Did You Know...
...When G.G. Hubbard learned of his future son-in-law's invention, he called it "only a toy." His daughter was engaged to a young man named Alexander Graham Bell.
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7929851 | Camera module with selectable imaging units and method for switching imaging capability of camera module 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 a... | 04/19/2011 |
| 7773871 | Retractable photographic lens A retractable photographic lens including a photographing optical system includes a plurality of optical elements including at least two radially-retractable optical elements; wherein the plurality of optical elements are aligned with an optical axis in an operating... | 08/10/2010 |
| 7747155 | Zoom lens assembly A zoom lens assembly for a miniature camera, such as those used in cellular telephones and other personal electronic devices, is disclosed. One or more lenses of the zoom lens assembly are moved in and/or out of the optical path of the zoom lens assembly to change t... | 06/29/2010 |
| 7672579 | Retractable lens barrel A lens barrel includes a standard optical element used in a standard photographing operation and an insertable optical element which is selectively inserted into and removed from a photographing optical path. The lens barrel includes an accommodating driving device ... | 03/02/2010 |
| 7606478 | Lens barrel suitable to be housed A retractable lens barrel achieving thinning thereof in both directions parallel and perpendicular to a photographic optical axis. The lens barrel has a first lens and a second lens disposed in an inside thereof, and has a structure in which an optical axis of the s... | 10/20/2009 |
| 7580623 | Lens barrel, camera, and mobile information terminal A lens barrel including a telescopic cylinder configured to be accommodated within a fixed cylinder; a plurality of lens groups configured to be retained in the telescopic cylinder; a lens driving device configured to drive the plurality of lens groups along a longi... | 08/25/2009 |
| 7546029 | Retractable lens system A retractable lens system includes a linearly movable ring; a radially-retractable optical element supported by the linearly movable ring; an exposure control unit supported by the linearly movable ring and adjacent to the radially-retractable optical element; an ex... | 06/09/2009 |
| 7526190 | Automatic focusing apparatus and optical instrument including automatic focusing apparatus An optical instrument including an AF circuit 12 for obtaining focus detection information, focus position detecting means 14 for detecting a position of a focus lens, an extender optical system 9, position detecting means 16 for detectin... | 04/28/2009 |
| 7401987 | Photographing lens having an eccentricity adjusting device A photographing lens includes an eccentricity adjusting frame which holds an eccentricity adjusting lens group serving as a part of a photographing optical system of the photographing lens; a lens support frame, an axis of which is coincident with a predetermined op... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7372638 | Lens barrel There is disclosed a lens barrel including a fixed frame, a rotary frame rotatable with respect to the fixed frame to advance or retract in an optical axis direction, and a rectilinear guide frame rotatable relative to the rotary frame to displace integrally with th... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7369313 | Zoom lens and image pickup apparatus A zoom lens wherein the image plane movement upon lens shifting is minimized. A power variation section and a final lens group are disposed in order from an object side. The power variation section includes at least two lens groups movable in an optical axis directi... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7347565 | Device for mounting and demounting optical element An optical element mounting and demounting device for bringing an optical element (26) into an optical path of an optical lens system and removing it from the optical path includes a holder frame (28) for holding the optical element (26) that is... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7349165 | Clamping apparatus for clamping optical element A clamping apparatus for clamping optical elements (100) includes a first fixture (10), a second fixture (20) and two mounting members (30). The first fixture defines a plurality of holding holes (11). The second fixture defines a ... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7317487 | Compact digital camera with zoom lens system In a digital camera, a solid state imaging device is used to catch subject light so that an image signal is created. The digital camera contributes to effectively implementing further thinness as compare with the conventional ones. A focus lens is revolved between a... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7307797 | Zoom lens system, lens barrel, imaging device and camera A zoom lens system comprising a plurality of lens units each composed of at least one lens element, wherein an interval between at least any two lens units is changed so that an optical image is formed with a continuously variable magnification, the zoom lens system... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7304806 | Lens retraction mechanism and method of the same A lens retraction mechanism slantways retracts a lens from a shooting position to a receiving space. The lens retraction mechanism includes a base body, which includes a substrate, a guide wall disposed on the substrate and the receiving space, a lens guiding frame ... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7295772 | Optical unit and imaging device comprising optical unit A collapsible lens mount optical unit comprises a fixed lens mount, a lens mount movable along the optical axis with respect to the fixed lens mount, an infrared ray intercepting filter interposed between the fixed lens mount and the lens mount. The collapsible lens... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7289725 | Retractable lens barrel A retractable lens barrel includes an annular ring having an axis parallel to and eccentric relative to an optical axis of the lens barrel; a holder accommodated within the annular ring and supporting a holder lens group; a first lens group aligned with the optical ... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7265913 | Movable lens control device A movable lens control device for controlling movements of movable lens groups including a first movable lens group and a second movable lens group, the movable lens control device including a lens driving device for moving the first and second movable lens groups i... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7259923 | Lens barrel A lens barrel, including, a moving frame (2) to hold a lens (8), a direct-advance ring (4) provided on an outer periphery of the moving frame and movable relative to the moving frame in an optical direction, a resilient member (6) provide... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7246955 | Automatic camera lens module retracting/extending apparatus for mobile communication terminals An automatic camera lens module retracting/extending apparatus for mobile communication terminals converts rotating movement of a driving motor into rectilinear movement to automatically retract/extend a camera lens module into/from a mobile communication terminal i... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7229223 | Rotation transfer mechanism and a zoom camera incorporating the rotation transfer mechanism A rotation transfer mechanism includes a rotatable ring and has a circumferential gear formed on a peripheral surface of the rotatable ring, and a rotation transfer gear, wherein rotation of the rotatable ring is transferred to the rotation transfer gear via engagem... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7224536 | Imaging device having a rotatable optical element An imaging device includes a rotatable optical element rotated stepwise only in a forward direction to produce a specific photographic effect; a manual operation device which selectively generates a forward rotation signal indicating a number of angular steps of the... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7218460 | Lens barrel, camera and portable information terminal A lens barrel including a telescopic cylinder accommodated within a fixed cylinder and lenses, the lens barrel having lens retaining frames and a lens driving device which drives the telescopic cylinder between a collapsed position and an extended position, wherein ... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7206136 | Digital camera using multiple lenses and image sensors to provide an extended zoom range A digital camera includes a first image sensor, a first wide angle lens for forming a first image of a scene on the first image sensor; a second image sensor, a zoom lens for forming a second image of the same scene on the second image sensor, a control element for ... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7173772 | Lens barrel A guide bar used in a video lens barrel in the related art has problems of deterioration in supporting accuracy of the lens retaining frame, high manufacturing cost, and upsizing of the lens barrel. Also, in a cam pin type lens barrel, how the lens retaining frame i... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7167644 | Photographing lens A lens barrel includes a housing having a ring portion surrounding an optical axis; a first optical element and a second optical element which are positioned inside the ring portion and which are movable along the optical axis relative to the housing; a support fram... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7164854 | Cam mechanism of a photographing lens A cam mechanism includes a cam ring, and a linearly movable frame supporting an optical element. Cam groove groups are located at different positions in a circumferential direction on the cam ring, and each cam groove group includes cam grooves at different position... | 01/16/2007 |
| 7149420 | Auto-focusing lens with progressive variable focal element An improved method and module for auto focusing utilizes a variable thickness focus element. A different thickness, and thus a different focus, is optically coupled to an image sensor by rotating the focus element. Movement along the optic axis is not required. This... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7139473 | Folding type camera device and folding type portable telephone There are provided a first casing 100A that has a photosensor section 113 for capturing an image, a second casing 100B that has a lens section 122 for projecting the image of a subject onto the photosensor section 113 of the first ... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7123828 | Camera assemblies having overlapping rocker and link projections A camera assembly has a main member having a mount defining an optical axis. A rocker supported by the mount, is pivotable between first and second positions. First and second taking lenses are movable by the rocker between a first configuration, in which the optica... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7120355 | Camera assembly having lens turret and independently movable rocker A camera assembly has a mount defining an optical axis. The mount has opposed first and second stops. A rocker pivots between the stops. An over-center mechanism biases the rocker toward the nearer stop. A lens turret has primary and secondary openings. The lens tur... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7088916 | Retractable lens barrel A retractable lens barrel includes an annular ring having an axis parallel to and eccentric relative to an optical axis of the lens barrel; a holder accommodated within the annular ring and supporting a holder lens group; a first lens group aligned with the optical ... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7079762 | Supporting structure for supporting a rotatable ring A supporting structure for a lens barrel includes an annular ring having an axis and a circumferential engagement surface provided circumferentially around the axis; a first ring having an engagement surface around the axis which contacts the annular ring engagement... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7068929 | Optical element retracting mechanism for a retractable lens A retracting mechanism for a lens barrel includes a non-rotatable member having an engagement surface; and a frame movable along an axis relative to the non-rotatable member without rotation and having a holder, the holder being movable between an aligned position i... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7062163 | Cam mechanism of a photographing lens A cam mechanism includes a cam ring, and a linearly movable frame supporting an optical element. Cam groove groups are located at different positions in a circumferential direction on the cam ring, and each cam groove group includes cam grooves at different position... | 06/13/2006 |
| 7043154 | Photographing lens having an optical element retracting mechanism A retractable lens includes a linearly movable ring, a retractable holder, a holding device, a retracting device, and a flexible PWB configured to connect an electronic component supported inside the linearly movable ring, with an electronic circuit positioned outsi... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7039311 | Rotation transfer mechanism and a zoom camera incorporating the rotation transfer mechanism A rotation transfer mechanism includes a rotatable ring including an annular gear portion on an outer peripheral surface thereof; a rotation transfer gear including a gear portion engageable with the annular gear portion and a rotation limit portion engageable with ... | 05/02/2006 |
| 7035019 | Lens barrel extending and retracting mechanisms A lens barrel extending and retracting mechanism. A photographic optical axis and a central axis of a lens barrel are eccentric such that a first lens group and a second lens group are housed in a side of a CCD separated from the optical axis. The lens barrel is rot... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7035535 | Optical element retracting mechanism for a retractable photographing lens An optical element retracting mechanism includes a linearly movable ring; a swingable holder supported inside the linearly movable ring; a position-controller holding the swingable holder; an internal optical element positioned inside the linearly movable ring on on... | 04/25/2006 |
