Patents Examined by Quan Pham
  • Patent number: 9451139
    Abstract: The invention provides a portable optical instrument including: a body portion to which a lens barrel which holds a lens is fixed; a pop-up light emitting unit which projects illumination light forward; and a sighting device which includes an optical element which includes a concave-surface-shaped reflection surface and a sighting device light source opposed to the reflection surface, the sighting device forming a reflection light of the sighting device light source, wherein the optical element is disposed between the light emitting unit and the body portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hidenobu Mochinushi
  • Patent number: 9438806
    Abstract: A digital camera includes: a display section displaying a photographing image obtained by photographing a subject; a signal processing and control section reading out information related to the subject and information related to surroundings of the subject from a database on the basis of position information and compass direction information about the digital camera; and a display control section selecting the information related to the subject according to the lens condition and performing control so as to display the selected information on the display section by superimposing the selected information on the photographing image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Nonaka, Manabu Ichikawa, Koichi Nakata
  • Patent number: 9431449
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device, a driving method for the same, and an electronic appliance, and an object is to provide a solid-state imaging device that can achieve the pixel miniaturization and the global shutter function with higher sensitivity and saturated charge amount. Another object is to provide an electronic appliance including the solid-state imaging device. In a solid-state imaging device 1 having the global shutter function, a first charge accumulation unit 18 and a second charge accumulation unit 25 are stacked in the depth direction of a substrate 12, and the transfer of the signal charges from the first charge accumulation unit 12 to the second charge accumulation unit 25 is conducted by a vertical first transfer transistor Tr1. Thus, the pixel miniaturization can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Atsushi Toda
  • Patent number: 9426382
    Abstract: A first image captured using a first exposure and a second image captured using a second exposure higher than the first exposure are obtained. A third image used as a reference for combining processing is created from the first image. An image, a dynamic range of which is extended, is created by weighted-combining the first and second images using adding coefficients, which are associated with pixel values of the third image in advance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaaki Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 9392161
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes: an imaging optical system having a variable power lens and a focus lens; an imaging element that generates image data via the imaging optical system; a movable frame that holds the focus lens and is movable along an optical axis of the imaging optical system; a first driving unit that causes the movable frame to move toward an in-focus position along the optical axis direction; a focus sensitivity determination unit that, based on a zoom position of the variable power lens, determines whether a focus sensitivity indicating a ratio of a change amount of the in-focus position to a movement amount of the focus lens is equal to or smaller than a specified value; and a driving controller that drives the first driving unit to move the movable frame to the in-focus position if the focus sensitivity is larger than the specified value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sumio Kawai, Toshio Takahashi, Kunio Yamamiya
  • Patent number: 9392172
    Abstract: An image blur correction apparatus includes an shooting state detecting portion that determines a shooting state of a first shooting state or a second shooting state based on an angular velocity signal, and a controller that performs an image blur correction using characteristics depending on a determination result of the shooting state determining portion, and the shooting state determining portion determines that the first shooting state has started when the angular velocity signal exceeds a first threshold value and exceeds a second threshold value having an opposite sign of the first threshold value within a predetermined time after exceeding the first threshold value, and determines that the first shooting state is continuously maintained when the angular velocity signal exceeds a third threshold value and exceeds a fourth threshold value that has an opposite sign of the third threshold value within the predetermined time after exceeding the third threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenji Saitsu
  • Patent number: 9386225
    Abstract: A shaking amount detecting apparatus includes an angular velocity sensor that detects yaw, pitch, and roll-angular-velocities, an acceleration sensor that detects X and Y-accelerations in X and Y-axis directions, radius calculating sections that respectively calculate a yaw-radius and an XZ-roll-radius on the basis of a yaw-angular-velocity, a roll-angular-velocity, and an X-acceleration at different times, a velocity calculating section that multiplies the yaw-angular-velocity with the yaw-radius to calculate a first component of an X-velocity, a velocity calculating section that multiplies the roll-angular-velocity with the XZ-roll-radius to calculate a second component of the X-velocity, an adding section that adds up the first component of the X-velocity and the second component of the X-velocity to acquire the X-velocity, and an integrating section that integrates the X-velocity with respect to a time period to thereby calculate a movement amount in the X-axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi Tsuchiya, Kiyoshi Tanaka, Hisashi Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 9380200
    Abstract: Image pickup apparatus 201 generates the optical image formed with light from the image pickup optical system and the second image is generated by using the output from taking picture system 303 and the 2nd image-pickup element with which the first for display and record image is generated by using the output from the 1st image-pickup element 211 that converts the photoelectron respectively and the 2nd image-pickup element 208 and the 1st image-pickup element. Detection system 303 that searches for photometry and the object by using the second image is possessed. The detection system searches for the object when it can be selected whether to add the pixel of the output from the second image-pickup element in photometry, and doesn't add the pixel, and limits the object searching when the pixel is added.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Reiji Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 9377848
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a control unit configured to control a transmission of an image to an external device, a shifting unit configured to shift a mode between an operation mode and a standby mode, a selection unit configured to select whether to permit shifting to the standby mode based on a user operation, and a determination unit configured to determine a type of the external device, wherein in a case where the determination unit determines that the type of the external device is a first type, the control unit enables transmission of an image to the external device in a mode associated with the first type without selection, and wherein in a case where the determination unit determines that the type of the external device is a second type, the control unit enables transmission of an image to the external device after selection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Jun Matsuda
  • Patent number: 9380190
    Abstract: A lens cleaning device having a housing. A cylindrical lens is disposed inside the housing and defines an inner cavity. An imager is disposed in the cavity. A gear assembly operably couples the cylindrical lens with a motor. The motor is operational to rotate the gear assembly and consequently the cylindrical lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: GENTEX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Timothy L. Pawlowski
  • Patent number: 9360652
    Abstract: Provided is a lens barrel comprising a lens holding member that holds a lens; a guide axle that extends in a direction parallel to an optical axis of the lens; and an oil-retaining bearing that is fixed to the lens holding member, and into which the guide axle is slidably inserted. In the lens barrel, the guide axle and the oil-retaining bearing may be made of metal, and at least a portion of the lens holding member to which the oil-retaining bearing is fixed may be made of resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hidefumi Ota
  • Patent number: 9332194
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a display unit capable of performing through display for displaying in real time a captured image, a control unit configured to cause, while the through display is being performed, the imaging unit to capture a still image in response to an instruction for a shooting preparation and a subsequent instruction for a shooting operation, an image processing unit configured to apply a special effect for changing image quality in a set direction to the captured image subjected to through display, a detection unit configured to detect an orientation of the imaging apparatus, and a setting unit configured to set the direction of the special effect according to the detected orientation, wherein, during a period for which an operation input for the shooting preparation continues, the setting unit retains the setting of the direction of the special effect even when the detected orientation changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koki Kitaya, Akiharu Ito
  • Patent number: 9325882
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus which is capable of preventing disconnection of connectors for a circuit substrate, on which an image pickup device is mounted, without making optical adjustment difficult. A fixing member is fixed to the image pickup device. One end of a flexible substrate is connected to the circuit substrate via a connector connecting portion. A protective member is fixed to the fixing member so as to cover the connector connecting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shuichi Kato
  • Patent number: 9264614
    Abstract: A digital camera includes a rotary switch, a switching unit, and a switching unit. The switching unit switches between two states independently of a function other than functions assigned to the respective states of the rotary switch, the two states including a restricted state where rotation of the rotary switch is restricted with a clicking feel and a function of at least one of a shutter speed and an aperture as a function with discrete output values is related to the rotating operation of the rotary switch and a non-restricted state where rotation of the rotary switch is not restricted and a function of at least one of focusing, and a zoom magnification of a lens, and similar function as a function with continuous output values is related to the rotating operation of the rotary switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Inventor: Hidehiko Nakajima
  • Patent number: 9253378
    Abstract: A rotary operation unit capable of reducing operation sounds without lowering operability and operation feeling. A rotary operation member of the rotary operation unit is supported for rotary operation by a dial base and is formed with a receiving recess. In the receiving recess, a click ball is received in a state being in contact with concave-convex portions formed in the dial base at intervals of a predetermined angle in order to provide a click feeling, and a click spring for urging the click ball is also received. A dial cap is attached to the rotary operation member such as to close an opening face of the receiving recess of the rotary operation member, whereby the receiving recess is tightly closed by the dial base and the dial cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshikazu Asai
  • Patent number: 9241117
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes a plurality of pixels each including a read-out node to which an electric charge generated in a photoelectric conversion unit is transferred, an output unit configured to convert the electric charge transferred to the read-out node into a voltage and output the resultant voltage to a signal line, and a switch including a first node electrically connected to the read-out node. Each switch includes a second node different from the first node, and a particular number of second nodes are electrically connected to a common bypass wiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuichiro Yamashita, Shinichiro Shimizu, Toru Koizumi, Takashi Matsuda
  • Patent number: 9228895
    Abstract: A multi-wavelength optical imaging system and method. In one example, an optical imaging system includes an integrated dewar assembly housing a staring detector that includes a plurality of focal plane array sensors spatially distributed over a common focal plane and aligned relative to one another, each of the plurality of focal plane array sensors being configured for a different waveband. The optical imaging system further includes foreoptics, such as a telescope, optically coupled to the integrated dewar assembly and configured to direct and focus light from an entrance pupil of the optical imaging system into an optical beam incident on at least one of the plurality of focal plane array sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: RAYTHEON COMPANY
    Inventors: Brian K. McComas, Kent P. Pfibsen
  • Patent number: 9172858
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a control unit configured to perform control for selecting settings for an imaging operation of an imaging unit based on surrounding sound obtained by a sound obtaining unit and an image generated by the imaging unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takuya Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 9154702
    Abstract: Since an image projected from a projector has basically not high quality due to degradation of brightness and mixture of outside light, the image shot by the conventional technology includes the projected image with basically not high quality. In order to solve the above deficiency, in an aspect of the present invention provides an image system, where live performance is provided to audience by image projection on the screen, and the image to be shot does not include the projected image with low quality. For example, the image system can later synthesize a high-quality image having the same content as the projected image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Dwango Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinnosuke Iwaki
  • Patent number: 9140795
    Abstract: A demodulation image sensor, such as used in time of flight (TOF) cameras, extracts all storage- and post-processing-related steps from the pixels to another array of storage and processing elements (proxels) on the chip. The pixel array has the task of photo-detection, first processing and intermediate storage to create subframes, while the array of storage and processing elements provides accumulation into frames. Particularly, sampled values of several subframes are summed in a compressed manner. Possible compression is to use exponential function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: MESA Imaging AG
    Inventors: Michael Lehmann, Thierry Oggier, Bernhard Buettgen