Abstract: An image pickup apparatus having an image capturing unit capturing an image, a first recording unit temporarily recording an original image signal output from the image capturing unit, a processing unit performing predetermined signal processing upon the original image signal output from the image capturing unit, and an instructing unit instructing the processing unit to capture a still image. When the processing unit is instructed to capture a still image by the instructing unit while performing moving image signal processing upon the original image signal output from the image capturing unit, the processing unit may cause the first recording unit to record the original image signal output from the image capturing unit. In addition, the processing unit may read out the recorded original image signal from the first recording unit and perform still image signal processing upon the read out original image signal while suspending the moving image signal processing.

Abstract: An image obtained as a result of an image-taking process carried out at a screen rate higher than a standard screen rate is stored in a recording medium in the contemporary video format. To put it more concretely, the image obtained as a result of an image-taking process is supplied at a first screen rate to first compression/coding means for carrying out a compression/coding process at the first screen rate and image data obtained as a result of the compression/coding process is temporarily stored in temporary storage means. After image data output by the first compression/coding means during a predetermined period of time is stored in the temporary storage means, decompression/decoding means reads out the image data from the temporary storage means at a second screen rate lower than the first screen rate, carries out a decompression/decoding process on the image data and stores a result of the decompression/decoding process in recording means.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image pickup device in which a column noise component is detected in a short time without being influenced under variant random noise even if the VOPB area B includes a small number of lines, and pixel signals from the effective pixel area A are corrected, based on the detected column noise component.

Abstract: In a high speed image capturing state, a camera signal processing circuit is not needed to perform a signal process at a high screen rate, but at a regular screen rate. In the high speed image capturing mode, raw data of 240 fps received from an image sensor 101 are recorded on a recording device 111 through a conversion processing section 201 and a recording device controlling circuit 210. Raw data that have been decimated and size-converted are supplied to a camera signal processing circuit 203 through a pre-processing circuit 202 and an image being captured is displayed on a display section 112 with a signal for which a camera process has been performed.

Abstract: A flow rate ratio control device having: a main channel (RM); branch channels (R1, R2) branching from the end of the main channel (RM); control valves (31, 32) respectively provided in the branch channels (R1, R2); flow rate measurement means for measuring the flow rate of the main channel (RM) and the flow rate of each of the branch channels (R1, R2); a valve control section (5) for controlling the a control valve (31) provided in one branch channel (R2) so that the pressure on the upstream side of the control valve (31) is a given target pressure and, only when the upstream-side pressure is near or not less than the target pressure, starting control of the other control valve (32) so that the flow rate ratios of the branch channels (R1, R2) are predetermined ratios; and a target pressure setting section (6) for setting the target pressure such that the smaller the flow volume is in the main channel (RM), the lower is the target pressure.

Abstract: This invention provides a mass flow controller that can prevent a flow rate change due to a pressure change without sacrificing the speed of response to a change of a flow rate setting value and can be used in a system that can generate a crosstalk. In order to provide the mass flow controller, the mass flow controller has: a control section 5 that calculates an opening control signal to be supplied to a flow rate control valve based on a predetermined calculation formula including at least a flow rate measurement value and a flow rate setting value as parameters and outputs the opening control signal; and a pressure sensor section 4 that measures pressure of a fluid on the upstream side or the downstream side of a flow rate sensor section 2 and outputs a pressure detection signal indicating the pressure value.

Abstract: A surface light-emitting device includes a transparent plate having two main surfaces and a light source. The light source is arranged adjacent to a side of the transparent plate so that the light source radiates light to the inside of the transparent plate from the side of the transparent plate. One main surface of the transparent plate is formed with a plurality of cone-shaped dimples, which reflect radiated light toward the other main surface of the transparent plate. The surface light-emitting device may further include a black sheet arranged adjacent to one main surface of the transparent plate formed with the plurality of cone-shaped dimples. The surface light-emitting device can be used as a guide device for an input/output interface unit of an automated transaction apparatus.

Abstract: Image data are compressed such that they do not visually deteriorate. Nonlinear compression and DPCM compression are performed in series. A compressing unit 41 that uses nonlinear transform inputs image data (L bits per pixel) of each color component. Image data are compressed to M bits (M<L) according to a compression transform tale TB1 that has been set up according to image information extracted from original image data. The compressing unit 41 performs compression transform having a characteristic similar to a gamma curve characteristic used in a gamma correction disposed downstream of the compressing unit 41. Image data compressed and transformed to M bits by the nonlinear compressing unit 41 are input to a DPCM compressing unit 42. The DPCM compressing unit 42 finally compresses input data to N bits (for example, N=10) according to a quantization table TB2. The compressed image data are stored to an image memory through a packing section 43.

Abstract: An information kiosk terminal system includes a pedestal, a transaction unit provided at an upper part of the pedestal and adapted to be pulled out away from the pedestal, and a display unit provided above the transaction unit. The transaction unit includes an upper portion located on the upper side of the transaction unit, and a lower portion located under the upper portion and having a projected portion projecting forward from a front surface thereof. The upper portion is provided inside with a printer unit and is formed at the front surface thereof with a paper discharge port for projecting paper from the printer unit.

Abstract: An imaging device having a hybrid RGBYC color filter using a primary color system RGB filter and a complementary color system YC filter is composed. Four G filters that directly relate to resolution and that is close to a luminance signal that human eyes sense are arrayed in a checker shape so that the number of the G filters is four times larger than the number of filters of each of the other colors. An array shown in FIG. 10A is composed of low resolution rows (G, R, G, and B) and high resolution rows (C, G, Y, and G) that are alternately arrayed in each line. When signals are read if exposure times are varied for individual lines, the signals that are read can easily have a wide dynamic range. An array shown in FIG. 10B has two Gs, a low sensitivity color, and a high sensitivity color in each line and each row. Thus, the luminance difference is small in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. Thus, the reading method in the array shown in FIG.

Abstract: An imaging device having five color filters. The five color filters include three color filters of a R (red) filter, a G (green) filter, and a B (blue) filter of a primary color system and two color filters of a Y (yellow) filter and a C (cyan) filter of a complementary system. The G filter has a checker shape G filter so that the space information of green is obtained four times larger than that of each of the other colors.

Abstract: A drive method for a solid-state imaging device having an oblique pixel pattern includes the steps of: adding, separately for an odd-numbered row and an even-numbered row, x pixels in the horizontal direction and y pixels in the vertical direction, the x pixels and the y pixels having the same color, in an area having adjacent n pixels in the horizontal direction and adjacent n pixels in the vertical direction, where n is an odd number of three or greater and n?x?y; and repeatedly adding the x pixels and the y pixels while shifting the n×n area by m pixels in the vertical or horizontal direction, where m is an odd number of three or greater. The n×n area of odd-numbered rows is displaced from that of even-numbered rows by m pixels in the oblique direction in the oblique pixel pattern.

Abstract: A pixel defect detecting and correcting apparatus and method for detecting and correcting defects where the number of correctable defect pixels is not restricted to the capacity of a memory. The apparatus includes a color difference and luminance calculating block which calculates the absolute values of the color differences of adjacent pixels and a defect judgment target pixel, and color difference and luminance data. The apparatus also includes a maximum and minimum data values detecting block; a color difference interpolated value calculating block and a luminance interpolated value calculating block which obtain the color difference interpolated values and luminance interpolated values of the defect judgment target pixel.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device having: (a) a pixel array with an oblique pixel pattern in which pixels are obliquely disposed, an odd-numbered row vertical signal line in an odd-numbered row vertical signal line group being connected to each column of odd-numbered row pixels and an even-numbered row vertical signal line in an even-numbered row vertical signal line group being connected to each column of even-numbered row pixels; (b) a row selector for separately selecting an odd-numbered row and an even-numbered row of the oblique pixel pattern; (c) an odd-numbered row column processing circuit group including column processing circuits and connected to the odd-numbered row vertical signal line group, for adding signals of the odd-numbered row pixels between columns; (d) an even-numbered row column processing circuit group including column processing circuits and connected to the even-numbered row vertical signal line group, for adding signals of the even-numbered row pixels in pixel columns; and (d) a column s

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an image sensor including a color filter having pixels of different colors arranged in a predetermined order and a demosaic processor. The image sensor receives a subject image and outputs an image signal including color signals of the different colors. The demosaic processor generates color signals of the different colors for each of pixels of the image from the image signal. The demosaic processor includes a generation unit and a noise reduction unit. The generation unit performs computation using a target color signal representing a predetermined target color signal included in the image signal and a predetermined different color signal so as to generate a color-related signal that associates the target color signal with the predetermined different color signal for a pixel of the target color signal. The noise reduction unit performs a noise reduction process on the color-related signal generated by the generation unit.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus performing moving-image data processing and still-image data processing in parallel includes an image pickup unit converting a ray into an electric signal and outputting an image pickup signal, a buffer unit temporarily storing the image pickup signal, a buffer controller controlling reading from the buffer unit, a first signal processing unit outputting a first transmission request, performing processing on the image pickup signal every frame timing in response to the first transmission request, and outputting moving-image data, and a second signal processing unit outputting a second transmission request, performing processing on the image pickup signal in response to the second transmission request at a predetermined timing, and outputting still-image data. The buffer controller determines whether it is possible that the image pickup signal is read without deteriorating continuity based on a data storage state of the buffer unit and the first and second transmission requests.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus is disclosed which includes: an imaging unit for taking a picture of an object using an image pickup device; a picture storing unit for storing the picture taken; a vibration detecting unit for detecting an amount of vibration applied to the imaging unit and outputting the detected amount of vibration; a compensation amount calculating unit for calculating an amount of compensation necessary for offsetting effects of the vibration on the imaging unit in accordance with the amount of vibration; a change amount calculating unit for calculating an amount of change in the amount of compensation between predetermined positions; a compensation limit determining unit for determining whether a limit of the compensation available for the picture stored in the picture storing unit is exceeded by the amount of change; a compensation amount adjusting unit for adjusting the amount of compensation depending on whether the limit of the compensation is exceeded, before outputting the adjusted am

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an image clipping unit, a feature extracting unit, a candidate identifying unit, and a detecting unit. The image clipping unit clips a window image from a predetermined position of an original image. The feature extracting unit extracts a feature value of the window image on the basis of a predetermined criterion. The candidate identifying unit determines, on the basis of the feature value, whether the window image satisfies a predetermined condition for a candidate including a detection target. The detecting unit determines whether the window image includes the detection target if the window image satisfies the predetermined condition.

Abstract: A mass flow controller has: a flow rate sensor section that measures the flow rate of a fluid and outputs a flow rate measurement signal indicating the measurement value; a flow rate control valve disposed upstream or downstream of the flow rate sensor section; a calculation section that calculates a feedback control value to the supplied to the flow rate control valve by performing at least a proportional calculation on the deviation of the flow rate measurement value indicated by the flow rate measurement signal from a flow rate setting value; and an opening control signal output section that generates an opening control signal based on the feedback control value and outputs the opening control signal to the flow rate control valve. The function used for calculating the gain value in the proportional calculation differs between a changing period and a stable period.

Abstract: characteristic are improved. An imaging device having a hybrid RGBYC color filter using a primary color system RGB filter and a complementary color system YC filter is composed. Four G filters that directly relate to resolution and that is close to a luminance signal that human eyes sense are arrayed in a checker shape so that the number of the G filters is four times larger than the number of filters of each of the other colors. An array shown in FIG. 10A is composed of low resolution rows (G, R, G, and B) and high resolution rows (C, G, Y, and G) that are alternately arrayed in each line. When signals are read if exposure times are varied for individual lines, the signals that are read can easily have a wide dynamic range. An array shown in FIG. 10B has two Gs, a low sensitivity color, and a high sensitivity color in each line and each row. Thus, the luminance difference is small in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. Thus, the reading method in the array shown in FIG.