Patents by Inventor Yasuo Tanbara

Yasuo Tanbara 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: 5870645
    Abstract: A camera for use with a compact film cartridge having a battery arranged in the front end portion of a grip portion, and a cartridge chamber in which a compact film cartridge is stored is arranged at the boundary between the grip portion and a camera body. A motor is arranged between the battery and the cartridge chamber. A main capacitor for causing an electronic flash to emit light is horizontally arranged above the cartridge chambers and motor. In the camera arranged as described above, although the camera body and a lens barrel are smaller than those of a conventional camera in order to achieve miniaturization commensurate with miniaturization of the film, the grip portion has a size and height which are equal to those of the grip portion of the conventional camera. Accordingly, in the camera, of the present invention a release operation can be easily performed, and a shape having good holding properties can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1999
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Tanbara, Nobuyuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 5794081
    Abstract: A camera with shake compensation which detects camera shake and cancels image blur on a film exposing aperture due to the shake. The camera is capable of conserving battery power by automatically entering a power saving stand-by mode in which some of the functional blocks of the camera are powered down. The camera includes a selectable shake compensation mode, camera shake detecting circuits, and a control circuit that does not allow the shake detecting circuits from entering stand-by mode whenever the shake compensation mode is active. As a result, the camera is ready to perform shake compensation immediately upon exiting stand-by mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Itoh, Tatsuya Satoh, Yoshinori Matsuzawa, Yasuo Tanbara
  • Patent number: 5781806
    Abstract: A shake correcting apparatus for a camera includes a shake detector for detecting a shake state of a camera, a shake correcting section for executing shake correction based on a detection result from the shake detector, and a shake correction driving section for driving the shake correcting section. A relative position detector detects a relative position state of the shake correcting section, and an end position detector detects an end position state of the shake correction section. A discriminator discriminates at least one of an operational status of a camera and history data of shake correction driving. An initial position of shake correction for initialization of the shake correcting section is set based on the detection result from the relative position detector. A driving mode of driving of the shake correcting section to the set initial position is changed based on a discrimination result from the discriminator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Satoh, Yoshinori Matsuzawa, Yasuo Tanbara, Akira Inoue
  • Patent number: 5617176
    Abstract: A shake detecting apparatus includes a shake detecting sensor for detecting a shake and for outputting a shake detection signal responsive to the detected shake. A reference voltage output device is provided for outputting a reference voltage, and a differential amplifying device is provided for amplifying a difference between the shake detection signal output by the shake detecting sensor and the reference voltage output by the reference voltage output device. The differential amplifying device outputs a differential amplified signal, and a reference voltage controller is provided for modifying the reference voltage output by the reference voltage output device according to the differential amplified signal output by the differential amplifying device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1997
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Matsuzawa, Junichi Itoh, Yasuo Tanbara
  • Patent number: 5227831
    Abstract: A photographing lens system includes at least one zooming lens. A photometric circuit measures brightness of an object. An exposure calculation circuit calculates an exposure value in accordance with an output from the photometric circuit. A distance measurement circuit measures a distance to the object. A magnification setting circuit determines a photographing magnification of an image of the object to be formed on a film arranging surface. An auto-zooming calculation circuit determines a focal length of the photographing lens system in accordance with an output from the magnification setting circuit, and an output from the distance measurement circuit. A drive circuit drives the zooming lens in accordance with an output from the auto-zooming calculation circuit. A switch is turned on upon a first stroke of a release button.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1993
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Miyazaki, Junichi Itoh, Yasuo Tanbara, Mitsuo Kawazoe