1. A photography apparatus, comprising:
imaging means for performing at least two photography operations including a first photography operation and a second photography operation with different photography conditions for a single subject, and obtaining a plurality of image signals corresponding to the plurality of photography operations;
light emitting means, for emitting flash toward the subject;
image signal processing means, for processing the plurality of image signals; and
control means, for controlling the imaging means, the light emitting means, and the image signal processing means such that they perform photography operations according to a standard photography method, comprising the steps of:
performing the first photography operation while emitting flash;
performing the second photography operation while preventing the flash from being emitted;
calculating a flash influence signal value F1, which is the amount of influence due to flash emission within an image signal P1 obtained by the first photography operation;
calculating a flash influence signal value F2, which is the amount of influence due to flash emission in the case that flash was emitted during the second photography operation, based on the differences between the imaging conditions of the first photography operation and the imaging conditions of the second photography operation and the flash influence signal value F1; and
obtaining an image signal P2\u2033, which is an image signal which is estimated to be obtained in the case that flash was emitted during the second photography operation, by adding the flash influence signal value F2 to an image signal P2 obtained by the second photography operation.
2. A photography apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:
the image signal processing means obtains a dynamic range expanded image signal Pc based on the image signal P1 and the image signal P2.
3. A photography apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:
the imaging means is an imaging element equipped with a great number of first light receiving elements and second light receiving elements that photoelectrically convert light from subjects, which are capable of being controlled so as to be driven independently from each other and are arranged in a predetermined arrangement.
4. A photography apparatus, comprising:
imaging means for performing at least two photography operations including a first photography operation and a second photography operation with different photography conditions for a single subject, and obtaining a plurality of image signals corresponding to the plurality of photography operations;
light emitting means, for emitting flash toward the subject;
image signal processing means, for processing the plurality of image signals; and
control means, for controlling the imaging means, the light emitting means, and the image signal processing means such that they perform photography operations according to an overexposure photography method, comprising the steps of:
performing the first photography operation while emitting flash;
performing the second photography operation while preventing the flash from being emitted;
calculating an overexposure amount value W, which is the amount of overexposure due to flash emission within an image signal P1 obtained by the first photography operation;
calculating a flash influence signal value F1, which is the amount of influence due to flash emission within an image signal P1 obtained by the first photography operation, based on the overexposure value W;
calculating a flash influence signal value F2, which is the amount of influence due to flash emission in the case that flash was emitted during the second photography operation, based on the differences between the imaging conditions of the first photography operation and the imaging conditions of the second photography operation and the flash influence signal value F1; and
obtaining an image signal P2\u2033, which is an image signal which is estimated to be obtained in the case that flash was emitted during the second photography operation, by adding the flash influence signal value F2 to an image signal P2 obtained by the second photography operation.
5. A photography apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein:
the image signal processing means obtains a dynamic range expanded image signal Pc based on the image signal P1 and the image signal P2.
6. A photography apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein:
the imaging means is an imaging element equipped with a great number of first light receiving elements and second light receiving elements that photoelectrically convert light from subjects, which are capable of being controlled so as to be driven independently from each other and are arranged in a predetermined arrangement.
7. A photography apparatus, comprising:
imaging means for performing at least two photography operations including a first photography operation and a second photography operation with different photography conditions for a single subject, and obtaining a plurality of image signals corresponding to the plurality of photography operations;
light emitting means, for emitting flash toward the subject;
image signal processing means, for processing the plurality of image signals;
judging means, for judging whether overexposure will occur in an image signal P1 obtained by the first photography operation due to the influence of flash emitted during the first photography operation;
control means, for controlling the imaging means, the light emitting means, and the image signal processing means such that they perform photography operations according to a standard photography method, comprising the steps of:
performing the first photography operation while emitting flash;
performing the second photography operation while preventing the flash from being emitted;
calculating a flash influence signal value F1, which is the amount of influence due to flash emission within an image signal P1 obtained by the first photography operation;
calculating a flash influence signal value F2, which is the amount of influence due to flash emission in the case that flash was emitted during the second photography operation, based on the differences between the imaging conditions of the first photography operation and the imaging conditions of the second photography operation and the flash influence signal value F1; and
obtaining an image signal P2\u2033, which is an image signal which is estimated to be obtained in the case that flash was emitted during the second photography operation, by adding the flash influence signal value F2 to an image signal P2 obtained by the second photography operation, in the case that the judging means judges that overexposure will not occur, and for controlling the imaging means, the light emitting means, and the image signal processing means such that they perform photography operations according to an overexposure photography method, comprising the steps of:
performing the first photography operation while emitting flash;
performing the second photography operation while preventing the flash from being emitted;
calculating an overexposure amount value W, which is the amount of overexposure due to flash emission within an image signal P1 obtained by the first photography operation;
calculating a flash influence signal value F1, which is the amount of influence due to flash emission within an image signal P1 obtained by the first photography operation, based on the overexposure value W;
calculating a flash influence signal value F2, which is the amount of influence due to flash emission in the case that flash was emitted during the second photography operation, based on the differences between the imaging conditions of the first photography operation and the imaging conditions of the second photography operation and the flash influence signal value F1; and
obtaining an image signal P2\u2033, which is an image signal which is estimated to be obtained in the case that flash was emitted during the second photography operation, by adding the flash influence signal value F2 to an image signal P2 obtained by the second photography operation, in the case that the judging means judges that overexposure will occur.
8. A photography apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein:
the image signal processing means obtains a dynamic range expanded image signal Pc based on the image signal P1 and the image signal P2.
9. A photography apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein:
the imaging means is an imaging element equipped with a great number of first light receiving elements and second light receiving elements that photoelectrically convert light from subjects, which are capable of being controlled so as to be driven independently from each other and are arranged in a predetermined arrangement.
10. A photography method, for performing at least two photography operations including a first photography operation and a second photography operation with different photography conditions for a single subject, obtaining a plurality of image signals corresponding to the plurality of photography operations, and processing the plurality of obtained image signals according to a standard photography method, comprising the steps of:
performing the first photography operation while emitting flash;
performing the second photography operation while preventing the flash from being emitted;
calculating a flash influence signal value F1, which is the amount of influence due to flash emission within an image signal P1 obtained by the first photography operation;
calculating a flash influence signal value F2, which is the amount of influence due to flash emission in the case that flash was emitted during the second photography operation, based on the differences between the imaging conditions of the first photography operation and the imaging conditions of the second photography operation and the flash influence signal value F1; and
obtaining an image signal P2\u2033, which is an image signal which is estimated to be obtained in the case that flash was emitted during the second photography operation, by adding the flash influence signal value F2 to an image signal P2 obtained by the second photography operation.
11. A photography method as defined in claim 10, wherein:
a dynamic range expanded image signal Pc is obtained based on the image signal P1 and the image signal P2\u2033.
12. A photography method, for performing at least two photography operations including a first photography operation and a second photography operation with different photography conditions for a single subject, obtaining a plurality of image signals corresponding to the plurality of photography operations, and processing the plurality of obtained image signals according to an overexposure photography method, comprising the steps of:
performing the first photography operation while emitting flash;
performing the second photography operation while preventing the flash from being emitted;
calculating an overexposure amount value W, which is the amount of overexposure due to flash emission within an image signal P1 obtained by the first photography operation;
calculating a flash influence signal value F1, which is the amount of influence due to flash emission within an image signal P1 obtained by the first photography operation, based on the overexposure value W;
calculating a flash influence signal value F2, which is the amount of influence due to flash emission in the case that flash was emitted during the second photography operation, based on the differences between the imaging conditions of the first photography operation and the imaging conditions of the second photography operation and the flash influence signal value F1; and
obtaining an image signal P2\u2033, which is an image signal which is estimated to be obtained in the case that flash was emitted during the second photography operation, by adding the flash influence signal value F2 to an image signal P2 obtained by the second photography operation.
13. A photography method as defined in claim 12, wherein:
a dynamic range expanded image signal Pc is obtained based on the image signal P1 and the image signal P2\u2033.
14. A photography method, for performing at least two photography operations including a first photography operation and a second photography operation with different photography conditions for a single subject, obtaining a plurality of image signals corresponding to the plurality of photography operations, and processing the plurality of obtained image signals, comprising the steps of:
judging whether overexposure will occur in an image signal P1 obtained by the first photography operation due to the influence of flash emitted during the first photography operation;
performing the first photography operation while emitting flash;
performing the second photography operation while preventing the flash from being emitted;
calculating a flash influence signal value F1, which is the amount of influence due to flash emission within an image signal P1 obtained by the first photography operation;
calculating a flash influence signal value F2, which is the amount of influence due to flash emission in the case that flash was emitted during the second photography operation, based on the differences between the imaging conditions of the first photography operation and the imaging conditions of the second photography operation and the flash influence signal value F1; and
obtaining an image signal P2\u2033, which is an image signal which is estimated to be obtained in the case that flash was emitted during the second photography operation, by adding the flash influence signal value F2 to an image signal P2 obtained by the second photography operation, in the case that it is judged that overexposure will not occur; and
performing the first photography operation while emitting flash;
performing the second photography operation while preventing the flash from being emitted;
calculating an overexposure amount value W, which is the amount of overexposure due to flash emission within an image signal P1 obtained by the first photography operation;
calculating a flash influence signal value F1, which is the amount of influence due to flash emission within an image signal P1 obtained by the first photography operation, based on the overexposure value W;
calculating a flash influence signal value F2, which is the amount of influence due to flash emission in the case that flash was emitted during the second photography operation, based on the differences between the imaging conditions of the first photography operation and the imaging conditions of the second photography operation and the flash influence signal value F1; and
obtaining an image signal P2\u2033, which is an image signal which is estimated to be obtained in the case that flash was emitted during the second photography operation, by adding the flash influence signal value F2 to an image signal P2 obtained by the second photography operation, in the case that it is judged that overexposure will occur.
15. A photography method as defined in claim 14, wherein:
a dynamic range expanded image signal Pc is obtained based on the image signal P1 and the image signal P2\u2033.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1-53. (canceled)
54. A device comprising:
a support component having multiple turns of an undulating member, said member being formed from a single continuous wire, each turn of said undulating member having multiple undulations defining multiple apexes, with undulations in one turn generally in-phase with undulations in an adjacent turn; and
a tubular graft component substantially coaxial with said support component, said tubular graft component being attached to said support component only in-part, allowing unattached apexes to move longitudinally relative to said graft component; and
said support component being slidably secured to said graft component such that relative movement therebetween is limited.
55. A device comprising:
a support component comprising multiple turns of an undulating member, said member being formed from a single continuous wire, each turn of said undulating member having multiple undulations which define multiple apexes, wherein undulations in one turn are generally in-phase with undulations in an adjacent turn; and
a tubular graft component positioned substantially coaxially within said support component, said tubular graft component being attached to said support component to allow said apexes to move longitudinally relative to said graft component.
56. The device of claim 55 wherein said member is a helical member configured to form said support component and which forms said multiple turns of said support component.
57. The device of claim 55 wherein the support component comprises wire and the undulations have a sinusoidal shape.
58. The device of claim 55 wherein the support component comprises wire and the undulations are U-shaped.
59. The device of claim 55 wherein the support component comprises wire and the undulations are V-shaped.
60. A stent-graft comprising:
a self expanding stent comprising an undulating member, said member being formed from a single continuous wire arranged in a helical configuration with multiple turns and having multiple undulations, each undulation having an apex, undulations in adjacent turns being generally in-phase with one another; and
a graft positioned substantially coaxially within said stent, said graft being attached to said stent to allow said apexes to move longitudinally relative to said graft.