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US 6,556,785 B2Granted
Range finder
AssigneeOlympus Optical Co., Ltd.
InventorsOsamu Nonaka, Koichi Nakata
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In an apparatus comprising a zoom lens and an electric flash, a range finder that determines, on the basis of an output result obtained by means of one method out of an active AF and a passive AF, whether or not to operate the other method, is utilized.
Claims16
A range finder, comprising:
- first focus means for focusing by using an image signal of a subject;
- light-projection means for projecting light;
- second focus means for focusing on the basis of reflected signal light of light projected from the light-projection means;
- and
- determination means for determining, on the basis of an output result from one of the first or second focus means and a zoom position of a zoom lens, whether or not to operate the other one of the first or second focus means.
2 more elements
A range finder including a plurality of ranging points having different precedence from each other, the range finder comprising:
- determination means for determining whether or not to re-range on the basis of reliability in ranging the plurality of points of high precedence;
- and
- switching means for switching the plurality of points of high precedence on the basis of an angle of view in shooting.
A range finder, comprising:
- a first focus module for focusing by using an image signal of a subject;
- a light-projection module for projecting light;
- a second focus module for focusing on the basis of reflected signal light of light projected from the light-projection means;
- and
- a determination module for determining, on the basis of an output result from one of the first or second focus modules and a zoom position of a zoom lens, whether or not to operate the other one of the first or second focus modules.
2 more elements
A range finder including a plurality of ranging points having different precedence from each other, the range finder comprising:
- a module of determining reliability for determining reliability in ranging the plurality of points of high precedence;
- determination means for determining whether or not to re-range on the basis of a result from the module of determining reliability;
- and
- a switching module for switching the points of high precedence on the basis of an angle of view in shooting.
1 more element
A camera including a plurality of ranging points having different precedence from each other, comprising:
- a range finder including a determination module for determining whether or not to re-range on the basis of reliability in ranging the plurality of points of high precedence;
- and
- a module of switching integral time for switching integral time during A/D conversion of an image signal of a subject in performing the re-ranging.
A camera including a plurality of ranging points having different precedence from each other, comprising:
- a range finder including a determination module for determining whether or not to re-range on the basis of reliability in ranging the plurality of points of high precedence;
- and
- a module of switching light-projection for switching presence/absence of light projection for ranging during integrating an image signal of a subject in performing the re-ranging.
A camera, comprising:
- a plurality of light receiving sensors corresponding to a plurality of ranging points in a view field;
- a module of calculating subject distance for calculating a subject distance in accordance with output of light receiving sensors having no low contrasts among output of the plurality of light receiving sensors;
- a module of setting light receiving sensors for setting a predetermined plurality of light receiving sensors among the plurality of light receiving sensors;
- a determination module for determining whether or not low presence/absence of contrast output in each output of a plurality of light receiving sensors set by means of the module of setting light receiving sensors;
- and
- a control module for controlling execution of a re-ranging operation by using light receiving sensors set by means of the module of setting light receiving sensors, in a case of low contrast output being determined to exist by means of the determination module.
3 more elements
A camera, comprising:
- a plurality of light receiving sensors corresponding to a plurality of ranging points in a view field;
- a first light projector;
- a second light projector having larger light quantity than one of the first light projector;
- a module of calculating subject distance for calculating a subject distance in accordance with output of light receiving sensors having no low contrasts among output of the plurality of light receiving sensors;
- a module of setting light receiving sensors for setting a predetermined plurality of light receiving sensors among the plurality of light receiving sensors;
- a determination module for determining whether or not presence/absence of low contrast output in each output of a plurality of light receiving sensors set by means of the module of setting light receiving sensors;
- and
- a control module for controlling execution of a re-ranging operation by using light receiving sensors set by means of the module of setting light receiving sensors, after irradiating light by means of the first light projector, in a case of low contrast output being determined to exist by means of the determination module, and controlling to execute a re-ranging operation by using light receiving sensors set by means of the module of setting light receiving sensors, after irradiating light by means of the second light projector, in a case of low contrast output being output again.
5 more elements
A camera comprising:
- a lens;
- an electric flash lamp;
- a plurality of light receiving sensors provided for a plurality of distance-measuring points existing in a view field, respectively;
- a module for setting at least one of the light receiving sensors in accordance with a focal distance of the lens;
- a determination module for determining whether said at least one of the light receiving sensors has generated a low-contrast output;
- and
- a control module for causing the electric flash lamp to emit light to measure a distance between the camera and an object when the determination module determines that said at least one of the light receiving sensors has generated a low-contrast output.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.