Abstract: A server device according to the present invention, which is connected to a plurality of player terminals through a network, includes a storage unit configured to store an initial upper limit of number of groups and an initial threshold value smaller than an upper limit of a group affiliation rate, which is a ratio of number of affiliated persons with respect to a quota of a group, a group generating portion configured to generate a plurality of groups to which the group affiliation rate of the initial threshold value is set, at a start of a game, based on the initial upper limit of the number of groups, and a player distributing portion configured to distribute players to groups.

Abstract: A server device according to the present invention, which is connected to a plurality of player terminals through a network, includes a storage unit configured to store an initial upper limit of number of groups and an initial threshold value smaller than an upper limit of a group affiliation rate, which is a ratio of number of affiliated persons with respect to a quota of a group, a group generating portion configured to generate a plurality of groups to which the group affiliation rate of the initial threshold value is set, at a start of a game, based on the initial upper limit of the number of groups, and a player distributing portion configured to distribute players to groups.

Abstract: An image pickup method using an image pickup apparatus having a charge coupled device (CCD) image pickup device, the method includes: acquiring an effective pixel signal from effective pixels of a light-receiving face of the CCD image pickup device; acquiring a signal outputted from shaded pixels of the light-receiving face to calculate a representative value of the signal; controlling a variable gain amplification above a vertical period of the effective pixel signal in plus correlation with an average above the vertical period of the representative value; and controlling a variable gain amplification of a horizontal period of the effective pixel signal in minus correlation with a ratio between a value of a horizontal period of the representative value or a recursive average in screens of the representative value and an average above a vertical period of the representative value.

Abstract: An image pickup system includes a plurality of electron multiplication image pickup apparatuses; and a correction coefficient calculating device. The correction coefficient calculating device measures electron multiplication properties of image signals output from the electron multiplication image pickup apparatuses on a regular basis, calculates correction coefficients that are used to adjust the sensitivity of image signals from the electron multiplication apparatus, and sets the calculated correction coefficients in the electron multiplication image pickup apparatuses.

Abstract: In a complementary-MOSFET driving circuit for driving the charge multiplication gate of an EM-CCD, a ferrite bead is connected to a conduction-termination direction diode in parallel thereto, the conduction-termination direction diode being inserted into the gate electrodes of complementary MOSFETs in series therewith, the impedance of the ferrite bead at a switching frequency being lower than one-half of the gate-electrode impedance of the MOSFETs, a time during which the MOSFETs are brought into simultaneous conduction being shorter than ¼th of the switching period, the impedance of the ferrite bead at a frequency equivalent to ¼th of the switching period being higher than 2 times the gate-electrode impedance of the MOSFETs, a ferrite bead being connected to the drain electrodes of the complementary MOSFETs in series therewith, the impedance of the ferrite bead at the switching frequency being lower than one-half of the impedance of a capacitive load at the switching frequency, and the impedance of the ferr

Abstract: An image pickup system includes a plurality of electron multiplication image pickup apparatuses; and a correction coefficient calculating device. The correction coefficient calculating device measures electron multiplication properties of image signals output from the electron multiplication image pickup apparatuses on a regular basis, calculates correction coefficients that are used to adjust the sensitivity of image signals from the electron multiplication apparatus, and sets the calculated correction coefficients in the electron multiplication image pickup apparatuses.

Abstract: An image pickup method using an image pickup apparatus having a charge coupled device (CCD) image pickup device, the method includes: acquiring an effective pixel signal from effective pixels of a light-receiving face of the CCD image pickup device; acquiring a signal outputted from shaded pixels of the light-receiving face to calculate a representative value of the signal; controlling a variable gain amplification above a vertical period of the effective pixel signal in plus correlation with an average above the vertical period of the representative value; and controlling a variable gain amplification of a horizontal period of the effective pixel signal in minus correlation with a ratio between a value of a horizontal period of the representative value or a recursive average in screens of the representative value and an average above a vertical period of the representative value.

Abstract: In a complementary-MOSFET driving circuit for driving the charge multiplication gate of an EM-CCD, a ferrite bead is connected to a conduction-termination direction diode in parallel thereto, the conduction-termination direction diode being inserted into the gate electrodes of complementary MOSFETs in series therewith, the impedance of the ferrite bead at a switching frequency being lower than one-half of the gate-electrode impedance of the MOSFETs, a time during which the MOSFETs are brought into simultaneous conduction being shorter than ¼th of the switching period, the impedance of the ferrite bead at a frequency equivalent to ¼th of the switching period being higher than 2 times the gate-electrode impedance of the MOSFETs, a ferrite bead being connected to the drain electrodes of the complementary MOSFETs in series therewith, the impedance of the ferrite bead at the switching frequency being lower than one-half of the impedance of a capacitive load at the switching frequency, and the impedance of the ferr