Nikon Corporation

Riichi Higaki

Yoshikazu Iida

Hiroyuki Tsuru

Akira Katayama

Daiki Tsukahara

Koichiro Kawamura

Toru Kosaka

Tadashi Ohtani

Hiroshi Wakabayashi

Shozo Yamano

Kazuhiro Takahashi

Yukikazu Iwane

Hiromi Tomii

Masayuki Fujita

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

An imaging apparatus is provided with: an imaging unit including an imaging sensor for imaging light from an object and a storage unit for storing image data generated based on an imaging signal output from the imaging sensor; and a GPS module. The GPS module is used for executing a process of calculating location information based on received data from a satellite. The GPS module shifts from the low power consumption mode or the power OFF state to a normal operation mode in which the process of calculating the location information is executed as a result of the imaging unit shifting from a low power consumption mode or a power OFF state to a normal image-capture mode.

Imaging apparatus

An electronic camera comprises an image processing unit that performs image processing using a plurality of adjustment parameters and a parameter setting unit that sets each of the plurality of parameters for the image processing unit according to a single change command.

Electronic camera

Provided is a control section that, when created data is set to be recorded in both a first memory card and a second memory card and an amount of empty space in a writing buffer memory is less than or equal to a predetermined value, performs control to record the created data in only the first memory card and erases, from the buffer memory, data that has been recorded in the first memory card; and a transmission control section that, while a transmission path for image files from the first memory card to the second memory card is open, transmits to the second memory card, from among pieces of image data recorded in the first memory card, image files that are not recorded in the second memory card. When a memory card with a low communication speed is used, the effective recording speed is not decreased.

Data recording apparatus and digital camera

A camera includes: an electrical-power-supply-source detection unit that detects, among a plurality of batteries, from which battery supply of electrical power is being received; a battery capacity detection unit that detects a remaining amount in each of the plurality of batteries; and a display control unit that displays, upon a display device, a result of detection by the electrical-power-supply-source detection unit and a result of detection by the battery capacity detection unit.

Camera and electronic device

When displaying operational settings and measurements on a pointer type display device, the starting position of the needles is automatically adjusted even when there are battery exchange and needle drive process errors. The display device may be used to display physical quantities using pointers which move above scale plates. Even though the displays may be changed by electric supply loading, battery exchange or a fall in electric supply voltage, the display can be automatically corrected. A memory stores the movement destination position of the pointers, and instructions are generated by a controller which calculates the movement destinations of the pointers after the electrical supply voltage is stabilized properly. The instructions which control operation of a driver for the pointers preferably use a combination of movement to predefined positions and incremental movement. This minimizes the number of instructions when moving automatically, while enabling the pointers to follow movement of operator controls.

Rotary pointer display device

A camera system regulates electric power from a power supply within a camera body to a plurality of built-in actuators within a removable photographic lens. The actuators may include motors, solenoids, and the like which operate functions such as autofocus and image blur suppression. The photographic lens is equipped with a memory which stores data relating to the power supply characteristics of the built-in actuators. A transmission unit within the photographic lens transmits the stored data to a receiving unit within the camera body. A power supply characteristics measurement unit within the camera body measures data relating to power supply characteristics of the electric power supply while a determination unit determines whether to supply electric power from the electric power supply to the actuators in response to all of the data. A display unit on the camera body displays a warning when no electric power is supplied to the actuator.

Photographic lens, camera body, and camera system

Disclosed is a camera comprising a plurality of controlled devices each operated in at least one of a photographing action and a photographing standby action, the photographing standby action having a first photographing standby action and a second photographing standby action, a release device having a first stroke of outputting a first signal for indicating an execution of the photographing standby action and a second stroke of outputting a second signal for indicating an execution of the photographing action and a control device for repeatedly executing a part of the second photographing standby action through a part of the controlled devices during the outputting of the first signal, repeatedly executing the first photographing action till a predetermined time elapses or till the first signal is outputted when the first signal annihilates without outputting the second signal after the first signal has been outputted, starting an execution of the second photographing standby action when the first signal is outputted during the execution of the first photographing standby action and executing the photographing action by other part of said controlled devices when the second signal is outputted after executing at least other part of the second photographing standby action.

Camera

In order to delay the timing of photographing easily without releasing a self-timer even after the self-timer has been operated and also, to enable distance measurement or photometry to be easily effected over again without releasing the self-timer even after the self-timer has been operated, a camera has a self-timer, a self-timer extension switch and a control device responsive to the self-timer extension switch during the operation of the self-timer to control so as to effect the time extension of the self-timer.

Camera having the self-timer photographing function

When a preparation for photography signal is input from a release switch assembly without said photography command signal being input therefrom, the brightness of an object to be photographed is measured and an exposure value is calculated therefrom, the focus adjustment state of the photographic lens is detected, and these values are displayed. At the time point when this display operation has been completed, if and only if the preparation for photography signal is still being input from the release switch assembly, focus adjustment of the photographic lens is performed based upon the detected focus adjustment state. Further, when the photography command signal is input from the release switch assembly without any substantial time lapse after the preparation for photography signal is input therefrom, the brightness of the object to be photographed is measured and an exposure value is calculated therefrom, the focus adjustment state of the photographic lens is detected, thereafter focus adjustment of the photographic lens is performed, and thereafter exposure of the film is performed according to the exposure value.

An active distance measuring apparatus with the remote control function is provided with a plurality of light projecting portions, a plurality of light receiving portions, a distance measuring device for effecting active distance measurement at one or more points in an image field by the use of all or some of the plurality of light projecting portions and the plurality of light receiving portions, and a remote control for performing, when the light receiving portions receive signal light from a remote control transmitter, a predetermined remote control operation by the use of the output of the light receiving portion which has received the signal light, the distance measuring device distance-measuring a distance measuring point corresponding to the light receiving portion which has received the signal light from the remote control transmitter. By the light receiving portions for active distance measurement being used also as the light receiving portions of the remote control device, there can always be taken photographs which are accurately in focus to the remote control operator.

Active distance measuring apparatus with the remote control function

An active distance measuring apparatus comprises a projector for projecting modulated light to an object, a photo-sensor for sensing the modulated light reflected by the object to produce a pair of alternating current signals in accordance with a distance to the object, and a signal processor for producing a distance signal in accordance with the pair of alternating current signals. The signal processor includes a detector means for detecting a voltage corresponding to each of the pair of alternating current signals a plurality of times and adding the results of such detection and repeating such detection and addition a plurality of times and a calculation for calculating the distance signal based on the output of the detector.

Active distance measuring apparatus

A distance metering device of a camera eliminates a troublesome re-setting operation when a remote controller is used as a cable release and avoids the creation of defocused photograph when the remote controller is used as a self-timer. When a first remote control signal receiver is selected, that is, when the remote controller is to be used as the self-timer, a distance metering mode of a multi-point distance metering device is forcibly switched to a multi-point distance metering mode, and when a second remote control signal receiver is selected, that is, when the remote controller is to be used as the cable release, the forced switching is not done.

Distance metering device of a camera

A camera with a too-close-subject-distance alarm display device, further comprising a flash device for flashing the light to a subject to be photographed; a selection device for selecting at least the flash exposure mode in which the flash device is permitted to flash or the flash inhibit mode in which the flash device is inhibited to flash; a subject-distance measuring instrument for measuring a subject distance; a decision device for detecting whether the subject distance measured by said distance measuring instrument is less than a predetermined distance or not; an alarm device for alarming when said subject distance measured by said subject-distance measuring instrument is detected to be shorter than said predetermined subject distance by said decision device; and a setting device for setting said predetermined distance to a first predetermined distance when said selection device has selected the flash exposure mode and for setting said predetermined distance to a second predetermined distance longer than the first predetermined distance when the selection device has selected the flash inhibit mode.

Growing community of inventors

Kawasaki, Japan

Riichi Higaki