1. An image capture apparatus comprising:
an image capture unit having a plurality of exposure adjustment functions including an electronic shutter function for changing an exposure time within a frame period and configured to capture an image of a subject to obtain image data; and
an image-capture control unit configured to allow the image capture unit to execute an image capture operation of capturing a plurality of frames of image data having continuity in time at a fixed frame rate and configured to perform exposure adjustment control in accordance with a subject brightness level obtained during the execution of the image capture operation, the exposure adjustment control being performed using preferentially an exposure adjustment function other than the electronic shutter function.
2. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image capture unit includes an optical system including an aperture mechanism, and
wherein the exposure adjustment function other than the electronic shutter function includes an exposure adjustment function using the aperture mechanism.
3. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image capture unit includes an optical system including a light intensity filter mechanism, and
wherein the exposure adjustment function other than the electronic shutter function includes an exposure adjustment function using the light intensity filter mechanism.
4. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image capture unit includes an image capture signal processing system including a variable gain circuit function, and
wherein the exposure adjustment function other than the electronic shutter function includes an exposure adjustment function using the variable gain circuit function with respect to a captured image signal.
5. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image-capture control unit performs exposure adjustment control using the electronic shutter function only when the subject brightness level is to be further reduced after exposure adjustment control has been performed using all light exposure adjustment functions other than the electronic shutter function.
6. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a combination processing unit configured to perform a combination process using, as combination-use image data to be combined, the plurality of frames of image data having continuity in time captured by the image capture unit so as to generate combined-image data representing a still image.
7. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a recording unit configured to record the plurality of frames of image data having continuity in time captured by the image capture unit onto a recording medium as a sequence of image data used for a combination process.
8. The image capture apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:
a pre-combination processing unit configured to read the plurality of frames of image data having continuity in time recorded onto the recording medium as combination-use image data to be combined; and
a combination processing unit configured to perform a combination process using the combination-use image data of the plurality of frames obtained by the pre-combination processing unit so as to generate combined-image data representing a still image.
9. The image capture apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising an operation detection unit configured to detect operation input information used for a combination process,
wherein the combination processing unit performs a combination process on combination-use image data of frames in a range on a time axis specified by the operation input information among the combination-use image data having continuity in time so as to generate combined-image data representing a still image.
10. The image capture apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising an operation detection unit configured to detect operation input information used for a combination process,
wherein the combination processing unit performs a combination process on combination-use image data of each of a plurality of frames using a weighting coefficient specified by the operation input information so as to generate combined-image data representing a still image.
11. The image capture apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the combination processing unit performs a combination process on combination-use image data of a plurality of frames using weighted averages so as to generate combined-image data representing a still image.
12. The image capture apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a display control unit configured to output the combined-image data generated by the combination processing unit as image data used for display.
13. The image capture apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the recording unit records the combined-image data generated by the combination processing unit onto a recording medium.
14. The image capture apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a sending unit configured to send the combined-image data generated by the combination processing unit to an external device.
15. An image capture apparatus comprising:
an image capture unit having an electronic shutter function for changing an exposure time and configured to capture an image of a subject to obtain image data; and
an image-capture control unit configured to perform a control process for allowing the image capture unit to execute an image capture operation of capturing a plurality of frames of image data having continuity in time at a fixed frame rate so that divisional exposure is continuously executed within an exposure period at the fixed frame rate using the electronic shutter function, and to combine a plurality of pieces of captured image data obtained using the divisional exposure to produce image data of one frame.
16. An image capture method comprising the steps of:
executing an image capture operation of capturing a plurality of frames of image data having continuity in time at a fixed frame rate; and
performing exposure adjustment control in accordance with a subject brightness level obtained during the execution of the image capture operation, the exposure adjustment control being performed using preferentially an exposure adjustment function other than an electronic shutter function.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An active part for a surge arrester having two connecting fittings which are arranged along an axis at a distance from one another, having at least one cylindrical varistor column, which is provided between the two connecting fittings, and having at least one dielectric loop, which is supported on the two connecting fittings or on one of the two connecting fittings and a connection piece, which is arranged between the two connecting fittings in the varistor column, and holds together the varistor column or a section of the varistor column, which is bounded by the supporting connecting fitting and the connection piece thus forming a contact force, wherein at least one of the two connecting fittings has an electrode, which is arranged at right angles to the axis and is in the form of a plate, as well as an electrical connection, which is integrally formed on the plate, and means for supporting one end of the dielectric loop, which means are formed in the plate andor are integrally formed at the edge of the plate.
2. The active part as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical connection is flat.
3. The active part as claimed in claim 2, wherein the electrical connection is in the form of a perforated plate or a plug-in contact.
4. The active part as claimed in claim 1, wherein an axially symmetrical centering tab projects from a surface of the plate facing the varistor column and is used to guide at least one cup spring which is in the form of a conical annular disk.
5. The active part as claimed in claim 4, wherein the diameter of the centering tab and the internal diameter of the annular disk are matched to one another so as to prevent the cup spring from being pressed flat.
6. The active part as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supporting means have at least one shoulder which is integrally formed at the edge of the plate and is narrower than the diameter of the varistor column.
7. The active part as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supporting means have a shoulder which is formed in the plate and passes through the axis of the varistor column
8. The active part as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supporting means have two shoulders which are formed in the plate and are each arranged in one of two sections of the plate edge which run in a straight line.
9. The active part as claimed in claim 7, wherein the shoulder has a surface which is largely parallel to the plate surface over the majority of the plate extent, and wherein the loop is in the form of a rectangle and is supported on the inside by means of one of the rectangular faces on the surface.
10. A surge arrester as claimed in claim 1 having a housing which is composed of insulating material and surrounds the varistor column, parts of the connecting fittings and the dielectric loop.
11. The surge arrester as claimed in claim 10, wherein electrical connections of the fittings are passed out of the housing.