target subject detected by the target subject movement detection device is tracked.

Abstract: In a lens system in which a momentary mode in which AF is operated when an AF switch SW2 is pressed and a continuous mode in which the AF is continuously operated can be selected, a CPU uses the AF switch SW2 for use in the momentary mode as an AF stop switch, and stops an AF process when the AF switch SW2 is pressed (turned on) in the continuous mode.

Abstract: To provide a lens system which is to be used with a virtual system and which can curtail time and labor required by settings of the virtual system by outputting data pertaining to an angle of view, an object distance, and a principal point position, all being required by the virtual system, the lens device of an actual camera used for photographing an actual video to be used by the virtual system includes a CPU determining information about the angle of view, the object distance, and the principal point position, all being required to set a virtual camera in the virtual system, on the basis of a zoom position and a focus position detected by encoders, and transmits the information to the virtual system.

Abstract: A device for selecting print characters of endless printing bands in a printer that, when restricting the rotation of endless printing bands for preventing fouling of display characters, can avoid excessive rotational force from acting on the endless printing bands and enable selection of desired print characters in cases where, for example, the endless printing band is for full-periphery printing or half-periphery printing. Both half-periphery printing capability and full-periphery printing capability can be implemented by providing regulating blocks capable of rotation as print pressure bearing members, the device is characterized in that selection of print characters is restricted by engagement of drive projections of an endless printing band and an elastic section of a movable stopper member and that, in the case where no drive projection engages with the elastic section, selection of print character is made possible and a regulating block receives the print pressure on the print character.

Abstract: Two imaging elements for AF, each having a different optical path length, are mounted to a camera main body. The automatic focus adjustment is performed based on the video signal of the AF area extracted by the gate circuits from the video signal acquired by the imaging elements. The electronic shutter function of the imaging elements is controlled based on the video signal of the AF area extracted by the gate circuits, so as to enable the exposure adjustment for the AF area to be performed.

Abstract: In a lens system, an auto-focus (AF) mode switch for selecting an AF mode is provided at a focus demand and, for example, a continuous AF mode is selected by the AF mode switch. Then, a CPU switches the continuous AF to a manual focus (MF) when an operation of the focus demand is executed and switches the MF to the continuous AF when an AF start switch provided at the focus demand is turned ON. Thus, when an operation of the MF is executed during focus adjustment by the AF, the focus adjustment by the AF is switched to focus adjustment by the MF, and thereafter, the focus adjustment by the MF is never switched to the focus adjustment by the AF unless the AF start switch is turned ON.

Abstract: A drive unit is installed in, for example, a manually operated cinema photographing lens and connected to a system controller so that the system controller can electrically control the focus, zoom, and iris of the photographing lens. When a select switch of the system controller or a PC is used to specify the type of the photographing lens, the system controller executes a process adapted to the type of the photographing lens.

Abstract: In a focusing state determining device for determining a focusing state of a taking lens, an object light entering the taking lens is captured by focusing state determination imaging elements provided separately from a video imaging element, and the focusing state is determined according to luminance signals outputted from the focusing state determination imaging elements. Any error of determination of the focusing state induced by saturation of the luminance signals in imaging an object of high luminance is prevented by adjusting the gains of the image signals outputted from the focusing state determination imaging elements or the charge accumulation times of the focusing state determination imaging elements. High-frequency components are determined from the luminance signals obtained from the focusing state determination imaging elements (A, B, C), and the focus evaluation value is determined by integration thereof.

Abstract: An autofocus system for an imaging device that includes an image detecting element for image production at a focused image plane of an adjustable focus imaging lens that also includes four image detecting elements for focus detection arranged in pairs that are equidistant in front of, and behind, planes that are conjugate with the focused image plane. One pair of image detecting elements for focus detection are farther than the other pair from the conjugate planes and may be used alone for focusing based on the stop value or focal length of the adjustable focus imaging lens. Alternatively, the other pair of image detecting elements may be used for more accurate focusing after the one pair of image detecting elements is used. The use of two pairs of image detecting elements at different distances from the focused image plane provides accurate focusing over a wide range of object distances.

Abstract: A selection device which permits or prohibits serial communication is provided in a lens apparatus capable of performing serial communication to suppress the serial communication although a camera body can perform the serial communication. Thus, a safe operation of the system can be guaranteed. At the same time, the processing speed of the processing circuit in the lens apparatus can be reduced, thereby successfully reducing the power consumption.

Abstract: A screen of a display of a photographing system shows a distance scale indicating a present focus position and an indicator. The screen also shows a focus position already obtained by auto focusing, using a mark.

Abstract: In a focusing state determining device for determining a focusing state of a taking lens, an object light entering the taking lens is captured by focusing state determination imaging elements provided separately from a video imaging element, and the focusing state is determined according to luminance signals outputted from the focusing state determination imaging elements. Any error of determination of the focusing state induced by saturation of the luminance signals in imaging an object of high luminance is prevented by adjusting the gains of the image signals outputted from the focusing state determination imaging elements or the charge accumulation times of the focusing state determination imaging elements. High-frequency components are determined from the luminance signals obtained from the focusing state determination imaging elements (A, B, C), and the focus evaluation value is determined by integration thereof.

Abstract: The auto focus system obtains focus information on a lens-interchangeable camera body of a TV camera and sends the focus information to a lens apparatus mounted on the camera body. The lens apparatus controls an auto focus based on the focus information. It is thereby possible to control the focus on adequate conditions according to optical specifications of the lens apparatus and so on.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus is used to remove an organic matter attached to a substrate with use of a removal liquid. This apparatus includes a process chamber directed to an organic matter removal process, a holding element to hold the substrate in the process chamber, a removal liquid supply element to supply the removal liquid to the substrate held by the holding element, and a light-blocking element disposed in a transport path for the substrate that extends from a cassette housing the substrate and having high transparency, to the process chamber, thereby blocking light passing through the transport path into the process chamber.

Abstract: A plurality of linear catalytic metal element portions are arranged at predetermined intervals just on or just beneath an amorphous silicon layer, and, in this state, the amorphous silicon layer is heat treated to crystallize the amorphous silicon layer and consequently to form a polycrystalline silicon layer. This construction can realize the provision of a method for the formation of an evenly oriented, high-quality crystalline silicon layer in a large area, and a crystalline silicon semiconductor device produced by this method.

Abstract: A focus evaluation value used for contrast-determination autofocus (AF) and a focus position at the time of determination of the focus evaluation value are enabled to be outputted to a peripheral device such as a personal computer. This enables an operator to readily obtain information on the focus evaluation value from the peripheral device in a case such as an AF malfunction and thereby referring to the information to elucidate the cause of the AF malfunction. Furthermore, for determination of correct focusing in a tracking adjustment of a shooting lens, the relative magnitude of the focus signal continuously obtained according to video signals of a camera is displayed as a graph on a monitor, and the size of the graph is changed according to a maximum focus signal value obtained. Therefore, the graph can be displayed in an appropriate size on the monitor irrespective of variances of the magnitude of the focus signal due to different objects of shooting.

Abstract: Auto focus control is exerted based on a focus evaluation value indicating a degree of sharpness of an image obtained from a plurality of image pickup devices placed at positions of different light path lengths. There is provided a device which makes a correction on sensitivity of the focus evaluation value obtained from each image pickup devices. It is thereby possible to make an adequate correction on a sensitivity of the focus evaluation value so as to exert the auto focus control with high accuracy. It is also possible to automatically make a correction on the sensitivity of the focus evaluation value and eliminate troublesome labor. All or a part of signal processing for the auto focus control is performed by a single processing part by time-sharing. Thereby, a circuit scale can be miniaturized and power consumption can be reduced.

Abstract: When an adjustment switch is turned on, the input of an input changeover switch is switched from a lens controller to a test signal generating circuit. A motor operates in accordance with a test signal of a step waveform outputted from the test signal generating circuit, and a lens moves forward and backward. At this time, a CPU receives a position signal of the lens from a potentiometer to read a response waveform of the position signal responsive to the test signal, and adjusts a feedback gain of an amplifier for feeding back a velocity signal of the movement of the lens to the position command signal, which feedback gain determines transient response characteristics of the movement of the lens, so that the response waveform can become a predetermined form.

Abstract: An autofocus system for an imaging device that includes an image detecting element for image production at a focused image plane of an adjustable focus imaging lens that also includes four image detecting elements for focus detection arranged in pairs that are equidistant in front of, and behind, planes that are conjugate with the focused image plane. One pair of image detecting elements for focus detection are farther than the other pair from the conjugate planes and may be used alone for focusing based on the stop value or focal length of the adjustable focus imaging lens. Alternatively, the other pair of image detecting elements may be used for more accurate focusing after the one pair of image detecting elements is used. The use of two pairs of image detecting elements at different distances from the focused image plane provides accurate focusing over a wide range of object distances.