Fuji Photo Optical Co., Ltd.

Fuji Photo Film Company, Limited

Other

Fumio Iwai

Michihiro Shiina

Haruo Onozuka

Katsuji Ozawa

Noboru Shimada

Kiyotaka Kobayashi

Yutaka Yoshida

Yasuhiko Tanaka

Jun'ichi Iwamoto

Tatsuo Saito

Shigenori Goto

Yasuhiro Nishitani

Masaya Nozawa

Kazuhisa Horikiri

Hideo Kobayashi

Minoru Ishiguro

Hiroshi Komatsuzaki

Yukio Noguchi

Takao Umetsu

Muneyoshi Sato

Takao Koda

Mieko Nozawa

Muneyoshi Saitoh

The present invention provides a lens barrel in which all lens groups are attached to a leading cylindrical body. A movable lens group of the lens groups is moved by a driving source incorporated in the leading cylindrical body. The lens barrel is less likely to be influenced by external forces and can be made smaller. The lens barrel includes first, second, and third cylinders, and first, second, and third lens groups attached to the third cylinder, which is extended first among the first, second, and third cylinders. The first and third lens groups are fixed to the third cylinder, and the second lens group is disposed between the first and third lens groups and movable along the optical axis.

Lens barrel

The present invention provides a lens driving apparatus which can prevent a lens barrel from increasing its size and cost while making it possible to detect the position of a movable lens group. A first lens group, a second lens group, and a third lens group are disposed along an optical axis, among which the second lens group is a movable lens group movable along the optical axis. A second lens frame holding the second lens group is formed with a detection plate having a predetermined width in the direction of optical axis. A detector detects passages of both end portions of the detection plate, whereby the position of the second lens group can be detected.

Lens driving apparatus

The present invention provides a lens barrel which can carry out barrier opening/closing operations and lens moving operations of an optical lens system by use of a single driving source, and can adjust the focus without any obstruction even in a state allowing the baffler to open/close. A state capable of transmitting a driving force to a barrier opening/closing mechanism is attained when collapsing a lens barrel to a predetermined extent or more, and a state incapable of transmitting the driving force to the barrier opening/closing mechanism is attained when the lens barrel is extended to a predetermined extent or more, whereby a single motor can carry out baffler opening/closing operations and lens moving operations of a lens is optical system.

The present invention provides a camera which can release creep of a moving member, preventing the moving member disposed within the camera from breaking due to creeping. The camera includes a barrier base rotating in response to the driving force of a motor so as to open/close a barrier upon rotation, and a stopper for restricting the moving area of the barrier base. When opening/closing the barrier, the barrier base is rotated until it abuts against the stopper, and then is rotated in reverse so as to be separated from the stopper. As a consequence, the barrier plate can be prevented from breaking upon creeping when pressed by the stopper for a long time.

Camera

The present invention provides a lens driving apparatus which can accurately detect the position of a movable lens group while preventing the apparatus from increasing in size and cost by using a simple position detecting sensor. A first lens group, a second lens group, and a third lens group are disposed along an optical axis, among which the second lens group is a movable lens group and is movable along the optical axis. The second lens group is movable at two or more different speeds. When the second lens group passes a reference position, it is moved at a speed which is not the highest of the different speeds. As a consequence, the position of the second lens group can be detected accurately.

A timing pulse (DSCEXP signal) that is synchronous with a vertical driving signal (VD) of a CCD is sent from an electronic imaging device (DSC) to a CPU of a silver halide recording device (APS). A CPU of the DSC synchronizes the image-capturing of the CCD and the shutter-operation of the APS when the nth pulse (for example, the second pulse) of the vertical driving signal is generated since a command for exposure timing generated by the full press of a shutter release button is received. When an outside luminance is higher than a reference value and an electronic flash is to be used, there is a time lag for one vertical driving signal between the image-capturing of the CCD and the shutter-operation of the APS.

Hybrid camera

A camera system includes a taking lens and a lens cover type of operation card. The operation card incorporates a function of operating the camera system and covers the taking lens when attached to a front of the camera. The operation card may also be attached to another surface of the camera, and may be entirely detached from the camera and used as a remote control device.

Remotely controllable camera system

A camera is used with a photo film cassette of a predetermined type. The photo film cassette includes a spool about which photo film is wound. A cassette shell contains the spool in a rotatable manner. A data disk with a bar code is disposed on the spool in a manner readable externally outside the cassette shell for signaling photo film information. In the camera, a cassette containing chamber contains the cassette. A bottom lid closes the cassette containing chamber in an openable manner. A spool drive shaft rotates the spool of the cassette in the cassette containing chamber, the spool drive shaft being connected to the spool set at a first rotational angle when the spool drive shaft has the first rotational angle. A bar code reader reads the photo film information from the data disk rotated in the cassette containing chamber. A type determiner section in CPU detects whether the photo film cassette of the predetermined type is loaded in the cassette containing chamber according to the photo film information from the bar code reader. CPU controls operation of the spool drive shaft, CPU rotating the spool drive shaft when the bottom lid is closed, CPU stopping the spool drive shaft to set the spool at a second rotational angle when the type determiner section detects lack of the cassette or existence of a cassette different from the predetermined type.

Camera capable of reading/writing information of photo film cassette

A camera is used with a photo film cassette of a predetermined type. The photo film cassette includes a spool about which photo film is wound. A cassette shell contains the spool in a rotatable manner. A data disk with a bar code is disposed on the spool in a manner readable externally outside the cassette shell for signaling photo film information. In the camera, a cassette containing chamber contains the cassette. A bottom lid closes the cassette containing chamber in an openable manner. A spool drive shaft rotates the spool of the cassette in the cassette containing chamber, the spool drive shaft being connected to the spool set at a first rotational angle when the spool drive shaft has the first rotational angle. An bar code reader reads the photo film information from the data disk rotated in the cassette containing camber. A type determiner section in CPU detects whether the photo film cassette of the predetermined type is loaded in the cassette containing chamber according to the photo film information from the bar code reader. CPU controls operation of the spool drive shaft, CPU rotating the spool drive shaft when the bottom lid is closed, CPU stopping the spool drive shaft to set the spool at a second rotational angle when the type determiner section detects lack of the cassette or existence of a cassette different from the predetermined type.

A data imprinting device of a camera, when a free mode is set, is responsive to operation by each camera user, and prepares character strings as desired by the camera user and stores the prepared character strings to an electrically rewritable non-volatile memory E.sup.2 PROM. When the free mode is set, character strings stored in the E.sup.2 PROM are read out from the E.sup.2 PROM according to operation by the camera user, and displayed on an imprint display unit and used for imprinting. As character strings prepared by the camera user are stored in the E.sup.2 PROM, the character strings are preserved without being destroyed even when a power source is shut down because a battery is unloaded or used up.

Data imprinting device of camera

A camera includes a lens barrel which can be retracted into a camera body, and a lens barrel storage control apparatus. The lens barrel has a front lens group mounted in a front end portion thereof and a rear lens group movably disposed therein. The lens barrel storage control apparatus controls a DC motor for retracting the lens barrel, if the rear lens group is in a safe area where it will come into no contact with a film in retracting the lens barrel into the camera body, and then controls a stepping motor for locating the rear lens group to a final standby position after completion of storage. On the other hand, if the rear lens group is out of the safe area, the control apparatus controls the stepping motor for locating the rear lens group to the rearmost position in the safe area, and controls the DC motor for retracting the lens barrel.

Method and apparatus for controlling a retractable camera barrel

A camera has a two lens group zoom system composed of a front lens group and a rear lens group, and a home position check apparatus of the rear lens group driven by a stepping motor. The home position check apparatus is so arranged that a detection as to if the rear lens group is located at the home position is started only when the rear lens group reaches the predetermined position before the home position. Before the rear lens group reaches the predetermined position, only the movement of rear lens group to the home position is carried out but the home position check of rear lens group is not.

A camera according to the present invention prevents distance measurement errors in remote control shots under high luminance and those in which the distance of a background between right and left objects is measured, by projecting a remote control signal including a ranging signal in a form of infrared beam from a transmitter. The ranging signal, within the remote control signal, includes multiple pulses with different pulse widths, and each pulse width is set so that the number of pulses received by the receiving circuit becomes fewer accordingly as the distance between the transmitter and a receiver provided in the camera becomes larger. When the receiver receives a ranging signal from the transmitter, a distance recognizing unit counts a pulse number of the ranging signal received by the receiver, and recognizes the distance to the transmitter, namely the object, from the relationship of received pulse numbers and distance stored in a memory unit.

Camera with infrared beam type remote controller

A camera includes a lens barrel which can be retracted into a camera body, and a lens barrel storage control apparatus. The lens barrel has a front lens group mounted in a front end portion thereof and a rear lens group movably disposed therein. The lens barrel storage control apparatus, first, controls a stepping motor for driving the rear lens group to locate the rear lens group at a standby position in the barrel, and then controls a DC motor for driving the lens barrel to retract the lens barrel into the camera body while keeping the rear lens group at the standby position. Also, when it is detected that the rear lens group is not located at the standby position, the control apparatus controls the DC motor to locate the lens barrel at a suitable position within a range where the lens barrel can be set in a photographable state.

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Saitama, Japan

Fumio Iwai