Device for controlling an operation of a movable member

A device for controlling movement of a lens in a camera, the lens being movable with respect to the body of the camera in accordance with movement of a movable member, the lens being prohibited from stopping at least in a predetermined area, said device comprising:

• a plate member having conductive and non-conductive portions, said plate member being provided on either one of the camera body and the movable member;
• a contact member provided on the other one of the camera body and the movable member, for relatively slidably contacting said plate member to detect the state of conductivity of said plate member at a predetermined position corresponding to a predetermined positional relationship between the lens and the body of the camera;
• and
• means for driving the lens while monitoring said detected state of conductivity, said driving means comprising means for continuously driving the lens when the lens is moved through said predetermined area;
• wherein a certain portion of said plate member corresponding to said predetermined area is made to be non-conductive and wherein movement of said contact member relative to said plate member is confined within the area of said certain portion when the lens is located in said predetermined area;
• said device further comprising means for generating position signals as said contact member contacts said conductive and non-conductive portions on said code plate, and means for performing a logical AND operation on said position signals.

A device for controlling movement of a lens in a camera, the lens being movable with respect to the body of the camera in accordance with movement of a movable member, the lens being prohibited from stopping at least in a predetermined area, said device comprising:

• a plate member having conductive and non-conductive portions, said plate member being provided on either one of the camera body and the lens;
• means for detecting the state of conductivity of said plate member at a predetermined position corresponding to a predetermined positional relationship between the lens and the body of the camera, said detecting means having a contact member provided on the other one of the camera body and the lens, said contact member relatively slidably contacting said plate member at said predetermined position;
• and
• means for driving said lens while monitoring said detected state of conductivity, said driving means comprising means for continuously driving the lens when the lens is moved through said predetermined area;
• wherein a certain portion of said plate member corresponding to said predetermined area is made to be non-conductive and wherein movement of said contact member relative to said plate member is confined within the area of said certain portion when the lens is located in said predetermined area;
• said device further comprising means, operable when the lens is moved through and past said predetermined area, for stopping the lens with respect to the body of the camera in at least one predetermined stopping position only after detection of at least one conductive portion after passing said predetermined area,
• wherein said stopping means stops the lens with respect to the body of the camera in any of a plurality of predetermined stopping positions, two of said plurality of predetermined stopping positions being respectively positioned near each side of said predetermined area, the lens being stopped by said stopping means only after detection of at least one conductive portion after passing said predetermined area.

A device for controlling movement of a lens in a camera without stopping the lens in a stop-prohibited range, the lens being movable with respect to the body of the camera, said device comprising:

• a gauging member having a surface, said surface comprising conductive and non-conductive portions, and a path of movement corresponding to the movement of the lens;
• means for slidably contacting said surface of said gauging member, at least one predetermined non-conductive portion being contacted by said contacting means when said lens is within said stop-prohibited range;
• means for determining when said at least one predetermined non-conductive portion is contacted, movement of said contacting means relative to said gauging member being confined within the area of said at least one predetermined non-conductive portion when the lens is located in said stop-prohibited range;
• means for driving the lens;
• and
• means for controlling said driving means to continuously drive the lens when it is determined that said at least one predetermined non-conductive portion is contacted by said contacting means;
• said device further comprising means, operable when the lens is moved through and past the stop-prohibited area, for stopping the lens with respect to the body of the camera in at least one predetermined stopping position only after detection of at least one conductive portion after passing said stop-prohibited range,
• wherein said stopping means stops the lens with respect to the body of the camera in any of a plurality of predetermined stopping positions, two of said plurality of predetermined stopping positions being respectively positioned near each side of said stop-prohibited range, the lens being stopped by said stopping means only after detection of at least one conductive portion.