Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Minolta Company, Ltd.

Minolta Camera Co., Ltd.

Tokuji Ishida

Masataka Hamada

Toshio Norita

Nobuyuki Taniguchi

Hiroshi Ootsuka

Toshihiko Karasaki

Kenji Ishibashi

Jun Hasegawa

Hisashi Tokumaru

Masaaki Nakai

Hiromu Mukai

Hiroshi Ueda

Hiroshi Hosomizu

Katsumi Kozakai

Hisayuki Masumoto

Masayuki Ueyama

Takanobu Omaki

Yasuaki Akada

Masayoshi Sahara

Tsuneyo Metabi

Toshihiko Ishimura

Takehiro Katoh

Kazuhiko Yukawa

Norio Ishikawa

Masatoshi Itoh

Takashi Kondo

Masatake Niwa

Toshiaki Matsumoto

Hideo Kajita

Tatsuro Izumi

Yoshihiro Hara

Takashi Okada

Noriyuki Okisu

Akira Sato

Eiji Yamakawa

Shigeaki Imai

Isamu Uchida

Hiroshi Yoshino

Yasuo Nakanishi

Shinya Matsuda

Takeshi Egawa

Minoru Sekida

Motonobu Matsuda

Toshio Kobori

Susumu Tachi

Tetsuhiko Inagaki

Yasuaki Adaka

Azuchimachi Ootsuka

Masatake Hamada

Nishinomiya Taniguchi

High resolution composite images and ultra wide composite images are produced in a digital camera which combines a plurality of images to form a composite image on a single sheet. An image sensing unit includes a movable image sensing optical unit having a first and second focal lengths and a two-dimensional image sensing device. The image sensing unit is driven to control the optical axis of the image sensing optical unit so as to capture a plurality of images via the two-dimensional image sensing device. The plurality of images are combined to produce a composite image. An ultra wide composite image at standard resolution is produced by setting the focal length of the image sensing optical unit at a first focal length on the wide angle side, and a high resolution composite image is produced by setting the focal length of the image sensing optical unit at a second focal length on the telephoto side.

Image sensing device

A distance information generator comprises an image sensor which senses an object, a distance detector which detects a first distance between a predetermined position and the object, a memory which stores position information expressing a mutual positional relationship of the predetermined position and the position of the image sensor, and a calculator which calculates a second distance between the position of the image sensor and the object based on the first distance and the position information. A display device displays a composite image which consists of a sensed image and a virtual image for an observer, wherein the composite image is created by comparing the second distance and distance information involved in the virtual image.

Distance information generator and display device using generated distance information

A camera in which the ratio of an object to the photographing frame can be set comprises a varifocal lens in which the in-focus position is changed in accordance with the change in the focal lens and a focusing lens for correcting the focus by the varifocal lens. The size of the object is set to the desired size by using the varifocal lens, and thereafter the deviation of the in-focus point is controlled by the focusing lens. Since the zooming is carried out by using a varifocal lens, a camera can be provided in which the ratio of an object to the photographing frame can be set in a simple structure.

Camera having a varifocal lens

A video see through AR system capable of obtaining correct depth information with respect to each pixel representing a two-dimensional image is disclosed so that a portion of imagery which should appear in the background of a final picture may be properly hidden behind imagery which should appear in the foreground of the final picture. A photographing device is provided for obtaining a two-dimensional image of a real object field disposed in conjugate relationship with an observer's eyes. Also provided is a device for measuring distances with respect to each pixel to the real object to be measured. The measured distance is compared with the distance to virtual imagery with respect to each pixel and the pixel which represents the imagery disposed closer to the observer is selected for the formation of combined imagery, which is displayed on the screen of a display device.

System for displaying combined imagery

A camera includes an operation device having a plurality of operation modes for executing an operation, a mode changing device for changing over operation modes, a designation device for designating a desired operation mode as an initial mode, and a reset device for resetting the operation device to the designated initial mode.

Camera

A camera includes a CCD line sensor divided into a plurality of blocks and a plurality of monitors provided near each of the divided blocks and sensing the amount of received light corresponding to each block. The storage of charge in each block of the CCD is controlled based on the amount of the light received by the monitor. Each block corresponds to each part of an object in a finder of the camera.

Focus detecting photoelectric converting apparatus for a camera

An automatic focusing apparatus of a camera according to the present invention includes: a focus detector which detects repeatedly focus conditions of a photographic lens and outputs successively focus signals corresponding to the focus conditions; a drive unit for driving the photographic lens for focus adjustment; a predictor for predicting an in-focus point from the plurality of focus signals from the focus detector; a control unit for controlling the drive unit to drive the photographic lens toward the in-focus point predicted by the predictor; an auxiliary light projector for projecting auxiliary light onto an object to enable detecting operation of the focus detector; and a forbidding device for forbidding the control of drive by the control unit while the auxiliary light is projected by the auxiliary light projector.

Automatic focusing apparatus of a camera

A camera includes a CCD line sensor divided into a plurality of blocks and a plurality of monitors provided near each Of the divided blocks and sensing the amount of received light corresponding to each block. The storage of charge in each Block of the CCD is controlled based on the amount of the light received by the monitor. Each block corresponds to each part of an object in a finder of the camera.

A camera having a lens, whereby a power source in the camera is activated in response to a mechanical switch on the lens.

An imaging sensing system includes a solid state image device composed of one chip and a controller for controlling the solid state image device. The solid state image device further includes an image sensor of a charge accumulation type for receiving light from an object and for outputting an electric signal to the controller. Further, an exemplary embodiment of an image device includes a decoder for decoding a control signal and for outputting a decode signal. A timing signal output indicates the timing of a charge accumulation of an image sensor controller for controlling the image sensor in accordance with the decode signal. In an exemplary embodiment, the controller includes an A/D convertor for converting the electric signal into a digital signal.

Image sensing system

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Tokuji Ishida