Patents by Inventor Junji Takahata

Junji Takahata has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9736352
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus of the present disclosure includes a body, an imaging unit provided in the body, the imaging unit for capturing an image of an object and generating an image, a focus lens movable in an optical axis direction, the focus lens for adjusting a focus state of the image, an evaluation value detector for detecting a focus evaluation value of the image, a movement detector for detecting a moving direction and an amount of movement of the body in the optical axis direction, and a controller for controlling movement of the focus lens. The controller determines a direction to which the focus lens is to be moved, based on the moving direction of the body in the optical axis direction detected by the movement detector and the focus evaluation value detected by the evaluation value detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenichi Honjo, Junji Takahata
  • Publication number: 20160037053
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus of the present disclosure includes a body, an imaging unit provided in the body, the imaging unit for capturing an image of an object and generating an image, a focus lens movable in an optical axis direction, the focus lens for adjusting a focus state of the image, an evaluation value detector for detecting a focus evaluation value of the image, a movement detector for detecting a moving direction and an amount of movement of the body in the optical axis direction, and a controller for controlling movement of the focus lens. The controller determines a direction to which the focus lens is to be moved, based on the moving direction of the body in the optical axis direction detected by the movement detector and the focus evaluation value detected by the evaluation value detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Inventors: KENICHI HONJO, JUNJI TAKAHATA
  • Patent number: 8654245
    Abstract: An imaging device includes an imaging element, a shutter mechanism, an actuator, a rotatable transmission member, a position detector, and a drive controller. The shutter mechanism is switchable between an open and a closed state to control the light incident on the imaging element. The transmission member is configured to transmit a driving force produced by the actuator to the shutter mechanism. The position detector is configured to detect the rotational position of the transmission member. The drive controller is configured to direct the actuator to begin storing the driving force while image data is being read from the imaging element, to control the timing at which the actuator begins driving the shutter mechanism based on the position of the transmission member detected by the position detector, and to switch the shutter mechanism from the closed state to the open state after the actuator has stopped storing the driving force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Junji Takahata, Takahiro Ikeda
  • Patent number: 8649675
    Abstract: An interchangeable lens mountable to a camera body includes a zoom lens configured to adjust an angle of view of a subject image, a driver configured to move the zoom lens in an optical axis direction, a plurality of operating members configured to generate an operation signal for driving the driver according to operation performed by a user, a communication unit configured to receive, from the camera body, setting information for setting valid/invalid of at least one of the plurality of operating members, and a controller configured to control the driver. The controller drives and does not drive the driver based on the operation signal from the operating member having been set to valid and invalid, respectively, by the setting information received through the communication unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Junji Takahata, Takahiro Ikeda
  • Patent number: 8542314
    Abstract: In a camera system including an interchangeable lens and a camera body, a lens controller performs control to detect a position of a focus lens in synchronous with a predetermined timing received from the camera body, store it in a storage unit, and transmit it to the camera body when receiving a position information request signal for requesting transmission of position information stored in the storage unit. The body controller performs control so that a timing of transmission of the position information request signal does not overlap a timing of transmission of the timing signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Shibuno, Junji Takahata, Mitsuyoshi Okamoto, Naotake Kitahira
  • Patent number: 8521016
    Abstract: In a camera system including an interchangeable lens and a camera body, a body controller performs control a drive signal transmission unit to drive a focus lens in a predetermined direction, and transmit a timing signal to the interchangeable lens. The lens controller performs control to detect a position of the focus lens in synchronization with the timing signal received from the camera body and store the detected position in a storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Shibuno, Junji Takahata, Mitsuyoshi Okamoto, Naotake Kitahira
  • Publication number: 20130051780
    Abstract: An interchangeable lens mountable to a camera body includes a zoom lens configured to adjust an angle of view of a subject image, a driver configured to move the zoom lens in an optical axis direction, a plurality of operating members configured to generate an operation signal for driving the driver according to operation performed by a user, a communication unit configured to receive, from the camera body, setting information for setting valid/invalid of at least one of the plurality of operating members, and a controller configured to control the driver. The controller drives and does not drive the driver based on the operation signal from the operating member having been set to valid and invalid, respectively, by the setting information received through the communication unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2012
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Junji TAKAHATA, Takahiro IKEDA
  • Publication number: 20120249861
    Abstract: An imaging device includes an imaging element, a shutter mechanism, an actuator, a rotatable transmission member, a position detector, and a drive controller. The shutter mechanism is switchable between an open and a closed state to control the light incident on the imaging element. The transmission member is configured to transmit a driving force produced by the actuator to the shutter mechanism. The position detector is configured to detect the rotational position of the transmission member. The drive controller is configured to direct the actuator to begin storing the driving force while image data is being read from the imaging element, to control the timing at which the actuator begins driving the shutter mechanism based on the position of the transmission member detected by the position detector, and to switch the shutter mechanism from the closed state to the open state after the actuator has stopped storing the driving force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Junji Takahata, Takahiro Ikeda
  • Patent number: 8264571
    Abstract: An image capture device includes: an imager for imaging an object and generating image data; an image file generator for generating an image file by adding, to the image data generated by the imager, a header portion which stores at least one type of information concerning shooting circumstances; a timer for outputting information indicating a current time; and a manipulation section which is used to set period information specifying a period. The image file generator changes the type of information to be stored in the header portion depending on whether a time of imaging as indicated by the information which is output from the timer at the time of the imaging falls within the period specified by the period information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Junji Takahata, Akira Yamada
  • Publication number: 20110096200
    Abstract: In a camera system including an interchangeable lens and a camera body, a lens controller performs control to detect a position of a focus lens in synchronous with a predetermined timing received from the camera body, store it in a storage unit, and transmit it to the camera body when receiving a position information request signal for requesting transmission of position information stored in the storage unit. The body controller performs control so that a timing of transmission of the position information request signal does not overlap a timing of transmission of the timing signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Shibuno, Junji Takahata, Mitsuyoshi Okamoto, Naotake Kitahira
  • Publication number: 20090245777
    Abstract: In a camera system including an interchangeable lens and a camera body, a body controller performs control a drive signal transmission unit to drive a focus lens in a predetermined direction, and transmit a timing signal to the interchangeable lens. The lens controller performs control to detect a position of the focus lens in synchronization with the timing signal received from the camera body and store the detected position in a storage unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Shibuno, Junji Takahata, Mitsuyoshi Okamoto, Naotake Kitahira
  • Publication number: 20080266421
    Abstract: An image capture device includes: an imager for imaging an object and generating image data; an image file generator for generating an image file by adding, to the image data generated by the imager, a header portion which stores at least one type of information concerning shooting circumstances; a timer for outputting information indicating a current time; and a manipulation section which is used to set period information specifying a period. The image file generator changes the type of information to be stored in the header portion depending on whether a time of imaging as indicated by the information which is output from the timer at the time of the imaging falls within the period specified by the period information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2008
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Inventors: Junji Takahata, Akira Yamada
  • Publication number: 20060056831
    Abstract: A digital camera body to which a lens unit having an image taking optical system is attachable. The camera body has a shake detector detecting a camera shake on the digital camera and outputting a shake detection signal, a blur compensator compensates for a blur, due to the camera shake, of a subject light image projected onto an image capturing surface of an image sensor provided in the camera body, based on an inputted blur compensation amount, a focal length deriver obtaining an overall focal length of the image taking optical system, by use of the information on the focal length obtained from the lens unit, and a blur compensation controller deriving the blur compensation amount for compensating for the blur based on the overall focal length of the image taking optical system and the shake detection signal, and outputting the blur compensation amount to the blur compensator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2005
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Inventors: Takeshi Horio, Hiroshi Ueda, Kimihiko Nakamura, Junji Takahata, Akio Kimba, Masayuki Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 6249093
    Abstract: A driving apparatus, employing a piezoelectric element, for smoothly and silently driving a focus lens of a camera over a wide range of its driving speed. The driving apparatus includes a control system for controlling the piezoelectric element in such a manner that a continuous supply of a certain number of drive pulses to the piezoelectric element and a non-supply thereof during a certain period of time are repeated by a “block pulse drive” at time of slow speed driving, and that the continuous supply thereof are continuously supplied to the piezoelectric element by a “continuous pulse drive” at time of high speed driving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junji Takahata, Koutaro Kawabe
  • Patent number: 6108495
    Abstract: In addition to a focus detecting sensor for phase difference detection, a camera is provided with a light source or a generator for emitting light or ultrasonic waves, and a light receiver or a receiver for receiving the light or the ultrasonic waves reflected from the object. The distance to the object is detected from the intensity of the reflected light or ultrasonic waves and the focusing lens is set at a position close to the in-focus position. Then, the driving range of the focusing lens is limited in accordance with the detected distance, and from the set focusing lens position, focusing by the phase difference detection method is performed within the limited driving range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junji Takahata, Hiroshi Ueda, Hironori Kamishita, Koutaro Kawabe
  • Patent number: 6028729
    Abstract: An apparatus provided with a magnetic head including a core, a writing coil and a reading coil wound around the core; a writing circuit connected with the writing coil for driving the writing coil; a reading circuit connected with the reading coil for generating a read signal based on an output of the reading coil; a power source for supplying an electric power to the writing circuit; and a controller for suspending the supply of electric power to the writing circuit when the reading circuit is in operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Nakasa, Junji Takahata, Toshihito Kido