Temperature measuring apparatus for camera

A temperature measuring apparatus for a camera, comprising:

• an actuator for performing an operation of said camera;
• an IC (integrated circuit) including a microcomputer for outputting control signals for controlling said actuator and temperature measuring means for measuring a temperature of said camera;
• and
• an operation switch of said camera,
• wherein said microcomputer comprises:
• time measuring means for starting time measurement when said actuator finishes operation,
• temperature measurement permission storage means for storing temperature measurement permission information when said actuator does not operate for a predetermined time period measured by said time measuring means,
• temperature measurement control means for causing said temperature measuring means to execute temperature measurement and output a temperature measurement result when the temperature measurement permission information is stored upon an operation of said operation switch,
• temperature storage means for storing the temperature measurement result, and
• control means for performing temperature compensation for a drive signal of said actuator using the temperature measurement result stored in said temperature storage means.

A temperature measuring apparatus for a camera, comprising:

• an IC (integrated circuit) incorporating temperature measuring means for measuring a temperature of said camera;
• an actuator for performing an operation of said camera;
• time measuring means for starting time measurement when said actuator finishes an operation and generating an output when a predetermined time period elapses;
• storage means for storing information indicating that the predetermined time has elapsed when said time measuring means generates the output;
• means for immediately causing said temperature measuring means to perform temperature measurement when the information is stored upon an operation of an operation switch of said camera;
• and
• temperature storage means for storing a temperature measurement result detected by the temperature measurement.

A camera for measuring and storing a temperature in a camera body and executing a predetermined camera operation using the stored temperature information, comprising:

• first switching means for switching an operation mode of said camera to a low consumption power mode after one of various camera operations including the predetermined camera operation is executed;
• timer means for starting time measurement when the low consumption power mode is designated and outputting a timeover signal when a predetermined time period elapses;
• signal holding means for holding the timeover signal;
• second switching means for switching the operation mode of said camera to a normal operation mode when a manual operation member is operated in the low consumption power mode;
• and
• temperature measurement permitting means for checking said signal holding means when the normal operation mode is started, and executing the temperature measurement when the timeover signal is held.

A camera having a temperature measuring apparatus, comprising:

• temperature measuring means for measuring a temperature of said camera;
• temperature storage means for storing temperature measurement information of said temperature measuring means;
• a plurality of actuating mechanisms including at least one actuating mechanism driven by using the temperature information stored by said temperature storage means;
• control means for controlling one of said plurality of actuating mechanisms;
• state holding means to be reset in response to the end of an operation of said control means and be set when a predetermined time period elapses after the end of an operation of said control means;
• first setting means for setting said camera in a low consumption power mode in accordance with setting of said state holding means;
• second setting means for resetting said camera in a normal operation mode when a manual operation member is operated in the low consumption power mode;
• and
• temperature measurement permitting means for checking the content of said state holding means when the normal operation mode is started, and operating said temperature measuring means and said temperature storage means only when said state holding means is set.

A temperature measuring apparatus for a camera, comprising:

• a temperature measuring circuit for measuring an environmental temperature;
• a memory for storing an output from said temperature measuring circuit;
• timer means for measuring a predetermined time period when execution of a camera operation using an actuator is finished;
• state holding means to be reset when execution of the camera operation is finished and be set when the time measurement of said timer means is finished;
• and
• temperature measurement control means for checking contents of said state holding means when a camera power source is switched on or a camera electric circuit is switched from a standby state to an operative state, and controlling said temperature measuring circuit to perform the temperature measurement when said state holding means is set, and not to perform the temperature measurement when said state holding means is reset.

A temperature measuring method for a camera, comprising the steps of:

• driving an actuator;
• starting a time measurement when driving of said actuator is finished;
• setting temperature measurement permission information when said actuator does not operate for a predetermined time period after the time measurement is started, and resetting the temperature measurement permission information when said actuator operates before the predetermined time period is reached;
• and
• immediately performing temperature measurement of a camera and storing the temperature measurement result when the temperature measurement permission information is set upon an operation of an operation member of said camera.