Olympus Corporation

Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Yamaha Corporation

Yamaha Music Foundation

Olympus Imaging Corporation

Tetsuya Takagi

Kazunori Yuge

Keita Takahashi

Shinichi Ito

Tadahiko Ikeya

Masaki Hara

Masao Ishibashi

Satoru Yasutomi

Kazuhisa Ueki

Sachiyo Kubo

Hiroshi Terada

Moriya Katagiri

Yukihiko Sugita

Tokuo Shimizu

Wataru Koide

Takaaki Ue

Ikko Mori

Kazuki Sakurai

An imaging device comprises a lens barrel including an optical system that collects light from a predetermined viewing area and that defines an optical axis; an imaging unit that receives the light collected by the optical system and generates image data, the image data defining a main image that includes a determined sub area; a ring-shaped operation ring that is provided on an outer circumference of the lens barrel and that is manually rotatable about the optical axis of the optical system; and an area change unit that changes at least one of (A) a size of the determined sub area, or (B) a position of the determined sub area, responsive to a manual operation of the operation ring.

Imaging device

In an electronic image pickup apparatus of the present invention, a lens barrel having optical elements arranged in the optical axis direction has a CCD for photographing a luminous flux from a subject, a CCD holder formed around the CCD to hold the CCD, and a low-pass filter provided on the front side of the CCD. A low-pass filter holder as a plate-like member to hold and fix the low-pass filter is provided to contact the low-pass filter at one end through a diaphragm on the CCD side surface, and contacts the CCD holder on the side opposite to the CCD at the other end.

Electronic image pickup apparatus

An assistive music playing apparatus plays a music piece with musically acceptable notes even when the player inputs musically unacceptable notes. The apparatus provides a chord progression pattern, and comprises a note conversion device. A chord progression pattern defines a series of chords, which are presented one after another in time for a music progression. As the player plays music, inputting potentially unacceptable notes, the inputted notes will be converted to musically acceptable notes with reference to the currently presented chord in the chord progression. The note conversion rules are prepared different for a melody note range, a chord note range and a bass note range. Overlap of converted notes are avoided. Depending on the conditions of the player's note input, i.e., whether the melody is ascending or descending, or the chord is played in a block chord or in an arpeggio, the conversion rules may be selected to generate notes which fit the designated chord, even including non-basic notes or tension notes.

Assistive apparatus and computer-readable medium storing computer program for playing music

An assistive music playing apparatus is provided for playing a music piece with musically acceptable notes even when the player inputs musically unacceptable notes. The apparatus provides a chord progression pattern, and comprises a note conversion device. A chord progression pattern defines a series of chords, which are presented one after another in time for a music progression. As the player plays music, inputting potentially unacceptable notes, the inputted notes will be converted to musically acceptable notes with reference to the currently presented chord in the chord progression. The note conversion rules are prepared different for a melody note range, a chord note range and a bass note range. Overlap of converted notes are avoided. Depending on the conditions of the player's note input, i.e. whether the melody is ascending or descending, or the chord is played in a block chord or in an arpeggio, the conversion rules may be selected to generate notes which fit the designated chord, even including non-basic notes or tension notes.

Assistive apparatus, method and computer program for playing music

A camera with a lens barrel is provided which includes a first frame member having on an inner surface thereof a female helicoid, and a cam groove which has substantially a same lead angle as a lead angle of the female helicoid and which is deeper than the female helicoid. A second frame member is placed inside the first frame member. The second frame member includes a male helicoid engaged with the female helicoid, and a cam follower engaged with the cam groove. The first frame member is rotatable relative to the second frame member, so as to cause forward or backward movement of the second frame member.

Camera

A lens barrel comprises a first frame and a second frame. A first female helicoid is formed in a first region on the inner circumference face of the first frame, and a second female helicoid is formed in a second region on the inner circumference face thereof with the same lead and a different groove depth from that of the first female helicoid. The second frame is disposed inside of the first frame, and a first male helicoid for spirally meshing with the first female helicoid, and a second male helicoid for spirally meshing with the second female helicoid, are formed on the outer circumference thereof. The second frame is linearly moved when rotated relative to the first frame.

Lens barrel

A camera in which a magazine can be loaded into a magazine chamber in the direction along a winding shaft thereof in a state in which a film leader is wound thereon. During such magazine loading, the film leader is inserted along the outer periphery of a film guide disposed in the magazine chamber. After the magazine has been loaded, the film leader is temporarily rewound into the magazine. Then, it is fed toward a spool chamber. The film leader that has reached the spool chamber is advanced by the spool and film loading is completed. By employing such a loading mechanism, it is possible to provide a camera incorporating a film loading mechanism with a simple structure which is capable of reliable film loading and making it possible, in cameras using 135-type film magazine, to load a magazine in the axial direction thereof.

A spool case unit has a paired end walls arranged in both end sides of a film to be wound up onto a spool shaft in its width direction, a connecting member provided between the end walls so as to connect the end walls to each other, and facing a portion of an outer circumferential surface of the film on the spool shaft, and an elastic thin plate cooperating with the connecting member between the end walls to form a side wall for the spool case unit and to surround the outer circumferential surface of the film on the spool shaft, the thin plate having an area larger than that of the connecting member in the side wall. A camera using the spool case unit, includes a lens barrel unit, a cartridge case unit, the spool case unit, and a photographing opening unit to which the cartridge case unit and the spool case unit are connected. The opening unit has a photographing opening through which a light beam from the lens barrel unit passes and to which a film withdrawn from a film cartridge in the cartridge case unit towards the spool shaft in the spool case unit, crosses. The opening unit further has film guide rails for determining a position of the film to the photographing opining.

Spool case unit for camera and camera including such spool case unit

A visual field of finder change-over apparatus for changing over a size and shape of a visual field of finder of a camera in a plurality of stages, includes a pair of first visual-field frame members which are movable relative to the visual field of finder in two opposite directions and each of which has an approximately arc-shaped cam slot, a pair of second visual-field frame members which are movable relative to the visual field of finder, and in further two opposite directions, the further two opposite directions crossing the two opposite directions, and each of which has an approximate arc-shaped cam slot, and a rotation member which is rotatable and has a plurality of pins fitted in the cam slots of the first and second visual-field frame members, the rotation member selectively moving the first and second visual-field frame members by a movement of the moving pins when the rotation member rotates, wherein at least one of the pairs of the first and second visual-field frame members is moved in accordance with the rotation of the rotation member.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Tetsuya Takagi