Did You Know...
...that several people are credited with the invention of the flush toilet? Most people have heard of Thomas Crapper (1837-1910), the sanitary engineer who invented the valve-and-siphon arrangement that made the modern toilet possible. Another claimant to "the throne" was British inventor Alexander Cumming who patented a toilet in 1775. Then there's a nameless Minoan (a native of ancient Crete) who lived 4,000 years ago who supposedly was ahead of his time and created the first flush toilet!
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 |
| 8190013 | Optical system An optical system including a photo sensor, a wafer level optical (WLO) lens module and a focusing motor is provided. The WLO lens module is located at the photo sensor. The WLO lens module includes at least one transparent substrate and at least one lens, wherein t... | 05/29/2012 |
| 8190014 | Focus control circuit for adjusting the focus by moving a lens A focus control circuit is installed in an image pickup apparatus including a lens, a driver element for adjusting the position of the lens, and a position detecting element for detecting the position of the lens. A feedback equalizer included in the focus control c... | 05/29/2012 |
| 8139933 | Imaging device A metal pin is inserted into a hole cylindrically formed in a camera casing so as to be in contact with a shape-memory actuator. The metal pin and the shape-memory actuator are fixed by pressurization. The metal pin is further bonded to a printed circuit board via a... | 03/20/2012 |
| 8098985 | Photographing module This invention provides a photographing module that at least includes a lens unit, an electrically controlled focusing mechanism, an elastic unit, a supporting base and a photosensitive device. A movable member of the electrically controlled focusing mechanism is el... | 01/17/2012 |
| 8073320 | Shape memory alloy actuation apparatus A miniature camera lens actuation apparatus provides an auto-macro function in which a camera lens element has two focus positions. In one type of apparatus, a shape memory alloy actuator arranged to drive movement of the camera lens element relative to a support st... | 12/06/2011 |
| 8050549 | Method and device for controlling auto macro function of lens module A method for controlling an auto macro function of a lens module is provided. Firstly, a control switching module is provided. The both terminals of the coil of the lens module are connected to a power source and the control switching module, respectively. In respon... | 11/01/2011 |
| 8036524 | Auto-focusing apparatus and method for camera Disclosed is an apparatus and method for auto-focusing a camera, which includes the steps of detecting an initial value of an encoder by measuring an initial position of a lens system, matching the measured initial value of the encoder with the initial position valu... | 10/11/2011 |
| 8014662 | Autofocus camera systems and methods A method and system for facilitating focusing of a miniature camera are disclosed. One or more lenses can be attached to a MEMS stage. The MEMS stage can be moved by a Lorentz actuator. The MEMS stage can be configured to limit movement of the lens(es) to a single d... | 09/06/2011 |
| 8000592 | Driving circuit for a photographing module A driving circuit for a photographing module includes a load comprising three coils and four signal input ends; a power source configured to drive the coils and capable of providing an intermediate level between a supply voltage level and a ground level; and a set o... | 08/16/2011 |
| 7983551 | Lens actuator and camera system having same An exemplary lens actuator includes a fixed unit, a movable unit, and a connecting member for connecting the fixed unit with the movable unit. The fixed unit includes a fixed barrel and a plurality of magnets mounted on the fixed barrel. The fixed barrel includes a ... | 07/19/2011 |
| 7978969 | Camera module A camera module (22) that is advantageous in increasing the endurance and impact resistance is provided. The camera module (22) includes a barrel unit (66), a lens holding unit (68), springs (70), an image pickup element (29... | 07/12/2011 |
| 7957635 | Method and system for providing background blurring when capturing an image using an image capture device A method and system are described for providing background blurring when capturing an image using an image capture device. According to one aspect, input is received for initiating an image capture process for capturing an image of a subject at an image capture devi... | 06/07/2011 |
| 7953319 | Position controller, driving mechanism and image pickup system In a position controller, a driving mechanism and an image pickup system according to the present invention, an operation of controlling a position of a movable member is performed by using, as a reference value, a first resistance value giving a first change point ... | 05/31/2011 |
| 7907839 | Image photographing device including diaphragm An image photographing device including a lens holder including a lens group and a coil unit that generates an electromagnetic force, a housing into which the lens holder is movably inserted, including a magnet that faces the coil unit, an image sensor, and a diaphr... | 03/15/2011 |
| 7899317 | Driving device, optical apparatus, and image pickup apparatus A driving device which is capable of increasing a driving speed at which an object to be driven is driven, enhancing quietness in driving the object to be driven, and positioning the object to be driven with high accuracy. A hollow cylindrical magnet (1) exte... | 03/01/2011 |
| 7885529 | Lens driving apparatus, imaging apparatus, and lens barrel and camera main body used for this A lens position calculator is provided that determines a phase of a driving signal as a reference position of an imaging lens when an output value of a position detection sensor reaches a threshold value. The lens position calculator determines a position obtained b... | 02/08/2011 |
| 7881602 | Driving device, optical apparatus, and image pickup apparatus A driving device which is capable of increasing a driving speed at which an object to be driven is driven, enhancing quietness in driving the object to be driven, and positioning the object to be driven with high accuracy. A hollow cylindrical magnet (1) exte... | 02/01/2011 |
| 7831140 | Apparatus for auto focusing There is provided an apparatus for auto-focusing including: a sensing unit sensing a current position of a lens moving within a predetermined range along a moving shaft; an A/D converter converting a lens position value from the sensing unit into a digital signal; a... | 11/09/2010 |
| 7831139 | Camera module with lens carrying structure using electrostatic driving unit A camera module includes a barrel for receiving at least a first lens, an actuator, and a holder. The actuator includes an annular stator and a carrying member. The stator is connected to the barrel and defines a plurality of spaced parallel inner branches in an inn... | 11/09/2010 |
| 7826737 | Image pickup apparatus and focusing method thereof An imaging pickup apparatus includes a lens module and a motor. The body includes a camera module configured for sensing an image. The motor is configured for driving the lens module to move in increments that are multiple steps of the motor. The multiplier used are... | 11/02/2010 |
| 7813634 | Autofocus camera A method and system for facilitating focusing of a miniature camera are disclosed. One or more lenses can be attached to a MEMS stage. The MEMS stage can be moved by a Lorentz actuator. The MEMS stage can be configured to limit movement of the lens(es) to a single d... | 10/12/2010 |
| 7801434 | Focus controller and optical apparatus using the same A focus controller configured to control focus of an optical element includes a focus state detector configured to detect a focus state based on a contrast value of an image formed by the optical element, and a driving mechanism that moves the optical element includ... | 09/21/2010 |
| 7801435 | Lens driving apparatus, imaging apparatus, and lens barrel and camera main body used for this A lens position calculator is provided that determines a phase of a driving signal as a reference position of an imaging lens when an output value of a position detection sensor reaches a threshold value. The lens position calculator determines a position obtained b... | 09/21/2010 |
| 7796878 | Lens barrel and imaging device including lens barrel A lens barrel 11 is mounted in a collapsible imaging device 1 and includes a third lens frame 55. The third frame 55 is a lens frame to which correction lenses L5, L6, L7 are mounted and includes a shutter unit 57 | 09/14/2010 |
| 7764878 | Auto-focusing camera An auto-focusing camera includes a pair of drive units (100, 200) arranged back-to-back. Each one of the drive units includes a lens unit (11), a permanent magnet (12) mounted around the lens unit, upper and lower coil seats (15a, ... | 07/27/2010 |
| 7734167 | Focus controller, optical apparatus using the same, and control method A focus controller configured to control focus of an optical system that has a focus lens includes a switching circuit configured to select a first driver for the electrization to a coil of a motor in performing focus control using a first focus detector, and to sel... | 06/08/2010 |
| 7729605 | Auto-focusing camera An auto-focusing camera includes a stator (20), a rotor (30) rotatably disposed in the stator, and a lens unit (40) received in the rotor. The stator includes a stator core (23) and coils (25) winding on the stator core. The rotor ... | 06/01/2010 |
| 7715704 | Auto-focusing camera An auto-focusing camera includes a lens mount (10), a lens unit (31) and a motor. The lens unit includes a lens barrel (310) and a lens (312) received in the lens barrel. Tabs (34) and blocks (36) respectively extend outward... | 05/11/2010 |
| 7702233 | Image photographing apparatus An image photographing apparatus for automatically focusing a photographed image to improve the image quality. The image photographing apparatus automatically focuses the image through a zoom actuator for changing a zoom ratio and a focus actuator for controlling th... | 04/20/2010 |
| 7697832 | Imaging apparatus and lens movement control method A camera has an infinity end stopper that stops a lens holder to a position which sets a best focal length at infinity, and a macro-side stopper that stops the lens holder to a position at which the best focal length becomes a predetermined length. In normal mode, t... | 04/13/2010 |
| 7680409 | Camera system and interchangeable lens A camera system includes a camera body having an in-body motor; an interchangeable lens having an in-lens motor, the interchangeable lens being detachable from the camera body; a focusing mechanism for moving a focusing lens group provided in the interchangeable len... | 03/16/2010 |
| 7680408 | Lens module and camera module having same A lens module includes a lens barrel, a first lens, a second lens, a plurality of electrostrictive members and a controlling unit. The first lens has a first optical axis thereof, the second lens has a second optical axis thereof, the first and second lenses being r... | 03/16/2010 |
| 7680407 | Auto-focusing camera An auto focusing camera includes a lens unit (2) including a barrel (20) and a lens (22) received in the barrel, a permanent magnet (3) being fixedly mounted around the barrel of the lens unit and moving with the lens unit when the lens u... | 03/16/2010 |
| 7657170 | Motor structure with built-in lens A motor structure with a built-in lens includes a motor (30), and a lens unit (50) received in the motor and driven by the motor to telescopically move along an axial thereof. An internal thread (344) is formed on an inner surface of the motor. ... | 02/02/2010 |
| 7657171 | Method and system for providing background blurring when capturing an image using an image capture device A method and system are described for providing background blurring when capturing an image using an image capture device. According to one aspect, input is received for initiating an image capture process for capturing an image of a subject at an image capture devi... | 02/02/2010 |
| 7650066 | Driving mechanism, photographic mechanism and cellular phone A driving mechanism comprises: (i) an actuator comprising: an electro-mechanical conversion element; a driving member which is connected to one end of the electro-mechanical conversion element and moves in accordance with elongation or contraction of the electro-mec... | 01/19/2010 |
| 7643744 | Lens driving device and image pickup device using the same A lens driving device has first and second driving units for moving first and second lens holders supporting first and second sets of lens elements in an optical axis direction, respectively. The first and second driving units each have a motor, a gear fitted around... | 01/05/2010 |
| 7639938 | Two-step focus lens of auto-focusing camera An auto-focusing lens of a camera includes a lens unit (11), a permanent magnet (12) being fixedly mounted around the lens unit to move with the lens unit, a first coil seat (15a) arranged on a first side of the magnet with a first windin... | 12/29/2009 |
| 7634189 | Two-step auto-focusing camera A two-step auto-focusing camera includes a lens unit (12); a permanent magnet (124) being fixedly mounted around the lens unit to move with the lens unit; first and second coil seats (14, 15) with first and second coils (145, 155) wound t... | 12/15/2009 |
| 7620313 | Driving mechanism A driving mechanism comprises: (i) an actuator comprising: an electro-mechanical conversion element; a driving member which is connected to one end of the electro-mechanical conversion element and moves according to elongation or contraction of the electro-mechanica... | 11/17/2009 |
