Digital camera having a continuous photography mode
AssigneeMinolta Co., Ltd.
InventorKatsunari Oda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
When the flash emission mode is set in continuous photography, the amount of emission of the built-in flash during continuous photography and the charge amount of the main condenser needed to realize this light emission are estimated. The gain is increased from a standard value when the charging time for obtaining the aforesaid charge amount is greater than the continuous frame speed. In this way continuous photography is accomplished while the shutter button is fully pressed without reducing the continuous frame speed.
Claims6
A digital camera having a continuous photography mode, comprising:
- an image sensor for sensing an image of an object;
- a light emission device for illuminating the object during a photographing operation;
- a chargeable power source for supplying power to the light emission device;
- an adjustor for adjusting a gain of an output of the image sensor;
- a determining portion for determining an amount of light emission of the light emission device for the photographing operation;
- a charge time calculator for calculating a charge time, needed after light emission, of the chargeable power source based on the thus determined amount of light emission;
- a discriminator for discriminating whether or not a frame speed in the continuous photography mode would be reduced based on the thus calculated charge time;
- and
- a gain controller for controlling the adjuster so as to increase the gain when it has been discriminated that the frame speed would be reduced.
A method of gain control of a digital camera having a continuous photography mode, comprising the steps of:
- determining an amount of light emission device for a photographing operation;
- calculating a charge time, needed after light emission, of a power source of the light emission device based on the thus determined amount of light emission;
- discriminating whether or not a frame speed in the continuous photography mode would be reduced based on the thus calculated charge time;
- and
- controlling a gain of output of an image sensor element so as to increase the gain when it has been discriminated that the frame speed would be reduced.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.