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).

  • Patent number: 9417426
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeo Santo, Masayuki Akieda
  • Publication number: 20150103420
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventors: Takeo SANTO, Masayuki AKIEDA
  • Patent number: 8749894
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takeo Santo, Akira Koga
  • Patent number: 8368801
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takeo Santo, Naoto Yumiki, Yoshito Miyatake, Hiroshi Kubota
  • Publication number: 20130027789
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takeo Santo, Akira Koga
  • Publication number: 20130021687
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takeo Santo, Akira Koga
  • Patent number: 8099744
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshito Saji, Kozo Ezawa, Takeo Santo
  • Patent number: 8077412
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takeo Santo, Naoto Yumiki
  • Publication number: 20110138407
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Inventors: Yoshito SAJI, Kozo Ezawa, Takeo Santo
  • Publication number: 20110109788
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2008
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeo Santo, Naoto Yumiki, Yoshito Miyatake, Hiroshi Kubota
  • Patent number: 7904918
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshito Saji, Kozo Ezawa, Takeo Santo
  • Patent number: 7859584
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takeo Santo, Naoto Yumiki, Kenichi Honjo
  • Patent number: 7796878
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takeo Santo, Keiji Sakamoto, Keishi Iwasaki
  • Publication number: 20100220402
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2010
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takeo Santo, Naoto Yumiki
  • Patent number: 7620306
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takeo Santo, Keiji Sakamoto, Keishi Iwasaki
  • Publication number: 20080297625
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeo Santo, Naoto Yumiki, Kenichi Honjo
  • Publication number: 20070253690
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Publication date: November 1, 2007
    Inventors: Takeo Santo, Keiji Sakamoto, Keishi Iwasaki
  • Publication number: 20070248344
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Inventors: Takeo Santo, Keiji Sakamoto, Keishi Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 7281254
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeo Santo, Kozo Ezawa, Masahiro Inata, Yoshito Saji
  • Patent number: 7260041
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kozo Ezawa, Takeo Santo, Masahiro Inata, Yoshito Saji, Masuo Maruyama, Teruyuki Takizawa, Yukio Morioka, Tadashi Kuroda, Goro Naoki