Patents by Inventor Takeo Santo
Takeo Santo 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).
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Patent number: 9417426Abstract: A lens barrel includes: a fixed frame; a zoom ring rotatably held around an outer periphery of the fixed frame; a contact member; and a biasing member. The zoom ring has a first sliding surface to a fourth sliding surface. When the contact member moves on the first sliding surface, a first load is applied to the biasing member; when the contact member moves on the second sliding surface, a second load greater than the first load is applied to the biasing member; and when the contact member moves on the third sliding surface, a load which varies in a range from the first load to the second load is applied to the biasing member.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2014Date of Patent: August 16, 2016Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.Inventors: Takeo Santo, Masayuki Akieda
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Publication number: 20150103420Abstract: A lens barrel includes: a fixed frame; a zoom ring rotatably held around an outer periphery of the fixed frame; a contact member; and a biasing member. The zoom ring has a first sliding surface to a fourth sliding surface. When the contact member moves on the first sliding surface, a first load is applied to the biasing member; when the contact member moves on the second sliding surface, a second load greater than the first load is applied to the biasing member; and when the contact member moves on the third sliding surface, a load which varies in a range from the first load to the second load is applied to the biasing member.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2014Publication date: April 16, 2015Inventors: Takeo SANTO, Masayuki AKIEDA
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Patent number: 8749894Abstract: A lens barrel is provided that includes an optical system and a plurality of interface units. The optical system includes an optical axis and a focal distance. The focal distance is configured to be adjusted by the optical system. The plurality of interface units includes a first interface unit and a second interface unit. Each of the first interface unit and the second interface unit are configured to accept from a user an operation to adjust the focal distance. Each of the first interface unit and the second interface unit are configured to be operated around the optical axis.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2011Date of Patent: June 10, 2014Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Takeo Santo, Akira Koga
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Patent number: 8368801Abstract: There are provided a camera system and an interchangeable lens that are compatible with a contrast detection method. A camera system (1) has an interchangeable lens unit (2) and a camera body (3). A lens microcomputer (40) changes the movable range of a second lens group (L2) via a focus lens drive controller (41) depending on whether a second holder (61) is driven by the focus lens drive controller (41) and a focus motor (80) on the basis of angle information inputted to a zoom ring (64) of the interchangeable lens unit (2), or the second holder (61) is driven by the focus lens drive controller (41) on the basis of contrast information.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2008Date of Patent: February 5, 2013Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Takeo Santo, Naoto Yumiki, Yoshito Miyatake, Hiroshi Kubota
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Publication number: 20130027789Abstract: A lens barrel is provided that includes an optical system and a plurality of interface units. The optical system includes an optical axis and a focal distance. The focal distance is configured to be adjusted by the optical system. The plurality of interface units includes a first interface unit and a second interface unit. Each of the first interface unit and the second interface unit are configured to accept from a user an operation to adjust the focal distance. Each of the first interface unit and the second interface unit are configured to be operated around the optical axis.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2011Publication date: January 31, 2013Applicant: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Takeo Santo, Akira Koga
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Publication number: 20130021687Abstract: A lens barrel is provided that includes an optical system, an actuator, a plurality of interface units, and a controller. The lens barrel supports the optical system that includes an optical axis and a zooming lens group. The optical system is configured to adjust the focal distance of the lens barrel. The actuator is configured to drive the zooming lens group so as to adjust the focal distance. The plurality of interface units includes a first interface unit and a second interface unit. Each of the first interface unit and the second interface unit accepts an adjustment operation from a user. The controller is configured to instruct the actuator to change the focal distance when the first interface unit and the second interface unit each accept an adjustment operation. The first interface unit and the second interface unit are circumferentially disposed around the periphery of the lens barrel.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2011Publication date: January 24, 2013Applicant: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Takeo Santo, Akira Koga
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Patent number: 8099744Abstract: A low-cost disk device with which the same spindle motor and clamper can be used for different types of disk device, such as a DVD drive. A clamper includes a clamper main body and a plurality of positioning components. The clamper main body clamps a disk between itself and a spindle motor that holds and rotates the disk. The plurality of positioning components are formed on the clamper main body for the relative positioning of the clamper main body and each of the plurality of spindle motors in the radial direction.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2011Date of Patent: January 17, 2012Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Yoshito Saji, Kozo Ezawa, Takeo Santo
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Patent number: 8077412Abstract: An interchangeable lens unit comprises a second lens group support unit, a focus lens, a focus lens support frame, and a focus drive unit. The second lens group support unit supports the focus lens support frame movably in the Z-axis direction and has second cam pins disposed spaced apart around an optical axis. The focus drive unit is a unit for driving the focus lens support frame in the Z-axis direction with respect to the second lens group support unit and is disposed at a different position from those of the second cam followers when viewed in the Z-axis direction.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2010Date of Patent: December 13, 2011Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Takeo Santo, Naoto Yumiki
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Publication number: 20110138407Abstract: A low-cost disk device with which the same spindle motor and clamper can be used for different types of disk device, such as a DVD drive. A clamper includes a clamper main body and a plurality of positioning components. The clamper main body clamps a disk between itself and a spindle motor that holds and rotates the disk. The plurality of positioning components are formed on the clamper main body for the relative positioning of the clamper main body and each of the plurality of spindle motors in the radial direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2011Publication date: June 9, 2011Inventors: Yoshito SAJI, Kozo Ezawa, Takeo Santo
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Publication number: 20110109788Abstract: There are provided a camera system and an interchangeable lens that are compatible with a contrast detection method. A camera system (1) has an interchangeable lens unit (2) and a camera body (3). A lens microcomputer (40) changes the movable range of a second lens group (L2) via a focus lens drive controller (41) depending on whether a second holder (61) is driven by the focus lens drive controller (41) and a focus motor (80) on the basis of angle information inputted to a zoom ring (64) of the interchangeable lens unit (2), or the second holder (61) is driven by the focus lens drive controller (41) on the basis of contrast information.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2008Publication date: May 12, 2011Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATIONInventors: Takeo Santo, Naoto Yumiki, Yoshito Miyatake, Hiroshi Kubota
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Patent number: 7904918Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a low-cost disk device with which the same spindle motor and clamper can be used for different types of disk device, such as a DVD drive. A clamper comprises a clamper main body and a plurality of positioning components. The clamper main body clamps a disk between itself and a spindle motor that holds and rotates the disk. The plurality of positioning components are formed on the clamper main body for the relative positioning of the clamper main body and each of the plurality of spindle motors in the radial direction.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2004Date of Patent: March 8, 2011Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Yoshito Saji, Kozo Ezawa, Takeo Santo
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Patent number: 7859584Abstract: A camera system 100 has an imaging optical system L, an imaging component 45, a liquid crystal monitor 16, and an image display controller 15. The liquid crystal monitor 16 allows a plurality of images acquired by the imaging component 45 to be displayed. The image display controller 15 controls the display component to display an image A1, which is part of the image acquired by the imaging component 45, as a reference image A on the liquid crystal monitor 16, and to display part of the image acquired by the imaging component 45 at a different timing from that of the image A1 as a comparative image B on the liquid crystal monitor 16. The image display controller 15 controls the display component to display the image A1 as a reference image A in a state of being inverted around a symmetry axis 51a.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2008Date of Patent: December 28, 2010Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Takeo Santo, Naoto Yumiki, Kenichi Honjo
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Patent number: 7796878Abstract: A lens barrel 11 is mounted in a collapsible imaging device 1 and includes a third lens frame 55. The third frame 55 is a lens frame to which correction lenses L5, L6, L7 are mounted and includes a shutter unit 57, a vibration compensation actuator 71, a lens frame main body 95, a focus lens frame 105, and a focus motor 115. The focus lens frame 105 is urged against the lens frame main body 95 toward the image plane side by means of a focus spring 110. A motor section 117 of the focus motor 115 is arranged in a region interposed between two multilayer printed circuit boards 77, 79 when viewed from the image plane side or the object side.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2006Date of Patent: September 14, 2010Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Takeo Santo, Keiji Sakamoto, Keishi Iwasaki
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Publication number: 20100220402Abstract: An interchangeable lens unit comprises a second lens group support unit, a focus lens, a focus lens support frame, and a focus drive unit. The second lens group support unit supports the focus lens support frame movably in the Z-axis direction and has second cam pins disposed spaced apart around an optical axis. The focus drive unit is a unit for driving the focus lens support frame in the Z-axis direction with respect to the second lens group support unit and is disposed at a different position from those of the second cam followers when viewed in the Z-axis direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2010Publication date: September 2, 2010Applicant: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Takeo Santo, Naoto Yumiki
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Patent number: 7620306Abstract: A lens barrel 11 is mounted to a collapsible imaging device 1 having a zooming function and includes a cam frame 19, a first lens frame 39, a second lens frame 45, and a third lens frame 55. First, second, and third lens frame cam grooves 25, 27, 29, respectively including in the longitudinal direction thereof insertion parts 25a, 27a, 29a, collapse parts 25b, 27b, 29b, and variable power parts 25c, 27c, 29c are formed in the inner peripheral face of the cam frame 19. The third lens frame cam groove 29 are deeper than the first and second lens frame cam grooves 25, 27 and are intersected at the collapse parts 29c thereof with the respective insertion parts 25a, 27a.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2006Date of Patent: November 17, 2009Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Takeo Santo, Keiji Sakamoto, Keishi Iwasaki
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Publication number: 20080297625Abstract: A camera system 100 has an imaging optical system L, an imaging component 45, a liquid crystal monitor 16, and an image display controller 15. The liquid crystal monitor 16 allows a plurality of images acquired by the imaging component 45 to be displayed. The image display controller 15 controls the display component to display an image A1, which is part of the image acquired by the imaging component 45, as a reference image A on the liquid crystal monitor 16, and to display part of the image acquired by the imaging component 45 at a different timing from that of the image A1 as a comparative image B on the liquid crystal monitor 16. The image display controller 15 controls the display component to display the image A1 as a reference image A in a state of being inverted around a symmetry axis 51a.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 27, 2008Publication date: December 4, 2008Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Takeo Santo, Naoto Yumiki, Kenichi Honjo
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Publication number: 20070253690Abstract: A lens barrel 11 is mounted to a collapsible imaging device 1 having a zooming function and includes a cam frame 19, a first lens frame 39, a second lens frame 45, and a third lens frame 55. First, second, and third lens frame cam grooves 25, 27, 29, respectively including in the longitudinal direction thereof insertion parts 25a, 27a, 29a, collapse parts 25b, 27b, 29b, and variable power parts 25c, 27c, 29c are formed in the inner peripheral face of the cam frame 19. The third lens frame cam groove 29 are deeper than the first and second lens frame cam grooves 25, 27 and are intersected at the collapse parts 29c thereof with the respective insertion parts 25a, 27a.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 13, 2006Publication date: November 1, 2007Inventors: Takeo Santo, Keiji Sakamoto, Keishi Iwasaki
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Publication number: 20070248344Abstract: A lens barrel 11 is mounted in a collapsible imaging device 1 and includes a third lens frame 55. The third frame 55 is a lens frame to which correction lenses L5, L6, L7 are mounted and includes a shutter unit 57, a vibration compensation actuator 71, a lens frame main body 95, a focus lens frame 105, and a focus motor 115. The focus lens frame 105 is urged against the lens frame main body 95 toward the image plane side by means of a focus spring 110. A motor section 117 of the focus motor 115 is arranged in a region interposed between two multilayer printed circuit boards 77, 79 when viewed from the image plane side or the object side.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 13, 2006Publication date: October 25, 2007Inventors: Takeo Santo, Keiji Sakamoto, Keishi Iwasaki
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Patent number: 7281254Abstract: An optical disc drive includes: a tray to mount a cartridge including a disc and having a positioning hole; a chassis for supporting the tray to move in a first direction; a spindle motor; an optical head; a traverse base, which is supported on the chassis so as to rotate around an axis defined in a second direction near one end of the chassis in the first direction and which mounts the spindle motor and the optical head thereon, the second direction being parallel to the disc and perpendicular to the first direction; a traverse holder coupled to the traverse base; a positioning pin provided for the traverse holder and fitting in with the positioning hole, thereby positioning the cartridge; and an elevating portion for moving a portion of the traverse holder in a third direction perpendicularly to the disc.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2004Date of Patent: October 9, 2007Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Takeo Santo, Kozo Ezawa, Masahiro Inata, Yoshito Saji
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Patent number: 7260041Abstract: A disk drive includes a plurality of optical heads corresponding to a plurality kind of disks, and a disk distinction device for distinguishing whether a set disk is a first disk or a second disk when a disk is set on a disk tray, a first disk tray conveying mechanism for the first disk and/or the second disk tray conveying mechanism for the second disk conveys the disk tray to a first tray position in which recording and/or reproducing is performed on the first tray or the second tray position in which recording and/or reproducing is performed on the second tray, according to a result distinguished by the disk distinction device, thereby, an optical head corresponding to a disk set to the disk tray is selected correctly and a recording or reproducing operation is performed on the disk.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2004Date of Patent: August 21, 2007Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kozo Ezawa, Takeo Santo, Masahiro Inata, Yoshito Saji, Masuo Maruyama, Teruyuki Takizawa, Yukio Morioka, Tadashi Kuroda, Goro Naoki