Nikon Corporation

Koichiro Kawamura

Masahiro Suzuki

Ryo Uehara

Satoshi Ejima

Tadashi Ohta

Riichi Higaki

Takao Ikuma

Osamu Ikeda

Tsutomu Wakabayashi

Keita Kimura

Kosho Miura

Yousuke Kowno

Koichi Higashi

An external accessory that can be attached to and detached from an electronic apparatus equipped with a power source unit includes: a first power receiving unit that receives power from the power source unit of the electronic apparatus; a second power receiving unit that receives power from the power source unit of the electronic apparatus; a decision-making unit that makes a decision as to whether or not the first power receiving unit is receiving power; a function execution unit that executes a predetermined function by using power received at one of the first power receiving unit and the second power receiving unit; and a control unit that engages the function execution unit in operation continuously when an affirmative decision is made by the decision-making unit, and engages the function execution unit in operation intermittently when a negative decision is made by the decision-making unit.

External accessory to be attached to electronic apparatus and system

In a digital still camera, when the reproducing mode is selected, an indication to the effect that the operation is in standby for reproduction is displayed on an indicating device, and if the command dial is not operated until 16 seconds elapses after the indication has been started, the supply of source voltage to the various parts of the camera is stopped, to achieve a reduction in power consumption. If the command dial is operated within 16 seconds, image signals are output to an external monitor and also an indication to the effect that reproduction is in progress is displayed on the indicating device. If the command dial has been operated within three minutes after reproduction of a given photographic frame has been started, reproduction of the following frame is performed, but if the command dial has not been operated until the three minutes have elapsed, the indication to the effect that the operation is in standby for reproduction is displayed again. If the sensitivity changeover switch and the command dial are operated together during reproduction or standby for reproduction, the photographic frame to be reproduced is determined in correspondence to the quantity and direction of the rotation of the command dial and the frame number of the frame thus determined is displayed on the indicating device.

Digital still camera

An electronic device includes: a display element that displays a numeral; an auxiliary display element that displays an expression other than a numeral; an arithmetic operation device that executes an arithmetic operation to obtain an integer; and a display control device that implements control so as to display the integer obtained through the arithmetic operation executed by the arithmetic operation device by using the display element and the auxiliary display element.

Electronic device and electronic camera

An imaging device according to the present invention has: a photometric circuit that detects a brightness of a photographic subject based on a light flux from the photographic subject that passes through a photographic lens; an exposure calculation circuit that calculates an aperture value and a shutter speed based on the detected brightness of the photographic subject; an imaging element that converts the light flux from the photographic subject received on each photo-electric element to an electric signal and outputs the electric signal, the imaging element having a plurality of the photo-electric elements and a micro-lens in which each of micro-lens elements is arranged facing to each of the photo-electric elements in order to converge the light flux from the photographic subject to a light receiving surface of each of the photo-electric elements; and a correction circuit that corrects the aperture value calculated by the exposure calculation circuit so that a signal level of the electric signal of the light flux does not change among photographic subjects each having a same brightness respectively.

Imaging device

Electronic still camera capable of switching between photographing and reproduction with a common operating member

A compact, light-weight electronic still camera that is thin and inexpensive to manufacture, and that can be insertably connected directly into a PC card slot of an external device. The electronic still camera is capable of accepting attachment of a cover member or a camera accessory for assisting the camera function. The electronic still camera includes a camera body, having a slot fitting portion which can be inserted into the PC card slot, or a card-shaped recording medium of the external device. A PC card connector is provided on the slot fitting portion, for connection with an internal connector of the slot upon insertion of the slot fitting portion thereinto. A camera accessory, having a connector for connection with the connector, is so formed as to be mountable on the camera body. The camera body is provided with a phototaking lens, an image pickup device, a memory device for the image signal, switches and a battery. The camera accessory is provided with a second battery and second memory devices.

Electronic still camera that can be directly inserted in an external

A setting of control information changing apparatus having first and second operational components, a setting change device, and a switching device. The setting change device changes the setting of the first control information, for example, in response to the independent operation of the first operational component, and changes the setting of the second control information in response to simultaneous operation of both of the first and the second operational components. The switching device switches the operation of the setting change device between a possible condition in which the setting change of the first control information is possible and an impossible condition in which the setting change of the first control information is not possible. When the setting change device is in the impossible condition, the first control information is not changed if the first operational component is in operation, while the second control information can be changed by the simultaneous operation of the first and the second operational components. Therefore, changing operation of the undesirable control information is certainly prohibited.

Setting of control information changing apparatus

An electronic camera records files of photographed images in such a manner that files of images photographed under different photographing circumstances (e.g., different exposure modes, compression rates, or photographing dates/times) can readily be distinguished. In certain preferred embodiments, a data management index corresponding to a first photographing circumstance is recorded at a first hierarchy level and a file name assigned to an image photographed under the first photographing circumstance is recorded in association with the file management index at a hierarchy level different from the first hierarchy level. A second data management index corresponding to a second photographing circumstance or a file name assigned to an image photographed under a second photographing circumstance is also recorded at the first hierarchy level.

Photographing-mode-dependent image data recording method in a digital

A still image recording apparatus for compressing and storing image information comprises a compression unit for compressing the same image information at a plurality of different compression ratios, and a memory for storing the image data compressed by the compression unit at the different compression ratios, collectively. It further comprises a selector for setting a combination of compression ratios to the compression unit. The selector selects the combination of compression ratios based on a degree of complexity of the input image information.

Still image recording apparatus which selectively compresses single

An apparatus is capable of using a detachable recording medium. The apparatus has an electrical contact point that is electrically connected with the recording medium for a predetermined length in the recording medium insertion and ejection directions. An eject mechanism is incorporated to enable eject of the recording medium. A first detection device detects an ejecting movement of the recording medium at a first time. The first time is earlier than a break time when the electrical contact points is electrically disconnected from the recording medium. A second detection device detects the ejecting movement of the recording medium at a second time. The second time is earlier than the break time and later than the first time. The apparatus is capable of accomplishing necessary safety measures when the recording medium is ejected during data recording.

Apparatus capable of safely recording an information when removing a

A still camera (electronic still camera, silver halide still camera, etc.) is provided that performs microphotography without blurring caused by inherent camera vibrations. The still camera includes a front curtain drive assembly that starts a front curtain of the mechanical shutter assembly substantially simultaneously with the driving of a quick-return mirror. A time-monitoring device monitors the passage of time until vibrations caused by the quick-return mirror moving to a position outside of the optical axis position are eliminated. The time-monitoring device can further monitor the time until vibrations caused by driving the front curtain are eliminated. When the time-monitoring device determines that the time required to eliminate the vibrations has elapsed, an exposure time control device starts the electronic shutter assembly.

Still camera and method for using same

An image data recording method in a digital still video camera capable of selecting one of the single shot mode for photographing and recording only a single image and the sequential shot mode for sequentially photographing and recording a plurality of images comprises the steps of distinguishing whether a recorded image was photographed in the single shot mode or in the sequential shot mode, giving a file name correspondingly to the photographed image, and recording the photographed image. File names for each single shot image may be stored at a given hierarchy level. A name (e.g., a subdirectory name) representative of a plurality of sequential shot images may be stored at the same level as the single shot file names and file names of the sequential shot images stored under the representative name at a different hierarchy level.

An information setting device for a camera which, according to various photographic modes of the camera, automatically sets either a valid mode in which changing of set information is permitted or an invalid mode in which changing of set information is not permitted.

Growing community of inventors

Ichihara, Japan

Koichiro Kawamura