| NIKON CORPORATION Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
|---|
| 20120127569 | MICROSCOPE APPARATUS - A microscope apparatus including an illumination apparatus capable of, regardless of the observation magnification of an imaging optical system, filling the entrance pupil of the imaging optical system with illumination light, and suitably restricting the conjugate image of the entrance pupil of the imaging optical system by a light shielding element. A microscope apparatus is configured by including: an illumination apparatus which includes a surface light emitter (light guide plate) having a light emitting surface as a planar light-emitting region and irradiates a sample with light emitted from the light guide plate; an objective lens which condenses light from the sample; and an imaging optical system which includes a variable power lens group configured to form an image of the sample by changing the magnification of the image of the sample. The illumination apparatus includes a light shielding plate and a light diffusing element. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120127479 | Pattern forming apparatus, mark detecting apparatus, exposure apparatus, pattern forming method, exposure method, and device manufacturing method - While a wafer stage linearly moves in a Y-axis direction, a multipoint AF system detects surface position information of the wafer surface at a plurality of detection points that are set at a predetermined distance in an X-axis direction and also a plurality of alignment systems that are arrayed in a line along the X-axis direction detect each of marks at positions different from one another on the wafer. That is, detection of surface position information of the wafer surface at a plurality of detection points and detection of the marks at positions different from one another on the wafer are finished, only by the wafer stage (wafer) linearly passing through the array of the plurality of detection points of the multipoint AF system and the plurality of alignment systems, and therefore, the throughput can be improved. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120127478 | REFLECTOR, OPTICAL ELEMENT, INTERFEROMETER SYSTEM, STAGE DEVICE, EXPOSURE APPARATUS, AND DEVICE FABRICATING METHOD - A reflecting member has: a first reflecting surface, which extends in a second direction that includes a first direction component; a second reflecting surface, which extends in a third direction that includes the first direction component, that is substantially symmetric to the first reflecting surface; and a third reflecting surface, which extends in a fourth direction, that is substantially orthogonal to the first direction. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120127453 | MOVABLE BODY DRIVE METHOD AND MOVABLE BODY DRIVE SYSTEM, PATTERN FORMATION METHOD AND APPARATUS, EXPOSURE METHOD AND APPARATUS, DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD, AND CALIBRATION METHOD - A controller measures positional information of a stage within an XY plane using three encoders which at least include one each of an X encoder and a Y encoder of an encoder system, and the stage is driven in the XY plane, based on measurement results of the positional information and positional information (p | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120127450 | MOVABLE BODY DRIVE METHOD AND MOVABLE BODY DRIVE SYSTEM, AND PATTERN FORMATION METHOD AND PATTERN FORMATION APPARATUS - A first positional information of a wafer stage is measured using an interferometer system such as, for example, a Z interferometer. At the same time, a second positional information of the wafer stage is measured using a surface position measurement system such as, for example, two Z heads. Moving average is applied to a difference between the first positional information and the second positional information for a predetermined measurement time to set a coordinate offset, which is used to inspect the reliability of output signals of the surface position measurement system. When the output signals are confirmed to be normal, servo control of the wafer stage is performed using a sum of the first positional information and the coordinate offset. According to this hybrid method, drive control of the wafer stage which has the stability of the interferometer and the precision of the Z heads becomes possible. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120122143 | TECHNIQUE FOR DETERMINING MATURITY OF A CELL AGGREGATION, IMAGE PROCESSING PROGRAM AND IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE USING THE TECHNIQUE, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A CELL AGGREGATION - An image processing program (GP) is configured to comprise a step (A | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120120681 | OPERATION PORTION ILLUMINATING MECHANISM AND OPERATION MECHANISM - An operation portion illuminating mechanism comprises: an operation tool that comprises a conductive portion and an operation member with optical transparency; and an illumination tool for illuminating the operation member from the installation side of the conductive portion, wherein the shape of the operation member around the conductive portion is formed as a shape in which the illumination light from the illumination tool is refracted so that the illumination light evenly illuminates the surface of the operation member facing the installation side of the conductive portion. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120120383 | DISTANCE MEASURING DEVICE AND IMAGING DEVICE - A distance measuring device including a polarizing element disposed on a plane conjugate with a pupil of an objective lens, an optical rotatory plate rotating a polarizing axis of light which has passed through the polarizing element, a polarization separation element separating light which has passed through the optical rotatory plate into a first light beam and a second light beam, a first imaging element forming a first image by the first light beam, a second imaging element forming a second image by the second light beam, and a focus detector detecting a focus state based on relative deviation between the first image and the second image which correspond to a same region of a subject. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120120381 | EXPOSURE APPARATUS, EXPOSURE METHOD, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING DEVICE - A liquid immersion exposure apparatus includes a projection system having a last optical element, the projection system projecting a beam onto a substrate through an immersion liquid; a movable stage having a holder by which the substrate is held; a measurement member provided on the movable stage, the measurement member having a measurement portion covered with a light-transmissive material; a first alignment system by which an alignment mark is detected not through the immersion liquid; and a second alignment system which optically obtains, using the measurement member, first positional information of the beam projected by the projection system through the immersion liquid. In order to obtain the first positional information, the movable stage is moved so that the measurement member is under the projection system and a gap between the projection system and the measurement member is filled with the immersion liquid. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120120302 | FOCUS CONTROL METHOD AND CULTURE OBSERVATION APPARATUS - The focus control culture observation apparatus enable simple and reliable detection of a focusing position of an objective lens on a subject and with certainty. When a focusing position is detected, an area, which includes an edge portion of the culture medium drop is selected as an AF area which is to be a target of detecting the focusing position of the objective lens on the culture medium drop. The apparatus detects the focusing position on the culture medium drop based on an observation image of the AF area. By detecting the focusing position as a targeting area that is different from an area which is near the edge of the culture container and where illumination unevenness is generated, the detection accuracy can be improved. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120114219 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, INCUBATION OBSERVING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing apparatus includes an outline extracting processing unit inputting a phase contrast image of a cell colony acquired by an observing unit, and extracting an outline of the cell colony, an extracting unit extracting a feature quantity of an outline part of the cell colony based on brightness information at an outside and brightness information at an inside of the outline on the phase contrast image, and an automatic discriminating unit automatically discriminating whether or not the cell colony is an iPS cell colony based on a discriminant criterion determined in advance and the feature quantity extracted by the extracting unit. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120113316 | FOCUSING DEVICE AND CAMERA - A focusing device including: an optical system that includes a focusing lens; an image sensor that captures a subject image formed via the optical system and outputs an image signal containing a plurality of color components; an edge detection unit that detects an edge in correspondence to each color component among the plurality of color components contained in the image signal; a differential value calculation unit that calculates a differential value of an edge strength of the edge detected by the edge detection unit, in correspondence to the each color component; and a decision-making unit that determines a moving direction along which the focusing lens is to move for purposes of focus adjustment of the optical system based upon the differential value calculated by the differential value calculation unit. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120106822 | METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE STATE OF A CELL AGGREGATION, IMAGE PROCESSING PROGRAM AND IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE USING THE METHOD, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A CELL AGGREGATION - An image processing program obtains a first image and a second image taken by an imaging device at a predetermined time interval; performs block matching, using the luminance distribution of a local region of the first image as a standard, in a vicinity including the corresponding position of the second image, taking the degree of approximation of the region with the highest degree of matching as a representative degree of approximation, sequentially moving the local region, and calculating the representative degree of approximation for individual parts of the cell aggregation; and outputting multi-layering information corresponding to the calculated representative degree of approximation. The image processing program outputs multi-layering information by which the state of change of the cell aggregation toward becoming multi-layered can be decided from the first and second images. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120105684 | DIGITAL CAMERA - This invention includes an imaging device that photographs a subject, a display device that has a display screen displaying image data photographed by the imaging device, a zoom device that varies the display screen, an extraction device that extracts a predetermined feature portion from image data photographed by the imaging device, a directive device that directs the display device so as to display a predetermined feature portion extracted by the extraction device in a predetermined form, and a controller that controls the directive device so as not to direct a display on the display device in accordance with the varying magnification of the zoom device. Namely, an icon of the extraction result is not displayed while the zoom is in action, so that it can avoid an inappropriate display in which the icon display does not correspond to a photographed subject due to the subject's quick movement or a sudden change in its size within a picture frame. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120098987 | ELECTRONIC CAMERA - An imaging element which continuously outputs image data obtained by photoelectrically converting object light, a buffer memory which temporarily stores image data being output from the imaging element, a plurality of image processing units which are capable of performing image processing on image data output from the imaging element, and a control unit which causes an image processing unit of the plurality of image processing units to operate based on a number of pieces of the image data stored in the buffer memory when the image data is output continuously from the imaging element, in which the image processing unit performs image processing on each piece of image data output continuously. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120098865 | PROJECTOR - A projector is provided with a projection unit that projects onto a projection surface a projected image that is based on image data; a detection unit that detects the direction of approach of an indication member or of the shadow of the indication member that has approached a detection region which includes the projected image; an icon memory unit that stores the image data of a plurality of icons; a decision unit that decides at least one of the display sizes of the icons, the display gaps between the icons, and the display positions of the icons, on the basis of the projection direction of the projected image and the direction of approach detected by the detection unit; and a projection control unit that projects the icons onto the display positions decided by the decision unit at the display sizes and display gaps decided by the decision unit. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120098852 | IMAGE DISPLAY DEVICE - Provided are: an image display unit that displays an image based on image data; a detection unit that detects a position corresponding to the tip of an indication member that indicates a part of the image that has been displayed by the image display unit; an extraction unit that extracts image data for a predetermined region including the position corresponding to the tip from the image data; and a control unit that controls such that a window that displays an image that is based on the extracted image data extracted by the extraction unit is displayed on the image display unit. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120094238 | SUBSTRATE HOLDING DEVICE, EXPOSURE APPARATUS, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - To provide a substrate holding apparatus which can prevent a liquid from entering into a rear surface side of a substrate. A substrate holding apparatus is provided with a base material, a first holding portion formed on the base material for holding the substrate, and a second holding portion formed on the base material for holding a plate member by surrounding the circumference of a processing substrate held by the first holding portion. The second holding portion holds the plate member so as to form a second space on the side of the rear surface of the plate member. On the rear surface of the plate member, an absorbing member is arranged for absorbing the liquid entered from a gap between the substrate held by the first holding portion and the plate member held by the second holding portion. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120092760 | PROJECTION OPTICAL SYSTEM, EXPOSURE APPARATUS, AND EXPOSURE METHOD - A catadioptric projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective. The projection objective includes a first objective part that includes one or more refractive optical elements to image the pattern provided in the object plane into a first intermediate image, a second objective part that consists of reflective optical elements including at least one concave mirror to image the first intermediate image into a second intermediate image, and a third objective part that includes one or more refractive optical elements to image the second intermediate imaging onto the image plane. The projection objective includes at lease one double asphere having a first aspheric surface and a second aspheric surface immediately adjacent to the first aspheric surface, the double asphere being formed by facing adjacent aspheric surfaces of two consecutive lenses. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120092478 | INCUBATED STATE EVALUATING DEVICE, INCUBATED STATE EVALUATING METHOD, INCUBATOR, AND PROGRAM - An incubated state evaluating device includes an image reading unit, a feature value calculating unit, a frequency distribution calculating unit, and an evaluation information generating unit. The image reading unit reads a plurality of images in which a plurality of cells incubated in an incubation container are image-captured in time series. The feature value calculating unit obtains each of feature values representing morphological features of cells from the images for each of the cells included in the images. The frequency distribution calculating unit obtains each of frequency distributions of the feature values corresponding to the respective images. The evaluation information generating unit generates evaluation information evaluating an incubated state of cells in the incubation container based on a variation of the frequency distributions between images. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120088078 | OPTICAL MATERIAL, OPTICAL ELEMENT, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SAME - An optical material which has a relative permeability different from 1 to light having a wavelength in, for example, the infrared region or shorter than the infrared region and which is stable in structure, and a liquid and a solid (optical element) using the optical material. The optical material is a powder used as a component of a liquid or solid to which an illuminating light is irradiated, and includes a large number of resonating elements which constitute the powder and each of which is formed of a conductor having a width approximately same as or smaller than a wavelength of the illumination light, and a protective film which is formed of a disc-shaped insulator, wherein an entire surface of each of the split-ring resonators is covered by the protective film. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120087578 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND STORAGE MEDIUM STORING IMAGE PROCESSING PROGRAM - An image processing apparatus of the present invention includes a detecting unit detecting, among plural fundamental regions set to an image, a fundamental region satisfying a predetermined condition as an appropriate region, a specifying unit specifying adjacent states of fundamental regions excluding the appropriate region among the plural fundamental regions, and a region segmentation unit performing region segmentation on each component included in the image based on the adjacent states of the fundamental regions excluding the appropriate region specified by the specifying unit. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120087544 | SUBJECT TRACKING DEVICE, SUBJECT TRACKING METHOD, SUBJECT TRACKING PROGRAM PRODUCT AND OPTICAL DEVICE - A subject tracking device includes: a tracking zone setting unit that sets an area where a main subject is present within a captured image as a tracking zone; a tracking unit that tracks the main subject based upon an image output corresponding to the tracking zone; and an arithmetic operation unit that determines through arithmetic operation image-capturing conditions based upon an image output corresponding to a central area within the tracking zone. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120087024 | PIEZOELECTRIC ACTUATOR, LENS-BARREL, AND CAMERA - A piezoelectric actuator includes: a first piezoelectric device between a base member and a moving member, and that is capable of being expanded and contracted in a direction in which the first piezoelectric device intersects with a first face that opposes the moving member of the base member; a second piezoelectric device between the first piezoelectric device and the moving member, and that is capable of being expanded and contracted in a direction different from the intersecting direction; a transfer member between the first piezoelectric device and the moving member that includes a through hole piercing through in the intersecting direction, receiving amounts of expansion and contraction of the first piezoelectric device and the second piezoelectric device to transfer a driving force to the moving member; and a supporting member that pierces through the through hole, and that can support the moving member. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120087023 | PIEZOELECTRIC ACTUATOR, LENS BARREL, AND CAMERA - Disclosed is a piezoelectric actuator which has an improved driving force or drive efficiency. Specifically disclosed is a piezoelectric actuator which is provided with: a plurality of piezoelectric members which have a first piezoelectric element capable of being displaced in a first direction and a second piezoelectric element capable of being displaced in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and which are divided into a plurality of groups; a relative movement member which has a contact surface that is in contact with the piezoelectric members, and which moves relatively to the piezoelectric members in the first direction; and a drive unit which, when piezoelectric members of one group among the plurality of groups are in contact with the contact surface, drives the first piezoelectric element of the piezoelectric members. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120087022 | LINEAR MOTOR AND LENS UNIT - Provided is a linear motor comprising a magnet including a first region polarized to have a magnetic pattern for driving and a second region polarized to have a magnetic pattern for position detection, the first and second regions being arranged linearly in a direction of the driving; a drive coil that is provided opposite the first region and generates a drive force exerted on the magnet in the direction of the driving; a magnetic sensor arranged opposite the second region; and a base member that supports the magnet, the drive coil, and the magnetic sensor such that the magnet can be moved relative to the drive coil and the magnetic sensor in the driving direction. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120086927 | DETECTION DEVICE, MOVABLE BODY APPARATUS, PATTERN FORMATION APPARATUS AND PATTERN FORMATION METHOD, EXPOSURE APPARATUS AND EXPOSURE METHOD, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - By irradiating a detection beam from an irradiation system of a detection device to a scale used for measuring the position of a wafer stage, and detecting the detection beam via the scale by a photodetection system, a surface state (an existence state of foreign substance) of the scale is detected. With this operation, detection of the surface state can be performed contactlessly with respect to the scale. Moreover, movement control of the wafer stage can be performed with high precision by taking the surface state into consideration. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120082445 | DRIVING MECHANISM, LENS BARREL, AND CAMERA - A driving mechanism includes plural driving members arranged in a circumferential shape around a reference shaft, a base member holding the plural driving members with each interposed in the circumferential direction, first piezoelectric elements vibrating in a thickness-shear vibration mode in a first direction, and second piezoelectric elements vibrating in the thickness-shear vibration mode in a second direction. Each driving member includes a first member and a second member. The base member supports one driving member of two driving members adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction on a first support face and supports the other driving member on a second support face. The base member is formed so that the angle formed by the first support face and the second support face is equal to or greater than 60°. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120082389 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE AND COMPUTER-PROGRAM PRODUCT OF IMAGE EVALUATION - An image processing device includes: a first arithmetic operation unit that individually calculates an evaluation value based upon first factors, in correspondence to each of a plurality of images included in an image batch input thereto; an exclusion unit that executes exclusion processing based upon calculation results provided by the first arithmetic operation unit so as to exclude an image, the calculation results for which satisfy a predetermined condition, from the image batch; a second arithmetic operation unit that individually calculates an evaluation value based upon second factors, which include a factor different from the first factors, in correspondence to each image in the image batch having undergone the exclusion processing; and an evaluation processing unit that ranks individual images in the image batch having undergone the exclusion processing based upon calculation results provided by the second arithmetic operation unit. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120081805 | DRIVING MECHANISM, LENS BARREL AND CAMERA - A driving mechanism includes a first piezoelectric element and a first driving member that is driven by the first piezoelectric element and that vibrates in a first direction. The first driving member includes a second piezoelectric element and a second driving member that is driven by the second piezoelectric element and that vibrates in a second direction different from the first direction. A difference between the vibration resonance frequency of the first driving member and the vibration resonance frequency of the second driving member is equal to or less than the half-width at a half maximum of a function representing an amplitude frequency characteristic in the vibration of the first driving member. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120081804 | DRIVING MECHANISM, LENS BARREL, AND CAMERA - A driving mechanism includes a first piezoelectric element that vibrates in a thickness-shear vibration mode in a first direction, a first member that is driven to vibrate in the first direction by the first piezoelectric element, a second piezoelectric element that is supported by the first member and that vibrates in the thickness-shear vibration mode in a second direction, and a second member that is driven to vibrate in the second direction by the second piezoelectric element. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120081803 | PIEZOELECTRIC ACTUATOR, LENS BARREL, AND IMAGING DEVICE - A piezoelectric actuator includes a first piezoelectric element that performs thickness-shear vibration in a first direction, a first member that is driven by the first piezoelectric element and that vibrates in the first direction, a second piezoelectric element that is supported by the first member and that performs thickness-shear vibration in a second direction, a second member that is driven by the second piezoelectric element and that vibrates in the second direction, a pressurizing section that generates a pressure between the second member and a driving target member driven by the second member. The pressurizing section includes a third piezoelectric element that changes the pressure between the second member and a driving target member on the basis of a driving state of the driving target member. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120081802 | PIEZOELECTRIC ACTUATOR, LENS BARREL, AND CAMERA - A piezoelectric actuator comprises a first piezoelectric element, a second piezoelectric element, a first set of a first member that is mounted with the first piezoelectric element which is deformed in a first direction with an application of a first voltage, and a second set of a second member that is mounted with the second piezoelectric element which is deformed in the opposite direction of the first direction with the application of the first voltage. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120081594 | INTERCHANGEABLE LENS, CAMERA BODY AND CAMERA SYSTEM - An interchangeable lens that can be fitted to and removed from a camera body, includes: an optical characteristic storage unit that stores information relating to optical characteristics of the interchangeable lens, including at least information related to vignetting of the interchangeable lens; and an optical characteristic transmission unit that transmits to the camera body the information relating to optical characteristics stored in the optical characteristic storage unit. And with an image height corresponding to one sixth of an image height from a center of an approximately rectangular photographic field to any of four corners of the photographic field being termed Y1, the optical characteristic storage unit stores, as the information related to vignetting of the interchangeable lens, information specifying vignetting at positions for which image heights from the center are integral multiples of Y1 from 2 through 6 inclusive. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120081575 | DATA RECORDING/REPRODUCING DEVICE, DATA RECORDING/REPRODUCING PROGRAM AND DATA REPRODUCING DEVICE - A data recording/reproducing device includes: a position detection unit that detects information (hereafter referred to as position information) indicating a position at which data are acquired and reproduced; a determining unit that determines which specific set of geographical information, among a plurality of sets of geographical information defined in advance, the position information detected by the position detection unit at the time of data acquisition and data reproduction corresponds to; a recording control unit that records the acquired data into a recording medium based upon determining results provided by the determining unit; a selection unit that selects reproduction-permitted data from the recording medium based upon the geographical information determined by the determining unit at the time of data reproduction; and a reproducing unit that outputs and reproduces at least one set of data among the reproduction-permitted data having been selected. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120079436 | Fast photoresist model - A method of modeling an image intended to reside in a photoresist film on a substrate is provided. A simulated latent acid image of the image is produced, the simulated latent acid image is compressed in a predetermined direction, and developed to a pattern that enables (a) transfer of the pattern to the substrate or (b) further modeling of the pattern for transfer to the substrate. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120075609 | OPTICAL ARRANGEMENT OF AUTOFOCUS ELEMENTS FOR USE WITH IMMERSION LITHOGRAPHY - A lithographic projection apparatus includes a projection system having a spherical lens element from which an exposure light is projected through liquid in a space under the spherical lens element, a member disposed adjacent to a surface of the spherical lens element through which the exposure light does not pass, and a gap formed between the member and the surface of the spherical lens element. The gap communicates with the space and includes lower and upper portions. A wafer is moved below and relative to the spherical lens element and the member, and the liquid is retained between the spherical lens element and the member on one side and an upper surface of the wafer on the other side. The liquid locally covers a portion of the upper surface of the wafer to expose the wafer by projecting the exposure light onto the wafer through the liquid in the space. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120070083 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing device that converts a first image captured via an optical system in which at least one of a plurality of color components is missing in one pixel and MTF characteristics are different between a reference color component and at least one missing color component at an imaging plane, into a second image in which MTF characteristics are matched, includes: an image creation unit that acquires information concerning differences in MTF characteristics between the missing color component and the reference color component in a pixel having the missing color component of the first image and creates the second image by using the acquired information. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120069353 | PROFILE MEASURING APPARATUS, METHOD FOR MEASURING PROFILE, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING PRODUCT - There is provided a profile measuring apparatus which measures a profile of an object, including an imaging element; an image formation optical system including an objective lens; a measuring direction changing unit which is configured to change inclination of a surface of the object with respect to the objective lens based on information of the inclination of the surface of the object so that a light flux enters the objective lens with an aperture angle not less than a predetermined degree; and a measuring unit which is configured to measure the profile of the object based on the image, of the object on which the pattern is projected, obtained by the imaging element. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120069220 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD AND ELECTRONIC CAMERA - An image processing apparatus includes a clip part and an incremental processing part. The clip part sets a threshold value as an output luminance value of a process object pixel when a luminance value of the process object pixel of an image data having luminance values of a plurality of pixels is less than the threshold value set in advance. The incremental processing part finds and holds an incremental value of the output luminance value relative to the luminance value of the process object pixel, and finds the output luminance value of the process object pixel by subtracting the incremental value from the luminance value when the luminance value of the process object pixel is the threshold value or more. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120069201 | ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND CAMERA - An electronic device includes a setting unit that sets at least one image corresponding to a set of image data as print target image among a plurality of sets of image data in a first image file which is containable the plurality of sets of image data, and an image file creation unit that creates a second image file corresponding to each set of print target image having been set by the setting unit. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120069055 | IMAGE DISPLAY APPARATUS - An image display apparatus includes a detection unit that detects a target object, and a display control unit that adjusts an image display method through which an image is displayed, so as to alter the image as visually perceived along a direction of visually perceived depth when the detection unit detects the target object. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120069002 | IMAGE DISPLAY APPARATUS AND IMAGING APPARATUS - An image display apparatus includes a display unit capable of performing a stereoscopic view display of a first image utilizing a disparity of human being, an image processing unit performing processing which changes a depth range in the stereoscopic view display on the first image, and a display controlling unit making the display unit to display the first image on which the processing is performed. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120067380 | CLEANING LIQUID, CLEANING METHOD, LIQUID GENERATING APPARATUS, EXPOSURE APPARATUS, AND DEVICE FABRICATING METHOD - An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate through an exposure liquid with exposure light. A cleaning liquid is provided to the exposure apparatus, in order to clean at least part of the exposure apparatus. In the cleaning liquid, a prescribed gas of an amount that is greater than or equal to the saturation concentration is dissolved. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120066539 | INTERCHANGEABLE LENS AND CAMERA BODY - An interchangeable lens that can be detachably fitted to a camera body includes: a clock signal reception unit that receives a clock signal outputted from the camera body; a control command reception unit that receives a control command and data signal from the camera body, the control command and data signal being in synchrony with the clock signal, specifying a control command for the interchangeable lens and including type data specifying a type of the control command; a response generation unit that generates a response data signal including the type data on the basis of the control command and data signal; and a response transmission unit that transmits the response data signal to the camera body in synchrony with the clock signal received by the clock signal reception unit when a control command and data signal is received from the camera body in a next communication cycle. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120064461 | MOVABLE BODY APPARATUS, EXPOSURE APPARATUS, DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD, FLAT-PANEL DISPLAY MANUFACTURING METHOD, AND OBJECT EXCHANGE METHOD - On a +X side of a first air floating unit which supports a substrate subject to carry-out, a second air floating unit which supports a substrate subject to carry-in is placed, and a third air floating unit is placed tilted in a θy direction below the second air floating unit. After the first air floating unit has been tilted in the θy direction and the substrate has been carried from above the first air floating unit onto the third air floating unit, the first air floating unit is made horizontal and another substrate is carried from above the second air floating unit onto the first air floating unit. Specifically, a carry-in path and a carry-out path of the substrate with respect to the first air floating unit are different. Accordingly, exchange of the substrate above the first air floating unit can be performed quickly. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120064460 | MOVABLE BODY APPARATUS, OBJECT PROCESSING DEVICE, EXPOSURE APPARATUS, FLAT-PANEL DISPLAY MANUFACTURING METHOD, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - By a substrate support member moving in predetermined strokes in a scanning direction on a Y step surface plate, a substrate held by the substrate support member moves in the scanning direction in predetermined strokes in a state supported from below by an air floating device. Further, because a Y step guide having an air floating device moves in a cross-scan direction along with the substrate holding member, the substrate can be moved optionally in the scanning direction, and/or in the cross-scan direction. In doing so, because the Y step surface plate moves in the cross-scan direction with the substrate support member and the Y step guide, the substrate support member is constantly supported by the Y step surface plate. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120063020 | INTERCHANGEABLE LENS, CAMERA BODY, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE - An interchangeable lens to be detachably attached to a camera body, that includes a holding unit at which a plurality of contacts is arranged, in the interchangeable lens, the first contact is arranged on one end and the eleventh contact is arranged on another end of the arrangement of the twelve contacts; the second contact is arranged next to the first contact in the arrangement of the twelve contacts; and the twelfth contact is arranged next to the eleventh contact in the arrangement of the twelve contacts. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120063016 | INTERCHANGEABLE LENS, CAMERA BODY, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE - An interchangeable lens to be detachably attached to a camera body, that includes a holding unit at which a plurality of contacts is arranged, the interchangeable lens includes: a first communication contact system arranged at the holding unit; and a second communication contact system different from the first communication contact system, arranged at the holding unit at a position different from a position at which the first communication contact system is arranged. The fourth contact is arranged at a position closer to the second communication contact system than the first contact, the second contact, and the third contact are, and the seventh contact and the eighth contact are arranged at positions closer to the first communication contact system than the fifth contact and the sixth contact are. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062861 | EXPOSURE APPARATUS, EXPOSURE METHOD, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - An exposure apparatus includes an immersion space forming member ( | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062860 | EXPOSURE APPARATUS, EXPOSURE METHOD, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate with exposure light via a liquid. The exposure apparatus includes an optical system including an emission surface from which the exposure light is emitted; a liquid supply port that supplies the liquid in order to fill an optical path of the exposure light emitted from the emission surface with the liquid; and a fluid supply port that supplies a fluid including a material capable of changing the specific resistance of the liquid to at least a part of a space around a liquid immersion space that is formed by the liquid. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062858 | CLEANING METHOD, DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD, EXPOSURE APPARATUS, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING SYSTEM - A cleaning method comprises: cleaning the liquid contact member by supplying a first liquid for cleaning to the liquid contact member; recovering the first liquid supplied to the liquid contact member; supplying a second liquid different from the first liquid to the liquid contact member after the liquid contact member is cleaned with the first liquid; recovering the second liquid supplied to the liquid contact member; and performing a process in which a concentration of the first liquid comprised in the recovered second liquid is set to a predetermined concentration or less. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062759 | IMAGE GENERATION DEVICE, IMAGING DEVICE, IMAGE REPRODUCTION DEVICE, AND IMAGE REPRODUCTION PROGRAM - An image generation device includes a video image generation means for generating a video image of a target photographic subject within a photographic subject on the basis of a plurality of captured images that are acquired by capturing images of the photographic subject in time series, and a background image generation means for generating a background image of the target photographic subject on the basis of the captured images. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062722 | MICROSCOPE APPARATUS AND OBSERVATION METHOD - A microscope apparatus comprises: a distribution measurement apparatus with respect to an observation region that comprises a fluorescent material that is activated when irradiated with an activating light, and that emits fluorescence when irradiated with an exciting light of a wavelength different from the activating light, obtains a fluorescent picture image through irradiation with the exciting light, and measures a fluorescent intensity distribution; an irradiation intensity setting apparatus which sets irradiation intensities of the activating light for respective portions of the observation region based on the fluorescent intensity distribution; and a picture image formation apparatus which obtains a plurality of the fluorescent picture images by repeating an operation wherein the observation region is irradiated with the activating light at the set irradiation intensities, and repeating an operation wherein a fluorescent picture image is obtained by irradiating with the exciting light after the activating light irradiation, generating a sample picture image. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120058366 | FILM-FORMED ARTICLE AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME - Provided is a manufacturing method for manufacturing a film-formed article by using sputtering to form a film including a constituent element of a target on a substrate. The manufacturing method comprises setting a distance d between the target and the substrate in a range from 0.5 times to 1.5 times a mean free path of the constituent element in the sputtering gas. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120057860 | CAMERA ACCESSORY, MOUNT OF CAMERA ACCESSORY, CAMERA BODY AND MOUNT OF CAMERA BODY - A camera accessory is equipped with an accessory mount assuming a bayonet structure with the first through the third tabs set over intervals along a circumferential direction and projecting from an inner side of the accessory toward an outer side. The camera accessory mount is structured so that insertion of the accessory mount is allowed as long as the accessory mount is inserted at a correct interlock phase without any of the first through the third tabs coming into contact with any of three camera body-side tabs, and that insertion of the accessory mount is disallowed if the accessory mount is positioned at a phase other than the correct interlock phase with at least two tabs coming into contact with at least two of the camera body-side tabs. The first through the third tabs extend along varying lengths along the circumferential direction. The first tab has the greatest length. The three tabs include first side ends, which are leading ends of the three tabs to engage the accessory mount at the correct interlock phase and second side ends located on a side opposite from the first side ends. When the first tab and either the second or third tab comes into contact with two of the camera body-side tabs at a total of two contact locations, contact achieved by the first tab is located near the second side end thereof. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120057141 | PATTERN FORMING METHOD AND APPARATUS, EXPOSURE METHOD AND APPARATUS, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD AND DEVICE - During a period after starting exposure to a plurality of shot areas subject to exposure on a wafer until completing the exposure, a light via a slit pair arranged on a stage that holds the wafer, of illumination light via a pattern generating device, is received, and information on a positional relation between an illumination light and the stage (and hence a positional relation between the illumination light and the wafer) is detected. With this operation, even if the information on the positional relation between the illumination light and the wafer varies due to some reason, information on the variation can be detected while performing the exposure to the plurality of shot areas. Accordingly, high-precision exposure can be achieved in an exposure operation, by considering this detection results. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120057140 | EXPOSURE APPARATUS, MOVABLE BODY APPARATUS, FLAT-PANEL DISPLAY MANUFACTURING METHOD, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - In a substrate stage, when a Y coarse movement stage moves in the Y-axis direction, an X coarse movement stage, a weight cancellation device, and an X guide move integrally in the Y-axis direction with the Y coarse movement stage, and when the X coarse movement stage moves in the X-axis direction on the Y coarse movement stage, the weight cancellation device moves on the X guide in the X-axis direction integrally with the X coarse movement stage. Because the X guide is provided extending in the X-axis direction while covering the movement range of the weight cancellation device in the X-axis direction, the weight cancellation device is constantly supported by the X guide, regardless of its position. Accordingly, a substrate can be guided along the XY plane with good accuracy, even if a member (for example, a surface plate and the like) that has a guide surface large enough to cover the total movement range of the weight cancellation device is not provided. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120057139 | Cleaning method, device manufacturing method, cleaning substrate, liquid immersion member, liquid immersion exposure apparatus, and dummy substrate - A cleaning substrate and a liquid immersion member face each other in order to clean the liquid immersion member. The cleaning substrate has a first liquid-repellent portion which is liquid-repellent to a first cleaning liquid for cleaning and a lyophilic portion which is disposed in at least a part of the periphery of the first liquid-repellent portion and is more lyophilic than the first liquid-repellent portion. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120056105 | MOVABLE BODY APPARATUS, OBJECT PROCESSING DEVICE, EXPOSURE APPARATUS, FLAT-PANEL DISPLAY MANUFACTURING METHOD, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - In a substrate stage device, a substrate is held by a substrate support member mounted on a Y step surface plate. The substrate support member moves in the scanning direction in long strokes on the Y step surface plate. The part corresponding to an exposure area of the substrate is held by suction in a non-contact manner from below by a fixed point stage, and other parts are supported by levitation by the plurality of air floating devices placed on the Y step surface plate. The part corresponding to the exposure area of the substrate is controlled so that surface position of the substrate is located in the depth of focus of the projection optical system by the fixed point stage. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120055786 | Holding unit, assembly system, sputtering unit, and processing method and processing unit - Because an electromagnetic chuck supplies current to a specific microcoil among a plurality of microcoils and makes an object exert an electromagnetic force working together with a magnet of the object, the object can be held in a state where the object is set at a desired position (a position that corresponds to the microcoil to which current has been supplied) on a base surface. Further, by gas that blows out from a gas supply passage, a levitation force is given to the object, which can reduce effects of a friction force that acts between the object and an upper surface of the electromagnetic chuck when the position of the object is set. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120047459 | Information processing apparatus - In order to efficiently display a plurality of images on a display screen, the display screen is divided into a number of areas based on the number of images that are designated for display. For example, if four information items are selected and designated for display, the screen is divided into four areas, each area displaying one of the selected information items. Image information is reduced in size for display in each divided area, and sound information can be represented by a corresponding symbol (e.g., a musical note). If five or more information items are selected and designated for display, then the screen is divided into nine areas, and each of the selected images is displayed in one of the divided areas. | 02-23-2012 |
| 20120044469 | Exposure method, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method - A liquid immersion device that has an mixing mechanism that mixes and dissolves a predetermined substance for adjusting specific resistance of the liquid, which is supplied onto a liquid repellent film on the surface of an object (member) of a projection optical system placed on the light emitting side of projection optical system, and an liquid immersion area is formed by supplying the liquid in which the predetermined liquid is dissolved onto the liquid repellent film. | 02-23-2012 |
| 20120039523 | Method for matching high-numerical aperture scanners - A method for matching characterizing features of an optical scanner against target characterizing features is provided. The characterizing features are produced from characterizing data (also referred to as a signature characteristic) produced from a scan of a mask by the scanner against target scanner signature characteristics produced from a scan of the mask by another optical scanner that produces the target scanner signature characteristic. | 02-16-2012 |
| 20120038808 | SOLID STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A solid state imaging device includes a plurality of pixels, a plurality of vertical signal lines, a plurality of sample hold sections, a horizontal output section, and a horizontal scanning circuit. The horizontal output section is made up of a plurality of first horizontal signal lines connected to at least two or more vertical signal lines, and second horizontal signal lines connected to the plurality of first horizontal signal lines via the selection switches. The horizontal scanning circuit controls so that at least two of the plurality of selection switches are turned on and the pixel signal is output to the second horizontal signal lines when the pixel signal held in the sample hold sections is output to the horizontal signal lines. | 02-16-2012 |
| 20120038806 | IMAGE SHOOTING DEVICE - An image shooting device includes: an image shooting part formed of a pixel array and a reading control part in which the pixel array includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix form, each of the pixels having a photoelectric conversion part, a transfer transistor, an amplifying transistor, and a reset transistor, and the reading control part performs reading by switching a first reading control in which the reset transistor is controlled to be turned off before exposure to read the pixel signal from a part of rows of the pixel array and a second reading control in which the pixel signal is read from the pixel array after the exposure; and a correcting part correcting the pixel signal read through the second reading control based on the pixel signal read through the first reading control. | 02-16-2012 |
| 20120038802 | SOLID STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGING APPARATUS - A plurality of kinds of color filters are disposed at each of pixels in accordance with a color array of two rows and two columns at a pixel section of a solid state imaging device. A first signal outputting circuit and a second signal outputting circuit each perform an addition read of electrical signals from the pixels of one/the other color included in a line to be read. An addition controlling circuit shifts sampling positions of the pixels which are added at a time of the addition read by a unit of the color array between the first signal outputting circuit and a second signal outputting circuit. | 02-16-2012 |
| 20120033192 | Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and device producing method - An exposure apparatus (EX) exposes a substrate (P) by irradiating exposure light (EL) on the substrate (P) via a projection optical system (PL) and a liquid (LQ) supplied from a liquid supply mechanism ( | 02-09-2012 |
| 20120033123 | INFORMATION CONTROL APPARATUS, DATA ANALYZING APPARATUS, SIGNAL, SERVER, INFORMATION CONTROL SYSTEM, SIGNAL CONTROL APPARATUS, AND PROGRAM - An information control apparatus comprises: a determination unit that determines at least an attribute of an object to be analyzed on the basis of captured image data acquired by an imaging apparatus fixed to a signal; and an output unit that outputs determination result information of the determination unit to a data analyzing unit that generates analysis result information on the basis of at least the attribute of the object to be analyzed. | 02-09-2012 |
| 20120032067 | Two dimensional encoder system and method - An encoder system and method are provided, that is designed to improve 2D encoder systems and methods in areas such as accuracy, compactness, stability, resolution, and/or light efficiency. Moreover, the system and method of this invention provides a new concept in a retroreflector that while particularly useful in applicants' system and method, is believed to have more general utility in optical imaging systems and methods. | 02-09-2012 |
| 20120030485 | ELECTRONIC DEVICE - A USB electronic device with a power source loaded therein, which is connected to another USB electronic device via a USB connector, comprises a voltage detection unit that detects a voltage at an identification pin of the USB connector, a power supply control unit that controls connection/disconnection between a power supply pin of the USB connector and the power source based upon a change in voltage at the identification pin detected by the voltage detection unit and an allow/disallow control unit that executes control to allow/disallow detection of the voltage change at the identification pin. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120028197 | TRANSMISSION OPTICAL SYSTEM, ILLUMINATION OPTICAL SYSTEM, EXPOSURE APPARATUS, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - According to one embodiment, a transmission optical system which guides light in a nearly parallel beam state emitted from an optical outlet port of a light source, to an optical inlet port of an exposure apparatus body and which injects the light in the nearly parallel beam state into the optical inlet port is provided with a condensing optical system which keeps the optical outlet port and the optical inlet port in an optical Fourier transform relation, and an angle distribution providing element which is arranged in an optical path between the optical outlet port and the condensing optical system and which provides an emergent beam with an angle distribution in a range larger than a range of an angle distribution of an incident beam. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120026613 | ACTUATOR, DRIVE DEVICE, LENS UNIT, IMAGE-CAPTURING DEVICE - It is an objective of the present invention to provide an actuator that can efficiently enlarge a displacement amount of a moving element. Provided is an actuator that moves a moving element, comprising a drive element that contacts the moving element; a drive unit that moves the moving element in a movement direction by moving a contact portion of the drive element contacting the moving element in the movement direction and in an opposite direction that is opposite the movement direction, such that movement speed in the opposite direction is greater than movement speed in the movement direction; and a displacement enlarging section that joins the drive unit and the drive element to each other, and transmits enlarged displacement of the drive unit to the drive element. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120026490 | SURFACE INSPECTION APPARATUS - A surface inspection apparatus for observing an edge portion of an object to be inspected includes an illumination device that irradiates an illumination light to the edge portion; and an observation device that forms an image of an observation region of the edge portion illuminated with the illumination light. The illumination device emits a first irradiation beam and a second irradiation beam as the illumination light. The first irradiation beam is incident at approximately right angles to the edge portion for compensating brightness of the image and the second irradiation beam is obliquely incident laterally to the observation region of the edge portion for generating a shadow depending on a surface state of the observation region. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120026475 | Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and device producing method - An exposure apparatus EX is provided with a measuring unit | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120026386 | FOCUS ADJUSTMENT DEVICE AND IMAGING DEVICE - The focus adjustment device is characterized by comprising: a driver | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120026365 | IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGE SYNTHESIS PROGRAM - An imaging device includes an imaging element, a RAM, an adding synthesizing unit, and a high dynamic range synthesizing means. The imaging element captures an image of a subject and generates image data. The RAM temporarily stores plural pieces of image data that have been consecutively captured by the imaging element. The adding synthesizing means adds and synthesizes the plural pieces of image data stored in the RAM to generate synthesized image data. The high dynamic range synthesizing means synthesizes one of the plural pieces of image data with the synthesized image data to generate high dynamic range image data and outputs the generated high dynamic range image data. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120026311 | STRUCTURED ILLUMINATION MICROSCOPE APPARATUS AND AN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Polarized light which is emitted from an optical fiber becomes circular polarized light bypassing through a first quarter wave plate. The circular polarized light which has entered a second quarter wave plate is converted into nearly linear polarized light which has S polarization. P polarization components are removed from the nearly linear polarized light by a polarizer, but the polarizer is not always necessary. The optical axis of the polarizer is set to be a direction which allows transmitting of S polarized light. The light that has passed through the polarizer is separated into diffracted lights by a diffraction grating, and is used as the structured illumination light. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120025280 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSING DEVICE - A solid-state imaging device comprises a plurality of pixels that includes a photoelectric conversion portion, a charge-voltage converter that receives the charge and converts the charge to a voltage, an amplifier that outputs a signal corresponding to a potential of the charge-voltage converter, a transfer portion that transfers a charge from the photoelectric conversion portion to the charge-voltage converter, and a reset transistor that resets a potential of the charge-voltage converter; a connection transistor that connects or disconnects the charge-voltage converter of at least one of the pixels and the charge-voltage converter of at least one of the other pixels. A threshold voltage of the connection transistor is higher than a threshold voltage of the reset transistor. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120019804 | CLEANING METHOD, CLEANING APPARATUS, DEVICE FABRICATING METHOD, PROGRAM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - A liquid immersion member cleaning method used in an immersion exposure apparatus exposes a substrate with exposure light that transits an exposure liquid, wherein the liquid immersion member is disposed at least partly around an optical member and an optical path of the exposure light, which passes through the exposure liquid between the optical member and the substrate. The cleaning method comprises: loading a cleaning tool into the immersion exposure apparatus and disposing the cleaning tool at a position at which it opposes a first recovery port of the liquid immersion member, which is capable of recovering the exposure liquid; and supplying a cleaning liquid to a recovery passageway of the liquid immersion member, wherethrough the exposure liquid from the first recovery port flows. The liquid immersion member has a first discharge port, which is for discharging the exposure liquid from the recovery passageway, and a second discharge port, which is for discharging a gas from the recovery passageway and hinders the discharge of the exposure liquid more than the first discharge port does; and the cleaning liquid is recovered from a recovery part of the cleaning tool via the first recovery port. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120019803 | CLEANING METHOD, LIQUID IMMERSION MEMBER, IMMERSION EXPOSURE APPARATUS, DEVICE FABRICATING METHOD, PROGRAM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - A liquid immersion member in an immersion exposure apparatus, which exposes a substrate with exposure light which transits an exposure liquid, has a first recovery port, which is capable of recovering the exposure liquid and that is disposed at least partly around an optical member and an optical path of the exposure light that passes through the exposure liquid between the optical member and the substrate. A cleaning method of cleaning the liquid immersion member comprises: supplying a cleaning liquid to a recovery passageway of the liquid immersion member, wherethrough the exposure liquid recovered via the first recovery port from a space, which the first recovery port faces, flows. The liquid immersion member has a first discharge port, which is for discharging the exposure liquid from the recovery passageway, and a second discharge port, which is for discharging a gas from the recovery passageway and hinders the discharge of the exposure liquid more than the first discharge port does. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120019802 | CLEANING METHOD, IMMERSION EXPOSURE APPARATUS, DEVICE FABRICATING METHOD, PROGRAM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - An immersion exposure apparatus exposes a substrate with exposure light that transits an exposure liquid. A liquid immersion member has a first recovery port, which is capable of recovering the exposure liquid, and is disposed at least partly around an optical member and an optical path of the exposure light that passes through the exposure liquid between the optical member and the substrate. A cleaning method comprises: supplying a cleaning liquid to a recovery passageway, wherethrough the exposure liquid recovered via the first recovery port from a space, which the first recovery port faces, flows; and recovering the cleaning liquid from the recovery passageway. The liquid immersion member has a first discharge port, which is for discharging the exposure liquid from the recovery passageway, and a second discharge port, which hinders the discharge of the exposure liquid more than the first discharge port does and is for discharging a gas from the recovery passageway; and the cleaning liquid is not supplied to the space, which the first recovery port faces, via the first recovery port. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120019792 | Liquid jet and recovery system for immersion lithography - A liquid immersion lithography apparatus includes a stage on which a wafer is held. A projection system projects a pattern image to an exposure region through an immersion liquid to expose the wafer on the stage. A plurality of supply openings are arranged to surround the exposure region, via which the liquid is supplied from above the exposure region. A plurality of recovery openings are arranged to surround the exposure region, via which the liquid is collected from above the exposure region. A part of the supply openings are selected so as to supply the liquid ahead of the exposure region in a direction in which the stage moves. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120014592 | SUBJECT DETERMINATION METHOD, COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR DETERMINING SUBJECT, AND CAMERA - A photographic subject determination method includes: a binarization step of creating a plurality of binarized images of a subject image, based upon color information or luminance information in the subject image; an evaluation value calculation step of, for each of the plurality of binarized images, calculating an evaluation value that is used for specifying at least one of a position, a size, and a shape of a photographic subject within the subject image; and a photographic subject specification step of specifying at least one of the position, the size, and the shape of a photographic subject within the subject image, based upon the evaluation value. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120013877 | ILLUMINATION OPTICAL SYSTEM, EXPOSURE APPARATUS, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - According to one embodiment, an illumination optical system comprises an optical integrator which forms a secondary light source on an illumination pupil plane in an illumination optical path of the illumination optical system with incidence of exposure light from a light source device thereinto; a first transmission filter arranged in an optical path of the exposure light emitted from a first surface illuminant of the secondary light source and having a transmittance characteristic varying according to angles of incidence of the exposure light; a second transmission filter arranged in an optical path of the exposure light emitted from a second surface illuminant of the secondary light source and having a transmittance characteristic varying according to the angles of incidence of the exposure light; and a rotation mechanism which rotates the first and second transmission filters so as to vary an angle of inclination thereof relative to the optical axis of the illumination optical system. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120013864 | LIQUID IMMERSION MEMBER, IMMERSION EXPOSURE APPARATUS, LIQUID RECOVERING METHOD, DEVICE FABRICATING METHOD, PROGRAM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - A liquid immersion member is disposed inside an immersion exposure apparatus and at least partly around an optical member and around an optical path of exposure light that passes through a liquid between the optical member and an object. The liquid immersion member comprising: a first member, which has a recovery port that recovers at least some of the liquid from a space above the object; a recovery passageway, wherein the liquid recovered via the recovery port flows; a second member, which faces the recovery passageway and has a first discharge port that is for discharging the liquid from the recovery passageway; and a third member, which faces the recovery passageway and has a second discharge port that is for discharging a gas from the recovery passageway. The second member comprises a first portion and a second portion, which is disposed at a position higher than the first portion is and is capable of discharging a greater amount of the liquid than the first portion is. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120013863 | LIQUID IMMERSION MEMBER, IMMERSION EXPOSURE APPARATUS, LIQUID RECOVERING METHOD, DEVICE FABRICATING METHOD, PROGRAM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - A liquid immersion member is disposed inside an immersion exposure apparatus and at least partly around an optical member and an optical path of exposure light that passes through a liquid between the optical member and an object. The liquid immersion member comprises: a first member, which has a recovery port that recovers at least some of the liquid from the space above the object; a recovery passageway, wherethrough the liquid recovered via the recovery port flows; a discharge part, which has a first discharge port for discharging the liquid from the recovery passageway and a second discharge port for discharging a gas from the recovery passageway, that separately discharges the liquid and the gas from the recovery passageway; and a hindering part, which hinders the liquid in the recovery passageway from contacting the second discharge port. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120013862 | LIQUID IMMERSION MEMBER, IMMERSION EXPOSURE APPARATUS, LIQUID RECOVERING METHOD, DEVICE FABRICATING METHOD, PROGRAM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - A liquid immersion member is disposed inside an immersion exposure apparatus and at least partly around an optical member and around an optical path of exposure light that passes through a liquid between the optical member and an object. The liquid immersion member comprises: a first member, which has a first surface, a second surface that faces a direction other than that faced by the first surface, and a plurality of holes that connects the first surface and the second surface, that recovers at least some of the liquid from the space above the object opposing the first surface via the holes; a recovery passageway, wherethrough the liquid recovered via the holes of the first member flows; and a discharge part, which separately discharges a liquid and a gas from the recovery passageway. The first member comprises a first portion and a second portion. The second portion hinders a gas flowing from a space between the object and the first surface into the recovery passageway via the holes more than the first portion does. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120013861 | Apparatus and method for providing fluid for immersion lithography - An apparatus and method provide fluid for immersion lithography. A nozzle member that can move in a direction, is arranged to encircle a space under the optical element. The nozzle member can have an input to supply the immersion liquid to the space under the optical element during the exposure, and an output to remove the immersion liquid from a gap between the nozzle member and the wafer during the exposure. Immersion liquid can be supplied at a first rate to the space from a first portion of the nozzle member and at a second rate to the space from a second portion during the exposure. A wafer substrate is exposed by light through the immersion liquid. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120013860 | Liquid recovery system, immersion exposure apparatus, immersion exposing method, and device fabricating method - A liquid recovery system is used by an immersion exposure apparatus. The liquid recovery system is provided with: a first opening; a gap portion that is provided so that a liquid on an object that opposes the first opening can flow into the gap portion through the first opening; a liquid recovery part that suctions, through a porous member, at least part of the liquid that flows into the gap portion; and a second opening that is different from the first opening. The gap portion is open to the atmosphere through the second opening. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120013772 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING PROGRAM - An image processing apparatus includes: an image obtaining unit that obtains a photographic image captured with an image sensor; a flat portion extraction unit that extracts a flat portion area within the photographic image having been obtained; and a defect information generating unit that generates defect information corresponding to the extracted flat portion area. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120013737 | IMAGE-CAPTURING DEVICE, AND IMAGE COMBINATION PROGRAM - An image-capturing device includes: an image-capturing unit that captures an image of a photographic subject; a selection unit that selects, as a reference image, a single image from among a plurality of images that have been captured in succession by the image-capturing unit; a calculation unit that calculates an amount of positional deviation between the reference image and each of the plurality of images other than the reference image; and a generation unit that generates a combined image by positionally aligning and then combining the reference image and those ones of the plurality of images whose amounts of positional deviation are less than or equal to a predetermined amount of deviation. The selection unit selects the reference image so that the number of images for which the amount of positional deviation is less than or equal to the predetermined amount of deviation becomes large. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120012191 | LIQUID RECOVERY APPARATUS, EXPOSURE APPARATUS, LIQUID RECOVERING METHOD, DEVICE FABRICATING METHOD, PROGRAM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - A liquid recovery apparatus is used in an immersion exposure apparatus and is connected to a liquid immersion member, which is disposed at least partly around an optical path of exposure light that passes through an optical member and a liquid between the optical member and an object. The liquid recovery apparatus comprises: a first passageway, which is connected to a discharge part of the liquid immersion member that separately discharges the liquid and a gas from a recovery passageway of the liquid immersion member wherethrough the liquid recovered via a recovery port of the liquid immersion member flows, into which the liquid discharged via a first discharge port of the discharge part flows; a second passageway, into which the gas discharged via a second discharge port of the discharge part flows; and a first detection apparatus, which is disposed in at least part of the second passageway and detects the amount of the gas discharged via the second discharge port. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120008218 | IMAGING DEVICE AND LENS BARREL - An imaging device comprises a lens barrel having an optical system with an adjustable focal point, and has a first state can focus relative to an imaging face, and a second state can not focus relative to the imaging face, a changing unit for changing the lens barrel from the second state to the first state when the imaging unit is activated, a discriminating unit which discriminates whether the state of the barrel is the first state or the second state, and a control unit which, at a time of activating the imaging unit, changes the lens barrel to the first state by the changing unit if it is discriminated that the state of the barrel is the second state, and which maintains the first state if it is discriminated that the state of the barrel is the first state. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120008194 | IMAGING OPTICAL SYSTEM, MICROSCOPE APPARATUS INCLUDING THE IMAGING OPTICAL SYSTEM, AND STEREOSCOPIC MICROSCOPE APPARATUS - Provided is an imaging optical system that can prevent enlargement of the entire optical system of a microscope apparatus while holding a wide distance between optical axes to allow enlargement to a low-power range. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120008150 | Autofocus system and method - New and useful concepts for an autofocus system and method are provided. A basic concept uses fringe projection in an autofocus system and method. A further aspect provides spatial filtering concepts for the fringe projection concept. In yet another aspect, the fringe projection autofocus system and method is provided with temporal phase shifting using no moving parts. In a still further aspect, the fringe projection autofocus system and method is provided with unambiguous height measurement concepts. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120008112 | Substrate processing method, exposure apparatus, and method for producing device by immersing substrate in second liquid before immersion exposure through first liquid - An immersion type lithographic apparatus includes at least one immersion space and an immersion system configured to at least partially fill the immersion space with a liquid. The apparatus is configured to rinse at least part of the immersion space with a rinsing liquid before the apparatus is used to project a patterned beam of radiation onto a substrate. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120008111 | Exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method - A support structure of a lithographic projection apparatus is configured to hold a patterning device, the patterning device being configured to pattern a beam of radiation according to a desired pattern. A substrate table is configured to hold a substrate. A projection system is configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate. A liquid supply system includes a container at least partly defining a space between the projection system and the substrate, the container having a selectively openable and closeable aperture therein, the aperture having an area smaller than an area of the substrate, the patterned beam capable of being projected through liquid in the space and the aperture onto the substrate. A closure is configured to selectively close and open the aperture, and the closure is separable from the remainder of the apparatus. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120008006 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, ELECTRONIC CAMERA, AND MEDIUM STORING IMAGE PROCESSING PROGRAM - In an image processing apparatus performing synthetic processing on N number of images (where N is an integer of two or larger) being captured from a same photographic scene under mutually different exposure conditions to generate a synthetic image with a higher dynamic range than the N number of images, obtaining the N number of images, and performing low-pass processing on at least one image among the N number of images to generate a low-pass image. Then, a weighting amount in the synthetic processing is decided based on the low-pass image, and the synthetic processing is performed on the N number of images according to the decided weighting amount to generate the synthetic image. Accordingly, a natural synthetic image with fewer changes in contrast, hue, and chroma is generated in a simple configuration when generating the synthetic image. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120007994 | Electronic device, electronic camera, and data transfer program - An electronic device includes: a data transfer unit that transfers data between a first recording medium and a second recording medium; an indication unit that indicates a communication protocol and a data transfer rate to be used in data transfer to the transfer unit; a judgment unit that judges whether or not the data transfer is successful; a control unit that controls the indication unit to indicate a communication protocol and a data transfer rate to be used in data transfer, after the judgment whether or not the data transfer is successful, based on the communication protocol used in the data transfer, the data transfer rate used in the data transfer, and the judgment whether or not the data transfer is successful. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120002076 | CAMERA AND IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS - A camera includes: a photographing unit that generates image files by consecutively capturing subject images at an electronic shutter speed high enough to ensure that no image blur occurs in the subject images; an image file recording unit that records image files into a storage medium; a setting unit that sets a movie image frame rate; a synthetic image generation unit that generates a plurality of synthetic images each by combining sets of image data in image files among a plurality of image files generated by the photographing unit, a quantity of the sets of image data being set by taking into consideration the frame rate set by the setting unit; and a movie image file generation unit that generates a movie image file containing a movie image, each frame of the movie image being constituted with one of the synthetic images. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120002068 | Camera with red-eye correction function - An electronic camera comprises an image generation unit that generates a plurality of images for red-eye detection based upon an image obtained by capturing an image of a subject with an image-capturing element, a setting unit that sets a specific mode among a plurality of modes related to electronic camera functions, a selection unit that selects a specific type of red-eye detection processing among a plurality of types of red-eye detection processing different from one another, based upon the mode set via the setting unit; and a red-eye detection unit that detects a red-eye area based upon the images for red-eye detection by executing the red-eye detection processing selected by the selection unit. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20110317992 | IMAGE SHOOTING DEVICE - An image shooting device includes an image shooting part, an operation part, a display part that displays a first image which is being shot by the image shooting part under a first light source on a display medium, a recording part that records a second image shot under a second light source by the image shooting part which receives the image shooting instruction from the operation part in a storage medium, a shooting condition setting part that sets a first shooting condition for the first image and a second shooting condition for the second image when the first light source is different from the second light source, and a shooting condition control part that performs control on shooting conditions of the image shooting part such that the first image is shot under the first shooting condition and the second image is shot under the second shooting condition. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110317990 | INTERCHANGEABLE LENS, CAMERA BODY, AND CAMERA SYSTEM - An interchangeable lens that is detachably fitted to a camera body includes: a photographic optical system including a plurality of driven members whose driven state changes; a driven position information transmission unit that transmits driven position information to the camera body via a first transmission unit according to a clock signal input from the camera body, the driven position information being relates to a position of at least one driven member among the plurality of driven members; and a type information transmission unit that transmits type information to the camera body via a second transmission unit that is different from the first transmission unit, the type information specifying a type of driven position information that can be transmitted from the driven position information transmission unit. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110317292 | PIEZOELECTRIC ACTUATOR AND LENS BARREL - A piezoelectric actuator includes: a plurality of first piezoelectric elements; a first member that is interposed between opposing faces of the plurality of the first piezoelectric elements and that is driven in a first direction by the plurality of the first piezoelectric elements; a second piezoelectric element that is disposed in the first member; a second member that is disposed in contact with the second piezoelectric element and that is driven in a second direction intersecting the first direction by the second piezoelectric element; and a third member that comes in contact with the second member and that is moved relative to the first member by driving the second member. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110317264 | IMAGING DEVICE AND OPTICAL DEVICE - An imaging device includes a laminated member, a vibration member, a driving portion. The laminated member is arranged to face an image pick-up portion that is configured to obtain an image from an optical system. The laminated member includes a plurality of light transmissive layers that are laminated each other. The vibration member is provided on the laminated member and vibrates the laminated member to cause bending vibration. The driving portion is electrically connected to the vibration member so as to drive the vibration member. At least one light transmissive layer among the light transmissive layers is larger than other light transmissive layers. The at least one light transmissive layer has a laminated part and a non-laminated part. The vibration member is mounted on the non-laminated part. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110317061 | INTERCHANGEABLE LENS, CAMERA BODY AND CAMERA SYSTEM - An interchangeable lens that is detachably mounted at a camera body includes: a photographic optical system that includes a first drive target member and a second drive target member, a drive condition of each of which changes; and a drive condition information transmission unit that transmits to the camera body first drive condition information pertaining to the drive condition of the first drive target member and second drive condition information pertaining to the drive condition of the second optical member. The drive condition information transmission unit transmits the first drive condition information with a first frequency and transmits the second drive condition information with a second frequency lower than the first frequency by attaching the second drive condition information to the first drive condition information. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110317059 | IMAGING APPARATUS - An imaging apparatus includes an optical system; an imaging unit; an extractor that extracts a part of a first image as a reference image, the first image being received via the imaging unit; a first detector that obtains a first similar image from within the first image, the first similar image having a characteristic similar to a characteristic of the reference image; a calculator that obtains a positional relationship between the first similar image and the reference image; a second detector that obtains a second similar image from within a second image, the second image being received via the imaging unit later than the first image, the second similar image having a characteristic similar to the characteristic of the reference image; and a position detector that detects a position of a corresponding part of the second similar image in accordance with the positional relationship. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110317026 | Imaging apparatus with scene analysis - An imaging apparatus comprises an image-capturing element that outputs image signals representing a plurality of color components and an analyzing device that analyzes a captured photographic image based upon image signals with linearity, which are output from the image-capturing element. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110316528 | POSITION DETECTION DEVICE, TWO-DIMENSIONAL POSITION MEASURING APPARATUS, OPTICAL APPARATUS AND POSITION DETECTION METHOD - A position detection device includes a magnet and a magnetic detector. The magnet includes a first pole, a second pole, a third pole and a fourth pole. The first pole and the second pole are arranged spaced apart from each other and have a same magnetic polarity. The third pole and the fourth pole are arranged spaced apart from each other and have a magnetic polarity different from the magnetic polarity of the first pole and the second pole. The first pole faces the third pole. The second pole faces the fourth pole. The magnetic detector is configured to detect magnetism of the first pole, the second pole, the third pole, and the fourth pole. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110310375 | ILLUMINATION OPTICAL SYSTEM, EXPOSURE APPARATUS AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - According to an embodiment, the illumination optical system for illuminating an illumination target surface with light from a light source is provided with a polarization converting member which converts a polarization state of incident light so as to form a pupil intensity distribution in a predetermined polarization state on an illumination pupil of the illumination optical system; and a phase modulating member which is arranged in the optical path on the illumination target surface side with respect to the polarization converting member and which transmits light from the pupil intensity distribution so as to convert linearly polarized light thereof polarized in a first direction, into required elliptically polarized light and maintain a polarization state of linearly polarized light polarized in a second direction (X-direction or Y-direction) obliquely intersecting with the first direction, in order to reduce influence of retardation caused by a subsequent optical system between the polarization converting member and the illumination target surface. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110310274 | IMAGE-CAPTURING DEVICE, IMAGE REPRODUCTION DEVICE, AND IMAGE REPRODUCTION METHOD - An image-capturing device includes: an image sensor that captures an image of a photographic subject and outputs the image; an image size conversion unit that converts a whole of the image outputted from the image sensor to an entire region image having a lesser number of pixels than a number of pixels of the whole of the image; a cutting out region setting unit that sets a cutting out region for a partial region image to be cut out from the image outputted from the image sensor; an image cutting out unit that cuts out the partial region image corresponding to the cutting out region from the image outputted from the image sensor; and a recording control unit that records the entire region image converted by the image size conversion unit and the partial region image cut out by the image cutting out unit in an image recording unit, while establishing a relation to each other. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110310272 | Digital camera - A digital camera includes an insertion unit for inserting a storage medium, an image pickup unit, a control unit for storing an image picked up by the image pickup unit onto a storage medium inserted into the insertion unit, and a medium detection unit for detecting whether the storage medium inserted into the insertion unit is a storage medium in which rewrite is limited. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110310258 | Digital camera - A digital camera includes a communicator that communicates with other digital camera, a receiver that receives a camera information of another digital camera and an imaging device that forms a digital image of an object. The digital camera further includes a processor that creates a digital image data from the digital image based upon the camera information. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110310097 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, RECORDING METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - Provided is an image processing apparatus that stereoscopically displays a two-dimensional image, comprising a generating section that generates a left-side image and a right-side image by shifting the two-dimensional image left and right in a display region; and an output section that outputs the left-side image to a left eye of the user and the right-side image to a right eye of the user. The generating section generates the left-side image and the right-side image by shifting the two-dimensional image to the left and right within the display region by a distance no greater than a distance between pupils of a user. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110299184 | High NA Annular Field Catoptric Projection Optics using Zernike Polynomial Mirror Surfaces - Optical structure and design concepts are provided, using a Y-Zernike polynomial, and by which optical components, optical components and optical structures, can be designed and produced, to image at extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths, at a relatively high NA (e.g. 0.35), with a relatively large field of view (e.g. 26×2 mm). Moreover, an optical structure produced according to the principles of the present invention has a small amount of asymmetry, which enables the components of the optical structure to be manufactured with current manufacturing techniques. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110299092 | Imaging Optical System for Producing Control Information Regarding Lateral Movement of An Image Plane or An Object Plane - A new and useful concept is provided by which control information for an imaging optical system such as a lithographic imaging optical system can be generated. A system and method are disclosed that are designed to detect changes in the lateral position of an image plane or object plane in an imaging optical system, particularly a lithographic imaging optical system. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110299058 | Movable body drive method and movable body drive system, pattern formation method and apparatus, exposure method and apparatus, and device manufacturing method - Positional information of a wafer stage in a Z-axis direction and a tilt direction with respect to the XY plane (for example, a θy direction) is measured, using a surface position measurement system, such as, for example, a Z head and the like, and the wafer stage is driven based on the measurement results. At the same time, positional information of the wafer stage is measured using an interferometer system such as, for example, a Z interferometer. When abnormality of the surface position measurement system is detected or when the wafer stage moves off from a measurement area of the surface position measurement system, drive control is switched to a drive control based on the measurement results of the interferometer system. Accordingly, the wafer stage can be driven continuously even at the time of abnormality generation in the surface position measurement system. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110299056 | System and Method Configured to Provide Predetermined Depth Of Focus and to Control Irradiance Distribution - A system and method for illuminating an imaging optical system are provided, designed to spread the irradiance distribution at a pupil located at a mirror, to decrease the maximum irradiance on the mirror in the pupil, while maintaining a predetermined depth of focus of the imaging optical system (i.e. a depth of focus that is predetermined to be acceptable for the particular imaging optical application). | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110299055 | Beam transforming element, illumination optical apparatus, exposure apparatus, and exposure method with two optical elements having different thicknesses - A beam transforming element for forming a predetermined light intensity distribution on a predetermined surface on the basis of an incident beam includes a first basic element made of an optical material with optical activity, for forming a first region distribution of the predetermined light intensity distribution on the basis of the incident beam; and a second basic element made of an optical material with optical activity, for forming a second region distribution of the predetermined light intensity distribution on the basis of the incident beam, wherein the first basic element and the second basic element have their respective thicknesses different from each other along a direction of transmission of light. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110299052 | Measuring apparatus and method, processing apparatus and method, pattern forming apparatus and method, exposure apparatus and method, and device manufacturing method - Position information of a movable body within an XY plane is measured with high accuracy by an encoder system whose measurement values have favorable short-term stability, without being affected by air fluctuations, and also position information of the movable body in a Z-axis direction orthogonal to the XY plane is measured with high accuracy by a surface position measuring system, without being affected by air fluctuations. In this case, since both of the encoder system and the surface position measuring system directly measure the upper surface of the movable body, simple and direct position control of the movable body can be performed. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110297814 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSOR - A solid-state image sensor has a pixel, a vertical signal line, and a control unit. The pixel has a photoelectric conversion part, a charge-voltage conversion part, a transfer transistor, an amplifying transistor, a selection transistor which selects whether or not to output a signal, and a reset transistor which resets a charge of the charge-voltage conversion part. The charge-voltage conversion part is connected to the amplifying transistor and the reset transistor by connection wiring. To the vertical signal line, a signal output from the amplifying transistor is transmitted. The control unit controls the reset transistor and the selection transistor so that the selection transistor is in the on state when the reset transistor changes from the on state to the off state during the reset period in which a charge of the photoelectric conversion part is reset. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110293244 | IMAGING DEVICE - An imaging device includes a storage unit that sequentially stores a plurality of frame images based on an imaging signal from an imaging sensor that images light from a subject, a moving image data generation unit that generates slow motion moving image data that is to be played at a second frame rate lower than a first frame rate that represents the number of frame images stored per unit time in the storage unit, based on the plurality of frame images stored in the storage unit during a predetermined time period, a still image data generation unit that generates at least one piece of still image data based on at least one frame image of the plurality of frame images stored in the storage unit during the predetermined time period, and a record control unit that associates the slow motion moving image data generated by the moving image data generation unit and the still image data generated by the still image data generation unit and records the slow motion moving image data and the still image data in a recording medium. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110293201 | IMAGE RECORDING DEVICE AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT OF IMAGE RECORDING - An image recording device includes: a recording unit that records into a first image file that contains a plurality of sets of image data, common information that can be set by a user as information commonly applicable to all sets of image data in the first image file and individual information that can be individually set by the user for each set of image data in the first image file; and an information modifying unit that modifies the common information based upon information set for the first image file and modifies the individual information corresponding to image data in the first image file based upon information set for the image data. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110292528 | VIBRATION ACTUATOR, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING VIBRATION ACTUATOR, LENS BARREL AND CAMERA - A vibration actuator having excellent driving performance, a method for manufacturing the vibration actuator, a lens barrel and a camera. The vibration actuator is provided with: an electromechanical conversion element which converts an electric energy into a mechanical energy; an elastic body which generates vibration waves by oscillation of the electromechanical conversion element; a resin layer, which is formed of a conductive thermoplastic resin and bonds the electromechanical conversion element and the elastic body with each other; and a relatively moving member which is brought into contact with the elastic body with a pressure and is relatively moved to the elastic body by vibration waves. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110292278 | ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT, ACCESSORY AND CAMERA SYSTEM - An electronic equipment includes a main body, a mounting portion that is provided in the main body and on which an accessory can be mounted, a battery that is stored in the main body, a battery voltage detection portion that detects an output voltage of the battery, an external power source supply portion which supplies the electric power from the battery to the accessory mounted on the mounting portion, and a control portion which determines the remaining capacity of the battery on the basis of the threshold value to be set based on accessory information on the accessory and a detection result of the battery voltage detection portion. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110292274 | Image detection device, focusing device, image-capturing device, image detection method, and focusing method - An image detection device includes: a subject detector that acquires image information in an image field of an imaging optics with an image sensor, and detects a position of a subject in the image field based upon reference information related to an image of the subject and the image information; and a magnification detector that detects a magnification of the imaging optics. And the subject detector starts operation to detect the position of the subject, when the magnification has become greater than or equal to a predetermined value. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110292228 | IMAGE CAPTURING DEVICE - An image capturing device includes a first image processing unit that processes a plurality of frame images to form a moving image file, on the basis of an image capturing signal from an image capturing element that captures an image of light from a subject, an instructing unit that instructs to capture a still image of the subject, a second image processing unit that processes the still image on the basis of the image capturing signal from the image capturing element, when the instructing unit instructs to capture the still image during capturing of the moving image, and generates an interpolation frame image that is the frame image until the capturing of the moving image restarts after the instructing unit instructs to capture the still image, when the capturing of the moving image restarts after the still image is captured, and a moving image file generating unit that generates the moving image file, on the basis of the plurality of frame images processed by the first image processing unit and the interpolation frame image generated by the second image processing unit. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110286734 | Camera - A camera includes: a first sensor of a storage type that has a plurality of pixels; a focus detection unit that detects a focus adjustment state of a photographic optical system based upon a detection signal from the first sensor for a photographic subject; a second sensor that acquires an image of the photographic subject; an extraction unit that extracts a main photographic subject region from image information acquired by the second sensor; and a control unit that controls accumulation of electrical charge by the first sensor, based upon values outputted from pixels of the first sensor that correspond to the main photographic subject region. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20110286680 | MEDIUM STORING IMAGE PROCESSING PROGRAM, IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing an image processing program causing a computer to execute an image processing on image data to be processed, the image processing program including an obtaining step obtaining the image data, a gradation conversion processing step performing gradation conversion processing on the image data at an intermediate part of gradation according to input/output characteristics having characteristics to which characteristics to reduce a contrast are added, and a correcting step making a correction to enhance a local contrast indicative of contrast at a local part of an image for the image data subjected to the gradation conversion processing by using a gain curve in which a degree of enhancement changes in accordance with luminance information of a pixel to be processed, and thus, bright and dark part gradations are improved while suppressing a change in a hue and color saturation as well as maintaining an apparent contrast. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20110286119 | LENS BARREL, IMAGING DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF - A lens barrel and imaging device with a low likelihood of optical characteristics being degraded by an impact from a fall or the like may be provided. A lens barrel including: a retention member that retains an optical system; and a first guide shaft that guides the retention member to be movable along an optical axis of the optical system, wherein the retention member includes, a first engaging portion that engages with the first guide shaft, and an abutting portion disposed at the opposite side of the optical axis from the side thereof at which the first engaging portion is disposed, at a position that is offset in the optical axis direction from the engaging portion, the abutting portion being abuttable against an abutted portion when a force in the optical axis direction is applied at least to the retention member. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20110286110 | LENS BARREL AND IMAGING DEVICE - The lens barrel has a first lens unit that is disposed at the object side and changeable between a first state, a spacing of the lenses is a predetermined spacing, and a second state, the spacing of the lenses is narrower than in the first state; a second lens unit that is disposed at the image side and capable of changing a focusing state by moving along the optical axis; a restricting member that restricts the change of the first lens unit from the first state to the second state; and driving unit that, in a state in which the change to the second state is restricted by the restricting member, moves the second lens unit toward the image side, wherein the restricting member releases the restriction in association with a completion of the movement of the second lens unit by the driving means. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20110286091 | Microscope system and observation control method - A microscope system and observation control method. An electric zoom consecutively changes a magnification for a sample. A revolver includes a plurality of objective lenses of different magnifications and switches the objective lens placed in an observation optical path to intermittently change the magnification for the sample. A control section calculates a total magnification at which the sample is observed based on a magnification provided by the electric zoom and the magnification of the objective lens currently placed in the observation optical path. The control section operates when the revolver switches the objective lens placed in the observation optical path, to determine a target magnification that is the magnification of the electric zoom required to keep the total magnification obtained after the switching of the objective lens equal to the total magnification obtained before the switching of the objective lens. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20110285650 | Apparatus for recording and reproducing plural types of information, method and recording medium for controlling same - Various processes effectively execute updating of related information that is correlated to user selected information. For example, when a selected screen is touched by a pen or the like while an image corresponding to the selected image data is displayed on the screen, existing line drawing data (for example, a first character string) that is correlated to the image data and stored is displayed on the screen. In this instance, if new line drawing data (for example, a second character string) is input using the pen or the like, the new line drawing data is added to the existing line drawing data, and is correlated to the image data being displayed and stored. Different sound data can be correlated to selected image data. Different memo data also can be correlated user selected sound data. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20110280559 | VIBRATIONAL WAVE MOTOR, LENS BARREL AND CAMERA - A vibrational wave motor which can realize a suitable drive performance and can be driven quietly. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279807 | MOVABLE BODY DRIVE METHOD AND SYSTEM, PATTERN FORMATION METHOD AND APPARATUS, EXPOSURE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRIVING MOVABLE BODY BASED ON MEASUREMENT VALUE OF ENCODER AND INFORMATION ON FLATNESS OF SCALE, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - A drive unit drives a wafer stage in a Y-axis direction based on a measurement value of an encoder that measures position information of the wafer stage in the Y-axis direction and based on information on the flatness of a scale that is measured by the encoder. In this case, the drive unit can drive the wafer stage in a predetermined direction based on a measurement value after correction in which a measurement error caused by the flatness of the scale included in the measurement value of the encoder is corrected based on the information on the flatness of the scale. Accordingly, the wafer stage can be driven with high accuracy in a predetermined direction using the encoder, without being affected by the unevenness of the scale. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279794 | Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method - An exposure apparatus illuminates a pattern with an energy beam and transfers the pattern onto a substrate via a projection optical system. The exposure apparatus includes a substrate stage, a supply mechanism, a recovery mechanism and an auxiliary recovery mechanism. The substrate stage mounts the substrate and moves within a two-dimensional plane while holding the substrate. The supply mechanism supplies liquid to a space between the projection optical system and the substrate on the substrate stage. The recovery mechanism recovers the liquid, and the auxiliary recovery mechanism recovers the liquid which could not be recovered by the recovery mechanism. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279727 | BACKSIDE ILLUMINATION IMAGE SENSOR AND IMAGE-CAPTURING DEVICE - A backside illumination image sensor that includes a semiconductor substrate with a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements and a read circuit formed on a front surface side of the semiconductor substrate, and captures an image by outputting, via the read circuit, electrical signals generated as incident light having reached a back surface side of the semiconductor substrate is received at the photoelectric conversion elements includes: a light shielding film formed on a side where incident light enters the photoelectric conversion elements, with an opening formed therein in correspondence to each photoelectric conversion element; and an on-chip lens formed at a position set apart from the light shielding film by a predetermined distance in correspondence to each photoelectric conversion element. The light shielding film and an exit pupil plane of the image forming optical system achieve a conjugate relation to each other with regard to the on-chip lens. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279690 | ELECTRONIC DEVICE, CAMERA, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT OF IMAGE PROCESSING - An electronic device includes: a specifying unit that specifies image data to be designated as a print target; an image generation unit that generates a single image as a print target image based upon a plurality of sets of image data when the specifying unit specifies as the print target a set of image data contained in a first image file that includes the plurality of sets of image data for constituting the single image; an image file generation unit that generates a second image file containing the print target image having been generated by the image generation unit; an image file recording unit that records the second image file having been generated by the image file generation unit, into a storage medium; and a print information recording unit that generates print information to be used when printing the print target image and records the print information into the storage medium. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110278652 | SOLID STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A plurality of pixels PX include effective pixels and optical black pixels. Signal lines VL are provided corresponding to each column of the pixels PX and supplied with output signals of the pixels PX of the corresponding column. Clip transistors CL are provided corresponding to the respective signal lines VL and limit a potential of the corresponding vertical signal lines VL based on a gate potential. At least in a predetermined operating mode, a potential Vclip_dark is supplied to a gate of one of the clip transistors CL corresponding to at least one pixel column formed of the optical black pixels when reading a noise level from the pixels PX corresponding to the clip transistors CL and when reading a data level from the pixels PX corresponding to the clip transistors CL. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110275106 | DEVICE FOR MEASURING ACTIVITY OF CULTURED CELLS, MICROCHAMBER AND METHOD OF MEASURING ACTIVITY OF CULTURED CELLS - A device for measuring activity of cultured cells includes a position detecting unit specifying a position of a cell to be measured, a microchamber controlling unit disposing in the culture container a microchamber which surrounds the cell and forms a measurement space, the measurement space being minute with respect to a volume of the culture container, and a measuring unit measuring environmental factors contained in the measurement space. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110274424 | Lens barrel, photographic device, and production method of same - A lens barrel comprising bayonet type mount projections to detachably attach to a lens-fitting unit of a camera body having a photographic region, wherein mount projections are formed to avoid cross-section of light path area where object light is introduced in the camera body. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110274419 | Lens barrel, camera and lens barrel adjustment device - A lens barrel comprises a fixed optical system though which a subject image enters into the lens barrel along with an optical axis, a retreatable blur correction optical system that corrects an image blur by moving within a plane ranging perpendicular to the optical axis in an operating position and that retreats to a storage position from the operating position, a blur correction optical system drive unit that drives the retreatsble blur correction optical system within the plane ranging perpendicular to the optical axis, and a correction information recording unit at which reference position correction information is recorded, the correction information indicating a reference position for the retreatable blur correction optical system within the plane ranging perpendicular to the optical axis. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110273782 | LENS BARREL AND IMAGING DEVICE - A lens barrel having an image forming optical system including a first optical system and a second optical system which is moveable independently from the first optical system, a first driving portion which drives the first optical system during a magnification changing operation of the image forming optical system, and a second driving portion which drives the second optical system during the magnification changing operation, along with driving the second optical system during a focus adjustment of the image forming system. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110273698 | Beam transforming element, illumination optical apparatus, exposure apparatus, and exposure method with two optical elements having different thicknesses - A beam transforming element for forming a predetermined light intensity distribution on a predetermined surface on the basis of an incident beam includes a first basic element made of an optical material with optical activity, for forming a first region distribution of the predetermined light intensity distribution on the basis of the incident beam; and a second basic element made of an optical material with optical activity, for forming a second region distribution of the predetermined light intensity distribution on the basis of the incident beam, wherein the first basic element and the second basic element have their respective thicknesses different from each other along a direction of transmission of light. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110273697 | Polarization-modulating element, illumination optical apparatus, exposure apparatus, and exposure method - There is disclosed a polarization-modulating element for modulating a polarization state of incident light into a predetermined polarization state, the polarization-modulating element being made of an optical material with optical activity and having a circumferentially varying thickness profile. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110273693 | Beam transforming element, illumination optical apparatus, exposure apparatus, and exposure method with two optical elements having different thicknesses - A beam transforming element for forming a predetermined light intensity distribution on a predetermined surface on the basis of an incident beam includes a first basic element made of an optical material with optical activity, for forming a first region distribution of the predetermined light intensity distribution on the basis of the incident beam; and a second basic element made of an optical material with optical activity, for forming a second region distribution of the predetermined light intensity distribution on the basis of the incident beam, wherein the first basic element and the second basic element have their respective thicknesses different from each other along a direction of transmission of light. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110273692 | Beam transforming element, illumination optical apparatus, exposure apparatus, and exposure method with two optical elements having different thicknesses - A beam transforming element for forming a predetermined light intensity distribution on a predetermined surface on the basis of an incident beam includes a first basic element made of an optical material with optical activity, for forming a first region distribution of the predetermined light intensity distribution on the basis of the incident beam; and a second basic element made of an optical material with optical activity, for forming a second region distribution of the predetermined light intensity distribution on the basis of the incident beam, wherein the first basic element and the second basic element have their respective thicknesses different from each other along a direction of transmission of light. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110273684 | NANO-IMPRINT METHOD AND APPARATUS - There is provided a nanoimprint method for pressing a template having a pattern of a rugged or uneven shape, to a substrate coated with a curable resin the method including a measuring step for measuring positions of preselected sample measurement points of a predetermined number, which are set for object regions, respectively, of the substrate; a calculating step for performing statistical operations using the measurement positions of the sample measurement points as operation parameters thereby to calculate the deformed states of the object regions; a deforming step for deforming the template based on the deformed states of the object regions calculated at the calculating step; and a pressing step for pressing the deformed template onto the object regions. Accordingly, a nanoimprint method and a nanoimprint apparatus capable of forming a pattern highly precisely on a substrate are provided. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110273608 | FOCUS DETECTION DEVICE - A focus detection device includes: a defocus information detection unit that detects phase difference information indicating a phase difference manifested by a pair of images formed with a pair of light fluxes having passed through different areas of a photographic optical system and detects defocus information based upon the phase difference information; and a correction unit that executes correction for correcting the defocus information, detected by the defocus information detection unit, in correspondence to a predetermined direction extending between a first direction that orthogonally intersects an optical axis of the photographic optical system and radially extends from the optical axis and a second direction that orthogonally intersects the first direction. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110273606 | IMAGING DEVICE - An imaging device provided with an imaging unit for imaging object light, and a display unit for displaying an image, comprises: a storage unit that stores at least one of setting information regarding image capture performed in a predetermined image capture mode in which a predetermined image capture condition can be set and setting information regarding functions other than the image capture; a determination unit that determines whether a predetermined condition is satisfied when the predetermined image capture mode is released and then the imaging device re-enters the predetermined image capture mode; and a control unit that controls whether to cause the display unit to display presence display, which indicates presence or absence of the setting information stored in the storage unit, based on a determination result of the determination unit. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110273599 | IMAGE-CAPTURING DEVICE AND IMAGING APPARATUS - An image-capturing device includes: a first image sensor equipped with first and second image-capturing pixels and first focus detection pixels, each of which receives one of light fluxes formed by splitting subject light having passed through an optical system, the first and the second image-capturing pixels generating first and second color signals respectively and the first focus detection pixels outputting focus detection signals indicating a state of focus detection pertaining to the optical system; and a second image sensor equipped with third image-capturing pixels and second focus detection pixels, each of which receives another light flux, the third image-capturing pixels generating third color signals and the second focus detection pixels outputting focus detection signals, wherein: when n represents a quantity of the first image-capturing pixels, quantities of the second and the third image-capturing pixels, and the first and the second focus detection pixels are n, 2n, 2n and 2n respectively. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110273595 | Noise reduction device for reducing noise in image using blackout image, electronic camera, program, and method - The noise reduction device includes an image storage unit, a blackout image processing unit, and a noise processing unit. The image storage unit captures image data obtained by imaging a field with an image sensor, and stores the image data therein. The blackout image processing unit captures blackout image data obtained by imaging by the image sensor that is shaded, and extracts a specific noise component of the blackout image data. The noise processing unit reduces a noise in the image data based on the specific noise component of the blackout image data. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110273589 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING PROGRAM - Provided are: an acquisition unit that acquires at least one of an image stored in a storage unit and an image recorded on a recording medium; an extraction unit that extracts a factor regarding the image that is acquired by the acquisition unit, the factor that does not satisfy a predetermined condition; and a display unit capable of displaying information on an image-capture state of the image based on the factor extracted by the extraction unit and capable of displaying information on a solution for allowing the factor to satisfy the predetermined condition. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110273577 | Imaging device, with blur enhancement - An imaging device includes an imaging section, an image segmenting section, and a blur enhancement section. The imaging section images a field to generate photographic image data. The image segmenting section partitions an image of the photographic image data into a first region that is a main subject region and a second region where the main subject is not included. The blur detecting section detects degree of blur of an image of the second region of the image of the photographic image data. The blur enhancement section performs blur enhancement processing on the image of the second region to enlarge the degree of blur of the image after image processing in proportion to the magnitude of the detected degree of blur of the image. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110273543 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, RECORDING METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - Provided is an image processing apparatus that stereoscopically displays a two-dimensional image, comprising a generating section that generates a left-side image and a right-side image by shifting the two-dimensional image left and right in a display region; a right-edge processing section that attaches a right-edge image, which is displayed within a prescribed range from a right edge of the display region, to a right side of the left-side image; a left-edge processing section that attaches a left-edge image, which is displayed within a prescribed range from a left edge of the display region, to a left side of the right-side image; and an output section that outputs the left-side image with the right-edge image attached thereto to a left eye of a user and outputs the right-side image with the left-edge image attached thereto to a right eye of the user. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110272565 | ENCODER - An encoder includes: a light modulation section which modulates at least a portion of light that is emitted from a light source; a moving member which has an incidence plane, on which a plurality of light beams of the light incident, and is relatively movable in at least one direction; and at least two light receiving sections which respectively receive interference fringes that are generated in at least two regions on the moving member, wherein the light enters into the moving member such that at least two interference fringes move in opposite directions on the moving member in accordance with a modulation by the light modulation section. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110272382 | TEMPLATE MANUFACTURING METHOD, TEMPLATE INSPECTING METHOD AND INSPECTING APPARATUS, NANOIMPRINT APPARATUS, NANOIMPRINT SYSTEM, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - There is provided a template inspection apparatus which inspects a replica template, manufactured by an imprinting method from a master template having a depression/protrusion pattern, the template inspection apparatus including: an inspection light source part which radiates inspection light of plane waves; a stage configured to dispose the master template and the replica template so as to be in close proximity with each other and be irradiated by the inspection light; and a detection part which detects light of a component transmitting through the master template and the replica template and different from the plane waves. Accordingly, a template can be inspected in a short time. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110270562 | Profile measuring apparatus - According to one embodiment, a profile measuring apparatus comprises a profile measuring unit, a position acquiring unit, a profile calculating unit, a deflection detecting unit, and a controlling unit. The profile measuring unit has a projecting unit to project a pattern onto a measured object, and an imaging unit to image the pattern. The position acquiring unit acquires a position of the pattern on the measured object. The profile calculating unit calculates a profile of the measured object, based on image information from the imaging unit and position information from the position acquiring unit. The deflection detecting unit detects deflection of the projecting unit. The controlling unit executes active correction for the profile measuring unit and/or passive correction for the profile calculating unit, based on the deflection of the projecting unit detected by the deflection detecting unit. | 11-03-2011 |
| 20110268420 | Image recording apparatus, dynamic image processing apparatus, dynamic image reproduction apparatus, dynamic image recording apparatus, information recording/reproduction apparatus and methods employed therein, recording medium with computer program stored therein - The image recording apparatus according to the present invention is provided with a conversion device that converts an optical image of a subject to an electrical signal, a recording circuit that records the electrical signal achieved through the conversion device in a storage device as image data and a display control circuit that detects an available capacity at the storage device and the length of time that power supply by a source is possible and displays them on a display as available capacity information and remaining power supply time information. The available capacity information indicates the length of available recording time remaining at the available capacity that has been detected. | 11-03-2011 |
| 20110268419 | Moving image file producing method, computer program product and electronic camera - A moving image file producing method includes: inputting an image material; inputting a scenario information; and producing a moving image file that contains the image material based on the scenario information. | 11-03-2011 |
| 20110268142 | METHOD FOR HAVING LASER LIGHT SOURCE IN STANDBY STATUS - When the laser light source is caused to standby, the temperatures of semiconductor lasers are changed by approximately 3° C. from the temperature when the laser light source is always being used. With a temperature change of approximately 3° C., the wavelengths of the laser light generated by the semiconductor lasers change approximately 0.3 nm. This change hardly has any effect at all on optical fiber amplifiers, but the conversion efficiencies at the respective wavelength conversion elements of the wavelength conversion optical system change, and, particularly, deep ultraviolet light is hardly generated at all any longer. Therefore, even while the laser light has been made incident to the wavelength conversion optical system, there is no longer damaging of the wavelength conversion elements. Therefore, it is possible to provide a laser light source standby method that is able to shorten the start up time of the laser light source. | 11-03-2011 |
| 20110267710 | LENS BARREL AND OPTICAL DEVICE - A lens barrel comprises barrier blades that open and close in a directional orthogonal to an optical axis; an optical system retention frame that includes a first surface along a direction orthogonal to the axis, the optical system retention frame retaining the optical system and movable with respect to the barrier blades in a direction along the axis; and a coupling plate includes a second surface relatively movable with respect to the first surface, the coupling plate causing the barrier blades to open and close by the coupling plate rotating about the axis; wherein, when the barrier blades are opened, the first surface is can move in the axis direction without abutting against the second surface and, when the barrier blades are closed, the first surface abuts against the second surface and movement of the first surface in the axis direction is restricted. | 11-03-2011 |
| 20110267511 | CAMERA - A camera includes an image sensor that includes a first pixel row at which a plurality of first pixels that output focus adjustment signals are disposed, and second pixel rows each made up exclusively with a plurality of second pixels that output image data generation signals; and an interpolation processing device that executes, when outputs from a plurality of pixel rows are provided as a combined output according to a predetermined combination rule, interpolation processing for an output from a specific second pixel row which would be combined with an output from the first pixel row according to the predetermined combination rule, by using the output of the specific second pixel row and a combined output of second pixel rows present around the specific second pixel row. | 11-03-2011 |
| 20110261445 | MICROSCOPE APPARATUS - A microscope apparatus configured to enlarge entrance pupils while maintaining the rotational symmetry of optical systems of a plurality of optical paths after ejection of light from an objective lens to bring out the performance of the objective lens. A microscope apparatus includes an objective lens having a function of collecting light from the object; and optical paths in which all lens groups are rotational symmetric systems and through which light exited from the objective lens passes, wherein when a sum of maximum diameters of entrance pupils of optical systems forming any two of the optical paths is set as ΣDi, and an axial luminous flux diameter determined from a maximum aperture angle α and a focal distance f of the objective lens is set as Dobj, a condition of the following expression is satisfied, ΣDi>Dobj where Dobj=2·f·sin α. | 10-27-2011 |
| 20110261345 | Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method - A lithographic projection apparatus includes a substrate table configured to hold a substrate, a projection system arranged to project a patterned beam of radiation onto the substrate, a liquid supply system configured to supply liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate, and a residual liquid detector configured to detect liquid remaining on the substrate and/or the substrate table after an exposure is completed. | 10-27-2011 |
| 20110261331 | Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method - A lithographic apparatus includes a substrate table which holds a substrate, a projection optical system which projects a patterned beam of radiation onto the substrate, a liquid supply member which supplies a liquid to a space between the projection optical system and the substrate, and a liquid detector which detects a liquid remaining on a surface of an exposed substrate before the exposed substrate is unloaded from the substrate table. | 10-27-2011 |
| 20110261330 | Substrate conveyance device and substrate conveyance method, exposure apparatus and exposure apparatus and exposure method, device manufacturing method - A lithographic projection apparatus includes a substrate table configured to hold a substrate, a projection system arranged to project a patterned beam of radiation onto the substrate, a liquid supply system configured to supply liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate, and a residual liquid detector configured to detect liquid remaining on the substrate and/or the substrate table after an exposure is completed. A device manufacturing method includes projecting, using a projection system of a lithographic apparatus, a patterned beam of radiation through a liquid onto a substrate, the substrate being held by a substrate table, and, after the projecting is complete, detecting residual liquid on the substrate and/or the substrate table. | 10-27-2011 |
| 20110261244 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE REPRODUCING APPARATUS, IMAGING APPARATUS AND PROGRAM RECORDING MEDIUM - An image processing apparatus has a data reading section, a controlling section, and a display section. The data reading section reads a reproduced file selected from a first file and a second file. Here, the first file includes data of a first image together with metadata indicating a location of a second image related to the first image. The second file includes the data of the first image but do not include the metadata. The controlling section detects the metadata from the reproduced file. The display section performs display of indicating existence of the second image on a first screen reproducing the first image of the reproduced file when the controlling section detects the metadata. | 10-27-2011 |
| 20110261230 | Image-capturing device - An image-capturing device including an image-capturing element, a data extraction device, a recording device, a reproduction device, and a display control device is provided. The image-capturing element captures an image of a photographic subject and outputs image data. The data extraction device extracts data corresponding to a region designated in advance within the image data outputted from the image-capturing element. The recording device records the extracted data and the image data into a recording medium individually. The reproduction device reads out the extracted data from the recording medium. The display control device outputs an image signal to a display device, so as to display an image according to the extracted data read out by the reproduction device. | 10-27-2011 |
| 20110261227 | IMAGING APPARATUS - An imaging apparatus provided with: an imaging unit including an imaging sensor for imaging light from an object and a storage unit for storing image data generated based on an imaging signal output from the imaging sensor; and a GPS module for executing a process of calculating location information based on received data from a satellite, in which as a result of the imaging unit shifting from a low power consumption mode or a power OFF state to a normal image-capture mode, the GPS module shifts from the low power consumption mode or the power OFF state to a normal operation mode in which the process of calculating the location information is executed, and if it is not possible to perform the process of calculating the location information at the time of imaging the light from an object in the GPS module at a time point at which the light from an object is imaged after the imaging unit has been shifted to the normal image-capture mode, then image-capture-time location information obtained in consideration of at least one of pre-image-capture location information already acquired at a time point before the time of the imaging and post-image-capture location information calculated at a time point after the time of the imaging is added to the image data and stored in the storage unit, and calculation technique information indicating by which technique the image-capture-time location information has been obtained is also added to the image data and stored in the storage unit. | 10-27-2011 |
| 20110261226 | Electronic camera video signal correcting device - A device stores in ROM white spot addresses, white spot levels, an OB level median, sensitivity, and time-in-second under dark shooting, a temperature coefficient correcting the white spot level according to the temperature under normal shooting, a sensitivity coefficient for the sensitivity-based correction, and a time-in-second coefficient for the exposure time-in-second-based correction. A temperature difference during shooting a subject is obtained according to the difference between OB level median during normal shooting and that during dark shooting. A correction value for the white spot level due to temperature is obtained from temperature difference and temperature coefficient, and similarly, correction value due to sensitivity is obtained from sensitivity difference and sensitivity coefficient, and correction value due to time-in-second is obtained from time-in-second difference and time-in-second coefficient for correction. Dark current is corrected by subtracting OB level median during shooting a subject from the video signal during shooting a subject. | 10-27-2011 |
| 20110261224 | Digital camera and storage medium for image signal processing for white balance control - A CCD captures a subject image having passed through a taking lens and an image processing circuit performs various types of image pre-treatment including gamma correction and white balance on image data corresponding to n lines×m rows output by the CCD. The image processing circuit also performs format processing on the data. The data are then compressed at a compression circuit. The white balance adjustment and the like are implemented in line sequence at a line processing circuit which engages in signal processing in pixel sequence in units of individual lines in the output from the CCD. The image data having undergone the pre-treatment are then subjected to format processing prior to JPEG compression, at a block processing circuit that engages in signal processing in units of individual blocks each ranging over an n×m (N>n, M>m) block. In other words, the signal processing is performed in block sequence. | 10-27-2011 |
| 20110258583 | Processing execution program product and processing execution apparatus - A computer readable computer program product containing a processing execution program, the processing execution program includes: an area display instruction to display, in correlation to data displayed on a screen, a selection area to be operated by a user for selecting the data; a selection status display instruction to display a selection status indication indicating that the data has been selected in the selection area; a processing execution instruction to execute the processing to the data corresponding to the selection area in which the selection status indication is displayed; and an execution status display instruction to display an execution status indication on the processing in place of the selection status indication in the selection area. | 10-20-2011 |
| 20110258066 | Method of brokering digital data - A photographer | 10-20-2011 |
| 20110255857 | Camera - In a camera, the first cam is rotated to assume a rotational phase at which drive of the first shutter blade set with the first drive force is not hindered and the second drive force charge cam face in contact with the second charge member charges the second drive force as the rotating shaft is caused to rotate to a first rotational phase. The second drive force charge cam in contact with the second charge member sustains a second drive force charging state during a transition period in which the rotating shaft in the first rotational phase rotates to a second rotational phase. The first drive force charge cam face in contact with the first charge member charges the first drive force and the second drive force charge cam face in contact with the second charge member charges the second drive force as the rotating shaft is caused to rotate from the first rotational phase to the second rotational phase. | 10-20-2011 |
| 20110255852 | Aperture control device and camera - An aperture control device includes: an aperture first driving member that controls an aperture of a diaphragm through which light flux passes; an aperture second driving member that drives the aperture first driving member; a motor that drives the aperture second driving member; a detection device that detects start of movement of the aperture first driving member caused by the aperture second driving member driven by the motor; and a motor control device that controls an aperture value of the diaphragm by controlling a rotational amount of the motor after the detection device detects the start of movement of the aperture first driving member. | 10-20-2011 |
| 20110255849 | Camera - To provide a camera that can perform a removal operation for particles adherent to a surface upon which light is incident, of a pickup device and a transmitting member disposed on an optical path of the pickup device in such a condition that the particles are properly removed. According to the present invention, a camera comprises a driving mechanism section to drop and remove particles on a cleaning target that is a surface of an image pickup device and/or a surface of a low-pass filter provided closer to a side of a subject in an optical path than the image pickup device, the subject light passing through the low-pass filter, which is provided with: a tilt sensor to detect an orientation of the camera; and a control section to judge whether a removal operation for the particles by the driving mechanism section should be carried out or not in accordance with the detected value from the tilt sensor. | 10-20-2011 |
| 20110255801 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE PROCESSING PROGRAM - An image processing apparatus includes an edge emphasizing unit configured to form an edge emphasized image by emphasizing an edge of an input image, a range setting unit configured to set a pixel value range of a target pixel value of a target pixel of the input image based on a pixel value difference between the target pixel value and a neighboring pixel value of a neighboring pixel of the input image, and based on an edge emphasized neighboring pixel value of an edge emphasized neighboring pixel of the edge emphasized image, and a ringing control unit configured to restrict an edge emphasized target pixel value of an edge emphasized target pixel of the edge emphasized image in the pixel value range. The edge emphasized neighboring pixel corresponds to the neighboring pixel position of the input image. | 10-20-2011 |
| 20110254990 | Electronic device and electronic camera - An electronic device includes: a display element that displays a numeral; an auxiliary display element that displays an expression other than a numeral; an arithmetic operation device that executes an arithmetic operation to obtain an integer; and a display control device that implements control so as to display the integer obtained through the arithmetic operation executed by the arithmetic operation device by using the display element and the auxiliary display element. | 10-20-2011 |
| 20110254979 | IMAGING APPARATUS, SIGNAL PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND PROGRAM - An imaging apparatus includes a microphone that converts a sound signal into an electrical signal, a detector that detects at least one of a sensor signal output from an operation sensor detecting an operation of an imaging unit that takes an optical image obtained by an optical unit and a control signal output from an operation unit that controls the operation of the imaging unit, a determination unit that determines a state of operation of the imaging unit based on at least one of the sensor signal and the control signal, a memory unit that stores a first electrical signal output from the microphone as a noise signal when a signal ratio of the first electrical signal and a second electrical signal is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, and a noise reduction unit that reduces a noise of the electrical signal. | 10-20-2011 |
| 20110254977 | Data recording apparatus and camera - A data recording apparatus includes: a data recording device that records acquired data in a recording medium; a target data specifying device that specifies target data to which data processing is to be performed out of data recorded in the recording medium based on an instruction by a user; a recordable data number calculation device that calculates a number of the acquired data that will be able to be recorded in the recording medium by performing the data processing to the target data based on a remaining capacity of the recording medium and a content of processing of the data processing; a display control device that displays on a display device a result of the calculation by the recordable data number calculation device before the data processing is performed. | 10-20-2011 |
| 20110254971 | Image processing method, image processing apparatus, and electronic camera - An image processing method of the present invention includes a detection step detecting a characteristic area from each of three or more shot images having a common graphic pattern in part thereof, the characteristic area having an image significantly different from the other shot images, and a combining step extracting a partial image located in the characteristic area from each of the three or more shot images and combining these partial images into one image. | 10-20-2011 |
| 20110254970 | Electronic camera - An electronic camera comprises an image processing unit that performs image quality adjustment using a plurality of adjustment parameters, an information acquisition unit that acquires from an external device first image quality adjustment information including a parameter group for use with the image quality adjustment and an image quality adjustment algorithm that applies the parameter group, and a control unit that controls the image processing unit so that it performs image quality adjustment while applying the parameter group included in the first image quality adjustment information that has been acquired to the image quality adjustment algorithm included in the first image quality adjustment information that has been acquired. | 10-20-2011 |
| 20110254946 | Surface inspection device - A surface inspection device ( | 10-20-2011 |
| 20110249151 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGING APPARATUS, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM - An image processing apparatus of the present application includes a reduced image generation section generating a first reduced image obtained by reducing at least a target image being a noise reduction target, out of the target image and a reference image to be a reference of a noise reduction processing, a noise extraction section extracting a noise component in a frequency band corresponding to a reduction ratio of the first reduced image by using at least the first reduced image, and a noise reduction section reducing the noise component in the frequency band from a pixel value of each pixel of the target image based on the noise component in the frequency band being extracted. | 10-13-2011 |
| 20110249114 | Image display and recording apparatus and a recording medium on which a category control program is recorded - An image display and recording apparatus displays at least one image which belongs to a category as a heading image which shows that category. The heading images are selected from a plurality of images recorded in memory. The display of the heading images allows the content of each category to be grasped at one glance when selecting the category. The heading images may be used when displaying the categories of the images in various types of displays. Such displays include an index screen, a cartridge list screen, a category list screen, a category index screen, a story list screen, and a story index screen. | 10-13-2011 |
| 20110249112 | DEFECT INSPECTION DEVICE AND DEFECT INSPECTION METHOD - A defect inspection device and an inspection method which can decide the quality of a pattern shape of a sample surface in a short time are provided. A defect inspection device | 10-13-2011 |
| 20110245898 | LASER APPARATUS, LIGHT THERAPY APPARATUS, EXPOSURE APPARATUS, DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD, AND OBJECT INSPECTION APPARATUS - A fundamental wavelength light generating unit generates light of a fundamental wavelength in accordance with an output wavelength instruction signal. An optical amplifier unit amplifies the light of the fundamental wavelength. A wavelength converting part includes nonlinear optical crystals that each perform wavelength conversion and temperature regulators that each regulate the temperature of the corresponding nonlinear optical crystal, wherein the wavelength converting part converts the light amplified by the optical amplifier unit to light of the wavelength indicated by the output wavelength instruction signal. A storage unit stores correspondence information that indicates a correspondence relationship between the wavelength of the output light and the temperature of each of the nonlinear optical crystals based on the corresponding wavelength. A control unit controls each of the temperature regulators such that the temperature of the corresponding nonlinear optical crystal reaches the temperature to be set in accordance with the output wavelength instruction signal. | 10-06-2011 |
| 20110244396 | EXPOSURE APPARATUS, EXCHANGE METHOD OF OBJECT, EXPOSURE METHOD, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - A first carrier unit carries out a substrate tray that supports a substrate from below from a substrate holder by sliding the substrate tray in one axis direction (Y-axis direction) parallel to the substrate surface. Meanwhile, a second carrier unit carries in a substrate tray that supports a substrate subject to carry-in from below onto the substrate holder by sliding the substrate tray in the Y-axis direction, in parallel with the carry-out operation of the substrate (in a state where a part of the substrate tray that supports the substrate subject to carry-out is located on the substrate holder). Consequently, exchange of the substrate on the substrate holder can speedily be performed. | 10-06-2011 |
| 20110242520 | OPTICAL PROPERTIES MEASUREMENT METHOD, EXPOSURE METHOD AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - An image of a pattern used for measurement formed on a reticle for testing is transferred onto a wafer for testing via a projection optical system, while gradually changing a position in an optical axis direction of the projection optical system. The image of the pattern used for measurement which has been transferred is detected, and an amount corresponding to an expanse of the image of the pattern in a measurement direction is obtained. In this case, four images included in the image of the pattern used for measurement are detected in detection areas, respectively, or in other words, remaining sections except for both ends in a non-measurement direction are detected, and for example, area of the remaining sections is to be obtained as the corresponding amount. Optical properties of the projection optical system are to be obtained, based on the area which has been obtained. Because the area which has been obtained does not have sensitivity to the non-measurement direction, the optical properties of the projection optical system in the measurement direction can be precisely obtained. | 10-06-2011 |
| 20110242511 | Apparatus and methods for inhibiting immersion liquid from flowing below a sustrate - A substrate stage is provided with an immersion liquid collection member that surrounds at least an alignment feature of the substrate stage used to align the substrate on the stage by engaging alignment structure of the substrate. The collection member is located at least partly below the periphery of the substrate held by the substrate holding member of the substrate stage. The collection member has an uppermost liquid-receiving surface that preferably is spaced below a lowermost surface of the substrate when the substrate is held by the substrate holding member. The collection member collects liquid that flows along the alignment feature so as to prevent that immersion liquid from flowing along the under-surface of the substrate. | 10-06-2011 |
| 20110242506 | PROJECTION APPARATUS - A projection apparatus comprising a projection unit provided with an optical system that projects an image, a housing that houses the projection unit, a first surface, provided at the housing, that functions as a distance reference surface that defines a distance from a projection window that the housing is provided with to a projection surface that projects the image and as a first placement surface used when setting the housing, and a second surface, provided at the housing, that perpendicularly intersects the first surface and functions as a second placement surface when setting the housing is provided. | 10-06-2011 |
| 20110242365 | Photometric device - A photometric device includes a storage-type photometric sensor, a first control means that performs accumulation control on the photometric sensor based upon an average value of an output of the photometric sensor, a second control means that performs accumulation control on the photometric sensor based upon a maximum value of the output of the photometric sensor, and an accumulation control means that controls the second control means to perform next accumulation control, if the maximum value of the output of the photometric sensor on which the accumulation control is performed by the first control means exceeds a saturation output level of the photometric sensor, and controls the first control means to perform next accumulation control, if the maximum value of the output of the photometric sensor does not exceed the saturation output level of the photometric sensor. | 10-06-2011 |
| 20110242363 | Digital camera system - A digital camera system capable of operating by detecting a feature point, which has not been accomplished, in addition to ordinary functions of a conventional camera is provided. According to an aspect of the present invention, a digital camera system includes a detecting means that detects a given feature point from an image data, a receiving means that receives an order from a user, a selecting means that selects each feature point in accordance with a given order instructed by the receiving means when a plurality of feature points are detected, and a display that displays feature point information identifying the feature point selected by the selecting means. | 10-06-2011 |
| 20110242352 | IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM, IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND IMAGING APPARATUS - Information of a flare component is extracted from a shot image without using shooting condition data such as wavelength spectrum data of a bright point and imaging characteristic data of a shooting optical system. To achieve this, an aspect of an image processing method of the present application includes an input step inputting a processing target image obtained by a shooting optical system, an estimating step estimating an ideal bright point image component included in an occurrence area of a flare in the processing target image, an extracting step extracting a real bright point image component including a flare component from the occurrence area, and a calculating step calculating a difference between the ideal bright point image component and the real bright point image component as an index of the flare component included in the occurrence area. | 10-06-2011 |
| 20110241485 | Motor device, method of manufacturing motor device, and robot device - A motor device includes a base portion; a transmission portion that is formed with the base portion as one member and is wound around at least a part of an outer periphery of a rotator; and a driving portion which is supported by the base portion, moves the transmission portion by a certain distance in a state in which a rotational force is transmitted between the rotator and the transmission portion, and returns the transmission portion to a predetermined position in a state in which the rotation force transmission state is released. | 10-06-2011 |
| 20110241484 | Motor device, method of manufacturing motor device, and robot device - A motor device comprises a transmission substrate formed with a transmission portion that is wound around at least part of the outer periphery of a rotator; and a driving substrate that has a driving portion which moves the transmission portion by a certain distance in a state in which a rotational force is transmitted between the rotator and the transmission portion returns the transmission portion to a predetermined position in a state in which the rotation force transmission state is released, and is connected to the transmission substrate so that the driving force due to the driving portion acts on the transmission portion. | 10-06-2011 |
| 20110236006 | MIRROR UNIT AND IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS - A mirror unit that can decrease the wait time before distance measurement. The mirror unit includes a first mirror; a second mirror; a first mirror holder that holds the first mirror, is rotatable on a rotational axis arranged above an optical path of the incident light, is lowered to a first mirror-down position, and is raised to a first mirror-up position; and a second mirror holder that includes an auxiliary component and a mirror holding component holding the second mirror, is lowered to a second mirror-down position, and is raised to a second mirror-up position, wherein the auxiliary component is provided below the first mirror holder in the direction of the lowering, is rotatable on a rotational axis that is the same as or parallel to the rotational axis of the first mirror holder, and can be lowered independently of the first mirror holder, and the mirror holding component is engaged with the auxiliary component to be relatively rotatable around a rotational axis that is parallel to the rotational axis of the auxiliary component. | 09-29-2011 |
| 20110235038 | Evaluation device and evaluation method - In an evaluation device ( | 09-29-2011 |
