Did You Know...
...that Thomas Edison's patent application on his phonograph was approved by the Patent Office in just seven weeks? In contrast, it took Gordon Gould, the inventor of the laser, 30 years to obtain his patent -- finally awarded in 1988!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7414799 | Manufacturing method of camera module A lens holder, which supports a light receiving lens, is screwed into a barrel portion of a body holder by respectively engaging hooks, which are provided in a screwing piece, with engaging-grooves formed in an end surface of the lens holder and then rotating the sc... | 08/19/2008 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 7149418 | Camera guard with bezel and ring A camera cover assembly has a one-piece front cover and a one-piece guard. The front cover has an outwardly protruding lens hood and an inwardly recessed cup that has a slot defining a resiliently flexible tongue. The tongue has a free margin adjoining the slot and ... | 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 |
| 6965734 | Electronic equipment and camera Pawls are formed on an outer peripheral portion of an operation dial at intervals equal to step rotating angles of the operation dial so that a user's finger nail can be placed on one of the pawls to rotate the dial. When the finger nail is placed on one of the pawl... | 11/15/2005 |
| 6809884 | Zoom lens barrel assembly A zoom lens barrel assembly includes a first lens group including first and second sub-lens groups; a second lens group; a sub-lens group switching mechanism for moving the first or second sub-lens group away from the other in a short focal length photographing rang... | 10/26/2004 |
| 6804460 | Lens turret with back focal length adjustment An optical apparatus to be used for digital still cameras for setting any one of a plurality of lenses in a picture taking (image capturing) position comprising a lens turret rotatable around an axis and having the lenses mounted thereon, a driving mechanism to rota... | 10/12/2004 |
| 6757490 | Camera assembly having forward and return cam surfaces for a turret on different parts A camera assembly has a support that defines an optical axis. The support has a forwardly extending cam finger. The cam finger has a first cam surface that is inclined relative to an imaginary line parallel to the optical axis. A guide has a forward rim that is spac... | 06/29/2004 |
| 6754008 | Imaging lens arrangement designed for low light conditions Disclosed is an improved lens system for low light applications. This improved low light lens system is designed for any suitable low light application, such as the above described biological imaging application. In one embodiment, a finite conjugate lens system is ... | 06/22/2004 |
| 6643457 | Simple focusable lens combination of a camera A simple focusable lens combination of a camera including a housing formed with a lens hole. A photosensor and a base board are disposed in the housing. The base board is movably disposed in the housing. Multiple lenses with different focal lengths are di... | 11/04/2003 |
| 6501909 | Camera having a vari-focal lens apparatus A first movable barrel is rotated and moved along an optical path by driving force of a motor. A second movable barrel is attached to the interior of the first movable barrel. The second movable barrel does not rotate, but goes straight along the optical ... | 12/31/2002 |
| 6473566 | Lens system and camera system composed of camera provided with lens system A lens system is provided, which comprising: a) an image taking optical unit having an optical axis; b) a correction optical component for tilting the optical axis of the image taking optical unit; c) a conversion optical component insertable into or retractable fr... | 10/29/2002 |
| 6424807 | Zoom lens assembling mechanism A zoom lens assembling mechanism includes a stationary barrel; a movable barrel; a linear guide barrel; a linear guide mechanism for linearly guiding the linear guide barrel; and at least one lens group which is linearly guided by the linear guide barrel.... | 07/23/2002 |
| 6408136 | Zoom camera obscura A portable zoom camera obscura comprising: a telescopic structure including an inner tube and an outer tube positioned concentrically and slidingly movable relative to each other; a cover with a small, centered imaging hole attached to the imaging end of ... | 06/18/2002 |
| 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 |
| 6339680 | Selectable multi-lens disposable camera The present invention 10 discloses a rotatable disc 12 which is pivotally 54 mounted onto the front of a disposable camera housing 52 having a plurality of user selectable rotatable lens 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, each having a plurality of facets. Each lens als... | 01/15/2002 |
| 6308013 | Converter unit of camera A converter unit for a lens unit of a camera, which is able to match optical axes of a plurality of kinds of converter lenses with different magnifications, which are revolvably mounted on a rod, with an optical axis of the lens unit properly. One of the ... | 10/23/2001 |
| 6008845 | Compact electronic digital still camera equipped with converter lens An electronic digital still camera apparatus has a converter lens which is used in a wide angle imaging mode and which is rotatably moved so as to achieve a compact camera apparatus. The electronic digital still camera apparatus has a master lens for focu... | 12/28/1999 |
| 5956536 | Camera optical accessories therefor and method of use A close-up camera having a plurality of selectable exposure parameters such as variations in magnification, exposure trim and flash illumination includes a lookup table programmed to define follow focus flash illumination in accordance with the parameters... | 09/21/1999 |
| 5448323 | Close-up lens assembly incorporating a photo-ranging system A plurality of fixed focus exposure lenses are mounted in a turret for manual selection of a desired focus. Each exposure lens in the turret is combined with a pair of ranging lenses for movement therewith which direct light beams to converge at the sharp... | 09/05/1995 |
| 4610539 | Method for automatically selecting a lens Some of the conventional photographic printers are provided with plurality of lenses with different magifications. In order to change the size of enlargement (or magnification of enlargement), it is necessary for an operator to manually replace a lens or ... | 09/09/1986 |
| 4609270 | Camera with interchangeable taking lenses A camera of the type having interchangeable taking lenses with different focal lengths includes a lens cover with an opening formed therein for allowing light rays to enter a selected taking lens, and an optical path establishing member which can pivotall... | 09/02/1986 |
| 4529283 | Camera with turret lens and variable frame viewfinder A lens system for a disc camera features a plurality of objective lenses of different focal lengths carried on a turret support that can be rotated into different stable positions in front of the framing area of the film disc to bring a selective lens int... | 07/16/1985 |
| 4336988 | Camera with lens disc drive system A camera having an automatic lens focusing system is provided with a torsion spring drive arrangement for rotatably driving a disc having a plurality of different focal length lens elements thereon in circumferentially spaced apart relation to sequentiall... | 06/29/1982 |
| 4335945 | Camera with structure for adjusting lens disc velocity and calibration method A camera, including an automatic lens focusing system of the type wherein a disc holding a plurality of different lens elements is accelerated by an arm of a torsion spring to effect disc rotation for sequentially presenting the lens elements at a focusin... | 06/22/1982 |
| 4315681 | Camera with lens disc stopping system A camera including an automatic lens focusing system, wherein a disc holding a plurality of different lens elements is rotated to sequentially present the lens elements at a focusing system, is provided with a disc stopping arrangement comprising a plural... | 02/16/1982 |
| 4243309 | Walking beam latch and lens disc actuator arrangement A fully automatic and integrated focusing and exposure control system for a photographic camera includes a combination latch and actuator mechanism that operates to normally latch a shutter blade arrangement in its scene light blocking position and to unl... | 01/06/1981 |
| 4240724 | Zone focusing optical system A compact zone focusing lens system is provided for use as a photographic camera objective. In the system, a positive meniscus lens is mounted in registration with the larger opening of a truncated, opaque, open-ended cone section the apical end of which ... | 12/23/1980 |
| 4167316 | Sonar controlled lens focus apparatus An automatic focusing apparatus for a camera comprises a camera to photographic subject ranging device for providing a signal indication of elapsed time corresponding to the camera-to-subject distance and an objective lens arrangement displaceable between... | 09/11/1979 |
