Abstract: An electronic pent includes a case, a core body, and a signal generation circuit. The core body is attached inside the case such that a front end portion in an axial direction protrudes from an opening portion of the case. The signal generation circuit generates a signal to be transmitted from the core body. The core body includes a core rod and a protection member that covers a pen tip portion and an axis portion of the core rod. The core body is provided with a middle portion with a dielectric constant different from a dielectric constant of the protection member, the middle portion being provided around a side surface of the axis portion of the core rod such that the core rod is separated from the protection member.

Abstract: A method for avoiding an obstacle or an image-quality-degrading optical phenomenon in an image recognition unit is provided. The method includes the steps of providing at least an optical shutter array in the image recognition unit, detecting the obstacle or the optical phenomenon, and closing the optical shutter that corresponds to the portion affected by the obstacle or the optical phenomenon. The method can be readily implemented even when the space for implementing the method is small, for example, in a small space in a camera currently in use, and driving power consumed in the method is small.

Abstract: A method for avoiding an obstacle or an image-quality-degrading optical phenomenon in an image recognition unit is provided. The method includes the steps of providing at least an optical shutter array in the image recognition unit, detecting the obstacle or the optical phenomenon, and closing the optical shutter that corresponds to the portion affected by the obstacle or the optical phenomenon. The method can be readily implemented even when the space for implementing the method is small, for example, in a small space in a camera currently in use, and driving power consumed in the method is small.