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...Daniel Webster invented a "bull plow" to pull out tree stumps. It didn't catch on because it was huge and required four oxen to pull it!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8023815 | Camera lens assembly and autofocusing method therefor Provided is a method for focusing a camera lens assembly, the focusing method including assembling a lens and a camera device; measuring an actual distance between the lens and the camera device in an assembled position; inputting a difference of the actual distance... | 09/20/2011 |
| 7620307 | Image pickup apparatus and method for controlling the same An image pickup apparatus includes a relative phase detecting unit operable to detect an amount of change in a relative phase associated with movement of a movable portion; an origin point position detecting unit operable to detect that the position of a reference p... | 11/17/2009 |
| 7536095 | Autofocus device and method An autofocus device comprising a lens-driving unit, a focal-point-position-detecting unit that detects a position of a focal point of the lens, a distance measurement sensor that measures a distance to a subject, and a focus-evaluation-value-calculating unit that ca... | 05/19/2009 |
| 7536096 | Autofocus device and method An autofocus device comprising a lens-driving unit, a focal-point-position-detecting unit that detects a position of a focal point of the lens, and a distance measurement sensor. The sensor measures a distance to a subject based on a reference field of view for dist... | 05/19/2009 |
| 7400825 | Imaging device and method of controlling the same An imaging apparatus measures shake of the apparatus using a gyro sensor, performs “a center stop control” until receiving an instruction to start recording the still picture, and performs “a lens correction control” after the start of exposure in the imagin... | 07/15/2008 |
| 7253575 | Industrial optical shutter A highly versatile optical shutter for industrial and scientific applications is disclosed. The has a aperture which defines a light path through the shutter, and a shutter vane or blade that is moved into and out of the light path using a precision, microprocessor ... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7229223 | Rotation transfer mechanism and a zoom camera incorporating the rotation transfer mechanism A rotation transfer mechanism includes a rotatable ring and has a circumferential gear formed on a peripheral surface of the rotatable ring, and a rotation transfer gear, wherein rotation of the rotatable ring is transferred to the rotation transfer gear via engagem... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7224395 | Camera having a shutter to cut reverse-incident light from the eyepiece lens A camera comprises a beam splitter configured to divide an incident light from a subject through a photographing lens, an eyepiece lens configured to observe the incident light divided by the beam splitter with a viewfinder, a relay lens provided between the beam sp... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7167203 | Digital camera having controller for reducing occurrences of blur in displayed images A digital camera comprises a camera body and an image sensing unit. The image sensing unit is provided with a taking lens and an image sensing device for taking images and with an optical viewfinder. The camera body is provided with a controller for controlling the ... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7164855 | Optical apparatus An optical apparatus according to the present invention enables a reduced drive distance in focusing operation of a focus lens to allow focus detection and focusing operation in a short time period. The optical apparatus has a detection unit which detects the attitu... | 01/16/2007 |
| 7039309 | Drive source of a camera lens A drive source of a camera lens designed with built-in drive motor inside the camera lens mount delivers benefits of eliminating runout occurring during the telescopic movement of the telescopic lens, and simplifying the parts assembly process. The drive source of c... | 05/02/2006 |
| 6978088 | Optical element retracting mechanism for a retractable lens A retracting mechanism for a lens barrel, the mechanism includes a non-rotatable member having an engagement surface; a frame movable along an axis towards and away from the non-rotatable member without rotation and having a holder for holding an imaging element, th... | 12/20/2005 |
| 6954233 | Electronic image pick-up apparatus and method of adjusting the focal position thereof An electronic image pick-up apparatus acquires auto-focus data from each of an AF sensor module and an image sensor disposed in conjugate positions in a test mode, stores data on any relative deviation between those items of auto-focus data and drives a photographic... | 10/11/2005 |
| 6792204 | Electronic shutter for camera and method for controlling the same An electronic shutter for a camera includes a first driving force generating mechanism for generating driving force for moving a lens barrel in a direction of an optical axis, a lens barrel moving mechanism for moving the lens barrel by use of driving force from the... | 09/14/2004 |
| 6643458 | Image pickup apparatus and method of controlling same There is disclosed an image pickup apparatus having a lens barrel which is sinkable into the apparatus body, and is controlled, if necessary, not to sink into the body even when the power is switched off The image pickup apparatus has a power key which sw... | 11/04/2003 |
| 6349173 | 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... | 02/19/2002 |
| 6295412 | Shake-proof camera A shake-proof camera comprises a shake-correcting lens portion for correcting a shake by changing an optical axis of a photographic optical system and a moving lens portion disposed in the vicinity of the shake-correcting lens portion and arranged as mova... | 09/25/2001 |
| 6239912 | Focal point detection apparatus A focal point detection apparatus having a plurality of detection areas comprises a view field mask disposed in the vicinity of a prearranged imaging plane of a photographing lens and provided with a plurality of view field apertures, a condenser lens pro... | 05/29/2001 |
| 6118947 | Drive method and device for an electronic shutter and auto focus control mechanism used in cameras A method for driving a shutter of a camera includes the steps of determining whether a first shutter release is performed, measuring light and distance to the subject if the first shutter release is performed, determining both a focus position of the focu... | 09/12/2000 |
| 6118945 | Lens control apparatus A lens control apparatus drives a lens with a sine wave by means of a pulse motor and detects the position of the lens by counting the number of pulses during the driving of the pulse motor, and stores a stop phase which is reached by a rotor when the pul... | 09/12/2000 |
| 6075946 | Position adjusting device for a camera optical unit A position adjusting device for a camera optical unit includes a casing which is fixed within a camera for accommodating the optical unit therein, first and second supports provided between the casing and the optical unit for vertically and laterally pivo... | 06/13/2000 |
| 6029010 | Optical unit controller A camera, an optical apparatus or an optical unit controller having a device for driving an optical unit, a device for determining a state of movement of the optical unit, and a control unit for changing the direction of movement of the optical unit accor... | 02/22/2000 |
| 5940632 | Magnification change-over device for camera A magnification change-over device is arranged to be highly suitable for a camera of the kind having a photo-taking lens and a viewfinder arranged independently of each other. The device includes the photo-taking lens having an image magnification which i... | 08/17/1999 |
| 5864719 | Optical apparatus An optical apparatus comprises an association device which operates a viewfinder in association with a movement of an image forming optical system. After the movement of the image forming optical system, the association device severs the association of th... | 01/26/1999 |
| 5831671 | Image blur prevention apparatus utilizing a stepping motor An image-blur prevention apparatus includes a vibration detection unit for detecting a vibration state, an image-blur correction unit for correcting an image blur, an open-loop controllable driving unit for driving the image-blur correction unit, and a co... | 11/03/1998 |
| 5832319 | System and method for driving electronic shutter of a camera As for a camera, a method for driving an electronic shutter of a camera, comprising the stages of setting an initial focus of a rotating member connected with a focus control lens in a state where the focus control lens is pre-set in a middle position bet... | 11/03/1998 |
| 5774748 | Zoom lens barrel and camera having such a barret A zoom lens camera includes a whole unit moving device to move a front lens group and a rear lens group together as a whole in an optical axis direction, and a relative moving means to vary a distance between the front lens group and the rear lens group. ... | 06/30/1998 |
| 5771407 | Device and method for performing communication in a camera between a camera body and an optical system A camera with an optical system having an autofocus function and a motion compensation function and which is adapted to quickly perform communication of data relating to the motion compensation function and the autofocus function to a camera body. The cam... | 06/23/1998 |
| 5752095 | Magnification change-over device for camera A magnification change-over device is arranged to be highly suitable for a camera of the kind having a photo-taking lens and a viewfinder arranged independently of each other. The device includes the photo-taking lens having an image magnification which i... | 05/12/1998 |
| 5732290 | Magnification and focus adjustment control device A magnification and focus adjustment control device, includes a first lens unit; a second lens unit; and a first and second guiding device for guiding a movement of the second lens unit. While an operation of a magnification change is conducted, a positio... | 03/24/1998 |
| 5721976 | Image magnification control device for a camera A lens focusing system for a camera. The camera includes a focusing lens that is movable between a first terminus point and a second terminus point. An amount required to move the focusing lens to obtain an in-focus condition is determined, which is used ... | 02/24/1998 |
| 5640617 | Camera shutter and autofocus mechanism A camera includes a film drive motor, that connected through a series of gears, drives a bi-directional moving control element. The moving control element is, in turn, mechanically linked to a shutter striker, shutter striker release mechanism, lens focus... | 06/17/1997 |
| 5406345 | Optical system controlling apparatus An optical system controlling apparatus includes a plurality of lenses for varying an optical characteristic, a plurality of driving parts for driving the plurality of lenses, respectively, a plurality of sensors for detecting the respective states of dri... | 04/11/1995 |
| 5347333 | Lens-driving device for camera A lens-driving device for a camera that includes a photographing lens having at least one specific lens group that is displaceable in a direction along an optical axis. The at least one specific lens groups is driven between a ready-for-photographing posi... | 09/13/1994 |
| 5307110 | Pulse-controlled camera, method for setting control reference position thereof, and method for adjusting mechanical errors in production thereof A pulse-controlled camera has a single motor capable of conducting a drive of a photo-taking lens and a drive of opening and closing of shutter blades at a high speed with a high reliability and a high precision in a compact structure, in which mechanical... | 04/26/1994 |
| 5175577 | Drive member sensing arrangement for an automatic focusing system of a camera An automatic focusing system for a camera comprises a motor rotatable in opposite directions, a drive member driven for rotation by the motor, a distance-setting member rotatable together with the drive member to place an objective lens in an initial posi... | 12/29/1992 |
| 5162834 | Focusing control apparatus for a camera The invention provides a focusing control for a camera which performs focusing at normal as well as close distances. The location of a subject to be photographed is detected and the focus control is set either into a normal mode or a close-up mode without... | 11/10/1992 |
| 5157433 | Method and apparatus for controlling continuous photography Continuous photography control for a camera wherein an autofocus system is provided, and a motor is used commonly to move a taking lens for focusing and to open and close a shutter for exposure. When a mode switch is operated to set a continuous photograp... | 10/20/1992 |
| 5063402 | Apparatus for retracting a photo-taking lens A lens retracting apparatus for a photo-taking device which comprises an interchangeable photo-taking lens, a main switch selectively switchable between an ON position for enabling an operation of the photo-taking device and an OFF position for inhibiting... | 11/05/1991 |
| 4961084 | Camera with changeable focal length A focal length changeable camera has a taking lens system which is changed between at least two different focal lengths, namely, a relatively long focal length suitable for a telephotographic mode and a relatively short focal length suitable for a wide-an... | 10/02/1990 |
