Patents Represented by Law Firm Robin, Blecker, Daley and Driscoll
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Patent number: 5614969Abstract: A camera adapted for using a film cartridge of the kind having a magnetic recording part provided for each frame portion of a film contained therein is arranged to write information into the recording part every time a shot is taken for each frame. In case where the film contained in the film cartridge is used only halfway, the camera makes a search for the beginning part of unexposed frame portions by detecting the amount of information recorded in the magnetic recording part of each frame portion. For this purpose, a reference value to be used in making a discrimination between an exposed state and an unexposed state is set on the basis of the amount of information obtained from each frame and also according to the amounts of noises, etc. The arrangement disclosed enables the camera to accurately carry out the search for the unexposed frame portions of the film.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 1994Date of Patent: March 25, 1997Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Kazuhiro Izukawa
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Patent number: 5615398Abstract: An optical apparatus includes an image pickup part arranged to convert a light flux representative of an object image into an image signal, a detecting part arranged to detect information on the object image by using the image signal, a discriminating part arranged to discriminate the size of a main object by using the information on the object image detected by the detecting part, and a deciding part which decides, on the basis of a discrimination made by the discriminating part, a focal length of an optical system to be changed.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 1994Date of Patent: March 25, 1997Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Shinichi Matsuyama
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Patent number: 5615062Abstract: A rotary head type recording apparatus comprises a rotary head which is arranged to record signals on a tape-shaped recording medium by tracing the medium; a transport device for longitudinally moving the tape-shaped recording medium; a recording circuit which is arranged to cause a recording signal to be recorded on the recording medium by supplying the recording signal to the rotary head; a recording control circuit which controls the start and stop of signal recording by the recording circuit; and a transport control circuit which controls the start and stop of the recording medium moving action of the transport device. The operation timing of the recording control circuit is arranged to be substantially identical to that of the transport control circuit.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 1995Date of Patent: March 25, 1997Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Nobutoshi Takayama
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Patent number: 5612757Abstract: A camera of the kind making a discrimination between exposed and unexposed states of each of frames of a film by detecting information recorded in a magnetic recording part provided at each of the frames is arranged to detect the information twice for one and the same frame by causing the film to be transported in different directions and to finally decide the state of exposure of the frame according to whether the results of the detection made twice coincide with each other or not, so that the discrimination can be accurately carried out.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 1995Date of Patent: March 18, 1997Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Kenichiro Amano
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Patent number: 5612663Abstract: A thermal fuse which interrupts at least one current path which runs through it when a triggering temperature value is exceeded, with a fuse housing in which at least two thermal fuse elements are arranged and from which at least two connection contacts project for forming at least one current path, where a closed contact segment is bridged in the interior of the housing, via a movement contact when the fuse has not responded, and a fuse element puts spring stress on the movement contact assigned to it, in the contact closing direction, which contact interrupts at least one current path when triggered, characterized in that the fuse housing is formed in a pipe shape and has two holder chambers for insertion of the thermal fuse elements, which are separated from one another by a partition floor which essentially closes off the cross-section of the pipe and that the thermally sensitive elements of at least two thermal fuse elements impact the partition floor.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 1995Date of Patent: March 18, 1997Assignee: Inter Control Hermann Kohler Elektrik Gmbh & Co. KGInventor: Walter Hollweck
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Patent number: 5613171Abstract: An optical accessory comprises a bayonet type mount which can be freely mounted by rotation to a camera body having a camera mount of a bayonet type, a switch related to a power source and an operating member for actuating the switch. The optical accessory mount has a mounting claw arranged for pushing the operating member, the length of said mounting claw being so set that the mounting claw pushes the operating member for actuating the switch when the mounting by rotation of the optical accessory to the camera body is almost completed.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 1995Date of Patent: March 18, 1997Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshihiko Aihara, Masayoshi Yamamichi, Masahisa Fujino
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Patent number: 5612737Abstract: An electronic still camera includes a photographic optical system having a variable focal length, an image sensor for converting an optical image formed by the photographic optical system into an electrical image signal, a recording circuit for recording on a rotary recording medium the electrical image signal produced by the image sensor, a focal-length adjusting device for adjusting the focal length of the photographic optical system, and a control circuit arranged to inhibit either one of a rotation of the rotary recording medium and a focal-length adjustment operation of the focal-length adjusting device when the other is being performed.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 1996Date of Patent: March 18, 1997Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Masatoshi Nagano
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Patent number: 5612760Abstract: A camera, a unit or a unit adapted to the same arranged to be adapted to use an image recording medium cartridge having a cover for introducing/ejecting an image recording medium, the camera having a first unit for performing an operation of loading the cartridge into the camera or the unit and/or an operation of ejecting the cartridge from the camera or the unit, and a second unit for changing the operation of the first unit in accordance with a degree of a state where the cartridge can be used.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 1994Date of Patent: March 18, 1997Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Ryoji Okuno
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Patent number: 5609310Abstract: In a tape tension control device having a first base on which there are disposed a reel mount and a brake mechanism arranged to apply a braking force to the reel mount, a second base arranged to support the first base in such a way as to allow the first base to take a plurality of positions, and a tension detecting mechanism which is disposed on the second base and includes a guide member arranged to abut on a tape, the brake mechanism and the tension detecting mechanism are arranged to act in association with each other when the first base takes each of the plurality of positions relative to the second base.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 1996Date of Patent: March 11, 1997Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Junji Kobayashi
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Patent number: 5610676Abstract: In a single-lens reflex camera having a quick-return mirror and a built-in mechanism for change-over between different photographic image plane frames, a light blocking member is arranged to be movable into or out of a photo-taking optical path by swinging around the same or approximately the same rotation axis of the quick-return mirror and to block a part of a photographing light flux to prevent the part of the light flux from reaching the photographic image plane when it is within the photo-taking optical path, so that a photographic image plane frame which differs from a normal photographic image plane frame can be formed by this light blocking member.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 1995Date of Patent: March 11, 1997Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Isao Nakazawa
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Patent number: 5610723Abstract: An information signal processing apparatus is arranged to receive, as an input, an information signal to temporarily store therein the input information signal and to temporarily store therein management information prepared during a recording of the information signal in the recording medium, thereby recording the temporarily stored information signal and management information in the recording medium. Accordingly, it is possible to record an information signal having a large amount of information in the recording medium without lowering a recording speed and it is also possible to easily reduce the size, weight and cost of the apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 1996Date of Patent: March 11, 1997Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yoichi Yamagishi
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Patent number: 5608379Abstract: A deactivatable EAS tag in which a circuit comprising a non-linear element causes the generation of a detectable signal in response to an interrogating signal and in which a first magnetic element is arranged to be brought from a first position where the magnetic element does not short the non-linear element to a second position where the magnetic element shorts the non-linear element.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 1994Date of Patent: March 4, 1997Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics CorporationInventors: Douglas Narlow, Hubert A. Patterson
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Patent number: 5608536Abstract: An apparatus for recording a video signal while forming a great number of parallel tracks on a tape-shaped recording medium, and reproducing the video signal from the track, wherein for a specified picture on the recording medium, a processing code to be used in printing the picture is recorded on the recording medium in correspondence with the specified picture, whereby without recourse to an actual printing of the specified picture, it is possible that only the practice of recording the processing code for the specified picture of the tape shaped recording medium suffices for starting a selecting operation for the next picture.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 1996Date of Patent: March 4, 1997Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Koji Takahashi
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Patent number: 5608512Abstract: A fixing device has a fixing member for conveying a recording medium while holding the recording medium thereon, and fixing an image on the recording medium, a separating member having a pivot shaft and urged against the surface of the fixing member, and a guide member provided downstream of the separating member with respect to the direction of movement of the recording medium for guiding the recording medium. The separating member is of such a shape that the portion thereof from the leading end of the recording medium to an imaginary line substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the recording medium and passing through the pivot shaft is along the direction of conveyance of the recording medium, and the portion thereof which is downstream of the imaginary line with respect to the direction of movement of the recording medium gradually becomes far from the movement path of the recording medium.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 1995Date of Patent: March 4, 1997Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Saijiro Endo
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Patent number: 5608385Abstract: A device for determining a state of electricity generation of a solar battery and an apparatus, such as a camera, including such a device are disclosed. The device comprises a first circuit for connecting different loads to the solar battery, and a second circuit for determining a state of electricity generation of the solar battery in accordance with a state of a load current of the solar battery relative to the different loads.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 1995Date of Patent: March 4, 1997Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Junya Masaki
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Patent number: 5608457Abstract: A video camera apparatus comprises a camera unit, a lens unit detachable from the camera unit and a communication circuit for communicating control information between a computer of the camera unit and a computer of the lens unit, wherein at least one of the camera unit and the lens unit comprises a memory for storing information indicating a version of the control information by which both of the camera unit and the lens unit can communicate with each other for control, and the information representing the version can be transmitted by the memory to the other unit to vary or select the control command or contents of the control command.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 1995Date of Patent: March 4, 1997Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masamichi Tohyama, Yutaka Kohtani
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Patent number: 5606390Abstract: A camera capable of utilizing a visual line of a photographer for a photographic operation is provided. The camera includes a visual-line detecting part for detecting a visual line (fixation point) of the photographer and a correcting part for correcting a deviation between the fixation point detected by the visual-line detecting part and an actual fixation point of the photographer's eye. The correcting part operates in association with a starting operation of the camera.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 1994Date of Patent: February 25, 1997Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takashi Arai, Osamu Morita, Kitahiro Kaneda, Tatsuya Yamazaki
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Patent number: 5604560Abstract: A camera apparatus has an interchangeable lens unit and a transmission line for exchange of information with the lens unit. The lens unit has at least one driving part which is arranged to change the optical condition of the lens unit. The camera system includes a control circuit which is arranged to take in, from the lens unit via the transmission line, information on at least on of the maximum and minimum possible driving speeds of the driving part; to set a driving speed of the driving part within the possible driving speed range of the driving part; and to transmit information on the set driving speed to the lens unit.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 1996Date of Patent: February 18, 1997Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Naoya Kaneda
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Patent number: 5604537Abstract: An imaging apparatus makes it possible to precisely focus on an object to be photographed in each photographic mode by controlling the focusing of the object in accordance with the photographic mode.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 1995Date of Patent: February 18, 1997Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tatsuya Yamazaki, Kenji Kyuma, Kyoji Tamura, Koji Takahashi, Yuji Tsuda
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Patent number: 5604538Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes a focus detector for extracting a focus signal according to a focus condition and for executing a focus adjustment, a detector for detecting chrominance level and luminance level in an image pickup plane from an image pickup signal output from an image sensor, a discriminator for discriminating an image pickup condition of the image pickup plane on the basis of an output of the detector and discriminating a predetermined low contrast condition where the detected chrominance and luminance levels are less than predetermined levels and a controller for controlling the focus detector on the basis of the focus signal and inhibiting a focus adjusting operation of the focus detector or reducing a speed thereof in accordance with a discriminating result of the discriminator.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 1994Date of Patent: February 18, 1997Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kitahiro Kaneda, Hirofumi Takei