IP Library Granted Patent US 9,235,026
Granted Patent B2
US 9,235,026 · App. 14/665,447 · Granted Jan 12, 2016

Optical instrument

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,235,026
App. No.
14/665,447
Granted
Jan 12, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

An optical instrument comprises a ring member which is arranged to be rotatable with respect to a lens barrel, and also to slide in an optical axis direction, a movement mechanism for slide movement of the ring member to a first position or a second position in the optical axis direction, an encoder that generates signals in accordance with a rotation operation of the ring member, a slide position determination section for determining positional change accompanying slide movement to the first position or the second position by the movement mechanism, and a control section for performing determination of the signals from the encoder to switch the display operation, and prohibiting switching of the display operation when the slide position determination section has determined a positional change accompanying the slide operation.

Claims (23)

1. An optical instrument, comprising:

a ring member which is arranged to be rotatable with respect to a lens barrel, and also to slide in an optical axis direction;

a movement mechanism for slide movement of the ring member to a first position or a second position in the optical axis direction;

a display for carrying out display in order to set a mode of the optical instrument and numerical values for that mode;

at least one controller CPU for causing display of a plurality of modes on the display when the ring member has been positioned at one of the first position or the second position, and then, when the ring member has been slid to the other of the first position or the second position after a specified mode has been selected in accordance with rotation of the ring member, causing display for selecting numerical values in accordance with the selected mode on the display;

an encoder that generates signals in accordance with a rotation operation of the ring member;

a position detection circuit for determining positional change accompanying slide movement to the first position or the second position by the movement mechanism; and

a clock counter, wherein responsive to a determination of a positional change of the ring member to the first position or the second position accompanying the slide movement, a value of the clock counter is reset, and otherwise, responsive to a determination of no positional change of the ring member to the first position or the second position accompanying the slide movement, a value of the clock counter is incremented.

2. The optical instrument of claim 1

wherein

the at least one controller CPU, after the ring member has been slid to the first position or the second position, does not receive output from the encoder until a predetermined time has elapsed, as indicated by a value of the clock counter not exceeding a threshold, even if it is detected by the encoder that the ring member has been rotated at the position that was slid to.

3. An optical instrument, comprising:

a ring member which is arranged to be rotatable with respect to a lens barrel, and also to slide in an optical axis direction;

a movement mechanism for slide movement of the ring member to a first position or a second position in the optical axis direction;

a display for carrying out display in order to set a mode of the optical instrument and numerical values for that mode;

at least one controller CPU for causing display of a plurality of modes on the display when the ring member has been positioned at one of the first position or the second position, and then, when the ring member has been slid to the other of the first position or the second position after a specified mode has been selected in accordance with rotation of the ring member, causing display for selecting numerical values in accordance with the selected mode on the display; and

an imaging section for forming a subject image;

and wherein:

the at least one controller CPU, when the ring member has been moved to one of the first position or the second position, causes display of the subject image that has been formed by the image section and display for selection of numerical values in accordance with the selected mode at the same time on the display;

the at least one controller CPU causes display of part of the displayed subject image enlarged in response to rotation of the ring member; and

a predetermined time for the enlarged display is counted by the at least one controller CPU from a time when the ring member has been moved from the first position to the second position.

4. The optical instrument of claim 3 wherein:

the at least one controller CPU, causes display of the subject image and display for selection of numerical values corresponding to the selected mode after a predetermined time has elapsed from when the ring member has moved to the other of the first position or the second position.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 1, 2021
From: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
To: OM DIGITAL SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058294/0274 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Jun 27, 2016
From: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
To: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 039344/0502 →
MERGER Recorded Dec 4, 2015
From: OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP.
To: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 037213/0656 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 4, 2015
From: TAGUCHI, YUZURU; ICHIKAWA, MANABU
To: OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP.
Reel/Frame 037217/0160 →