Eastman-kodak Company

James Vergil Leavy

Dale Frederick McIntyre

David R Dowe

Peter A Newman

J David Cocca

Paul Teremy

Wilbert F Janson, Jr

Robert G Hills

Leonard R Richiuso

Dennis E Baxter

Gerald J Kosarko

Daniel T Meyerhoefer

John A Marino

Michael Timothy Malley

A camera auxiliary light system provides supplemental illumination for a passive ranging system in determining camera-to-object distance, provides a self-timer activation status light to persons in a scene, provides a point of visible light to assist in aiming the camera, and provides red-eye reduction illumination. Thus, multiple functions are performed by a single auxiliary light, thereby reducing the number of camera elements and reducing camera cost, size, and weight. The system includes an auxiliary light source, a mode control switch that selects between a self-timer mode, a red-eye reduction mode, and a flash defeat mode, a light sensor that receives light from the scene and produces a signal that indicates the relative amount of light that was received, and a light source controller that controls operation of the auxiliary light source in response to actuation of a shutter release of the camera.

Red-eye reduction using multiple function light source

A camera system includes a user friendly interface to enable a camera user to enter text data to be printed on a photographic film in a simple and convenient manner. The user interface is also used to display text messages to the user indicating certain camera conditions. More specifically, a camera is provided that includes a display unit, a display control interface for manually selecting text data to be displayed on the display unit and a control unit for controlling the operation of the display unit to display the text data selected by the manual user interface. The display unit preferably includes a text data display section and fixed icon display section.

Text interface for still photographic camera with data recording

A photographic camera is provided with a display including organic electroluminescent material energizable in patterns representing camera information. The patterns are defined by electrically isolated illumination elements that are controlled to emit light by selectively applying a voltage to the elements forming the desired pattern. The material may be chosen to emit light in different colors representing levels of concern associated with camera conditions. Certain features provide a display having an in-line array of alpha-numeric character generators comprising a matrix of closely spaced illumination elements and a control for energizing selected combinations of the elements to emit light collectively defining alpha-numeric characters. Display brightness can be adjusted by changing the applied power as a function of the ambient light conditions to enhance viewability of the display.

Camera information display

Camera autofocus apparatus and method employing an autoranging device to determine a lens destination focus position in terms of a target number of signal pulses from a lens motion sensor photo-interrupter. A lens drive motor is initially driven at maximum speed by a 100% pulse width modulated drive signal. At a fixed number of signal pulses in advance of the target, the average motor speed is calculated and a reduced pulse with modulated drive signal, determined based on the calculated motor speed, is applied to the drive motor to cause the lens to arrive at a uniform speed at a near destination focus position that is suitable for application of a standard motor stopping routine. During the motor stopping routine, the motor is initially 'plugged' (reverse polarity drive signal) and the signal pulse period is monitored until a predetermined period is reached. At this point, the plug is removed and an electrical brake (short circuit) is applied to the motor to bring the lens to a rest at the destination focus position.

Method and apparatus for automatic deployment of camera lens

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Churchville, NY, United States of America

James Vergil Leavy