Minolta Company, Ltd.

Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Daigo Yoshioka

Shoichi Minato

Hisanori Itoh

Yoshio Nakagawa

Yoshiyuki Inoue

Naohiko Hayashi

Hiroyuki Tsumazawa

Atsushi Kuwada

Tetsuya Uno

Masatoshi Itoh

Takashi Kondo

Masahito Niikawa

Takashi Iida

Hidenori Fukuoka

Kazuhiko Kojima

Takeya Tsukamoto

Yasuo Hawai

Hiroaki Hasegawa

Yoshifumi Harada

Tatsuro Izumi

A rotatable semitransparent mirror is arranged at an inclination above the optical path from the taking lens to the image sensing element, and the light reflected by the semitransparent mirror is directed to an optical finder provided above the mirror. The image sensed by the image sensing element is displayed on a liquid crystal display. The variation in the optical path from the taking lens to the image sensing element depending on whether or not the semitransparent mirror is set on the optical path is corrected by changing the position of the image sensing element or the taking lens, such that the impingement state of the light on the image sensing element or the optical path length from the taking lens to the image sensing element is normally rendered fixed. Both the image provided by the optical finder and the image displayed by the liquid crystal display accurately represent the image forming state on the image sensing element regardless of whether or not the semitransparent mirror is set on the optical path.

Digital camera having multiple image taking modes

An information communication apparatus for conducting information communication such as a telephone conversation, sending and reception of E-mails and the like and for capturing an image of a subject comprises an image capturing unit for capturing an image through the zoom optical system, and a body unit for displaying an image and accepting a user's input. A rotating mechanism is provided between the image capturing unit and the body unit. When a user conducts information communication or carries the information communication apparatus, the image capturing unit is positioned so that the optical axis of the zoom optical system is substantially parallel to a display screen of a display. This prevents impairment of the portability of the information communication apparatus. When the user captures an image, the image capturing unit is positioned so that the optical axis of the zoom optical system is substantially perpendicular to the display screen of the display. This allows the user to capture images of a subject behind the body unit and the face of the user while viewing the display.

Portable information communication apparatus with rotating mechanism

A digital camera having a taking lens, a finder for viewing light transmitted through the taking lens, an image sensing element for optoelectrically converting light which passes through the taking lens, a light splitter capable of changing transmittance and dividing the light transmitted through the taking lens to the image sensing element and the finder, a light splitter driver for driving the light splitter to a position to split the light between the image sensing element and the viewfinder when viewing and driving the light splitter to retract a position for directing the light only to the image sensing element during photography, and a controller for controlling the light splitter to a semi-transparent state to direct light to the image sensing element and the viewfinder when viewing and controlling the light splitter to a blocking state during photography.

Digital camera

In a digital camera having a self-timer function, the time for which the shot image is displayed in a self-timer shooting mode is longer than the time for which the shot image is displayed in a normal shooting mode.

Digital camera having a self-timer shooting function

Openings (OPa, OPb) corresponding to respective card slots ( ) are formed in a side face of a digital camera, and a slot cover ( ) having a size covering both of the openings (OPa, OPb) is placed in a manner so as to shift thereon, thereby allowing either of the openings of the card slots to be selectively exposed. A CPU, installed therein, is allowed to access a card-type medium attached to the card slot that is not exposed, and is not allowed to access a card-type medium attached to the card slot that is exposed. A card-type medium can be detachably attached to the card slot that is exposed, and with respect to the card slot that is not exposed, the attaching and removing operations of a card-type medium are restricted.

Electronic device using card-type media

A portable apparatus having setting means for setting mutually contradictory functions, wherein the setting means comprises a pair of operation buttons, and the operation buttons are disposed on opposing surfaces of the body of the portable apparatus, respectively.

Portable apparatus

A digital camera comprises an electronic view finder (EVF) for electronically displaying an image of a subject and a movable monitor. The movable monitor is slidable along guide grooves and movable between a first position in which the EVF is covered with the movable monitor and a second position in which the EVF is not covered. By a sensor for position detection, when it is detected that the movable monitor is in the first position, no image is displayed on the EVF but an image is displayed on the movable monitor. When it is detected that the movable monitor is in the second position, no image is displayed on the movable monitor but an image is displayed on the EVF. Consequently, power can be saved, and when the movable monitor is in the first position, adhesion of dusts and dirt onto the display face of the EVF can be decreased.

Digital camera and method of controlling display thereof

A lens assembly is disclosed in which the amount of movement of at least one lens unit is achieved by combining the amounts of relative movement of at least two barrels. A linear advancement barrel advances straight ahead relative to a fixed barrel. A first lens unit moves together with the linear advancement barrel. A second lens unit is located in front of the first lens unit along the optical axis. A third lens unit is located behind the first lens unit along the optical axis. A cam ring moves together with the linear advancement barrel along the optical axis and rotates around the optical axis. The cam ring has first and second cams that move the second lens unit and the third lens unit by amounts of movement relative to the linear advancement barrel.

Lens assembly which zooms by combined movement of plural barrels

A video camera wherein a microphone is shifted from a retracted inoperative position to a projected operative position without fail when the video camera is changed over from a photographing enabled condition to a photographing disabled condition or vice versa. The video camera includes a lens barrier and a microphone which are operatively coupled to each other such that when one of them is moved between its photographing disabling position and its photographing enabling position, the other is also moved between its photographing disabling position and its photographing enabling position. A power supply switch or a video/camera changing over switch may be operatively coupled to the lens barrier and the microphone in a similar relationship. When one of the microphone, lens barrier and switch is manually operated to change over the video camera from a photographing disabled condition to a photographing enabled condition, the others are also moved to the individual photographing enabling positions.

Video camera with automatically movable microphone

A camera such as a vide camera having an automatic focusing function, a power focusing function and a power zooming function which allows most reasonable change-over between the functions of the camera. The camera comprises manually operable mode change-over means for alternatively changing over the camera between a zooming mode and a focusing mode, and manually operable instructing means for instructing a direction of movement of a zooming lens system or a focusing lens system for zooming or focusing. When the zooming mode is selected, first actuating means actuates the zooming lens system for zooming in a direction instructed by the instructing means, but when the focusing mode is selected, second actuating means actuates the focusing lens system for focusing operation in a direction instructed by the instructing means. Several forms of instructing means are disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Toyonaka, Japan

Daigo Yoshioka