Movable Into Or Out Of Light Path Patents (Class 396/270)
  • Patent number: 7929851
    Abstract: A camera module includes a first lens assembly, a second lens assembly, an image sensor module, a first driving device and a second driving device. The first lens assembly is positioned on an optical axis of the camera module. The second lens assembly is coaxially aligned with the first lens assembly and movable along the optical axis. The image sensor module includes a first image sensor and a second image sensor at opposite sides thereof. The first driving device is for driving the second lens assembly to move backward and forward along the optical axis. The second driving device is for driving the image sensor module to move down and up along directions nonparallel to the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yen-Chun Chen, Sheng-Jung Yu, Hou-Yao Lin
  • Patent number: 7884568
    Abstract: A portable electronic device comprises a main body, a lens module and a solar panel. The main body comprises a battery pack and a photosensitive element. The lens module is connected with the main body. The solar panel is disposed between the photosensitive element and the lens module, and the solar panel is electrically connected with the battery pack. The solar panel is able to receive the light focused by the lens module and convert the light into electricity to supply to the battery pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Altek Corporation
    Inventor: Hsiao-Chang Yao
  • Patent number: 7471887
    Abstract: A lens barrel includes a radially-retractable optical element constituting a part of a photographing optical system, the radially-retractable optical element being movable between a photographing position located on an optical axis of the photographing optical system, and a radially-retracted position located on an off-optical-axis position; a swing member which is rotatable about a rotation axis extending parallel to the optical axis, the swing member being associated with the radially-retractable optical element so as to move the radially-retractable optical element from the photographing position to the radially-retracted position by a forward rotation thereof and from the radially-retracted position to the photographing position by rearward rotation thereof; and a retracted position holding device for maintaining the radially-retractable optical element in the retracted position when the swing member further rotates in the forward direction even after the radially-retractable optical element reaches the r
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Nomura
  • Patent number: 7389040
    Abstract: A lens barrel includes a radially-retractable optical element constituting a part of photographing optical system, and is movable between a photographing position and a radially-retracted position; a biasing device for biasing the radially-retractable optical element toward the photographing position; and a swing member which is rotatable about a rotation axis extending parallel to the optical axis, the swing member being rotated so as to push the radially-retractable optical element against a biasing force of the biasing device to move the radially-retractable optical element to the radially-retracted position. The radially-retractable optical element and the swing member are mutually positioned so that a moving amount of the radially-retractable optical element per unit of rotation angle of the swing member gradually decreases as the radially-retractable optical element moves from the photographing position to the radially-retracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: HOYA Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Nomura
  • Patent number: 6507708
    Abstract: A camera-type image input apparatus comprises a light-receiving element disposed in a light-receiving area for receiving light from an object through a lens, and light-emitting elements disposed in the light-receiving area to irradiate the object through the lens. Since the light-emitting elements disposed in the light-receiving area irradiate the object through the lens to have an irradiation pattern formed on the object, a user can perform viewing and focusing based on such an irradiation pattern. Hence, viewing and focusing can be performed efficiently, and distortion-free pictures can be taken.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Kanda
  • Patent number: 6366323
    Abstract: A digital camera which includes: a photographic lens movable along an optical axis thereof between a retracted position and a photographing position in front of the retracted position; an image pick-up device on which an object image is formed through the photographic lens, the image pick-up device being guided to be movable between a first position where the image pick-up device is positioned in a photographic optical path of the photographic lens behind the photographic lens and a second position where the image pick-up device is positioned out of the photographic optical path; and a mechanism for moving the image pick-up device between the first position and the second position, wherein the moving mechanism moves the image pick-up device to the first position when the photographic lens is moved from the retracted position to the photographing position, and wherein the moving mechanism moves the image pick-up device to the second position when the photographic lens is moved from the photographing position t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuji Shono
  • Publication number: 20020025159
    Abstract: A camera-type image input apparatus comprises a light-receiving element disposed in a light-receiving area for receiving light from an object through a lens, and light-emitting elements disposed in the light-receiving area to irradiate the object through the lens. Since the light-emitting elements disposed in the light-receiving area irradiate the object through the lens to have an irradiation pattern formed on the object, a user can perform viewing and focusing based on such an irradiation pattern. Hence, viewing and focusing can be performed efficiently, and distortion-free pictures can be taken.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2001
    Publication date: February 28, 2002
    Applicant: PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masao Kanda
  • Patent number: 6031998
    Abstract: A digital still camera having an image pickup device which picks up an image formed by a photographing lens includes a photographing lens provided with at least two lens groups of which the rearmost lens group does not move in the optical axis direction and a sealing member which seals a photographing light path defined between the rearmost lens group and the image pickup device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuji Shono
  • Patent number: 5950018
    Abstract: A panoramic camera has a camera housing rotatable about an axis of rotation that defines a viewpoint which points along a radial optical path that object rays traverse as the camera is rotated about its axis; a lens assembly having an optical path and a front nodal point mounted for rotation with the camera housing with the optical path of the lens offset from the radial optical path; a specular assembly including an object specular member along the radial optical path mounted for rotation with the housing that cooperates with the lens assembly for gathering object rays that traverse the radial optical path and for deviating them along the optical path of the lens assembly in such a way that the front nodal point of the lens subassembly virtually appears to lie on the axis of rotation thereby eliminating image smearing; and has different ambient light responsive controller embodiments operative either to continuously vary or to preset exposure, or to base exposure on a control sinewave whose phase is obtained
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1999
    Inventor: James McNeel Keller
  • Patent number: 5907727
    Abstract: A device for exposure metering in photographic cameras including a reflector located in the imaging beam path. The surface of the reflector is provided with a reflecting structure whose size corresponds at least approximately to that of the image recording format. At least one photoelectric receiver records the light intensity of a portion of the image reflected from the reflecting structure. The reflector is pivotally mounted in the camera housing such that during exposure metering the reflector surface is in the vicinity of the film plane of the camera. A limited portion of the reflector is transparent and a photoelectric receiver is set into the backside of the reflector behind the transparent portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1999
    Assignee: Leica Camera AG
    Inventors: Walter Bletz, Robert Denk, Gerhard Kranz, Rolf Magel
  • Patent number: 5895132
    Abstract: In an exposure precision tester for a camera, including a flexible wiring board where a photometric sensor is implemented is contained in a case. The case has an appearance similar to that of a film cartridge loaded by drop-in operation and is insertable into a film cartridge cell of the camera. Exposure test can be performed without a back lid because the photometric sensor measures and outputs the exposure energy in the state that the photometric sensor is positioned at a film mask portion by rotating an operation part of a feed shaft with the case being inserted in the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1999
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Asakura, Shinya Takahashi, Kiyoshi Doi, Akira Watanabe, Tadashi Ushiyama, Akira Inoue
  • Patent number: 5668919
    Abstract: A camera includes a photometric optical system and a range measuring optical system which are provided independently of a photographing optical system so that the optical path of the photometric optical system and that of a projection or reception system of the range measuring optical system go through a single window. In this way, space-saving of the front of a camera body can be intended to facilitate compactness of the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1997
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazumi Ito
  • Patent number: RE40609
    Abstract: A digital camera which includes: a photographic lens movable along an optical axis thereof between a retracted position and a photographing position in front of the retracted position; an image pick-up device on which an object image is formed through the photographic lens, the image pick-up device being guided to be movable between a first position where the image pick-up device is positioned in a photographic optical path of the photographic lens behind the photographic lens and a second position where the image pick-up device is positioned out of the photographic optical path; and a mechanism for moving the image pick-up device between the first position and the second position, wherein the moving mechanism moves the image pick-up device to the first position when the photographic lens is moved from the retracted position to the photographing position, and wherein the moving mechanism moves the image pick-up device to the second position when the photographic lens is moved from the photographing position t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuji Shono
  • Patent number: RE40610
    Abstract: A digital camera which includes: a photographic lens movable along an optical axis thereof between a retracted position and a photographing position in front of the retracted position; an image pick-up device on which an object image is formed through the photographic lens, the image pick-up device being guided to be movable between a first position where the image pick-up device is positioned in a photographic optical path of the photographic lens behind the photographic lens and a second position where the image pick-up device is positioned out of the photographic optical path; and a mechanism for moving the image pick-up device between the first position and the second position, wherein the moving mechanism moves the image pick-up device to the first position when the photographic lens is moved from the retracted position to the photographing position, and wherein the moving mechanism moves the image pick-up device to the second position when the photographic lens is moved from the photographing position t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuji Shono