Abstract: A surface mount type electronic component includes a substantially rectangular case substrate, an electronic element mounted on the case substrate along the longitudinal direction, and a cap which is fixed onto the case substrate in such a manner as to cover the electronic element. First and second top-surface electrodes and first and second bottom-surface electrodes, which extend along the width direction of the case substrate, are arranged with a spacing on the top surface and the bottom surface of the case substrate, respectively. The first top-surface electrode and the first bottom-surface electrode are connected to each other via a first side electrode disposed on the side surface of the case substrate, and the second top-surface electrode and the second bottom-surface electrode are connected to each other via a second side electrode disposed on the side surface of the case substrate.

Abstract: At power-on, a digital camera starts to operate with a display unit off (state S1). At a subsequent half shutter press of a shutter button, a quick return mirror is flipped down and phase difference AF is performed with live view display off (state S3). At a subsequent full press of the shutter button, the digital camera enters an image capture operation. With a quick return mirror in the up position, a focusing lens is moved to its in-focus, front focus and rear focus positions, at each of which contrast in an AF area of predetermined partial portion of an image is obtained for comparison to select a position of the focusing lens with maximum contrast (state S4). Then, image data is obtained and recorded on a memory card (state S5). With the above processing, the digital camera can perform autofocusing, as circumstances demand, by a contrast AF method.

Abstract: An AF control portion of a digital camera has therein a histogram generating circuit for generating a histogram of widths of edges in an AF area, a noise eliminating portion for eliminating noise components from the histogram, a histogram evaluating portion for calculating an evaluation value indicative of the degree of achieving focus from the histogram, and a contrast calculating circuit for calculating contrast in the AF area. Further, a driving amount determining portion for determining an amount of driving a focusing lens, and a driving direction determining portion for determining a direction of driving the focusing lens are provided. The driving direction determining portion determines the direction of driving the focusing lens by using contrast. The driving amount determining portion positions the focusing lens to an in-focus position promptly with high precision while changing the driving amount by using the evaluation value of the histogram and the contrast.

Abstract: The image sensing device or image processing apparatus has a synthesizing capability enabling the device or apparatus to perform blur control using a specified amount of blur and to prepare a blur-controlled image, as well as a blur-controlled image processing capability enabling the device or apparatus to carry out processes other than blur control on the prepared blur-controlled image and to change the degree of processing in accordance with the amount of blur.

Abstract: An image taking apparatus includes an image sensor which picks up an image of a photographic object and a selector which selects a first photographing mode or a second photographing mode and a controller. The second photographing mode is a mode for composing a plurality of picked-up images to create a composite image. The controller makes the image sensor pickup a photographic object image on the first photographing condition when the first photographing mode is selected by the selector, and makes the image sensor pick up a plurality of images of photographic objects on the second photographing condition different from said first photographing condition when the second photographing mode is selected by the selector.

Abstract: An image taking apparatus includes an image sensor which takes a plurality of images different in focal distance, a processor which creates a pan-focus image focused on each of different photographic objects from the plurality of images taken by the image sensor, a discriminator which discriminates whether or not it is appropriate to create the pan-focus image, and a controller which forbids the processor to create the pan-focus image when the discriminator discriminates that it is not appropriate to create the pan-focus image.

Abstract: A digital camera has an image capturing mode MD1 and a reproduction mode MD2. When an event regarding reproduction, specifically, attachment of a lens cap, operation of a four-way switch or the like to reproduce an image or sound, or insertion of a memory card for reproduction is detected in the image capturing mode M1, the digital camera is automatically switched to the reproduction mode MD2. On the other hand, when an event regarding image capturing, specifically, operation of a pop-up flash, detection of contact of the eye to an eye cup, various settings regarding image capturing, insertion of a memory card for image capturing, or operation of image capturing with a self-timer, focusing, zoom, aperture, shutter button, recording, or display switching is detected in the reproduction mode MD2, the digital camera is automatically switched to the image capturing mode MD1.

Abstract: This electronic camera changes display characteristics (such as brightness, contrast, and hue) of an image displayed on an electronic view finder (EVF) in accordance with characteristics (such as brightness and hue) of environment light. For example, as the brightness of environment light increases, the brightness of an image displayed on the EVF is reduced, or the hue of an image displayed on the EVF is changed in a direction opposite to that of changing the hue of the environment light. By the operation, the display characteristics of an image displayed on the EVF can be optimized in accordance with the characteristics of the environment light. By automatically displaying a live view on the EVF when the brightness of the environment light is high or displaying a pre-light emission image captured with a flash, the display states of the LCD and EVF are optimized.

Abstract: At power-on, a digital camera starts to operate with a display unit off (state S1). At a subsequent half shutter press of a shutter button, a quick return mirror is flipped down and phase difference AF is performed with live view display off (state S3). At a subsequent full press of the shutter button, the digital camera enters an image capture operation. With a quick return mirror in the up position, a focusing lens is moved to its in-focus, front focus and rear focus positions, at each of which contrast in an AF area of predetermined partial portion of an image is obtained for comparison to select a position of the focusing lens with maximum contrast (state S4). Then, image data is obtained and recorded on a memory card (state S5). With the above processing, the digital camera can perform autofocusing, as circumstances demand, by a contrast AF method.

Abstract: Digital camera techniques improve the convenience of a live view display and the like. Image processing in a digital camera includes image processing (i.e., live view processing) for real-time display of a subject on a liquid crystal monitor and image processing performed on image signals followed by image capture for recording. Both the image processing is performed by a single common image processor. In image capture for recording, high-priority live view processing (Pc) is performed between writing (Pa) of image signals outputted from a CCD into memory and captured image processing (Pb). This shortens the time of not displaying a live view image, thereby preventing a shutter release opportunity from being missed and improving the convenience of a live view display.

Abstract: In a transmission with a built-in planetary gear mechanism which has an element to be fixed to a casing of the transmission, inner elements are sub-assembled by mounting a plurality of transmission constituting members inclusive of the planetary gear mechanism. After containing the inner elements inside the casing, the element to be fixed is arranged to be fixable to the casing from a peripheral wall portion of the casing. The element to be fixed is fixed to the cylinder portion of a hydraulic brake to be built in the transmission. The cylinder portion is fixed to the casing by means of fixing members which are inserted into the casing from an outside of the peripheral wall portion of the transmission casing.

Abstract: The CPU 17 accesses multiple slots 41a and 41b in a digital camera 1 at regular intervals to detect whether or not memory cards 40a and 40b are mounted in the slots 41a and 41b, respectively. Based on whether or not memory cards 40a and 40b are mounted in the slots 41a and 41b, respectively, the CPU 17 selects one slot as the slot to be accessed. There are three modes available as the mode from which to perform this selection, i.e., a fixed mode, a priority mode and a manual operation mode.

Abstract: A digital camera in which two recording media such as memory cards may be mounted, wherein when an image 211 is reproduced in the monitor 21 on the rear side of the camera, the card name 212 for the memory card in which the data for the image 211 is recorded, as well as the image number 213, are also displayed. Further, by deeming the first image data item in the other memory card as the image data item following the last image data item in one memory card, all image data items recorded in both memory cards are handled as if they were recorded in a single large-capacity memory card. Consequently, the user may easily determine the memory card from which the displayed image was read, and at the same time, erroneous operation may be prevented, and accurate handling of the image data may be realized.

Abstract: A photographed image recording and reproducing system includes a camera portion and a recording and reproducing portion. The camera portion has an image pick-up device for picking up an object image and producing an electrical image signal corresponding to the object image, a signal processing device for processing the electrical image signal into an analog image data signal, and an output device for outputting the analog image data signal. The recording and reproducing portion has a receiver device for receiving the analog image data signal, a conversion device for converting the analog image data signal to a digital image data signal, a memory device for storing the digital image data signal, a recording device for recording the stored digital image data signal on a record medium, and a reproducing device for reproducing the object image based on the recorded digital image data signal.

Abstract: A camera is disclosed which has means for receiving an electric wave which is transmitted from an external device in a wireless manner (e.g., equipment for radio navigation systems, satellites and radio stations). When an image of an object is recorded at every shot on a recording medium loaded in said camera, a data corresponding to every shot is recorded in accordance with the electric wave received by said receiving means. Preferably said camera further has means for detecting a place where the photo-taking operation is carried out and in accordance with the detection of said detecting means, the data corresponding to every shot is recorded. Thus, records of the object image together with data relating to place can be obtained without any manual operation prior to every photo-taking operation.

Abstract: A still carmera system is capable of being loaded with a film back or a still video back selectably or of changing focal length information of an objective lens in use so as to correspond to the image size of the still video back, whereby when loaded with the still video back, the operational condition of a focal length dependent portion is set in accordance with changed focal length information.

Abstract: A still video adapter device is detachably mounted to a back portion of a camera body, in place of a rear cover. The light passing through an objective lens of the camera body is relayed by a relay optical system and split into two groups, one being directed to an image sensor for the still video photography, the other to a light measuring element for the exposure control. The output of the light measuring element is integrated and compared with a given value, thereby generating a signal for interrupting the flash light emission when the integrated value reaches the given value.

Abstract: A still camera system comprises a camera body which carrys alternatively a film back or a still video back having a solid-state image pickup device for receiving still images in order to record them on a recording medium. The improved system includes a display, a first means for providing the display information on the film back installing mode, and a second means for providing the display information on the still video back installing mode.