Nikon Patents

Nikon Corporation manufactures and sells semiconductor and FPD lithography equipment, digital cameras, lenses and accessories, and microscopes and other measuring instruments.

Nikon Patents by Type
  • Nikon Patents Granted: Nikon patents that have been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
  • Nikon Patent Applications: Nikon patent applications that are pending before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
  • Patent number: 11511438
    Abstract: A carrier system and method carries an object to an object mounting member provided with an object mounting section. The system includes: a measurement device which obtains information related to a flatness of the object; a carrier member that carries the object; and a controller which controls a driving speed of the carrier member using the information related to the flatness of the object obtained by the measurement device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hideaki Hara
  • Patent number: 11511244
    Abstract: A fluidic device for capturing or detecting a sample substance contained in a solution includes at least two continuous circulation flow channels selected from the group consisting of: a first type continuous circulation flow channel which is formed of a first circulation flow channel and a second circulation flow channel and which is configured to circulate the solution in the first circulation flow channel and then circulate the solution in the second circulation flow channel; and a second type continuous circulation flow channel which is formed of a third circulation flow channel and a fourth circulation flow channel and which is configured to circulate the solution in the third circulation flow channel and then circulate and mix the solution in both of the third and fourth circulation flow channels, wherein any one of the circulation flow channels has a capturing section which captures the sample substance, and/or a detecting section which detects the sample substance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keiji Mitsui, Ryo Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11511483
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for manufacturing an article made of a polymerized material including the steps of: —providing a vat of polymerizable material, transparent at least in the 400-800 nanometers wavelengths range, —irradiating the polymerizable material with a laser beam according to a predetermined pattern so as to polymerize the polymerizable material in order to form the article, the predetermined pattern being determined based on a three-dimension representation of the article with the positions in three dimensions of a plurality of volume units adapted to form together the article, the laser beam scanning the vat in three dimensions in order to be focused at each position of the volume units present in the predetermined pattern so as to initiate locally the polymerization of the polymerizable material at each of these positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignees: Nikon Corporation, Essilor International
    Inventor: Manuel Theodet
  • Publication number: 20220377250
    Abstract: A portable information device including a body, a position information portion that is provided in the body and that outputs position information, an image sensor that is provided in the body, a display system that is provided in the body and that displays, on a local field in a screen field, relevant information based on the position information such that the displayed relevant information is overlapped on a real-time image, an input portion that is provided on the body and, by use of which user operates an icon, the icon being displayed on the local field such that the displayed icon is overlapped on the real-time image and an imaging button that is provided, separately from the input portion, on the body and that is operated by user to capture a subject image via the image sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2022
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideya INOUE, Toru IWAOKA, Michiko NOBORISAKA, Masayuki HATORI, Tomohide HAMADA
  • Patent number: 11506863
    Abstract: An accessory includes: a detection terminal; a first power supply terminal through which a first power supply voltage is supplied; a first ground terminal used as a ground potential; a second power supply terminal through which a second power supply voltage is supplied; a second ground terminal used as a ground potential; a ready terminal used to indicate whether or not communication is allowed; a first data terminal that receives a first data signal; a second data terminal that outputs a second data signal; a clock terminal that outputs a clock signal; and a third data terminal that outputs a third data signal, wherein: the first ground terminal, the second power supply terminal, and the second ground terminal are positioned between the first power supply terminal and the ready terminal; and the first data terminal and the second data terminal are positioned between the ready terminal and the clock terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takayuki Funaoka
  • Patent number: 11504712
    Abstract: A fluid device includes a substrate and a gas-liquid separating filter, the substrate has a flow path through which a solution flows, a reservoir, in which the solution is accommodated, connected to the flow path, an injection hole configured to connect the reservoir to the outside, and an air introduction hole branched off from the injection hole and connected to the outside, and the gas-liquid separating filter is disposed in a path of the air introduction hole, allows passage of a gas flowing through the air introduction hole, and prevents passage of a liquid flowing through the air introduction hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoya Ishizawa, Taro Ueno, Ryo Kobayashi, Tetsuomi Takasaki
  • Patent number: 11506484
    Abstract: There is provided a profile measuring apparatus, including: an irradiation section configured to irradiate a measurement light to a measurement area of the object; an imaging section configured to obtain an image of the measurement area; a table configured to place the object thereon; a coordinate calculation section configured to calculate a position of the measurement area based on an image detected by a detection section; and a positioning mechanism configured to drive and control a relative position of the imaging section and the table. The positioning mechanism calculates a relative position of the imaging section to the table, based on an information with respect to an edge line direction of a convex portion or an extending direction of a concave portion in the measurement area of the object having a repetitive concave-convex shape, to move at least one of the table and the imaging section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Masaya Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 11509841
    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: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Atsushi Komai
  • Publication number: 20220367224
    Abstract: A measurement system used in a manufacturing line for micro-devices includes: a plurality of measurement devices in which each device performs measurement processing on a substrate; and a carrying system to perform delivery of a substrate with the plurality of measurement devices. The plurality of measurement devices includes a first measurement device that acquires position information on a plurality of marks formed on a substrate, and a second measurement device that acquires position information on a plurality of marks formed on a substrate. Position information on a plurality of marks formed on a substrate can be acquired under a setting of a first predetermined condition in the first measurement device, and position information on a plurality of marks formed on another substrate can be acquired under a setting of a second predetermined condition different from the first predetermined condition in the second measurement device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Go ICHINOSE, Tomonori DOSHO
  • Publication number: 20220365453
    Abstract: A measurement device has: a slider which holds a substrate and is movable parallel to the XY plane; a drive system that drives the slider; a position measurement system which emits beams from a head section to a measurement surface in which grating section are provided on the slider, which receives respective return beams of the beams from the measurement surface, and which is capable of measuring position information in at least directions of three degrees of freedom including the absolute position coordinates of the slider; a mark detection system that detects a mark on the substrate; and a controller which detects the marks on the substrate using the mark detection system while controlling the drive of the slider, and which obtains the absolute position coordinates of each mark based on the detection result of each mark and measurement information by the position measurement system at the time of detection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuichi SHIBAZAKI
  • Patent number: 11500300
    Abstract: In a beam irradiation apparatus in which a movable body holds an object, a mark detection system detects a first mark on the movable body while moving the movable body in a first direction and changing an irradiation position of a measurement beam in the first direction, the mark detection system detects a second mark while moving the movable body in the first direction and changing the irradiation position of the measurement beam in the first direction, a controller controls a position of the movable body in a second direction intersecting the first direction during a time period between the detection of the first mark and the detection of the second mark, and the controller controls the movement of the movable body to adjust a positional relation between the object on the movable body and a processing beam, based on results of the detection of the first and second marks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihiro Ueda
  • Publication number: 20220357666
    Abstract: Collection reflectors with multiple reflector elements defined on a curved surface are used to collect EUV optical radiation from an EUV emitting area. Each of the reflector elements can image the emitting area at or near a corresponding reflective element of a second multi-element reflector that overlaps radiation from each of the multiple reflector element of the collection reflector to illuminate a grating reticle. Systems with such a collection reflector can use fewer optical elements. In addition, grating reticles are defined on a curve substrate an include a plurality of grating phase steps so that the grating reticle provides phase curvature along two axes but with physical curvature along a single axis. Methods of producing varying duty cycle 1D patterns are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2022
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicant: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Donis G. Flagello, Daniel Gene Smith, Michael Birk Binnard, Stephen Paul Renwick
  • Publication number: 20220355550
    Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a three dimensional shaped object includes: a manufacturing unit that manufactures a three dimensional shaped object in which a plurality of solidified layers are built up together by repeating to manufacture a solidified layer, which is layered, by performing solidification processing upon a material that is positioned in a region set according to a shape of the three dimensional shaped object that is to be manufactured, to supply a new material upon an upper portion of the solidified layer that has been manufactured, to perform the solidification processing upon the new material and thus to manufacture a new solidified layer; and an inspecting unit that inspects the solidified layer that has already been built up, while the plurality of solidified layers are being built up together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2022
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroo TSUMURAYA, Masao NAKAJIMA
  • Publication number: 20220355412
    Abstract: A processing apparatus processes an object by irradiating the object with a processing light, and includes: a combining optical system that combines an optical path of the processing light from the processing light source and an optical path of a first measurement light from a measurement light source; an irradiation optical system that irradiates the object with processing light and the first measurement light through the combining optical system; a position change apparatus that changes a position of the irradiation optical system relative to the object; an imaging apparatus a position of which is changed together with the irradiation optical system and which captures an image of the object; and a detection apparatus that detects, through the irradiation optical system and the combining optical system, a second measurement light generated from the object due to the first measurement light with which the object is irradiated through the irradiation optical system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shinji SATO
  • Publication number: 20220355316
    Abstract: A deposition apparatus supplies mist containing fine particles to a substrate and forms a film including the fine particles on a substrate surface, and includes an air guide member that covers at least a portion of the substrate surface, and a mist supplying section that supplies mist to a space between the substrate surface and the air guide member. The mist supplying section includes a charge applying section, which applies a positive or negative charge to the mist, and a mist ejecting section, which ejects the mist charged by the mist applying section into the space. The air guide member has a wall surface facing the substrate surface, and the deposition apparatus includes an electrostatic field generating section that causes a potential having a same sign as the mist charged by the charge applying section to be generated by the wall surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiaki KITO, Hiroshi KAJIYAMA, Yasutaka NISHI, Kotaro OKUI
  • Publication number: 20220347685
    Abstract: Microchannels include membranes operable with magnets or other actuators to deliver samples to one or more reaction zones defined in the microchannels. Membrane flexing can direct samples to selected reaction zones and each reaction zone can be independently temperature controlled to implement a PCR-based sample analysis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2022
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Applicant: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Wan Qin, Fardad Ali Hashemi
  • Publication number: 20220350162
    Abstract: A sensitivity evaluation method includes: causing a wearer to view a target through a lens or a lens group capable of controlling at least one optical property among a spherical power, a cylindrical power, and an astigmatic axis angle; and acquiring information about a sensitivity of the wearer with respect to an aberration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2022
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON-ESSILOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Sungjin CHO
  • Publication number: 20220347751
    Abstract: The problem of measuring the temperature of a 3D printing process is addressed by systems and methods that apply imaging spectrometry to measure blackbody radiation emitted before, during, or after a 3D printing process. The systems and methods utilize a pair of lenses, a field stop, and a wavelength separator to direct a plurality of wavelengths corresponding to the blackbody radiation to pixels of an optical detector. The plurality of wavelengths are analyzed by a controller to determine the temperature of the 3D printed component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Applicant: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Eric Peter Goodwin
  • Publication number: 20220352235
    Abstract: An imaging element includes a first substrate provided with a photoelectric conversion portion that photoelectrically converts light and generates charge, and a readout circuit that outputs a signal based on the charge generated by the photoelectric conversion portion, a second substrate laminated on the first substrate and provided with a processing portion that processes the signal output from the readout circuit, and a connection portion provided with a bent portion bending in a portion other than the vicinity of the first substrate and the second substrate, and electrically connecting the readout circuit to the processing portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Daiki OGURA
  • Publication number: 20220349731
    Abstract: An encoder for detecting rotation information of a first rotation shaft includes a first detector which detects a pattern provided in the first rotation shaft, a first housing case which houses the pattern provided in the first rotation shaft and the first detector, a second housing case which houses at least a part of a shaft portion different from a portion where the pattern is provided, of the first rotation shaft, and an adjusting mechanism which adjusts at least one of an atmospheric pressure and a temperature in the first housing case to be higher than at least one of an atmospheric pressure and a temperature in the second housing case. The inflow of the high-humidity air from a motor into the encoder is prevented or suppressed, so that the condensation in the encoder can be prevented or suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kou OHNO, Hiroyuki KISHIDA
  • Publication number: 20220344400
    Abstract: An image capturing device includes: a first layer, including a photoelectric converting unit configured to photoelectrically convert light and produce electric charges; a second layer, stacked with the first layer, including a first circuit configured to process a signal based on electric charges produced by the photoelectric converting unit; and a third layer, stacked with the second layer, including an insulating layer provided between a second circuit for processing a signal processed by the first circuit and the second layer, and a heat conduction layer with higher heat conductivity than the insulating layer provided in the insulating layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Satoshi SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20220342178
    Abstract: A focus adjustment control apparatus is provided which includes: a focus detection unit that calculates an evaluation value with regard to contrast of an image via an optical system to detect a focus adjustment state of the optical system; an acquisition unit that acquires from a lens barrel at least one of a maximum value and a minimum value of an image plane movement coefficient that represents correspondence relationship between a movement amount of a focus adjustment lens included in the optical system and a movement amount of an image plane; and a control unit that uses at least one of the maximum value and the minimum value of the image plane movement coefficient to determine a drive speed for the focus adjustment lens when the focus detection unit detects the focus adjustment state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2022
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki TOMITA, Toshiaki MAEDA
  • Patent number: 11483467
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus includes an imaging element having a plurality of image capture regions, each of the image capture regions having a plurality of pixels for generating an image signal; a setting unit that sets different image capture conditions for the plurality of image capture regions; and a control unit that corrects a portion of an image signal of a photographic subject captured under first image capture conditions in an image capture region among the plurality of image capture regions so that it is as if the portion of the image signal was captured under second image capture conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Kanbara, Takashi Shionoya, Naoki Sekiguchi
  • Publication number: 20220331898
    Abstract: A process system is a process system performing a processing process on an object by irradiating at least a part of the object with processing light from a processing light source, and includes a combining optical system combining optical path of measurement light from a measurement light source and optical path of the processing light from the processing light source; an irradiation optical system irradiating the object with the processing light and the measurement light from the combining optical system; a position change apparatus changing a relative positional relationship between the object and a light concentration position of the processing light from the irradiation optical system; an light reception apparatus receiving, through the irradiation optical system, light generated by the measurement light with which a surface of the object is irradiated; and a control apparatus controlling the position change apparatus by using output from the light reception apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shinji SATO
  • Publication number: 20220337776
    Abstract: An imaging element includes a first substrate provided with a photoelectric conversion unit configured to generate electric charges by photoelectric conversion and a signal line to which a signal based on the electric charges generated by the photoelectric conversion unit is output and a second substrate provided with a supply unit configured to supply a voltage to the signal line so that a voltage of the signal line does not fall below a predetermined voltage and a processing unit configured to process a signal output to the signal line, the second substrate being stacked on the first substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ryoji ANDO
  • Publication number: 20220330815
    Abstract: A measurement device including a light source configured to emit a broad-band light beam, an interference section configured to split the broad-band light beam into a measurement light beam and a reference light beam, and to generate an interference light beam from the reference light beam and a measurement light beam reflected from an object after shining the measurement light beam onto the object, a sweeper section configured to perform wavelength sweeping of the interference light beam, and a detection section configured to detect an interference light beam output from the sweeper section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shunsuke FURUYA
  • Patent number: 11474333
    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 following conditional expressions are satisfied, 3.70<f1/(?f2)<5.00, 3.20<f1/f3<5.00, where f1: a focal length of the first lens group (G1), f2: a focal length of the second lens group (G2), and f3: a focal length of the third lens group (G3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kosuke Machida
  • Patent number: 11474325
    Abstract: A focus adjustment control apparatus is provided which includes: a focus detection unit that calculates an evaluation value with regard to contrast of an image via an optical system to detect a focus adjustment state of the optical system; an acquisition unit that acquires from a lens barrel at least one of a maximum value and a minimum value of an image plane movement coefficient that represents correspondence relationship between a movement amount of a focus adjustment lens included in the optical system and a movement amount of an image plane; and a control unit that uses at least one of the maximum value and the minimum value of the image plane movement coefficient to determine a drive speed for the focus adjustment lens when the focus detection unit detects the focus adjustment state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tomita, Toshiaki Maeda
  • Publication number: 20220327694
    Abstract: An image analyzer including: an area setting unit configured to extract a scratch area that is an area having no cells from a reference image selected from a plurality of images acquired by imaging cells in a time series and set a reference region corresponding to the scratch area in the plurality of images; a calculation unit configured to calculate an area of a cell region within the reference region and/or the ratio of an area of the cell region to the reference region from the plurality of images; and a control unit configured to cause a display device to display a change in a time series of the calculated area of the cell region and/or the ratio of the area of the cell region to the reference region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toru ICHIHASHI, Yoichi YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20220328543
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a plurality of pixels each including: a first and a second photoelectric conversion unit that perform photoelectric conversion upon light that has passed through a micro lens and generates a charge; a first accumulation unit that accumulates the charge generated by the first conversion unit; a second accumulation unit that accumulates the charge generated by the second conversion unit; a third accumulation unit that accumulates the charges generated by the first and second conversion units; a first transfer unit that transfers the charge generated by the first conversion unit to the first accumulation unit; a second transfer unit that transfers the charge generated by the second conversion unit to the second accumulation unit; and a third transfer unit that transfers the charges generated by the first and second conversion units to the third accumulation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sota NAKANISHI, Wataru FUNAMIZU, Masahiro JUEN
  • Publication number: 20220326629
    Abstract: A lithography system is provided with: a measurement device measuring position information of marks on a substrate held in a first stage; and an exposure apparatus on a second stage, the substrate for which the position information measurement for the marks has been completed, performs alignment measurement to measure position information for part of marks selected from among the marks on the substrate, and performs exposure. The measurement device measures position information of marks on the substrate to obtain higher-degree components of correction amounts of an arrangement of divided areas, and the exposure apparatus measures position information of a small number of marks on the substrate to obtain lower-degree components of the correction amounts of the arrangement of the divided areas and exposes the plurality of divided areas while controlling the position of the substrate by using the obtained lower-degree components and the higher-degree components obtained by the measurement device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuichi SHIBAZAKI
  • Patent number: 11470253
    Abstract: A display device includes an acquisition unit that acquires moving image data generated by an image-capturing device and velocity information on the image-capturing device while generating the moving image data, and a display control unit that controls a region to be processed for a moving image to be displayed on a display unit using the moving image data, based on the velocity information acquired by the acquisition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki Katsumata, Naoki Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 11467501
    Abstract: There is provided a reflective image-forming optical system which is applicable to an exposure apparatus using, for example, EUV light and which is capable of increasing numerical aperture while enabling optical path separation of light fluxes. In a reflective imaging optical system (6) forming an image of a first plane (4) onto a second plane (7), the numerical aperture on a side of the second plane with respect to a first direction (X direction) on the second plane is greater than 1.1 times a numerical aperture on the side of the second plane with respect to a second direction (Y direction) crossing the first direction on the second plane. The reflecting imaging optical system has an aperture stop (AS) defining the numerical aperture on the side of the second plane, and the aperture stop has an elliptic-shaped opening of which size in a major axis direction (X direction) is greater than 1.1 times that in a minor axis direction (Y direction).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Hideki Komatsuda
  • Publication number: 20220317581
    Abstract: A measurement system in which an object that moves toward a processing position serves as a measurement target. In the processing position a processing device is capable of applying processing to the object. The measurement system includes: a mark detection device that has an irradiation system to irradiate a mark provided at the object that is moving with a measurement beam while moving the measurement beam; and a beam receiving system to receive a beam from the mark. The irradiation system irradiates the object with the measurement beam while moving the measurement beam, during a period when the object moves toward the processing position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihiro UEDA
  • Publication number: 20220308362
    Abstract: An ophthalmic lens design method includes: acquiring first information about a purpose of an ophthalmic lens; acquiring second information about at least one of a visual line of a wearer for the purpose, a place, a use tool, and a body of the wearer; acquiring data indicating a number of first regions, positions, shapes, and sizes of a plurality of first regions set on a surface of the ophthalmic lens, and distances to a target viewed through the first regions; setting a variable numerical value among numerical values indicating the number of first regions, the positions, the shapes, and the sizes of the plurality of first regions, and the distances in the data and setting the plurality of first regions and the distances on the surface; and setting a target aberration distribution based on the plurality of first regions and the distances that have been set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON-ESSILOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Naoshi AIKAWA
  • Patent number: 11455798
    Abstract: An imaging device includes an imaging portion that images a subject; a positional information acquisition portion that acquires positional information of an imaging position; a control portion which acquires information on the subject based on the positional information, and displays image data of the subject and the information on the subject on a display portion; and a hold control portion that outputs a hold control signal, which holds the image data of the subject and the information on the subject, to the control portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hideya Inoue
  • Publication number: 20220301157
    Abstract: An information processing system comprises: an image acquisition device acquiring subject eye image data of a patient; a first information processing device storing the image data; a second information processing device obtaining the image data as a first diagnosis result using artificial intelligence; and a third information processing device obtaining the image data as a second diagnosis result by a radiologist, the image acquisition device: generates diagnosis method information indicating a diagnosis by artificial intelligence and/ or a radiologist; and transmits first transmission data including the image data and the diagnosis method information to the first information processing device, the first processing device: stores the image data when receiving the first transmission data from the image acquisition device; and transmits, based on the diagnosis method information, second transmission data including the image data to the second and/ or the third information processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Applicants: NIKON CORPORATION, Optos plc
    Inventors: Devin SOARES, Branden COLEMAN, Bradley YATES, Koichi ODANI, Zhen LIU
  • Publication number: 20220303488
    Abstract: An image sensor includes: a photoelectric conversion unit that photoelectrically converts incident light and generates a charge; and an A/D conversion unit that converts the analog signal generated due to charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit into a digital signal, wherein: the A/D conversion unit includes a comparison unit that compares the analog signal with a reference signal and a first circuit layer including a first capacitor for generating the reference signal and a second circuit layer laminated to the first circuit layer and including with a second capacitor for generating the reference signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomoki HIRATA
  • Patent number: 11451723
    Abstract: An image sensor, includes: a plurality of pixels arranged along a first direction, each of which includes a photoelectric conversion unit that generates an electric charge through photoelectric conversion of light, and outputs a signal generated based upon the electric charge generated in the photoelectric conversion unit; a first signal line to which signals from one or more pixels among the plurality of pixels are output; a second signal line to which a signal from another pixel among the plurality of pixels is output; and an arithmetic unit that executes an arithmetic operation with a signal generated by combining the signals from the one or more pixels output to the first signal line and the signal output to the second signal line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Atsushi Komai
  • Patent number: 11448893
    Abstract: A zoom optical system (ZL) includes: a first lens group (G1) having negative refractive power; a second lens group (G2) having positive refractive power, the second lens group (G2) being disposed further toward an image than the first lens group (G1); and a succeeding lens group (GL) having a vibration-isolating group (GVRb) that moves so as to have a displacement component in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis, the succeeding lens group (GL) being disposed further toward the image than the second lens group (G2), a distance between the first lens group (G1) and the second lens group (G2) changing and a distance between the second lens group (G2) and the succeeding lens group (GL) changing upon zooming, and the following conditional expression being satisfied: 4.899?|f1VRaw/fw|<1000.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroki Harada
  • Patent number: 11448860
    Abstract: A variable magnification optical system includes a positive first lens group disposed at a most object side, a negative intermediate group disposed at an image side of the first lens group, a positive focusing group disposed at an image side of the intermediate group, and a positive image side group disposed at an image side of the focusing group. Upon varying magnification, a distance between the first lens group and the intermediate group, a distance between the intermediate group and the focusing group and a distance between the focusing group and the image side group are varied; and the image side group includes, in order from an object side, a positive A group, a negative B group satisfying a predetermined conditional expression with respect to the A group, and a C group, whereby excellent optical performance, high speed focusing, and other advantages are achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kosuke Machida
  • Publication number: 20220291474
    Abstract: A lens barrel, that can be made thinner, has a lens holding frame that holds a lens; a driving part that is held by the lens holding frame; aperture blades including a first engaging part and a second engaging part; a first member that engages with the first engaging part and can be rotated around an optical axis by the driving part; and a second member that engages with the second engaging part and is provided with the aperture blade arranged between the second member and the first member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2020
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki TAKITA, Yasuhiko ENDO
  • Publication number: 20220294915
    Abstract: An electronic device includes: a communication unit that performs communication with an external device; and a control unit that issues a command to the external device via the communication unit, on the basis of at least one of capacity of the external device, and capacity of the electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2022
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuhiro FUJINAWA, Setsu MITSUHASHI, Masakazu SEKIGUCHI, Takashi KURIYAMA, Hiroto NAGAMINE, Masami TAKEMOTO, Motoki TOYAMA
  • Patent number: 11442262
    Abstract: An image processor includes an image generator configured to generate corresponding image data corresponding to first microscopic image data obtained under a first observation condition, based on second microscopic image data and third microscopic image data obtained under a second observation condition, and an image output unit configured to output the corresponding image data. The corresponding image data may be image data corresponding to a first focal plane from which the first microscopic image data are obtained, and wherein the second microscopic image data and the third microscopic image data may be image data on a second focal plane and a third focal plane, respectively, which are different from the first focal plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ichiro Sase, Yutaka Sasaki, Takaaki Okamoto, Yuki Terui, Kohki Konishi, Masafumi Mimura, Martin Berger, Petr Gazak, Miroslav Svoboda
  • Patent number: 11445117
    Abstract: A portable information device including a body, a position information portion that is provided in the body and that outputs position information, an image sensor that is provided in the body, a display system that is provided in the body and that displays, on a local field in a screen field, relevant information based on the position information such that the displayed relevant information is overlapped on a real-time image, an input portion that is provided on the body and, by use of which user operates an icon, the icon being displayed on the local field such that the displayed icon is overlapped on the real-time image and an imaging button that is provided, separately from the input portion, on the body and that is operated by user to capture a subject image via the image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideya Inoue, Toru Iwaoka, Michiko Noborisaka, Masayuki Hatori, Tomohide Hamada
  • Patent number: 11440869
    Abstract: A compound expressed in the following formula (1) (where R1 and R2 independently denote a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, Y1 and Y2 independently denote an alkylene group having a carbon number of 1 to 9, and n1 and n2 independently denote an integer of 0 to 3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Someya, Masayuki Shijo
  • Patent number: 11442371
    Abstract: A lithography system is provided with: a measurement device measuring position information of marks on a substrate held in a first stage; and an exposure apparatus on a second stage, the substrate for which the position information measurement for the marks has been completed, performs alignment measurement to measure position information for part of marks selected from among the marks on the substrate, and performs exposure. The measurement device measures position information of marks on the substrate to obtain higher-degree components of correction amounts of an arrangement of divided areas, and the exposure apparatus measures position information of a small number of marks on the substrate to obtain lower-degree components of the correction amounts of the arrangement of the divided areas and exposes the plurality of divided areas while controlling the position of the substrate by using the obtained lower-degree components and the higher-degree components obtained by the measurement device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuichi Shibazaki
  • Publication number: 20220283481
    Abstract: A camera body, to which an accessory is mountable, includes a first communicator that transmits a first clock signal to the accessory to communicate with the accessory in synchronization with the first clock signal, and a second communicator that receives a second clock signal output from the accessory to communicate with the accessory in synchronization with the second clock signal. A value specifying a communication specification of the second communicator is transmitted between the first communicator and the accessory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2022
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihiko KAWAI
  • Publication number: 20220281104
    Abstract: A processing system has: a movable member, a relative positional relationship between the movable member and a part of the object being changeable; an irradiation apparatus that irradiates an object with processing light; and a connecting apparatus that connects the movable member and the irradiation apparatus so that a relative positional relationship between the movable member and the irradiation apparatus is changeable, the connecting apparatus has: a driving member that moves at least one of the movable member and the irradiation apparatus; and an elastic member that couples the movable member with the irradiation apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shinji SATO
  • Publication number: 20220286598
    Abstract: A lens barrel of the invention includes: an imaging optical system including a focus adjustment lens; a driver that drives the focus adjustment lens in a direction of an optical axis; a transceiver that transmits and receives a signal to and from a camera body; and a controller that controls the transceiver to repeatedly transmit a first image plane transfer coefficient which is determined in correspondence with a position of the focus adjustment lens included in the imaging optical system and a second image plane transfer coefficient which does not depend on the position of the focus adjustment lens to the camera body at a predetermined interval, and, when the controller repeatedly transmits the second image plane transfer coefficient to the camera body, the controller varies the second image plane transfer coefficient over time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2022
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroyuki TOMITA