Patents by Inventor Shigeru Irisawa

Shigeru Irisawa 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: 8780217
    Abstract: A shake correcting system includes an optical imaging system, an image sensor, a movable unit comprising a movable frame in which the image sensor is fixed and a rotation restricting element, a base movably supporting the movable unit in a predetermined plane substantially orthogonal to an optical axis of the optical imaging system, a drive mechanism driving the movable unit relative to the base in directions vertical and orthogonal to the optical axis, a blur correcting function to correct blurs in a subject image due to shakes of the shake correcting system, a rotation restricting mechanism preventing rotation of the movable frame around the optical axis with the rotation restricting element, and a slide mechanism allowing the movable unit to be freely movable in the predetermined plane, and comprising a magnet, a magnetic plate attracted to the magnet, a spherical element supported between the magnetic plate and the magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Irisawa, Takehide Ohno, Koichi Muramatsu, Takashi Ando, Keiji Ohkubo
  • Patent number: 8179447
    Abstract: The present invention aims to provide an imaging apparatus with blur correction function in which a retention lever to mechanically retain an image sensor requires a minimum moving space and the thickness of a lens barrel can be reduced in optical axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Irisawa, Yohsuke Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20120038784
    Abstract: A shake correcting system includes an optical imaging system, an image sensor, a movable unit comprising a movable frame in which the image sensor is fixed and a rotation restricting element, a base movably supporting the movable unit in a predetermined plane substantially orthogonal to an optical axis of the optical imaging system, a drive mechanism driving the movable unit relative to the base in directions vertical and orthogonal to the optical axis, a blur correcting function to correct blurs in a subject image due to shakes of the shake correcting system, a rotation restricting mechanism preventing rotation of the movable frame around the optical axis with the rotation restricting element, and a slide mechanism allowing the movable unit to be freely movable in the predetermined plane, and comprising a magnet, a magnetic plate attracted to the magnet, a spherical element supported between the magnetic plate and the magnet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Inventors: Shigeru Irisawa, Takehide Ohno, Koichi Muramatsu, Takashi Ando, Keiji Ohkubo
  • Publication number: 20100091122
    Abstract: The present invention aims to provide an imaging apparatus with blur correction function in which a retention lever to mechanically retain an image sensor requires a minimum moving space and the thickness of a lens barrel can be reduced in optical axis direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Inventors: Shigeru Irisawa, Yohsuke Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7697033
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus, including an image pick up device capable of moving in a transverse direction to a photographing optical axis, a drive circuit configured to prevent an image on the image pick up device from blurring or reduce the image blur by moving the image pick up device based on an amount of the image blur, a position detection device configured to detect a position of the image pick up device, a storing device configured to store reference positional information showing that the image pick up device is in the reference position based on an output of the position detection device, the position of the image pick up device being detected based on the reference positional information stored in the storing device when the image pick up device is driven by the drive circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Serikawa, Shigeru Irisawa
  • Patent number: 7683939
    Abstract: The image input unit comprises a pixel shift evaluation value and reliability calculating section that calculates a pixel shift evaluation value based on image data for a plurality of images photographed before and after an image sensing device is displaced for a predetermined amount. Moreover, a system controller judges whether pixel shift photography has been normally performed or not based on the pixel shift evaluation value, and displays the judgment result on a display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Shinohara, Shigeru Irisawa, Masami Nasu, Atsushi Satoh
  • Patent number: 7643750
    Abstract: A photographing apparatus which performs an image-blur suppression properly even through a computation device disposed in a main body of the photographing apparatus and a photographing element movable along an XY plane are electrically connected is provided according to the present invention. The image-blur suppression mechanism comprises a flexible base plate 20 including a second linear part 210 and a fourth linear part 212 which are plastically deformed along Z axial direction, meeting such a condition that an intersection line between a plane containing the second linear part 210 and the XY plane and an intersection line between a plane containing the fourth linear part 212 and the XY plane are intersected with XY axes, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Irisawa, Atsushi Sato, Takehide Ohno, Koichi Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 7433137
    Abstract: A lens barrel includes a) a plurality of lens groups each having at least one lens, b) a plurality of lens retaining frames, including a retractable lens retaining frame, c) lens retaining frame driving devices, d) a main-guide shaft member in parallel to the optical axis to support the retractable lens retaining frame rotatably in longitudinal and circumferential directions of the main-guide shaft member, and e) a sub-guide shaft member to guide the retractable lens retaining frame along the optical axis and to allow the retractable lens retaining frame to be retracted toward the retracted position at a retracting point on the main-guide shaft member and to guide the retractable lens retaining frame on the main-guide shaft member along the optical axis at other than the retracting point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeru Irisawa
  • Publication number: 20080043287
    Abstract: The image input unit comprises a pixel shift evaluation value and reliability calculating section that calculates a pixel shift evaluation value based on image data for a plurality of images photographed before and after an image sensing device is displaced for a predetermined amount. Moreover, a system controller judges whether pixel shift photography has been normally performed or not based on the pixel shift evaluation value, and displays the judgment result on a display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2007
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Inventors: Junichi Shinohara, Shigeru Irisawa, Masami Nasu, Atsushi Satoh
  • Patent number: 7286164
    Abstract: The image input unit comprises a pixel shift evaluation value and reliability calculating section that calculates a pixel shift evaluation value based on image data for a plurality of images photographed before and after an image sensing device is displaced for a predetermined amount. Moreover, a system controller judges whether pixel shift photography has been normally performed or not based on the pixel shift evaluation value, and displays the judgment result on a display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Shinohara, Shigeru Irisawa, Masami Nasu, Atsushi Satoh
  • Publication number: 20070154195
    Abstract: A photographing apparatus which performs an image-blur suppression properly even through a computation device disposed in a main body of the photographing apparatus and a photographing element movable along an XY plane are electrically connected is provided according to the present invention. The image-blur suppression mechanism comprises a flexible base plate 20 including a second linear part 210 and a fourth linear part 212 which are plastically deformed along Z axial direction, meeting such a condition that an intersection line between a plane containing the second linear part 210 and the XY plane and an intersection line between a plane containing the fourth linear part 212 and the XY plane are intersected with XY axes, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2006
    Publication date: July 5, 2007
    Inventors: Shigeru Irisawa, Atsushi Sato, Takehide Ohno, Koichi Muramatsu
  • Publication number: 20070091181
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus, including an image pick up device capable of moving in a transverse direction to a photographing optical axis, a drive circuit configured to prevent an image on the image pick up device from blurring or reduce the image blur by moving the image pick up device based on an amount of the image blur, a position detection device configured to detect a position of the image pick up device, a storing device configured to store reference positional information showing that the image pick up device is in the reference position based on an output of the position detection device, the position of the image pick up device being detected based on the reference positional information stored in the storing device when the image pick up device is driven by the drive circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2006
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Inventors: Yoshio Serikawa, Shigeru Irisawa
  • Publication number: 20070035857
    Abstract: A lens barrel includes a) a plurality of lens groups each having at least one lens, b) a plurality of lens retaining frames, including a retractable lens retaining frame, c) lens retaining frame driving devices, d) a main-guide shaft member in parallel to the optical axis to support the retractable lens retaining frame rotatably in longitudinal and circumferential directions of the main-guide shaft member, and e) a sub-guide shaft member to guide the retractable lens retaining frame along the optical axis and to allow the retractable lens retaining frame to be retracted toward the retracted position at a retracting point on the main-guide shaft member and to guide the retractable lens retaining frame on the main-guide shaft member along the optical axis at other than the retracting point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2006
    Publication date: February 15, 2007
    Inventor: Shigeru Irisawa
  • Patent number: 7133224
    Abstract: A lens barrel includes a) a plurality of lens groups each having at least one lens, b) a plurality of lens retaining frames, including a retractable lens retaining frame, c) lens retaining frame driving devices, d) a main-guide shaft member in parallel to the optical axis to support the retractable lens retaining frame rotatably in longitudinal and circumferential directions of the main-guide shaft member, and e) a sub-guide shaft member to guide the retractable lens retaining frame along the optical axis and to allow the retractable lens retaining frame to be retracted toward the retracted position at a retracting point on the main-guide shaft member and to guide the retractable lens retaining frame on the main-guide shaft member along the optical axis at other than the retracting point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeru Irisawa
  • Publication number: 20060203357
    Abstract: A lens barrel includes a) a plurality of lens groups each having at least one lens, b) a plurality of lens retaining frames, including a retractable lens retaining frame, c) lens retaining frame driving devices, d) a main-guide shaft member in parallel to the optical axis to support the retractable lens retaining frame rotatably in longitudinal and circumferential directions of the main-guide shaft member, and e) a sub-guide shaft member to guide the retractable lens retaining frame along the optical axis and to allow the retractable lens retaining frame to be retracted toward the retracted position at a retracting point on the main-guide shaft member and to guide the retractable lens retaining frame on the main-guide shaft member along the optical axis at other than the retracting point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2006
    Publication date: September 14, 2006
    Inventor: Shigeru Irisawa
  • Publication number: 20020126210
    Abstract: The image input unit comprises a pixel shift evaluation value and reliability calculating section that calculates a pixel shift evaluation value based on image data for a plurality of images photographed before and after an image sensing device is displaced for a predetermined amount. Moreover, a system controller judges whether pixel shift photography has been normally performed or not based on the pixel shift evaluation value, and displays the judgment result on a display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2001
    Publication date: September 12, 2002
    Inventors: Junichi Shinohara, Shigeru Irisawa, Masami Nasu, Atsushi Satoh