Abstract: An optical element retracting mechanism includes a linearly movable ring; a swingable holder mounted supported inside the linearly movable ring; a position-controller holding the swingable holder; a support plate including first and second elongated holes; a support plate fixing device fixing the support plate to the linearly movable ring; first and second rotatable shafts extending substantially parallel to the optical axis having first and second eccentric pins engaged in the first and second elongated holes, wherein when the first or second rotatable shaft is rotated, a movement force is applied on the support plate in a direction generally orthogonal to the elongation direction of the elongated hole thereof; and a movement direction setting device which sets the movement direction of the support plate when the movement force is applied on the support plate by the rotation of the first or second rotatable shaft.

Abstract: A cam mechanism includes a cam ring, and a linearly movable frame supporting an optical element. Cam groove groups are located at different positions in a circumferential direction on the cam ring, and each cam groove group includes cam grooves at different positions in the optical-axis direction and trace the same reference cam diagram. A cam groove intersects another cam groove of another cam groove group adjacent thereto in the circumferential direction. Each cam follower group includes cam followers located at different positions in the optical-axis direction engageable with the cam grooves of each cam groove group. In each cam groove group, at least one complementing cam follower of each cam follower group remains engaged in a corresponding cam groove when another cam follower of the complementing cam followers passes through an intersection area of the intersecting cam grooves during a rotation of the cam ring.

Abstract: A rotation transfer mechanism includes a rotatable ring including an annular gear portion on an outer peripheral surface thereof; a rotation transfer gear including a gear portion engageable with the annular gear portion and a rotation limit portion engageable with an outer edge of the annular gear portion to prohibit the rotation transfer gear from rotating; and a driven member drivable by a rotation of the rotation transfer gear. The rotation transfer gear and the rotatable ring are positioned relative to each other such that the gear portion and the annular gear portion are engaged with each other when the rotatable ring performs a fixed-position rotating operation, and such that the rotation limit portion faces the annular gear portion and is configured to contact the outer edge of the annular gear portion when the rotatable ring performs an advancing/retracting operation.

Abstract: A guide mechanism for a lens barrel includes a support frame supporting an imaging component, and a linear guide configured to guide the support frame along an axis. The linear guide can include a ring portion defining an opening through which the support frame can pass, and further includes at least one linear guide key extending along the axis from the ring portion and positioned substantially radially inwardly of the opening. The support frame has at least one linear guide groove located at the outer peripheral surface thereof and configured to slidably engage with a respective the at least one linear guide key, and each of the opposite ends of the at least one linear guide groove are open such that the support frame is movable to extend from either of the sides of the ring portion.

Abstract: A retractable lens system includes a plurality of optical elements. All of the plurality of optical elements are positioned on a common optical axis when the retractable lens is in use. A removable element of the plurality of optical elements is moved to a removed position outside of the common optical axis, and the removable element and at least one element of the remaining elements of the plurality of optical elements are moved rearward, respectively, when the retractable lens system is in a retracted position.

Abstract: A lens barrel includes a non-rotatable annular ring and a circumferential guide groove; a first rotatable ring supported inside the annular ring and including a rotation-guiding projection slidably engaged in the circumferential guide groove; a second rotatable ring which rotates with the first rotatable ring and is only axially movable relative to the first ring, including an engaging projection slidably engaged in the circumferential guide groove with the rotation-guiding projection, wherein the engaging projection is insertable/removable from the circumferential guide groove through the insertable/removable aperture at a first assembling/disassembling angular position; and a coupling ring which is positioned inside the first and second rotatable rings. A coupler provided between the coupling ring and the second rotatable ring is disengaged at a second assembling/disassembling angular position. The first and second assembling/disassembling angular positions are substantially the same.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus which can perform focusing control with high speed and high precision is disclosed. The image pickup apparatus comprises a focus detection unit that detects a focusing state of the image-taking lens by phase difference detection method using light from the image-taking lens, and an in-focus judgment unit judges whether the image-taking lens is in an in-focus state or not, based on a result of a detection of contrast of an object image that has been taken with an image pickup device. Correction information, for correcting focusing control information of the image-taking lens that has been obtained by using the focus detection unit, is obtained based on information indicating the in-focus state of the lens obtained by using the in-focus judgment unit.

Abstract: A remote camera positioning and control system is disclosed that permits a sole operator to use and support a camera out of arm's reach without external structural or personnel support. Various features of such a remote camera positioning and control system are disclosed. The positioner can include one or more beam modules having cross-sectional flexural rigidity that varies along the length of the beam module(s) by use, for example, of stiffening longerons, anchoring braces and relatively low density stabilizing webs. The camera can be mounted to the beam module by a front end assembly that is constructed to place the center of mass of the camera and the front end assembly along the neutral axis of the beam module over as great a range of motion as possible. The system can also include a handle module that incorporates, for example, an axially and rotationally moveable grip and a proximal handle grip ring and control cage for surrounding a camera control, such as a joystick.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of generating an image having a desired brightness, which image is generated by means of a device provided with at least one light source, at least one electro-optical light modulation panel and at least one light-control device. The light from the light source is converted into an image having a desired brightness via at least the electro-optical light modulation panel and the light-control device. The image to be projected is analyzed in a regulator, whereafter the electro-optical light modulation panel and the light-control device are driven, while a too bright image is generated by means of the electro-optical light modulation panel, which image is converted by means of the light-control device into an image having a desired brightness and a desired contrast.

Abstract: A focal plane shutter for cameras is provided with a shutter blade which can be actuated to both directions for opening and for closing a photographing optical path by an electromagnetic apparatus. When a rotor is rotated to the direction corresponding to the direction of conduction of coils an actuating member which is formed in one with the rotor make arms rotate by its actuating pin and actuates four blades of the shutter blade about upward and downward direction. A brake member rotatably arranged together with on a friction plate on a shaft has bent portions formed near tip portions of the arm portions which are inserted in a slot on a shutter base plate. An operation for opening the shutter blade is braked by the actuating pin contacting, pressing and moving one of the bent portions at termination stage, and a closing operation is braked by the actuating pin contacting, pressing and moving another bent portion at the termination stage.

Abstract: The ultra-thin rear projection display device described herein includes a wide angle lens system and one or more planar mirrors that are parallel to a screen on which an image is to be displayed. In one embodiment, the screen that has multiple groove angles to provide better illumination than screens with a single groove angle.

Abstract: A projection television has a unit for reflecting OFF light not advancing toward a screen of light emitted by a reflection type light modulating element and a unit for controlling the amount of the reflecting OFF light and returns the OFF light which has not been used in a conventional device to the light source to reuse the OFF light. This configuration increases the utilization efficiency of the light and, as a result, can realize a powerful projection television having a bright projection image.

Abstract: A light-projecting device comprises an ocular optical system facing an emergent opening of a hollow pentagonal mirror. A light source is provided outside the emergent opening, to output an illumination light beam, by which a superimpose-plate is illuminated so that a focusing mark formed on the superimpose-plate is radiated. A light-projecting prism is provided beside the ocular optical system, to reflect the illumination light beam output from the light source, toward the emergent opening. The optical axis, extending between the light source and the light-projecting prism, is approximately parallel to the plane of the emergent opening.

Abstract: Achieved is a motion picture reproducing apparatus at low price (being little increased in price even though the number of specifications are increased) capable of receiving motion picture streams complying with various specifications such as those containing programs that operate on different pieces of middleware, and reproducing motion pictures. A middleware storage unit 43 stores a plurality of different pieces of middleware. Based on program identification information contained in a motion picture stream received by the motion picture reproducing apparatus, an applicable middleware selecting unit 40 selects middleware applicable to a program contained in the motion picture stream. A middleware reading unit 41 reads the selected applicable middleware from the middleware storage unit 43. A middleware executing unit 42 executes the read middleware.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a record-mode selector switch. When a motion-image record mode is selected by the record-mode selector switch and the shutter button is pressed, camera signals of a plurality of screens are outputted from an image sensor. A signal processing circuit performs signal processing on camera signals of the plurality of screens to produce a compressed YUV signal. The produced compressed YUV signal is supplied via buffer memory to a disk control circuit. The disk control circuit drives an optical pickup and magnetic head and records the compressed YUV signal to a magneto-optical disk in the order of from a maximum vacant area.

Abstract: A high resolution, high frame rate digital cinematographic camera system having an improved shutter system. An exemplary digital cinematographic camera system comprises a digital camera with an image sensor, a shutter drive motor, and a double shutter system. The double shutter system comprises primary and secondary shutter blades that revolve at differential rates. A preferred double shutter comprises a 1× rotation speed primary shutter blade with an adjustable open angle of 360 degrees minus the equivalent angle read-out time of the image sensor and a 2× rotation speed secondary shutter blade with a fixed open angle of 360 degrees minus the effective clear aperture at the shutter plane. The 2× rotation speed secondary shutter blade has leading and lagging edge rates that are twice the leading and lagging edge speed of the primary shutter blade to provide additional exposure time and readout time.

Abstract: An addition image generation module 10 sequentially timewise adds images (input images) of still pictures at individual discrete time points included in a motion picture to be analyzed, thereby generating two kinds of addition images (image A and image B), respectively including images of still pictures at different discrete time points with the images being added at different ratios. Matrix development modules respectively take out pixel groups (first pixel group a(i, j) and second pixel group b(i, j)) located in a predetermined area (for example, in an area having a size of 3×3), from the generated image A and image B. A motion detection module compares the taken out first pixel group a(i, j) and second pixel group b(i, j), to detect a motion component in the motion picture to be analyzed.

Abstract: A lens drive control apparatus for a camera having a zoom lens provided with variable lens groups, at least one of the variable lens groups including a switching lens group having two sub lens groups, wherein one of the two sub lens groups serves as a movable sub lens group. The lens drive control apparatus includes a main drive device for moving the plurality of variable lens groups; and a sub lens group drive device for moving the movable sub lens group within the switching lens group to be positioned at a movement extremity on the object side or the image side, with respect to the other sub lens group, in accordance with a zooming zone from the short focal length extremity to an intermediate focal length position, or a zooming zone from the intermediate focal length to the long focal length extremity.

Abstract: A system displays a collection of stationary images as a motion picture to passengers travelling in a vehicle along a pathway. The vehicle moves at a known speed and known distance from the images. The system includes an image illumination system including stroboscopic lighting for each image. The images, placed in parallel along the walls of the pathway of the vehicle, are adapted in number, size, and spacing for a vehicle travelling at the known speed and at the known distance from images on one or both sides of the vehicle such as to maintain an approximately constant viewing rate and perceived size of the images. The system includes mounting mechanisms for positioning each image vertically and at a constant distance from the train regardless of unevenness in wall contour. Glare due to interior lighting in the vehicle is reduced or eliminated by selecting the appropriate illumination intensity for the stroboscopic lighting.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is an operation lever apparatus which comprises a retaining member having a reference axis, a first operation lever having a reference axis and mounted on the retaining member, the first operation lever being movable with respect to the retaining member to assume two different operation positions including a first position in which the reference axis of the first operation lever is held in coaxial relationship with the reference axis of the retaining member, and a second position in which the reference axis of the first operation lever is tilted with respect to the reference axis of the retaining member, first detecting means for detecting a tilt direction of the reference axis of the first operation lever with respect to the reference axis of the retaining member, a second operation lever having a reference axis and mounted on the first operation lever, the second operation lever being movable with respect to the first operation lever to assume two different operation positions including a f