Nikon Patents Granted

Patents granted to Nikon by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11877377
    Abstract: There is provided a method of setting a filament demand in an x-ray apparatus. The x-ray apparatus has a filament, through which the passing of a heating current allows thermionic emission of electrons from the filament. The x-ray apparatus has a target, arranged to generate x-rays from the electrons emitted from the filament. The x-ray apparatus has a detector, arranged to detect x-rays generated by the target for forming an x-ray image. The x-ray apparatus has a controller configured to perform a measurement operation of the x-ray apparatus. The measurement measures a parameter of the x-ray apparatus. The controller is configured to set a filament demand for the filament. The filament demand correlates with the current passed through the filament. The method comprises varying the filament demand between a first value corresponding to a lower filament current and a second value corresponding to a higher filament current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: NIKON METROLOGY NV
    Inventors: Bennie Smit, Alexander Charles Wilson
  • Patent number: 11871991
    Abstract: Data is computed in order to visualize the velocity of blood fluid flowing through a blood vessel at a fundus. An image processing method includes a step of performing registration of each frame in a moving image configured by plural frames of an imaged fundus, and a step of computing visualization data enabling visualization of a state of blood fluid flowing through a blood vessel at the fundus based on a pixel value in each of the registered frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mariko Hirokawa, Yasushi Tanabe
  • Patent number: 11864929
    Abstract: An image display method executed by a processor comprises displaying a screen including a two-dimensional fundus image of an examined eye and a three-dimensional eyeball image of the examined eye, finding a second region in the three-dimensional eyeball image that corresponds to a first region specified in the two-dimensional fundus image, and displaying a mark indicating the second region in the three-dimensional eyeball image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Mariko Hirokawa
  • Patent number: 11867621
    Abstract: A terahertz light detector includes: a light reception unit that receives terahertz light from a measured object; a pulse laser that generates pulse light; an optical member which the pulse light enters; and a control unit that controls the energy of the pulse light which enters the optical member, wherein the optical member has anomalous dispersion, and the light reception unit outputs a signal that is dependent on an intensity of terahertz light when the pulse light emitted from the optical member enters the light reception unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira Tokuhisa
  • Patent number: 11868028
    Abstract: An accessory includes: a detection terminal; a first power supply terminal through which a first power supply voltage is supplied; a second power supply terminal through which a second power supply voltage is supplied; a ground terminal; a ready terminal; a first clock terminal; a first data terminal; a second data terminal; a second clock terminal; a third data terminal; a first circuit to which the first power supply voltage is supplied through the first power supply terminal; and a second circuit to which the second power supply voltage is supplied through the second power supply terminal, wherein: the ground terminal is used as a ground potential for the first circuit and the second circuit; and a distance between the second clock terminal and the first power supply terminal is longer than a distance between the first clock terminal and the first power supply terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takayuki Funaoka
  • Patent number: 11867691
    Abstract: An image processing device includes a determination unit configured to determine a type of autophagy induced in a cell, based on information indicative of autophagic activity in the cell present in a cell image in which the cell is image captured and based on information indicative of congestion of molecules in the cell present in the cell image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignees: NIKON CORPORATION, THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO
    Inventors: Kenta Imai, Mamiko Masutani, Masayuki Murata, Fumi Kano, Yoshiyuki Noguchi
  • Patent number: 11860111
    Abstract: An image reconstruction method, includes: generating differential data indicating a difference between detection data generated by detecting X-ray that passed through a measurement object by irradiating X-rays to the measurement object and estimate data generated by estimating X-rays that are assumed to have been passed through an estimated structure having been generated by estimating a shape of the measurement object; and generating an image using the differential data and the estimated structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Atsushi Yamada
  • Patent number: 11864117
    Abstract: An electronic device including a generation unit, a reception unit, a storage unit, and a control unit. The generation unit generates data. The reception unit receives, from an external device, position information related to a position. The storage unit stores the received position information. The control unit determines an elapsed length of time that has passed since the reception unit received the position information. In response to the elapsed length of time being less than a predetermined length of time, the control unit correlates the generated data with the stored position information. In response to the elapsed length of time being greater than or equal to the predetermined length of time, the control unit transmits a request, to the external device, to transmit updated position information, and correlates the generated data with the updated position information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naotaka Yamashita
  • Patent number: 11858132
    Abstract: An encoder device including a position detection unit for detecting position information of a moving part; a magnet having a plurality of polarities along a moving direction of the moving part; and an electric signal generation unit for generating an electric signal, based on a magnetic characteristic of a magnetosensitive part, the electric signal generation unit having the magnetosensitive part whose magnetic characteristic is changed by a change in magnetic field associated with relative movement to the magnet, wherein the magnetosensitive part is disposed so that the magnetosensitive part is spaced apart from a side surface of the magnet in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction and a length direction of the magnetosensitive part is orthogonal to tangential directions of at least some of magnetic field lines of the magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihiro Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11863887
    Abstract: An image sensor including a pixel that includes: a first photoelectric conversion unit and a second photoelectric conversion unit, each of which generates an electric charge through photoelectric conversion of light; an output unit that outputs a first signal generated based upon the electric charge generated in the first photoelectric conversion unit and a second signal generated based upon an electric charge generated in the second photoelectric conversion unit; and an adjustment unit that adjusts a capacitance at the output unit upon outputting of the first signal and the second signal from the output unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Atsushi Komai
  • Patent number: 11854201
    Abstract: A current observation area is determined exploratorily from among a plurality of candidate areas, on the basis of a plurality of observed areas in a biological tissue. A plurality of reference images obtained by means of low-magnification observation of the biological tissue are utilized at this time. A learning image is acquired by means of high-magnification observation of the determined current observation area. A plurality of convolution filters included in an estimator can be utilized to evaluate the plurality of candidate areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kohki Konishi, Mitsuo Suga, Hideo Nishioka
  • Patent number: 11854288
    Abstract: To determine the state of a subject person with a simple structure, an image determining device includes: an imaging unit that captures an image from a first direction, the image including the subject person; a first detector that detects size information from the image, the size information being about the subject person in the first direction; a second detector that detects position-related information, the position-related information being different from the information detected by the first detector; and a determining unit that determines the state of the subject person, based on a result of the detection performed by the first detector and a result of the detection performed by the second detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuya Yamamoto, Masahiro Nei, Isao Totsuka, Tomoyuki Matsuyama, Masamitsu Yanagihara, Satoshi Hagiwara, Masakazu Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 11842905
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a stacked substrate by bonding a first substrate and a second substrate, including a step of determining, based on information about curving of each of the first substrate and the second substrate, whether or not the first substrate and the second substrate satisfy a predetermined condition, and, a step of bonding the first substrate and the second substrate if the predetermined condition is satisfied. The stacked substrate manufacturing method described above includes a step of estimating, based on the information, an amount of misalignment which occurs after the first substrate is bonded to the second substrate and the predetermined condition may include that the amount of misalignment is equal to or less than a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Isao Sugaya, Hajime Mitsuishi
  • Patent number: 11836194
    Abstract: An information acquisition system includes: a mobile terminal; and an information search system. The information search system searches for information on a route based on route information input from the mobile terminal and transmits a search result to the mobile terminal, and the mobile terminal includes a navigation unit that navigates the route from a departure point to a destination. The information search system includes: a database in which information on the route is stored in correspondence with the route information; and an information search server that searches for the information on the route from the database based on the route information and acquires reservation information for transportation on the route based on the information on the route from a reservation system of the transportation, and the information search server transmits the reservation information to the mobile terminal together with the information on the route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideya Inoue, Toru Iwaoka, Michiko Noborisaka, Masayuki Hatori, Tomohide Hamada
  • Patent number: 11835934
    Abstract: The problem of addressing vibrational disturbances in mechanical positioning systems is addressed by systems and methods that use a combination of active vibration dampening and passive vibration dampening. A system described herein generally comprises a mechanical positioning system; a payload; and a vibration dampening module coupled to the mechanical position system and to the payload. The vibration dampening module generally comprises an active vibration dampener and/or a passive vibration dampener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Matthew Parker-McCormick Bjork
  • Patent number: 11822063
    Abstract: A zoom lens includes, in order from an object, a first lens group having a negative refractive power, a second lens group having a positive refractive power, a third lens group having a negative refractive power, and a fourth lens group. Zooming is performed by changing respective distances between the first and second lens groups, the second and third lens groups, and the third and fourth lens groups. The first lens group includes a negative lens disposed closest to the object, and a negative lens. Specified conditional expressions are satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Keigo Koida
  • Patent number: 11823935
    Abstract: A stacking apparatus that stacks substrate and a second substrate includes: a plurality of holding members that hold the first substrate, wherein the plurality of bolding members correct positional misalignment of the first substrate relative to the second substrate by preset amounts of correction, and the plurality of holding members include holding members having the amounts of correction that are different from each other. The stacking apparatus may further include a carrying unit that carries a holding member that is selected from among the plurality of holding members and holds the first substrate from a position here the holding member is housed to a position where the first substrate is held.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hajime Mitsuishi, Isao Sugaya, Minoru Fukuda
  • Patent number: 11825225
    Abstract: An imaging element comprising: an imaging unit that has: a plurality of groups each including at least one pixel; and a plurality of signal readout units that are each provided to each of the groups and read out a signal from the pixel; and a control unit that controls the signal readout unit in at least one group among the plurality of groups is provided. Each of the plurality of groups may include a plurality of the pixels. The control unit may select at least one group among the plurality of groups and control the signal readout unit by using a control parameter that is different from a control parameter that is used for another group among the plurality of groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Kuriyama, Hironobu Murata, Shiro Tsunai, Tetsuya Konishi, Masahiro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11815654
    Abstract: A lens barrel includes: a first lens; a first tube that holds the first lens and moves along an optical axis; a focusing lens; an actuator that drives the focusing lens; and a second tube that holds the focusing lens and the actuator and moves along the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki Kinouchi, Kentaro Terao, Satoshi Kazahaya, Hiroki Takita, Mizuki Wayu
  • Patent number: 11815659
    Abstract: The present invention provides a spectacle lens having low surface resistivity. This spectacle lens includes a spectacle lens base and a hard coat layer. When a primer layer is included between the spectacle lens base material and the hard coat layer, the primer layer and/or the hard coat layer contains at least one type of electroconductive filler selected from the group consisting of ionic liquid-coated nanowires containing metal nanowires and an ionic liquid coating the metal nanowire, and ionic liquid-coated nanoparticles containing metal nanoparticles and an ionic liquid coating the metal nanoparticles. When the primer layer is not included between the spectacle lens base material and the hard coat layer, the hard coat layer contains the at least one type of electroconductive filler selected from the group consisting of the ionic liquid-coated nanowires and ionic liquid-coated nanoparticles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON-ESSILOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yuka Igami
  • Patent number: 11812172
    Abstract: An image sensor includes: a readout circuit that reads out a signal to a signal line, the signal being generated by an electric charge resulting from a photoelectric conversion; a holding circuit that holds a voltage based on an electric current from a power supply circuit; and an electric current source including a transistor having a drain part connected to the signal line and a gate part connected to the holding circuit and the drain part, the electric current source supplying the signal line with an electric current generated by the voltage held in the holding circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wataru Funamizu, Masahiro Juen, Atsushi Komai
  • Patent number: 11808929
    Abstract: A quantitative phase image generating method for a microscope, includes: irradiating an object with illumination light; disposing a focal point of an objective lens at each of a plurality of positions that are mutually separated by gaps ?z along an optical axis of the objective lens, and detecting light from the object; generating sets of light intensity distribution data corresponding to each of the plurality of positions based upon the detected light; and generating a quantitative phase image based upon the light intensity distribution data; wherein the gap ?z is set based upon setting information of the microscope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shota Tsuchida, Satoshi Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11806810
    Abstract: This shaping apparatus is equipped with: a movement system which moves a target surface; a measurement system for acquiring position information of the target surface in a state movable by the movement system, a beam shaping system that has a beam irradiation section and a material processing section which supplies a shaping material irradiated by a beam from beam irradiation section; and a controller. On the basis of 3D data of a three-dimensional shaped object to be formed on a target surface and position information of the target surface acquired using the measurement system, the controller controls the movement system and the beam shaping system such that a target portion on the target surface is shaped by supplying the shaping material while moving the target surface and the beam from beam irradiation section relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuichi Shibazaki
  • Patent number: 11805318
    Abstract: A camera body with which it is possible to improve the effect of shake correction, a camera accessory, and an information transmission method wherein the camera body to which a camera accessory can be detachably mounted, and includes: a movable section which is movable to correct shaking of the camera body; a detection unit which detects the shake and outputs a detection signal; a calculation unit which, on the basis of the detection signal, calculates an amount of movement of the movable section; and a transmission unit which transmits, to the camera accessory, body-side information the calculation unit uses to calculate the amount of movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sueyuki Ohishi
  • Patent number: 11803107
    Abstract: An interchangeable lens which is mountable in and removable from a camera body having an imaging part, includes an optical system in which an exit pupil distance changes according to a position of the imaging part on an imaging surface, an input part in which information on a position on the imaging surface is input from the camera body, and an output part which outputs first information regarding the exit pupil distance of the optical system based on the information input to the input part to the camera body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki Kita, Akira Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 11796776
    Abstract: A variable magnification optical system comprising, in order from an object side, a first lens group having negative refractive power, a first intermediate lens group having positive refractive power, a second intermediate lens group having negative refractive power and a rear lens group; upon varying a magnification from a wide angle end state to a telephoto end state, a distance between the first lens group and the first intermediate lens group being varied, a distance between the first intermediate lens group and the second intermediate lens group being varied, and a distance between the second intermediate lens group and the rear lens group being varied; the rear lens group comprising at least one focusing lens group which is moved upon carrying out focusing from an infinitely distant object to a closely distant object; and predetermined conditional expressions being satisfied, thereby the focusing lens group(s) being reduced in weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Kosuke Machida
  • Patent number: 11800252
    Abstract: An image sensor includes: a readout circuit that reads out a signal to a signal line, the signal being generated by an electric charge resulting from a photoelectric conversion; a holding circuit that holds a voltage based on an electric current from a power supply circuit; and an electric current source including a transistor having a drain part connected to the signal line and a gate part connected to the holding circuit and the drain part, the electric current source supplying the signal line with an electric current generated by the voltage held in the holding circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wataru Funamizu, Masahiro Juen, Atsushi Komai
  • Patent number: 11800074
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a display and a control unit. The display displays a plurality of images of a subject captured in a first image-capturing region of an image sensor. The control unit controls the image sensor so as to set image-capturing conditions for the first image-capturing region to be different from image-capturing conditions for a second image-capturing region of the image sensor by using an image selected from the plurality of images displayed on the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi Tsuchiya, Yuuki Asano, Shuhei Yoshikawa, Aiko Namikawa
  • Patent number: 11789246
    Abstract: A zoom lens (ZL) comprises, in order from an object: a first lens group (G1) having negative refractive power; an aperture stop (S); a second lens group (G2) having positive refractive power; a third lens group (G3) having negative refractive power; and a fourth lens group (G4) having positive refractive power. In this zoom lens (ZL), upon zooming from a wide angle end state to a telephoto end state, a distance between the aperture stop (S) and the first lens group (G1), a distance between the aperture stop (S) and the second lens group (G2), and a distance between the aperture stop (S) and the third lens group (G3) are changed and the aperture stop (S) is moved in an optical axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Saburo Masugi
  • Patent number: 11789245
    Abstract: A variable magnification optical system comprising, in order from an object side, a first lens group having positive refractive power, a second lens group having negative refractive power, a third lens group having positive refractive power, and a rear lens group having negative refractive power; upon varying a magnification from a wide angle end state to a tele photo end state, a distance between the first lens group and the second lens group being varied, a distance between the second lens group and the third lens group being varied, and a distance between the third lens group and the rear lens group being varied; the third lens group or the rear lens group comprising a focusing lens group which is moved upon carrying out focusing from an infinitely distant object to a closely distant object; and predetermined conditional expression(s) being satisfied, thereby various aberrations being corrected superbly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Takeshi Umeda
  • Patent number: 11791223
    Abstract: To improve the throughput of substrate bonding. A substrate bonding apparatus that bonds first and second substrates so that contact regions in which the first and second substrates contact are formed in parts of the first and second substrates and the contact regions enlarge from the parts, the apparatus including: a detecting unit detecting information about the contact regions; and a determining unit determining that the first and second substrates can be carried out based on the information detected at the detecting unit. In the substrate bonding apparatus, the information may be information, a value of which changes according to progress of enlargement of the contact regions, and the determining unit may determine that the first and second substrates can be carried out if the value becomes constant or if a rate of changes in the value becomes lower than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Isao Sugaya, Eiji Ariizumi, Yoshiaki Kito, Mikio Ushijima, Masanori Aramata, Naoto Kiribe, Hiroshi Shirasu, Hajime Mitsuishi, Minoru Fukuda, Masaki Tsunoda
  • Patent number: 11791363
    Abstract: An element includes a plurality of light-receiving elements to photoelectrically convert light received from an object, a convolution processing unit to perform convolution operation on signals that are output from the plurality of light-receiving elements, and a pooling processing unit to sample a signal that is output from the convolution processing unit, based on a predetermined condition. The convolution operation of the convolution processing unit and the sampling of the pooling processing unit are repeated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigeru Matsumoto, Sota Nakanishi, Tomohisa Ishida, Atsushi Miyamoto, Kiyoshi Uchikawa
  • Patent number: 11788833
    Abstract: Method and system for defining basis functions for fitting distortions of profiles of objects in a batch, that has undergone a fabrication process, in a manner adaptable to the fabrication process to reduce the errors between profiles approximated with the use of such basis functions and actual object profiles. Process-specific individual basis functions are defined based on spatially-dense measurement of objects from training sub-set of the batch and applying learning algorithm to results of such measurement. Advantages of process-adaptable basis functions over generic basis functions for fitting distortion shapes of objects include higher accuracy of fitting either at larger or a fewer locations across the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Travis D. Bow, Henry Pang, Fardad A. Hashemi
  • Patent number: 11792533
    Abstract: An image sensor includes: a first and a second pixel, each of which includes a first photoelectric conversion unit that photoelectrically converts light that has passed through a micro lens and generates a first charge, a second photoelectric conversion unit that photoelectrically converts light that has passed through the micro lens and generates a second charge, an accumulation unit that accumulates at least one of the first charge and the second charge, a first transfer unit that transfers the first charge to the accumulation unit, and a second transfer unit that transfers the second charge to the accumulation unit; and a control unit that outputs, to the first transfer unit of the first pixel and to the second transfer unit of the second pixel, a signal that causes the first charge of the first pixel and the second charge of the second pixel to be transferred to their accumulation units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Seo
  • Patent number: 11786118
    Abstract: In an ophthalmic imaging system an image imaged by an imaging section for a right eye is formed as an imaging image on a display, and then displayed through a right-eye optical unit and a reflection member. An image imaged by an imaging section for a left eye is formed as an imaging image on a display, and then displayed through an optical unit and the reflection member. This thereby enables the object to be visually inspected as a three-dimensional image by the observer viewing the right-eye imaging image and the left-eye imaging image, which differ from each other according to the parallax therebetween, by viewing the respective images through right and left eyes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiro Kawasaki, Masahiro Mizuta, Ryoichi Sataka, Toshiyuki Namikawa
  • Patent number: 11785345
    Abstract: An electronic device includes: an imaging unit including a region having a pixel group that has a plurality of first pixels, and second pixels that are fewer than the first pixels in the pixel group; and a control unit that reads out the signals based upon exposure of the second pixels during exposure of the plurality of first pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koichi Gohara, Satoshi Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 11782253
    Abstract: An objective lens (OL) comprises, disposed in order from an object: a positive lens (L11); a negative meniscus lens (L12) cemented to the positive lens (L11) and having a concave surface facing the object; and a positive meniscus lens (L13) having a concave surface facing the object; wherein the objective lens satisfies following conditional expressions 2.03?n1m?2.30 and 20??1m, where, n1m: a refractive index of the negative meniscus lens (L12) with respect to a d-line, and ?1m: an Abbe number of the negative meniscus lens (L12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuya Watanabe, Azuna Nonaka
  • Patent number: 11782250
    Abstract: A compact zooming optical system, an optical apparatus and a method for manufacturing the zooming optical system having a vibration reduction function, a high zooming ratio, a wide-angle view and superb optical performance are provided, the system including, in order from an object side: a first lens group G1 having positive refractive power; a second lens group G2 having negative refractive power; a third lens group G3 having positive refractive power; and a fourth lens group G4 having negative refractive power; upon zooming from a wide-angle end state to a telephoto end state, a distance between the first lens group G1 and the second lens group G2, a distance between the second lens group G2 and the third lens group G3 and a distance between the third lens group G3 and the fourth lens group G4 being respectively varied; the third lens group G3 having, in order from the object side, a first segment group G31 having positive refractive power and a second segment group G32; the second segment group G32 being m
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Masashi Yamashita
  • Patent number: 11778323
    Abstract: A camera accessory that is attachable to and detachable from a camera body, includes: a correction optical system that is movable in a direction intersecting an optical axis thereof; and a first communication unit that transmits to the camera body a first information regarding a position of the correction optical system and a second information regarding a vibration of the camera accessory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sueyuki Ohishi
  • Patent number: 11774864
    Abstract: A carrier device that carries a substrate to a noncontact holder that is configured to support the substrate in a noncontact manner is equipped with: holding pads that hold a part of the substrate at a first position located above the noncontact holder; a drive section that moves downward the holding pads holding the substrate so that the substrate is supported in a noncontact manner by the noncontact holder; and adsorption pads that hold the substrate supported in a noncontact manner by the noncontact holder, after the substrate held by the holding pads is moved by the drive section, wherein the drive section moves the holding pads from the first position to a second position where the substrate can be delivered to the adsorption pads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yasuo Aoki
  • Patent number: 11774707
    Abstract: An image sensor includes: a photoelectric conversion film that performs photoelectric conversion on light having entered therein; at least two electrodes, including a first electrode and a second electrode, disposed at a surface of the photoelectric conversion film; and at least two electrodes, including a third electrode and a fourth electrode, disposed at another surface of the photoelectric conversion film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuki Kita
  • Patent number: 11766757
    Abstract: A processing system includes a control unit that generates positional information related to a position of a measuring unit at a time of measuring a processing object and outputs the generated positional information and a generation period signal indicating a period during which the positional information is generated, an acquisition unit that acquires the positional information and the generation period signal which have been output, an acquisition interval calculation unit that calculates a statistical value indicating an interval between acquisition periods regarding a plurality of generation period signals acquired by the acquisition unit, an estimation unit that estimates the period during which the positional information is generated on the basis of the statistical value calculated by the acquisition interval calculation unit, and a shape calculation unit that calculates a shape of the processing object based on measurement information, the positional information, and the period estimated by the estimat
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignees: NIKON CORPORATION, DMG MORI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoaki Yamada, Shizuo Nishikawa, Satoshi Miyamoto, Junichi Morishita
  • Patent number: 11768360
    Abstract: An imaging lens comprises in order from an object, a first lens group of positive refractive power, a second lens group of positive refractive power, and a third lens group of negative refractive power. In focusing from infinity to a close object, the first lens group is fixed in position, and the second lens group and the third lens group are moved so that the distance between the first lens group and the second lens group is reduced, and the distance between the second lens group and the third lens group is increased. Further, the following conditional expression (1) is satisfied: 1.0<f1/f<2.5??(1) where f1: is the focal length of the first lens group, and f: the focal length of the entire system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Keiko Yamada, Ryosuke Imajima, Wataru Tatsuno, Haruo Sato
  • Patent number: 11767327
    Abstract: What is provided is a compound, a pattern forming substrate, a coupling agent, and a pattern formation method. The compound is represented by Formula (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignees: NIKON CORPORATION, KANAGAWA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Yusuke Kawakami, Kazuo Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 11765473
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a plurality of pixel blocks and a connection unit. The plurality of pixel blocks includes: a diffusion unit to which an electric charge resulting from photoelectric conversion is transferred; and a transistor containing a source electrically connected with the diffusion unit. The connection unit is electrically connected with a drain of the transistor included in each of the plurality of pixel blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Komai, Yoshiyuki Watanabe, Osamu Saruwatari
  • Patent number: 11758303
    Abstract: To divide an image capture region into multiple regions for which different image capture conditions are set and to generate multiple moving images corresponding to the multiple regions. An electronic apparatus includes an image sensor that captures first and second moving images in first and second regions of an image capture region on different image capture conditions, the second region differing from the first region, and a moving image generation unit that generates the first and second moving images captured in the first and second regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Satoshi Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 11754856
    Abstract: A method for designing an eyeglass lens includes: displaying an image upon a display device while maintaining a positional relationship of a face of a subject and the display device; acquiring information in which visual sensitivity of the subject is evaluated on the basis of an impression received by the subject who has viewed the image; and designing an eyeglass lens on the basis of the information in which the sensitivity is evaluated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON-ESSILOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshinori Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11754820
    Abstract: A zoom optical system (ZL) comprises, in order from an object: a first lens group (G1) having a positive refractive power; a second lens group (G2) having a negative refractive power; a third lens group (G3) having a positive refractive power; and a subsequent lens group (GR), wherein upon zooming, a distance between the first lens group (G1) and the second lens group (G2) changes, a distance between the second lens group (G2) and the third lens group (G3) changes, and a distance between the third lens group (G3) and the subsequent lens group (GR) changes, the subsequent lens group (GR) comprises a focusing lens group that moves upon focusing, and the second lens group (G2) comprises a partial group that satisfies following conditional expressions, 1.40<fvr/f2<2.30, 1.80<f1/fw<3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Kosuke Machida
  • Patent number: 11757247
    Abstract: A pulsed light generation device, includes: a first optical fiber through which first pulsed light and second pulsed light, having an intensity that decreases while an intensity of the first pulsed light increases, and increases while the intensity of the first pulsed light decreases, having been multiplexed and entered therein, are propagated; and a second optical fiber at which the first pulsed light, having exited the first optical fiber and entered therein, is amplified while being propagated therein, wherein: at the first optical fiber, phase modulation occurs in the first pulsed light due to cross phase modulation caused by the second pulsed light; and self-phase modulation occurring in the first pulsed light at the second optical fiber is diminished by the phase modulation having occurred at the first optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira Tokuhisa
  • Patent number: 11758301
    Abstract: An image sensor includes: a readout circuit that reads out a signal to a signal line, the signal being generated by an electric charge resulting from a photoelectric conversion; a holding circuit that holds a voltage based on an electric current from a power supply circuit; and an electric current source including a transistor having a drain part connected to the signal line and a gate part connected to the holding circuit and the drain part, the electric current source supplying the signal line with an electric current generated by the voltage held in the holding circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wataru Funamizu, Masahiro Juen, Atsushi Komai