Patents by Inventor Ayami Imamura

Ayami Imamura 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).

  • Publication number: 20110075270
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic image pickup system whose depth dimension is extremely reduced, taking advantage of an optical system type that can overcome conditions imposed on the movement, of a zooming movable lens group while high specifications and performance are kept. The electronic image pickup system comprises an optical path-bending zoom optical system comprising, in order from its object side, a 1-1st lens group G1-1 comprising a negative lens group and a reflecting optical element P for bending an optical path, a 1-2nd lens group G1-2 comprising one positive lens and a second lens group G2 having positive refracting power. For zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the second lens group G2 moves only toward the object side. The electronic image pickup system also comprises an electronic image pickup device I located on the image side of the zoom optical system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Inventors: Shinichi MIHARA, Hirokazu Konishi, Toyoharu Hanzawa, Masahito Watanabe, Atsujiro Ishii, Tetsuhide Takeyama, Ayami Imamura
  • Patent number: 7872806
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic image pickup system whose depth dimension is extremely reduced, taking advantage of an optical system type that can overcome conditions imposed on the movement of a zooming movable lens group while high specifications and performance are kept. The electronic image pickup system comprises an optical path-bending zoom optical system comprising, in order from its object side, a 1-1st lens group G1-1 comprising a negative lens group and a reflecting optical element P for bending an optical path, a 1-2nd lens group G1-2 comprising one positive lens and a second lens group G2 having positive refracting power. For zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the second lens group G2 moves only toward the object side. The electronic image pickup system also comprises an electronic image pickup device I located on the image side of the zoom optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Mihara, Hirokazu Konishi, Toyoharu Hanzawa, Masahito Watanabe, Atsujiro Ishii, Tetsuhide Takeyama, Ayami Imamura
  • Patent number: 7768716
    Abstract: A zoom optical system that comprising: a first lens unit having a negative refractive power; a second lens unit having a positive refractive power; and a third lens unit having a positive refractive power which are arranged in order from an object side, a space between the lens units being changed to perform variation of magnification, the first lens unit includes a negative lens, the second lens unit includes a positive lens and a negative lens in order from the object side, the third lens unit includes a positive lens, and an electronic equipment provided with the zoom optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Yuko Kobayashi, Noriyuki Iyama, Ayami Imamura
  • Publication number: 20100149652
    Abstract: A zoom lens is provided with, in order from the object side, at least, a positive first group with a diffraction-type optical element, a positive second group, and a negative third group. A space between the first and second groups and a space between the second and third groups are increased in changing a magnification from the wide-angle end position to the telephoto end position, and the third group is fixed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Inventors: Ayami Imamura, Hisashi Goto
  • Publication number: 20100149404
    Abstract: An image forming optical system characterized by comprising a positive first lens group, a negative second lens group, and third and subsequent lens groups having a positive composite refracting power, wherein the first lens group is composed of a cemented lens made up of one positive lens and one negative lens arranged in order from the object side, and the image forming optical system satisfies the following conditional expressions (1-1) and (2-1): 0.05<T1g/Flt<0.10??(1-1) 0.50<?gF<0.75??(2-1) where T1g is the thickness of the first lens group on the optical axis, Flt is the focal length of the entire image forming optical system at the telephoto end, and ?gF is the partial dispersion ratio (ng1?nF1)/(nF1?nC1) of the negative lens, where nd1, nC1, nF1, and ng1 are refractive indices of the negative lens respectively for the d-line, C-line, F-line, and g-line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Inventors: Ayami Imamura, Keigo Matsuo
  • Publication number: 20090040365
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic camera or other imaging system that is less susceptible to shake, makes an optical system less susceptible to decentration by distortion of a body itself, and enables taking without locating any button on a side face. The imaging system 10 comprises an image pickup optical system, an image pickup device and a shutter. Shutter release takes place in response to a detection signal from a microphone 13 for detecting a sound wave, or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Inventor: Ayami Imamura
  • Publication number: 20090015942
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic image pickup system whose depth dimension is extremely reduced, taking advantage of an optical system type that can overcome conditions imposed on the movement of a zooming movable lens group while high specifications and performance are kept. The electronic image pickup system comprises an optical path-bending zoom optical system comprising, in order from its object side, a 1-1st lens group G1-1 comprising a negative lens group and a reflecting optical element P for bending an optical path, a 1-2nd lens group G1-2 comprising one positive lens and a second lens group G2 having positive refracting power. For zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the second lens group G2 moves only toward the object side. The electronic image pickup system also comprises an electronic image pickup device I located on the image side of the zoom optical system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2008
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Inventors: Shinichi Mihara, Hirokazu Konishi, Toyoharu Hanzawa, Masahito Watanabe, Atsujiro Ishii, Tetsuhide Takeyama, Ayami Imamura
  • Patent number: 7436599
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic image pickup system whose depth dimension is extremely reduced, taking advantage of an optical system type that can overcome conditions imposed on the movement of a zooming movable lens group while high specifications and performance are kept. The electronic image pickup system comprises an optical path-bending zoom optical system comprising, in order from its object side, a 1-1st lens group G1-1 comprising a negative lens group and a reflecting optical element P for bending an optical path, a 1-2nd lens group G1-2 comprising one positive lens and a second lens group G2 having positive refracting power. For zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the second lens group G2 moves only toward the object side. The electronic image pickup system also comprises an electronic image pickup device I located on the image side of the zoom optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Mihara, Hirokazu Konishi, Toyoharu Hanzawa, Masahito Watanabe, Atsujiro Ishii, Tetsuhide Takeyama, Ayami Imamura
  • Patent number: 7233448
    Abstract: The invention relates to a zoom optical system that can offer an effective tradeoff between size reductions and cost reductions and electronic equipment incorporating it. The zoom optical system comprises, in order from its object side, a first lens group G1 having negative refracting power, a second lens group G2 having positive refracting power, a third lens group G3 having negative refracting power and a fourth lens group G4 having positive refracting power. The second lens group G2 consists of one positive lens. The positive lens satisfies a condition regarding the temperature coefficient of refractive index.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Ayami Imamura
  • Patent number: 7177094
    Abstract: The invention relates to a zoom lens that has high optical performance specifications such as high zoom ratios, wide angles of view, reduced F-numbers and limited aberrations, and enables an optical path to be easily bent. The zoom lens comprises a moving lens group B(G2) that has positive refracting power and moves only toward the object side upon zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, and a lens group A(G1) remaining fixed during zooming, which is located on the object side of the zoom lens with respect to the moving lens group B and has negative refracting power. The moving lens group B is composed of, in order from its object side, a positive lens element, a positive lens element and a negative lens element, three lens elements in all.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Mihara, Ayami Imamura
  • Patent number: 7113345
    Abstract: A zoom lens with high optical specification performances and an incorporated electronic imaging system that is much slimmer in its depth direction, albeit having that zoom lens mounted thereon includes a lens group G1 located nearest to the object side, having a reflecting surface M for bending an optical path. The zoom lens satisfies two conditions with respect to a length d as measured along the optical path from the apex of the surface nearest to the object side in lens group G1 to reflecting surface M and a dimension a of the outside shape of a positive lens, found first as viewed along the optical path from the reflecting surface M toward an image side of the zoom lens, in a direction parallel with an optical axis on an object side of the zoom lens with respect to the position where the optical path is bent, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Mihara, Ayami Imamura
  • Publication number: 20060187323
    Abstract: A zoom optical system that comprising: a first lens unit having a negative refractive power; a second lens unit having a positive refractive power; and a third lens unit having a positive refractive power which are arranged in order from an object side, a space between the lens units being changed to perform variation of magnification, the first lens unit includes a negative lens, the second lens unit includes a positive lens and a negative lens in order from the object side, the third lens unit includes a positive lens, and an electronic equipment provided with the zoom optical system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Publication date: August 24, 2006
    Inventors: Yuko Kobayashi, Noriyuki Iyama, Ayami Imamura
  • Publication number: 20060072211
    Abstract: The invention relates to a zoom optical system that can offer an effective tradeoff between size reductions and cost reductions and electronic equipment incorporating it. The zoom optical system comprises, in order from its object side, a first lens group G1 having negative refracting power, a second lens group G2 having positive refracting power, a third lens group G3 having negative refracting power and a fourth lens group G4 having positive refracting power. The second lens group G2 consists of one positive lens. The positive lens satisfies a condition regarding the temperature coefficient of refractive index.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2005
    Publication date: April 6, 2006
    Applicant: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Ayami Imamura
  • Patent number: 6995922
    Abstract: An optical apparatus is provided with a zoom optical system. The zoom optical system includes a lens unit located at the most object-side position and a moving lens unit with positive refracting power, located on the image side of the lens unit. The lens unit includes a single positive lens and the moving lens unit is simply moved toward the object side when the magnification of the zoom lens is changed in the range from a wide-angle position to a telephoto position so as to satisfy the following condition: 0.8<y07/(fw·tan ?07w)<0.96 where fw is the focal length of the entire system of the zoom lens at the wide-angle position, y07 is an image height expressed by 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Mihara, Ayami Imamura
  • Publication number: 20060002694
    Abstract: The invention provides a zoom lens that has high optical specification performances such as high zoom ratios, small F-numbers and wide angles of view, and an electronic imaging system that is much more slimmed down in its depth direction, albeit having that zoom lens mounted thereon. The zoom lens comprises a lens group G1 located nearest to the object side, wherein there is located a reflecting surface M for bending an optical path. The zoom lens satisfies conditions (1) and (2) with respect to a length d as measured along the optical path from the apex of the surface nearest to the object side in the lens group G1 to the reflecting surface M and a dimension a of the outside shape of a positive lens—which is found first as viewed along the optical path from the reflecting surface M toward an image side of the zoom lens—in a direction parallel with an optical axis portion on an object side of the zoom lens with respect to the position where the optical path is bent, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2004
    Publication date: January 5, 2006
    Inventors: Shinichi Mihara, Ayami Imamura
  • Publication number: 20050168579
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic camera or other imaging system that is less susceptible to shake, makes an optical system less susceptible to decentration by distortion of a body itself, and enables taking without locating any button on a side face. The imaging system 10 comprises an image pickup optical system, an image pickup device and a shutter. Shutter release takes place in response to a detection signal from a microphone 13 for detecting a sound wave, or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2004
    Publication date: August 4, 2005
    Inventor: Ayami Imamura
  • Publication number: 20040201902
    Abstract: An optical apparatus is provided with a zoom optical system. The zoom optical system includes a lens unit located at the most object-side position and a moving lens unit with positive refracting power, located on the image side of the lens unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2004
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Inventors: Shinichi Mihara, Ayami Imamura
  • Publication number: 20040196574
    Abstract: The invention relates to an image-formation lens system for reading images, etc., which has an image-formation magnification of less than 1×, comprises a reduced number of lenses, has a short length and compactness, and is fabricated with improved image quality yet at low cost. The image-formation lens system of the four-unit type comprises, in order from its object side toward its image side, a first lens L1 having positive power, a second lens L2 having positive power, a third lens L3 having negative lens and a fourth lens L4 having positive power. The image-formation lens system satisfies conditions (1) and (3) with respect to the Abbe numbers of L1 and L3 and conditions (2) and (4) with respect to the refractive indices of L2 and L4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2003
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Applicant: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Noriko Tanaka, Ayami Imamura
  • Publication number: 20030206352
    Abstract: The invention relates to a zoom lens that has high optical performance specifications such as high zoom ratios, wide angles of view, reduced F-numbers and limited aberrations, and enables an optical path to be easily bent. The zoom lens comprises a moving lens group B(G2) that has positive refracting power and moves only toward the object side upon zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, and a lens group A(G1) remaining fixed during zooming, which is located on the object side of the zoom lens with respect to the moving lens group B and has negative refracting power. The moving lens group B is composed of, in order from its object side, a positive lens element, a positive lens element and a negative lens element, three lens elements in all.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2003
    Publication date: November 6, 2003
    Applicant: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Mihara, Ayami Imamura
  • Publication number: 20030160902
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic image pickup system whose depth dimension is extremely reduced, taking advantage of an optical system type that can overcome conditions imposed on the movement of a zooming movable lens group while high specifications and performance are kept. The electronic image pickup system comprises an optical path-bending zoom optical system comprising, in order from its object side, a 1-1st lens group G1-1 comprising a negative lens group and a reflecting optical element P for bending an optical path, a 1-2nd lens group G1-2 comprising one positive lens and a second lens group G2 having positive refracting power. For zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the second lens group G2 moves only toward the object side. The electronic image pickup system also comprises an electronic image pickup device I located on the image side of the zoom optical system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2002
    Publication date: August 28, 2003
    Inventors: Shinichi Mihara, Hirokazu Konishi, Toyoharu Hanzawa, Masahito Watanabe, Atsujiro Ishii, Tetsuhide Takeyama, Ayami Imamura