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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7356252 | Auto-focusing zoom lens mechanism An auto-focusing zoom lens mechanism includes a base unit forming a space; an auto-focusing (AF) lens unit located in the base unit and having a trajectory bar engaged therewith; a zoom lens unit located in the base unit and mounted on the AF lens unit and having a ... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7295389 | Lens barrel, image-pickup unit having the lens barrel, and manufacturing method of the same A lens barrel includes a lens group that conducts light from a subject, a lens shell that holds the lens group; a string-formed shape memory alloy element that moves the lens shell in a direction of an optical axis, and a pair of guide shafts formed approximately in... | 11/13/2007 |
| 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 |
| 7064912 | Lens driving apparatus, thin camera, and a cellular phone having a thin camera A lens driving apparatus includes a lens holder and a driver for providing linear motion to the lens holder along an optical axis of the lens. The driver includes an electromagnetic mechanism, provided at the outer circumference of the lens holder in an enclosing ma... | 06/20/2006 |
| 6966623 | Optical encoder device An optical encoder device is provided with an optical encoder for detecting codewheel/codestrip positions, an optical encoder housing for accommodating the optical encoder, a first tapered guidepost protruding from a sidewall of the optical encoder housing, the firs... | 11/22/2005 |
| 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 |
| 6933901 | Antenna alignment using a temperature-dependent driver A system having a steerable antenna coupled to a temperature-dependent driver. The driver has a shape-memory element fabricated using a shape-memory alloy (SMA) and having the ability to change its shape as a function of temperature. The element is adapted to steer ... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6929408 | Camera with motor and gear drive system A pinion gear is fixed on a rotating shaft of a motor for supplying a driving force of a plurality of driving mechanisms. A speed reducing gear is engaged with the pinion gear, and a sun gear is engaged with a speed reducing gear. A planet worm includes a spur gear ... | 08/16/2005 |
| 6903879 | Lens barrel The present invention provides a lens barrel in which all lens groups are attached to a leading cylindrical body. A movable lens group of the lens groups is moved by a driving source incorporated in the leading cylindrical body. The lens barrel is less likely to be ... | 06/07/2005 |
| 6701076 | Camera with a focus retaining mechanism A focus retaining mechanism of a camera is disclosed. The camera includes a base, a focusing lens, a retaining member, and a retaining hook. The base has a cylindrical and vertical opening in it. The focusing lens is rotationally fixed within the opening.... | 03/02/2004 |
| 6564013 | Driving device and camera First and second driving systems are driven by a first motor via first and second planetary mechanisms through motor rotation in first and second directions, respectively. A third driving system is driven by the second planetary mechanism through motor ro... | 05/13/2003 |
| 6560411 | Mechanical power switching apparatus and camera If a sun gear is rotated in the clockwise direction, a planetary arm is also rotated in the clockwise direction so as to permit the planetary gear and a transmission gear to operatively mesh. If the sun gear is then rotated in the clockwise direction, a c... | 05/06/2003 |
| 6556789 | Diaphragm switching apparatus A diaphragm switching apparatus according to the present invention comprises a gear adapted to rotate in response to a driving force of a focus motor used for driving a focus lens; a shaft for rotatably supporting the gear; a diaphragm switching means, se... | 04/29/2003 |
| 6546200 | Lens interlock mechanism and lens interlock method, camera and portable terminal having lens interlock mechanism The lens interlock mechanism includes the first driving unit, the second driving unit, and the third driving unit. The first driving unit moves the zoom lens along the optical axis direction of the zoom lens while giving a first driving force correspondin... | 04/08/2003 |
| 6529688 | Driving device and apparatus having the same, and camera There is provided a camera which is compact in size and inexpensive even with the use of two motors, which allows relevant mechanisms to be laid out freely to thereby simplify motor controlling sequences, and which allows the user to quickly perform preli... | 03/04/2003 |
| 6490097 | Lens barrel A lens barrel includes first and second cylinders, a base, a single motor, a feed screw, a rotation mechanism, a helicoid mechanism, and a drive gear for transmitting a drive force of the motor to the feed screw and the rotation mechanism. The drive gear ... | 12/03/2002 |
| 6434333 | Driving mechanism using shape-memory alloy A driving mechanism is disclosed that utilizes a shape-memory alloy. In particular, mechanical components are movably positioned by a member composed of shape-memory alloy, which changes shape when heated. The present invention reduces the number of mecha... | 08/13/2002 |
| 6421088 | Digital camera with an adjusting device for adjusting its lens and irises The present invention relates to a digital camera with an adjusting device coupled with the lens and holes of the digital camera. The digital camera comprises a housing with a front opening installed at its front end for receiving incident light, a sensor... | 07/16/2002 |
| 6377754 | Driving force transmission switching apparatus A driving force transmission switching apparatus for a camera in accordance with the present invention includes: a drive source that generates a driving force; a worm gear that receives the driving force to rotate; a driving force transmission gear device... | 04/23/2002 |
| 6370334 | Imaging apparatus, a drive mechanism and a method of driving the mechanism A drive mechanism for moving a lens and adjusting a diaphragm by a driving force supplied by a single drive source, comprising: a transmission mechanism capable of taking a first transmitting condition by which the driving force is transmitted for both ad... | 04/09/2002 |
| 6321038 | Camera with driving mechanism and lens positioning control mechanism and method A camera, lens positioning mechanism and method use a lens holding member to hold a lens therein for receiving optical information that may be captured on film or digitally. The lens holding member interfaces with a ring-shaped barrel member, geared ring ... | 11/20/2001 |
| 6317564 | Camera featuring a single drive source and a plurality of selectable drive transmission mechanisms A camera includes a plurality of camera operation mechanisms, a sun gear which rotates by means of a motor, a planetary gear which revolves around the sun gear, and a plurality of output gears each capable of meshing with the planetary gear by means of re... | 11/13/2001 |
| 6311020 | Camera having autofocusing function and self timer function A camera turns on or off an autofocus magnet in accordance with range to object information during a normal photographing mode, as a first photographing specification, to drive a lens barrel to a far range in-focus position or to a near range in-focus pos... | 10/30/2001 |
| 6271882 | TV camera lens device A TV camera lens device includes a flange back length control signal for moving a master lens group to a position of the proper flange back length in accordance with the operation of a flange back length control. It further includes a macro control signal... | 08/07/2001 |
| 6215958 | Power transmission apparatus including plural selectable drive transmission mechanisms usable with single drive source, and camera using same A camera includes a plurality of camera operation mechanisms, a sun gear which rotates by means of a motor, a planetary gear which revolves around the sun gear, and a plurality of output gears each capable of meshing with the planetary gear by means of re... | 04/10/2001 |
| 6208809 | Camera with motor-driven lens barrel A camera has a movable lens barrel that is stowed in a camera body while the camera is inactive, and is protruded from the camera body to a near range focusing position or a far range focusing position by rotating a drive ring in one direction. The movabl... | 03/27/2001 |
| 6175694 | Camera featuring a single drive source and a plurality of selectable drive transmission mechanisms A camera includes a plurality of camera operation mechanisms, a sun gear which rotates by means of a motor, a planetary gear which revolves around the sun gear, and a plurality of output gears each capable of meshing with the planetary gear by means of re... | 01/16/2001 |
| 6167198 | Camera featuring a single drive source and a plurality of selectable drive transmission mechanisms An apparatus, such as a camera, comprises a plurality of operation mechanisms, a first rotation member, such as a sun gear, rotatable by operation of a motor, a second rotation member, such as a planetary gear which revolves around the sun gear, and a plu... | 12/26/2000 |
| 6125237 | Device and method for opening and closing a barrier in a zoom camera Disclosed is a device and method for opening and closing a barrier in a zoom camera. The device includes a connection lever fixed to a lens barrel of a focus lens group and rotated by the transmission of a rotational power of a focusing motor; and a barri... | 09/26/2000 |
| 6088535 | Interchangeable lens camera and interchangeable lens barrels with multipurpose drive mechanism A camera for use with interchangeable lens barrels that can be attached to and detached from the camera body has a drive mechanism that provides the generating source for the drive power of drive elements inside each lens barrel built into the camera body... | 07/11/2000 |
| 6085043 | Apparatus having a power switch controlled by an operating device of an optical device An apparatus including a switching device for switching a power transmission system between first and second states. A holding device holds the switching device at least in the first or the second state. The holding device utilizes an operation device for... | 07/04/2000 |
| 6061524 | Camera In a zooming-focusing type camera, a driving force of a motor is selectively transmitted to a zooming mechanism for controlling a focal length of an optical lens system, a film winding mechanism for winding a film by a length corresponding to one frame an... | 05/09/2000 |
| 6051949 | Apparatus for driving stepping motor of camera A stepping motor driving apparatus for a camera includes 1-2 phase excitation type stepping motors and a drive controller for driving and stopping the stepping motors so that the driven stepping motors are stopped always at a detent position.... | 04/18/2000 |
| 6041187 | Power transmission apparatus The invention is directed to an engaging mechanism. The engaging mechanism comprises a cam element which moves upon modification of an engaging position, a cam follower abutted against a cam surface of the cam element, a detecting element for detecting a ... | 03/21/2000 |
| 6040677 | Apparatus for driving stepper motor of camera A stepping motor driving apparatus for a camera having a 1-2 phase excitation type stepping motor which is driven by a 1-2 phase excitation in response to a drive signal includes a drive control device for stopping the stepping motor at a 1-phase excitati... | 03/21/2000 |
| 5978602 | Photographic lens unit and photographing method A photographic lens unit having a stepping motor to drive a cam ring that has a cam portion for driving a counter-cam portion of a lens frame for automatic focus of photographic lenses, and projections for driving a diaphragm. The cam ring is rotated for ... | 11/02/1999 |
| 5875361 | Camera with parallax correcting function An apparatus, such as a camera, including a first drive power transmission system for transmitting drive power to a finder in order to correct parallax, a second drive transmission system for transmitting drive power to an operating device for operating t... | 02/23/1999 |
| 5710949 | Lens driving device A lens driving device for controlling the position of a lens setting member according to a distance to an object to be photographed has a lens barrel mounted to undergo movement in the direction of an optical axis, a lens setting member mounted to undergo... | 01/20/1998 |
| 5701525 | Camera encoder assembly, system and method thereof A camera shutter and focus encoder assembly comprises an encoder mask fixed in a camera housing and having an arcuate window having alternating opaque and transmissive portions, and an encoder sheet mounted in the housing in abutting relationship with the... | 12/23/1997 |
| 5680649 | Lens driving device for auto-focus camera A lens driving device comprises a lens driving member mounted for rotation between an initial position and a preselected focus position, an urging member for urging the lens driving member in a first direction of rotation to control a rotational position ... | 10/21/1997 |
