US 4,306,784 A · Photographic camera with an operation mode display device

Abstract

A camera having an electrically operated self-timer is provided with an operation mode display device arranged so that when the camera is switched to an exposure control mode by the self-timer, the display being ready for actuation of the timer is rendered recognizable from the object side or to the photographer, while when switched to any other exposure control mode, this display is shielded so as not to be recognizable from the object side or to the photographer.

Drawings

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Drawings

Claims6

Dependent claims

A camera equipped with an electrically controlled self-timer, the camera comprising:

(a) battery means;
(b) shutter release means having a first switch means which is operated by the first step of a shutter release operation and a second switch means which is operated by the second step of the shutter release operation;
(c) a pulse oscillator which produces pulses, the supply of power thereto being effected by the operation of said first switch means;
(d) counting means which counts the pulses derived from said pulse oscillator;
(e) a light measuring device which produces an analog information output corresponding to the brightness of an object to be photographed;
(f) release operating means for effecting a shutter release operation having:
(1) a first control circuit, the operation of which is controlled according to the operation of said second switch means, and
(2) a start signal forming circuit which produces a release start signal according to an output signal of said first control circuit and a count signal of said counting means, said start signal forming circuit being arranged to generate said release start signal after a predetermined period of time upon receipt of the signal of said first control circuit and that of said counting means;
(g) an analog-to-digital conversion circuit connected to the light measuring circuit and the counting means to convert an analog output of the light measuring circuit into a digital output, said analog-to-digital conversion circuit being arranged to perform the analog-to-digital conversion prior to generation of said release start signal;
(h) time control means which determines the closing time of a shutter;
(i) shutter control means which produces a shutter closing signal according to a signal produced by said time control means;
(j) self-timer means which has a third switch for a self-timer operation and is arranged to preset the counting action of said counting means in accordance with the operation of said third switch, said self-timer means being provided with a second control circuit which delays the generation of said release start signal, and said self-timer means being arranged to control the operation of said start signal forming circuit according to a signal produced by said second control circuit;
and
(k) self-timer reset means having a fourth switch means which operates to stop the operation of said start signal forming circuit by interrupting the supply of power to said pulse oscillator.

11 more elements

A camera equipped with an electrically controlled self-timer and a battery check means, comprising:

(A) a camera which is electrically controlled having:
(a) a battery means;
(b) shutter release means having a first switch means which is operated by the first step of a shutter release operation and a second switch means which is operated by the second step of the shutter release operation;
(c) a power supply circuit which is supplied with power by the operation of said first switch means;
(d) counting means which is supplied with power by the operation of said first switch means and produces a count signal;
(e) a light measuring circuit for producing an analog information output corresponding to the brightness of an object to be photographed;
(f) a start signal forming circuit having a first control circuit, the operation of which is controlled according to the operation of said second switch means, said start signal forming circuit being arranged to generate a camera starting signal according to the signal of said first control circuit and that of said counting means, said camera starting signal being arranged to be produced after a predetermined period of time upon receipt of the signals of said first control circuit and said counting means;
(g) an analog-to-digital conversion circuit connected to the light measuring circuit and to a converting means for converting an analog output of said light measuring circuit into a digital output, said analog-to-digital conversion circuit being arranged to perform analog-to-digital conversion before generation of said release start signal;
(h) time control means which determines the closing time of a shutter;
and
(i) shutter control means which produces a shutter closing signal according to a signal produced by said time control means;
(B) self-timer means which is controlled by counting of pulses performed by said counting means of said camera, said self-timer means having:
(a) third switch means for the operation of said self-timer;
and
(b) a second control circuit which is logically controlled by the operation signal of said third switch means and the count signal of said counting means, said second control circuit being arranged to preset said counting means and to produce a signal to actuate said shutter control means a predetermined period of time after said counting means is preset;
(C) a battery check circuit which can be electrically connected to a battery means to indicate the electric energy of a battery;
and
(D) means for performing both a battery checking action and a self-timer reset action, said means having a fourth switch means which is capable of switching the connection of said battery means between said power supply circuit and said battery check circuit, said means being arranged to render said self-timer means operative by connecting said battery means to said power supply circuit, to reset said self-timer means by a switching operation and said fourth switch means and then to again permit said battery checking action.

15 more elements

A camera comprising:

(a) battery means;
(b) shutter release means having a switch means which is operated by the shutter release operation;
(c) a power supply circuit which is supplied with power by the operation of the shutter release means;
(d) counting means which is supplied with power by the operation of the shutter release means and produces a count signal;
(e) a start signal forming circuit having a first control circuit, the operation of which is controlled according to the operation of the shutter release means, said start signal forming circuit being arranged to generate a camera starting signal according to the signal of said first control circuit and that of said counting means, said camera starting signal being arranged to be produced after a predetermined period of time upon receipt of the signals of said first control circuit and said counting means;
(f) shutter means;
(g) shutter control means which produces a shutter closing signal;
(h) self-timer means which is controlled by counting of pulses performed by the counting means, the self-timer means having:
(1) self-timer switch means for the operation of the self-timer;
(2) a second control circuit which is logically controlled by the operation signal of the self-timer means and the counting signal of the counting means, the second control circuit being arranged to preset the counting means and to produce a signal to actuate the shutter control means a predetermined period of time after the counting means is preset;
(i) photographic mode selecting means having a normal photographic mode position and self-timer photographic mode position, said photographic mode selecting means providing a signal as an output for actuating the shutter control means after a time determined by the self-timer means when said photographic mode selecting means is changed over to the self-timer photographic mode position, and providing a signal as an output for actuating the shutter control means in response to the changing over operation from the self-timer photographic mode position to the normal photographic mode position.

8 more elements

A camera equipped with an electrically controlled self-timer, comprising:

(A) a camera which is electrically controlled having:
(a) a battery means;
(b) shutter release means having a switch means which is operated by the shutter release operation;
(c) a power supply circuit which is supplied with power by the operation of the shutter release means;
(d) counting means which is supplied with power by the operation of the shutter release means and produces a count signal;
(e) light measuring circuit for producing an analog information output corresponding to the brightness of an object to be photographed;
(f) exposure condition setting means having a converting means for forming a converted signal representative of an exposure condition setting information;
(g) exposure value computing means connected to the light measuring means and the exposure condition setting means to compute an exposure value;
(h) an analog-to-digital conversion circuit connected to the exposure value computing means for converting an analog output of the exposure value computing means into a digital output;
(i) exposure value memory means electrically connected to the analog-to-digital conversion circuit for memorizing the digital output of the exposure information;
(j) release operating means for effecting a shutter release operation having:
(1) a first control circuit, the operation of which is controlled according to the operation of said shutter release means;
(2) a start signal forming circuit which produces a release start signal according to an output signal of the first control circuit and a count signal of the counting means, said start signal forming circuit being arranged to generate said release start signal after a predetermined period of time upon receipt of the signal of said first control circuit and that of said counting means;
(k) time control means which determines the closing time of a shutter;
(l) shutter control means which produces a shutter closing signal according to a signal produced by said time control means;
(B) self-timer means which is controlled by counting of pulses performed by said counting means of said camera, said self-timer means having:
(a) self-timer switch means for the operation of said self-timer;
(b) a second control circuit which is logically controlled by the operation signal of said self-timer switch means and the count signal of said counting means, said second control circuit being arranged to preset said counting means and to produce a signal to actuate said shutter control means a predetermined period of time after said counting means is preset;
(C) photographic mode selecting means having a normal photographic mode position and self-timer photographic mode position, said self-timer switch means being actuated by selection operation of the photographic mode selecting means, and being changed over from the self-timer photographic mode to the normal photographic mode within a time set by the self-timer after the actuation of the self-timer means at the self-timer photographic mode position so as to perform exposure determined by the memory means and the time control means.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description4,328 words

Summary514 words

#1. Field of the Invention

#This invention relates to a photographic camera having various exposure control modes which are selectively and electrically operated, and more particularly to a display device for photography by an electrically operating self-timer in such camera.

#2. Description of the Prior Art

Brief description of the drawings7 figures

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a single lens reflex camera embodying the present invention.

#FIG. 2 is a schematic view, partly in block form, of the circuitry of a digital control system for the various electrically operating control modes of the camera of FIG. 1.

#FIG. 3 is a schematic view, partly in block form, of an example of those parts of an exposure control system which are for light measurement, exposure value computation and shutter time control, and which constitute the block II of FIG. 2.

Detailed description3,602 words

#Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a single lens reflex camera having a body 1, an interchangeable objective lens 2, a view-finder housing 3 an accessory shoe 4 provided on the housing 3, a film winding lever 5, a control knob 6 constituting part of an operation mode display device of the invention and which will be described in detail in connection with FIGS. 5 to 8, a shutter button 7 extending through a hole provided along the axis of the control knob 6, and a battery check botton which is employed to serve as a camera stop botton of the present invention.

#FIG. 2 shows the electrical circuitry of the display and control system of the camera of FIG. 1 with that part of the system which is incorporated in the camera body being enclosed by dashed lines and being assumed to be removably associated with a motor drive unit MD and an electronic flash unit EF as necessary. A first block I is an integrated circuit (LSI) including a coordinating control circuit and an automatic diaphragm control circuit with interconnection terminals P.sub.1 to P.sub.17 for the inputs and outputs thereof and for the connection of the externally arranged additional circuit elements. A second block II is an integrated circuit (LSI) including a light measuring circuit, a computing circuit and a shutter time control circuit with interconnection terminals P.sub.18 to P.sub.36 for the inputs and outputs thereof and for the connection of the externally arranged additional circuit elements. Ma is an exposure value indicating meter, Mg.sub.1, Mg.sub.2 and Mg.sub.3 are solenoids of electromagnets, Tr.sub.1 is a transistor constituting part of a power supply holding circuit, LED.sub.1, LED.sub.2 and LED.sub.3 are light emitting diodes for displaying the conditions of the camera, VR.sub.1 to VR.sub.6 are variable resistors for setting photographic information and the like, and BAT is an electrical power source or battery.

#The block CAMERA of FIG. 2 further includes seven switches Sw.sub.1 to Sw.sub.7 arranged so that Sw.sub.1 is closed when the shutter button is depressed to the first stroke, Sw.sub.2 is closed when the shutter button is further depressed to the second stroke, Sw.sub.3 is closed when the camera is switched to the bulb exposure mode, Sw.sub.4 is opened when the shutter is opened, Sw.sub.5 is moved from its "NC" position to its "NO" position when the tailing curtain of the shutter has run down to close the exposure aperture, and from "NO" to "NC" position when the film winding lever is cocked, Sw.sub.6 is closed when the camera is switched to the manual exposure mode, and Sw.sub.7 is closed when the camera is switched to the self-timer-controlled exposure mode. It is to be noted that the block I of FIG. 2 operates in digital form, and the block II in analogue form.

Facts

Application

06/056,418Filed 10 Jul 1979 · continuation

Priority

JP 51-519420 Jan 1976

Granted

22 Dec 1981

Term ended

22 Dec 1998

Estimated · how

Pre-1995 term; greater of 17 years from grant or 20 years from filing when eligible. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification2 codes

G03B 17/38
Details of cameras or camera bodies; Accessories therefor: releasing-devices separate from shutter
G03B
Apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs or for projecting or viewing them

Photographic camera with an operation mode display device

Life of this patent

Photographic camera with an operation mode display device

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims6

Description4,328 words

Drawings

Classification2 codes

Life of this patent

Description4,328 words