Patents by Inventor Hiroshi Ootsuka

Hiroshi Ootsuka 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: 20120246880
    Abstract: A tubular shaped cap body for protecting a pen tip, which cap body includes an elastic member which is formed with an attachment hole in its side surface, and a clip member which is provided with a base part and a grip part which is provided at an outside surface of the base part. The clip member is provided with respect to the cap body so that the base part receives a front end of a writing instrument and the grip part extends through the attachment hole to the outside of the cap body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ootsuka, Yuusuke Nakamura
  • Patent number: 7126569
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device which has a liquid crystal display which uses liquid crystal with a memory effect. When a contact action with a screen of the liquid crystal display is made, information displayed thereon is written again thereon. Also, if no changes have been made on the information displayed for a whole day, the same information is automatically written on the liquid crystal display. The display device is attachable to and detachable from a household electrical appliance. The information is about at least one of a calendar, a recipe, a massage, stock, a picture and data reception from outside, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ootsuka, Kiyofumi Hashimoto, Shuichiro Kaneko, Katsuhiko Asai
  • Patent number: 7019737
    Abstract: A display device which is provided with a liquid crystal display which uses reflective type liquid crystal with a memory effect. This display device is used, for example, as a sub display of a personal computer. The liquid crystal display keeps displaying an image after supply of electric power thereto is stopped. When a specified time has passed since completion of writing, supply of electric power at least to a driving section of the liquid crystal display is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Asai, Hiroshi Ootsuka, Kiyofumi Hashimoto, Eiji Yamakawa, Hideo Hotomi
  • Patent number: 6934042
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus can share a function of other apparatuses when it is connected to a network. The image processing apparatus comprises function blocks such as an image reader, an image processor and a printer, interface means connected to the network, and an image bus switcher for switching buses for connecting these elements. The image bus switcher is used to transmit data, whereby an application program of the other apparatus connected to the network can be used, for example. After the image data is processed by using the application program of the other apparatus, the processed data can be also transmitted and printed. When the other apparatus is used, a power is supplied to the necessary function blocks alone, thereby starting these blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Morita, Alan Darby, Tatsuji Nozawa, Hiroshi Ootsuka
  • Publication number: 20030103023
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device which has a liquid crystal display which uses liquid crystal with a memory effect. When a contact action with a screen of the liquid crystal display is made, information displayed thereon is written again thereon. Also, if no changes have been made on the information displayed for a whole day, the same information is automatically written on the liquid crystal display. The display device is attachable to and detachable from a household electrical appliance. The information is about at least one of a calendar, a recipe, a massage, stock, a picture and data reception from outside, etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2000
    Publication date: June 5, 2003
    Inventors: HIROSHI OOTSUKA, KIYOFUMI HASHIMOTO, SHUICHIRO KANEKO, KATSUHIKO ASAI
  • Patent number: 6393216
    Abstract: A camera system includes a camera main body having a photographic device for photographing an image of object to produce image signal and a monitor device separatable from the camera main body. The monitor device is provided with a control portion for controlling the exposure of photographic device in addition to a display portion. The operator can check a photographed image before or after the image is recorded on a film. Also, the monitor device selectively provides a singular display of monitor image for usual shooting and a continuous display of monitor images for serial shooting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ootsuka, Shinichi Maehama, Katsunori Maeda, Shigeto Ohmori
  • Patent number: 6249317
    Abstract: An automatic exposure control apparatus comprises a skin color extracting circuit for extracting a skin-colored portion from an input video signal and a focus condition detecting circuit for detecting a focus condition of the skin-colored portion. Exposure is controlled based on outputs of the two circuits. That is, when a skin-colored portion is extracted and it is detected that the skin-colored portion is in an in-focus condition, exposure is controlled so as to be appropriate with respect to the skin-colored portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuo Hashimoto, Keizou Ochi, Gen Sasaki, Kenji Mizumoto, Hiroaki Kubo, Yoshihiko Azuma, Takehiro Katoh, Hiroshi Ootsuka
  • Patent number: 6215960
    Abstract: A camera wherein the light emitted by a subject, which has passed through a photographic optical system, is formed as an image on an area sensor, and which includes an electronic viewfinder that indicates the image of the subject based on the output from the area sensor and an apparatus that detects image shaking caused by camera shake, based on the output from the area sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Inventors: Masataka Hamada, Eiji Yamakawa, Hiroshi Ootsuka, Hisayuki Masumoto, Takashi Okada
  • Patent number: 6181875
    Abstract: A camera comprises an angular velocity sensor for detecting camera-shake. The angular velocity sensor takes a certain time to be stabilized after its operation is started. When correction of camera-shake is required during the certain period, it is displayed that correction of camera-shake is not possible. As a result, a photographer using the camera with the camera-shake detection sensor refrains from photographing when correction of camera-shake is not possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masataka Hamada, Hisayuki Masumoto, Takashi Okada, Hiroshi Ootsuka
  • Patent number: 6157780
    Abstract: A camera comprises an angular velocity sensor for detecting camera-shake. The angular velocity sensor takes a certain time to be stabilized after its operation is started. When correction of camera-shake is required during the certain period, it is displayed that correction of camera-shake is not possible. As a result, a photographer using the camera with the camera-shake detection sensor refrains from photographing when correction of camera-shake is not possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masataka Hamada, Hisayuki Masumoto, Takashi Okada, Hiroshi Ootsuka, Tougo Teramoto
  • Patent number: 6125249
    Abstract: An image processing unit comprises a memory for storing original image data and a print start time therefor, and a reserve print function of reading the original image data from the memory and printing the same at the print start time. The image processing unit further has a monitor for monitoring consumed times for an interruption copy, paper supply and the like, an operator for inputting print data and a desired print end time, a computing element for operating a required time for a print operation on the basis of the print data, and a setter for setting a print start time for each original on the basis of the operating situation of the image processing unit and the required and desired end times for each original for avoiding overlapping of print operations for respective originals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ootsuka, Tatsuji Nozawa, Yoshiharu Kurozasa, Akinori Yoshida, Kenichi Morita, Haisheng Liang, Jiro Goto
  • Patent number: 6072526
    Abstract: An automatic exposure control apparatus comprises a skin color extracting circuit for extracting a skin-colored portion from an input video signal and a focus condition detecting circuit for detecting a focus condition of the skin-colored portion. Exposure is controlled based on outputs of the two circuits. That is, when a skin-colored portion is extracted and it is detected that the skin-colored portion is in an in-focus condition, exposure is controlled so as to be appropriate with respect to the skin-colored portion. A skin color correction unit can correct colors corresponding to the skin color from the video signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuo Hashimoto, Keizou Ochi, Gen Sasaki, Kenji Mizumoto, Hiroaki Kubo, Yoshihiko Azuma, Takehiro Katoh, Hiroshi Ootsuka
  • Patent number: 6009280
    Abstract: In a flash light amount control device capable of operating according to multiple methods, the flash light control method alternates according to the detected AF mode setting, the camera panning status, or the reliability of the detected object distance. For example, if AF lock is on, control is performed by flash light adjustment, but if AF lock is not on, control is performed by flashmatic. If panning is performed after AF lock, the method of control alternates between flash light adjustment and flashmatic in response to the amount of panning movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Norihiko Akamatsu, Masataka Hamada, Kazuhiko Yukawa, Hiroshi Ootsuka
  • Patent number: 5978601
    Abstract: A camera comprises an angular velocity sensor for detecting camera-shake. The angular velocity sensor takes a certain time to be stabilized after its operation is started. When correction of camera-shake is required during the certain period, it is displayed that correction of camera-shake is not possible.As a result, a photographer using the camera with the camera-shake detection sensor refrains from photographing when correction of camera-shake is not possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masataka Hamada, Hisayuki Masumoto, Takashi Okada, Hiroshi Ootsuka, Tougo Teramoto
  • Patent number: 5963309
    Abstract: A distance measuring system of the active type wherein a distance ranging from a short distance to a great distance can be measured with a high degree of accuracy in accordance with a ratio between outputs of two light receiving elements. The system comprises light emitting means which emits light twice to an object, three or more light receiving elements, and selecting means which selects output signals of different pairs of the light receiving elements when the light emitting means emits light for the first and second times for measurement of distances within short and long distance ranges, respectively. The selected output signals in each pair are compared with each other to take a ratio between them, and distances are calculated based on the ratios thus obtained. Finally, a distance to the object is determined based on the calculated two distances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Motohiro Nakanishi, Hiroshi Ootsuka
  • Patent number: 5933686
    Abstract: An image processing unit comprises a memory for storing original image data and a print start time therefor, and a reserve print function of reading the original image data from the memory and printing the same at the print start time. The image processing unit further has a monitor for monitoring consumed times for an interruption copy, paper supply and the like, an operator for inputting print data and a desired print end time, a computing element for operating a required time for a print operation on the basis of the print data, and a setter for setting a print start time for each original on the basis of the operating situation of the image processing unit and the required and desired end times for each original for avoiding overlapping of print operations for respective originals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1999
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ootsuka, Tatsuji Nozawa, Yoshiharu Kurozasa, Akinori Yoshida, Kenichi Morita, Haisheng Liang, Jiro Goto
  • Patent number: 5907724
    Abstract: In a lens barrel of a zoom lens, a luminous flux is divided or its path is switched so that the same luminous flux is directed to both a taking optical system and a finer optical system. Focusing and camera shake compensation are performed before division of the luminous flux or switching of its path so that images observed through a finder are already in focus and compensated for camera shakes. The lens barrel has multiple movable segments to allow the taking optical system and the finder optical system to be moved out simultaneously. To achieve zooming, a holding member for holding both a focusing lens unit and other lens units is moved so that all these lens units are moved simultaneously. Adjustment of the focusing lens unit, necessitated as a result of zooming, is achieved by moving a part of the focusing lens unit within the holding member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1999
    Assignee: Minolta Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Uno, Hiroyuki Ogura, Toshihiro Hamamura, Hiroshi Ootsuka, Hideki Nagata, Taro Shibuya, Takashi Okada
  • Patent number: 5892991
    Abstract: A camera is provided with a photographing device for setting various photographing conditions which determine a state of a subject image to be obtained as a picture, the photography device including an exposure device having a plurality of selectively settable exposure modes for automatically setting at least one exposure value based on brightness of a subject, a mode selector for selecting one of the plurality of exposure modes, a calculation unit for calculating an amount indicative of the state of the subject image in accordance with the photographing conditions set by the photography device, an estimation unit for estimating visual effects which the subject image provides based on the calculated state amount, and a display device for displaying the visual effect corresponding to the exposure mode selected by the mode selection means in accordance with the estimated visual effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1999
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masataka Hamada, Shigeto Ohmori, Atsuhisa Ohno, Takehiro Katoh, Hiroshi Ootsuka
  • Patent number: 5872643
    Abstract: A film image reproducing apparatus includes an image pick-up device which picks up a film frame image recorded on a film to generate image data; an information reader which reads information about photographing conditions of the film frame image; a reproducing area designator which designates a reproducing area of the film frame image; a measuring device which measures a domestic light condition having to do with the designated reproducing area when the film frame image is picked up; a correcting device which corrects image data corresponding to the designated reproducing area using either the domestic light condition of the designated reproducing area or an undomestic light condition not having to do with the designated reproducing area; and a judging device which judges based on the information which is proper to use for image data correction, the domestic light condition or the undomestic light condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1999
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukari Maeda, Toshiyuki Tanaka, Hiroshi Ootsuka
  • Patent number: RE38361
    Abstract: A camera capable of blurring correction includes an acceleration sensor detecting camera-shake amount, and a blurring correcting device correcting blurring of image on the basis of the sensor output. When a lens of the camera is driven for automatic focusing, the blurring is not corrected using an output of the acceleration sensor. Accordingly, blurring is not wrongly corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masataka Hamada, Hiroshi Ootsuka, Hisayuki Masumoto, Tougo Teramoto