Distance measuring device, focus detector, and camera including plural sensors and controller for selectively providing power to sensors and respective processing circuits

A distance measuring device comprising:

• a plurality of sensors provided in association with a plurality of different areas;
• a plurality of processing circuits respectively provided in association with said plurality of sensors, to process signals output from said plurality of sensors;
• a power source that stores power for actuating said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits;
• and
• a controller that selectively supplies power from said power source to said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits,
• wherein said controller selects a first group of sensors from said plurality of sensors, and a respective first group of processing circuits from said plurality of processing circuits associated with said first group of sensors, on the basis of a voltage value of the power source, and simultaneously supplies power to the selected first group of sensors and associated first group of processing circuits.

A distance measuring device for measuring a distance to an object comprising:

• a plurality of sensors provided in association with a plurality of different areas of an imaging surface;
• a plurality of processing circuits respectively provided in association with said plurality of sensors, to process signals output from said plurality of sensors;
• and
• a controller that supplies power to said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits, to actuate said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits,
• wherein said controller selectively supplies power only to predetermined sensors, and respective predetermined processing circuits associated with said predetermined sensors, on the basis of the focal length of an optical system that directs reflective light from an object to the imaging surface.

A distance measuring device for use with an auxiliary light, comprising:

• a plurality of sensors provided in association with a plurality of different areas;
• a plurality of processing circuits respectively provided in association with said plurality of sensors, to process signals output from said plurality of sensors;
• and
• a controller that supplies power to said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits, to actuate said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits,
• wherein said controller selectively supplies power only to sensors that correspond to an area where an auxiliary light is ON to aid a distance measurement operation, and processing circuits associated with said sensors.

A camera comprising:

• a camera body;
• and
• a distance measuring device comprising:
• a plurality of sensors provided in association with a plurality of different areas;
• a plurality of processing circuits respectively provided in association with said plurality of sensors, to process signals output from said plurality of sensors;
• and
• a controller that supplies power to said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits, to actuate said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits,
• wherein, to obtain distance information in a predetermined area from among the plurality of different areas, said controller selectively supplies power only to a sensor that corresponds to the predetermined area and a processing circuit associated with said sensor.

A camera comprising:

• a camera body;
• and
• a distance measuring device comprising:
• a plurality of sensors provided in association with a plurality of different areas;
• a plurality of processing circuits respectively provided in association with said plurality of sensors, to process signals output from said plurality of sensors;
• a power source that stores power for actuating said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits;
• and
• a controller that selectively supplies power from said power source to said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits,
• wherein said controller selects a first group of sensors from said plurality of sensors, and a respective first group of processing circuits from said plurality of processing circuits associated with said first group of sensors, on the basis of a voltage value of the power source, and simultaneously supplies power to the selected first group of sensors and associated first group of processing circuits.

A camera comprising:

• a camera body;
• and
• a distance measuring device for measuring a distance to an object, comprising:
• a plurality of sensors provided in association with a plurality of different areas of an imaging surface;
• a plurality of processing circuits respectively provided in association with said plurality of sensors, to process signals output from said plurality of sensors;
• and
• a controller that supplies power to said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits, to actuate said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits,
• wherein said controller selectively supplies power only to predetermined sensors, and respective predetermined processing circuits associated with said predetermined sensors, on the basis of the focal length of an optical system that directs reflective light from the object to the imaging surface.

A camera comprising:

• a camera body;
• and
• a distance measuring device for use with an auxiliary light, comprising:
• a plurality of sensors provided in association with a plurality of different areas;
• a plurality of processing circuits respectively provided in association with said plurality of sensors, to process signals output from said plurality of sensors;
• and
• a controller that supplies power to said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits, to actuate said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits,
• wherein said controller selectively supplies power only to sensors that correspond to an area where an auxiliary light is ON to aid a distance measurement operation, and processing circuits associated with said sensors.

A focus detector comprising:

• a plurality of sensors provided in association with a plurality of different areas;
• a plurality of processing circuits respectively provided in association with said plurality of sensors, to process signals output from said plurality of sensors;
• and
• a controller that supplies power to said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits, to actuate said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits,
• wherein, to obtain focus information in a predetermined area from among the plurality of different areas, said controller selectively supplies power only to a sensor that corresponds to the predetermined area, and a processing circuit associated with said sensor.

A focus detector comprising:

• a plurality of sensors provided in association with a plurality of different areas;
• a plurality of processing circuits respectively provided in association with said plurality of sensors, to process signals output from said plurality of sensors;
• a power source that stores power for actuating said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits;
• and
• a controller that selectively supplies power from said power source to said plurality of sensors and said plurality of the processing circuits,
• wherein said controller selects a first group of sensors from said plurality of sensors, and a respective first group of processing circuits from said plurality of processing circuits associated with said first group of sensors, on the basis of a voltage value of the power source, and simultaneously supplies power to the selected first group of sensors and associated first group of processing circuits.

A focus detector for detecting information for an object, comprising:

• a plurality of sensors provided in association with a plurality of different areas of an imaging surface;
• a plurality of processing circuits respectively provided in association with said plurality of sensors, to process signals output from said plurality of sensors;
• and
• a controller that supplies power to said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits, to actuate said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits,
• wherein said controller selectively supplies power only to predetermined sensors, and respective predetermined processing circuits associated with said predetermined sensors, on the basis of the focal length of an optical system that directs reflective light from an object to the imaging surface.

A focus detector for use with an auxiliary light, comprising:

• a plurality of sensors provided in association with a plurality of different areas;
• a plurality of processing circuits respectively provided in association with said plurality of sensors, to process signals output from said plurality of sensors;
• and
• a controller that supplies power to said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits, to actuate said plurality of the sensors and said plurality of processing circuits,
• wherein said controller selectively supplies power only to sensors that correspond to an area where an auxiliary light is ON to aid a focus information detection operation, and processing circuits associated with said sensors.

A camera comprising:

• a camera body;
• and
• a focus detector comprising:
• a plurality of sensors provided in association with a plurality of different areas;
• a plurality of processing circuits respectively provided in association with said plurality of sensors, to process signals output from said plurality of sensors;
• and
• a controller that supplies power to said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits, to actuate said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits,
• wherein, to obtain focus information in a predetermined area from among the plurality of different areas, said controller selectively supplies power only to a sensor that corresponds to the predetermined area, and a processing circuit associated with said sensor.

A camera comprising:

• a camera body;
• and
• a focus detector comprising:
• a plurality of sensors provided in association with a plurality of different areas;
• a plurality of processing circuits respectively provided in association with said plurality of sensors, to process signals output from said plurality of sensors;
• a power source that stores power for actuating said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits;
• and
• a controller that selectively supplies power from said power source to said plurality of sensors and said plurality of the processing circuits,
• wherein said controller selects a first group of sensors from said plurality of sensors, and a respective first group of processing circuits from said plurality of processing circuits associated with said first group of sensors, on the basis of a voltage value of the power source, and simultaneously supplies power to the selected first group of sensors and associated first group of processing circuits.

A camera comprising:

• a camera body;
• and
• a focus detector for detecting focus information for an object, comprising:
• a plurality of sensors provided in association with a plurality of different areas of an imaging surface;
• a plurality of processing circuits respectively provided in association with said plurality of sensors, to process signals output from said plurality of sensors;
• and
• a controller that supplies power to said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits, to actuate said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits,
• wherein said controller selectively supplies power only to predetermined sensors, and respective predetermined processing circuits associated with said predetermined sensors, on the basis of the focal length of an optical system that directs reflective light from the object to the imaging surface.

A camera comprising:

• a camera body;
• and
• a focus detector for use with an auxiliary light, comprising:
• a plurality of sensors provided in association with a plurality of different areas;
• a plurality of processing circuits respectively provided in association with said plurality of sensors, to process signals output from said plurality of sensors;
• and
• a controller that supplies power to said plurality of sensors and said plurality of processing circuits, to actuate said plurality of the sensors and said plurality of processing circuits,
• wherein said controller selectively supplies power only to sensors that correspond to an area where an auxiliary light is ON to aid a focus information detection operation, and processing circuits associated with said sensors.