Celebrity Inventors
Glam girl Heddy Lamar may have used her good looks to good effect on the silver screen, but she put her smarts to better use as an inventor. During World War II, she co-patented a frequency-switching system for torpedo guidance that was considered years ahead of its time.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8295697 | Camera and controlling method for the same A camera comprises: a photographing unit converting an image formed by a shooting lens into an electric signal; a subject brightness obtaining unit; an exposure computing unit computing a shutter speed and an aperture value; a shutter controlling a time period in wh... | 10/23/2012 |
| 8270826 | Calibration of a lens device A calibration method in a camera with a P-Iris lens having an adjustable iris opening including the steps of adjusting the size of the iris opening between a first opening position and a second opening position, recording a plurality of images during the adjusting, ... | 09/18/2012 |
| 8224176 | Combined ambient and flash exposure for improved image quality A method for capturing an improved archival image using an electronic image capture device having a flash, comprising: capturing at least two preview images of a scene at different capture times using the image capture device; determining a scene brightness; using a... | 07/17/2012 |
| 7343090 | Lens-fitted photo film unit A lens-fitted photo film unit is preloaded with a roll of photo film whose film speed is ISO3200, and has a mode selection member that is manually operated to select one of a standard photography mode, an indoor photography mode and a night-view photography mode. In... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7143995 | Motorized cam actuator A motorized cam actuator for linear actuation of an apparatus. An actuating motor shaft is fitted with a bushing having first and second opposed flats and a threaded portion at an outer end thereof. With the motor mounted to a pedestal, the bushing is rotated on the... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7141911 | Driving method of piezoelectric actuator, piezoelectric actuator, and disk recording and reproducing apparatus using the same In a disclosed method, a piezoelectric element 1 has an asymmetrical hysteresis characteristic of polarization-electric field different in absolute values between a coercive field of positive electric side and a coercive field of negative electric field side,... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7099575 | Manual focus device and autofocus camera A digital still camera includes an aperture stop opening, a taking lens system, and a CCD pickup element. In a manual focus device, an iris shifting mechanism sets the aperture stop opening in an aperture stop unit with reference to a first light amount gravity cent... | 08/29/2006 |
| 6597866 | Camera for taking a picture in a good focus condition A camera uses a program shutter as a shutter device. When an exposure value becomes larger than EV9, a stop of the camera is closed down so as to increase an f-number. In a case that the camera is loaded with a photographic film having film sensitivity of... | 07/22/2003 |
| 6496651 | Method and apparatus for controlling exposure of camera An exposure control method and apparatus for a camera having a two-area divided brightness measurement system. A central light value is determined based on a central area brightness of a photographic scene, and a peripheral light value is determined based... | 12/17/2002 |
| 6006040 | Shutter device for camera A shatter device includes an exposure opening. Shutter blades slide in an opening direction to a maximum open position to open the exposure opening so as to provide an exposure. Then the shutter blades slide in a closing direction to close the exposure op... | 12/21/1999 |
| 5953545 | Exposure controlling device for camera An exposure controlling device comprises, a controlling unit that controls, at the time of an exposure, the DC motor to rotate forward to open the shutter blades and then to rotate reversely to close the shutter blades, a calculating unit that calculates ... | 09/14/1999 |
| 5903786 | Function setting device for photographic device A multi-function and high function photographic device having optional setting of only those functions desired by the photographer, thereby omitting complicated setting operations, such as the selection of unnecessary function mode settings or function ra... | 05/11/1999 |
| 5881326 | Shutter apparatus and camera apparatus A shutter apparatus is provided wherein openings for defining a secondary aperture are formed in respective shutter blades, such that an amount of light transmitted through the secondary aperture is detected, and the drive force for driving the shutter bl... | 03/09/1999 |
| 5831676 | Image pickup device using plural control parameters for exposure control An image pickup device capable of exposure control utilizing the iris aperture, shutter speed and gain as three control parameters, comprising means for setting a photometry area in the image frame; means for setting an input parameter as a reference for ... | 11/03/1998 |
| 5799215 | Camera system A camera system comprises a brightness measuring circuit, a exposure line choosing circuit, an operable switch, a film driver and a film driving mode selector. The brightness measuring circuit measures brightness of a photographic scene to send a brightne... | 08/25/1998 |
| 5794085 | Exposure controlling device for camera An exposure controlling device comprises, a controlling unit that controls a DC motor, a calculating unit that calculates a time period between a predetermined starting point and a point where a predetermined aperture area is obtained during the forward r... | 08/11/1998 |
| 5790905 | Exposure controlling device for camera The exposure controlling device comprises a controlling unit that controls, at the time of an exposure, the DC motor to rotate forward to open the shutter blades and then to rotate reversely to close the shutter blades, a calculating unit that calculates ... | 08/04/1998 |
| 5784176 | Method of image noise reduction processing A method of noise reduction processing for reducing noise generated when an image of a photographic film is converted to a digital image signal includes the steps of: measuring a large area transmission density of each of a plurality of image frames recor... | 07/21/1998 |
| 5659811 | Blur preventing device for an anticipating drive auto-focus camera In the blur prevention mode, which prevents photographic blurring caused by the vibration of the camera body which occurs when the mirrors are elevated, an anticipated drive quantity required for focusing the taking lens on a moving photographic subject a... | 08/19/1997 |
| 5627622 | Trimming camera In a camera having a function or recording a scope of printing (printing scope) in an exposed picture of a film, under a panoramic photography mode, that is, a mode in which the ratio of the horizontal dimension to the vertical dimension of a printing sco... | 05/06/1997 |
| 5602616 | Exposure control apparatus of camera A camera having a manually actuable switch for temporarily shifting the camera to an optimum exposure value so that exposure factors, based upon a manually set shutter speed and a manually set aperture value, are replaced by optimum exposure factors based... | 02/11/1997 |
| 5576800 | Camera having an auxiliary photographing function A camera having an auxiliary photographing function comprises photometering device for photometering an area to be photographed, exposure value calculation device for calculating an exposure value in accordance with the output of said photometering device... | 11/19/1996 |
| 5416556 | Custom mode control apparatus in a camera A custom mode control apparatus by which the user can arbitrarily set the custom mode comprises a first selection device for selecting the custom mode or the ordinary mode, a second selection device for selecting the setting or reproduction of the custom ... | 05/16/1995 |
| 5396310 | Camera A camera includes a light measuring circuit for performing measurement of a luminance of a subject, a computing circuit for performing a computation on an aperture value and/or a shutter speed by using a result of the measurement performed by the light me... | 03/07/1995 |
| 5335042 | Camera with a motion compensation device A camera, having a motion compensation device, permits the user to select one of two modes of operations using a selector switch. Partial depression of a shutter release button initiates exposure and auto-focus routines while complete depression actuates ... | 08/02/1994 |
| 5335041 | Exposure and focus system for a zoom camera A light-sensitive, zone focus, passive automatic focus/automatic exposure system for a zoom camera receives light level data and selects flash status, lens focus distance, and exposure setting such that flash illumination is provided at a light level grea... | 08/02/1994 |
| 5333031 | Camera having a liquid crystal focusing screen A diffusion degree of a focusing screen is changed by applying voltage to the focusing screen since the focusing screen comprises liquid crystal material whose molecules are penetrated onto a polymer network. The diffusion degree is changed according to t... | 07/26/1994 |
| 5327193 | Exposure device having an actuatable shutter release An exposure device with a shutter operating in such a manner that the size of aperture opening defined by the shutter blades first increases from zero and then starts to decrease in predetermined timing, comprises a mechanism for opening the shutter with ... | 07/05/1994 |
| 5319413 | Camera system A camera system comprises a brightness measuring circuit, a exposure line choosing circuit, an operable switch, a film driver and a film driving mode selector. The brightness measuring circuit measures brightness of a photographic scene to send a brightne... | 06/07/1994 |
| 5305051 | Camera having a variable photographing aperture and control method thereof A camera having a variable photographing aperture, including a photographing aperture size changing device that changes the size of the photographing aperture, and an exposure calculating device for calculating exposure factors including a diaphragm value... | 04/19/1994 |
| 5239337 | Apparatus for ordering to phototake with eye-detection A camera operation directing device includes an eye-gaze direction detection device for detecting a direction of an eye-gaze of an observer who is looking into a finder, in a predetermined eye-gaze operation area within the finder and for outputting an ey... | 08/24/1993 |
| 5227835 | Teachable camera A teachable camera 8 which includes an alterable template matching neural network 40 positioned between a microprocessor 10 that performs camera picture taking algorithms and the units 24-32 such as the shutter which control the characteristics of the pic... | 07/13/1993 |
| 5220364 | Exposure control device for camera In an exposure control device employed in an electronically controlled camera, an exposure value, representing the relation between an exposure time and an aperture value, is determined in accordance with the brightness of an object to be photographed. In... | 06/15/1993 |
| 5191372 | Camera A camera includes an automatic focusing device for focusing in a mode selected from different automatic focusing modes; an advancing device for advancing a film in a mode selected from different advance modes; an exposure device arranged to execute a prog... | 03/02/1993 |
| 5184169 | Photography mode input systems A photography mode input system for inputting any selected one of a plurality of predetermined optional photography modes into a camera having a microcomputer for controlling exposure. The system comprises a series of cards each having a different signal ... | 02/02/1993 |
| 5159382 | Device and method for electromagnetically activating the shutter of a camera A device and method for electromagnetically activating the shutter of a camera to provide different aperture openings comprises: an armature having a core and a coil, the core is capable of receiving current, and the armature will produce a first magnetic fiel... | 10/27/1992 |
| 5150149 | Multi-aperture electromagnetic camera shutter A single electromagnet and a single permanent magnet to actuate a shutter blade and a plurality of aperture blades, that form a plurality of aperture openings. A magnet is coupled to an electormagnet and an aperture adjustment mechanism. The magnet rotate... | 09/22/1992 |
| 5124741 | Technique for prioritized selection of shelter speed and lens aperture settings Apparatus, and an accompanying method, for use in illustratively a photographic camera for selecting shutter speed and lens aperture values to provide a given exposure level in a captuerd image, e.g. a photograph, of a scene. Specifically, first an approp... | 06/23/1992 |
| 5053871 | Still video camera with automatic exposure control and flicker detection A still video camera comprising a memory circuit storing an ordinary automatic exposure program chart and another automatic exposure program chart suited to a flickering light source, a judging circuit for determining, prior to image sensing, whether or n... | 10/01/1991 |
| 5049916 | Automatic optimization of photographic exposure parameters through determination and utilization of extra system speed Exposure control apparatus and methods for use in a photographic camera to improve the overall quality of photographed images over that obtainable by adherence to ISO/ANSI exposure standards. The quality improvement is attained through automatic selection... | 09/17/1991 |
