British merchant Peter Durand invented the tin can in 1810.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8190012 | Optical system with adjustable shims An optical system includes actuators in a coupling between a detector, such as a focal plane array, and a frame (mount) that supports the detector. The actuators may be actuated piezoelectric shims that can have their thickness adjusted by applying a voltage to them... | 05/29/2012 |
| 7925148 | Apparatus and method for compensating position of camera lens according to temperature variation This document relates to an apparatus and method for controlling a camera according to temperature. The apparatus according to an embodiment of this document may comprise a camera comprising lenses comprising a focus lens, an iris, a lens barrel, a motor drive for c... | 04/12/2011 |
| 7574126 | 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... | 08/11/2009 |
| 7313034 | Low supply voltage temperature compensated reference voltage generator and method A reference voltage generator uses a conventional forward junction voltage generating device and a conventional thermal generator to generate a thermal voltage. The forward junction voltage and the thermal voltages have respective thermal sensitivities that act oppo... | 12/25/2007 |
| 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 |
| 7190389 | Stereo camera A stereo camera includes a pair of photographing optical systems arranged in a common plane so that a common photographing coverage occurs between a pair of photographing areas taken by the pair of photographing optical systems, an object distance measuring device, ... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7110667 | Auto focus apparatus An auto focus apparatus of the present invention comprises a first temperature detection device, a second temperature detection device, a reference driving range storage device, a correction information storage device, a reference driving range acquisition device, a... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7110037 | Automatic focus control based on voltage, temperature, and power supply A digital camera is provided with, a voltage detection unit for a driving power supply, a temperature detection unit which detects an inner temperature and an outer temperature of the apparatus, a power supply detection unit which detects whether the power supply is... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7042503 | Image sensing apparatus, method and program for distance measurement An image sensing apparatus of this invention includes a signal generator adapted to generate a signal upon reception of input light, a transfer unit adapted to transfer the signal generated by the signal generator, a temperature measuring unit adapted to measure a t... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7035019 | Lens barrel extending and retracting mechanisms A lens barrel extending and retracting mechanism. A photographic optical axis and a central axis of a lens barrel are eccentric such that a first lens group and a second lens group are housed in a side of a CCD separated from the optical axis. The lens barrel is rot... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7015960 | Image sensor that uses a temperature sensor to compensate for dark current An image sensor that has a temperature sensor. The temperature sensor senses the temperature of a pixel array of the image sensor. The sensed temperature is used to scale a dark frame image generated by the pixel array. The scaled dark frame image is subtracted from... | 03/21/2006 |
| 6954292 | Image scan apparatus and focus control method After scan conditions are determined by the pre-scan, a temperature of a focus lens unit is measured. When the difference between the measured temperature and a set temperature data stored in a RAM is less than 4° C., a focus position is calculated based on set foc... | 10/11/2005 |
| 6940797 | Apparatus and method of compensating for tilt and/or defocus of a disc during recording A method of compensating for tilt and/or defocus and an apparatus therefor. The apparatus has a tilt and/or defocus detector detecting the tilt and/or defocus of an optical recording medium, and a recording compensator compensating a write pulse having a predetermin... | 09/06/2005 |
| 6927795 | Dark signal closed loop thermal control for digital imaging systems This invention is a digital camera that measures its internal temperature using the dark current of the photo detector. Using the temperature information the digital camera controls its internal temperature by selectively shutting down or slowing down heat generatin... | 08/09/2005 |
| 6826361 | Systems and methods for estimating lens temperature A system and method for estimating lens temperature is disclosed. In one embodiment, a camera comprises a body and a lens assembly. The lens assembly comprises a focus mechanism. The body comprises a heat generating element, a sensor proximally located to the heat g... | 11/30/2004 |
| 6822688 | Movable-lens position control apparatus An optical apparatus having an image-forming optical system comprising a movable lens, comprises a lens drive mechanism for moving the movable lens, a focus adjusting device for automatically adjusting an imaging position by moving the movable lens or another optica... | 11/23/2004 |
| 6707994 | Device for determining amount of focus adjustment A device for determining an amount of focus adjustment for an image-forming optical system which forms an image on a predetermined image plane includes a sensor, an image-re-forming optical system which re-forms the image on the sensor, and a reference member dispos... | 03/16/2004 |
| 6584282 | Finder optical system and camera having the system A finder optical system for observing an object therethrough, includes a variable-power objective optical system, an eyepiece optical system for guiding light from the object via the objective optical system to an observer, and an adjustor for changing th... | 06/24/2003 |
| 6487371 | Range finder device having mode for removing steady light components and mode for not removing steady light components A range finder device includes a light projecting section for projecting range finding light onto an object and a light receiving section for monitoring the image pattern of the object. An integrating circuit integrates an output signal from the light rec... | 11/26/2002 |
| 6465769 | Focus detecting device, and apparatus having the same A focus detecting device includes a focus detecting sensor having a glass plate affixed to a surface thereof, and a holding member which holds the focus detecting sensor. The holding member is provided with a first abutting surface on which the glass plat... | 10/15/2002 |
| 6449434 | Lens displacement or other control using shaped memory alloy driver A lens displacing mechanism for an objective lens comprising an actuator movable to displace the objective lens, and a shaped memory alloy (abbreviated to SMA) wire which when heated contracts to a memorized shape to move the actuator to displace the obje... | 09/10/2002 |
| 6337736 | Thermal deformation compensating range finder The range finder measures the distance to the object based on the principle of triangulation, and includes a pair of lenses; a lens supporting frame; a CCD supporting plate; CCD packages supported by the plate; and temperature sensors. One sensor is posit... | 01/08/2002 |
| 6298199 | Electric circuits for camera An electric circuit for a camera of this invention performs stable camera control with a simple structure and does not depend on a change in environment, such as temperature. The electric circuit for a camera has an IFIC capable of outputting signals with... | 10/02/2001 |
| 6282380 | Position control apparatus, focus adjustment apparatus and camera A position control apparatus includes a stepping motor, a lead screw arranged to be rotated by the stepping motor being driven, a moving member arranged to move according to rotation of the lead screw, a first detecting device which detects that the movin... | 08/28/2001 |
| 6268885 | Optical apparatus for correcting focus based on temperature and humidity An optical apparatus with an image-forming optical system having a movable lens includes a lens drive mechanism for moving the movable lens and a focus adjusting device for automatically adjusting an imaging position by moving the movable lens or another ... | 07/31/2001 |
| 6249647 | Compensation for thermal degradation of the optical performance in a digital imaging system A system for thermal compensation of the optical performance of a lens system in a digital imaging device can improve the performance of the digital imaging system. The dark current from the photosensor is used to measure the temperature of the lens syste... | 06/19/2001 |
| 6188841 | Lens-fitted film unit with plastic taking lens A lens-fitted film unit is provided with a thermally expandable axial distance adjusting member which has a thermal expansion coefficient greater than plastic lens elements of a taking lens held by an axially movable lens holder and disposed between the l... | 02/13/2001 |
| 6184511 | Photoelectric conversion apparatus A photoelectric conversion apparatus including (A) a semiconductor integrated circuit, for photoelectrically converting an incident optical signal, that includes a first temperature dependent element having a characteristic which exhibits a predetermined ... | 02/06/2001 |
| 6148152 | Compensation for thermal degradation of the optical performance in a digital imaging system A system for thermal compensation of the optical performance of a lens system in a digital imaging device can improve the performance of the digital imaging system. The dark current from the photosensor is used to measure the temperature of the lens syste... | 11/14/2000 |
| 6144805 | Optical apparatus for correcting focus detection caused by environmental variation An optical apparatus includes first and second lenses, first and second detection devices, and a control device. The first lens varies magnification, and the second lens, positioned on a focal-plane side of the first lens, corrects variation of an image f... | 11/07/2000 |
| 6120379 | Portable game machine and portable game machine cartridge In a portable game machine 10, formed on the upper portion of a body portion 20 is a camera portion 30. An image display device 22 is arranged on one main surpace of the body portion 20, and operating switches 23, 24, etc., are arranged on other areas. Th... | 09/19/2000 |
| 6023589 | Optical apparatus An optical apparatus for forming an object image on an image forming plane by using an optical system including a moving lens group for focus adjustment, includes a lens driving mechanism which drives the moving lens group, a control circuit which drives ... | 02/08/2000 |
| 5995766 | Focus detecting device and optical apparatus having the same A focus detecting device which performs a temperature compensating action on the basis of an output of a temperature sensor includes a focus detecting sensor, a reimaging lens which reimages a light flux to be used for focus detection, a support member on... | 11/30/1999 |
| 5895129 | Optical apparatus An optical apparatus has an optical system incorporating a plurality of lenses including at least one movable lens. The optical apparatus detects temperature information or humidity information concerning the temperature or humidity around a structural me... | 04/20/1999 |
| 5845159 | Optical apparatus An optical apparatus has an imaging optical system including an optical element system which undergoes changes in shape and refractive index by temperature or humidity. This optical apparatus is provided with at least one set of a light-emitting element a... | 12/01/1998 |
| 5745805 | Focus detecting device A focus detecting device includes a photographic lens, a condenser lens disposed adjacent to a preset imaging plane of the photographic lens, an aperture stop having a pair of apertures arranged with sufficient space for ensuring focus accuracy, a reimagi... | 04/28/1998 |
| 5679946 | Photo-taking lens temperature compensation system A system that is mounted in a camera capable of focal point detection and that performs correction of the focal point detection data in accordance with the temperature, wherein the temperature inside the photo-taking lens barrel is measured and the focal ... | 10/21/1997 |
| 5652926 | Distance measuring apparatus A distance measuring apparatus for measuring a distance to an object, which comprises an active distance measuring unit, a passive distance measuring unit, a parameter determining unit, a memory and a distance-value selecting circuit. The memory stores a ... | 07/29/1997 |
| 5636143 | Method and apparatus for estimating color temperature, photographing apparatus, and method and apparatus for determining exposure There are provided a method and apparatus capable of estimating a color temperature of a photographic light source. A theoretical reference value is obtained which is represented by summation or integration of the product of a spectral energy distribution... | 06/03/1997 |
| 5614983 | Automatic focus device and method An automatic focus state detection device executes focus adjustment by taking environmental factors such as temperature and power source voltage into consideration. The temperature of the camera, the power source voltage of the battery in the camera, and ... | 03/25/1997 |