Nikon Corporation

Ryoichi Suganuma

Hirofumi Arima

Takuya Sato

Daisuke Saya

Satoru Suzuki

Ryuuzou Motoori

Tadao Takagi

Tsuneo Watanabe

Takatoshi Ashizawa

Tadao Kai

Tomohiko Yokoo

An image-capturing unit includes: an image-capturing chip; a power supply circuit unit that outputs electrical power to be fed to the image-capturing chip; a power supply line that feeds electrical power from the power supply circuit unit to the image-capturing chip; a disconnecting unit that is provided to the power supply line and is electrically disconnecting the power supply circuit unit and the image-capturing chip when a leakage current of the image-capturing chip is measured; and an implementation substrate on which the power supply circuit unit, the image-capturing chip, the power supply line and the disconnecting unit are implemented.

Image-capturing unit and image-capturing apparatus

An imaging unit comprising an imaging chip and a mounting substrate that has the imaging chip mounted thereon and includes a first metal layer for outputting a signal generated by the imaging chip to the outside. An imaging apparatus comprises an imaging unit that includes an imaging chip and a mounting substrate that has the imaging chip mounted thereon and includes a first metal layer for outputting a signal generated by the imaging chip to the outside.

Imaging unit and imaging apparatus

A substrate comprises: a first insulating layer; a second insulating layer having an elastic modulus that is different from an elastic modulus of the first insulating layer; and a core layer that is sandwiched by the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer, and is more rigid than the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer.

Substrate, imaging unit and imaging device

An image-capturing unit includes; an image-capturing chip; a power supply circuit unit that outputs electrical power to be fed to the image-capturing chip; a power supply line that feeds electrical power from the power supply circuit unit to the image-capturing chip; a disconnecting unit that is provided to the power supply line and is electrically disconnecting the power supply circuit unit and the image-capturing chip when a leakage current of the image-capturing chip is measured; and an implementation substrate on which the power supply circuit unit, the image-capturing chip, the power supply line and the disconnecting unit are implemented.

A camera having a camera system which is capable of reducing the influence that vibration generated in conjunction with driving of an actuator has on other component members of the camera system. The camera includes a lens barrel having a fixed cylinder, a focusing lens group moving mechanism, an actuator, such as an ultrasonic motor, to supply a driving force to the lens group moving mechanism, a vibration detection device to detect vibration, and a camera vibration compensation mechanism to compensate for the detected vibration. The camera system includes a component member having multiple reinforcing sections and a characteristic frequency which does not overlap with a drive frequency band of the ultrasonic motor or with the vibration frequency band of the vibration generated in conjunction with the driving of the ultrasonic motor. The component member may be a stator retaining member which supports a stator of the ultrasonic motor, or a sensor fixed cylinder which secures the vibration detection device.

Camera system for reducing the influence of vibration generated by

A driving device for an ultrasonic wave motor, comprises: a stator member having an electrostrictive member and a resilient member, and adapted to generate travelling vibration wave in the resilient member by excitation with the electrostrictive member; a moving member maintained in pressure contact with the stator member and driven by the travelling vibration wave; a reference pulse oscillator circuit for generating reference pulses of a frequency determined corresponding to a required moving speed of the member; an encoder for generating pulses relating to the amount of movement of the moving member; a phase difference signal generating circuit for generating a phase difference signal corresponding to the phase difference between the reference pulses from the reference pulse oscillator circuit and the output pulses of the encoder; and an AC voltage forming circuit for forming AC voltage signals to be supplied to the electrostrictive member, based on the phase difference signal.

Driving device and method for ultrasonic wave motor

A driving device for an ultrasonic motor has a limit detecting circuit for detecting that the drive voltage for the ultrasonic motor has reached a limit, and, in response, a drive voltage limiting circuit controls the drive voltage so as not to go beyond the limit value. Such control is conducted on the voltage or frequency of a signal for driving the ultrasonic motor. In another aspect of the invention, a drive state detecting circuit detects the drive state of the ultrasonic motor, and a drive frequency (or voltage) setting circuit controls the frequency (or voltage) of a signal for driving the ultrasonic motor so as to attain the maximum efficiency in the motor, based on the output of the drive state detecting circuit.

Driving device for ultrasonic motor

A control device for a motor having a stator that generates traveling vibration waves in an elastic member by the excitation of a piezoelectric member, a rotor pressed to contact with the stator and driven by the traveling vibration waves, and a power supply circuit that generates at least one pair of input alternating voltages which are out of phase for exciting the piezoelectric member, and being driven by the vibration waves, comprises a judgment circuit for judging whether the rotor is in an abnormal operating condition, and an amplifying circuit for increasing the voltage magnitude of a pair of alternating voltages from the power supply circuit to a value greater than a predetermined value exceeding the rated voltage of the motor, in response to the fact that the judgment circuit judges that an abnormal operating condition of the motor is in effect.

Driving control device for vibration wave motor

An ultrasonic motor having an electromechanical element and an elastic body joined by an adhesive layer, wherein the adhesive layer is chosen for having either a specific thermal expansion coefficient, a specific shrinkage volume, a high Vickers hardness, a high longitudinal elastic modulus, or a high Vickers hardness and a high longitudinal elastic modulus. By proper selection of an adhesive for use in the adhesive layer, the motor drive efficiency, starting torque and power consumption can be improved by reducing the deformation of the elastic body and maintaining a larger contact area with a contact member or movable element. Proper selection of an adhesive also allows the motor's performance level to be maintained when the temperature changes.

Vibration motor having improved adhesive layer between electromechanical

An ultrasonic motor has a stator and a rotor which is pressure-contacted to be in contact with the stator and is driven by a travelling oscillatory wave. The stator comprises: a second layer having an electromechanical energy conversion element; a first layer having an elastic member to be excited by the electromechanical energy conversion element to generate the travelling oscillatory wave; and an one or more ply third layer between the first and the second layers whose spring modulus is smaller than those of the two layers and which is made of the same material as or different material from those of the two layers.

Growing community of inventors

Yokohama, Japan

Ryoichi Suganuma