Abstract: The present invention relates to a pixel information management apparatus that is capable of efficiently storing information on defective pixels of imaging pixels and information on evaluation pixels in the same format. Pixel information having a region that contains information indicating whether the pixel is a defective pixel of the imaging pixels or an evaluation pixel, a region that contains information that depends on whether the pixel is a defective pixel of the imaging pixels or an evaluation pixel, and a region that contains information for specifying a position of the pixel is stored, and a relative distance from another defective pixel of the imaging pixels or another evaluation pixel is stored as the information for specifying the pixel position, the relative distance being a distance that conforms to a predetermined pixel scan rule.

Abstract: This invention provides a method for forming a multilayered coating film, which comprises applying a first aqueous base coating composition, then applying a second aqueous base coating composition without preheating, then conducting preheating, subsequently applying a clear coating composition, and then curing thus formed three layers of first aqueous base coating film, second aqueous base coating film and clear coating film simultaneously, wherein a coating composition which comprises a specific aqueous polyester resin, a specific aqueous acrylic resin, an aqueous urethane resin and a melamine resin, when used for the first aqueous base coating composition, gives a multilayered coating film which is excellent in smoothness, distinctness-of-image gloss, chipping resistance and hardness.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus comprises an image sensor including a photoelectric conversion portion configured to receive light beams having passed through a portion of a pupil area of an imaging lens and output an image signal, a control unit configured to output, from the photoelectric conversion portion, a plurality of image signals captured by shifting a focus position of the imaging lens, an acquisition unit configured to acquire an image shift amount on an image sensing plane of the image sensor, which corresponds to a shift amount when shifting the focus position of the imaging lens; and a calculation unit configured to calculate a correction coefficient for shading on the image sensing plane based on the image shift amount by comparing signals corresponding to the same object among the plurality of image signals.

Abstract: In a configuration in which a non-saturated readout value of a division pixel is subtracted from an addition signal of division pixels, an imaging apparatus capable of performing focus detection with respect to a saturated signal is provided. The imaging apparatus includes a subtraction unit and a suppression unit. The subtraction unit obtains the second image signal by subtracting the first image signal output from the image sensor from an addition signal acquired as a sum of the first image signal and the second image signal output from the image sensor, and the suppression unit suppresses the first image signal to a value equal to or less than a predetermined value.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus 100 includes an image pickup element 101 that includes a plurality of pixels that function as both imaging pixels and focus detection pixels, which is configured so that an image pickup signal that is obtained by performing photoelectric conversion in a first direction, an evaluation value generating unit 107 that generates an evaluation value of the image pickup signal, a flicker detecting unit 108 that detects variation information of illumination intensity based on the evaluation value, a flicker correction value generating unit 109 that generates a flicker correction value for performing a flicker correction for the image pickup signal based on the variation information, a multiplier 105 that performs the flicker correction for the image pickup signal based on the flicker correction value, and a vertical correlation calculating unit 114 that performs a correlation calculation in the first direction after the flicker correction is performed.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup element including a plurality of focus detection pixels configured to generate a pair of image signals based on light beams passing through pupil regions different from each other in an image pickup optical system, a detection unit configured to detect a base line length of the plurality of focus detection pixels and a pupil division direction based on position information of a focus detection region in the image pickup element and information relating to the image pickup optical system, and a calculation unit configured to calculate a phase difference in the pupil division direction by using the pair of image signals.

Abstract: There is provided a chain guide that reduces a space occupied by the chain guide in an engine room while maintaining required strength, rigidity, and durability with a simple configuration, reduces the number of manufacturing steps and the waste of a material, does not require a structure that permits an error, prevents increases in vibration and noise during use, and reduces the burden of a maintenance operation. The chain guide has a guide shoe and a base member that reinforces the guide shoe, and an attachment portion includes an attachment member that is provided separately from the guide shoe and the base member and can be fixed to at least one of the guide shoe and the base member or both of the guide shoe and the base member.

Abstract: A binding apparatus includes: an accumulating unit where a plurality of sheets having an area that serves as a binding margin is to be stacked as a sheet bundle, in which toner is fixed onto all of, or a part of, the area; a pressure unit that sandwiches the binding margin of the sheet bundle stacked on the accumulating unit therebetween and applies a pressure to the binding margin; and a heating unit that heats the toner on the binding margin that is receiving the pressure applied by the pressure unit. The pressure unit is configured to apply the pressure to the binding margin while forming a plurality of grooves and ridges in the binding margin in a direction in which the pressure is applied.

Abstract: A signal processing apparatus which processes signals obtained from an image pickup element including a plurality of first pixels sharing a first microlens and a plurality of second pixels sharing a second microlens, the first pixels and the second pixels having saturation characteristics different from each other, and the signal processing apparatus includes a saturation detector configured to detect a saturated pixel whose charge amount has reached a saturation level among the first pixels and the second pixels, and an estimating portion configured to estimate the charge amount of the saturated pixel using a nearby pixel of the saturated pixel.

Abstract: A charging system includes central server capable of communicating with electric vehicles, and charging stations. Central server receives travel information on the electric vehicles and remaining charge information on rechargeable batteries from the electric vehicles, forecasts demanded power in a predetermined area, and issues a charge schedule change request to charge control devices included in the predetermined area. Charging stations change charge schedules for the rechargeable batteries mounted on the electric vehicles in accordance with the charge schedule change request.

Abstract: Provided is a printer in which a cut-off paper is pushed into a paper stacking portion without an additional power source while reducing the maximum load applied to driving means for driving a movable blade. A printer includes a movable blade for cutting a paper disposed between a fixed blade and a movable blade as it moves in a forward direction and separating a printed part as a cut-off paper; driving means for moving the movable blade in a reciprocating manner; a pushing member which is driven to push a cut-off paper in a thickness direction of the cut-off paper; a paper stacking portion for stacking the cut-off paper pushed by the pushing member; and a driving force transferring mechanism for transferring a driving force of the driving means to the pushing member to drive the pushing member.

Abstract: An image pickup element includes a first pixel, a second pixel, and a third pixel that share one microlens, a first boundary that is provided between the first pixel and the second pixel, and a second boundary that is provided between the first pixel and the third pixel, and when a charge amount of the first pixel is saturated, a first charge amount from the first pixel to the second pixel via the first boundary is larger than a second charge amount from the first pixel to the third pixel via the second boundary.

Abstract: A focus detection apparatus performs focus detection of a phase difference method by using signals from an image pickup element including a first pixel and a second pixel sharing one micro lens, and the focus detection apparatus includes a first saturation detector configured to detect saturation of a first signal obtained from the first pixel, a second saturation detector configured to detect saturation of a second signal obtained from the second pixel, a luminance generating portion configured to generate luminance signals of the first signal and the second signal after detecting the saturations of the first signal and the second signal are detected, and a processor configured to perform a correlation calculation based on the luminance signals.

Abstract: A focus detection apparatus performs focus detection by a phase difference method using an image pickup element including first and second pixels, the focus detection apparatus includes a correlation data calculator which calculates correlation data between pixel data obtained from the first pixels and the second pixels in ranges of image data, a detector which detects a saturated pixel having a level of at least a predetermined value in each of the ranges, an adding processor which performs an addition processing of the correlation data calculated in each of the ranges based on a detection result, and a defocus amount calculator which calculates a defocus amount based on a result of the addition processing, and the adding processor performs the addition processing using correlation data obtained from a first range in which the number of the saturated pixels is less than a predetermined number.

Abstract: A direction being across the defective pixel and along which pixels used to calculate a signal level of a defective pixel are located, is determined. A ratio between signal levels of pixels that are adjacent to the defective pixel and that have a different color from the defective pixel, and signal levels of pixels that are adjacent to pixels being located along the determine direction with respect to the defective pixel and having the same color as the defective pixel and that have a different color from the defective pixel, is acquired. A value obtained by multiplying an average value of the signal levels of the pixels used to calculate the signal level of the defective pixel by the calculated ratio is output as the signal level of the defective pixel.

Abstract: A power control system is provided with a plurality of electric appliances and a power control apparatus that controls the operation of the plurality of electric devices. The plurality of electric devices are grouped into one or a plurality of groups, each group containing a plurality of electric devices, and on the basis of state information of the electric devices, the power control apparatus controls the operation of each electric device by group according to a plurality of sets of control contents prepared ahead of time.

Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus includes: a binding unit that binds, as a bundle, a plurality of sheets by heating and pressing binding margin portions of the sheets set in advance, using toner interposed between the sheets as an adhesive material; and a pre-heating unit that heats the binding margin portions of the sheets while the sheets are stacked.

Abstract: A focus detection apparatus comprises: an image sensor that receives images that are formed by light that passes through different pupil regions of a photographing optical system including a focus lens, and outputs a pair of image signals; a control unit that controls to acquire a pair of image signals from the image sensor at first and second lens positions of the focus lens; a conversion unit that, by multiplying a shift amount between a pair of images representing the pair of image signals by a conversion coefficient, converts the shift amount to a defocus amount; and a calculation unit that calculates the conversion coefficient based on displacement amounts of respective ones of the pair of images representing the pair of image signals acquired at the first and second lens positions, and a displacement amount of the focus lens from the first lens position to the second lens position.

Abstract: A shift amount between a plurality of image signals that is obtained from pixels in each of which a plurality of photoelectric conversion units are provided is computed from an amount of correlation based on a difference value between the plurality of image signals. Also, if the difference value that is used for computing the amount of correlation is not less than a predetermined upper limit, a predetermined value that is not more than the upper limit is used as the difference value.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a first defect interpolation unit that interpolates a defective pixel using a pixel value of a first pixel near a specific first pixel or a pixel value of a second pixel near a specific second pixel, a second defect interpolation unit that interpolates the defective pixel using a rate of pixel values of a first pixel and a second pixel in the same micro lens near the specific first pixel and the specific second pixel, an in-focus level evaluation unit that evaluates an in-focus level using outputs of the first and second pixels, a synthesis rate switching unit that switches a synthesis rate of outputs of the first and second defect interpolation units, and a signal processing unit that generates a shot image using an output of the synthesis rate switching unit.