Patents by Inventor Yoshikazu Shinohara

Yoshikazu Shinohara 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).

  • Publication number: 20190170914
    Abstract: Compact lens systems that may be used in small form factor cameras. The lens system may include a master lens with two or more lens elements arranged along an optical axis and having refractive power, and an optical actuator located on the object side of the master lens that may provide autofocus (AF) and/or optical image stabilization (OIS) functionality for the camera. An aperture stop for the camera may be included in the optical actuator, for example between a substrate and a flexible optical element of the optical actuator. Including the aperture stop in the optical actuator rather than in the lens stack may allow the optical actuator to be smaller in the X-Y dimensions (perpendicular to the optical (Z) axis) than it would be in a similar camera with the aperture stop located in the lens stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Christian Thomas Fuller, Iain A. McAllister, Yoshikazu Shinohara
  • Patent number: 10310222
    Abstract: A compact, wide angle, low F-number lens system that may be used in small form factor cameras is described. The compact lens system has six lens elements, and provides high brightness with a low F-number and a wide field of view (FOV) in small form factor cameras. The shapes, materials, and arrangements of the lens elements in the lens system may be selected to correct aberrations, enabling the camera to capture high resolution, bright, high quality images at low F-numbers with a wide FOV. In addition, the shapes and arrangements of the lens elements in the lens system may reduce or eliminate a flare phenomenon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Apple, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuhong Yao, Yoshikazu Shinohara
  • Patent number: 10281683
    Abstract: Compact lens systems are described that may be used in small form factor cameras. The lens system may include six lens elements with refractive power, and may provide low F-numbers with wide field of view while maintaining or improving imaging quality and package size when compared to other compact lens systems. The lens system may, for example, provide a focal ratio of 2.1 or less (e.g., 1.8), with full field of view within a range of 70 to 90 degrees (e.g., 81 degrees). The lens system may conform to a criterion for compactness TTL/ImageH<1.7, where TTL is the total track length of the lens system, and ImageH is the semi-diagonal image height on the image plane at the photosensor. Lens system parameters and relationships may be selected at least in part to reduce, compensate, or correct for optical aberrations and lens artifacts and effects across the field of view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yuhong Yao, Yoshikazu Shinohara
  • Patent number: 10234659
    Abstract: Compact folded lens systems are described that may be used in small form factor cameras. Lens systems are described that may include four lens elements with refractive power, with a light folding element such as a prism, located between a first lens element on the object side of the lens system and a second lens element, that redirects the light refracted from the first lens element from a first axis onto a second axis on which the other lens elements and a photosensor are arranged. The lens systems may include an aperture stop located behind the front vertex of the lens system, for example at the first lens element, and an optional infrared filter, for example located between the last lens element and a photosensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yuhong Yao, Yoshikazu Shinohara
  • Patent number: 10185123
    Abstract: Compact narrow angle lens systems that may be used in small form factor cameras. The lens system may include six lens elements with refractive power, and may provide lower F-numbers while maintaining or improving imaging quality and package size when compared to other compact lens systems. Total track length of the lens system may be 6.5 millimeters or less, for example 5.9 or 6 millimeters. Focal length of the lens system may be 7.0 millimeters or less, for example 6.6 millimeters. The lens system may include an aperture stop located behind the front vertex of the lens system, for example between the first and second lens elements, that effectively moves the ideal principal point of the camera to in front of the front vertex. The lens system may provide a focal ratio of 2.8 or less, for example 2.6 or 2.4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshikazu Shinohara
  • Publication number: 20180364457
    Abstract: Compact lens systems are described that may be used in small form factor cameras. The lens systems may include seven lens elements with refractive power, and may provide low F-numbers with wide field of view while maintaining or improving imaging quality and package size when compared to other compact lens systems. The lens systems may, for example, provide a focal ratio of 1.85 or less, with full field of view of 75 degrees or more. The lens systems may conform to a criterion for compactness TTL/ImageH<1.7, where TTL is the total track length of the lens system, and ImageH is the semi-diagonal image height of the image plane at the photosensor. Lens system parameters and relationships may be selected at least in part to reduce, compensate, or correct for optical aberrations and lens artifacts and effects across the field of view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yuhong Yao, Yoshikazu Shinohara, Lin-Yao Liao
  • Publication number: 20180113508
    Abstract: An eye tracking system for detecting position and movements of a user's eyes in a head-mounted display (HMD). The eye tracking system may include at least one near-IR (NIR) eye tracking camera positioned at each side of the user's face and pointed towards eye-facing surfaces of eyepieces of the HMD, an illumination source that emits NIR light towards the user's eyes, and hot mirrors located between the eye-facing surfaces of the eyepieces and the user's eyes. The hot mirrors reflect at least a portion of NIR light, while allowing visible light to pass. The cameras capture images of the user's eyes reflected by the hot mirrors. Positioning the hot mirrors at or near the eye-facing surfaces of the eyepieces allows the cameras to be placed at the sides of the user's face without having to image through the eyepieces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2017
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Kathrin Berkner-Cieslicki, Ricardo J. Motta, Se Hoon Lim, Minwoong Kim, Kenichi Saito, Branko Petljanski, Jason C. Sauers, Yoshikazu Shinohara
  • Publication number: 20180031808
    Abstract: Compact lens systems are described that may be used in small form factor cameras. The lens system may include six lens elements with refractive power, and may provide low F-numbers with wide field of view while maintaining or improving imaging quality and package size when compared to other compact lens systems. The lens system may, for example, provide a focal ratio of 2.1 or less (e.g., 1.8), with full field of view within a range of 70 to 90 degrees (e.g., 81 degrees). The lens system may conform to a criterion for compactness TTL/ImageH<1.7, where TTL is the total track length of the lens system, and ImageH is the semi-diagonal image height on the image plane at the photosensor. Lens system parameters and relationships may be selected at least in part to reduce, compensate, or correct for optical aberrations and lens artifacts and effects across the field of view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yuhong Yao, Yoshikazu Shinohara
  • Patent number: 9869847
    Abstract: An optical system for operation at a target near-infrared (NIR) wavelength in imaging an object onto an image plane. The system includes the following optical elements, arranged in order from object side to image side: a first lens, including a first material having a first index of refraction at the target NIR wavelength and having a positive refractive power; a second lens comprising the first material and having a meniscus shape; a third lens comprising the first material and having a meniscus shape; and a fourth lens, including a second material having a second index of refraction at the target NIR wavelength that is lower than the first index of refraction, and having front and rear surfaces of an aspheric form. The aspheric coefficients are chosen so that rays are not totally internally reflected within the fourth lens to impinge on the image plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Miodrag Scepanovic, Yoshikazu Shinohara, Yuhong Yao
  • Publication number: 20170299845
    Abstract: A compact, wide angle, low F-number lens system that may be used in small form factor cameras is described. The compact lens system has six lens elements, and provides high brightness with a low F-number and a wide field of view (FOV) in small form factor cameras. The shapes, materials, and arrangements of the lens elements in the lens system may be selected to correct aberrations, enabling the camera to capture high resolution, bright, high quality images at low F-numbers with a wide FOV. In addition, the shapes and arrangements of the lens elements in the lens system may reduce or eliminate a flare phenomenon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yuhong Yao, Yoshikazu Shinohara
  • Publication number: 20170276914
    Abstract: Compact folded lens systems are described that may be used in small form factor cameras. Lens systems are described that may include three lens elements with refractive power, with a light folding element such as a prism, located between a first lens element on the object side of the lens system and a second lens element, that redirects the light refracted from the first lens element from a first axis onto a second axis on which the other lens elements and a photosensor are arranged. The lens systems may include an aperture stop located behind the front vertex of the lens system, for example at the first lens element, and an optional infrared filter, for example located between the last lens element and a photosensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yuhong Yao, Yoshikazu Shinohara
  • Publication number: 20170276913
    Abstract: Compact folded lens systems are described that may be used in small form factor cameras. Lens systems are described that may include five lens elements with refractive power, with a light folding element such as a prism, located between a first lens element on the object side of the lens system and a second lens element, that redirects the light refracted from the first lens element from a first axis onto a second axis on which the other lens elements and a photosensor are arranged. The lens systems may include an aperture stop located behind the front vertex of the lens system, for example at the first lens element, and an optional infrared filter, for example located between the last lens element and a photosensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yuhong Yao, Yoshikazu Shinohara
  • Publication number: 20170276912
    Abstract: Compact folded lens systems are described that may be used in small form factor cameras. Lens systems are described that may include four lens elements with refractive power, with a light folding element such as a prism, located between a first lens element on the object side of the lens system and a second lens element, that redirects the light refracted from the first lens element from a first axis onto a second axis on which the other lens elements and a photosensor are arranged. The lens systems may include an aperture stop located behind the front vertex of the lens system, for example at the first lens element, and an optional infrared filter, for example located between the last lens element and a photosensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yuhong Yao, Yoshikazu Shinohara
  • Patent number: 9709775
    Abstract: An imaging lens is constituted by six lenses, including, in order from the object side to the image side: a positive first lens having a convex surface toward the object side; a negative second lens; a positive third lens, which is a meniscus lens having a convex surface toward the object side; a positive fourth lens; a negative fifth lens having a concave surface toward the object side; and a negative sixth lens, of which the image toward the image side is of an aspherical shape which is concave in the vicinity of the optical axis and convex at the peripheral portion thereof. Conditional formulae related to the focal length f of the entire lens system, the focal length f1 of the first lens, and the focal length f4 of the fourth lens is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Shinohara, Kazuya Yoneyama, Michio Cho, Yoshiaki Ishii
  • Publication number: 20170123192
    Abstract: An optical system for operation at a target near-infrared (NIR) wavelength in imaging an object onto an image plane. The system includes the following optical elements, arranged in order from object side to image side: a first lens, including a first material having a first index of refraction at the target NIR wavelength and having a positive refractive power; a second lens comprising the first material and having a meniscus shape; a third lens comprising the first material and having a meniscus shape; and a fourth lens, including a second material having a second index of refraction at the target NIR wavelength that is lower than the first index of refraction, and having front and rear surfaces of an aspheric form. The aspheric coefficients are chosen so that rays are not totally internally reflected within the fourth lens to impinge on the image plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: Miodrag Scepanovic, Yoshikazu Shinohara, Yuhong Yao
  • Publication number: 20170115471
    Abstract: Compact narrow angle lens systems that may be used in small form factor cameras. The lens system may include six lens elements with refractive power, and may provide lower F-numbers while maintaining or improving imaging quality and package size when compared to other compact lens systems. Total track length of the lens system may be 6.5 millimeters or less, for example 5.9 or 6 millimeters. Focal length of the lens system may be 7.0 millimeters or less, for example 6.6 millimeters. The lens system may include an aperture stop located behind the front vertex of the lens system, for example between the first and second lens elements, that effectively moves the ideal principal point of the camera to in front of the front vertex. The lens system may provide a focal ratio of 2.8 or less, for example 2.6 or 2.4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshikazu Shinohara
  • Patent number: 9632384
    Abstract: A mobile device lens assembly having an electrically activated lens component with an electro-optic portion is disclosed. More particularly, embodiments of the mobile device lens assembly include the electro-optic portion and an interlock feature to engage a second lens element. The second lens element may have an interlock surface, which when engaged or mated with the interlock feature of the electrically activated lens component, may maintain alignment of the lens components along an optical axis. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Miodrag Scepanovic, Yoshikazu Shinohara, Iain Alexander McAllister, Jun Yoshida
  • Patent number: 9575291
    Abstract: An imaging lens is constituted essentially by six lenses, including, in order from the object side to the image side: a first lens having a positive refractive power and a convex surface toward the object side; a second lens having a negative refractive power; a third lens having a positive refractive power and is of a biconvex shape; a fourth lens having a positive refractive power; a fifth lens having a negative refractive power and a concave surface toward the object side; and a sixth lens having a negative refractive power, of which the surface toward the image side is of an aspherical shape which is concave in the vicinity of the optical axis and convex at the peripheral portion thereof. Predetermined conditional formulae are satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Noda, Yoshikazu Shinohara, Yoshiaki Ishii
  • Publication number: 20160377947
    Abstract: A mobile device lens assembly having an electrically activated lens component with an electro-optic portion is disclosed. More particularly, embodiments of the mobile device lens assembly include the electro-optic portion and an interlock feature to engage a second lens element. The second lens element may have an interlock surface, which when engaged or mated with the interlock feature of the electrically activated lens component, may maintain alignment of the lens components along an optical axis. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2015
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Inventors: Miodrag SCEPANOVIC, Yoshikazu SHINOHARA, Iain Alexander McALLISTER, Jun YOSHIDA
  • Patent number: 9423595
    Abstract: An imaging lens is essentially constituted by seven lenses, including: a positive first lens having a convex surface toward the object side; a second lens, of which at least one surface is of an aspherical shape; a third lens, of which at least one surface is of an aspherical shape; a fourth lens, of which at least one surface is of an aspherical shape; a positive fifth lens of a meniscus shape with a convex surface toward the image side; a sixth lens, of which at least one surface is of an aspherical shape; and a negative seventh lens having a concave surface toward the image side, provided in this order from the object side. The imaging lens satisfies a predetermined conditional formula.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Shinohara, Michio Cho