Photo signal processing apparatus

A photo signal processing apparatus which comprises:

• a light receiving means of charge accumulation type for receiving light which has passed through a photographing lens and for outputting data corresponding to a condition of light received thereby;
• a data processing means for detecing a focusing condition of the photographing lens on the basis of the data received from the light receiving means and for outputting a focus adjustment data corresponding thereto;
• a drive means for moving the photographing lens on the basis of the focus adjustment data;
• and
• a control means for causing the light receiving means to carry out a charge accumulating operation for the subsequent data processing in parallel relationship with the data processing currently being performed by the data processing means and for causing the data processing means to carry out the subsequent data processing in parallel relationship with the operation of the drive means.

A focus detecting apparatus for use in a camera, comprising:

• a light receiving means of charge accumulation type for receiving light which has passed through a photographic lens and for outputting data corresponding to the intensity of light received thereby;
• a data processing means for detecting a focused condition of the photographic lens on the basis of the light received from the light receiving means;
• a means for initiating a charge accumulation in the light receiving means;
• a means for interrupting the charge accumulation in the light receiving means;
• and
• a control means for activating the means for initiating a subsequent charge accumulation at a time period before completion of the data processing means operation on the current charge accumulation at such time that the subsequent charge accumulation will be complete at or just subsequent to the completion of the operation of the current data processing.

A photo signal processing apparatus comprising:

• a microcomputer consisting of only a single microprocessor for sequentially calculating data utilized in exposure control and for calculating data utilized in focus control;
• means for driving a photographing lens towards its in-focus position under the control of said microprocessor;
• means for selecting either of a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation;
• and
• means, operating when a movement amount of the photographing lens towards its in-focus position is larger than a predetermined value, for controlling said single microprocessor and said driving means so as to make said driving means operable while enabling both of the exposure and focus control calculations to be operable sequentially in the microcomputer when the first mode is selected by said selecting means, and to make said driving means operable while enabling only the exposure control calculation to be operable in the microcomputer when the second mode is selected by said selecting means.

A photo signal processing apparatus for a camera having a shutter and a lens that can be driven by a motor comprising:

• a light receiving unit for a charge accumulation type for receiving light reflected from a targe object to be photographed for the purpose of a focus detection of the lens, the light receiving unit providing focus detection data;
• means for controlling the shutter including monitoring exposure light from the target object and providing light exposure data;
• a sequence control means for sequentially processing the focus detection data to provide a focus condition of the lens and processing the light exposure data to provide an exposure condition of the shutter including only a single microprocessor for processing both the light exposure data and focus detection data in a sequential manner;
• means for monitoring the status of the data processing of the light exposure data, and
• means for determining whether light exposure data should be processed by the single microprocessor before completion of the processing of the focus
• detection data.