Exposure control apparatus for camera with shake countermeasure

An exposure control apparatus for a camera comprising:

• shutter-speed determining means for determining a shutter speed concerning an opening of a shutter of a camera;
• shake amount detecting means for detecting an amount of shaking of said camera for each sampling time;
• shutter timing generating means for generating a shutter release signal to instruct an exposing operation of a film loaded into said camera;
• maximum wait time determining means for determining a maximum wait time from generation of said shutter release signal from said shutter timing generating means to generation of a shutter enable signal based on an output of said shutter-speed determining means;
• allowable shake amount determining means for determining a maximum allowable amount of shaking based on said output of said shutter-speed determining means;
• minimum value storage means for storing a minimum value of said amount of shaking output from said shake amount detecting means;
• expected shake amount determining means for determining an expected amount of shaking of a looser reference than said minimum value of said amount of shaking stored in said minimum value storage means based on said minimum value;
• timer means for measuring time from generation of said shutter release signal from said shutter timing generating means;
• comparator means for comparing an output of said timer means with said maximum wait time determined by said maximum wait time determining means;
• multiplexer means for receiving an output of said comparator means, outputting said expected amount of shaking determined by said expected shake amount determining means until said maximum wait time elapses, and outputting said allowable amount of shaking determined by said allowable shake amount determining mean after said maximum wait time elapses;
• and
• shutter enable signal output means for comparing an output of said shake amount detecting means with an output of said multiplexer means and outputting said shutter enable signal when a comparison result indicates a predetermined relationship.

An exposure control apparatus for a camera comprising:

• shake amount detecting means for detecting amount of shaking of a camera for each sampling time interval shorter than a hand shaking cycle;
• shutter-speed determining means for determining a shutter speed concerning an opening of a shutter of a camera;
• compensation means for compensating for said amount of shaking detected by said shake amount detecting means with said shutter speed determined by said shutter-speed determining means;
• storage means for storing a shake compensation value output from said compensation means;
• prediction means for predicting a total amount of shaking during exposure of a film loaded in said camera by opening of said shutter from a current shake compensation value compensated by said compensation means and a previous shake compensation value stored in said storage means, every time said shake amount detecting means detects said amount of shaking;
• and
• discriminating means for discriminating whether or not said exposure should be started based on said total amount of shaking acquired by said prediction means, in response to a shutter release signal to prepare for beginning of said exposure.

An exposure control apparatus for a camera comprising:

• shake amount detecting means for detecting amount of shaking of a camera for each sampling time interval shorter than a hand shaking cycle;
• storage means for storing a shake compensation value output from said shake amount detecting means;
• prediction means for predicting an amount of shaking from a current amount of shaking and a previous amount of shaking stored in said storage means, every time said shake amount detecting means detects said amount of shaking;
• shutter-speed determining means for determining a shutter speed concerning an opening of a shutter of a camera;
• compensation means for compensating for said amount of shaking predicted by said prediction means with said shutter speed determined by said shutter-speed determining means to acquire a total amount of shaking during opening of said shutter;
• and
• discriminating means for discriminating whether or not exposure of a film loaded in said camera should be started based on said total amount of shaking acquired by said prediction means, in response to a shutter release signal to prepare for a shutter opening operation.

An exposure control apparatus for a camera comprising:

• shake amount detecting means for detecting amount of shaking of a camera for each sampling time interval shorter than a hand shaking cycle;
• storage means for storing a shake compensation value output from said shake amount detecting means;
• prediction means for predicting an amount of shaking from a current amount of shaking and a previous amount of shaking stored in said storage means, every time said shake amount detecting means detects said amount of shaking;
• shutter-speed determining means for determining a shutter speed concerning an opening of a shutter of a camera;
• and
• discriminating means for comparing an amount of shaking output from said prediction means with a predetermined value determined by said shutter speed determined by said shutter-speed determining means in response to a shutter release signal to prepare for a shutter opening operation to thereby discriminate whether or not exposure of a film loaded in said camera should be started.

An exposure control apparatus for a camera for starting an exposing operation with an exposure time based on at least a brightness of an object to be picked up and a sensitivity of a film in response to a release signal from a release operation member, comprising:

• output means for outputting information about said exposure time;
• detecting means for repeatedly detecting an amount of shaking of said camera in a predetermined detection interval;
• processing means for repeatedly detecting an amount of shaking of said camera in a predetermined detection interval;
• processing means for processing said amount of shaking detected by said detecting means based on said exposure time information from said output means;
• storage means for repeatedly storing an output value of said processing means;
• prediction means for predicting an amount of shaking in said exposure time from a currently processed output value from said processing means and a previously processed value stored in said storage means in a case where said exposing operation is started after a predetermined period of time;
• and
• determining means for determining whether or not said exposing operation should be started after said predetermined period of time based on an output of said prediction means.

An exposure control apparatus for a camera for detecting an amount of shaking of a camera in response to a release signal from a release operation member, acquiring from said detected amount of shaking a timing at which an influence of shaking on film exposure and starting an exposing operation at said timing, comprising:

• exposure time calculating means for acquiring information of an exposure time based on at least a brightness of an object to be picked up and a sensitivity of a film;
• detecting means for repeatedly detecting an amount of shaking of said camera in a predetermined detection interval;
• processing means for processing said amount of shaking detected by said detecting means based on said exposure time information acquired by said exposure time calculating means;
• storage means capable of repeatedly storing a value processed by said processing means;
• prediction means for predicting an amount of shaking in said exposure time from a value currently processed in said processing means and a previously processed value stored in said storage means in a case where said exposing operation is started after a predetermined period of time;
• and
• determining means for determining whether or not said exposing operation should be started after said predetermined period of time based on an output of said prediction means, said determining means including an allowable shake amount calculating circuit for calculating an allowable amount of shaking from a focus distance of a lens, a comparator for comparing said allowable amount of shaking with said predicted amount of shaking from said prediction means, and a circuit for outputting a shutter-open enable signal when said predicted amount of shaking is detected to be equal to or small than said allowable amount of shaking in said comparator.

An exposure control apparatus for a camera for detecting an amount of shaking of a camera in response to a release signal from a release operation member, acquiring from said detected amount of shaking a timing at which an influence of shaking on film exposure and starting an exposing operation at said timing, comprising:

• exposure time calculating means for acquiring an exposure time based on at least a brightness of an object to be picked up and a sensitivity of a film;
• detecting means for repeatedly detecting an amount of shaking of said camera in a predetermined detection interval;
• storage means capable of repeatedly storing a value detected by said detecting means;
• prediction means for predicting an amount of shaking in said exposure time from a value currently detected by said detecting means and a previously detected value stored in said storage means in a case where said exposing operation is started after a predetermined period of time;
• and
• determining means for determining whether or not said exposing operation should be started after said predetermined period of time based on an output of said prediction means.

A shake amount predicting apparatus for detecting an amount of shaking of a camera in response to a release signal from a release operation member, and predicting an amount of shaking in an exposure time from said detected amount of shaking in a case where an exposing operation is started after a predetermined period of time, comprising:

• exposure time calculating means for acquiring an exposure time based on at least a brightness of an object to be picked up and a sensitivity of a film;
• detecting means for detecting an amount of shaking of said camera at least twice in a predetermined detection interval;
• processing means for processing said amount of shaking detected by said detecting means based on said exposure time;
• storage means capable of storing a value processed by said processing means;
• and
• prediction means for predicting an amount of shaking in said exposure time from a value currently processed in said processing means and a previously processed value stored in said storage means in a case where said exposing operation is started after a predetermined period of time.

A shake amount predicting apparatus for detecting an amount of shaking of a camera in response to a release signal from a release operation member, and predicting an amount of shaking in an exposure time from said detected amount of shaking in a case where an exposing operation is started after a predetermined period of time, comprising:

• exposure time calculating means for acquiring an exposure time based on at least a brightness of an object to be picked up and a sensitivity of a film;
• detecting means for detecting an amount of shaking of said camera at least twice in a predetermined detection interval;
• storage means capable of storing a value detected by said detecting means;
• and
• prediction means for predicting an amount of shaking in said exposure time from a value currently detected by said detecting means and a previously detected value stored in said storage means in a case where said exposing operation is started after said predetermined period of time.

An exposure control apparatus for a camera, comprising:

• shake amount detecting means for detecting an amount of shaking of said camera at sampling time intervals;
• shutter release signal generating means for generating a shutter release signal for commanding an exposing operation to a film loaded in said camera;
• minimum value storage means for storing a minimum value of said amount of shaking output from said shake amount detecting means;
• allowable shake amount determining means for determining a maximum allowable amount of shaking based on said minimum value of said amount of shaking stored in said minimum value storage means;
• and
• shutter-open enable signal generating means for comparing an output of said shake amount detecting means with an output of said allowable shake amount determining means after said shutter release signal generating means generates said shutter release signal, and outputting a shutter-open enable signal when a result of comparison indicates a predetermined relationship between said output of said shake amount detecting means and said output of said allowable shake amount determining means.

An exposure control apparatus for detecting an amount of shaking of a camera, obtaining a timing at which an influence of shaking on film exposure decreases, in accordance with said detected amount of shaking, and starting an exposing operation at said timing, comprising:

• exposure time determining means for determining an exposure time to a film loaded in said camera by pre-setting or calculation;
• detecting means for detecting repeatedly an amount of shaking of said camera at predetermined detection intervals;
• storage means capable of storing data of said amount of shaking detected by said detecting means;
• prediction means for predicting an amount of shaking occurring in said exposure time in a case where said exposing operation is started after a predetermined period of time, in accordance with a value currently detected by said detecting means and a previously detected value stored in said storage means;
• and
• determining means for determining whether or not said exposing operation should be started after said predetermined period of time in accordance with an output of said prediction means.

A shake amount predicting apparatus for detecting an amount of shaking of a camera and predicting an amount of shaking occurring in an exposure time in a case where an exposing operation is started after a predetermined period of time, in accordance with said detected amount of shaking, comprising:

• exposure time determining means for determining an exposure time to a film loaded in said camera by pre-setting or calculation;
• detecting means for detecting an amount of shaking of said camera at least twice at predetermined detection intervals;
• processing means for processing repeatedly said amount of shaking detected by said detecting means based on said exposure time;
• storage means capable of storing a value output from said processing means;
• and
• prediction means for predicting an amount of shaking occurring in said exposure time in a case where said exposing operation is started after a predetermined period of time, in accordance with a value currently processed in said processing means and a previously processed value stored in said storage means.

A shake amount predicting apparatus for detecting an amount of shaking of a camera, and predicting an amount of shaking occurring in an exposure time in a case where an exposing operation is started after a predetermined period of time, in accordance with a detected amount of shaking, comprising:

• detecting means for detecting an amount of shaking of said camera at least twice at predetermined detection intervals;
• storage means capable of storing a value detected by said detecting means;
• and
• prediction means for predicting an amount of shaking occurring in said exposure time in accordance with a value currently detected by said detecting means and a previously detected value stored in said storage means in a case where said exposing operation is started after said predetermined period of time.

An exposure control apparatus for a camera, comprising:

• shake amount detecting means for detecting repeatedly an amount of shaking of said camera at sampling time intervals;
• a first release signal generating means for generating a first release signal for commanding a photographing preparation operation;
• a second release signal generating means for generating a second release signal for commanding an exposing operation to a film loaded in said camera;
• allowable shake amount determining means for detecting a maximum allowable amount of shaking after the generation of said first release signal after said first release signal generating means generates said first release signal and before said second release signal generating means generates said second release signal in accordance with said amount of shaking detected by said shake amount detecting means;
• and
• shutter-open enable signal generating means for comparing an output of said shake amount detecting means with an output of said allowable shake amount determining means after said second release signal generating means generates a second release signal, and outputting a shutter-open enable signal when a result of comparison indicates a predetermined relationship between said output of said shake amount detecting means and said output of said allowable shake amount determining means.