Abstract: A method for producing an L-amino acid such as L-glutamic acid is provided. An L-amino acid is produced by culturing in a culture medium a bacterium belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae and having an L-amino acid-producing ability, and collecting the L-amino acid from the culture medium and/or cells of the bacterium, wherein the bacterium has been modified to have one or more of the following modifications: (A) modification of reducing the activity of a BudA protein; (B) modification of reducing the activity of a BudB protein; (C) modification of reducing the activity of a BudC protein; (D) modification of reducing the activity of a PAJ_3461 protein; (E) modification of reducing the activity of a PAJ_3462 protein; and (F) modification of reducing the activity of a PAJ_3463 protein.

Abstract: An optical scan unit (10) is configured to include a light source (11), a divergent light conversion element (12) having such positive power as to convert divergent light from the light source (11) into convergent light to form a spot on a projection plane, an optical deflector (13) deflecting a light beam from the divergent light conversion element (12) to a first scan direction and a second scan direction which is orthogonal to the first scan direction, and a deflection angle conversion element 14 (14) having such negative power as to convert a deflection angle of the light deflected by the optical deflector (13).

Abstract: A projector projecting an image on an object by scanning the object with a light beam includes a light source; a divergence angle converter converting the divergence angle of the light beam; a light deflector deflecting the light beam in a light beam scanning direction and a direction perpendicular to the light beam scanning direction; alight deflector drive controller controlling the light deflector to form the focused light spots at the respective pixel positions of the object on the basis of positional data for the pixels; a light amount controller controlling light amount of the light beam on the basis of luminance data for the pixels; and an image processor correcting the luminance data on the basis of previously obtained deterioration data of the projected image and outputting the corrected luminance data to the light amount controller while outputting the positional data to the light deflector drive controller.

Abstract: An image processing unit generates image data of an image based on an output signal from an imaging device, corrects the image data, and outputs corrected image data. An optical filter is structured such that an upper limit of a transmitting wavelength decreases as a distance from an optical axis of the imaging optical system increases on an imaging plane of the imaging device so that a light in an infrared region is transmitted on the optical axis and cut off at a position farthest away from the optical axis on the imaging plane. The image processing unit corrects the image data based on a correction equation corresponding to the upper limit of the transmitting wavelength.

Abstract: A disclosed optical pickup includes an aberration correction unit with a phase shifter surface. On the phase shifter surface, rectangular or staircase-like steps are formed in a concentric manner around an optical axial center, in certain regions where a light beam passes through. The steps have different heights in the optical axial direction. A light beam having a wavelength of 405 nm is directly transmitted through the steps so that a phase difference is applied for correcting spherical aberration that occurs on a first optical recording medium. A light beam that passes through an annular region without any steps is focused on a second optical recording medium. A light beam that passes through an outside region is focused by an object lens on the second optical recording medium, and is not focused on the first optical recording medium.

Abstract: A lighting device, including a first light source emitting light of a first wavelength; a second light source close to the first source, emitting light of a second wavelength in almost a same direction as that of the first source; a third light source located emitting light of a third wavelength in a direction different from that of the first and second sources; a coupling optical system coupling light from the first and second sources; another coupling optical system coupling light from the third source; and a light path synthesizer synthesizing a light path of light from the first, second and third sources, wherein the light path synthesizer includes a first surface reflecting light from the first source and transmitting light from the second and third sources and a second surface unparallel with the first surface, reflecting light from the second source and transmitting light from the third source.

Abstract: A disclosed optical pickup for performing at least recording, reproduction, or deletion of information on a first, second, third, and fourth optical recording media having different recording densities includes a first light source configured to emit first light having a first wavelength ?1 corresponding to the first and second optical recording media; a second light source configured to emit second light having a second wavelength ?2 corresponding to the third optical recording medium; a third light source configured to emit third light having a third wavelength ?3 corresponding to the fourth optical recording medium; an objective lens configured to focus the first light, the second light, and the third light on corresponding recording surfaces of the first, second, third, and fourth optical recording media; and an aberration correcting unit between the objective lens and the first, second, and third light sources.

Abstract: An image projecting apparatus enables the formation of a projected image faithful to original image information by reducing degradation in the projected image due to decrease in imaging performance of a projection optical system. Image information is processed by an image processing device, which includes a first and a second image processor. A light modulating device modulates a flux of light emitted by an illumination optical system based on the processed image information. The modulated flux of light is projected on a screen by a projection optical system. If the image information processed by the first image processor in a pixel region is not within a representable modulation range of the light modulating device, the image information is processed by the second image processor.

Abstract: An optical scan unit (10) is configured to include a light source (11), a divergent light conversion element (12) having such positive power as to convert divergent light from the light source (11) into convergent light to form a spot on a projection plane, an optical deflector (13) deflecting a light beam from the divergent light conversion element (12) to a first scan direction and a second scan direction which is orthogonal to the first scan direction, and a deflection angle conversion element 14 (14) having such negative power as to convert a deflection angle of the light deflected by the optical deflector (13).

Abstract: A wide-angle lens is disclosed that includes a front lens group and a rear lens group that are arranged in order from an object side to an image side with an aperture being arranged between the front lens group and the rear lens group. The front lens group includes at least two lenses arranged toward the object side that have negative powers, and at least one lens arranged toward the image side that has a positive power. The rear lens group includes at least one lens having a positive power. One of the lenses of the front lens group arranged second in order from the object side has a lens face that is arranged into an aspheric surface. The front lens group, the aperture, and the rear lens group make up an image forming system having an angle of view greater than 180 degrees.

Abstract: A disclosed optical pickup includes an aberration correction unit with a phase shifter surface. On the phase shifter surface, rectangular or staircase-like steps are formed in a concentric manner around an optical axial center, in certain regions where a light beam passes through. The steps have different heights in the optical axial direction. A light beam having a wavelength of 405 nm is directly transmitted through the steps so that a phase difference is applied for correcting spherical aberration that occurs on a first optical recording medium. A light beam that passes through an annular region without any steps is focused on a second optical recording medium. A light beam that passes through an outside region is focused by an object lens on the second optical recording medium, and is not focused on the first optical recording medium.

Abstract: A lighting device, including a first light source emitting light of a first wavelength; a second light source close to the first source, emitting light of a second wavelength in almost a same direction as that of the first source; a third light source located emitting light of a third wavelength in a direction different from that of the first and second sources; a coupling optical system coupling light from the first and second sources; another coupling optical system coupling light from the third source; and a light path synthesizer synthesizing a light path of light from the first, second and third sources, wherein the light path synthesizer includes a first surface reflecting light from the first source and transmitting light from the second and third sources and a second surface unparallel with the first surface, reflecting light from the second source and transmitting light from the third source.

Abstract: A projector projecting an image on an object by scanning the object with a light beam includes a light source; a divergence angle converter converting the divergence angle of the light beam; a light deflector deflecting the light beam in a light beam scanning direction and a direction perpendicular to the light beam scanning direction; alight deflector drive controller controlling the light deflector to form the focused light spots at the respective pixel positions of the object on the basis of positional data for the pixels; a light amount controller controlling light amount of the light beam on the basis of luminance data for the pixels; and an image processor correcting the luminance data on the basis of previously obtained deterioration data of the projected image and outputting the corrected luminance data to the light amount controller while outputting the positional data to the light deflector drive controller.

Abstract: An image processing unit generates image data of an image based on an output signal from an imaging device, corrects the image data, and outputs corrected image data. An optical filter is structured such that an upper limit of a transmitting wavelength decreases as a distance from an optical axis of the imaging optical system increases on an imaging plane of the imaging device so that a light in an infrared region is transmitted on the optical axis and cut off at a position farthest away from the optical axis on the imaging plane. The image processing unit corrects the image data based on a correction equation corresponding to the upper limit of the transmitting wavelength.

Abstract: A wide-angle lens is disclosed that includes a front lens group and a rear lens group that are arranged in order from an object side to an image side with an aperture being arranged between the front lens group and the rear lens group. The front lens group includes at least two lenses arranged toward the object side that have positive powers, and at least one lens arranged toward the image side that has a negative positive power. One of the lenses of the front lens group arranged second in order from the object side has a lens face that is arranged into an aspheric surface. The front lens group, the aperture, and the rear lens group make up an image forming system having an angle of view greater than 180 degrees.

Abstract: A disclosed optical pickup for performing at least recording, reproduction, or deletion of information on a first, second, third, and fourth optical recording media having different recording densities includes a first light source configured to emit first light having a first wavelength ?1 corresponding to the first and second optical recording media; a second light source configured to emit second light having a second wavelength ?2 corresponding to the third optical recording medium; a third light source configured to emit third light having a third wavelength ?3 corresponding to the fourth optical recording medium; an objective lens configured to focus the first light, the second light, and the third light on corresponding recording surfaces of the first, second, third, and fourth optical recording media; and an aberration correcting unit between the objective lens and the first, second, and third light sources.

Abstract: An image projecting apparatus enables the formation of a projected image faithful to original image information by reducing degradation in the projected image due to decrease in imaging performance of a projection optical system. Image information is processed by an image processing device, which includes a first and a second image processor. A light modulating device modulates a flux of light emitted by an illumination optical system based on the processed image information. The modulated flux of light is projected on a screen by a projection optical system. If the image information processed by the first image processor in a pixel region is not within a representable modulation range of the light modulating device, the image information is processed by the second image processor.