Eastman-kodak Company

John H Minnick

J David Cocca

Jeffrey R Stoneham

Clay A Dunsmore

John H Alligood

Christopher A Ludden

John E Spencer

David A Castor

Peter S Tisack

A photographic camera having a logic and control circuit programmed to read a mode setting bar code imprinted on a disc mounted on the end of a cartridge adapted to fit in the cartridge receiving chamber of the camera. The disc may be snapped onto a real film cartridge by the camera operator or it may be provided on dummy cartridge specifically intended to program an operating mode of the camera. One dedicated character in the bar code indicative of an operating mode, such as 'calibration', 'test' or 'custom program', causes another character code on the disc, which is normally assigned a meaning relating to film characteristics, to be referred to an alternate look-up table to determine a specific functional operating activity appropriate to the determined camera operating mode. A wide variety of pre-assigned operating mode activities is possible with this arrangement.

Method and apparatus for setting camera operating mode activity

A camera power supply system includes a controller that reduces power consumption by modifying the operation of the camera system clock circuit after the completion of each exposure taking sequence. The clock circuit operation is modified either by bypassing current drains, thereby reducing the accuracy of the clock circuit as well as its power consumption, or by reducing the frequency of the clock pulses produced by the system clock. Modifying the operation of the system clock in this way does not adversely affect operation of systems such as information displays, but does reduce power consumption. The clock circuit operation is restored at the beginning of an exposure sequence.

Camera power supply system

Film encodement method and apparatus for optically encoding image frame format information on the film in a camera adapted to receive film having film metering perforations along one side of the film which are spaced apart by the length of film frame areas on the film. Data representing a desired frame format for the resultant photoprint is optically encoded on the film between the spaced apart perforations by the same perforation sensor LED, operative in the visible light spectral region, as is used to perform film metering in the camera.

Camera with optical film metering and image frame data encodement

A single electromagnet and a single permanent magnet to actuate a shutter blade and a plurality of aperture blades, that form a plurality of aperture openings. A magnet is coupled to an electormagnet and an aperture adjustment mechanism. The magnet rotates in one direction to set the aperture opening and then rotates in the opposite direction to actuate a shutter blade.

Multi-aperture electromagnetic camera shutter

A photographic camera includes a lens adjustable to different focus distances, means for supplying a flash illumination, and a rangefinder for indicating the distance to a subject as one of at least two zones. The camera is operable in a flash mode or a non-flash mode. A ratchet is provided defining at least three consecutive teeth connected to the lens, each one of the ratchet teeth defining a focus setting for the lens, the focus settings ranging from a relatively near focus setting to a relatively distant focus setting. A pawl is provided for engaging a selected one of the ratchet teeth to fix the focus of the lens at the focus distance associated with the selected ratchet tooth. Focusing means responsive to the rangefinder are provided for operating the pawl to select one of the two ratchet teeth defining the relatively more distant focus settings when the flash illumination is not supplied, and one of the two ratchet teeth defining the relatively nearer focus settings when the flash illumination is provided. Thus, at least one of the ratchet teeth defining a focus setting is shared in both the flash and non-flash modes of operation.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, NY, United States of America

John H Minnick