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"Flight by machines heavier than air is unpractical and insignificant, if not utterly impossible."
Simon Newcomb, astronomer ; Said in 1902, less than two years before the first flight at Kitty Hawk
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8135267 | Autofocus imaging optical system and image pickup device An image pickup device in which reflectance in a central portion of the splitting optical system is configured large and that in a peripheral portion is configured small, to thereby selectively reflect only a light beam for focus detection in focus detection means a... | 03/13/2012 |
| 8135268 | Lens control apparatus, optical apparatus and lens control method The optical apparatus includes a focus signal generator generating a focus signal from a photoelectrical conversion signal of an optical image formed by an optical system including a first lens unit for zooming and a second lens unit for focusing, a memory storing d... | 03/13/2012 |
| 7962028 | Lens apparatus and camera system A lens apparatus comprises a barrel 100 which houses an imaging optical system including magnification-varying lens units 26 and 27, a focus lens unit 25, and a beam separation element 29 which separates a part of a light beam from... | 06/14/2011 |
| 7962027 | Image pickup apparatus Provided is an image pickup apparatus including: a zoom lens unit which moves during zooming; a focus lens unit which moves during focusing; a zoom operation switch having a function for driving the zoom lens unit; a focus detection unit for detecting a focus state ... | 06/14/2011 |
| 7822332 | Imaging apparatus and lens apparatus An imaging apparatus to which a lens apparatus is detachably attached includes an image sensor configured to generate an image signal by photoelectrically converting an object image, a first acquisition unit configured to acquire a contrast value of the image signal... | 10/26/2010 |
| 7822333 | Focus adjustment device, imaging device and focus adjustment method A focus adjustment device includes an image sensor that includes imaging pixels for capturing an image formed via an imaging optical system and focus detection pixels for detecting a focus adjustment state at the imaging optical system through a first pupil division... | 10/26/2010 |
| 7809258 | Camera and method for use with camera An infrared (“IR”) camera includes first and second imaging parts for capturing an IR image and a visible light image, respectively. The field of view of the second imaging part at least partially overlaps the field of view of the first imaging part. The first i... | 10/05/2010 |
| 7783184 | Optical zoom tracking apparatus and method, and computer-readable recording medium for performing the optical zoom tracking method In an optical zoom tracking apparatus and method, and a computer-readable recording medium for performing the optical zoom tracking, the optical zoom tracking apparatus commands a focus lens to move according to a continuous zooming operation, such that a clear imag... | 08/24/2010 |
| 7676146 | Camera using multiple lenses and image sensors to provide improved focusing capability An electronic camera includes: (a) a first imaging stage comprising a first image sensor; a first lens for forming a first image on the first image sensor; and a first lens focus adjuster for adjusting focus of the first lens responsive to a first focus detection si... | 03/09/2010 |
| 7634182 | Lens apparatus 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... | 12/15/2009 |
| 7616875 | Imaging device An imaging device includes an imaging element that receives a subject light flux from an imaging lens that forms a subject image, and converts the subject light flux to an electrical signal; and a control device that selects one of first imaging preparatory processi... | 11/10/2009 |
| 7515816 | Imaging apparatus having a focus function FIGS. 2A˜2D are object display frames corresponding to respective portrait photography modes and distance information corresponding to respective portrait photography modes is stored in a distance information table of memory (Refer to FIG. 2E).... | 04/07/2009 |
| 7450838 | Camera having autofocus adjustment function A camera has a contrast detection section which detects contrast of an object image signal obtained through a taking lens, and a multipoint distance measuring section which ranges a plurality of points in a photographic screen through a pair of optical systems diffe... | 11/11/2008 |
| 7437065 | Imaging apparatus At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an imaging apparatus which includes a rear-focus-type lens system configured to perform autofocusing on the basis of a video signal received from an image pickup device. The imaging apparatus can determine a distance ... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7399082 | Volumetric imaging using “virtual” lenslets A system constructs an image using virtual lenslets. ... | 07/15/2008 |
| 7396167 | Lens retracting structure A lens retracting structure includes a housing, an image-forming lens set moveably supported on two parallel guide rods inside the housing, and a driving mechanism for moving the image-forming lens set along the parallel guide rods between a first position and a sec... | 07/08/2008 |
| 7365790 | Autofocus system for an image capturing apparatus A digital camera 100 includes a photographic optical system (21) for projecting an image of a subject; a CCD (24) for converting the projected image into an image signal and outputting it; a focus driving system (25) which changes a focus... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7355646 | Drive control apparatus for driving magnification-varying lens unit to wide-angle end or telephoto end when switching from AF mode to MF mode A drive control apparatus has a controller which operates in a first mode carrying out auto focusing control and a second mode not carrying out auto focusing control and carries out control so as to drive forcibly a magnification-varying lens unit to a wide-angle en... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7333724 | Camera and piezo ceramic motor therefor A camera has an axially moveable cylinder retaining a lens and a piezo ceramic motor for axially moving the cylinder. The motor has a piezo ceramic drive member that incrementally advances the cylinder in response to the application of an electric potential and a pi... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7333541 | Variable square-wave drive device A variable square-wave drive device for controlling square waves using feedback- and bias-control methods. The variable square-wave drive device includes an oscillator for generating a clock pulse; a frequency-divider/duty controller for frequency-dividing the clock... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7330212 | Drive controller of lens apparatus A drive controller of a lens apparatus including a first lens unit movable to perform manual focus and a second lens unit disposed closer to an image than the first lens unit. The drive controller includes a detection device detecting a focal state of the lens appar... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7294950 | Electrostatic actuator, electrostatic actuator driving method electromechanical transducer, and electromechanical transducer driving method An electrostatic actuator includes a stator having an electrode substrate, a movable unit having a movable element and an electrode arranged opposite to the electrode substrate, a plurality of first operation modules each of which issues an operation command for rea... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7277126 | Image data quality adjustment A first image processing device uses image data, and image generation information that is associated with the image data and that includes at least aperture information, operating mode information, and lens focal length information at the time of generation of the i... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7254322 | Drive controller of a lens apparatus A drive controller of a lens apparatus including a first lens unit moving for performing manual focus and a second lens unit moving for performing auto-focus has a control device switchable between a first mode for performing an auto-focus control of the second lens... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7253384 | Focusing system using light source and image sensor An apparatus comprising a movable optical element having an optical axis and including one or more focusing elements, an image sensor positioned along the optical axis and substantially normal thereto, and a radiation source attached to the movable optical element, ... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7248347 | Focus processing with the distance of different target wheels An apparatus and method for automatically focusing a miniature digital camera module (MUT) is described. A MUT is loaded onto a test fixture and aligned with an optics system of a test handler. Focus targets contained within two target wheels are positioned over an ... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7232221 | Volumetric imaging using “virtual” lenslets A system constructs an image using virtual lenslets. ... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7226224 | Miniaturized lens assembly A miniaturized lens assembly includes a front lens portion, a rear lens portion, a large diaphragm plate mounted between the front and rear lens portions, a small diaphragm plate rotatable relative to the large diaphragm plate, a shutter plate rotatable relative to ... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7190389 | Stereo camera A stereo camera includes a pair of photographing optical systems arranged in a common plane so that a common photographing coverage occurs between a pair of photographing areas taken by the pair of photographing optical systems, an object distance measuring device, ... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7184606 | Image processing apparatus and method, recording medium, and program In an image processing apparatus, the head top of a subject is detected, and the positions of a camera and a mirror are adjusted so that the coordinates of the detected head top coincide with the coordinates of a reference head top. When it is determined that the co... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7176890 | Projection-type display device and software program A projection surface on which a predetermined projection image is projected is provided; a writing surface on which an image can be drawn directly in a superimposing manner with a projection image displayed on the projection surface is provided; and a photography pa... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7155119 | Multi-processing of a picture to speed up mathematics and calculation for one picture A multi-processing unit reduces the time to compute parameters of a digital image to by the number of computers operating in the parallel. An image of a digital picture taken during a test of a digital camera module is portioned into N independent portions and each ... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7149421 | Image pickup apparatus and power supply control method therefor In order to be able to reduce power consumption while making possible manual operation in any scene when the photographic situation demands its use, an image pickup apparatus has a ring member arranged concentrically with the optical axis of lenses, a detecting devi... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7142378 | Lens guide apparatus A lead screw is fittingly supported by a support member at one spot in a rotatable manner. A guide member is supported by the support member through press fitting of a one-end portion. The lead screw and the guide member are supported on one side in this manner, so ... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7126641 | System and method for adjusting start-up of a digital camera The present invention provides a digital camera which can adjust the start-up time in accordance with an amount of an electric energy of a power source being used at the time. The electric energy of the power source and the type thereof are determined on the basis o... | 10/24/2006 |
| 7110667 | Auto focus apparatus An auto focus apparatus of the present invention comprises a first temperature detection device, a second temperature detection device, a reference driving range storage device, a correction information storage device, a reference driving range acquisition device, a... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7102685 | Digital camera with changeable operation sequence A battery property judging circuit measures a voltage of battery before and while a zoom motor is operated respectively. A type of the battery is determined by a voltage change of the battery. A CPU selects either one of a normal operation sequence or a power-saving... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7098954 | Interchangeable lens video camera system In an interchangeable lens assembly video camera system including an interchangeable lens assembly and a camera, a filter of an AF signal processing circuit (113) of the camera extracts a focus evaluation value signal from an image sensing signal correspondin... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7085488 | Automatic focusing apparatus This invention has as its object to execute an optimal automatic focusing operation in both a case that attaches an importance on the focusing precision, and a case that attaches an importance on quick photographing. To this end, an apparatus includes a focus lens u... | 08/01/2006 |
| 7068317 | Photoelectric conversion apparatus This invention is to decrease the sensor pitch, prevent saturation by external light, accurately determine skimming, simplify skimming determination, and prevent any difference in influence of the transfer efficiency between the ON and OFF states. For this purpose, ... | 06/27/2006 |
