Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Minolta Company, Ltd.

Yukio Maekawa

Masatake Niwa

Tsuneyo Metabi

Masataka Hamada

Toru Matsui

Junichi Tanii

Toshihiko Karasaki

Hisashi Tokumaru

Hisayuki Masumoto

Yoshihiro Hara

Kohtaro Hayashi

Toshihiko Ishimura

Takehiro Katoh

Takanobu Omaki

Kazuo Kimura

Minoru Kuwana

Katsuhiro Takamoto

Makoto Ando

Keiji Yamazaki

Makoto Kamiya

Yoshiharu Ohta

Kazuyoshi Hata

Manami Saka

Katsuhito Akagi

Ichiro Yoshiyama

Haruyuki Nagano

Takayuki Nabeshima

A communication terminal comprises a memory for storing a table in which data for identifying a destination of communication and a resolution of a display device of the destination are associated with each other, an image processor for generating image data with a resolution of the display device of the destination based on the table, and a transmission section for transmitting the image data generated by the image processor. By transmitting the image data with a resolution corresponding to the resolution of the display device of the destination, data volume to be communicated is reduced and wasteful power consumption of battery is suppressed in portable devices.

Method for transmitting image data and communication terminal

A driving mechanism for holding and shifting a part to be driven. The mechanism has at least three carrying elements for carrying the part elastically by exerting force upon the part in directions generally perpendicular to an axis of the part, at least one of the carrying elements being of a actuating type including a frictional actuator, the frictional actuator having a contact face for contacting the part under the pressure, the contact face oscillating at high frequency so as to make the part move in a direction almost rectangular to that of exerting the force upon the part.

Driving system with elastically supporting units

In a telescope, the adjustment order is limited so that dioptric power adjustment is made after adjustment of a distance between a pair of optical systems is completed. A pupil distance and a dioptric power correction amount are stored in a memory for every user. When a user uses the telescope, his or her pupil distance and dioptric power correction amount are read out from the memory to automatically make adjustment.

Binocular system with automatic diopter power adjustment

A zoom lens system according to the present invention comprises, from the object side to the image side, a first lens unit with a positive refractive power including a negative high dispersion lens element and a positive lens element; a second lens unit with a negative refractive power consisting of two or three lens elements including a positive high dispersion lens element and a negative lens element, and having at least one aspherical surface; and a third lens unit with a positive refractive power consisting of five or less lens elements including a negative high dispersion lens element and one or two positive lens elements located on the object side of the negative high dispersion lens element, and having at least one aspherical surface. With the lens arrangement, a compact high-zoom-ratio zoom lens system having a high aberration correction performance is realized.

Zoom lens system

In a zoom camera having a zoom lens including a variator lens, and a driving system for driving the variator lens, the image magnification is computed in accordance with a predetermined program based on the detected object distance, and such a focal length is computed as to obtain a specified value of image magnification based on the detected object distance and the computed image magnification, and the obtained focal length data is fed to the driving system. As a result, auto-zooming with a suitable image magnification in accordance with the object distance can be achieved.

Zoom camera

In a zoom camera disclosed, a memory of an auto-zooming program lines is provided in which a relation between the object distance and the image mangification added with an element of the depth of field is set in a predetermined manner according to each kind of photographing mode, and such a focal length of a focusing lens is computed that the image mangification is set to be a predetermined value based on the object distance and a program line of a photographing mode selected by a user, whereby the focusing lens is driven so as to obtain the focal length. Consequently, auto-zoom photographing at a depth of field and an image magnification suitable for each kind of photographing mode can be achieved. Further, a memory of program lines set according to the vertical and horizontal camera attitudes in photographing is provided, and the image mangification can be changed over according to each camera attitude.

The present invention relates to a device for measuring object distance or an in-focus position used for a camera in which the object distance of focus adjusting condition are measured in a plurality of distance measuring areas in the photographing scene. The device is so constructed as to judge a main object from weight data in correspondence not only with the object distance of each distance measuring area but with the position thereof in the photographing scene. Further, when there is an object nearer than a predetermined distance, the main object is judged from whether the object has a size larger than a predetermined size in the photographing scene. Furthermore, it is judged from the difference between the object distances of adjacent distance measuring areas whether the objects are the same object.

Device for measuring object distance used for camera

A focus detecting device capable of correcting an error, between an in-focus position of a photographic lens detected by a focus detecting means and an image field position affording the best image. Focus detection is made using plural focus detecting areas provided on and off the optical axis of the photographic lens, to obtain an in-focus position. Then, the thus-obtained in-focus position of the photographic lens is corrected using an appropriate correction value out of those preset and stored in a ROM in the lens according to whether the focus detecting area used in the focus detection is an axial or off-axial area, or according to the focal length of the photographic lens as well as the photographing mode. And the photographic lens is thereby set to the best image field position.

Focus detecting device

A mount arrangement for a photographic camera which is capable of automatic diaphragm control and automatic focusing includes electrical contacts for transmission of electrical signals between a camera body and an interchangeable lens unit, and mechanical transmission members for the automatic diaphragm control and the automatic focusing and positioning member and recess on and at inner periphery of mount members of the camera body and the lens unit so as not to interfere with each other during the start and the course of the mounting of the lens unit onto the camera body through a bayonet mount device.

Mount arrangement and interchangeable lens unit for photographic camera

A positioning mechanism for positioning an auxiliary optical device relative to a main optical device, and the auxiliary optical device. Thje positioning mechanism includes a positioning member and a positioning recess which are provided on one and the other of the main and auxiliary optical devices, respectively so as to be engaged with each other with a clearance. Each of the positioning member and the positioning recess includes a leding side face portion and a trailing side face portion being opposite to and in alignment with the leading side face portion in a direction of relative movement of the main and auxiliary optical devices. The trailing side face portions of the positioning member and the positioning recess have a configuration which allows the trailing side face portions not to contact with each other when the relative movement is effected at a speed faster than a predetermined speed.

Positioning mechanism for positioning auxiliary optical device relative

An interchangeable lens unit is detachably attachable to a camera main body through an improved bayonet arrangement which includes three sets of corresponding bayonet claws, one of the corresponding bayonet claws of each set being provided on a mount member of the lens unit and the other on a mount member of the camera main body. The bayonet claws of the three sets are formed, in mutual dimension and dispositions thereof, such that the corresponding bayonet claws of one of the sets engage one another at an upper peripheral part of the mount members immediately above the center of the mount members and the corresponding bayonet claws of the remaining two sets engage one another respectively at lateral side peripheral parts of the mount members diametrically opposite to one another with respect to the center of the mount members in the lateral direction, when the camera main body and the lens unit attached thereto are viewed from their front with the camera main body held in a normal erect state. The camera main body is provided with a spring member which can urge the bayonet claws on the mount member of the lens unit for ensuring contact between the mating mount surfaces of the mount members.

Bayonet mount arrangement

An exchangeable lens to be mounted on a camera body by the rotation of the lens barrel is provided with a plurality of terminals arranged circularly along the circumference of the lens barrel about the optical axis of the lens barrel and are connected to a CMOS circuit in the lens. The terminals include a power supply terminal and a ground terminal through which electric power is supplied from the camera and a signal terminal through which a signal is transmitted between the camera body and the lens. The power supply terminal and the ground terminal are arranged to come into contact with their corresponding camera terminals in advance of the signal terminals when the lens is rotated to mount it on the camera body.

Exchangeable lens which exchanges electrical signals with a camera body

A mount arrangement for a photographic camera which is capable of automatic diaphragm control and automatic focusing includes electrical contacts for transmission of electrical signals between a camera body and an interchangeable lens unit, and mechanical transmission members for the automatic diaphragm control and the automatic focusing and positioning member and recess on and at inner periphery of mount members of the camera body and the lens unit so as not to interefere with each other during the start and the course of the mounting of the lens unit onto the camera body through a bayonet mount device.

Growing community of inventors

Sakai, Japan

Yukio Maekawa