Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a solid-state imaging device. The solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion units having plural first photoelectric conversion units and plural second photoelectric conversion units, a drive section and a signal processing section. The drive section controls the solid-state imaging device to read first pixel signals that are accumulated over an exposure period, from the first photoelectric conversion units, respectively, to read low-sensitivity pixel signals from the second photoelectric conversion units, respectively, to read second pixel signals that are accumulated in at least a part of the exposure period, from the second photoelectric conversion units, to mix the first pixel signals and the second signals for producing a high-sensitivity pixel signals. The signal processing section combines the low-sensitivity pixel signals and the high-sensitivity pixel signals and produces an image.

Abstract: Erroneous detection of a moving body in a background region is suppressed. Specifically, the position of one input image of two input images is made to coincide with the position of the other input image so as to eliminate relative positional deviation between the two input images. The amount of residual positional deviation in the thus registered two input images is calculated. The resolution of the two input images is lowered so as to take on a resolution A if the amount of residual positional deviation is greater than a prescribed threshold value d and take on a resolution B if the amount of residual positional deviation is equal to or less than the prescribed threshold value d (resolution A<resolution B). Binary difference image data is generated using the input images of lowered resolution and a motion region is detected from a binary difference image represented by the binary difference image data.

Abstract: Disclosed is a technique for accurately tracking a tracking target object. A disparity map image in which the disparity of each pixel of an object is shown is generated from a three-dimensional object image. A detection range is determined such that an object disposed on the front side of a pedestrian, which is a tracking target object, in the depth direction is excluded from the generated disparity map image. The pedestrian, which is a tracking target object, is detected in the determined detection range. In this way, it is possible to prevent a bike driver disposed on the front side of the pedestrian in the depth direction from being tracked.

Abstract: A solid state imaging device comprises: a semiconductor substrate; and a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged on the semiconductor substrate in a row direction and a column direction substantially perpendicular to the row direction, wherein said plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are divided to first and second groups, when positions of the photoelectric conversion elements of the second group are considered as reference positions, the photoelectric conversion elements of the first group are disposed at positions shifted in a given direction from the reference positions in such a manner that each of the photoelectric conversion elements of the first group adjoins the each of the photoelectric conversion elements of the second group, spectral filters are respectively provided upwardly of light receiving surfaces of the photoelectric conversion elements of the first group, the spectral filters comprising three or more kinds of spectral filters respectively transmitting different c

Abstract: A signal processing method comprises: generating thinned data by thinning, in a checkerboard like manner, image data comprising a plurality of pixels that are arranged, as a square, in a row direction and in a column direction perpendicular to the row direction; generating a first square array by extracting odd-numbered lines from lines of the thinned data in the row direction and in the column direction, and generating a second square array by extracting even-numbered lines from the lines of the thinned data in the row direction and in the column direction; and performing an image compression process for each of the first square array and the second square array.

Abstract: A first imaging portion includes a first group of photoelectric conversion elements. A second imaging portion includes a second group of photoelectric conversion elements. The first imaging portion and the second imaging portion are disposed at adjacent positions. An array pattern of the imaging portions is determined so that photoelectric conversion elements detecting all color components needed for reproducing a color image are included by two adjacent lines. Among pairs of adjacent lines, a line of the first imaging portion is paired with a line of the second imaging portion, which is selected so that the combination of color components detected by the photoelectric conversion elements arranged on the line of the first imaging portion differs from the combination of color components detected by the photoelectric conversion elements arranged on the line of the second imaging portion.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus is provided and includes a solid-state imaging device including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements; and a image data-generation unit that generates image data represented by a first luminance signal and a color-difference signal, based on signals from the plurality of the photoelectric conversion elements. The plurality of photoelectric conversion elements include a photoelectric conversion element for obtaining a second luminance signal. In the image data-generation unit, a signal in each pixel position of image data to be generated is interpolated, a third luminance signal is generated in the each pixel position from the interpolated signal, and the first luminance signal in the each pixel position is generated by synthesizing the second and third luminance signals.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup element is mounted on a digital camera. The solid-state image pickup element has: first color pixels which detect an amount of incident light of a first color of the three primary colors; second color pixels which detect an amount of incident light of a second color; third color pixels which detect an amount of incident light of a third color; and luminance detection pixels which are adjacent to the color pixels, respectively, and which detect luminance information. In the digital camera, when data of a reduced image in which the resolution is more reduced than the resolution of all the pixels of the solid-state image pickup element are to be produced, data of each of the color pixels (R, G, B), and data of one or more of the luminance detection pixels (Y) which are adjacent to the color pixel are added together. A signal processing is applied to the added data to reproduce a photographed image.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a solid-state imaging device, a derive section and a signal processing section. The imaging device includes plural pixels arranged on a surface of a semiconductor substrate. The pixels include plural chromatic color pixels for plural colors and plural high-sensitivity pixels having a higher sensitivity to incident light than the chromatic color pixels. The drive section controls the imaging device to simultaneously start exposing the chromatic color pixels and exposing the high-sensitivity pixels, to read first signals from the high-sensitivity pixels during an exposure period, respectively and hold the read first signals, thereafter, to read second signals from the high-sensitivity pixels, respectively, and to read third signals from the chromatic color pixels, respectively. The signal processing section produces color image data based on the first signals, the second signals and the third signals.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a solid-state imaging device. The solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion units having plural first photoelectric conversion units and plural second photoelectric conversion units, a drive section and a signal processing section. The drive section controls the solid-state imaging device to read first pixel signals that are accumulated over an exposure period, from the first photoelectric conversion units, respectively, to read low-sensitivity pixel signals from the second photoelectric conversion units, respectively, to read second pixel signals that are accumulated in at least a part of the exposure period, from the second photoelectric conversion units, to mix the first pixel signals and the second signals for producing a high-sensitivity pixel signals. The signal processing section combines the low-sensitivity pixel signals and the high-sensitivity pixel signals and produces an image.

Abstract: An outboard motor has an internal combustion engine installed in an engine compartment defined by an engine cover. The engine's intake air inlet is formed by an air intake duct, which communicates with an air intake space outside the engine compartment. The engine cover includes an upper cover with a receiving ring fitted on the air intake duct. The receiving ring and the intake duct form an overlapping part in which the ring and the duct overlap each other in the direction of flow of combustion air. The overlapping part has a sealing member therein which forms a seal between the air intake space and the interior space of the engine compartment. The sealing structure does not require high dimensional precision to form a required sealing property between the engine cover and the air inlet of the engine intake system. The sealing structure minimizes any influence of engine vibrations.

Abstract: A driving method of a solid-state imaging device including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements as defined herein, includes performing first driving which mixes a first electric charge generated in the first photoelectric conversion element with a second electric charge generated in the photoelectric conversion element for luminance detection, converts the electric charges obtained by the mixing into a signal, and outputs the signal.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine installed in an engine compartment 15 covered with an engine cover C is provided with an intake air passage P. The intake air passage P extends continuously from an intake air inlet Pi to intake air outlets Pe in the engine compartment 15 and has a first down passage 62, a reversing passage 63, an up passage 64 and a second down passage 67c arranged in the order in the flowing direction of combustion air. The combustion air taken through the intake air inlet Pi into the intake air passage P flows down through the first down passage 62, the reversing passage 63 reverses the flowing direction of the combustion air that has flowed down through the first down passage 62 such that the combustion air flows up, flows up through the up passage 64 to a position at a level higher than that of an uppermost intake air outlet Pe. Then, the combustion air flows down through the second down passage 67c and flows through the intake air outlets Pe into combustion chambers 30.

Abstract: A signal processing method comprises: applying white balance correction to R (red), G (green), and B (blue) color signals output from a solid-state image pickup element so as to form white-balance corrected R, G, and B color signals; comparing levels of the white-balance corrected R, G, and B color signals with each other; correcting the level of the white-balance corrected G signal to coincide with a lower one of the levels of the white-balance corrected R and B color signals in the case where both of the levels of the white-balance corrected R and B signals are higher than the level of the white-balance corrected G signal when the G color signal is saturated; and outputting the white-balance corrected R, G, and B color signals as image signals.

Abstract: A signal processing apparatus includes a synchronization processing unit for processing image pickup signals including three kinds of signals and luminance signals output from an image pickup device. The synchronization processing unit is used to interpolate other color signals than the above-mentioned respective color signals at pixel positions where the three kinds of signals respectively exist. This processing includes a luminance use estimating processing which estimates color signals to be interpolated at the above-mentioned pixel positions using not only the same kinds of color signals as the above-mentioned color signals to be interpolated but also the above-mentioned luminance signals respectively existing around the above-mentioned pixel positions.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging device, a first luminance signal generating unit and a correcting unit. The imaging device includes at least three types of color detecting photoelectric converting elements and a luminance detecting photoelectric converting element. The first luminance signal generating unit generates a first luminance signal corresponding to the color detecting photoelectric converting element from a color signal obtained from each of the at least three types of color detecting photoelectric converting elements. The correcting unit corrects, based on the color signal, at least a second luminance signal corresponding to the luminance detecting photoelectric converting element which is obtained from the luminance detecting photoelectric converting element so as to generate a luminance signal which constitutes image data corresponding to each of the photoelectric converting elements.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus is provided and includes: an imaging device including a first color pixel, a second color pixel, a third color pixel, and the luminance-detecting pixels; a controlling section that generates first complementary color information by adding data of the first color pixel and data of the second color pixel adjacent to the first color pixel, generates second complementary color information by adding data of the second color pixel and data of the third color pixel adjacent to the second color pixel, and generates luminance information by adding respective data of luminance-detecting pixels adjacent to each other, when data of a reduced image having a reduced resolution as compared with a resolution for the whole pixels of the imaging device is generated, and a signal processing section that signal-processes the first complementary color information, the second complementary color information, and the luminance information to reproduce a taken image.

Abstract: An imaging device comprises: an imaging element that comprises (i) at least three types of color detection photoelectric conversion elements that detect different color components of light and (ii) brightness detection photoelectric conversion elements that detect brightness components of light; a level adjustment section that adjust levels of color signals acquired respectively from at least said three types of color detection photoelectric conversion elements and levels of brightness signals acquired from the brightness detection photoelectric conversion elements; a composite signal generation section that generates, from ones of the color signals undergone level adjustment, at least three different color signals in correspondence with each of the color detection photoelectric conversion elements and subjects at least said three color signals to weighting and addition, so as to generate composite signals respectively corresponding to the color detection photoelectric conversion elements; and a brightness si

Abstract: An outboard motor S includes an internal combustion engine E having a crankshaft 7, and an alternator G having a shaft 81 and a housing 82. The engine E and the generator G are disposed in an engine compartment 15 with the crankshaft 7 of the engine E and the shaft 81 of the alternator G spaced a center distance d apart from each other. The housing 82 is provided with air inlets 83 through which cooling air for cooling the interior of the alternator G flows into the housing 82 and air outlets 84 through which cooling air that has cooled the alternator G is discharged as exhaust air. An exhaust air duct 91 surrounds the outlets 84 of the housing 82 and carries the exhaust air to a predetermined position from which the exhaust air cannot easily flow again through the inlets 83 into the housing 82. The alternator G spaced the center distance apart from the internal combustion engine E can be cooled at improved cooling efficiency.

Abstract: An outboard motor has an internal combustion engine with a carburetor. The carburetor is designed to extend maintenance interval greatly by preventing or suppressing the deposition of solid matters in the gap between the intake passage and a butterfly-type throttle valve therein. The throttle valve is divided, by a valve axis about which the throttle valve turns, into a first valve part that turns from the downstream side to the upstream side with respect to an air intake direction when the fully closed throttle valve is opened and a second valve part that turns from the upstream side to the downstream side with respect to the air intake direction when the fully closed throttle valve is opened. The first valve part has an edge that moves to the upstream side past bypass ports when the fully closed throttle valve is opened, and the second valve part is provided with a through hole that allows air to flow therethrough at a flow rate necessary for idling when the throttle valve is fully closed.