Photography inventions 04/07

20070092234 - Camera module: A camera module comprises a base, a lens joined to the base, a frame movably disposed on the base, an image detecting unit fixed to the frame and moving on the base via the frame, and a solenoid having a post moving between a first position and a second position.... Agent: Thomas, Kayden, Horstemeyer & Risley, LLP

20070092236 - Image blur correcting device: The present invention provides an image blur correcting device, comprising: a correcting optical system which corrects a blur of an image formed by an imaging optical system; a holding frame which holds the correcting optical system and is supported movably within a plane orthogonal to an optical axis of the... Agent: Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch

20070092235 - Image blurring correcting apparatus and imaging apparatus: The present invention provides an image blurring correcting apparatus comprising: a correcting optical system which corrects image blurring; a parallel link member which is arranged in parallel with an imaging optical axis and supports the correcting optical system with free parallel movement in the direction perpendicular to the imaging optical... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20070092238 - Lens barrel: A lens barrel including a linearly movable member to hold an optical element and which can be moved in an optical direction of the optical element and which includes a cam follower, a rotary member rotatable relative to the linearly movable member and which includes on its circumferential surface a... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070092237 - Upright camcorder with a dual lens assembly: An upright camcorder with a dual lens is provided. The upright camcorder has two lenses disposed on one lens barrel part. The lens barrel part is connected to a main body by a hinge unit so that it can be rotated with respect to the main body. One of the... Agent: Roylance, Abrams, Berdo & Goodman, L.L.P.

20070092239 - 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 part passes through an origin point; a... Agent: Lerner, David, Littenberg, Krumholz & Mentlik

20070092240 - Interchangeable lens camera, camera body thereof and lens unit: In a camera body of an electronic camera, first information representing spectral characteristics of auxiliary light is read out of a nonvolatile memory under control of a CPU of the camera body. The first information is sent to a serial driver of a lens unit via a serial driver of... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20070092241 - Information storage medium, information recording method, information playback method, information recording apparatus, and information playback apparatus: This invention provides a scheme that can indicate whether or not a plurality of objects have logical continuity when there are plurality of objects recorded by stream recording. Management information of a storage medium includes information indicating continuity between a plurality of objects. When the plurality of objects include leading... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070092242 - Optical apparatus and focus adjustment method: An optical apparatus is disclosed which can perform accurate focus control even when an image of an object at low contrast is picked up in high resolution. The optical apparatus includes a plurality of band-pass filters for different frequency bands and extracts a focus signal from the image signal through... Agent: Fitzpatrick Cella Harper & Scinto

20070092243 - Focus management system: A method for managing focus in a graphical user interface using a directional controller that allows a directional or selection input. The method comprising: determining whether the input is directional or selection; determining whether there is a sibling object of a currently focused object in a given direction of the... Agent: Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP

20070092244 - Camera exposure optimization techniques that take camera and scene motion into account: Quantities of motion between images of an electronic camera are calculated and used to adjust the exposure time and one or more other exposure parameters used to capture an image in order to improve the quality of the image. Motion blur caused by movement of the camera or by movement... Agent: Parsons Hsue & De Runtz LLP

20070092245 - Face detection and tracking in a wide field of view: Facial detection and tracking systems and methods within a wide field of view are disclosed. A facial detection and tracking system in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention can include a wide field of view camera for detecting and tracking one or more objects within a wider... Agent: Honeywell International Inc.

20070092246 - Lens barrel: A lens barrel includes a light amount adjuster including a shutter to open an opening portion of a lens system upon non-shooting and which can be moved in the optical axis direction of the lens system, an adjacent member having an optical element adjacent to the light amount adjuster so... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070092247 - Lens barrel: A lens barrel includes a light amount adjuster capable of adjusting a light amount of a lens system and which can be moved in the optical axis direction of the lens system, an adjacent member adjacent to the light amount adjuster and which can be moved relatively in the optical... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070086760 - Camera with film chamber for selective loading of film roll or cartridge and method of selective loading: A camera assembly includes an endcap assembly for closing off the bottom end of a second film chamber, which is sized to selectively receive a roll of film or a secondary film cartridge housing a roll of film. The endcap assembly can include a movable shutter blade enclosed between two... Agent: Akerman Senterfitt

20070086761 - Image-taking apparatus: An image-taking apparatus includes: a face-detecting section that detects a face in a subject image; and a face-metering section that meters individual faces when the faces are detected by the face-detecting section, thereby obtaining metered values for the respective faces. The apparatus further includes a calculation section that calculates correct... Agent: Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch

20070086762 - Front end for 3d imaging camera: A three-dimensional imaging system for forming a three dimensional image of an object tooth includes a projection unit capable of generating a projected light pattern and a detector unit capable of detecting an image pattern received from the object tooth. An optical transceiver unit transmits the projected pattern generated by... Agent: 3m Innovative Properties Company

20070086763 - Solid-state imaging device, method of producing the same and camera: The prevent invention is to provide a solid-state imaging device having a electrode configuration applicable to a progressive scan, and able to reduce a obstruction of incident light at the periphery of a light receiving portion, a method of producing the same, a camera including the same. A first transfer... Agent: Robert J. Depke Lewis T. Steadman

20070086764 - User-friendlier interfaces for a camera: A system and method is disclosed for enabling user friendly interaction with a camera system. Specifically, the inventive system and method has several aspects to improve the interaction with a camera system, including voice recognition, gaze tracking, touch sensitive inputs and others. The voice recognition unit is operable for, among... Agent: Douglas W Rudy Law Offices Of Douglas W. Rudy, LLC

20070086765 - Digital camera: A digital camera which has a plurality of modes including shooting mode and enables shooting, when the shooting mode is selected, in macro shooting mode or other shooting modes, comprising: a subject decision device which decides whether a shooting screen includes a subject which cannot be properly photographed in the... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20070086766 - inclination angle adjusting mechanism for image pickup device: An inclination angle adjusting mechanism includes a mounting plate to which an image pickup device is mounted; a reference member holding the mounting plate; through-holes formed in the mounting plate; screw bearing seats projecting from the reference member; adjustment screws screwed into female screw holes formed in the screw bearing... Agent: Greenblum & Bernstein, P.L.C

20070086767 - Lens position adjusting apparatus, lens position adjusting method and computer-readable medium: A CPU 11 in a digital camera 1 determines that the photography environment is dark and includes a spot light source, in the case where the number of pixels that have a higher luminosity than a first threshold to the total number of pixels in the focus area exceeds a... Agent: Frishauf, Holtz, Goodman & Chick, PC

20070086768 - Method and image capture device for autofocus via specific light signal: A method and image capture device for autofocus (AF) via a specific light signal, comprises the steps of: (a) emitting a light signal from an object in a scene to an image capture device, for example, a digital camera or a digital camcorder; (b) receiving and detecting the position of... Agent: Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch

20070086769 - Image taking apparatus: An image taking apparatus comprising a frame, an image taking lens that includes at least one movable lens that can be moved in a direction of the optical axis of the image taking lens with respect to said frame, a lens frame that supports the movable lens, an actuator for... Agent: Cohen, Pontani, Lieberman & Pavane

20070086770 - Lens unit and imaging apparatus: A lens unit includes a lens barrel, an imaging system arranged therein; a movable part having a movable lens, moved in an optical axis with respect to the lens barrel; a linear actuator for moving the movable part in the optical axis direction; and a biasing plate spring having a... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20070086771 - Photo module capable of adjusting distance between camera module and sensor unit: A photo module includes a sensor unit for detecting and transforming a light beam into an image; a lens module includes a lens set for receiving and focusing the light beam; and a focus-adjusting module, coupled to the lens set, for controlling the lens set to move without rotation to... Agent: Birch, Stewart, Kolasch & Birch, LLP

20070086772 - Image capturing apparatus: An image capturing apparatus includes an optical unit for forming an image of a subject, a first light extinction unit present on an optical axis of the optical unit and configured to adjust an amount of light by changing a dimension of a aperture stop thereof, a second light extinction... Agent: Dickstein Shapiro LLP

20070086773 - Method for creating and operating a user interface: Method and computer program products for creating and using a graphical user interface of an electronic device are provided. In some methods, a photograph is provided as a digital image, and a segment of the image is defined as an image button, by linking an action to coordinate data of... Agent: Myers Bigel Sibley & Sajovec, P.A.

20070086774 - Mirror box and electronic still camera: A mirror box includes a mirror that is selectively set to one of a reflecting position, which is on an optical path between a photographing lens and an imaging device so that incident light passing through the photographing lens is reflected to a view-finder, and a retracted position, which is... Agent: Greenblum & Bernstein, P.L.C

20070086775 - Optical viewfinder of a camera having a function of taking photographs: The present invention discloses an optical viewfinder of a camera having the function of taking photographs, and the viewfinder comprises an objective module, a base, an eyepiece module and an upper casing. The objective module and the eyepiece module are fixed onto the front end and rear end of the... Agent: Troxell Law Office PLLC One Skyline Place

20070086776 - Camera holder and methods: A portable device for stabilizing an arm or hand of a person. The device includes a stabilizer shaft having a peripheral section and a mating section, a stabilizer coupled with the peripheral section of the stabilizer shaft and configured to engage the arm or hand of the person, a base... Agent: Townsend And Townsend And Crew, LLP

20070086777 - Lens-shutter coupling unit: A lens-shutter coupling unit having a coupling structure of a lens shutter and a shutter unit capable of miniaturization and high-precision arrangement of a lens group, is provided. A shutter driving part for moving shutter blades and a filter driving part for moving an ND filter are disposed near an... Agent: Edwards & Angell, LLP

20070086778 - Digital camera system and digital camera: A digital camera system is composed of a camera body and a lens unit removably attached to the camera body. The lens unit has a timing generator (TG) for controlling drive timing of each part of the lens unit. The camera body also has a TG for controlling drive timing... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20070081804 - Electronic device including a rotatable camera unit: An electronic device includes a casing, a camera housing, a coupler, and an elastic member. The casing is formed with a hole therethrough. The coupler has a first end portion that is received rotatably in the hole in the casing, a second end portion that is coupled to the camera... Agent: Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro, LLP

20070081805 - Combined actuator for camera shutter and focus functions: The combined actuator described can be incorporated into a miniaturized camera product. In the camera product, the shutter driver uses the focus or zoom actuator's power amplifiers to control the current flow in shutter actuators. As such, the space needed for the camera's electronics is smaller and it is less... Agent: Foley & Lardner LLP

20070081806 - Image stabilizer: An image stabilizer includes a guide device which guides an image-stabilizing optical element in a manner to allow the image-stabilizing optical element to move in a plane orthogonal to an optical axis, the guide device including at least one mechanical movement limit preventing movement of the image-stabilizing optical element in... Agent: Greenblum & Bernstein, P.L.C

20070081807 - Method of remote controller via computer to indirectly control image-generating apparatus: A method of a remote controller to indirectly control an image-generating apparatus via a computer is utilizing a remote controller to emit a control signal and then the control signal is received and transformed by a receiving/transforming device. The transformed signal is received by a computer and then processed to... Agent: Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch

20070081808 - Lens assembly, lens moving device and assembling method: A lens assembly in a digital still camera has a lens housing. First and second movable lenses/lens groups are contained in the lens housing, and supported in respectively first and second lens holders. A guide rod guides movement of the first and second lenses/lens groups in an optical axis direction... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20070081809 - Automatic focusing camera base: An automatic focusing camera base has a seat, a motor, a focusing device, a contact set, and a transmission device. The motor is mounted on the seat and has a shaft. The focusing device is mounted on the seat, which can move relative to the seat. The contact set is... Agent: Hershkovitz & Associates

20070081810 - Motion detector camera: A motion detector camera includes a camera mechanism mounted inside a housing, a motion detector exposed on a surface of the housing, and a controller for controlling the camera mechanism in response to signals received from the motion detector. The camera can include an activity counter mounted to the housing.... Agent: Schwegman, Lundberg, Woessner & Kluth, P.A.

20070081811 - Camera flash with improved color balance: A camera flash is disclosed for producing a warm light having a desired color temperature. In one embodiment, the flash has a xenon flash component producing a light with a spectrum having a color temperature at a higher Kelvin rating than the warm light, and a light emitting diode flash... Agent: Agilent Technologies Inc.

20070081812 - Camera apparatus having a moving image playback function in multiple image selection screen: An embodiment of a camera apparatus includes an image display control unit, which displays a moving image in a reduced state while displaying multiple reduced images in a display unit for displaying images held in a recording unit having an image file, when a moving image is included in the... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20070081814 - Apparatus and method for encoding and decoding multi-view picture using camera parameter, and recording medium storing program for executing the method: An apparatus and method for encoding and decoding a multi-view picture using a camera parameter are provided. The multi-view moving picture encoding apparatus includes: a multi-view picture receiver which receives the multi-view picture and a plurality of camera parameters; a camera parameter information setting unit which selects a camera parameter... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20070081813 - Method, medium, and system classifying photos: A method, medium, and system for classifying photos. The system apparatus may include a storage module which stores a plurality of photos, a location-based classification module which classifies the plurality of photos into one or more photo groups according to photographing locations of the plurality of photos, and a time-based... Agent: Staas & Halsey LLP

20070081815 - Devices and methods for electronically controlling imaging: Imaging devices and methods are provided. In some embodiments, a device includes a light modulator layer having a plurality of elements, each having a controllable transmittance, and a plurality of lenses, wherein each of the plurality of lenses is disposed to receive light independently of each other. The device further... Agent: Wilmerhale/columbia University

20070081816 - Viewfinder system for a digital camera and digital camera provided with such a system: A viewfinder system for a digital camera comprises a main optical path for projecting an outside scene image onto a light sensitive area facility, which facility determines a user field, and an optical extraction path for through mirror-operation extracting a fraction of the outside scene image onto a viewer optical... Agent: Millen, White, Zelano & Branigan, P.C.

20070081817 - Camera support base: The camera support base of the invention is designed to meet the need for a stable, lightweight, compact, economical fixture that can be removably affixed to a photographic camera to safely support the camera when it is set down out-of-hand. A preferred basic design of the camera support base comprises... Agent: Litman Law Offices, Ltd

20070081818 - Integrated selectively angled camera for clam style products: A clam shell style electronic product (10) includes a base housing portion (12), a flip housing portion (26) pivotably coupled to the base housing portion, a display (28) mounted in the flip housing portion, and a camera (16) in the base housing portion that can be selectively angled to a... Agent: Akerman Senterfitt

20070081820 - Imager apparatus: An imager apparatus is provided, including a housing that stores a lens device with an imaging lens exposed to the front surface facing a subject; a lens cover movable between a first position covering the imaging lens and a second position opening the same; and a cover moving mechanism linearly... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070081821 - Imager apparatus: An imager apparatus is provided. The imager apparatus includes: a housing that stores a lens device with an imaging lens exposed to the front surface facing a subject; and a lens cover attached to the housing, being movable between a first position covering the imaging lens and a second position... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070081819 - Lens cover apparatus for camera: A lens cover apparatus for camera includes a housing, a cover, and a push rod. The cover is rotatably mounted to the housing to open/close a lens window for selectively exposing/shielding a lens of the camera. The push rod is manually movable with respect to the housing to induce a... Agent: Madson & Austin Gateway Tower West

20070077045 - Optical tomography system: Light emitted from the light source unit divided into measuring light and reference light. An optical path length of the measuring light or the reference light is adjusted and a probe guides the measuring light to an object. The reflected light from the object when the measuring light is projected... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20070077046 - Photographing apparatus and method using movement detection: Provided is a photographing apparatus and method using a movement detection. In the method, a movement of a photographing apparatus in a photographing mode is measured and it is determined whether the photographing apparatus is in a fixed state. When it is determined that the photographing apparatus is in the... Agent: Dilworth & Barrese, LLP

20070077047 - Optical axis correction apparatus of an imaging device, and optical axis correction method for an imaging device: An optical axis correction apparatus of an imaging device, the imaging device including an imaging optical system having a plurality of optical elements, and an optical element position changing device which changes a relative position among the optical elements to vary a state of an object image formed thereby, the... Agent: Greenblum & Bernstein, P.L.C

20070077048 - Automatic focusing method: An automatic focusing method is provided, which is realized through an imaging device as based on the multi-stage search principle and a focusing function. Thus the focusing position search is implemented in three stages of: the optimal focusing position gross search, the wave packet interval search, and the optimal focusing... Agent: Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch

20070077049 - Digital camera module: An exemplary digital camera module (10) includes a lens module (20), an image sensor (2202) and a rotating structure (30). The lens module includes a barrel and at least one lens (211) received in the barrel. The at least one lens defines an optical axis (214). The image sensor (2202)... Agent: PCe Industry, Inc. Att. Cheng-ju Chiang Jeffrey T. Knapp

20070077050 - Automatic focusing structure and digital camera module with same: An automatic focusing structure includes a holder (20), a barrel (10) and a piezoelectric actuator (30). The holder has a resistor (26) thereon. The barrel is slidably received in the holder. At least one lens element (12) received in the barrel, and an electrode (16) is located on an outer... Agent: PCe Industry, Inc. Att. Cheng-ju Chiang Jeffrey T. Knapp

20070077052 - Digital camera module with focusing function: A digital camera module (100) with a focusing function includes a holder, an image sensor package (30) and a wedge (60). The holder has several lens elements (16) received therein. The image sensor package is movably received in the holder. The wedge is inserted into the holder and resists the... Agent: PCe Industry, Inc. Att. Cheng-ju Chiang Jeffrey T. Knapp

20070077051 - Micro camera module with discrete manual focal positions: A novel micro camera module that is manually adjustable between a close-up mode and an infinite mode includes a lens assembly adjustably mounted within a sleeve that is adjustably mounted into a housing. In a particular embodiment the sleeve includes a channel (cam groove) that is engaged by a plurality... Agent: Henneman & Associates, PLC

20070077053 - Imaging device, imaging method and program: An imaging device equipped with an imaging system including an imaging lens optical system which images an object, a flash emitting unit which synchronizes imaging in the imaging system to emit a flash having not less than a prescribed luminance in a sate not less than a prescribed charged state... Agent: Frishauf, Holtz, Goodman & Chick, PC

20070077054 - Method and apparatus for powering a strobe for retinal imaging: A lightweight, small, high-voltage power supply for a xenon flash lamp or strobe permits rapid and reliable strobing for retinal imaging. In one embodiment the power supply can develop 500 volts at 720 watt seconds to permit firing the xenon strobe at full power one pulse per second. The power... Agent: Robert K. Tendler

20070077055 - Image taking apparatus and program for multiple-exposure shooting: The exposure time calculator calculates exposure time of image sensor based on an aperture value corresponding to a diaphragm and brightness of an object. The predetermined time calculator calculates predetermined time based on a focal length of a lens and a predetermined coefficient. The shooting mode determining unit determines execution... Agent: Ndq&m Watchstone LLP

20070077056 - Image shooting apparatus, display apparatus and image shooting and display apparatus: An image shooting and display apparatus includes: a plurality of image pickup portions. An image pickup controller switches image pickup portions to be used in accordance with the image shooting mode. It also switches the image shooting mode in accordance with the image pickup portions to be actuated in accordance... Agent: Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch

20070077057 - Digital camera module and lens used therein: A digital camera module (100) and a lens (20) used therein, the digital camera module includes a holder (10), an image pickup module (30) and a lens (20). The holder has a window (12) defined on a sidewall, the window is configured for receiving light. The image pickup module includes... Agent: PCe Industry, Inc. Att. Cheng-ju Chiang Jeffrey T. Knapp

20070077058 - Multi-directional operation switch and switch device using the same: A multi-directional operation switch includes an operation body and plural switches. The operation body has a surface having a recess sinking in a predetermined direction. The operation body is operable to swing in a plurality of directions perpendicular to the predetermined direction. The switches are activated in response to swinging... Agent: Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack L.L.P.

20070077060 - Film cartridge type digital camera: A film cartridge type digital camera is provided and includes: a film cartridge type case having a compatible shape with a film cartridge into which a film camera is loaded; and an imaging device loaded into the film cartridge type case in a curved state.... Agent: Mcginn Intellectual Property Law Group, PLLC

20070077059 - Multi-function image device: A multi-function device that prints information images onto sheets of photo-addressable media is described. The multi-function device is comprised of an image acquisition component, an image generation component, optional image transformation components and an image projector to illuminate the photo-addressable medium with the optionally transformed information images. The effects of... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20070077061 - Portable information terminal with camera: A transparent plate is fixed to the body of a mobile phone with a camera in order to cover an aperture for photography. A solid-state image sensor (4) is placed on the image plane of a photographing optical system. Between a base plate having an aperture for regulating the optical... Agent: Smith, Gambrell & Russell

20070077062 - Device for photographing with lens barrel: A digital still camera includes a camera main unit and a lens barrel fitted thereon in a removable manner. First electric contacts in a group are disposed on the camera main unit. Second electric contacts in a group are disposed on the lens barrel, for electric contact with the first... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20070077063 - Electronics device system and electronics device: A camera comprises a lens unit and a camera body to which the lens unit is attached by a rotational operation. The camera body is provided with terminals including a specific terminal. Arrangement of the specific terminal is different from that of the other terminals. In detaching the lens unit... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC