Abstract: In an imaging apparatus with a shake correction function, the influence of front curtain shock is prevented from being exerted on a shake correction function section (shake correction drive). The imaging apparatus includes a shake detection sensor 171 that detects an amount of shake applied to a digital camera, a shake correction unit 200 that performs a shake correction drive of an imaging device 101 on the basis of a shake amount detection signal, a shutter unit 40 that is arranged immediately in front of the imaging device 101 and performs an optical-path opening operation and an optical-path blocking operation for opening and blocking an optical path of light guided to the imaging device 101, a timing control circuit 51 that supplies a predetermined reset signal to each pixel for each predetermined pixel line so as to start exposure on the imaging device 101, and a shutter control section 623 that controls exposure of the imaging device 101.

Abstract: A plurality of exchange lenses designed for object exposure regions of different sizes can be selectively mounted on the present imaging device. The imaging device determines whether a mismatch state is present, in which the size of the object exposure region of an exchange lens mounted is smaller than the size of the imaging region of an imaging element. If it is determined that a mismatch state is present, an image of a partial region of the imaging region is generated and the image of the partial region is displayed as a live view image in a relatively large area (an area larger than an area for displaying the partial region in a live view display when no mismatch state is present). Accordingly, techniques for performing a live view display with favorable visibility are provided.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and has an electronic focal plane shutter function for providing a predetermined reset signal to the pixels on a pixel line to pixel line basis to perform an exposure start operation. A mechanical focal plane shutter is disposed immediately before the image sensor. A control unit causes the image sensor to perform the exposure start operation using the electronic focal plane shutter function a predetermined period of time after a curtain group of the mechanical focal plane shutter is open and causes the mechanical focal plane shutter to perform an exposure end operation when a shutter speed is set to low. The control unit causes the mechanical focal plane shutter to perform the exposure start operation and the exposure end operation when the shutter speed is set to high.

Abstract: There is provided an imaging unit: including an image sensor with a number of pixels arranged in a matrix, the pixels having color pixels where color filters are disposed, and white pixels where the color filters are not disposed; a sampling circuit section for sampling pixel signals generated in the image sensor; and a main controller for controlling the image sensor and/or the sampling circuit section to sample the pixel signals generated in the white pixels or the pixel signals generated in the color pixels sequentially in a time-series manner.

Abstract: There is provided an imaging unit: including an image sensor with a number of pixels arranged in a matrix, the pixels having color pixels where color filters are disposed, and white pixels where the color filters are not disposed; a sampling circuit section for sampling pixel signals generated in the image sensor; and a main controller for controlling the image sensor and/or the sampling circuit section to sample the pixel signals generated in the white pixels or the pixel signals generated in the color pixels sequentially in a time-series manner.

Abstract: There is provided an imaging unit: including an image sensor with a number of pixels arranged in a matrix, the pixels having color pixels where color filters are disposed, and white pixels where the color filters are not disposed; a sampling circuit section for sampling pixel signals generated in the image sensor; and a main controller for controlling the image sensor and/or the sampling circuit section to sample the pixel signals generated in the white pixels or the pixel signals generated in the color pixels sequentially in a time-series manner.

Abstract: A channel switching system includes two microvalves i.e. a first valve (stopper valve) and a second valve (water retaining valve). The first valve is openable and closable, and the second valve is operable to block fluid flow by a surface tension force. Changing the first valve from an open state to a close state enables to switch the system from a condition that the fluid flows through the channel where the first valve is mounted by blocking the flow at the second valve by the surface tension force to a condition that the fluid flows through the channel where the second valve is mounted by releasing the system from the condition that the flow is blocked at the second valve by the surface tension force.

Abstract: A plurality of exchange lenses designed for object exposure regions of different sizes can be selectively mounted on the present imaging device. The imaging device determines whether a mismatch state is present, in which the size of the object exposure region of an exchange lens mounted is smaller than the size of the imaging region of an imaging element. If it is determined that a mismatch state is present, an image of a partial region of the imaging region is generated and the image of the partial region is displayed as a live view image in a relatively large area (an area larger than an area for displaying the partial region in a live view display when no mismatch state is present). Accordingly, techniques for performing a live view display with favorable visibility are provided.

Abstract: Problems, such as unevenness of exposure, caused by the difference in speed between a first curtain and a second curtain and a positional shift between the curtains (the occurrence of an edge darkening phenomenon) can be prevented. In addition, power consumption is reduced. When the shutter speed is set to be low by exposure control means, the exposure start operation is performed using an electronic focal plane shutter function of an image sensor (an electronic focal plane shutter is used for the first curtain), and an exposure end operation is performed by a mechanical focal plane shutter. In contrast, when the shutter speed is set to be high by the exposure control means, the exposure start operation and the exposure end operation are performed using the mechanical focal plane shutter (the mechanical focal plane shutter is used for the first curtain).

Abstract: A microchemical chip includes: a sample loading portion for loading a sample; a driving liquid reservoir holding a driving liquid; a sample channel for communicating at least the driving liquid reservoir, the sample loading portion, an amplifying portion, and a detecting portion with each other; and a pump chamber, formed on the sample channel at a position between the driving liquid reservoir and the sample loading portion, for feeding the driving liquid to transport the sample from the sample loading portion to the amplifying portion.

Abstract: In an imaging apparatus with a shake correction function, the influence of front curtain shock is prevented from being exerted on a shake correction function section (shake correction drive). The imaging apparatus includes a shake detection sensor 171 that detects an amount of shake applied to a digital camera, a shake correction unit 200 that performs a shake correction drive of an imaging device 101 on the basis of a shake amount detection signal, a shutter unit 40 that is arranged immediately in front of the imaging device 101 and performs an optical-path opening operation and an optical-path blocking operation for opening and blocking an optical path of light guided to the imaging device 101, a timing control circuit 51 that supplies a predetermined reset signal to each pixel for each predetermined pixel line so as to start exposure on the imaging device 101, and a shutter control section 623 that controls exposure of the imaging device 101.

Abstract: There is provided an imaging unit: including an image sensor with a number of pixels arranged in a matrix, the pixels having color pixels where color filters are disposed, and white pixels where the color filters are not disposed; a sampling circuit section for sampling pixel signals generated in the image sensor; and a main controller for controlling the image sensor and/or the sampling circuit section to sample the pixel signals generated in the white pixels or the pixel signals generated in the color pixels sequentially in a time-series manner.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus is provided with a CMOS image sensor including a number of pixels arrayed in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to each other, a luminance distribution detecting section which detects a luminance distribution of an optical image of a subject incidented to the image sensor; and an image processing section which corrects an output value of the pixel to a predetermined value based on a luminance distribution of a predetermined high luminance region in the luminance distribution detected by the luminance distribution detecting section.

Abstract: An image sensor of present invention comprising a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and having pixels where at least three kinds of color filters are disposed, color pixels where the color filters are disposed and monochrome pixels where no color filter is disposed are provided, the sum total of the monochrome pixels is larger than the sum total of the color pixels, and when pixels including a predetermined number of color pixels for each kind of color filter constitute one group, the color pixels or the pixels of the groups are dispersedly disposed with the monochrome pixels in between.

Abstract: A digital camera comprises a camera body and an image sensing unit. The image sensing unit includes a taking lens, a driver of the taking lens and an image sensor, and is attachable to the camera body directly or by a cable. The camera body includes an image processor for processing image data from the image sensing unit, a flash for emitting flash light, a recorder for recording the image data, a display for displaying images, and other circuits. An interface for a personal computer and a video capture adaptor can be attached to the camera body instead of the image sensing unit. The camera body is provided with a power source section having power supplying portions each assigned to a specific circuit such as the lens driver, the image sensor, the flash, the image processor, the interface and the adaptor. The camera body detects what is attached thereto and whether the cable is used, and supplies power only to those circuits that should be activated in accordance with the result of the detection.

Abstract: An image capture controller causes a reset operation to be performed in order from a pixel “1” with the half depression of a shutter button 4 as the trigger, and when the reset operation of a pixel “12” is completed, causes the reset operation to be again performed in order from the pixel “1”. When the shutter button 4 is fully depressed at a time T=T3, the image capture controller causes the execution of the reset operation to be stopped at a pixel “4” the reset operation of which is completed at that point of time, opens the shutter for an exposure time Tp from a time T=T4, and then, causes the output operation to be performed, from a time T=T6, in order from a pixel “5” next to the pixel “4” the reset operation of which is completed at the reset operation stop time (time T=T3), that is, in the order of the pixel “5”, . . . , a pixel “12”, . . . , to the pixel “4”.

Abstract: In an image capturing apparatus, a gain of an amplifier for amplifying an image signal output from an image sensor is variable, and a waveform pattern of drive pulses applied to the image sensor is changed in accordance with the gain. For example, when the gain is lower than 12 dB, the drive pulses are set to have an A pattern, to make the number of chare storage gates equal to four. When the gain is equal to or higher than 12 dB, the drive pulses are set to have a B pattern, to make the number of charge storage gates equal to three. In the image sensor, while an amount of dark noise decreases as the number of charge storage gates is smaller, the number of charge storage gates is reduced in the foregoing manner when the gain is set to a high value, to prevent degradation of a signal-to-noise ratio. Hence, degradation in quality of a captured image can be prevented even in photographing a subject with a low brightness.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus having image sensor which obtains an image of an object, detector configured to detect external flash light except flash light by self-emission, determiner configured to determine whether a quantity of external flash light detected by the detector has reached a predetermined threshold value, identifier configured to identify, as a flash image, an image exposed by the external flash light among the images obtained by the image sensor, and recording portion which receives the flash image identified by the identifier to record when the determiner determines that the quantity of external flash light has reached the threshold value.

Abstract: Shading occurring in an image captured by an image sensor has a characteristic in that the light amount decrease ratio is asymmetrical with respect to the center of the image and varies according to a color component. Consequently, three correction tables are generated in correspondence with three color component images of R, G and B which form a color un-corrected image. The correction tables have correction factors whose values are asymmetrical with respect to the center of an image. By using the dedicated correction tables for the three color component images of the un-corrected image, shading correction is made. Thus, shading in the un-corrected image is properly corrected.

Abstract: A plurality of pixels in a photoreception part of the image capturing sensor are divided into two groups: a first group for acquiring pixel signals for a motion picture, and a second group for acquiring the other pixel signals. A dedicated output system is disposed for each of the two groups, so that the pixel signals of the two groups can be outputted independently of each other. With the configuration, even when an instruction of acquiring a still picture is given during a period of capturing a motion picture, without being influenced by outputs of the second group, the pixel signals of the first group can be repeatedly outputted in predetermined time cycle.