Patents by Inventor Hiroshi Akada

Hiroshi Akada 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: 10547256
    Abstract: A motor driving apparatus includes a motor and a control circuit that controls driving of the motor. The motor includes a rotor having a cylindrical magnet having an outer peripheral surface circumferentially divided and alternately multi-polar magnetized to different poles, a first and second yokes having first and second magnetic pole portions arranged opposed to the outer peripheral surface, a first and second coils energized to excite the first and second magnetic pole portions, respectively. Directions of energizing the first and second coils are switched based on outputs from magnetic sensors that detect a rotational position of the rotor to change excited poles of the first and second magnetic pole portions. The rotor is started from a stopped state, after performing direct current energization to move the rotor to a position dependent on the direct current energization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Akada
  • Publication number: 20190140565
    Abstract: A motor driving apparatus includes a motor and a control circuit that controls driving of the motor. The motor includes a rotor having a cylindrical magnet having an outer peripheral surface circumferentially divided and alternately multi-polar magnetized to different poles, a first and second yokes having first and second magnetic pole portions arranged opposed to the outer peripheral surface, a first and second coils energized to excite the first and second magnetic pole portions, respectively. Directions of energizing the first and second coils are switched based on outputs from magnetic sensors that detect a rotational position of the rotor to change excited poles of the first and second magnetic pole portions. The rotor is started from a stopped state, after performing direct current energization to move the rotor to a position dependent on the direct current energization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Inventor: Hiroshi Akada
  • Patent number: 9204089
    Abstract: A display apparatus includes a display unit configured to display image information, and a plurality of image pickup units configured to be capable of picking up a user who observes image information of the display unit arranged on a rear surface of a display surface of the display unit, wherein the plurality of image pickup units is two-dimensionally arranged, and an array pitch in a vertical direction of the image pickup units is wider than an array pitch in a horizontal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akihiko Nagano, Hiroshi Akada, Chifuyu Tomita
  • Patent number: 8873945
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes a camera body 1 including a monitor unit 11, a lens barrel 2 and a lens body 3 which include an image pickup optical system L, a rotary portion 8 provided between the camera body 1 and the lens body 3, and rotatably supporting the lens body 3 with respect to the camera body 1, absorption portions 12a and 12b attached to the camera body 1, and a cover portion 4 movably connected with respect to the camera body 1 and covering the absorption portions 12a and 12b.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Chifuyu Inagaki, Hiroshi Akada, Makoto Miyawaki
  • Publication number: 20140212126
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes a camera body 1 including a monitor unit 11, a lens barrel 2 and a lens body 3 which include an image pickup optical system L, a rotary portion 8 provided between the camera body 1 and the lens body 3, and rotatably supporting the lens body 3 with respect to the camera body 1, absorption portions 12a and 12b attached to the camera body 1, and a cover portion 4 movably connected with respect to the camera body 1 and covering the absorption portions 12a and 12b.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Chifuyu Inagaki, Hiroshi Akada, Makoto Miyawaki
  • Patent number: 8576504
    Abstract: The motor driving apparatus includes a motor driving a driven member, and a controller performing, from a start of driving of the motor, acceleration drive of the motor on the basis of a predetermined acceleration pattern with open-loop control, and then perform, in response to increase of a driving speed of the motor or the driven member to a predetermined speed, drive of the motor with feedback control. The controller changes the predetermined acceleration pattern and the predetermined speed depending on a magnitude of a load acting on the motor or the driven member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Akada
  • Patent number: 8390689
    Abstract: An optical apparatus is disclosed which can prevent displacement of subject images due to an initializing operation of the image stabilizing unit from being seen by a photographer through a finder. The apparatus comprises an image-stabilizing unit which includes a movable unit movable for image stabilization and balls movable in conjunction with the movement of the movable unit, and a controller which controls operations of the movable unit. The controller causes the movable unit to perform a specific operation for moving the balls to a specific position in response to mounting of the optical apparatus on another optical apparatus, the specific operation being a different operation from an image stabilization operation of the image-stabilizing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Inoue, Masanori Ishikawa, Jun Sugita, Hiroshi Akada, Sawako Ito
  • Patent number: 8184354
    Abstract: A light-amount adjusting apparatus includes a plurality of light-amount adjusting blades that causes a size of a light-passing aperture to change by rotation thereof. Each of the light-amount adjusting blades includes a base portion on which a rotation center portion and a driven portion are formed, and a blade portion that overlaps another light-amount adjusting blade in a light-passing direction so as to form the light-passing aperture. A thickness of the blade portion is thinner than that of the base portion. When the plurality of light-amount adjusting blades is rotated to set the light-passing aperture to be smaller than a full-opened aperture, a thickness of a portion that overlaps an adjacent stop blade is thinner than that of a portion that does not overlap the adjacent stop blade in each of the light-amount adjusting blades. The blades have high dimension accuracy, and deterioration of the optical performance of the apparatus is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masao Mizumaki, Hiroshi Akada
  • Publication number: 20120050897
    Abstract: The motor driving apparatus includes a motor driving a driven member, and a controller performing, from a start of driving of the motor, acceleration drive of the motor on the basis of a predetermined acceleration pattern with open-loop control, and then perform, in response to increase of a driving speed of the motor or the driven member to a predetermined speed, drive of the motor with feedback control. The controller changes the predetermined acceleration pattern and the predetermined speed depending on a magnitude of a load acting on the motor or the driven member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Akada
  • Publication number: 20110234827
    Abstract: An optical apparatus is disclosed which can prevent displacement of subject images due to an initializing operation of the image stabilizing unit from being seen by a photographer through a finder. The apparatus comprises an image-stabilizing unit which includes a movable unit movable for image stabilization and balls movable in conjunction with the movement of the movable unit, and a controller which controls operations of the movable unit. The controller causes the movable unit to perform a specific operation for moving the balls to a specific position in response to mounting of the optical apparatus on another optical apparatus, the specific operation being a different operation from an image stabilization operation of the image-stabilizing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsuhiro INOUE, Masanori ISHIKAWA, Jun SUGITA, Hiroshi AKADA, Sawako ITO
  • Publication number: 20110128604
    Abstract: A light-amount adjusting apparatus includes a plurality of light-amount adjusting blades that causes a size of a light-passing aperture to change by rotation thereof. Each of the light-amount adjusting blades includes a base portion on which a rotation center portion and a driven portion are formed, and a blade portion that overlaps another light-amount adjusting blade in a light-passing direction so as to form the light-passing aperture. A thickness of the blade portion is thinner than that of the base portion. When the plurality of light-amount adjusting blades is rotated to set the light-passing aperture to be smaller than a full-opened aperture, a thickness of a portion that overlaps an adjacent stop blade is thinner than that of a portion that does not overlap the adjacent stop blade in each of the light-amount adjusting blades. The blades have high dimension accuracy, and deterioration of the optical performance of the apparatus is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masao Mizumaki, Hiroshi Akada
  • Patent number: 7907321
    Abstract: A light-amount adjusting apparatus includes a plurality of light-amount adjusting blades that causes a size of a light-passing aperture to change by rotation thereof. Each of the light-amount adjusting blades includes a base portion on which a rotation center portion and a driven portion are formed, and a blade portion that overlaps another light-amount adjusting blade in a light-passing direction so as to form the light-passing aperture. A thickness of the blade portion is thinner than that of the base portion. When the plurality of light-amount adjusting blades is rotated to set the light-passing aperture to be smaller than a full-opened aperture, a thickness of a portion that overlaps an adjacent stop blade is thinner than that of a portion that does not overlap the adjacent stop blade in each of the light-amount adjusting blades. The blades have high dimension accuracy, and deterioration of the optical performance of the apparatus is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masao Mizumaki, Hiroshi Akada
  • Patent number: 7856177
    Abstract: An optical apparatus includes a photographic optical system including an image stabilizing unit supported by a support member via a plurality of elastic members, an actuator configured to drive the image stabilizing unit in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis thereof, a position detection unit configured to detect a position in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the image stabilizing unit, a gravitational direction determination unit configured to determine a gravitational direction based on an output from the position detection unit, a setting unit configured to set a holding position at which the image stabilizing unit is held based on information concerning the gravitational direction output from the gravitational direction determination unit, and a control unit configured to control the actuator based on information concerning the holding position to move the image stabilizing unit to the holding position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masanori Ishikawa, Jun Sugita, Hiroshi Akada, Katsuhiro Inoue, Sawako Ito
  • Patent number: 7830414
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical apparatus having a vibration detector that detects vibration, a holding member that holds an image stabilizing optical system, an elastic member that elastically supports the holding member so that the holding member can shift within a plane perpendicular to an optical axis, a drive unit that generates a drive force resisting against an elastic force of the elastic member, a drive circuit that drives the drive unit, a control circuit that controls the position of the holding member, a temperature sensor that measures temperature, and a viscous damper that damps movement of the holding member in the drive direction. The control circuit changes the image stabilizing drive control characteristic of the drive circuit to compensate for changes in viscosity of the viscous damper with temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Inoue, Masanori Ishikawa, Jun Sugita, Hiroshi Akada, Sawako Ito
  • Patent number: 7586692
    Abstract: The image-pickup apparatus includes a controller that controls the energization of the actuator for driving the aperture stop. The controller receives from a lens apparatus information on a time period for controlling the energization of the actuator, the information being set corresponding to the type of the actuator. During an image-pickup period in a state in which the aperture stop has been driven to a target aperture position, the controller outputs to the lens apparatus an instruction for stopping the energization of the actuator or reducing the energization amount thereof in response to the elapse of the time period. This can reduce power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jun Sugita, Masanori Ishikawa, Hiroshi Akada, Katsuhiro Inoue, Sawako Ito
  • Patent number: 7548257
    Abstract: An optical apparatus is disclosed which can prevent displacement of subject images due to the initializing operation of the image stabilizing unit from being seen by a photographer through a finder. The apparatus comprises an image-stabilizing unit which includes a movable unit movable for image stabilization and balls movable in conjunction with the movement of the movable unit, and a controller which controls operations of the movable unit. The controller causes the movable unit to perform a specific operation for moving the balls to a specific position within a disappearance period of a subject image in a finder for observing the subject, the specific operation being a different operation from an image stabilization operation of the image-stabilizing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Sawako Ito, Masanori Ishikawa, Jun Sugita, Hiroshi Akada, Katsuhiro Inoue
  • Publication number: 20090080875
    Abstract: An optical apparatus includes a photographic optical system including an image stabilizing unit supported by a support member via a plurality of elastic members, an actuator configured to drive the image stabilizing unit in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis thereof, a position detection unit configured to detect a position in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the image stabilizing unit, a gravitational direction determination unit configured to determine a gravitational direction based on an output from the position detection unit, a setting unit configured to set a holding position at which the image stabilizing unit is held based on information concerning the gravitational direction output from the gravitational direction determination unit, and a control unit configured to control the actuator based on information concerning the holding position to move the image stabilizing unit to the holding position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2008
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masanori Ishikawa, Jun Sugita, Hiroshi Akada, Katsuhiro Inoue, Sawako Ito
  • Patent number: 7466910
    Abstract: An optical device includes a base member, an image-stabilizing lens, a lens holding member mounted to the base member and configured to hold the image-stabilizing lens, a driving unit configured to drive the lens holding member in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis, a plurality of elastic members fixed between the base member and the lens holding member, a vibration detecting unit configured to detect vibration, and a control circuit configured to control the position of the lens holding member on the basis of vibration information from the vibration detecting unit. The center position of the driving range of the image-stabilizing lens is controlled on the basis of vibration information obtained during a predetermined period between the time when a first trigger signal is input and the time when a second trigger signal is input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Akada, Masanori Ishikawa, Jun Sugita, Katsuhiro Inoue, Sawako Ito
  • Patent number: 7450153
    Abstract: An image blur correction apparatus which can be reduced in size is disclosed. The image blur correction apparatus has a base member which is moved in a direction of an optical axis with respect to a member extended in the direction of the optical axis and a lens hold member which is moved in a plane substantially orthogonal to the optical axis with respect to the base member. The base member has a concave portion on a periphery thereof through which the member extended in the direction of the optical axis passes and is provided with a support shaft closer to the optical axis than the concave portion, the support shaft supporting the lens hold member and the lens hold member has an engaging portion which engages with the support shaft to allow a movement of the lens hold member in the plane substantially orthogonal to the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Akada
  • Publication number: 20080192326
    Abstract: A light-amount adjusting apparatus includes a plurality of light-amount adjusting blades that causes a size of a light-passing aperture to change by rotation thereof. Each of the light-amount adjusting blades includes a base portion on which a rotation center portion and a driven portion are formed, and a blade portion that overlaps another light-amount adjusting blade in a light-passing direction so as to form the light-passing aperture. A thickness of the blade portion is thinner than that of the base portion. When the plurality of light-amount adjusting blades is rotated to set the light-passing aperture to be smaller than a full-opened aperture, a thickness of a portion that overlaps an adjacent stop blade is thinner than that of a portion that does not overlap the adjacent stop blade in each of the light-amount adjusting blades. The blades have high dimension accuracy, and deterioration of the optical performance of the apparatus is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2008
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masao Mizumaki, Hiroshi Akada