Patents Assigned to Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd.
  • Drive mechanism for movable mirror of camera
    Patent number: 8979400
    Abstract: A camera movable-mirror drive mechanism includes a first shock-absorbing member, pushed by a main-mirror support member to absorb shock when the main-mirror support member rotates to a viewfinder light-guiding position; a second shock-absorbing member, pushed by the main-mirror support member when the main-mirror support member rotates to the retracted position; and a third shock-absorbing member, pushed by a sub-mirror support member to absorb shock when the sub-mirror support member rotates to a jutting position with rotation of the main-mirror support member to the viewfinder light-guiding position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshiaki Yamada
  • Varifocal lens barrel
    Patent number: 8976460
    Abstract: A varifocal lens barrel includes a plurality of lens groups, each of which are linearly movable in the optical axis direction thereof without rotating about the optical axis during a zooming operation and during a focusing operation, including a base barrel which is linearly movable in the optical axis direction by rotation of a zoom operational ring, wherein lens frames of the respective lens groups are each supported by the base barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Iikawa, Ichiro Imaei
  • Photographing lens system
    Patent number: 8970968
    Abstract: A photographing lens system includes a positive front lens group, an aperture diaphragm, and a positive rear lens group, in that order from the object side. The front lens group includes at least one negative lens element, and at least two positive cemented lenses, in that order from the object side, and the following conditions are satisfied: 0.35<fF/fR<1.5??(1), and ?1.4<fL1/f<?0.9??(2), wherein fF and fR designate the focal lengths of the front lens group and the rear lens group, fL1 designates the combined focal length of the negative lens elements provided within said front lens group; and f designates the focal length of the entire photographing lens system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: PENTAX Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoichi Nomura
  • Digital camera
    Patent number: 8964100
    Abstract: A digital camera includes an image sensor, a display device which displays a live-view display of an object image, an autofocus adjuster which detects a focal state and brings a specified object image into an in-focus state by moving a focal-adjusting lens group of a photographing lens, a focus lock-on device which prohibits the focal-adjusting lens group from moving and enters a focus locked-on state when the autofocus adjuster brings the specified object image into an in-focus state, a focus lock-on detector, and a distinguishing-display controller. When the focus lock-on detector detects a focus locked-on sate, the distinguishing-display controller performs image processing on part or the entirety of the specified object image, and a peaking display of the specified object image is displayed on the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Teppei Okamoto
  • Exposure control device and electronic camera having the same
    Patent number: 8964106
    Abstract: An exposure control device including a control unit configured to set a shutter speed and an aperture using a predetermined program chart based an exposure value calculated through photometry, an ISO sensitivity setting unit configured to set at least one of an upper limit and a lower limit of an ISO sensitivity to be used for photo shooting, and an ISO sensitivity change point determining unit configured to determine a point at which the ISO sensitivity is to be changed on the predetermined program chart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masashi Miyata
  • Diaphragm control apparatus of interchangeable lens camera
    Patent number: 8947586
    Abstract: A diaphragm control apparatus of an interchangeable lens camera includes a photographing lens, a diaphragm control slider which is driven between first and second control ends corresponding to maximum and minimum apertures, a position detector, and a controller which drives the diaphragm control slider toward the first control end at high-speed, stores in a memory, as a temporary origin, a position to which the diaphragm control slider has rebounded after reaching the first control end. Thereafter, the controller compares the current position of the diaphragm control slider with the temporary origin while driving the diaphragm control slider at a low-speed towards the first control end. When the current position is within a predetermined range of the temporary origin, the controller determines the current position as the origin of the diaphragm control slider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshiaki Yamada
  • Portable device with display function
    Patent number: 8931968
    Abstract: A portable device has a display, a display processor displays a magnification image on a screen of the display, and an input device. The portable device further has a display-area shift processor that shifts the magnification-image-display area in accordance to an input operation administered to the input device, and a position sensor that detects an angle of inclination of the body. Then, The display processor changes the magnification-image-display area to an image area that is inclined by an angle corresponding to the angle of inclination, and the display-area shift processor changes shift directions of the magnification-image-display area from vertical and lateral directions of the original image to directions that are perpendicular to each other and correspond to inclined vertical and lateral directions rotated by the angle of inclination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tetsuaki Kato
  • Four group zoom lens system
    Patent number: 8913328
    Abstract: A zoom lens system includes a positive first lens group, a negative second lens group, and positive third and fourth lens groups. Upon zooming from the short to long focal length extremities, the distance between the first and second lens groups increases and the distance between the second and third lens groups decreases. The first lens group includes a positive first sub-lens group which remains at a stationary position during focusing and a positive second sub-lens group which moves during focusing. Condition (1) is satisfied: 0.35<f1b/f1a<0.57??(1), wherein f1b and f1a designate the focal length of the second and first sub-lens groups, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masakazu Saori
  • Zoom lens system and electronic imaging apparatus using the same
    Patent number: 8908298
    Abstract: A zoom lens system includes a positive first lens group, a negative second lens group, and a positive rearward-remaining lens group. Upon zooming from the short to long focal length extremities, the distance between the first and second lens groups increases, the distance between the second and rearward-remaining lens groups decreases, and at least the first lens group and at least part of the rearward-remaining lens group moves. The second lens group includes a negative first sub-lens group which does not move during a focusing operation, and a negative second sub-lens group which moves in the optical axis direction during a focusing operation. The positive rearward-remaining lens group includes at least two lens groups, the distance therebetween mutually changing during zooming from the short focal length extremity to the long focal length extremity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masakazu Saori
  • Imager having a movie creator
    Patent number: 8902327
    Abstract: An imager is provided having an imaging sensor, a still image composer, and a movie creator. The imaging sensor takes still images with exposures that differ from each other. The still image composer composes still images so as to create a composite still image. The movie creator integrates the composite still images so as to create a movie. The composer creates a false composite still image and the movie creator integrates the false composite still image in order to create a movie upon the still image composer being unable to create the composite still image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshihide Sakamoto
  • Zoom lens system and optical instrument using the same
    Patent number: 8902510
    Abstract: A zoom lens system includes a negative first lens group and a positive second lens group, in that order from the object side, wherein upon zooming from the short focal length extremity to the long focal length extremity, the first lens group and the second lens group move in the optical axis direction while the distance therebetween mutually decreases. The first lens group includes a negative first sub-lens group and a positive second sub-lens group, in that order from the object side, wherein the second sub-lens group constitutes a focusing lens group that is moved in the optical axis direction during a focusing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Koji Kato
  • LEAD SCREW DEVICE, LENS DRIVER, LENS BARREL, AND CAMERA USING THE LEAD SCREW DEVICE
    Publication number: 20140347753
    Abstract: A lead screw device includes a lead screw including a thread portion, and a driven body which engages with the thread portion, and moves in an axis direction of the lead screw along with rotation of the lead screw about an axis, the driven body including a pair of driven members disposed to sandwich the lead screw in a radial direction, wherein the pair of driven members is biased in a direction which sandwiches the lead screw in the radial direction, and a tooth portion provided in each of the driven members engages with the thread portion of the lead screw by a biasing force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicant: RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Daisuke TERAHARA, Takehide OHNO, Terunori KOYAMA
  • Shock-absorbing mechanism for movable mirror of camera
    Patent number: 8894301
    Abstract: A movable mirror shock-absorbing mechanism of a camera includes a movable mirror which is rotatable between a viewfinder light-guiding position and a retracted position, a pressing portion which moves with the rotation of the movable mirror, a first shock-absorbing member which is pressed and moved by the pressing portion to absorb shock of the movable mirror when the movable mirror rotates from the retracted position to the viewfinder light-guiding position, and a second shock-absorbing member which is pressed and moved by the pressing portion to absorb shock of the movable mirror when the movable mirror rotates from the viewfinder light-guiding position to the retracted position. The first and second shock-absorbing members are mutually identical in specifications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshiaki Yamada
  • Polarizing Optical Element, Optical Low Pass Filer and Photographing Apparatus
    Publication number: 20140333820
    Abstract: A polarizing optical element comprising a multdayer film in which two or more types of polymeric films are laminated, wherein a number of laminated polymeric films is 500 to 500,000 in total, each of the two or more types of polymeric films has a uniform refractive index and has a film thickness of 0.2 ?m to 40 ?m, and a difference in refractive index between the two or more types of polymeric films is larger than or equal to 0.05.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Hideo FUJII
  • Mobile equipment with display function
    Patent number: 8884882
    Abstract: A piece of mobile equipment has a display processor that displays an image and at least one icon on a screen, and a touch-sensitive device disposed on said screen. The display processor displays input information in accordance with an input operation to said touch-sensitive device, and removes the icon on the screen in accordance with the input operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Saki Shimizu
  • Imaging device and distance information detecting method
    Patent number: 8885091
    Abstract: An imaging device is provided that comprises an imaging processor, a distance information detector, a primary image capturing processor and an image processor. The imaging processor captures a plurality of secondary images of the same object at different in-focus positions by driving a photographing lens. The distance information detector detects distance information of the object for each of the areas of an image based on the contrast in each of the areas in each of the secondary images. The primary image capturing processor captures the same image of the object as a primary image. The image processor carries out image processing on the primary image based on the distance information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyasu Uehara
  • Imaging device with lens barrell information communications
    Patent number: 8878974
    Abstract: An imaging device is provided that includes a camera body, a lens barrel, a lens barrel information transmitter, and an image sensor driver. The image sensor is housed in the camera body. The lens barrel is attachable to and detachable from the camera body. The lens barrel information transmitter regularly transmits information of the lens barrel to the camera body. The image sensor driver drives the image sensor at one of at least two different frame rates where a second frame rate is higher than a first frame rate. The amount of data being transmitted is reduced by the lens barrel information transmitter when the image sensor is driven at the second frame rate, compared to the amount transmitted when the image sensor is driven at the first frame rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masayuki Kamimura
  • Focusing image verifying device
    Patent number: 8872961
    Abstract: An autofocus system is provided that includes a focus-verification image-recapturing processor and a focus-verification image display processor. The focus-verification image-recapturing processor sets ISO sensitivity to a value lower than a predetermined value and increases an exposure value by adjusting at least one of an aperture value and an exposure time to carry out a focus-verification image-recapturing operation under focusing conditions applied in an antecedent autofocus operation when ISO sensitivity that is set in said auto focus operation exceeds the predetermined value. The focus-verification image display processor displays a focus-verification image obtained by the focus-verification image-recapturing operation when the ISO sensitivity that is set in the auto focus operation exceeds the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Kimura, Hiroyuki Tanaka
  • Dust detection system and digital camera
    Patent number: 8873881
    Abstract: A dust detection system, comprising a receiver, a dust extraction block, a memory and an image correction block, is provided. The receiver receives an image signal. The dust extraction block generates a dust image signal on the basis of the image signal. The memory stores an intrinsic-flaw image signal corresponding to an intrinsic-flaw image including sub-images of dust that the dust extraction block extracts in initializing. The image correction block generates a corrected dust-image signal on the basis of the intrinsic-flaw image signal and a normal dust-image signal. The normal dust-image signal corresponds to a normal dust image including sub-image of dust that the dust extraction block extracts after initializing. The corrected dust image is the normal dust image that sub-images of dust in the intrinsic-flaw image are deleted from.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuaki Kato, Naoto Kawanami, Satoru Horita
  • Camera
    Patent number: 8860854
    Abstract: A camera a has an image sensor; an exposure controller that conducts a main exposure and a dark exposure, in order, when a long-exposure shooting is carried out; an image signal processor that processes image-pixel signals that are generated by the main exposure and are read from the image sensor; and a noise reduction processor that reduces dark current components in the image-pixel signals on the basis of dark current components in the dark exposure. The exposure controller operates the image sensor for heating between the main exposure and the dark exposure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tetsuaki Kato