Patents by Inventor Yukio Uenaka

Yukio Uenaka 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: 7903959
    Abstract: A drive device is provided having a movable part, a fixed part, and a drive part. The fixed part is provided within a movement range of the movable part. The drive part drives the movable part in a first direction so as to strike said fixed part. The drive part drives the movable part to and fro along the first direction alternately for different time intervals so as to strike the fixed part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventor: Yukio Uenaka
  • Patent number: 7903961
    Abstract: A photographic apparatus comprises a movable platform and a controller. The movable platform has an imager, and is movable and rotatable in an xy plane. The controller performs a movement control of the movable platform for an inclination correction based on an inclination angle of the photographic apparatus formed by rotation of the photographic apparatus around the optical axis, as measured with respect to a level plane, for a first stabilization for correcting hand shake caused by yaw, and for a second stabilization for correcting hand shake caused by pitch. The controller performs a determination of whether the inclination correction is to be performed, on the basis of a first hand-shake quantity caused by yaw for the first stabilization, a second hand-shake quantity caused by pitch for the second stabilization, and the inclination angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventor: Yukio Uenaka
  • Patent number: 7903167
    Abstract: A dust removal apparatus of a photographing apparatus comprises a movable unit and a controller. The movable unit has an imaging device and is movable. The controller strikes the movable unit against a boundary of a range of movement of the movable unit as a dust removal operation. The controller counts the number of times of the dust removal operation, measures an elapsed time from the point when counting the number of times of the dust removal operation commences. When the elapsed time is less than or equal to a time period and the number of times of the dust removal operation is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times, the controller halts the dust removal operation until a predetermined time period has elapsed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Yukio Uenaka, Shigeru Iwamoto
  • Publication number: 20110050917
    Abstract: An anti-shake apparatus comprises an angular velocity sensor and a controller. The angular velocity sensor detects an angular velocity. The controller controls the angular velocity sensor and performs an anti-shake operation based on the output signal from the angular velocity sensor. The controller calculates an angular velocity signal, based on the output signal from the angular velocity sensor before a predetermined period which is longer than a predetermined time interval and the output signal from the angular velocity sensor after the predetermined period, at the predetermined time interval, during the predetermined period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yukio UENAKA
  • Patent number: 7899313
    Abstract: A photographic apparatus comprises a movable platform and a controller. The movable platform has an imager and is movable and rotatable in an xy plane. The controller performs a movement control of the movable platform for one of a translational movement and a rotational movement. The translational movement includes at least one of a first stabilization for correcting hand shake caused by yaw around the y direction and a second stabilization for correcting hand shake caused by pitch around the x direction. The rotational movement rotates the movable platform in the xy plane. The controller determines which of the translational movement and the rotational movement is to be performed, on the basis of a first hand-shake parameter caused by yaw that is calculated for the first stabilization and a second hand-shake parameter caused by pitch that is calculated for the second stabilization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventor: Yukio Uenaka
  • Publication number: 20110038621
    Abstract: A dust removal apparatus of a photographing apparatus comprises a movable unit and a controller. The movable unit has an imaging device and is movable. The controller moves the movable unit on a plane that is parallel to a first direction and a second direction. The first direction is perpendicular to an optical axis of a photographing optical system that captures an optical image on a photographing surface of the imaging device. The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction and the optical axis. The controller moves the movable unit to a predetermined position that does not make contact with a boundary of a range of movement of the movable unit, and strikes the movable unit against the boundary of the range of movement in the second direction under the condition where a coordinate value in the first direction of the movable unit is held constant, as a dust removal operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yukio UENAKA
  • Patent number: 7885524
    Abstract: A photographic apparatus comprises a movable platform, a translational movement switch, a rotational movement switch, and a controller. The movable platform has an imager, and is movable and rotatable in an xy plane. The translational movement switch is for selecting ON/OFF states of a translational movement including a first stabilization and a second stabilization. The first stabilization moves the movable platform in the x direction for correcting hand shake caused by yaw. The second stabilization moves the movable platform in the y direction for correcting hand shake caused by pitch. The rotational movement switch is for selecting ON/OFF states of a rotational movement that rotates the movable platform in the xy plane. The controller controls the movable platform for the translational movement on the basis of the state of the translational movement switch, and the rotational movement on the basis of the state of the rotational movement switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventor: Yukio Uenaka
  • Patent number: 7856175
    Abstract: An anti-shake apparatus of a photographing apparatus comprises a movable unit and a controller. The controller performs movement control of the movable unit for anti-shake operation. The movement control is set to the OFF state when the movable unit comes into contact with an end of its range of movement under a predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: HOYA Corporation
    Inventor: Yukio Uenaka
  • Patent number: 7853135
    Abstract: An anti-shake apparatus for image stabilizing comprises an angular velocity sensor and a controller. The angular velocity sensor detects an angular velocity. The controller controls the angular velocity sensor and performs an anti-shake operation on the basis of an output signal from the angular velocity sensor. The controller performs a reduction of the value of the output signal during a predetermined period of the anti-shake operation, and does not perform the reduction except for during the predetermined period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: HOYA Corporation
    Inventor: Yukio Uenaka
  • Patent number: 7852373
    Abstract: An anti-shake apparatus comprises an angular velocity sensor and a controller. The angular velocity sensor detects an angular velocity. The controller controls the angular velocity sensor and performs an anti-shake operation based on the output signal from the angular velocity sensor. The controller calculates an angular velocity signal, based on the output signal from the angular velocity sensor before a predetermined period which is longer than a predetermined time interval and the output signal from the angular velocity sensor after the predetermined period, at the predetermined time interval, during the predetermined period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventor: Yukio Uenaka
  • Patent number: 7848627
    Abstract: A photographic apparatus comprises a movable platform and a controller. The movable platform has an imager and is movable and rotatable in an xy plane. The controller performs a movement control of the movable platform for a translational movement and an inclination correction during an imaging operation by the imager that commences when a shutter release switch is set to the ON state. The translational movement includes a first stabilization for correcting hand shake caused by yaw and a second stabilization for correcting hand shake caused by pitch. The inclination correction is based on an inclination angle of the photographic apparatus formed by rotation of the photographic apparatus around the optical axis, as measured with respect to a level plane perpendicular to the direction of gravitational force. The controller performs the inclination correction based on the inclination angle that is calculated before the imaging operation commences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventor: Yukio Uenaka
  • Patent number: 7809257
    Abstract: An anti-shake apparatus (an image-stabilization apparatus) of a photographing device comprises a movable unit and a controller. The movable unit has an imaging device and is movable and rotatable for an anti-shake operation. The controller controls the movable unit for the anti-shake operation. The controller calculates a first hand-shake angle caused by yaw, a second hand-shake angle caused by pitch, and a third hand-shake angle caused by roll for the anti-shake operation. The controller commences a calculation of the third hand-shake angle from a first time point after a release switch is set to the ON state. The controller commences calculations of the first and second hand-shake angles from a second time point after the first time point, and before an exposure operation commences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventor: Yukio Uenaka
  • Patent number: 7796873
    Abstract: An anti-shake apparatus (an image-stabilization apparatus) of a photographing device comprises a movable unit and a controller. The movable unit has an imaging device and is movable and rotatable for an anti-shake operation. The controller controls the movable unit for the anti-shake operation. The controller calculates a hand-shake angle caused by roll. The controller controls whether the anti-shake operation is performed for correcting hand-shake caused by roll, on the basis of the hand-shake angle caused by roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Yukio Uenaka, Takahiro Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20100208090
    Abstract: An anti-shake apparatus for image stabilizing comprises a movable unit and a controller. The movable unit is movable for an anti-shake operation. The controller stops the anti-shake operation after an exposure time and moves the movable unit to a first position after the anti-shake operation. The first position is a position of the movable unit before the exposure time and before the anti-shake operation. The controller moves the movable unit at a decelerated, low rate of speed before finishing its movement to the first position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yukio UENAKA
  • Patent number: 7764306
    Abstract: An anti-shake apparatus for image stabilizing comprises a movable unit and a controller. The movable unit is movable for an anti-shake operation. The controller stops the anti-shake operation after an exposure time and moves the movable unit to a first position after the anti-shake operation. The first position is a position of the movable unit before the exposure time and before the anti-shake operation. The controller moves the movable unit at a decelerated, low rate of speed before finishing its movement to the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventor: Yukio Uenaka
  • Patent number: 7760998
    Abstract: An anti-shake apparatus for image stabilizing of a photographing apparatus comprises a movable unit and a controller. The movable unit is movable for an anti-shake operation. The controller controls the movable unit for the anti-shake operation, stops the anti-shake operation after an exposure time, moves the movable unit to a first position after the anti-shake operation, and holds the movable unit at the first position after the completion of a movement of the movable unit to the first position and until the photographing apparatus is set to a state where the next imaging operation can be performed. The first position is in a direction in which the movable unit would move according to the force of gravity, after the anti-shake operation is finished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventor: Yukio Uenaka
  • Publication number: 20100165126
    Abstract: A photographic apparatus comprises a movable platform and a controller. The movable platform has an imager and is movable and rotatable on an xy plane perpendicular. The controller calculates an inclination angle of the photographic apparatus, and performs a controlled movement of the movable platform for an inclination correction based on the inclination angle. The controller calculates a first position of the movable platform before the inclination correction. The controller calculates a second position of the movable platform after the inclination correction. The controller determines whether the movable platform should be moved to a third position before moving from the first position to the second position in the inclination correction, on the basis of a positional relationship between the first position and the second position. The third position is a position of the movable platform in an imaging operation by the imager without the inclination correction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yukio UENAKA
  • Publication number: 20100165130
    Abstract: A photographic apparatus comprises a movable platform and a controller. The movable platform has an imager that captures an optical image through a taking lens, and is movable and rotatable on an xy plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the taking lens. The controller calculates an inclination angle of the photographic apparatus, which is formed by rotation of the photographic apparatus around the optical axis, as measured with respect to a level plane perpendicular to the direction of gravitational force, and performs a controlled movement of the movable platform for an inclination correction based on the inclination angle. The controller calculates an elevation/depression angle that represents an angle at which the optical axis intersects said level plane, and calculates the inclination angle in consideration of the elevation/depression angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yukio UENAKA
  • Publication number: 20100165127
    Abstract: A photographic apparatus comprises a movable platform and a controller. The movable platform has an imager that captures an optical image through a taking lens, and is movable and rotatable on an xy plane. The controller calculates an inclination angle of the photographic apparatus, and performs a controlled movement of the movable platform for an inclination correction by rotating the movable platform from an initial state on said xy plane in accordance to a rotation quantity of the movable platform. The controller performs the controlled movement to offset the inclination angle by the rotation quantity, when the photographic apparatus is in a first inclination state. The controller performs the controlled movement to maintain an inclined state where the movable platform is rotated from the initial state in accordance to either the first angle or the negative of the first angle, when the photographic apparatus is in a second inclination state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yukio UENAKA
  • Publication number: 20100165124
    Abstract: A photographic apparatus comprises a movable platform and a controller. The movable platform has an imager that captures an optical image through a taking lens, and is movable and rotatable on an xy plane. The controller calculates an inclination angle of the photographic apparatus, which is formed by rotation of the photographic apparatus around the optical axis, and performs a controlled movement of the movable platform for an inclination correction by rotating the movable platform from an initial state on the xy plane in accordance to a rotation quantity of the movable platform. The controller performs the controlled movement so as to compensate the rotation quantity under the condition in which the absolute value of the rotation quantity decreases in accordance to an increasing absolute value of the inclination angle, when the inclination angle is larger than a second angle but less than a third angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yukio UENAKA