Patents by Inventor Noriyuki Iyama

Noriyuki Iyama 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: 7872811
    Abstract: An imaging optical system consists of, in order from its object side, a front lens group of negative refracting power, and a rear lens group of positive refracting power. A lens component is defined by a lens body having only two surfaces: an object side surface and an image side surface in contact with air on an optical axis. The front lens group comprises, in order from its object side, a first lens component concave on its image side and having negative refracting power, and a second lens component concave on its image side and having negative refracting power. The rear lens group comprises, in order from its object side, a third lens component convex on its object side and having positive refracting power, and a fourth lens component having positive refracting power. The sum of the total number of lens components in the front lens group and the total number of lens components in the rear lens group is 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Olympus Imaging Corp.
    Inventor: Noriyuki Iyama
  • Patent number: 7848575
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus has the function of an optical zoom which optically converts the magnification of an image and the function of an electronic zoom which changes the size of an image by electrical signal processing. The function of the electronic zoom at least operates when the optical zoom is not set at the telephoto end. A total magnification is determined by changing magnification by the optical zoom and changing magnification by the electronic zoom. A pixel count s1 of an electronic imaging device, a pixel count s2 of a rectangle including the pixels on an imaging device which are used by the electronic zoom, and a pixel count s3 of an output satisfy s1?s2>s3 or s1>s2?s3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Watanabe, Hiroyuki Minakata, Shinichi Mihara, Fumiyuki Shiratani, Noriyuki Iyama
  • Patent number: 7787029
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus comprises an optical magnification changing mechanism which optically changes a magnification of an image, and an electronic magnification changing mechanism which reduces or expands a magnification with respect to image data by signal processing, the imaging apparatus providing a magnification-changed image according to a predetermined magnification based on the optical magnification changing mechanism and the electronic magnification changing mechanism. The optical magnification changing mechanism has at least two magnifications W and T (W<T) which are discrete each other, and has a switching mechanism which, when a predetermined magnification M (W<M<T) has been set, switches an image obtained by the magnification W and an expanding conversion using the electronic magnification changing mechanism and an image obtained by the magnification T and a reducing conversion using the electronic magnification changing mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Watanabe, Fumiyuki Shiratani, Noriyuki Iyama, Shinichi Mihara, Hiroyuki Minakata
  • 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
  • Patent number: 7760444
    Abstract: An imaging optical system includes in order from an object side thereof: a front lens unit having a negative refracting power, an aperture stop, and a rear lens unit having a positive refracting power. The front lens unit includes in order from the object side, a first lens having a negative refracting power. The rear lens unit includes in order from the object side, a second lens which is a positive lens, a third lens which is a negative lens, and a fourth lens which is a positive lens. The imaging optical system satisfies conditional expressions (1) and (2): 1.6<|fG1|/FA<5 . . . (1); 1.2<fG2/FA<5 . . . (2); where FA denotes a focal length of the overall imaging optical system, fG1 denotes a focal length of the front lens unit, and fG2 denotes a focal length of the rear lens unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Olympus Imaging Corp.
    Inventor: Noriyuki Iyama
  • Publication number: 20100103534
    Abstract: An imaging optical system consists of, in order from its object side, a front lens group of negative refracting power, and a rear lens group of positive refracting power. A lens component is defined by a lens body having only two surfaces: an object side surface and an image side surface in contact with air on an optical axis. The front lens group comprises, in order from its object side, a first lens component concave on its image side and having negative refracting power, and a second lens component concave on its image side and having negative refracting power. The rear lens group comprises, in order from its object side, a third lens component convex on its object side and having positive refracting power, and a fourth lens component having positive refracting power. The sum of the total number of lens components in the front lens group and the total number of lens components in the rear lens group is 4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2009
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Inventor: Noriyuki Iyama
  • Patent number: 7697220
    Abstract: An image forming optical system comprises, in order from an object side, a front lens group having negative refracting power, and a rear lens group having positive refracting power, wherein said front group comprises, in order from the object side, a first lens element having the negative refracting power, and a second lens element of a meniscus form having a convex surface directed toward an image side; wherein said first lens element has an aspherical surface that is a concave surface directed toward the object side in the vicinity of the optical axis, and negative refracting power at a position on the aspherical surface becomes weak as a distance between the position and the optical axis becomes large, and a surface directed toward the image side that is concave at least in the vicinity of the optical axis; and further the following conditions (1) and (2) are satisfied: 1.0<|fG1|/FA<10??(1) 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Olympus Imaging Corp.
    Inventor: Noriyuki Iyama
  • Patent number: 7580622
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus comprises an optical magnification changing mechanism which optically changes a magnification of an image, and an electronic magnification change mechanism which reduces or expands a magnification with respect to image data by signal processing. The optical magnification changing mechanism is configured so that a magnification is discrete and a focal position changes together with a focal distance. The electronic magnification change mechanism carries out an interpolation process such that the number of pixels is increased with respect to a predetermined region of read image data during an expanding process, and carried out a process for discretely sampling a wide region as compared with a readout region obtained by the sampling provided when no magnification conversion is made, during a reducing process, thereby offsetting a change of the focal position in the optical magnification changing mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Watanabe, Fumiyuki Shiratani, Noriyuki Iyama, Shinichi Mihara, Hiroyuki Minakata
  • Publication number: 20090141368
    Abstract: An image forming optical system comprises, in order from an object side, a front lens group having negative refracting power, and a rear lens group having positive refracting power, wherein said front group comprises, in order from the object side, a first lens element having the negative refracting power, and a second lens element of a meniscus form having a convex surface directed toward an image side; wherein said first lens element has an aspherical surface that is a concave surface directed toward the object side in the vicinity of the optical axis, and negative refracting power at a position on the aspherical surface becomes weak as a distance between the position and the optical axis becomes large, and a surface directed toward the image side that is concave at least in the vicinity of the optical axis; and further the following conditions (1) and (2) are satisfied: 1.0<|fG1|/FA<10 ??(1) 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Inventor: Noriyuki Iyama
  • Publication number: 20090052053
    Abstract: An imaging optical system includes in order from an object side thereof a front lens unit having a negative refracting power, an aperture stop, and a rear lens unit having a positive refracting power, and the front lens unit having a negative refracting power includes in order from the object side, a first lens having a negative refracting power, and the rear lens unit having a positive refracting power includes in order from the object side, a second lens which is a positive lens, a third lens which is a negative lens, and a fourth lens which is a positive lens, and the imaging optical system satisfies the following conditional expressions (1) and (2) 1.6<|fG1|/FA<5??(1) 1.2<fG2/FA<5??(2) where, FA denotes a focal length of the overall imaging optical system, fG1 denotes a focal length of the front lens unit having a negative refracting power, and fG2 denotes a focal length of the rear lens unit having a positive refracting power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Publication date: February 26, 2009
    Inventor: Noriyuki Iyama
  • Publication number: 20080285119
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus comprises an optical system including a plurality of optical elements having finite refractive power and an electronic imaging device disposed at an image side of the optical system. At least one of the plurality of optical elements is made of resin, and an infrared-cut coating is applied to at least one face of the optical element that is made of resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Inventors: Noriyuki Iyama, Kazuyuki Hosokawa, Ken Kawamata, Nobuyoshi Toyohara, Joji Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 7411729
    Abstract: An optical system includes a plurality of optical elements having finite refractive power and an electronic imaging device disposed at an image side of the optical system. At least one of the plurality of optical elements is made of resin, and an infrared-cut coating is applied to at least one face of the optical element that is made of resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Noriyuki Iyama, Kazuyuki Hosokawa, Ken Kawamata, Nobuyoshi Toyohara, Joji Sakamoto
  • Publication number: 20060291061
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus comprises an optical system including a plurality of optical elements having finite refractive power and an electronic imaging device disposed at an image side of the optical system. At least one of the plurality of optical elements is made of resin, and an infrared-cut coating is applied to at least one face of the optical element that is made of resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2005
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Inventors: Noriyuki Iyama, Kazuyuki Hosokawa, Ken Kawamata, Nobuyoshi Toyohara, Joji Sakamoto
  • Publication number: 20060262974
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus comprises an optical magnification changing mechanism which optically changes a magnification of an image, and an electronic magnification changing mechanism which reduces or expands a magnification with respect to image data by signal processing, the imaging apparatus providing a magnification-changed image according to a predetermined magnification based on the optical magnification changing mechanism and the electronic magnification changing mechanism. The optical magnification changing mechanism has at least two magnifications W and T (W<T) which are discrete each other, and has a switching mechanism which, when a predetermined magnification M (W<M<T) has been set, switches an image obtained by the magnification W and an expanding conversion using the electronic magnification changing mechanism and an image obtained by the magnification T and a reducing conversion using the electronic magnification changing mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2005
    Publication date: November 23, 2006
    Applicant: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Watanabe, Fumiyuki Shiratani, Noriyuki Iyama, Shinichi Mihara, Hiroyuki Minakata
  • Patent number: 7136230
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic image pickup system that enables a wide image-pickup, and ensures that even when an image is printed, sufficient image quality and clearness are obtained from the center to as far as the margin of the image and the image of a subject is depicted with a sense of extension. The electronic image pickup system comprises an image-formation optical system 10 for forming an image of a subject and an electronic image pickup device 20 located on an image side of the image-formation optical system for obtaining image information on the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Miyauchi, Noriyuki Iyama, Yuko Kobayashi, Katsuhiro Takada, Takanori Yamanashi
  • Publication number: 20060221213
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus has the function of an optical zoom which optically converts the magnification of an image and the function of an electronic zoom which changes the size of an image by electrical signal processing. The function of the electronic zoom at least operates when the optical zoom is not set at the telephoto end. A total magnification is determined by changing magnification by the optical zoom and changing magnification by the electronic zoom. A pixel count s1 of an electronic imaging device, a pixel count s2 of a rectangle including the pixels on an imaging device which are used by the electronic zoom, and a pixel count s3 of an output satisfy s1?s2>s3 or s1>s2?s3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2005
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Applicant: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Watanabe, Hiroyuki Minakata, Shinichi Mihara, Fumiyuki Shiratani, Noriyuki Iyama
  • Patent number: 7116487
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic image pickup system that enables a wide image-pickup, and ensures that even when an image is printed, sufficient image quality and clearness are obtained from the center to as far as the margin of the image and the image of a subject is depicted with a sense of extension. The electronic image pickup system comprises an image-formation optical system 10 for forming an image of a subject and an electronic image pickup device 20 located on an image side of the image-formation optical system for obtaining image information on the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Miyauchi, Noriyuki Iyama, Yuko Kobayashi, Katsuhiro Takada, Takanori Yamanashi
  • 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: 20060158741
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic image pickup system that enables a wide image-pickup, and ensures that even when an image is printed, sufficient image quality and clearness are obtained from the center to as far as the margin of the image and the image of a subject is depicted with a sense of extension. The electronic image pickup system comprises an image-formation optical system 10 for forming an image of a subject and an electronic image pickup device 20 located on an image side of the image-formation optical system for obtaining image information on the image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2006
    Publication date: July 20, 2006
    Inventors: Yuji Miyauchi, Noriyuki Iyama, Yuko Kobayashi, Katsuhiro Takada, Takanori Yamanashi
  • Publication number: 20060126081
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus has an imaging element which converts an optically formed image to an electrical signal by photoelectric conversion and acquires image data. The imaging apparatus comprises an optical magnification changing mechanism which optically changes a magnification of an image, and an electronic magnification change mechanism which reduces or expands a magnification with respect to image data by signal processing, and provides a magnification-changed image according to a predetermined magnification based on the optical magnification changing mechanism and the electronic magnification change mechanism. The optical magnification changing mechanism is configured so that a magnification is discrete and a focal position changes together with a focal distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2005
    Publication date: June 15, 2006
    Applicant: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Watanabe, Fumiyuki Shiratani, Noriyuki Iyama, Shinichi Mihara, Hiroyuki Minakata