Patents by Inventor Shuzo Seo

Shuzo Seo 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: 6822687
    Abstract: A three-dimensional image capturing device comprises a plurality of laser devices, and an imaging device, such as a CCD, having a plurality of photo-diodes. Each of the laser devices radiates a pulse modulated laser beam so as to detect distance information or data relating to a topography of a measurement subject. The laser beam is radiated onto the measurement subject and a reflected light beam is sensed by the CCD. Signal charge corresponding to a distance from the image capturing device to the measurement subject is accumulated in each of the photo-diodes, and thus the above distance information is sensed. Each laser beam, respectively radiated from each of the laser devices, shares illuminating area at the distance of the measurement subject, so that radiant energy of each laser beam can be reduced by sharing a single distance measurement operation among the plurality of laser devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignee: PENTAX Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Kakiuchi, Shuzo Seo, Nobuhiro Tani
  • Patent number: 6819869
    Abstract: A three-dimensional image-capturing device using a pattern projection method is provided. The device is comprised of a camera and an adapter mounted on the lens barrel of the camera. The first-half area of the camera's CCD captures a pattern image in the invisible range. The second-half area of the CCD captures a texture image in the visible range. The adapter bifurcates the light path of the camera into first and second light paths. A first filter cuts off visible light rays and is disposed in the first light path. A second filter cuts off invisible light rays and is disposed in the second light path. The first and second light paths lead light to the first and second-half areas, respectively. A pattern and texture image are captured simultaneously while a predetermined pattern in the invisible range is projected onto a subject from a pattern projection device of the adapter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: PENTAX Corporation
    Inventor: Shuzo Seo
  • Patent number: 6812964
    Abstract: A three-dimensional image capturing device comprises an imaging device, such as a CCD, having a plurality of photo-diodes, a vertical transfer unit and a substrate. An electric charge discharging signal and an electric charge transfer signal are periodically output, respectively. Due to the electric charge discharging signal, unwanted charge accumulated in the photo-diodes is discharged to the substrate. A distance measuring light beam is radiated on a measurement subject, and a reflected light beam from the measurement subject is sensed by the CCD, so that electric charge, corresponding to distance information from the device to the measurement subject, is accumulated in the photo-diodes. The electric charge is transferred to a vertical transfer unit due to the electric charge transfer signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: PENTAX Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Tani, Shuzo Seo, Shinichi Kakiuchi
  • Patent number: 6778219
    Abstract: A three-dimensional image capturing device obtains distance information of a standard subject, to which the distance from the device to each point of a surface of the standard subject is known. Based on the distance information of the standard subject, correction data is sensed, which is an error of distance information sensed when using a measurement subject, to which the distance from the device to each point of a surface of the standard subject is unknown. A distance measurement is performed for the measurement subject, so that distance information is obtained. The distance information of the measurement subject is corrected using the correction data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: PENTAX Corporation
    Inventors: Shuzo Seo, Nobuhiro Tani, Shinichi Kakiuchi
  • Patent number: 6741287
    Abstract: An electronic still camera includes a camera body having a photographic optical system, and a monitor device detachably attached to the camera body. The monitor device has an image indication portion in which an object image obtained by the photographic optical system can be indicated. The monitor device can be electrically connected to the camera body when the monitor device is attached to the camera body and is rotatable about a rotation axis provided in the camera body within a predetermined range of angular displacement. The monitor device can be detachably attached to the camera body in any direction within the predetermined angular displacement range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: PENTAX Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Fuchimukai, Shuzo Seo
  • Patent number: 6734450
    Abstract: A three-dimensional image capturing device comprises a light source for irradiating a distance measuring light beam to a subject. The light source has a plurality of light source rings, each of which is formed of a plurality of LEDs. The LEDs are annularly disposed along an outer periphery of a lens barrel. The ratio of the intensities of light beams irradiated by the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth light source rings is 1:2:4:8:16. The intensity of the distance measuring light beam irradiated by the light source rings is modulated by selecting the light source rings to be turned ON, so that the intensity of the distance measuring light beam changes in accordance with the time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: PENTAX Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Kakiuchi, Shuzo Seo, Nobuhiro Tani, Kiyoshi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 6721007
    Abstract: A three-dimensional image capturing device comprises an imaging device, such as a CCD, having a plurality of photo-diodes, a vertical transfer unit and a substrate. First and second electric charge discharging signals and an electric charge transfer signal are periodically output, respectively. Due to the first electric charge discharging signal, unwanted charge accumulated in the photo-diodes is discharged to the substrate. An output of the electric charge transfer signal is started before the end of the output of the first electric charge discharging signal, and ends after the start of the output of the second electric charge discharging signal. A reflected light beam, generated by a measurement subject due to a distance measuring light beam, is sensed by the photo-diodes. Due to the second electric charge discharging signal, the electric charge accumulation in the photo-diodes ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: PENTAX Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Tani, Shuzo Seo, Shinichi Kakiuchi
  • Patent number: 6714324
    Abstract: A film scanner for scanning images formed on a film is provided with a film type identifying system that automatically identifies a type of a film to be scanned, and a scanning condition setting system that automatically sets a scanning condition in accordance with the type of the film identified by the film type identifying system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: PENTAX Corporation
    Inventors: Yuichi Kurosawa, Yasuhiro Yamamoto, Shuzo Seo
  • Publication number: 20040042053
    Abstract: A film scanner includes a light source, an illumination optical system which illuminates a film surface of a film with a light bundle emitted from the light source after the light bundle is varied in accordance with a film size of the film, and an image pickup optical system which makes the light bundle transmitted through the film surface incident upon an image pickup element after the light bundle is varied in accordance with the size of an effective area of the image pickup element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2003
    Publication date: March 4, 2004
    Applicant: PENTAX Corporation
    Inventor: Shuzo Seo
  • Publication number: 20040040410
    Abstract: A positioning mechanism includes a moving body which can be moved in accordance with a drive force supplied from a drive source, a stopper which defines a movement extremity of the moving body, and a biasing device which engages with the moving body when the moving body is moved to the vicinity of the movement extremity and which converts, after engagement, the force from the moving body into a force to bias the moving body toward the stopper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2003
    Publication date: March 4, 2004
    Applicant: PENTAX Corporation
    Inventor: Shuzo Seo
  • Patent number: 6700621
    Abstract: A digital camera for electrically photographing an image, which includes an electrical photography unit and a display unit having a liquid crystal display (LCD). The display unit is disposed in a camera body and the electrical photography unit is disposed in a swing cover attached to the body. The swing cover is rotatable between an angle of complete closure of the LCD and an angle of disclosure of the LCD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: PENTAX Corporation
    Inventor: Shuzo Seo
  • Patent number: 6683676
    Abstract: A three-dimensional image capturing device comprises a light source irradiating a pulsed light beam, which is reflected by a measurement subject to generate a reflected light beam pulse. In a first distance information sensing operation, a first reflected light component (E1), which corresponds to a distance from the device to the measurement subject and contains a fall of said reflected light beam pulse, is sensed. In a second distance information sensing operation, a second reflected light component (E2), which corresponds to the distance and containing a rise of the reflected light beam pulse, is sensed. The lengths of periods for sensing the reflected light components are identical. A normalized distance information is obtained by calculating (E1)/(E2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: Pentax Corporation
    Inventor: Shuzo Seo
  • Publication number: 20030072570
    Abstract: A stereo camera with an automatic convergence adjusting device is provided. A stereo-image is captured by a CCD through a stereo adapter. A fiducial light beam in a plane of symmetry which includes a perpendicular bisector line of a segment between the viewpoints of the right and left parallax images, is projected onto a subject from light-emitting equipment. A fiducial spot produced by the fiducial light beam is imaged on both the right and left parallax images and the image loci of the fiducial spot are detected. The convergence of the stereo adapter is adjusted with reference to the image loci of the fiducial mark.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2002
    Publication date: April 17, 2003
    Applicant: PENTAX Corporation
    Inventor: Shuzo Seo
  • Publication number: 20030072569
    Abstract: A three-dimensional image-capturing device using a pattern projection method is provided. The device is comprised of a camera and an adapter mounted on the lens barrel of the camera. The first-half area of the camera's CCD captures a pattern image in the invisible range. The second-half area of the CCD captures a texture image in the visible range. The adapter bifurcates the light path of the camera into first and second light paths. A first filter cuts off visible light rays and is disposed in the first light path. A second filter cuts off invisible light rays and is disposed in the second light path. The first and second light paths lead light to the first and second-half areas, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2002
    Publication date: April 17, 2003
    Applicant: PENTAX Corporation
    Inventor: Shuzo Seo
  • Publication number: 20020186976
    Abstract: An image-capturing device comprises a photographing lens, a first imaging device, a second imaging device, and a diaphragm. The photographing lens forms subject images on the first and second imaging device. The first imaging device receives light rays of the infrared rays spectrum through the photographing lens and captures a subject images formed by the infrared rays spectrum. The second imaging device receives light rays of the visible rays spectrum through the photographing lens and captures a subject images formed by the visible rays spectrum. The diaphragm is mounted in the photographing optical system and forms a first area and a second area. The first area transmits light rays of the infrared and visible rays spectrum. The second area selectively transmits either of light rays of the infrared or visible rays spectrum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2002
    Publication date: December 12, 2002
    Applicant: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shuzo Seo
  • Publication number: 20020171740
    Abstract: A stereo-image capturing device comprises an on-chip color filter attached CCD, a photographing optical system, and an aperture disk. The on-chip color filter comprises red (R), green (G), and blue (B) color filters, so that the CCD senses images in R, G, and B colors. The photographing optical system produces R, G, and B color images of a subject on the imaging surface of the CCD. The aperture disk has three apertures and they have R, G, and B color filters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2002
    Publication date: November 21, 2002
    Applicant: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shuzo Seo
  • Publication number: 20020148947
    Abstract: A three-dimensional image capturing device comprises a light source for irradiating a distance measuring light beam to a subject. The light source has a plurality of light source rings, each of which is formed of a plurality of LEDs. The LEDs are annularly disposed along an outer periphery of a lens barrel. The ratio of the intensities of light beams irradiated by the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth light source rings is 1:2:4:8:16. The intensity of the distance measuring light beam irradiated by the light source rings is modulated by selecting the light source rings to be turned ON, so that the intensity of the distance measuring light beam changes in accordance with the time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2002
    Publication date: October 17, 2002
    Applicant: ASAHI KOGAKU KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinichi Kakiuchi, Shuzo Seo, Nobuhiro Tani, Kiyoshi Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20020149694
    Abstract: A three-dimensional image-capturing device comprises R, G, and B light sources, a CCD, a light-source control processor, a CCD drive circuit, and a distance-information sensing processor. Each of the RGB light sources radiates pulse modulated R, G, and B distance-measurement light beams to a measurement subject. The R, G, and B color filtered pixels of the CCD senses RGB light beams. The RGB light sources are controlled to emit the B, G, and R distance-measurement light beams successively and continuously. The CCD drive circuit controls the CCD to accumulate electric charges of the reflected light beams in a predetermined accumulation period, so that the at least one of RGB distance-measurement light beams is sensed by the CCD. The distance-information sensing processor calculates distance information of the measurement subject by using electric charges accumulated in RGB pixels which are adjacently arranged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2002
    Publication date: October 17, 2002
    Applicant: ASAHI KOGAKU KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shuzo Seo
  • Patent number: 6456368
    Abstract: A three-dimensional image capturing device performs sensing operations of a first reflected light beam component and a second reflected light beam component. In the sensing operation of the first reflected light beam component, the pulse shape of a distance measuring light beam is triangular. The electric charge accumulating period starts at the same time as the disappearance of a pulse of the distance measuring light beam, and ends after the disappearance of a pulse of the reflected light beam. In the sensing operation of the second reflected light beam component, the pulse shape of a correction light beam is rectangular. The electric charge accumulating period starts at the same time as the disappearance of a pulse of the correction light beam, and ends after the disappearance of a pulse of the reflected light beam. A signal charge obtained by the first reflected light beam component sensing operation is divided by a signal charge obtained by the second reflected light beam component sensing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shuzo Seo
  • Patent number: 6437853
    Abstract: A three-dimensional image capturing device which performs a distance measurement in first and second modes. In the first distance measurement mode, an electric charge accumulation period starts at the fall of a pulse of a distance measuring light beam, and ends after the fall of a pulse of a reflected light beam. In the second distance measurement mode, an electric charge accumulation period starts earlier than the fall of a pulse of the distance measuring light beam, by a predetermined time, and ends after the fall of a pulse of the reflected light beam. Based on a ratio of a first accumulated electric charge amount, obtained by the first distance measurement mode, to a second accumulated electric charge amount, obtained by the second distance measurement mode, the three-dimensional image is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shuzo Seo