Nikon Corporation

Itaru Homma

Akira Ohmura

Chiyuki Kuwata

Toru Iwane

Toshimi Watanabe

Takehiko Ueda

Yosuke Kusaka

Li Hong

A cellular phone is capable of telephone-calling with an external device, and includes an antenna by which to communicate with the external device; a lens; an image sensor that outputs an image signal; a display; a loudspeaker; and a processer. The processor controls the display to display an announcement of an incoming call from the external device after receiving a calling signal via the antenna, and in a case that the calling signal is received during operation of the image sensor in a moving image mode, the processor permits communication between the cellular phone and the external device via the antenna and using the loudspeaker and a microphone of the cellular phone after the announcement of the incoming call is displayed by the display and after the processor receives an instruction from an input device of the cellular phone to allow starting of the telephone-calling with the external device.

Camera capable of communicating with other communication device

A camera having communication ability can switch a mode between a communication mode and a shooting mode. The camera combines features of a communication device and a digital camera. The camera comprises a communication device, an imaging device, and a switching device. The switching device switched the communication mode to the shooting mode responsive to completion of communication.

A system () for detecting whether an image () is blurred performs the steps of: identifying valid light trails in the test image (), and classifying the test image as blurred if there is a sufficient number of matching valid light trails oriented in a repetitive pattern (). The system () is designed to automatically detect whether a night scene image () is blurred based on the existence and characteristics of any light trails () in the captured image (). Because the method extracts the characteristics of the light trails () and analyzes these light trails (), it accurately detects blur in the challenging night scene images and has a relatively low false positive rate.

Blur detection system for night scene images

A camera having communication ability can switch a mode between a communication mode and a shooting mode. The camera combines features of a communication device and a digital camera. The camera comprises a communication device, an imaging device, and a switching device. The switching device switches the communication mode to the shooting mode responsive to completion of communication.

An illumination device for photography includes: a light emission unit that emits illumination light towards a photographic subject; and a control unit that performs control so as to change a light emission luminance of the light emission unit within an exposure time period that is set to the camera.

Illumination device for photography, and camera

The present invention relates to a holographic optical element (), a viewfinder display () of a camera () using thereof, and a camera (). The purpose of the present invention is to show various superimposed displays for various information with securing a bright viewfinder image. In the holographic optical element according to the present invention, a liquid crystal () whose orientation is changeable and a liquid crystal () whose orientation is fixed are arranged alternately with a striped shape between the transparent members () () on which the transparent electrodes () () are formed facing with each other.

Holographic optical device, camera finder indication, and camera

Disclosed is a display device which comprises a pair of plate-like light transmittable members; a display member located so as to form a predetermined pattern between a pair of light transmittable members, the display member being composed of a material whose light transmittance is electrically changed; and a pair of light transmittable electrodes, at least one of a pair of light transmittable electrodes having a shape corresponding to the pattern, a pair of light transmittable electrodes being formed on a pair of light transmittable members and for electrically controlling the material. The camera having the display device comprises illuminating means for illuminating the display portion. The display portion is illuminated in accordance with a luminance of a subject. The illuminating light can be also used for measuring a distance and for illuminating another display element.

Display device and camera having the display device

A liquid crystal element which can regulate diffusivity simply. The liquid crystal element includes a diffusion plate having a macromolecular dispersion type liquid crystal interposed between a first glass plate and a second glass plate. The surface of the first glass plate toward the macromolecular dispersion type liquid crystal has random roughness, and a transparent electrode layer is formed on the roughened surface of the first glass plate. Moreover, a surface of the second glass plate toward the macromolecular dispersion type liquid crystal is a flat surface, and a transparent electrode layer is formed directly on the flat surface of the second glass plate. When not being driven, light which is incident perpendicularly on the plate surface from below the diffusion plate passes through the second glass plate, is scattered, and is incident on the macromolecular dispersion type liquid crystal. Moreover, when light which passes through the macromolecular dispersion type liquid crystal is incident on the first glass plate, diffusion arises corresponding to the configuration of roughness as a result of refraction. Accordingly, when the blurring angle with respect to the incident light is large, the diffusion coefficient can be made about zero, and the diffusing characteristics of the diffusion plate can be made suitable.

Macromolecular liquid crystal element used in a diffusion plate

A viewfinder device that includes a screen on which an image is projected, and an eyepiece lens through which the image is viewed. An optical member passes light beams from the screen to the eyepiece lens through an information display member, and a diffraction optical element diffracts light beams in the direction of the eyepiece lens so that diffracted light beams from the information display member are superposed over the viewed image.

Viewfinder device enabling display of optional photographic information

A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display element having characteristics of voltage-transparency, and the like, which differ locally. The method of manufacturing the liquid crystal display device includes a step of injecting a mixture of photohardening resin and liquid crystal between two substrates, and a step of exposing the injected mixture to light which causes photohardening of the mixture. The step of exposing the mixture to light includes exposing at least two pattern regions which become different from each other under photohardening conditions.

Method of manufacture of liquid crystal display device having

A focus adjustment apparatus is provided that tracks the direction of movement of an object from a plurality of focus detection areas disposed within the photographic screen of a camera in an efficient order. The focus adjustment apparatus includes a focus detection device that individually detects focus detection information of a plurality of focus detection areas; a memory that records a selection order of focus detection areas used in focus control; a focus estimation device that extends a trend of the focus detection information and calculates estimated values of the focus detection information regarding the focus detection areas used in the focus control; a tracking device that tracks the focus detection areas matching the estimated values computed by the focus estimation device by following the selection order during the past focus control operation recorded by the memory; and a focus controller that performs focus control regarding the focus detection areas tracked by the tracking device.

Growing community of inventors

Setagaya-ku, Japan

Itaru Homma