Servo Unit Structure Or Mechanism Patents (Class 348/357)
  • Patent number: 8174608
    Abstract: A drive unit and drive module which use a shape memory alloy as a drive source to move a driven member, and which can drive at a high speed, independently of the ambient temperature and the position of the driven member. The timing of moving the driven member is controlled based on the position to which the driven member is moved, and based on the settling time for the driven member moved to that position to settle at that position, thus, the driven section can be moved in the minimum drive time, and this arrangement provides the drive unit and drive module that can drive at a high speed, independently of the ambient temperature and the position of the driven member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Hara, Takeshi Aoi, Natsuko Shiota, Yasutaka Tanimura
  • Publication number: 20120092768
    Abstract: In a lens driving device of the present invention, each magnet is provide to face an outer circumferential face of a first coil, and face a second coil at a position at which the second coil is provided. A first spring member and a second spring member are configured by a plurality of six springs separated from each other, each coil wire end of the first coil and the two of the second coils being connected to a different spring, respectively, and when moving a lens support (5) in the optical axis direction, electric current is flowed through the first coil, and when moving the lens support in an X-Y direction that is orthogonal to the optical axis, a predetermined electric current is flowed through a predetermined one of the second coils.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: SHICOH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Manabu Shiraki, Koji Toyama
  • Publication number: 20120081598
    Abstract: A method for making an actuator device includes forming a substantially planar structure having a stage resiliently supported for movement within a plane of the structure, an actuator coupled to an outer periphery of the stage and operable to apply a force acting in the plane and tangentially to the stage when actuated, the actuator comprising a fixed frame and a moving frame resiliently supported for reciprocal movement relative to the fixed frame by a motion control flexure, and an outer frame surrounding and supporting the stage and the actuator. The moving frame is moved to a deployed position that is coplanar with, parallel to and spaced apart from the fixed frame at a selected distance, and the moving frame is then fixed at the deployed position for substantially rectilinear, perpendicular movement relative to the fixed frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Applicant: DigitalOptics Corporation MEMS
    Inventors: Robert J. Calvet, Xiaolei Liu, Ankur Jain, Lakshminarayan Hariharan, Roman C. Gutierrez
  • Patent number: 8145050
    Abstract: A lens drive device includes: a lens holder holding a lens; a drive source including a rotor rotatably supported; a gear rotated by a rotation of the rotor; and a driven gear rotated by the gear. The lens holder is moved in an optical axis direction by a rotation of the driven gear. The driven gear includes a teeth portion. The teeth portion includes: a meshed portion meshing the gear; and a non-meshed portion abutting the gear to stop the rotations of the gear and the driven gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Precision Inc.
    Inventor: Hisashi Kawamoto
  • Patent number: 8131143
    Abstract: A focus control circuit is installed in an image pickup apparatus including a lens, a driver element for adjusting the position of the lens, and a position detecting element for detecting the position of the lens. An equalizer included in the focus control circuit generates a drive signal used to adjust the position of the lens to a position to be set, based on a difference between the position of the lens identified by the position detecting element and the set position. When an instruction to vary a target position of the lens is received externally, a position setting unit included in the focus control circuit sets sequentially a plurality of positions in a range covering a new target position and a previous target position, to the equalizer before the new target position is reached from the previous target position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignees: Sanyo Semiconductor Co., Ltd., Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Hiroki Nagai, Takeshi Kura, Tomonori Kamiya
  • Patent number: 8115856
    Abstract: A camera module includes a circuit board of a grounding pad, a lens module, and a voice-coil motor. The voice-coil motor for receiving and driving the lens module automatically focus comprises a main body, a metallic casing and a grounding structure. The metallic casing covers the main body. After electrically grounding by connecting with the grounding pad of the circuit board, the grounding structure connects with the metallic casing and the circuit board. With the grounding structure, the metallic casing can be grounded. Thereby, prevent external electro-magnetic waves from affecting electrical signals communicated between the camera module and the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Su-Jen Cheng
  • Publication number: 20120026387
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an actuator allowing a control of displacement and configured to offer a high degree of freedom in designing, and a drive device and an imaging device including the actuator. To achieve the object, an actuator is adopted including a movable part deformable in accordance with heat generation and a control section controlling the amount of deformation of the movable part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc
    Inventors: Akira Kosaka, Yasutaka Tanimura, Takashi Matsuo, Natsuki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8107006
    Abstract: A camera module 1 of the present invention includes a moving magnet type mechanical shutter 2 and a lens unit 3 (lens drive section) for driving a lens by electromagnetic force. A magnetic field for driving the lens is set so that a light path is closed by a shutter fin while a magnetic field leaked from the lens unit 3 is acting on a drive mechanism of the mechanical shutter 2. With the configuration, the leak magnetic field leaked from the lens unit 3 causes the light path to be closed at a faster speed by the shutter fin of the mechanical shutter 2. Accordingly, generation of a smear can be prevented by the camera module including the lens drive section and the moving magnet type mechanical shutter, which are driven by the electromagnetic force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Sekimoto, Atsushi Semi
  • Publication number: 20110317060
    Abstract: An image blur correction apparatus includes: a fixed member; a first driven unit pivotally supported by the fixed member around a first support shaft extending in a direction parallel to an optical axis direction; a second driven unit holding a lens or an imaging device and pivotally supported by the first driven unit around a second support shaft extending in the direction parallel to the optical axis direction; a first actuator that pivots the first and second driven units around the first support shaft; and a second actuator that pivots the second driven unit around the second support shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Tatsuyuki NAKAYAMA
  • Publication number: 20110317061
    Abstract: An interchangeable lens that is detachably mounted at a camera body includes: a photographic optical system that includes a first drive target member and a second drive target member, a drive condition of each of which changes; and a drive condition information transmission unit that transmits to the camera body first drive condition information pertaining to the drive condition of the first drive target member and second drive condition information pertaining to the drive condition of the second optical member. The drive condition information transmission unit transmits the first drive condition information with a first frequency and transmits the second drive condition information with a second frequency lower than the first frequency by attaching the second drive condition information to the first drive condition information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuharu IMAFUJI, Masafumi OIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20110304766
    Abstract: An infrared (IR) camera comprising: a camera housing having an image capturing device; an objective with an optical lens system for generating an IR image of an object; a focusing mechanism for focusing the optical lens system; a focus ring that is displaceably mounted on the objective and adapted to control an electromechanical focusing servo system actuating the focusing mechanism dependent on a displacement of the focus ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: FLIR Systems AB
    Inventors: Rune Bergqvist, Katrin Strandemar, Ove Gustafsson
  • Patent number: 8077246
    Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an imaging processing method where a plurality of images are picked up while an imaging direction of a camera is being changed. The images are combined into a composite image. A target region is specified within the composite image. An imaging direction and an imaging magnification for imaging an object included in the target region in a predetermined size are calculated based on a position and a size of the target region in the composite image and an imaging parameter set for the camera when the plurality of images are picked up. Accordingly, the imaging direction and the imaging magnification for imaging the object to be imaged can be set easily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Mori, Masakazu Matsugu, Masami Kato, Yusuke Mitarai, Yuji Kaneda, Hiroshi Sato
  • Patent number: 8068167
    Abstract: In a shape memory alloy actuator driving device, a predetermined constant current is applied to a shape memory alloy member as a retrieval signal to detect a terminal voltage of the shape memory alloy member, and a detection result of the terminal voltage is compared with a target voltage value to be calculated based on a target resistance value of the shape memory alloy member and a value of the constant current to cause a driving circuit to output, to the shape memory alloy member, a drive current that makes the detection result substantially equal to the target voltage value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Honda, Yasutaka Tanimura
  • Publication number: 20110234887
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image capture device that can cut down power dissipation and reduce noise at the same time. The image capture device includes: an imager; at least one lens for producing a subject image on the imager; an actuator for driving the at least one lens in accordance with a control signal; and a driver for outputting the control signal. The driver changes, according to a condition of a subject being shot, the control signals to output from an analog control signal into a digital control signal, or vice versa.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi SHIMOHATA, Motonori OGURA
  • Patent number: 8000592
    Abstract: A driving circuit for a photographing module includes a load comprising three coils and four signal input ends; a power source configured to drive the coils and capable of providing an intermediate level between a supply voltage level and a ground level; and a set of electronic switch elements. The driving circuit controls the magnitudes and directions of the electric currents flowing through the coils by switching the set of electronic switch elements, thereby enabling the photographing module to perform auto-focusing and compensate for an angle of inclination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Largan Precision Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chen Yi Huang, Te Sheng Tseng, Chao Yang Chen, Wen Hung Hsu
  • Patent number: 7990460
    Abstract: A method of focusing a digital camera module with an image sensor including capturing an image of a test target with the digital camera module, determining a focus quality of the image with the image sensor, outputting a signal related to the focus quality of the image from the digital camera module to a focusing station external to the digital camera module, and determining whether a position of a lens from the image sensor within the digital camera module should be altered to improve a focus quality of subsequently captured images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Aptina Imaging Corporation
    Inventors: John S. Wenstrand, Patricia E. Johnson, Richard L. Baer
  • Patent number: 7990463
    Abstract: A multi-stage lens driving device for driving an optical lens so as to perform the functions of zooming and/or focusing comprises: a front cover, a rear cover, a plurality of yokes, a plurality of driving coils, a lens seat, and a plurality of permanent magnets. The front cover is a hollow annular cover having a plurality of recesses formed on an inner periphery thereof and a plurality of holders on an outer periphery thereof. The rear cover can be combined with the front cover, thereby forming a receiving space therebetween. The lens seat is a hollow housing disposed in the receiving space. The yokes are provided in the recesses formed on the inner periphery of the front cover. The permanent magnets are surrounding and embedded in an outer periphery of the lens seat, disposed in correspondence to the yokes and spaced therefrom by a predetermined distance. The driving coils are provided respectively on the holders of the front cover, and correspond respectively to the yokes received in the recesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Inventors: Wen Jen Ho, Chi Lone Chang, Wen Tsai Hsu
  • Patent number: 7990464
    Abstract: A focusing device includes a vertical-synchronization-signal generator generating a vertical-synchronization-signal sequence including vertical synchronization signals, an excitation-sequence generator generating an excitation sequence according to the vertical-synchronization-signal sequence and applying excitation according to the excitation sequence, and a driving module driving a lens of an imaging system according to the excitation sequence. Vertical-synchronization-signal times are formed between two adjacent vertical synchronization signals. A first vertical-synchronization-signal time and a last vertical-synchronization-signal time are formed at a beginning and an end of the vertical-synchronization-signal sequence respectively. Each vertical-synchronization-signal time includes a sub time and an exposure time arranged sequentially.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chia-Nan Shih
  • Patent number: 7973849
    Abstract: An aspect of the present invention provides an image taking apparatus, comprising: a solid-state image sensor; and a taking lens including a lens barrel that houses a lens disposed in front of the solid-state image sensor, wherein a shielding member that blocks an electromagnetic wave radiated from the front surface of the solid-state image sensor is provided on an outer circumference of the lens barrel, and a metallic member electrically floating in the lens barrel is grounded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Oishi, Hajime Inoue, Toshiharu Izumi, Tadashi Jogetsu
  • Publication number: 20110157458
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method and system for focusing, which modulates a broadband light into a dispersive light having a higher dispersion characteristic and a lower dispersion characteristic, and the dispersion light is projected onto an object so as to form an object light. By means of the filtering and dividing procedure, a first optical spectrum of the dispersion light with respect to the higher dispersion characteristic is utilized to detect a height information of the surface profile of the object. Then, according to the height information, a second optical spectrum of the dispersion light with respect to the lower dispersion characteristic is adjusted to focus onto the object so that an imaging sensing device is capable of sensing the object light with respect to the lower dispersion characteristic, and thereby obtaining a clear and focusing image corresponding to the surface of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2010
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: JIN-LIANG CHEN, Chun-Chieh Wang, Hau-Wei Wang, Shih-Hsuan Kuo, Leh-Rong Chang, Huang-Wen Lai
  • Patent number: 7952639
    Abstract: An actuator element comprises at least two actuator arms. Each of the at least two actuator arms is fixed to a first mount part at a first end of the actuator arm and to a second mount part at a second end of the actuator arm. The at least two actuator arms are configured to cause moving of the first mount part and the second mount part in respect of each other by application of an electric field to the at least two actuator arms. A lens element may comprise the actuator element and a lens mounted on the first mount part. An electronic device may comprise the actuator element or the lens element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventor: Peter Sladen
  • Publication number: 20110115968
    Abstract: An optical system of the present invention includes a storage unit which stores an operated position of an operation unit and a position of an optical member. When the power supply to the optical system terminates and then restarts, a control unit compares the stored operated position and the operated position detected by a first sensing unit upon restart. If they are different, the control unit controls a driving unit such that the position of the optical member detected by a second sensing unit can be a target position. If they are the same, the control unit controls the driving unit such that the position of the optical member detected by the second sensing unit can be the stored position of the optical member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomoaki Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 7920206
    Abstract: There is provided a camera module package. A camera module package according to an aspect of the invention includes a bonding unit at an inner surface of a housing including an optical system and a filter adhered to the bonding unit by an adhesive. Here, the bonding unit corresponding to the filter has a longitudinal central region corresponding to a gate and an overflow unit of a runner hardening unit provided when the housing is injection molded, and left and right regions while the longitudinal central region has a smaller surface height than each of the left and right regions, and the adhesive provided between the bonding unit and the filter has a predetermined thickness so that maximum thermal stress generated in the housing has a relatively smaller value than adhesive strength of the adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yang Ho Moon, Seung Su Park
  • Publication number: 20110063495
    Abstract: This invention provides a photographing module at least including an electrically controlled actuator, an elastic member, and a photo sensor. The electrically controlled actuator at least comprises a fixed element, a movable element, and an electrical unit and at least provides an axial displacement, wherein the movable element is connected to the lens unit and the electrical unit electrically communicates with the elastic member. The elastic member at least comprises a fixed portion, a movable portion, an elastic portion, and a pair of power supply terminals, wherein the fixed portion and the movable portion are respectively connected to the fixed element and the movable element. The photo sensor is positioned on an image side of the photographing module and connected to the fixed member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: LARGAN PRECISION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Te Sheng Tseng, Chen Yi Huang
  • Patent number: 7893989
    Abstract: A camera unit includes a soft substrate on which electrode regions and an image pickup device region are disposed, a driving electrode group disposed on one of the electrode regions, an image pickup device disposed on the image pickup device region, stationary unit frame attaching portions disposed at positions surrounding the image pickup device region, a stationary unit frame attached to the stationary unit frame attaching portions, and movable units disposed in the stationary unit frame. The soft substrate is bent along bending positions between the electrode regions and the image pickup device region, the electrode regions are fixed on sides of the stationary unit frame inwardly thereof, and the image pickup device region is fixed on an end surface of the stationary unit frame toward the movable units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Akihiro Koga, Toshikatsu Akiba, Yasuo Shima, Hiroyuki Kayano, Makoto Aoki
  • Patent number: 7893992
    Abstract: Device comprising a camera module with automatic focusing itself comprising an optical chip (8) and an optical block (7), the optical block (7) integrating at least an objective (3), at least a focusing means (11) for adjusting the focus of the objective (3), the optical chip (8) integrating at least an image sensor (14) placed on a first face of a substrate of the optical chip (8). This optical chip (8) also includes a microprocessor (4) placed on the same substrate, receiving image signals originating from the image sensor (14) and generating a control signal based on the said image signals, that is applied to the said focusing means (11) to focus the objective (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventor: Julien Vittu
  • Patent number: 7864241
    Abstract: A lens barrel includes: a lens frame retaining at least one portion of the plurality of lens groups; a first lens cylinder supporting the lens frame inside thereof and including a plurality of cam followers on an outer circumferential section thereof; and a second lens cylinder including a mutually parallel plurality of cam grooves in an inner circumferential section thereof and storing the first lens cylinder therein in the collapsed state, the plurality of cam grooves are engaged with the plurality of cam followers and configured to advance and retire the first lens cylinder in a direction of an optical axis by a relative rotation of the first lens cylinder, the plurality of cam grooves have a first cam grooves and a second cam grooves, the plurality of cam followers have a first cam follower and a second cam follower, the first cam follower and the second cam follower are engaged with the first cam grooves and the second cam grooves, respectively, and the first cam follower and the second cam follower are
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tetsuya Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 7855746
    Abstract: A lens barrel including a plurality of lens groups; a plurality of lens retaining frames; a telescopic cylinder retained by a fixed base member and configured to retain a portion of the plurality of lens retaining frames inside of the telescopic cylinder; and a lens retaining frames driving device configured to drive the plurality of lens retaining frames. A portion of the lens retaining frames driving device for driving the lens-retracting frame which is one of the lens retaining frames is formed to project backwardly in a direction of an optical axis from a rear end surface of the fixed base member for retaining the telescopic cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tetsuya Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 7847856
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a digital camera having a camera body and a lens unit removably mounted on the camera body, in which the camera body calculates, based on information related to the lens unit, an optimum moving speed as an optimum speed for moving the lens unit upon causing the lens unit to perform focusing by an imager AF method (hill-climbing method).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Olympus Imaging Corp.
    Inventor: Hisayuki Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7831139
    Abstract: A camera module includes a barrel for receiving at least a first lens, an actuator, and a holder. The actuator includes an annular stator and a carrying member. The stator is connected to the barrel and defines a plurality of spaced parallel inner branches in an inner side thereof. The carrying member is received in the stator and defines a through hole therein for receiving at least a second lens. The carry member defines a plurality of spaced parallel outer branches in the outer sidewall thereof. The outer branches are alternately interleaved between the inner branches and have a voltage thereacross for driving the carrying member to move forward and backward. The holder is connected to the barrel and configured for receiving the barrel and the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Pei-Ching Kuo
  • Patent number: 7831140
    Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for auto-focusing including: a sensing unit sensing a current position of a lens moving within a predetermined range along a moving shaft; an A/D converter converting a lens position value from the sensing unit into a digital signal; a lens position control unit generating a signal for moving the lens to a target lens position determined by an auto-focusing algorithm; a driving signal generating unit generating a square wave signal according to the signal from the lens position control unit; and an operation unit connected to the A/D converter and controlling a time at which the A/D converter performs conversion according to the square wave signal from the driving signal generating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chan Woo Park, Kyoung Soo Kwon
  • Patent number: 7787044
    Abstract: A lens module includes a lens barrel, a first lens, an adjusting disk and at least one first elastic member. The first lens has at least three first sloping portions thereon each having a lower end and a higher end gradually sloping from the lower end. The first sloping portions arranged end to end with the higher end of each first sloping portion being adjacent to the lower end of the corresponding adjacent first sloping portion, with the first sloping portions arranged on a common circular path. The adjusting disk has a first surface and an opposite second surface. The adjusting disk is rotatably mounted on the lens barrel. The adjusting disk has at least three first protrusions on the first surface thereof. The first protrusions respectively abut the first sloping portions of the first lens. The first elastic member biases the first lens toward the adjusting disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jen-Tsorng Chang
  • Patent number: 7747159
    Abstract: A focusing device capable of setting (S402) a focusing area according to a detection result of a target subject, wherein even if the target subject is no longer detected, when the target subject is assumed to be present, the velocity of the movement of the focusing lens (104) is made slower. Thus, even if the target subject can no longer be detected, it is possible to suppress the in-focus position from changing significantly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaaki Uenishi
  • Patent number: 7719604
    Abstract: An aberration compensation system for digital camera and a method therefor are provided, wherein the system includes an optical lens, an axial moving mechanism, a photosensitive element, and an image unit. The photosensitive element is loaded on the axial moving mechanism, and generates a first and a second image at a first and a second focus position. After receiving the first and second images, the image unit respectively calculates a first and a second image capture region and then synthesizes the two regions into a third image. The method includes using the optical lens to project the light beams of an object to be shot, generating the first image and second images, and capturing the distinct portions of the first and second images to be synthesized into the third image. Thereby, the system and method can solve the non-uniformity of the definitions at the center and periphery of each image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Altek Corporation
    Inventor: Yu-Cheng Huang
  • Patent number: 7705909
    Abstract: A camera module for small digital cameras and camera-equipped cellular phones includes a lens unit; a holder housing the lens unit and displaceable along an optical axis; a coil on the holder; a yoke and magnets in the yoke providing a magnetic field to the coil; a leaf spring for supporting the holder; and an imaging element below the lens unit. The leaf spring includes an outer annular portion attached to the yoke, an inner annular portion attached to the holder, and bridge portions coupled between the outer and inner annular portion to resiliently support the inner annular portion. Each bridge portion has an outer and an inner annular portion side base part, and extends between an inner peripheral edge of the outer annular portion and an outer peripheral edge of the inner annular portion, the outer annular portion welded to the top surface of the yoke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Ishizawa, Tomohiko Osaka
  • Patent number: 7675565
    Abstract: A digital camera module includes a lens assembly, a magnetic field generator, a shell and radially magnetized magnets. The magnetic field generator has a moving direction and surrounds the lens assembly. The shell covers the lens assembly. The radially magnetized magnets are disposed separately in the moving direction and at two sides of the magnetic field generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Lite-On Technology Corp.
    Inventor: Hsu-Ting Cheng
  • Patent number: 7675566
    Abstract: A camera module 100 includes a movable section 10 that includes a lens 11, a fixed section 30 having a hollow space extending in the optical axis direction of the lens 11, and an elastic body 40 that elastically supports the movable section 10 and the fixed section 30, an imaging element 3 that is fixed to the fixed section 30 and has a light-receiving surface perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens 11, a plurality of magnets 31a, 31b, 31c, and 31d arranged along the fixed section 30, and a coil section 22 provided in the movable section 10. The elastic body 40 includes an upper spring 41a and a lower spring 41b, which support the fixed section 30 between adjacent ones of the magnets 31a, 31b, 31c, and 31d along the arrangement direction of these magnets on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens 11. With this configuration, it is possible to provide a camera module with an automatic focusing control function, whose thickness can be reduced remarkably.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Tagome, Satoshi Tamaki, Takashi Haruguchi
  • Publication number: 20100039550
    Abstract: A bearing assembly suitable for use in a gimbal servo system is provided. The bearing assembly comprises a shaft having an end adapted to be coupled to a payload, a sleeve disposed over the shaft, an inner bearing rotatingly coupled to the shaft and the sleeve, an outer housing disposed over the sleeve, an outer bearing rotatingly coupled to the sleeve and the outer housing such that the sleeve is adapted to rotate about the shaft relative to the housing, a first motor operatively configured to rotate the shaft relative to the outer housing, and a second motor operatively configured to rotate the sleeve about the shaft. The second motor rotates the sleeve in a predetermined direction at a predetermined velocity such that a sum of the predetermined velocity and a velocity associated with inner bearing friction remains positive regardless of the direction of the shaft rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2007
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Applicant: DRS Sensors & Targeting Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Edward Bruce Baker
  • Patent number: 7656460
    Abstract: A camera assembly may include an autofocus assembly that selectively imparts a first displacement between a lens assembly and an imaging sensor and a second displacement between the lens assembly and the imaging sensor. The autofocus assembly includes at least one positioner and an actuator. The actuator is configured to move the positioner between a first position in which the positioner contacts a first surface that is in a first plane corresponding to the first displacement and second position in which the positioner contacts a second surface that is in a second plane corresponding to the second displacement. The first and second planes may be offset so that a distance between the first displacement and the second displacement directly corresponds to a distance between the first and second planes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB
    Inventor: Mats Göran Henry Wernersson
  • Patent number: 7652711
    Abstract: In relation to a lens control system where a control signal indicating a target zooming speed is delivered to a lens controller in accordance with operation of a zoom demand and where the lens controller subjects the control signal to non-linear processing to thus effect zoom control, thereby facilitating operation required when a zoom lens is moved at low speed, the lens control system includes a lens controller switching the linear processing between valid and invalid, whereby the lens control system does not excessively perform non-linear processing when the zoom demand outputs a non-linear control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Fujinon Corporation
    Inventor: Atsushi Kanayama
  • Patent number: 7643744
    Abstract: A lens driving device has first and second driving units for moving first and second lens holders supporting first and second sets of lens elements in an optical axis direction, respectively. The first and second driving units each have a motor, a gear fitted around an output shaft of the motor, a lead screw rotated by the gear, and a nut fitted around the lead screw. The output shafts of the first and second motors overlap each other in their axial direction. The first and second driving units move the first and second lens holders in the optical axis direction via the respective nuts moving in the optical axis direction. An image pickup plane side end face of the motor of the first driving unit is positioned more to the image pickup plane side than a position most to the subject side of the second lens holder is.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masayuki Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 7634182
    Abstract: A lens apparatus which can remove a backlash positively is provided. In the lens apparatus, a drive source is controlled so as to performing: moving a focus lens from a reference position toward one end of an optical lens stroke, and moving the focus lens toward the other end of the optical lens stroke. When the focus lens reaches the other end of the optical lens stroke, the drive source is controlled so as to perform moving the focus toward the reference position, and further, when a focus point position is determined to be between the reference position and the other end of the optical lens stroke as well as when it is detected that the focus lens reaches the reference position, the drive source is controlled so as to perform moving the focus lens from the reference position toward one end of the optical lens stroke by an amount to removal of a backlash, and moving the focus lens up to the focus point position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Fujinon Corporation
    Inventor: Junichi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7634190
    Abstract: An exemplary lens module (20) includes a lens barrel (5), a focusing mechanism (7), a resilient member (9), and a bottom seat (6). The lens barrel is mounted with a lens (517) therein. The lens barrel is axially movable relative to the bottom seat due to a rotation of the focusing mechanism and the force generated by the resilient member. Such an axial movement, in turn, would change a position of the lens relative to the bottom seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tsung-Wei Chiang
  • Patent number: 7620307
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes a relative phase detecting unit operable to detect an amount of change in a relative phase associated with movement of a movable portion; an origin point position detecting unit operable to detect that the position of a reference part passes through an origin point; a relative position deriving unit operable to derive information on a relative position of the movable portion; a relative detection position retaining unit operable to retain a relative detection position of the movable portion based on the information on the relative position obtained at the time of the detection by the origin point position detecting unit; a calculating unit operable to calculate an absolute detection phase based on the relative detection position of the movable portion and to generate a drive signal based on the absolute detection phase; and a driving unit operable to move the movable portion to the reset position based on the drive signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Toshio Katayama
  • Patent number: 7619684
    Abstract: An optical structure is disposed on a surface of a device substrate, and a lens system for introducing external light into a solid-state image pickup device is placed in the center of the optical structure. The outer shape of the optical structure seen from the light incident side of the lens system is rectangular, and its plane shape forms a rectangular frame section. An intermediate structure is disposed between the device substrate and the optical structure. The intermediate structure has a fitting section for fitting the optical structure in a part of side faces of the frame section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Shicoh Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuitsu Nishida, Tohru Shigeta, Hidetoshi Nishimura, Yoshinori Tanida, Naoki Sekiguchi, Morimasa Yoshie
  • Patent number: 7595836
    Abstract: A drive controller is provided and controls the supply of driving pulses in such a way as to make an extension speed and a contraction speed along a direction of a piezoelectric element differ to cause the piezoelectric element to extend and contract, so as to move a lens, the drive controller including an AF evaluation value-measuring device for measuring an AF evaluation value in a driving direction of the lens, a return pulse number-calculating device for calculating a maximum value-presuming position so as to calculate a return pulse number, a reverse movement-control device for returning the lens in a reverse direction, a threshold calculating device for calculating an evaluation value threshold, a measurement and determination means for remeasuring the AF evaluation value and determining whether or not an AF re-evaluation value is equal to or larger than the evaluation value threshold, and an AF evaluation value remeasuring device for remeasuring an AF evaluation value in the reverse direction of the le
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: Fujinon Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Akiba, Hideo Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7570299
    Abstract: An automatic focusing system comprising: a plurality of image pickup surfaces of an AF image pickup device for taking images of a subject for performing automatic focusing of a picture taking lens, the image pickup surfaces being placed at such positions that the length of optical paths to the image pickup surfaces differ from each other; a common optical path which is a portion of an optical path through which subject light entering the picture taking lens are supplied to the plurality of image pickup surfaces, and through which the entire subject light to be incident on the image pickup surfaces passes; a light splitting device which splits the subject light supplied through the common optical path into subject lights respectively incident on the plurality of image pickup surfaces; a focusing control device which controls focusing of the picture taking lens on the basis of contrasts in the subject images obtained through the plurality of image pickup surfaces so that a correct focus on the subject is ach
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Fujinon Corporation
    Inventor: Koshi Kuwakino
  • Patent number: 7564498
    Abstract: To provide a camera that is suited to shoot both a demagnified image and a magnified image. The camera includes a housing body 11 containing a CCD 15, and a lens barrel 12. An abutted member 20 having an objective lens 40 therein is engaged with the lens barrel 12 and a rotatable manually-controlled member 30 is fitted around that lens barrel. The abutted member 20 moves back and forth in the direction of an optical axis K in response to the rotation of the manually-controlled member 30. A user can move the abutted member 20 and the objective lens 40 back and forth by controlling the manually-controlled member 30. A magnified image can be photographed with the manually-controlled member 30 at its advanced position while a demagnified image can be photographed with the manually-controlled member 30 at its retracted position. The focal point of the objective lens 40 falls on the center of an end of the abutted member 20 located at the position for shooting a magnified image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Scalar Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7561202
    Abstract: A digital camera 100 including a lens unit 1a, and a first actuator 71 and a second actuator 72, which deform by being supplied with electric power, thereby moving the lens unit. The digital camera 100 includes a ROM 12 which stores stop position data in which the operation amount of the actuators for moving the lens unit to a predetermined stop position is defined based on operating properties of the actuators, which corresponds to use environmental conditions of the digital camera. The digital camera 100 includes an operation amount obtaining section (for example, a CPU 13 or the like) for obtaining the operation amount of the actuators from the stop position data stored in the ROM based on the operating properties of the actuators, which correspond to the specified use environmental conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.
    Inventor: Makoto Goto
  • Patent number: 7557856
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus includes a shooting device, a housing and a switch ring rotatably engaged with and fixed onto said housing, wherein when said switch ring is rotated, a focal point for photography of said shooting device is manually switched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Kazunori Murayama, Takashi Suzuki, Tomoyuki Nagamine, Manabu Hongo, Haruyoshi Yada, Yoshiya Matsumoto