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).
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Publication number: 20190170914Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2017Publication date: June 6, 2019Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Paul Christian Thomas Fuller, Iain A. McAllister, Yoshikazu Shinohara
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Patent number: 10310222Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 15, 2016Date of Patent: June 4, 2019Assignee: Apple, Inc.Inventors: Yuhong Yao, Yoshikazu Shinohara
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Patent number: 10281683Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: July 28, 2017Date of Patent: May 7, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Yuhong Yao, Yoshikazu Shinohara
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Patent number: 10234659Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 28, 2017Date of Patent: March 19, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Yuhong Yao, Yoshikazu Shinohara
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Patent number: 10185123Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 5, 2016Date of Patent: January 22, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventor: Yoshikazu Shinohara
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Publication number: 20180364457Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 15, 2018Publication date: December 20, 2018Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Yuhong Yao, Yoshikazu Shinohara, Lin-Yao Liao
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Publication number: 20180113508Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 19, 2017Publication date: April 26, 2018Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Kathrin Berkner-Cieslicki, Ricardo J. Motta, Se Hoon Lim, Minwoong Kim, Kenichi Saito, Branko Petljanski, Jason C. Sauers, Yoshikazu Shinohara
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Publication number: 20180031808Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 28, 2017Publication date: February 1, 2018Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Yuhong Yao, Yoshikazu Shinohara
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Patent number: 9869847Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 7, 2016Date of Patent: January 16, 2018Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Miodrag Scepanovic, Yoshikazu Shinohara, Yuhong Yao
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Publication number: 20170299845Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 15, 2016Publication date: October 19, 2017Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Yuhong Yao, Yoshikazu Shinohara
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Publication number: 20170276914Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2017Publication date: September 28, 2017Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Yuhong Yao, Yoshikazu Shinohara
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Publication number: 20170276913Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2017Publication date: September 28, 2017Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Yuhong Yao, Yoshikazu Shinohara
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Publication number: 20170276912Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2017Publication date: September 28, 2017Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Yuhong Yao, Yoshikazu Shinohara
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Patent number: 9709775Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 24, 2015Date of Patent: July 18, 2017Assignee: FUJIFILM CorporationInventors: Yoshikazu Shinohara, Kazuya Yoneyama, Michio Cho, Yoshiaki Ishii
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Publication number: 20170123192Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 7, 2016Publication date: May 4, 2017Inventors: Miodrag Scepanovic, Yoshikazu Shinohara, Yuhong Yao
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Publication number: 20170115471Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 5, 2016Publication date: April 27, 2017Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventor: Yoshikazu Shinohara
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Patent number: 9632384Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 1, 2015Date of Patent: April 25, 2017Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Miodrag Scepanovic, Yoshikazu Shinohara, Iain Alexander McAllister, Jun Yoshida
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Patent number: 9575291Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 17, 2015Date of Patent: February 21, 2017Assignee: FUJIFILM CorporationInventors: Takayuki Noda, Yoshikazu Shinohara, Yoshiaki Ishii
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Publication number: 20160377947Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: June 1, 2015Publication date: December 29, 2016Inventors: Miodrag SCEPANOVIC, Yoshikazu SHINOHARA, Iain Alexander McALLISTER, Jun YOSHIDA
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Patent number: 9423595Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 23, 2015Date of Patent: August 23, 2016Assignee: FUJIFILM CorporationInventors: Yoshikazu Shinohara, Michio Cho