Abstract: An engine control apparatus includes a first operation member and a second operation member for braking a front wheel and a rear wheel of a saddle-type vehicle, and an engine controller that automatically stops and restarts an engine mounted in the saddle-type vehicle in response to the operational state of the first operation member and the second operation member. When a prescribed amount of time has passed while the first operation member and the second operation member are both in an operated state, the engine controller automatically stops the engine; when the first operation member and the second operation member are both released, the engine controller restarts the engine; and when either one of the first operation member and the second operation member is operated after the engine has automatically been stopped, the engine controller allows the engine to continue in the automatically stopped state.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a first terminal and a second terminal and a control unit configured to perform switching between a first communication mode for outputting a clock signal via the first terminal and communicating with a mounted lens unit via the second terminal based on the clock signal and a second communication mode for communicating with the mounted lens unit via the first terminal or the second terminal without using the clock signal. The control unit continuously sets the first communication mode if the second communication mode is not usable for the mounted lens unit. On the other hand, the control unit sets the second communication mode if the second communication mode is available for the mounted lens unit and sets a baud rate to communicate with the lens unit in the second communication mode to be a baud rate value received from the lens unit.

Abstract: Information relating to object distances in a plurality of areas in an imaging plane is acquired, and a threshold value for an object luminance at which imaging is performed by flashing an illumination device according to a difference between an object distance in a reference area and the object distances in the plurality of areas.

Abstract: When communication is made between a camera and an interchangeable lens by a conventional synchronization method, an operation for checking Busy is required between communications, and operating performances of the camera and interchangeable lens may not be occasionally improved. Provided is a camera and interchangeable lens system in which a communication method between a camera and an interchangeable lens can be changed to one of synchronous communication and asynchronous communication. The synchronous communication is made first while the camera serves as a master. The camera measures a time interval of a signal pulse output from the lens at a predetermined time interval in response to a command from the camera to the interchangeable lens for change of the communication to the asynchronous communication. The camera determines a baud rate for the asynchronous communication and then changes the communication method between the camera and the interchangeable lens to the asynchronous communication.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus receives shake information detected by, for example, a sensor which detects a shake, and determines whether the hold status of the image capturing apparatus is handheld or fixed, based on the shake information (first shake determination). Also, the image capturing apparatus sequentially acquires images output upon photoelectric conversion by charge-accumulation type photoelectric conversion elements, and determines whether the hold status is handheld or fixed, based on an image displacement between the images (second shake determination). The exposure settings at the time of image capturing are changed between the case wherein it is determined by first shake determination that the hold status is fixed, and that wherein it is determined by second shake determination that the hold status is fixed.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus obtains the weighted average luminance of an image sensing target that puts weight on a main subject in an obtained luminance distribution of the image sensing target. The image sensing apparatus decides exposure control values based on the average luminance of a region that is lower than the weighted average luminance, out of regions each of a predetermined size contained in the image sensing target, and the weighted average luminance.

Abstract: A 720-degree motor stage storage means for holding the result of stroke discrimination for the engine E also in the period for carrying out an idle stop control is provided. At the time of restarting the engine E from an idle stop state, a new stroke discriminating processing is not conducted, but the result of stroke discrimination stored in the 720-degree motor stage storage means is used, to thereby drive a fuel injection system and an ignition device. A stage decision unit for allocating a period of two revolutions of a crankshaft to 720-degree motor stages based on the result of stroke discrimination, a fuel injection and ignition stage correlation table having predetermined correlations of 720-degree motor stages with fuel injection stages and ignition stages, and restarting time motor stage conversion means for conversion of a 720-degree motor stage into a fuel injection stage and an ignition stage, are provided.

Abstract: An engine start control system is provided that includes a controller configured to perform an idle stop control to stop an engine based on an establishment of a condition. The system further includes a motor configured to reverse-rotationally drive a crankshaft to a predetermined position for normal-rotational or reverse-rotational driving, after engine stop. The controller includes a reverse-rotational drive controller configured to reverse-rotationally drive the motor at a rewinding control duty ratio immediately after the engine is stopped. The controller further includes a reverse-rotation stop condition processor configured to detect whether the crankshaft is rewound to the predetermined position by the reverse-rotational drive controller. Further, the controller includes a motor brake controller configured to apply a brake to the crankshaft by reverse-rotationally driving the motor when it is detected that the crankshaft is rewound to the predetermined position.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus including a light emitting device includes a determination unit configured to determine a weighting coefficient of each of a plurality of light metering regions, a calculation unit configured to calculate an amount of main flash light of the light emitting device after performing weighting of the light metering value of each of the plurality of light metering regions according to the weighting coefficient determined by the determination unit, and a selection unit configured to select, from the plurality of light metering regions, a reference region which is used when the weighting coefficient of each of the plurality of light metering regions is determined by the determination unit, and the selection unit selects the reference region in such a manner that a light metering region different from a light metering region whose color information acquired by the color information acquisition unit satisfies a particular condition, is preferentially selected.

Abstract: When information associated with an object distance cannot be acquired, an image capture apparatus sets a condition required to determine a reference area used to determine weighting coefficients for respective photometry areas from a plurality of photometry areas, based on photometric values of the plurality of photometry areas obtained by making preliminary light emission.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a first terminal and a second terminal and a control unit configured to perform switching between a first communication mode for outputting a clock signal via the first terminal and communicating with a mounted lens unit via the second terminal based on the clock signal and a second communication mode for communicating with the mounted lens unit via the first terminal or the second terminal without using the clock signal. The control unit continuously sets the first communication mode if the second communication mode is not usable for the mounted lens unit. On the other hand, the control unit sets the second communication mode if the second communication mode is available for the mounted lens unit and sets a baud rate to communicate with the lens unit in the second communication mode to be a baud rate value received from the lens unit.

Abstract: When the depth information indicating a difference among a plurality of subjects in the size of subject distance is large, an imaging apparatus lowers a threshold value of the subject luminance to be referred to when determining whether to perform a shooting operation with light emission by an illumination device.

Abstract: Information relating to object distances in a plurality of areas in an imaging plane is acquired, and a threshold value for an object luminance at which imaging is performed by flashing an illumination device according to a difference between an object distance in a reference area and the object distances in the plurality of areas.

Abstract: When communication is made between a camera and an interchangeable lens by a conventional synchronization method, an operation for checking Busy is required between communications, and operating performances of the camera and interchangeable lens may not be occasionally improved. Provided is a camera and interchangeable lens system in which a communication method between a camera and an interchangeable lens can be changed to one of synchronous communication and asynchronous communication. The synchronous communication is made first while the camera serves as a master. The camera measures a time interval of a signal pulse output from the lens at a predetermined time interval in response to a command from the camera to the interchangeable lens for change of the communication to the asynchronous communication. The camera determines a baud rate for the asynchronous communication and then changes the communication method between the camera and the interchangeable lens to the asynchronous communication.

Abstract: When the depth information indicating a difference among a plurality of subjects in the size of subject distance is large, an imaging apparatus lowers a threshold value of the subject luminance to be referred to when determining whether to perform a shooting operation with light emission by an illumination device.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus capable of executing photographing using an emission unit that emits light to a subject includes an acquisition unit for obtaining distance-to-subject information based on lens driving information on a taking lens obtained upon focus adjustment, a detection unit for detecting a face of the subject based on an image signal obtained upon image pickup, a distance calculation unit for calculating a distance to subject based on a result of detection by the detection unit, and an emission amount calculation unit for calculating an amount of main emission of the emission unit based on the distance-to-subject information obtained by the acquisition unit and the distance to subject calculated by the distance calculation unit.

Abstract: An engine start control system is provided that includes a controller configured to perform an idle stop control to stop an engine based on an establishment of a condition. The system further includes a motor configured to reverse-rotationally drive a crankshaft to a predetermined position for normal-rotational or reverse-rotational driving, after engine stop. The controller includes a reverse-rotational drive controller configured to reverse-rotationally drive the motor at a rewinding control duty ratio immediately after the engine is stopped. The controller further includes a reverse-rotation stop condition processor configured to detect whether the crankshaft is rewound to the predetermined position by the reverse-rotational drive controller. Further, the controller includes a motor brake controller configured to apply a brake to the crankshaft by reverse-rotationally driving the motor when it is detected that the crankshaft is rewound to the predetermined position.

Abstract: A 720-degree motor stage storage means for holding the result of stroke discrimination for the engine E also in the period for carrying out an idle stop control is provided. At the time of restarting the engine E from an idle stop state, a new stroke discriminating processing is not conducted, but the result of stroke discrimination stored in the 720-degree motor stage storage means is used, to thereby drive a fuel injection system and an ignition device. A stage decision unit for allocating a period of two revolutions of a crankshaft to 720-degree motor stages based on the result of stroke discrimination, a fuel injection and ignition stage correlation table having predetermined correlations of 720-degree motor stages with fuel injection stages and ignition stages, and restarting time motor stage conversion means for conversion of a 720-degree motor stage into a fuel injection stage and an ignition stage, are provided.

Abstract: A display control device capable of suppressing an abrupt change in brightness of a display device viewed by a user when a large change takes place in outside light illuminance, thereby relieving a viewing difficulty. A control unit detects illuminance of outside light irradiated onto the display device, calculates a target brightness value corresponding to the detected illuminance, and sets a brightness setting value for the display device based on the target brightness value. If there is continuity in display content of the display device, the brightness setting value is set while providing an upper limit value for an amount of change in target brightness value. If the display content is changed without continuity, the target brightness value is set as the brightness setting value while unrestricting the amount of change in the target brightness value.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus capable of executing photographing using an emission unit that emits light to a subject includes an acquisition unit for obtaining distance-to-subject information based on lens driving information on a taking lens obtained upon focus adjustment, a detection unit for detecting a face of the subject based on an image signal obtained upon image pickup, a distance calculation unit for calculating a distance to subject based on a result of detection by the detection unit, and an emission amount calculation unit for calculating an amount of main emission of the emission unit based on the distance-to-subject information obtained by the acquisition unit and the distance to subject calculated by the distance calculation unit.