Nidec Copal Corporation

Kenzo Imai

Nobuaki Watanabe

Kazuo Shikama

Koji Sawanobori

Shozo Iwato

Daisuke Kakemizu

Ryosuke Ushio

Longji Bai

Taizo Takiguchi

Haruka Matsuhisa

Daisuke Yaginuma

An imaging device includes an image sensor, a blade operable to switch between a closed state to at least partially block light incident on the image sensor and an open state to allow light to be incident on the image sensor, a blade driver that drives the blade, a blade controller that controls the blade driver, an authentication processor that performs authentication based on a result of imaging performed by the image sensor, and an operation detector that detects an operation. The blade controller controls the blade driver to place the blade in the open state in response to a predetermined operation detected by the operation detector and to place the blade in the closed state in response to a predetermined time passing in the open state of the blade and no success in the authentication performed by the authentication processor.

Imaging device and electronic device including an authentication processor

A blade driving device is smaller and has fewer components. A blade driving device includes a base including a support shaft extending frontward, a cover having an opening, a blade located in a blade chamber defined between the base and the cover, and an actuator that moves the blade between a closing position to cover the opening and an opening position to uncover the opening. The cover covers a front of the base. The actuator includes a lever connected to the blade. The lever includes a lever body rotatable about the support shaft in the base, a connector connecting the lever body and the blade, and a protrusion protruding from the lever body frontward beyond the blade and facing the cover.

Blade driving device, imaging device, and electronic device

A thin blade open-close device is incorporated in a limited space. A blade open-close device includes a base located on a module board including a lens unit, a partition located opposite to the module board from the base, and a cover plate located opposite to the base from the partition. The partition and the cover plate each have an opening aligned with an optical axis of the lens unit. The blade open-close device includes a blade movable in X-direction in a blade chamber defined between the cover plate and the partition, an actuator that moves the blade between a closing position to cover the openings and an opening position to uncover the openings, and a terminal plate extending in Z-direction. The terminal plate electrically connected to the actuator includes connectors at its end adjacent to the module board to be electrically connected to contacts on the module board.

Blade open-close device and electronic device

An optical unit has a lens frame that has a slit in a cylinder, and a blade driving device, comprising an insertion portion for insertion into the slit, wherein an opening, provided in the insertion portion, is disposed between lenses in a lens frame, wherein: the blade driving device comprises a frame that has a recessed lens frame storing portion with the insertion portion protruding; a cylinder of the lens frame comprises a pair of supporting faces that are perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens; and the lens frame storing portion of the frame has contact surfaces that contact each of a pair of supporting faces.

Optical unit

A technique reduces images unintended by the user captured with an electronic device by, for example, unauthorized access or an accidental operation performed by the user. An electronic device includes a camera module including a camera drive that activates or deactivates a camera function, a blade that opens or closes a lens aperture in the camera module, a blade drive that drives an actuator to open or close the blade, a controller that controls the camera drive and the blade drive, and a switch that transmits, to the controller, an opening signal or a closing signal for forcibly driving the blade drive independently of the camera drive. The controller activates the camera function in the camera drive in response to the opening signal transmitted from the switch.

Electronic device

A technique reduces images unintended by the user captured with an electronic device having a camera function by unauthorized access or an accidental operation performed by the user. A blade open-close device includes a blade that opens or closes a lens aperture in a camera module, an actuator that opens or closes the blade, a drive that drives the actuator, and a switch that inputs an opening signal and a closing signal into the drive. The switch includes a mechanical switch operation member that generates the opening signal and the closing signal in response to a manual operation performed by a user. The drive is independent of a drive output from the camera module.

Blade open-close device

A technique prevents leakage of private images and/or images unintended by a user from an imaging device connected to a network, without a troublesome manual operation of opening and closing a cover. A blade operating device includes a blade that opens and closes an optical path of an imaging device connectable to a network, a blade driver that opens and closes the blade, and a controller that controls the blade driver. The controller controls the blade driver to close the blade when the imaging device is turned off.

Blade operating device and blade operating method

A technique enhances security measures in the IoT by reducing leakage of private images and degraded security due to unauthorized image capturing, eliminates the possibility that an unintended image is captured and stored, and also shows people around the user that the camera function of an electronic device is not working. A camera module shielding mechanism for shielding a camera module by retracting the camera module into a housing of an electronic device includes a support member supporting the camera module, a slide support supporting the support member in a slidable manner, an urging member that urges the support member in a direction in which the camera module protrudes from the housing, a locking member that locks the support member with the camera module retracted in the housing, and an actuator that unlocks the locking member.

Camera module shielding mechanism and electronic device

An imaging device used in, for example, a smartphone controls a blade to avoid remaining open after unauthorized external access or a drop impact. The imaging device includes an image sensor, a blade operable to switch between a closed state in which the blade at least partially blocks light incident on the image sensor and an open state in which light is incident on the image sensor, a blade driver that drives the blade, and a blade controller that controls the blade driver. The blade controller determines whether the blade is in the closed state in a non-imaging mode in which imaging is off, and when determining that the blade is in the open state, the blade controller controls the blade driver to close the blade.

Imaging device and electronic device

A blade driving device includes a blade for covering an opening for an imaging device operable through motor driving and a user manual operation. A blade driving device includes a base with an opening for an imaging device, a movable member movable relative to the base in X-direction and including a slider held on the base and movable in X-direction, a blade connected to the slider, and a knob on a side of the base opposite to the slider and operable to move the blade, a motor that moves the movable member in X-direction until the blade covers or uncovers the opening in the base, and a lead screw and a driving member that transmit rotation of the motor to the slider in the movable member to move the movable member.

Blade driving device and electronic device

An imaging optical apparatus with a thin blade containing member for containing a blade member for limiting an opening, having an insertion portion that has an opening; an actuator for causing a blade member to slide; a containing frame for containing the actuator and the blade containing member, except for the insertion portion, having, on an outer edge, a recessed lens frame retaining portion into which the insertion portion; a lens frame, held in the lens frame retaining portion, having an insertion hole, for insertion of the insertion portion so that the center of the opening will be coaxial with the optical axis; and a clip for holding, in cooperation with the containing frame, a lens frame that is held in the lens frame retaining portion, through joining with the containing frame.

Imaging optical apparatus

To enable adjustment of a lens frame (lens barrel) independently, and also to enable a reduction in thickness along the optical axial direction. A blade driving device having a driving member for moving on a plane; a frame for containing the driving member; a thin blade supporting unit that protrudes to the outside, along the direction of movement of the driving member, from a portion of the thickness of the frame, and that has an opening, around the optical axis, along the direction of thickness of the frame; and a blade member that is supported on the blade supporting unit, and that is moved by the driving member, to advance into the opening; wherein the outer peripheral edge of the frame has a recessed portion at the position at which the blade supporting unit protrudes.

Blade drive device

Because a thin blade is disposed in a space that has a thickness in the optical axial direction, which contains a coil and a magnet, when the blade is driven the blade tends to become unstable, making smooth operation of the thin blade difficult. A blade driving device has a driving member; a frame that is provided with a driving frame chamber that contains the driving member; a blade supporting unit that has an opening and that structures a blade chamber that is separate from the driving frame chamber; and a blade member that is contained in the blade chamber, and that is moved by the driving member to advance into the opening.

A blade driving device comprising: a driving member; one or more blade members that are caused to undergo sliding motion by the driving member; a blade supporting unit for supporting the blade member slidably; and a frame for containing the driving member and a portion of the blade supporting unit, wherein the blade supporting unit comprises a blade chamber for containing a blade member between opposing thin plate members, along with an insertion portion that has an opening and that protrudes from a frame, wherein the opposing thin plate members are integrated together at least the tip end of the insertion portion.

A lens unit comprises a lens barrel, a pair of base plates, and iris blade, and a blade driving portion. The lens barrel holds a plurality of lenses, and has a first slit that extends in the circumferential direction. A pair of base plates each has an opening portion, and are stacked to structure a blade chamber, with a portion thereof protruding from the first slit, and is positioned so that the opening portions thereof are between the lenses. The iris blade is disposed in the blade chamber. A blade driving portion is secured to a portion of the pair of base plates, and drives the iris blade to open and close the opening portions in the iris blade.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Kenzo Imai