Automatic focussing camera with automatic aperture setting
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
G03B-003/00
G03B-015/05
출원번호
US-0474782
(1983-03-21)
발명자
/ 주소
Winter, Arthur J.
출원인 / 주소
W. Haking Enterprises Limited
대리인 / 주소
Arnold, Stephen R.Hattis, Russell E.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
14인용 특허 :
4
초록▼
An electrically operated flash camera employs an infrared pre-flash reflected light signal stored in a single memory storage to control focus and aperture. Two comparators serve to govern both operations, sensing potentiometrically derived analog position indicating signals representing lens positio
An electrically operated flash camera employs an infrared pre-flash reflected light signal stored in a single memory storage to control focus and aperture. Two comparators serve to govern both operations, sensing potentiometrically derived analog position indicating signals representing lens position and aperture setting as the lens and aperture control elements are scanningly driven through their ranges of settings. Comparison of these analog signals with the stored signal is used to terminate scanning to set focus and aperture. A visible light photosensing means controls aperture and inhibits the exposure flash if ambient illumination is adequate.
대표청구항▼
1. In an electrically operated camera having flashlamp means, aperture setting means for controllably setting the aperture over a range of values between limit settings, range determining light sensing means for providing control signals from object-reflected flash light, shutter means for exposing
1. In an electrically operated camera having flashlamp means, aperture setting means for controllably setting the aperture over a range of values between limit settings, range determining light sensing means for providing control signals from object-reflected flash light, shutter means for exposing the film when opened, manually operable control means which when operated initially operates said flash lamp means before the shutter means is opened to generate an object-reflected range determining flash of light following which the shutter means is opened, flash lamp actuating means for energizing said flash lamp means to provide a scene-illuminating flash of light when said shutter means is opened and flash lamp illumination of an object is desired, said scene-illuminating flash of light and said range-determining flash of light having a fixed predetermined intensity relationship with respect to each other, said camera further including aperture drive means for effecting a scanning movement of said aperture setting means from an initial position responsively to the operation of said manually operable control means, and aperture setting position-indicating means driven with said aperture setting means for providing progressively varying signals indicative of the instantaneous aperture settings thereof, the improvement wherein said camera further comprises: single sample-and-hold memory means associated with said first light sensing means and responsive to the output therefrom when receiving the object-reflected range-determining flash of light for storing and holding a range-indicating signal indicative of the output of said range-determining light sensing means, the stored value of said sample-and-hold memory means for various object ranges and the signals generated by said aperture position-indicating means representing the various setting of said aperture setting means being correlated to the object range value involved for proper exposure of the object to be photographed at the range involved; aperture setting movement terminating means responsive to said range-indicating s1gnals and said aperture position-indicating means signals for terminating movement of said drive means when the aperture setting involved is that needed for the range indicated by the control signal stored in said sample-and-hold memory means; and ambient light sensing means for providing a control signal indicative of the ambient illumination of the object to be photographed, and control means responsive to said ambient illumination-indicating control signal indicating a relatively low ambient light condition where there is need for flash lamp illumination for rendering said movement terminating means for said aperture setting drive means responsive to said stored signal of said sample-and-hold memory means so that the aperture setting is determined by the range of the object to be illuminated by flash light, said control means being responsive to said ambient illumination-indicating signal indicating a relatively high ambient illumination where no flash lamp illumination is necessary for rendering said movement terminating means for said aperture setting drive means responsive to the output of said ambient light sensing means, so that the aperture setting is determined by ambient light conditions. 2. The camera of claim 1 further including focus setting means for controllably setting the lens focus distance over a range of values between limit settings; focus setting drive means for effecting a scanning movement of said lens focus setting means from an initial position responsively to the operation of said manually operable control means; focus setting position-indicating means driven with said focus setting means for providing progressively varying signals indicative of the instantaneous focusing settings thereof, the stored signal of said sample-and-hold memory means for various object ranges and the signals generating by said focus position-indicating means representing the various focus settings of said focus setting means being correlated to the object range values involved for proper focusing of the object to be photographed at the range involved; and focus setting movement terminating means responsive to said range indicating signals and said focus setting position-indicating mean signals for terminating movement of said focus drive means when the focus setting involved is that needed for the range indicated by the control signal stored in said sample-and-hold memory means. 3. The camera of claim 2 wherein said aperture setting and focus setting drive means, said aperture setting and focus setting position-indicating means, and said aperture setting and focus setting movement terminating means are respectively separate and distinct independently operating means, so that the variation of the range correlated signals of the separate position-indicating means and the position of the aperture and focusing setting means they represent are different from one another. 4. The camera of claim 3 wherein said sample-and-hold memory means stores a signal indicative of the peak output of said first light sensing means. 5. The camera of claim 4 wherein said sample-and-hold memory means includes a storage capacitor and an analog gate means interposed to selectively couple the output from said first light sensing means to said capacitor, said gate means being operated during said range determining flash of light from a closed signal-passing condition to an open signal-interrupting condition so as to store in said capacitor said signal indicative of the peak output of said light sensing means. 6. The camera of claim 3 wherein the same aperture setting position-indicating means is used for flash or ambient illumination operation and said ambient light sensing means provides control signals which have the same values as the stored range indicating sample-and-hold signals requiring for flash illumination aperture settings corresponding to that required for the levels of ambient illumination involved. 7. The camera of claim 6 wherein said progressively varying signals are signals which vary in amplitude, and said aperture setting and focus setting terminating means include separate signal amplitude comparison means which are triggered into a drive terminating mode when the setting position-indicating means signal and its associated range signal or ambient illumination control signal to which the comparison means is to respond reaches a state of comparison. 8. The camera of claim 7 wherein there is interposed between the aperture controlling range signal output of said sample-and-hold ambient light sensing means and the comparison means of the aperture setting movement terminating means a signal amplitude modifying means for modifying said signals to provide means for adapting the operation of said camera to various film speeds. 9. The camera of claim 8 wherein said amplitude modifying means includes attenuator means for controllably attenuating control signals communicated from said first range determining light sensing means and said ambient light sensing means to said aperture movement terminating means so as to controllably terminate aperture movement at proper settings for different film speeds. 10. The camera of claim 9 wherein said attenuator means includes potentiometer means manually operable stepwise to a plurality of fixed settings having differing control signal attenuation ratios. 11. The camera of claim 3 wherein the position-indicating means for said aperture setting means and said lens focussing setting means comprises separate potentiometer means, and a DC voltage source applied across each said potentiometer means, the movable contact means of each potentiometer means being driven synchronously with the associated aperture or focus setting means, so that the electrical potential of said contact means provides signals indicative of the settings thereof. 12. The camera of claim 11 wherein each said potentiometer means includes a tapped potentiometer having a plurality of tap-off points identifying different progressively spaced focus and aperture setting zones, and the associated movable contact means are driven into sequential contacting engagement therewith to provide said setting indicating signals as a series of voltage steps of progressively varying amplitude. 13. The camera of claim 2 wherein said means for generation of a range-determing flash of light generates said flash responsively to movement of one of said setting means from said initial position thereof. 14. The camera of claim 1 wherein said aperture setting position-indicating means comprises potentiometer means, and a DC voltage source applied across said potentiometer means, the movable contact means of said potentiometer means being driven synchronously with the associated setting means, so that the electrical potential of said contact means provides signals indicative of the settings thereof. 15. The camera of claim 14 wherein said potentiometer means includes a tapped potentiometer having a plurality of tap-off points identifying different progressively spaced focus and aperture setting zones, and the associated movable contact means are driven into sequential contacting engagement therewith to provide said setting indicating signals as a series of voltage steps of progressively varying amplitude. 16. The camera of claim 1 wherein the same aperture setting position-indicating means is used for flash or ambient illumination operation and said ambient light sensing means provides control signals which have the same values as the stored range indicating sample-and-hold signals requiring for flash illumination aperture settings corresponding to that required for the levels of ambient illumination involved. 17. The camera of claim 16 wherein said progressively varying signal are signals which vary in amplitude, and said movement terminating means include signal amplitude comparison means which are triggered into a drive terminating mode when the setting position-indicating means signal and the control signal to which the comparison means is to respond reach a given state of comparison. 18. The camera of claim 17 wherein there is interposed between the aperture controlling range signal output of said sample-and-hold ambient light sensing means and the comparison means of the aperture setting movement terminating means a signal amplitude modifying means for modifying said signals to provide means for adapting the operation of said camera to various film speeds. 19. The camera of claim 18 wherein said amplitude modifying means includes attenuator means for controllably attenuating control signals communicated from said first range determining light sensing means and said ambient light sensing means to said aperture movement terminating means so as to controllably terminate aperture movement at proper settings for different film speeds. 20. The camera of claim 19 wherein said attenuator means includes potentiometer means manually operable stepwise to a plurality of fixed settings having differing control signal attenuation ratios. 21. The camera of claim 1 wherein said sample-and-hold memory means stores a signal indicative of the peak output of said first light sensing means. 22. The camera of claim 21 wherein said sample-and-hold memory means includes a storage capacitor and an analog gate means interposed to selectively couple the output from said first light sensing means to said capacitor, said gate means being operated during said range determining flash of light from a closed signal-passing condition to an open signal-interrupting condition so as to store in said capacitor said signal indicative of the peak output of said light sensing means.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (4)
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Johnson Bruce K. (Andover MA) Whiteside George D. (Lexington MA), Method and apparatus using weighted range signal for controlling photographic functions.
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