Posts Tagged: "Nikon Corporation"

Nikon Patents: A Smorgasbord of Digital Cameras and Immersion Lithography

According to a myriad of patent applications filed at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Nikon is serious about expanding its intellectual property holdings in the area of lithography, especially immersion lithography, for the manufacture of semiconductors and other electronics. An X-ray device which is less affected by thermal expansion and a digital bulletin board for an online electronic album service are also discussed in recently filed Nikon patent applications. Nikon’s patent portfolio isn’t the most extensive one we feature on IPWatchdog, but it is still quite valuable. A number of immersion lithography innovations are featured in these patents and we discuss a couple of technologies designed to improve the control of fluids or vapors in use by these systems. Digital cameras and their electronic components were the feature of a smorgasbord of other patents that we came across. A couple of these protect techniques designed to increase the ease that image file data may be shared and edited by other cameras or external devices.

Steve Brachmann

October 29, 2014

The Evolution of Digital Cameras – A Patent History

Just about 40 years ago, a young electrical engineer working at the offices of Eastman Kodak in Rochester, NY, developed a product that would upend the entire world of photography. Since that time, the technology has exploded into consumer markets and has proliferated into our daily lives, from camera components included in smartphones to high-quality megapixel systems which provide professional-grade images. All of this came to be thanks to the development of light-sensitive semiconductor devices capable of storing and transmitting light exposure information to create a digital image.

Steve Brachmann

October 28, 2014

Nikon Patents: More Accessories, Improved Functionality for Digital Cameras

The patent applications published in recent weeks by the USPTO and assigned to Nikon include a couple of filings pertaining to camera accessories which we explored for today’s column. One of these accessories provides a continuous light for the better detection of light exposure conditions for a digital camera. Other patent applications are directed at improved configurations for interchangeable camera lenses and lens barrels. Another intriguing patent application discusses a method of displaying two-dimensional and three-dimensional images on the same screen without degrading the quality of either version. Nikon has enjoyed a fairly steady stream of patents issued by the USPTO in recent weeks, including a trio which we’ve shared with our readers that discuss novel improvements to digital image capture and camera devices. One of these patents protects a digital camera with enhanced capabilities for performing image editing functions directly on the camera. Another patent we’re sharing today protects a mount for interchangeable lenses which makes older generations of lenses compatible with newly-designed lens mounts.

Steve Brachmann

July 31, 2014

Patent Business: Deals, Settlements, Licenses for February 2013

The month of February was quite busy, many companies in litigations, one of the biggest stories to hit this month was the Trademark infringement case between Costco and TIffany,co. Here are some of the highlights of this month.

Gene Quinn

March 1, 2013