Author: claimsbot

What is claimed is:

1. A video camera comprising:
a material element, arranged in a photographing optical system, for controlling a light transmission factor or a light transmission amount;
photoelectric conversion means for receiving an optical image transmitted through said material element at a position of an imaging plane, and converting the optical image into an electrical image signal; and
correction means for correcting light transmission factor wavelength dependency of said material element in accordance with light transmission factor characteristics or light transmission amount characteristics of said material element.
2. A video camera according to claim 1, wherein said correction means adjusts a correction amount of the light transmission factor wavelength dependency in accordance with the light transmission factor or the light transmission amount of said material element.
3. A video camera according to claim 1, wherein the cor4rection of said correction means is achieved by auto white-balance control for an output signal from said photoelectric conversion means.
4. A video camera according to claim 1 wherein the correction of said correction means corrects is achieved by changing a sensitivity of said photoelectric conversion means in accordance with a light wavelength.
5. A video camera according to claim 1, wherein the correction of said correction means is achieved by a filter provided to said photographing optical system or said photoelectric conversion means.
6. A video camera according to claim 1 wherein the correction by said correction means is achieved by arranging another material element capable of controlling a light transmission factor in said photographing optical system.
7. A video camera according to claim 1, wherein said correction means comprises storage means for storing the light transmission factor wavelength dependency of said material element or the correction amount of the light transmission factor wavelength dependency of said material element.
8. A video camera according to claim 7, wherein said storage means stores a plurality of light transmission factor wavelength dependencies or a plurality of correction amounts in accordance with the light transmission factor or the light transmission amount of said material element.
9. A video camera comprising:
a material element, arranged in a photographing optical system, for controlling a light transmission factor or a light transmission amount;
photoelectric conversion means for receiving an optical image transmitted through said material element at a position of an imaging plane, converting the optical image into an electrical image signal, and capable of adjusting at least one of a light accumulation time and a sensitivity; and
exposure amount adjustment means for adjusting the light transmission factor or the light transmission amount of said material element, and at least one of the light accumulation time and the sensitivity of said photoelectric conversion means.
10. A video camera according to claim 9, wherein said exposure amount adjustment means electrically adjusts the light transmission factor or the light transmission amount of said material element.
11. A video camera according to claim 9, wherein said exposure amount adjustment means adjusts the light transmission factor or the light transmission amount of said material element in accordance with incident light.
12. A video camera according to claim 9, wherein said exposure amount adjustment means comprises storage means for storing at least one relationship between the light transmission factor or the light transmission amount of said material element and the light accumulation time or the sensitivity of said photoelectric conversion means.
13. A video camera having a photographing optical system consisting of an optical element such as a photographing lens, and image pickup means, wherein a material element capable of controlling a light transmission factor is arranged in one of said optical element and said image pickup element.
14. A video camera according to claim 13, wherein said material element is formed on said optical element.
15. A video camera according to claim 13, wherein said material element is held by an optical element holding member of said photographing optical system.
16. A camera, which has a photographing optical system, a material element, having polarization means, for controlling a transmission light factor or a transmission light amount of said photographing optical system, light reflection means, and photoelectric conversion means arranged on an imaging plane of said photographing optical system or on a plane optically equivalent to the imaging plane, comprising: circularly polarizing light conversion means arranged on a side of the imaging plane of said material element or on a side of the plane optically equivalent to the imaging plane, wherein said light reflection means is arranged between said photoelectric conversion means and said circularly polarizing light conversion means.
17. A camera according to claim 16, wherein said material element and said circularly polarizing light conversion means are integrally arranged.
18. A camera, which has a photographing optical system, a material element, having polarization means, for controlling a transmission light factor or a transmission light amount of said photographing optical system, light reflection means, and photoelectric conversion means arranged on an imaging plane of said photographing optical system or on a plane optically equivalent to the imaging plane, wherein said material element is arranged between the imaging plane and said light reflection means.
19. A video camera, which has a photographing optical system including a material element, having polarization means, for controlling a light transmission factor or a light transmission amount, and an optical lowpass filter, and also has photoelectric conversion means arranged on an imaging plane of said photographing optical system or on a plane optically equivalent to the imaging plane, comprising; circularly polarizing light conversion means arranged on a side of the imaging plane of said material element or on a side of the plane optically equivalent to the imaging plane, wherein said optical lowpass filter is arranged between said photoelectric conversion means and said circularly polarizing light conversion means.
20. A video camera according to claim 19, wherein said material element and said circularly polarizing light conversion means are integrally arranged.
21. A video camera, which has a photographing optical system including a material element, having polarization means, for controlling a light transmission factor or a light transmission amount, and an optical lowpass filter, and also has photoelectric conversion means arranged on an imaging plane of said photographing optical system or on a plane optically equivalent to the imaging plane, wherein said material element is arranged between said photoelectric conversion means and said optical lowpass filter.
22. A camera, which has a photographing optical system including a material element capable of controlling a light transmission factor or a light transmission amount, and also has photoelectric conversion means arranged on an imaging plane of said photographing optical system or on a plane optically equivalent to the imaging plane, wherein said material element has a filter function of removing near infrared light.
23. A camera, which has a photographing optical system including a material element capable of controlling a light transmission factor or a light transmission amount, and also has photoelectric conversion means arranged on an imaging plane of said photographing optical system or on a plane optically equivalent to the imaging plane, wherein said material element and a filter for removing near infrared light are integrally arranged.
24. A video camera, which has a photographing optical system including a material element capable of controlling a light transmission factor, and also has photoelectric conversion means arranged on an imaging plane of said photographing optical system, comprising: correction means for correcting light transmission factor wavelength dependency characteristics of said material element.
25. A video camera according to claim 24, further comprising storage means for storing the light transmission factor wavelength dependency characteristics of said material element, which are obtained when said material element is in a predetermined state.
26. A video camera according to claim 25, wherein said storage means is storage means for storing a plurality of light transmission factor wavelength dependency characteristics of said material element, which are obtained when said material element is in the predetermined state.
27. A video camera according to claim 25, further comprising temperature detection means, and wherein said storage means is storage means for storing a plurality of light transmission factor wavelength dependency characteristics of said material element under a predetermined temperature condition.
28. A video camera, which has a photographing optical system including a material element capable of controlling a light transmission factor or a light transmission amount, and also has photoelectric conversion means arranged on an imaging plane of said photographing optical system, wherein when said photoelectric conversion means does not perform a photoelectric conversion operation, said material element is set in a light shielding state, a substantially minimum light transmission factor state, or a substantially minimum light transmission amount state.
29. A video camera according to claim 28, wherein when a power switch of said video camera is turned off, said material element is set in the light shielding state, substantially the minimum light transmission factor state, or substantially the minimum light transmission amount state.
30. A video camera according to claim 28, further comprising reproduction means for reproducing a recorded image, and wherein when said video camera is set in a reproduction state of the recorded image or in a reproduction mode of the recorded image, said material element is set in the light shielding state, substantially the minimum light transmission factor state, or substantially the minimum light transmission amount state.
31. A video camera according to claim 28, wherein when said photoelectric conversion means does not perform a photoelectric conversion operation, voltage application to said material element is not performed.
32. A video camera according to claim 28, wherein when said photoelectric conversion means stops a photoelectric conversion operation, said material element is set in the light shielding state, substantially the minimum light transmission factor state, or substantially the minimum light transmission amount state, and thereafter, voltage application to said material element is stopped.
33. A video camera according to claim 31, wherein when voltage application to said material element is not performed, said material element is set in the light shielding state, substantially the minimum light transmission factor state, or substantially the minimum light transmission amount state.
34. A video camera according to claim 32, wherein when voltage application to said material element is stopped, the light transmission factor or the light transmission amount of said material element is held in a state obtained when the voltage application to said material element is stopped.
35. An optical system having a light amount adjustment device, which controls a passing light amount by arranging a plurality of material elements capable of adjusting a transmission factor in an optical path of an optical system.
36. An optical system according to claim 35, wherein a light transmission region of at least one of said plurality of material elements is divided into a plurality of regions, and a transmission factor of at least one of the divided regions can be adjusted independently of the other regions.
37. An optical system according to claim 36, wherein said at least one material element divided into the plurality of regions is arranged near an iris position of said optical system.
38. An optical system according to claim 35, wherein an optical element on a light incident surface side and a light exit surface side of which said material elements are arranged is arranged in the optical path of said optical system.
39. An optical system according to claim 38, wherein said material element is formed on the entire surface of at least one of the light incident surface and the light exit surface of said optical element, and said material element is formed on only a ring-shaped region of a circle having an optical axis as a center on the other surface.
40. An optical system according to claim 35, wherein said material element is formed on at least one surface of an optical member constituting said optical system.
41. An optical system having a light amount adjustment device, wherein when a plurality of material elements capable of adjusting a transmission factor are arranged in an optical path of said optical system to control a passing light amount, a light transmission region of at least one of said plurality of material elements is divided into a plurality of regions, and a transmission factor of at least one of the divided regions can be adjusted independently of the other regions.
42. A video camera, which has an optical system for forming an image of an object image on an image pickup element, and transmission light amount adjustment means, arranged in an optical path of said optical system, for adjusting a transmission light amount, comprising:
light accumulation time adjustment means for adjusting a light accumulation time of said image pickup element; and
exposure amount control means for, when a change speed of an incident light amount to said optical system exceeds a light amount change speed corresponding to an adjustment limit of said transmission light amount adjustment means, changing the light accumulation time of said image pickup element until exposure amount adjustment of said transmission light amount adjustment means is enabled.
43. A video camera according to claim 42, further comprising gain adjustment means for adjusting a gain of a video signal, and wherein said gain adjustment means operates together with said exposure amount control means.
44. A video camera, which has an optical system for forming an image of an object image on an image pickup element, and a material element, arranged in an optical path of said optical system, for adjusting a transmission light amount, comprising:
gain adjustment means for adjusting a gain of a video signal; and
exposure amount control means for changing the gain of the video signal until exposure amount adjustment using said material element alone is enabled in addition to transmission light amount adjustment using said material element under a condition that a change speed of an incident light amount to said optical system exceeds a light amount change speed corresponding to an adjustment limit of said material element.
45. A video camera according to claim 44, further comprising light accumulation time adjustment means for adjusting a light accumulation time of said image pickup element, and wherein said light accumulation time adjustment means adjusts the light accumulation time of said image pickup element together with said exposure amount control means.

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. A fusible link device disposed on a semiconductor substrate, comprising:
a first substantially linear material layer having a first sheet resistance and defining first and second terminals at opposing ends thereof, the terminals having a triangular shape;
a second material layer coextensive with and overlying the first material layer throughout a length bounded by the first and the second terminals, the second material layer having second sheet resistance less than the first sheet resistance;
wherein the fusible link is programmable to an opened state in which an opening is formed in the first and the second material layers; and
wherein in a closed state the first and the second material layers provide a current path therethrough.
2. The fusible ink of claim 1 wherein a material of the first material layer comprises doped polysilicon.
3. The fusible link of claim 1 wherein a material of the second material layer comprises a metal silicide.
4. The fusible link of claim 1 wherein a material of the second material layer is selected from among cobalt silicide, titanium silicide, tungsten silicide, molybdenum silicide and nickel silicide.
5. The fusible link of claim 1 operative with a current source for controllably passing a current between the first and the second through the first material layer and the second material layer for creating the openings therein.
6. The fusible link of claim 5 wherein the current is about 25 mA at about 3.3 V.
7. The fusible link of claim 5 wherein the current source comprises a voltage source and a controllable switch connected in series thereto, wherein the switch is operative to a closed state in which current is supplied to the fusible link.
8. The fusible link of claim 1 wherein a data bit is represented by the opened state and the closed state.
9. A semiconductor integrated circuit comprising:
a substrate;
doped regions within the substrate, wherein the doped regions form active devices;
a fuse structure comprising:
a first substantially linear material layer having a first sheet resistance having first and second terminals at opposing ends thereof, the terminals having a triangular shape;
a second material layer coextensive with and overlying the first material layer, the second material layer having a second sheet resistance less than the first sheet resistance;

wherein the fuse structure is programmable to an opened state in which an opening is formed in the first and the second material layers; and
wherein in a closed state the first and the second material layers are intact.
10. The semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 9 further comprising a MOSFET active device formed from doped regions within the substrate, wherein the MOSFET further comprises a gate, and wherein a material of the gate comprises the first material layer.
11. The semiconductor device of claim 9 further comprising isolation regions disposed between certain active devices, wherein the fuse structure is disposed over an isolation region.
12. The semiconductor device of claim 11 wherein a material of the isolation region comprises silicon dioxide.
13. A method for forming a fusible link in a semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising:
providing a substrate;
forming a first material layer overlying the substrate, wherein the first material layer has a first sheet resistance;
forming, from the first material layer, a fusible link region and triangularly shaped terminal regions at spaced apart ends of the fusible link region;
forming a second material layer overlying the first material layer of the fusible link region, wherein the second material layer is disposed over the first material layer along a length of the fusible link region and the first and the second terminal regions, and wherein the second material layer has a second sheet resistance, and wherein the second sheet resistance is less than the first sheet resistance; and
causing current to flow through the second material layer, wherein the current produces heat for opening the first and the second material layers to program the fusible link to an opened state.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of forming the first material layer comprises forming a doped polysilicon layer.
15. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of forming the second material layer comprises forming a metal silicide layer.
16. The method of claim 13 wherein a material of the second material layer is selected from among cobalt silicide, titanium silicide, tungsten silicide, molybdenum silicide and nickel silicide.
17. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of forming an opening further comprises passing a current through the first material layer and the second material layer for creating the openings therein.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein the current is about 25 mA at about 3.3 V.
19. The method of claim 13 wherein the opening represents a data bit.
20. The method of claim 13 wherein the semiconductor integrated circuit further comprises active devices, and wherein certain of the active devices comprise a gate, and wherein the step of forming the fusible link region further comprises forming a gate and fusible link region from the first material layer.
21. The method of claim 13 wherein the semiconductor integrated circuit further comprises active devices, and wherein certain of the active devices are separated by isolation regions, and wherein the step of forming a fusible link region further comprises forming the fusible link region overlying an isolation region.

1. A digital camera which shares, within an image-sharing group by way of a network, image data captured by digital cameras constituting members of the image-sharing group, the digital camera comprising:
an imaging circuit for outputting image data obtained by capturing a subject;
a distribution list generation module which generates for each of the members of the group, every time image data are output from the capturing circuit, distribution information, including a storage source directory, a distribution destination address, and a storage destination directory, all pertaining to the image data, by reference to a group list where member information is registered for each of the members, including a distribution destination address and a storage destination directory, to thus generate a distribution list having respective pieces of distribution information registered therein; and
a distribution module which sequentially reads distribution information from the distribution list and distributes the image data to respective other digital cameras, which constitute the members, on the basis of the read distribution information.
2. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein, when image data based on read distribution information have not been successfully distributed, the distribution module saves the distribution information in an undistributed list, and again tries to effect distribution in connection with the distribution information saved in the undistributed list after having attempted distribution with regard to all pieces of distribution information registered in the distribution list.
3. An image-sharing method for sharing, by way of a network and within an image sharing group, image data captured by digital cameras constituting members of the image-sharing group, the method comprising:
a distribution list generation step of generating, for each of the members of the group, every time image data are output from the capturing circuit, distribution information, including a storage source directory, a distribution destination address, and a storage destination directory, all pertaining to the image data, by reference to a group list where member information is registered for each of the members, including a distribution destination address and a storage destination directory, to thus generate a distribution list having respective pieces of distribution information registered therein; and
a distribution step of sequentially reading distribution information from the distribution list and distributing the image data to respective other digital cameras, which constitute the members, on the basis of the read distribution information.

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. A method of protection of a rotating device (26, 13), loaded by temperature of a machine tool (15) with one temperature sensor (14) on that device (26, 13) and a temperature bloc (16), comprising the steps of
inputting specific parameters in the temperature bloc (16)
estimating a value (18) for the device temperature increase caused by the activity (19) of the device
measuring the temperature (20) of the device (26)
ironing out the normal discrepancy between the model and the measurement
generating an event signal (4) when the resulting difference signal goes above a trigger level.
2. A method of claim 1 wherein a temperature offset (21) by a moving average of the difference between the estimated and the measured temperature is provided.
3. A method of claim 1 wherein the measured temperature (8) is re-offset so that the estimated temperature (18) is comparable to the re-offset value (22).
4. A method of claim 1 wherein after a failure an analysis of the data was generated in order to diagnose the cause of the failure.
5. A method of claim 1 wherein information messages about the running system are displayed.
6. A method of claim 5 wherein warning messages about the failure are displayed.
7. A method of claim 6 wherein remedy messages are displayed.
8. A method of claim 3 wherein the re-offset is generated manually.
9. A method of claim 1 wherein the device (26) is a spindle (13) of a machine tool (15).
10. A method of claim 1 wherein one temperature sensor (14) is arranged at a bearing of the spindle (13).