Gazing point detecting device and camera provided with the same

A distance measuring apparatus provided with a gazing point detecting device, said distance measuring apparatus comprising:

• means for defining a plurality of distance measuring areas simultaneously displayed in a view field in a finder;
• a plurality of distance measuring means arranged to correspond respectively to each of the plurality of distance measuring areas;
• means for defining a plurality of discriminating zones in the view field in the finder, the plurality of discriminating zones being formed by dividing the view field by a plurality of mutually intersecting lines, each of the plurality of discriminating zones including one of the plurality of distance measuring areas, a dimension of each of said plurality of distance measuring areas being smaller than a dimension of each of said plurality of discriminating zones;
• and
• means for discriminating in which zone of the plurality of discriminating zones a gazing point exists and for performing a distance measurement using the distance measuring means corresponding to the distance measuring area in the discriminated zone.

A distance measuring apparatus comprising:

• observing means having a view field;
• a plurality of distance measuring areas simultaneously displayed in the view field;
• means for defining a plurality of discriminating zones in said view field, the plurality of discriminating zones being defined by dividing the view field with a line crossing from one edge of the view field to the opposite edge thereof, each of the plurality of distance measuring areas being formed in mutually different ones of the plurality of discriminating zones, a dimension of each of said plurality of distance measuring areas being smaller than a dimension of each of said plurality of discriminating zones;
• and
• means for detecting which zone of said plurality of discriminating zones is being gazed at by an observer, wherein distance measuring is performed with respect to a distance measuring area formed in the detected discriminating zone.

A camera comprising:

• a finder having a view field;
• a plurality of distance measuring areas simultaneously displayed in the view field of said finder;
• means for defining a plurality of discriminating zones in the view field, said plurality of discriminating zones being defined by dividing the view field with a line crossing from one edge of the view field to the opposite edge thereof, each of the plurality of distance measuring areas being formed in mutually different ones of the plurality of discriminating zones, a dimension of each of said plurality of distance measuring areas being smaller than a dimension of each of said plurality discriminating zones;
• means for detecting which zone of the plurality of discriminating zones is being gazed at by an observer;
• and
• means for performing distance measuring with respect to the distance measuring area formed in the detected discriminating zone.

An optical apparatus comprising:

• observing means having a view field;
• a plurality of measuring areas simultaneously displayed in said view field;
• means for defining a plurality of detecting areas in the view field, said defining means defining the plurality of detecting areas by dividing the view field with lines extending from one side of the view field to an opposite side of the view field, wherein each of said plurality of measuring areas is disposed in mutually different areas of said plurality of detecting areas, a dimension of each of said plurality of measuring areas being smaller than a dimension of each of said plurality of detecting areas;
• visual axis detecting means for detecting a direction of a visual axis of an observer to form visual axis information;
• and
• processing and selecting means for processing visual axis information related to each of the plurality of detecting areas and for selecting a detecting area from among the plurality of detecting areas based on a result of the processing.

A measuring apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of measuring areas simultaneously displayed in a view field;
• means for defining a plurality of discriminating zones in the view field, the plurality of discriminating zones being defined by dividing the view field with a line crossing from one edge of the view field to the opposite edge thereof, and each of the plurality of measuring areas being formed in mutually different ones of the plurality of discriminating zones, a dimension of each of said plurality of measuring areas being smaller than a dimension of each of said plurality of discriminating zones;
• and
• means for detecting which zone of the plurality of discriminating zones is being gazed at by an observer, wherein measuring data are provided with respect to the measuring area formed in the detected discriminating zone.

An apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of measuring areas simultaneously displayed in a view field;
• means for defining a plurality of discriminating zones in the view field, the plurality of discriminating zones being defined by dividing the view field with a line crossing from one edge of the view field to the opposite edge thereof, each of the plurality of measuring areas being formed in mutually different ones of the plurality of discriminating zones, a dimension of each of said plurality of measuring areas being smaller than a dimension of each of said plurality of discriminating zones;
• means for detecting which zone of the plurality of discriminating zones is being gazed at by an observer;
• and
• means for providing measuring data with respect to the measuring area formed in the detected discriminating zone.