Electronically controlled camera
AssigneeAsahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsTakeo Kobayshi, Yasushi Tabata, Norio Numako, Katsutoshi Nagai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronically controlled camera comprises a zoom lens which is capable of being driven to move in the direction of the optical axis thereof within a zooming area between a tele extremity and a wide extremity. A single operation member is provided for instructing the movement direction of the zoom lens, and the zoom lens is driven to move either stepwisely or continuously in accordance with the operating amount of the operation member.
Claims5
An electronically controlled camera having a zoom lens that is capable of being driven to move in a direction of an optical axis of said zoom lens between a tele extremity and a wide extremity, said camera further comprising:
- a single operation member;
- and
- control means for driving said zoom lens to move either stepwisely or continuously between said tele extremity and said wide extremity in accordance with an operation of said single operation member, said control means comprising:
- first means for determining said direction in which said zoom lens is moved in accordance with an operated direction of said operation member;
- and
- second means for determining whether said zoom lens is to be moved stepwisely or continuously, in accordance with an operated amount of said operation member, and wherein said operation member is neutrally placed in its neutral position, and is capable of being displaced in first and second directions, and wherein said first determining means determines a direction in which said zoom lens is moved in such a fashion that said zoom lens is moved to a tele side when said operation member is displaced in said first direction, while said zoom lens is moved to a wide side when said operation member is displaced in said second direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.