Patents by Inventor Naoto Yumiki

Naoto Yumiki 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: 20100066890
    Abstract: A digital camera of the present invention allows a lens unit to be attachable/detachable with respect thereto. The digital camera of the present invention includes a plurality of display portions and a control portion. When a mode for displaying an image on a first display portion among the plurality of display portions is set, the control portion causes the digital camera to come out of the mode and causes the display portion to display the setting information of the digital camera in accordance with an operation of the setting manipulation portion. Further, when a battery cover is opened, the control portion stops a display operation in the display portion. Further, when a voltage of a battery accommodated in a battery accommodating portion becomes lower than a predetermined value, the control portion selects a predetermined display portion to perform a warning display and turns off a power source after an elapse of a predetermined time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi UEDA, Kenichi HONJO, Naoto YUMIKI
  • Publication number: 20100066889
    Abstract: A digital camera of the present invention enables a lens unit to be attachable/detachable with respect thereto. The digital camera of the present invention includes a plurality of display portions, a control portion that causes the plurality of display portions to selectively display the image data generated by the image pickup element or image data obtained by subjecting the image data generated by the image pickup element to predetermined processing as a moving image in real time, and a setting portion capable of switching displays of images with respect to the plurality of display portions. After the control portion causes the lens unit to perform an autofocus operation in accordance with setting of the displays of the images with respect to the plurality of display portions by the setting portion, the control portion switches the displays of the images with respect to the plurality of display portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ueda, Kenichi Honjo, Naoto Yumiki
  • Publication number: 20100066895
    Abstract: A digital camera of the present invention enables a lens unit to be attachable/detachable with respect thereto. The digital camera of the present invention includes a plurality of display portions, a release portion that receives an instruction of a user regarding a start of capturing of an image for recording by the image pickup element, an AF start instruction receiving portion that receives an instruction of the user regarding activation of an autofocus portion in the lens unit, and a control portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi UEDA, Kenichi HONJO, Naoto YUMIKI
  • Publication number: 20100060781
    Abstract: The lens barrel is a lens barrel for forming an optical image of a subject on an imaging element, comprising a first lens unit, a second lens unit, a focus lens unit, a zoom mechanism, and a focus actuator. The focus lens unit is movably supported by the second lens unit in the optical axis direction. The operating force inputted to the zoom control is mechanically transmitted to at least one of the first lens unit and the second lens unit. The focus actuator is fixed to the second lens unit and electrically drives the focus lens unit relative to the second lens unit in the optical axis direction. The second lens unit or the focus lens unit is disposed nearest to the image plane in the optical system including the first lens element, the second lens element, and the focus lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoto Yumiki, Norikazu Katsuyama, Yosuke Yamane
  • Publication number: 20100060777
    Abstract: A lens barrel is a lens barrel that can be mounted to a camera body, including a lens element, a lens support frame, an actuator, and an electrical contact. The lens support frame supports the lens element. The actuator is arranged to drive the lens support frame in an optical direction of the lens element, and includes a drive shaft and a detector configured to detect rotation of the drive shaft. The electrical contact is disposed on the opposite side from the actuator with respect to the lens element when viewed in the optical axis direction parallel to the optical axis of the lens element, and is configured to be electrically connected with the camera body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoto Yumiki
  • Publication number: 20100060995
    Abstract: The lens barrel includes a first lens unit, a second lens unit, and a drive unit. The first lens unit includes a first lens element and a first lens support frame supporting the first lens element. The second lens unit includes a second lens element and a second lens support frame supporting the second lens element. The second lens unit is supported by the first lens unit to be movable in the optical axis direction of the first lens element with respect to the first lens unit. The drive unit is arranged to be used to drive the second lens unit with respect to the first lens unit, and is fixed to the first lens unit. When viewed in the optical axis direction, the drive unit is fixed to the first lens unit so that a first profile line formed by the first lens unit and the drive unit is substantially circular.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoto Yumiki, Hideo Onishi, Yoshiharu Araki, Fumio Muramatsu
  • Publication number: 20100053768
    Abstract: An interchangeable lens unit includes a second lens group unit, a focus lens unit, a fourth lens group unit, a zoom ring unit, a focus motor, and a photosensor. The zoom ring unit is arranged to mechanically transmit operational force inputted to a zoom ring to the second lens group unit and the fourth lens group unit. The focus motor is configured to electrically drive the focus lens unit in the Z axis direction with respect to the second lens group unit. The photosensor is configured to detect whether or not the focus lens unit is disposed at a starting point position with respect to the second lens group unit. The starting point position is disposed within the total movement range E of the focus lens unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoto YUMIKI, Hideo ONISHI, Norikazu KATSUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20100046085
    Abstract: An interchangeable lens unit comprises a second lens group unit, a focus lens unit, a fourth lens group unit, a zoom ring unit, and a focus motor. The zoom ring unit mechanically transmits operational force inputted to a zoom ring to the second lens group unit and the fourth lens group unit. The focus motor electrically drives the focus lens unit in the Z axis direction with respect to the second lens group unit. When the zoom ring is operated in a state in which no power is being supplied to the focus motor, a gap is always ensured in the Z axis direction between the focus lens unit and the second lens group unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoto YUMIKI, Hideo ONISHI, Yoshiharu ARAKI, Fumio MURAMATSU, Masato MURAYAMA
  • Publication number: 20100033587
    Abstract: A camera body includes an imaging unit, a reflecting mirror, a determination unit, and a mirror controller. The imaging unit is configured to convert the optical image into an image signal and acquires an image of the subject. The reflecting mirror has a first state of being in the optical path of the optical system and a second state of being outside the optical path. The mirror controller is configured to retract the reflecting mirror to outside the optical path of the optical system when the reflecting mirror is in the first state of being in the optical path of the optical system and a moving picture photography mode is selected, which is a mode for capturing moving pictures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2009
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: NAOTO YUMIKI
  • Patent number: 7653295
    Abstract: A collapsible lens barrel includes a first holding frame (2) for holding a first lens group (L1), a second holding frame (5) for holding a second lens group (L2) that is disposed on an image plane side with respect to the first lens group (L1), an actuator (6) for moving the second holding frame 5 in an optical axis direction, and a tubular cam frame (17) including a plurality of cam grooves that are formed at substantially equal intervals around a circumferential direction for moving the first holding frame (2) in the optical axis direction. The actuator (6) is attached to a portion in the cam frame (17) where the cam grooves are not formed. The first lens group (L1) is moved using the cam grooves, and the second lens group (L2) is moved using the actuator (6), so that a faster zooming speed and a lower zooming noise can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Naoto Yumiki, Yutaka Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7646421
    Abstract: A digital camera of the present invention includes a microcomputer 110 having a live view mode controlling so that image data generated by a CMOS sensor 133 or image data obtained by subjecting the image data generated by the CMOS sensor 133 to predetermined processing is displayed on a liquid crystal monitor 150 as a moving image in real time, wherein the microcomputer 110 controls so that, when the live view mode is set, the digital camera comes out of the live view mode, and setting information on the digital camera is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 150, in accordance with the manipulation of the manipulation portion 140. Due to this configuration, in a digital camera that includes a movable mirror and is capable of displaying a subject image in a live view through an electronic viewfinder, the operability thereof can be enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ueda, Kenichi Honjo, Naoto Yumiki, Toshio Makabe, Kenji Maeda, Kaoru Mokunaka, Kazuhiko Ishimaru
  • Patent number: 7643738
    Abstract: An imaging device, such as a digital camera, has a mechanism for compensating an image blur caused by hand jiggling and is capable of consecutively shooting, through one operation of a shutter operation section (36), frames of an image in a state where the mechanism (20) is operational and in a state where the mechanism is not operational.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Naoto Yumiki
  • Patent number: 7639300
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a display unit for displaying an image, an imaging optical system, an imaging unit, a posture detector for detecting a posture of the imaging device in shooting, a recording unit for recording a reduced image of a shot image, and posture information on a posture of the imaging device corresponding to the reduced image, an image extracting unit for extracting reduced images including the same posture information among said reduced images recorded on the recording unit, and an image display controller for displaying the reduced images extracted by the image extracting unit on the display unit, wherein the image display controller reconstructs, on the basis of the posture information, a horizontal and vertical direction of the reduced images extracted by the image extracting unit to the posture of the imaging device in shooting, and displays the reduced image being reconstructed on the display unit. Thereby, that makes it possible to display a comfortable reduced image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Naoto Yumiki
  • Publication number: 20090310012
    Abstract: A digital camera of the present invention includes a microcomputer 110 having a live view mode controlling so that image data generated by a CMOS sensor 130 or image data obtained by subjecting the image data generated by the CMOS sensor 130 to predetermined processing is displayed on a liquid crystal monitor 150 as a moving image in real time, wherein when a release button 141 receives an instruction regarding start of an autofocus operation in a live view mode, the microcomputer 110 controls a movable mirror to enter an optical path to measure by an AF sensor 132, and thereafter, allow the movable mirror to retract from the optical path to return the digital camera to the live view mode. Due to this configuration, in a digital camera that includes a movable mirror and is capable of displaying a subject image in a live view through an electronic viewfinder, the operability thereof can be enhanced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Publication date: December 17, 2009
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ueda, Kenichi Honjo, Naoto Yumiki, Toshio Makabe, Kenji Maeda, Kaoru Mokunaka, Kazuhiko Ishimaru
  • Publication number: 20090303374
    Abstract: A digital camera of the present invention includes a microcomputer 110 having a live view mode controlling so that image data generated by a CMOS sensor 133 or image data obtained by subjecting the image data generated by the CMOS sensor 133 to predetermined processing is displayed on a liquid crystal monitor 150 as a moving image in real time, wherein the microcomputer 110 controls so that, when the live view mode is set, the digital camera comes out of the live view mode, and setting information on the digital camera is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 150, in accordance with the manipulation of the manipulation portion 140. Due to this configuration, in a digital camera that includes a movable mirror and is capable of displaying a subject image in a live view through an electronic viewfinder, the operability thereof can be enhanced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2009
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi UEDA, Kenichi HONJO, Naoto YUMIKI, Toshio MAKABE, Kenji MAEDA, Kaoru MOKUNAKA, Kazuhiko ISHIMARU
  • Publication number: 20090268310
    Abstract: A lens position calculator is provided that determines a phase of a driving signal as a reference position of an imaging lens when an output value of a position detection sensor reaches a threshold value. The lens position calculator determines a position obtained by performing addition or subtraction on the reference position read out from a reference position storage as a judgment position, detects an output value of the position detection sensor at a timing in synchronization with the driving signal that drives a driver and at the judgment position, and judges whether the output value of the position detection sensor at the judgment position reaches the threshold value or not, so as to determine the reference position again.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2009
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenichi HONJO, Kouji Shibuno, Takayuki Hayashi, Keiji Sakamoto, Takumi Kuwahara, Hiroyuki Kawahara, Hironori Honsho, Naoto Yumiki, Masato Murayama
  • Publication number: 20090268075
    Abstract: An imaging device that is able to display an image with an aperture value at the time when actually photographing on a liquid crystal display monitor for displaying an image, in a single-lens reflex digital camera is provided. In a depth-of-field preview mode, a quick return mirror (4) is retracted from an optical path and light is incident on an imaging sensor (11). Then, an imaging optical system is controlled to be in an actual aperture state, and by displaying an image data obtained at the imaging sensor (11) on the liquid crystal display monitor (16) for displaying an image, a plurality of images with aperture values at the time of actually photographing, in other words, actual aperture live view images, can be concurrently displayed simultaneously on the liquid crystal display monitor (16) for displaying an image. By doing so, it is possible to easily compare images with different depths of field, and it is possible to simultaneously photograph images with different depths of field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Inventor: Naoto Yumiki
  • Publication number: 20090262207
    Abstract: To improve user-friendliness when checking the depth of field, in a camera system having an aperture value alteration function. A camera system (100) has an imaging optical system (L), an imaging unit (45), an aperture adjustment unit (29), a liquid crystal display monitor (16), and an AGC unit (59) of an analog signal processing unit (51). The imaging optical system (L) forms an optical image of a subject. The imaging unit (45) converts the optical image into an image signal, and obtains an image of the subject. The aperture adjustment unit (29) can adjust the aperture value of the imaging optical system. The liquid crystal display monitor (16) displays the image. The AGC unit (59) adjusts the brightness of the image displayed on the liquid crystal display monitor (16) according to the aperture value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Inventors: Naoto Yumiki, Kaoru Mokunaka
  • Publication number: 20090256951
    Abstract: A digital camera has an optical system, an image capturing unit, an aperture adjuster, a focal point adjuster, and a body microcomputer. The aperture adjuster has an aperture included in the optical system and is capable of adjusting the state of the aperture. The focal point adjuster has a focus lens included in the optical system and is capable adjusting the focal state of the optical system by using the focus lens by contrast detection method. The body microcomputer controls the operation of the aperture adjuster so that the aperture value of the optical system will be at or below a set aperture value before the focal state is adjusted by the focal point adjuster.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2009
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Naoto Yumiki
  • Publication number: 20090237794
    Abstract: A collapsible lens barrel includes a first holding frame (2) for holding a first lens group (L1), a second holding frame (5) for holding a second lens group (L2) that is disposed on an image plane side with respect to the first lens group (L1), an actuator (6) for moving the second holding frame 5 in an optical axis direction, and a tubular cam frame (17) including a plurality of cam grooves that are formed at substantially equal intervals around a circumferential direction for moving the first holding frame (2) in the optical axis direction. The actuator (6) is attached to a portion in the cam frame (17) where the cam grooves are not formed. The first lens group (L1) is moved using the cam grooves, and the second lens group (L2) is moved using the actuator (6), so that a faster zooming speed and a lower zooming noise can be achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoto YUMIKI, Yutaka TAKAHASHI