Zoom lens drive system for camera
AssigneeAsahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsKeisuke Haraguchi, Shinsuke Kohmoto, Takeo Kobayashi, Shigeru Kondoh, Hideki Ohkubo, Norio Numako, Saburo Sugawara
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AssigneeAsahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsKeisuke Haraguchi, Shinsuke Kohmoto, Takeo Kobayashi, Shigeru Kondoh, Hideki Ohkubo, Norio Numako, Saburo Sugawara
Estimating the term…
A zoom lens for a camera having a between-the-lens shutter includes a motor for moving the lens along an optical axis in forward and rearward directions. A switch is operable by an operator to control operation of the motor for moving the lens from an initial position on the axis to a final stationary position that establishes the focal length of the lens. Control apparatus is responsive to the setting of the switch for operating the motor such that movement of the lens from its initial position to its final position always ends after the lens travels to its final position in a predetermined direction.
A zoom lens drive system for a camera, said system comprising:
A zoom lens drive system in accordance with claim, wherein said logic means comprises means responsive to said zoom switch.
An apparatus for driving a zoom lens system in a lens shutter type of camera having a zoom lens system which is movable along an optical axis by a driving source in order to vary the focal length of said lens system, said apparatus including means for driving said driving source during zooming operation of said lens system, means for reversing the direction of movement of said zoom lens system only when movement of said zoom lens system in a direction opposite to a predetermined direction has ended, and means for stopping actuation of said driving source after said driving source has reversed movement of said lens system.
An apparatus for driving a zoom lens system in a camera, said zoom lens system being movable along an optical axis in a predetermined direction and in a direction opposite to said predetermined direction by a driving source in order to vary the focal length of said lens system, said apparatus including means for driving said driving source during a zooming position of said lens system and means for terminating movement of said lens system during zooming operation only when said lens system is moving in said predetermined direction.
An apparatus for driving a zoom lens system in a camera, said zoom lens system being movable along an optical axis of said camera by a driving source to vary the focal length of said zoom lens system, said apparatus comprising means for driving the driving source during zooming operation of said zoom lens system, means for detecting the positions of said zoom lens system along said optical axis, said means for detecting the positions of the zoom lens system along the optical axis comprising a code sheet having a plurality of indicating portions for indicating the positions of said zoom lens system along said optical axis, means for detecting a predetermined displacement of said zoom lens system during operation of said driving source, and means for terminating operation of said driving source when said means for detecting the displacement of said zoom lens system detects movement of the zoom lens system over said predetermined displacement.
An apparatus for driving a zoom lens system in accordance with 68, said cam ring having an outer periphery and said code sheet being attached to the outer periphery of said cam ring.
An apparatus for driving a zoom lens system in a camera, said zoom lens system being movable along an optical axis of said camera by a driving source in order to vary the focal length of said zoom lens system, said apparatus further comprising means for driving said driving source during zooming operation of said zoom lens system, means for detecting the positions of said zoom lens system along said optical axis, means for detecting movement of said zoom lens system by a predetermined displacement during operation of said driving source, said means for detecting movement of said zoom lens system being operable in response to position detection signals received from said means for detecting the positions of said zoom lens system, means for terminating operation of said driving source when said means for detecting the movement of said zoom lens system detects movement of the zoom lens system over said predetermined displacement, means for determining whether further movement of said zoom lens system is necessary, and means for moving said zoom lens system over an additional predetermined displacement when said further movement determining means determines that further movement of said zoom lens system is necessary, wherein movement of said zoom lens system ends only when said zoom lens system is traveling in a predetermined direction.
An apparatus for driving a zoom lens system in lens shutter type of camera, said camera having at least two operation modes, a zoom mode in which said zoom lens system is movable within a predetermined zooming range and at least one specific mode in which said zoom lens system is moved beyond said zooming range, said zoom lens system being movable along an optical axis of said camera by a driving source in order to vary the focal length of said zoom lens system, said apparatus comprising means for driving the driving source during zooming operation of said zoom lens system, means for detecting the position of said zoom lens system along said optical axis, means for selectively moving said zoom lens system between said zooming mode and said specific mode, means for storing data representing the position detected by said position detecting means, and means for driving the zoom lens system to a position represented by said stored position data when the operation mode of said camera is changed from a specific mode to said zoom mode.
An apparatus for driving a zoom lens system in a camera, said zoom lens system being movable along an optical axis by a driving source to vary the focal length of said zoom lens system, said apparatus comprising means for driving the driving source during zooming operation of said zoom lens system, means for detecting the positions of said zoom lens system along said optical axis, said means for detecting the positions of the zoom lens system along the optical axis comprising means for generating pulses to indicate the positions of said zoom lens system along said optical axis, means for detecting a predetermined displacement of said zoom lens system during operation of said driving source, and means for terminating operation of said driving source when said means for detecting the displacement of said zoom lens system detects movement of the zoom lens system over said predetermined displacement.
An apparatus for driving a zoom lens system in a camera, said zoom lens system being movable along an optical axis by a driving source to vary the focal length of said zoom lens system, said apparatus comprising means for driving the driving source during zooming operation of said zoom lens system, means for detecting the positions of said zoom lens system along said optical axis, said means for detecting the positions of said zoom lens system along the optical axis comprising a code sheet positioned about said lens system, said code sheet having a plurality of conductive portions and a plurality of nonconductive portions, means for detecting a predetermined displacement of said zoom lens system during operation of said driving source, and means for terminating operation of said driving source when said means for detecting the movement of said zoom lens system detects movement of the zoom lens system over said predetermined displacement.
An apparatus for driving a zoom lens system in a camera, said zoom lens system being movable along an optical axis by a driving source to vary the focal length of said zoom lens system, said apparatus comprising means for driving the driving source during zooming operation of said lens system, means for detecting the positions of said zoom lens system along said optical axis, means for detecting a predetermined displacement of said zoom lens system during operation of said driving source, and means for terminating operation of said driving source when said means for detecting displacement of said zoom lens system detects movement of the zoom lens system over said predetermined displacement, wherein said zoom lens system is movable at least between and including a wide angle terminus position and a telephoto terminus position, the distance between said two terminus positions being divided into a plurality of focal length step increments, said apparatus including logic means responsive to operator selection of an operational position for said zoom lens system for terminating movement of said zoom lens system at a final position spaced from an initial position defined by the position of the zoom lens system when the operator selects said operational position with a zoom switch, said final position being spaced from said initial position by a predetermined number of steps.
An apparatus for driving a zoom lens system in a camera, said zoom lens system being movable along an optical axis by a driving source the vary the focal length of said lens system, said apparatus comprising means for driving the driving source during zooming operation of said lens system, means for detecting the position of said zoom lens system along said optical axis, means for detecting a predetermined displacement of said zoom lens system during the operation of said driving source, and means for terminating operation of said driving source when said means for detecting the displacement of said zoom lens system detects movement of the zoom lens system over said predetermined displacement, said apparatus further comprising a mode changeover switch and a zoom switch, said mode changeover switch being selectively positionable by an operator in a lock position in which said driving source will rotate in a reverse direction until said lens system is detected at said lock position, a macro position in which said driving source will rotate forwardly to drive said lens system forwardly along said optical axis until said lens system reaches a macrophotographic position, and a zoom position in which said lens system can be located in any photographic position of a desired focal length within a zooming movement range of said lens system.
An apparatus for driving a zoom lens system in a camera, said zoom lens system being movable along an optical axis by a driving source in order to vary the focal length of said zoom lens system, said apparatus comprising means for driving the driving source during zooming operation of said zoom lens system, means for detecting the position of said zoom lens system along said optical axis, means for detecting a predetermined displacement of said zoom lens system during operation of said driving source, and means for terminating operation of said driving source when said means for detecting the displacement of said zoom lens system detects movement of the zoom lens system over said predetermined displacement, wherein movement of said zoom lens system ends when said zoom lens system is traveling in a predetermined direction.
An apparatus for driving a zoom lens system in a camera, said zoom lens system being movable along an optical axis by a driving source in order to vary the focal length of said zoom lens system, said apparatus comprising means for driving the driving source during zooming operation of said zoom lens system, means for detecting the positions of said zoom lens system along said optical axis, means for detecting a predetermined displacement of said zoom lens system during operation of said driving source, and means for terminating operation of said driving source when said means for detecting the displacement of said zoom lens system detects movement of the zoom lens system over said predetermined displacement, wherein said zoom lens system is movable between and including a plurality of focal length positions, including a wide angle terminus position and a telephoto terminus position, said zoom lens system being movable beyond said telephoto terminus position to a macro photographic position and beyond said wide angle terminus position to an inoperable lock position.
An apparatus for driving a zoom lens system in a camera, said zoom lens system being movable along an optical axis of said camera by a driving source in order to vary the focal length of said zoom lens system, said driving source comprising a reversible motor, said apparatus comprising means for driving the driving source during zooming operation of said zoom lens system, means for detecting the positions of said zoom lens system along said optical axis, means for detecting movement of said zoom lens system by a predetermined displacement during operation of said driving source, said means for detecting displacement of said zoom lens system being operable in response to position detection signals received from said means for detecting the positions of said zoom lens system, means for terminating operation of said driving source when said means for detecting the movement of said zoom lens system detects movement of the zoom lens system over said predetermined displacement, means for determining whether further movement of said zoom lens system is necessary, means for moving said zoom lens system over an additional predetermined displacement when said further movement determining means determines that further movement of said zoom lens system is necessary, and delay means for introducing a predetermined pause in operation of said motor, said delay means being operable each time that said zoom lens system moves by a predetermined focal length step, said delay means thereby comprising means for forcing the zoom lens system to pause for a predetermined time period prior to determining whether additional movement is necessary.
An apparatus for driving a zoom lens system in a camera, said zoom lens system being movable along an optical axis of said camera by a driving source in order to vary the focal length of said zoom lens system, said apparatus further comprising means for driving the driving source during zooming operation of said zoom lens system, means for detecting the positions of said zoom lens system along said optical axis, means for detecting movement of said zoom lens system by a predetermined displacement during operation of said driving source, said means for detecting movement of said zoom lens system being operable in response to position detection signals received from said means for detecting the positions of said zoom lens system, means for terminating operation of said driving source when said means for detecting the movement of said zoom lens system detects movement of the zoom lens system over said predetermined displacement, means for determining whether further movement of said zoom lens system is necessary, and means for moving said zoom lens system over an additional predetermined displacement when said further movement determining means determines that further movement of said zoom lens system is necessary, said apparatus further comprising a zoom switch for selectively determining a terminus position towards which said zoom lens system will move.
An apparatus for driving a zoom lens system in a camera, said zoom lens system being movable along an optical axis of said camera by a driving source in order to vary the focal length of said zoom lens system, said apparatus comprising means for driving the driving source during zooming operation of said zoom lens system, means for detecting the position of said zoom lens system along said optical axis, means for detecting movement of said zoom lens system by a predetermined displacement during operation of said driving source, said means for detecting movement of said zoom lens system being operable in response to position detection signals received from said means for detecting the position of said zoom lens system, means for terminating operation of said driving source when said means for detecting the movement of said zoom lens system detects movement of the zoom lens system over said predetermined displacement, means for determining whether further movement of said zoom lens system is necessary, and means for moving said zoom lens system over an additional predetermined displacement when said further movement determining means determines that further movement of said zoom lens system is necessary, wherein said determining means for determining that further movement of said zoom lens system is necessary actuates said means for driving said driving source in order to drive said driving source and said zoom lens system over at least one further predetermined displacement.
A zoom lens drive system for a camera, said zoom lens drive system comprising:
An apparatus for driving a zoom lens system in a camera, said zoom lens system being movable along an optical axis in a predetermined direction and in a direction opposite to said predetermined direction by a driving source in order to vary the focal length of said zoom lens system, said apparatus including first means for controlling said driving source during a zooming operation of said lens system in order to drive said lens system towards a first, telephoto terminus position, and separate second means for controlling said driving source during a zooming operation of said lens system in order to drive said lens system towards a second, wide angle terminus position, wherein said first and second means for controlling said driving source are independent of each other, wherein said first control means comprises a WIDE algorithm and said second control means comprises a TELE algorithm for driving said zoom lens system towards said wide angle and telephoto terminus positions, respectively.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.