Did You Know...
...that the inventor of the electric motor was a blacksmith named Thomas Davenport? Described as "a brilliantly unsuccessful inventor", Davenport invented the first rotary electric motor. In 1836 he headed out -- on foot -- from his Vermont home to file a patent application at the Patent Office in Washington, D.C. By the time he got there, he had squandered away his money and couldn't afford the $30 filing fee so he turned around and went home. When he later mailed in his application with money he'd raised, the Patent office was destroyed in a fire. He did finally get credit for his invention on Feb. 5, 1837.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8177441 | Imaging apparatus An imaging apparatus 10 comprises a lower housing 11, an upper housing 21, an outer camera 25, and at least one photographing button (buttons 14H and 14G). The upper housing 21 is connected to an upper surface of the ... | 05/15/2012 |
| 8147152 | Image sensing apparatus and control method thereof An image sensing apparatus comprises a shutter driving member which drives a shutter blade; a shutter spring which urges the shutter driving member; a shutter charge unit which charges the shutter spring, and is switched between an over-charged state and a travel pr... | 04/03/2012 |
| 7871210 | Imaging device with alignment means for aligning shutter unit and imaging unit An imaging device includes: an image pickup unit including an image pickup element and a control substrate mounted with the image pickup element; and a shutter unit including a blade for adjusting an amount of light reaching the image pickup element and a drive sour... | 01/18/2011 |
| 7722266 | Camera apparatus having shutter control apparatus A camera apparatus includes a lens module, an image detecting module, a shutter and a shutter control apparatus. The shutter is disposed between the lens module and the image detecting module. The shutter control apparatus has a switch for controlling the lens modul... | 05/25/2010 |
| 7597490 | Camera and a portable apparatus having a flat body A camera including a camera body having a substantially flat shape, a photographing optical system configured to perform a photographing operation and accommodated in the camera body, the photographing optical system having a photographing optical axis in a directio... | 10/06/2009 |
| 7452144 | Camera A camera has a shutter release button, held in an initial position, that is movable from the initial position to a full-pressed position via a half-pressed position. The camera has three detectors for detecting that the shutter release button is in the initial, half... | 11/18/2008 |
| 7430366 | Image capture device An image capture device is disclosed which is equipped with an imaging unit, a first motion detector adapted to detect the rotational component of motion, a second motion detector adapted to detect the translational component of the motion, and an image blur compens... | 09/30/2008 |
| 7363742 | Systems and methods for electronic weaponry having audio and/or video recording capability An electronic control device includes an audio and/or video recorder, for example, packaged as a user-replaceable battery module. The audio and/or video recorder records audio and/or video information for a period beginning prior to receiving of a signal by the modu... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7350329 | Scope adjustment method and apparatus A rifle scope system allows adjustment of the scope while a shooter maintains the shooting posture and the scope sight picture. The scope system comprises an adjustment system comprising an electromechanical mechanism that responds to a signal from a remote controll... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7256363 | Intermediate switch actuator array A switch actuator assembly is provided comprising a circuit board housing including an upper housing and a lower housing forming a board compartment. A circuit board assembly, mounted within the board compartment, includes a switch element. A button assembly, positi... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7157720 | Multi-mode charged particle beam device A charged particle device is provided comprising a charged particle source configured to direct charged particles in the direction of a specimen under examination and an imaging device configured to convert charged particles to an image representing the specimen. Th... | 01/02/2007 |
| 6954586 | Camera frame assembly having shutter actuator with telescoping striker and method A camera frame assembly has a frame and a driver mounted to the frame. The driver is rapidly movable relative to the frame from a charged position to a discharged position. A first striker member is joined in fixed relation to the driver. A second striker member tel... | 10/11/2005 |
| 6952528 | Variable force camera control A camera is adjustable such that the force required to actuate one or more of the camera's controls can be adjusted by a camera user. In a preferred embodiment, the force required to depress the camera's shutter release button is adjustable. The force may be adjuste... | 10/04/2005 |
| 6880989 | Push button switch A push button switch includes a push button positioned on a switch base; a biasing member positioned between the push button and the switch base; a switching element having a press portion, the switching element being provided at a position offset from an axis of th... | 04/19/2005 |
| 6847783 | Instant camera and recording apparatus A camera body of an instant camera is provided with four light sources LED1 to LED4 for a display. The four light sources LED1 to LED4 flash on and off in mutually different display modes in accordance with the state of progress of a seri... | 01/25/2005 |
| 6837630 | Camera and a portable apparatus having a flat body A camera including a camera body having a substantially flat shape, a photographing optical system configured to perform a photographing operation and accommodated in the camera body, the photographing optical system having a photographing optical axis in a directio... | 01/04/2005 |
| 6816672 | Lens-fitted photo film unit An operation member is moved from a first position to a third position via a second position. When the operation member is rotated from the second position to the third position, a plate portion integrally formed with the operation member pushes and rotates a change... | 11/09/2004 |
| 6816675 | Self-timing device for activating a camera shutter release mechanism A timer mechanism including a base piece, a top piece, a rod, and a spiral spring. The base piece includes an inner hub forming a threaded surface and a central passage. The top piece includes an inner post that a central passage and a threaded surface for engaging ... | 11/09/2004 |
| 6811332 | Apparatus having push-operatable operation member, and camera An operation button is provided with a shaft portion and a pair of arm portions and projections, and a rear cover is provided with a shaft hole, and a pair of insertion holes and pulling-out preventing portions around the shaft hole. The shaft portion of the operati... | 11/02/2004 |
| 6798983 | Shutter device of lens-fitted photo film unit A shutter device has a shutter drive lever striking a shutter blade to expose an exposure opening, a mooring lever, a cam, and a speed governor. The speed governor includes an escapement wheel with integrally formed two gear wheels, an anchor, and a movable mounting... | 09/28/2004 |
| 6792206 | Photographic firearm apparatus and method A telescopic firearm scope/sight which is fully integrated with a compact digital camera, and which has size, shape and weight characteristics that are substantially the same as those of a conventional, camera-less telescopic scope, is used to photograph a target pr... | 09/14/2004 |
| 6786657 | Camera frame assembly having independently back-pivoting drive hub for impact shutter A camera frame assembly has a base member and a drive hub connected to the base member. A shutter is joined to the drive hub. A shutter driver is mounted to the base member. The shutter driver selectively deflects from a charged state to a discharged state and impac... | 09/07/2004 |
| 6738568 | Camera frame assembly having shutter that slides forward and back with zoom lens A camera frame assembly has a frame that defines an optical axis. A shutter driver is mounted to the frame. The shutter driver selectively deflects from a charged state to a discharged state. A shutter is movable, relative to the frame, in directions parallel to the... | 05/18/2004 |
| 6738088 | Method and device for simultaneous enhancing safety of driving and security of drivers The method and device help avoid traffic accidents and violations through significant enhancing safety and convenience of driving by providing a far better rear and side observation including in darkness, and reliably prevent, if an accident/violation occurs, from m... | 05/18/2004 |
| 6687457 | Camera frame assembly having four-bar linkage shutter actuator A camera fame assembly has a frame and a pair of tie bars extending outward from the frame. The tie bars each have opposed first and second ends. The first ends are spaced apart. The first ends are each pivotally joined to the frame. A parallel bar is piv... | 02/03/2004 |
| 6669381 | Actuator and selector mechanism for compact camera Disclosed herein is a camera having a shutter mechanism; actuating means for actuating the shutter mechanism; and, an aperture selecting assembly that is movable from an initial mode position to at least a first mode position. Also disclosed is an apertur... | 12/30/2003 |
| 6636695 | Dual action shutter release with thumbwheel brake and methods A shutter release-thumbwheel brake for a camera has a thumbwheel, a shutter release, and a sprag. The shutter release is pivotable reative to the thumbwheel between a ready position and a first released position and also between the ready position and a s... | 10/21/2003 |
| 6628901 | Camera A power source is turned on by pivoting of an operation protrusion of a power source dial which protrudes further than a cylindrical outer edge of a grip section, and a shutter button is provided in a position closer to a front side of the camera than a p... | 09/30/2003 |
| 6554501 | Actuator control method and control device A control device for control an actuator comprises a `shape-memory alloy that recovers to prescribed memory dimensions` and `a force application means that applies an external force to the shape-memory alloy and changes its dimensions` has a pre-heating m... | 04/29/2003 |
| 6549729 | Camera that operates in accordance with the speed requirements of the photographer A camera senses the speed with which the photographer actuates the shutter release. This speed is interpreted as a measure of the urgency of the photograph. The camera modifies its operation in accordance with the urgency measure to give appropriate prior... | 04/15/2003 |
| 6493509 | Camera with self-timer for delayed action shutter release A camera has a shutter release button that is depressible to initiate picture-taking, and a self-timer for automatically initiating picture-taking after a predetermined interval of time has elapsed. The self-timer is a flexible resilient diaphragm or thin... | 12/10/2002 |
| 6434338 | Camera with dual-function battery/manual operating button unit A camera comprising a power source battery, and an exteriorly accessible operating button that is manually moveable to initiate at least one operation in the camera, is characterized in that the battery and the operating button are a simultaneously movabl... | 08/13/2002 |
| 6374052 | Camera To provide a camera configured to be supported by the hands of a photographer on the bottom surface of the body thereof whose operability is improved by allowing various settings to be easily made with the camera body supported reliably and allowing a set... | 04/16/2002 |
| 6356713 | Blurring correction apparatus and image taking apparatus having the same A blurring correction controlling section determines a correction direction (deflection direction) from the blurring detected by a blurring detecting/calculating section and corrects the blurring by varying a refractive index of the electric deflection me... | 03/12/2002 |
| 6351605 | Remote control, auto-focus camera system A remote control auto-focus camera system includes a camera body; a transmitter provided separately from the camera body, wherein the transmitter transmits a remote control signal; a focusing device, a photometering device and an exposure device, provided... | 02/26/2002 |
| 6349180 | Camera with flexible shell A camera includes a flexible shell having at least one opening therein and a rigid camera body inside the shell, the camera body having an imaging opening aligned with the at least one opening in the shell.... | 02/19/2002 |
| 6198880 | Lens-fitted film unit having a touch sensor A lens-fitted film unit which includes a photographing film, pre-loaded in the lens-fitted film unit; a photographing lens; a shutter; an electronic flash emission portion; and an electronic flash circuit, connected with the electronic flash emission port... | 03/06/2001 |
| 6173126 | Cameras An improved camera comprising a strobe circuit, a strobe, a shutter mechanism and an actuating mechanism are disclosed. A finger engageable portion of the shutter mechanism operates the shutter. A shield is movable between a first blocking position for bl... | 01/09/2001 |
| 6102585 | Camera having operating buttons which, while arranged in close proximity, are designed to prevent inadvertent operation thereof A camera including a hole drilled in the top surface of the outer housing member of the camera, a shaft extending across and fixed within the hole, a release button mounted within the hole in a manner such that the release button pivots about the shaft, a... | 08/15/2000 |
| 6099172 | Simplified camera mechanisms A simplified camera mechanism and method for allowing an operator to select distinct ones of several apertures by actuation of a finger engageable aperture selector as well as insure return of the selector to an initial mode position as a shutter actuator... | 08/08/2000 |
