Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Olympus Corporation

Takashi Muroi

Tatsuya Suzuki

Hiroyuki Ando

Yuji Imai

Yasuo Asakura

Yuji Kobayashi

Katsumi Motohashi

Sumio Kawai

Yuji Miyauchi

Kazuo Yamamoto

Kazuhiko Shimura

Yoshiyuki Fukuya

Toshifumi Nakano

Kazuo Kanda

Takashi Inoue

Hideaki Matsuoto

Naohiro Tsuchida

To provide an operation support system capable of performing evidence recording of each of performed operations, an operation support system includes a first image pickup apparatus configured to mainly acquire movie data, a second image pickup apparatus configured to mainly acquire still image data, a control apparatus configured to control the first image pickup apparatus and the second image pickup apparatus in cooperation with each other while acquiring operation information about a predetermined operation, and a database storing defined operation information about the predetermined operation in advance, in which the predetermined operation is supported based on image data acquired by causing the first image pickup apparatus and the second image pickup apparatus to cooperate with each other.

Operation support system, wearable apparatus, image pickup apparatus, and operation support method

In a camera to which the present invention is applied, a camera body having a pop-up ST unit attached thereto is sandwiched between front and back covers. A plugged rubber arranged inside the back cover is pressed by a front cover rib provided on the front cover in the state in which the front and back covers are joined to each other, whereby the front and back covers are kept liquid-tight to each other. Moreover, an ST rubber arranged on the periphery of the ST body is pressed by the front cover rib in the state in which the ST body is sandwiched between the front and back covers, whereby the front cover, the back cover, and the ST body are kept liquid-tight to one another. Simultaneously, the ST rubber is pressed by a cover rib provided on the back cover, whereby the back cover and the ST body are kept liquid-tight to each other. Thus, the water-proofing function can be secured among the three members, that is, the front cover, the back cover, and the ST body.

Water-proof structure of camera

A lens protecting cover-attached camera includes a moving mechanism. Thus, a simple mechanism is used to turn on or off a main power switch and for opening or closing a lens protecting cover responsively to manipulations performed on a single manipulating member. A supporting shaft for supporting the lens protecting cover is placed so as to be parallel to a plane substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of a photographic lens. When the supporting shaft is moved along the optical axis of the photographic lens, the moving mechanism causes the lens protecting cover to rotate around the supporting shaft at the center from a closed position to an open position. At the closed position, the lens protecting cover shields the face of the photographic lens. At the open position, the lens protecting cover exposes the face of the lens. Moreover, the moving mechanism turns on or off the power switch in response to a movement made along the optical axis of the photographic lens.

Lens protection cover-attached camera

A lens cover mounted camera with a lens cover movable to selectively assume at least a closing condition that covers a front surface of a photographing lens and an opening condition that exposes the front surface of the photographing lens, and further having a lens cover operating member for conducting the opening and closing operations of the lens cover and further for shifting the lens cover in directions of the optical axis of the photographing lens. When the camera is switched to a using condition or a non-using condition, the lens cover is respectively shifted to an opening position or a closing position through the lens cover operating member. This design minimizes the protruding quantity of the lens cover from a camera body and prevents the lens cover from being easily broken even if a careless external force or shock works on the lens cover during the use of the camera.

Lens cover and a lens cover support assembly mounted external to a lens

A camera in which a photographing lens tube is movable between a collapsed position assumed in a non-photographing condition and an extension position assumed in a photographing condition. The camera is provided with a barrier swingingly rotatable through a hinge between a fully closed position at which the barrier covers a front surface section of a photographing lens and further to take a fully open position at which the barrier retreats from the photographing lens. The barrier is biased in a closing direction when it is in a fully closed position side relative to a substantially middle position between the fully closed position and the fully open position, while being biased in an open direction when being in a fully opening position side with respect to the substantial middle position. With a power switch being switched from its OFF state to its ON state, the barrier is shifted from the fully closed position to the fully open position in conjunction with the movement of the photographing lens tube from the collapsed position to the extension position.

Camera with hinged mounted lens barrier movable with movement of the lens

A camera whose body is wound with a belt-like protective cover having an end detachably held by pin members thereon in such a manner as to cover a wall surface thereof. The protective cover is operative to cover and protects at least a photographing lens, a distance measuring or range finder window and a stroboscopic window. Thus, the camera is put into an enclosed state. Further, the enclosed state, in which the protective cover is wound around the body of the camera, is maintained by fitting a magnet hook attached to the other end of the protective cover into another magnet hook attached to the body of the camera and making these magnet hooks attracted to each other. Moreover, when putting the camera into a ready-to-photograph state, the protective cover is unwound by removing the magnet hooks from each other and opening the photographing lens and so on.

Camera

A camera has barrier supported by a rail block attached to the body of the camera and movable from a fully closed position where the barrier entirely covers the front of an imaging lens to a fully opened position where the barrier is fully retracted clear of the front of the imaging lens. At its fully closed position and fully opened position, the barrier clicks when a ball is pressed into contact with a cam formed on the rear surface of the barrier. Projection of the ball is restrained by a slip-off prevention portion of the rail block so that the barrier is not subjected to an excessive urging force. In the camera, the barrier is not subjected to an unnecessarily large urging force and is less likely to lift away from the camera. The advantage is particularly great if the barrier in use is narrower than the outer diameter of a lens barrel.

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Higashiyamato, Japan

Takashi Muroi