Fuji Photo Film Company, Limited

Fujifilm Corporation

Fuji Photo Optical Co., Ltd.

Seiji Takada

Takaaki Kotani

Ko Aosaki

Hiroyuki Uchiyama

Hiroshi Ohmura

Seimei Ushiro

Tatsuo Saito

Shigenori Goto

Hiroshi Soma

Chiaki Fujii

Yoji Naka

Haruo Onozuka

Yasuhiro Nishitani

Muneyoshi Sato

Takao Umezu

A cellular phone has a black-and-white LCD that displays characters and communication information and a color LCD that displays an image. The image and the characters are displayed on the separate LCDs. Thus, the characters are not superimposed on the image, and they are easy to see. When the image is not needed (the user is not using the phone or the user is talking on the phone), only the black-and-white LCD displays the characters and the color LCD is turned off to save energy.

Portable communication terminal

A cellular phone is connected to a portable printer which uses an instant print film through connectors, and the printer prints an image according to image data stored in the cellular phone. The cellular phone can display the image to be printed on its LCD. The user can input information for the printing with push buttons of the cellular phone, and display the information on the LCD. Thus, the portable printer does not need an LCD and push buttons, and therefore the printer is small, light and inexpensive.

Printing method, portable communication terminal and portable printer

Portable communication terminal with multiple displays

An optical printer module has a film pack compartment that stores a film pack which stores an instant print film in a frame composed of a main frame, a subframe and a cover. The frame contains a claw mechanism and a spread mechanism that includes a pair of spread rollers. The claw mechanism feeds the instant print film out of the film pack while the instant print film is being exposed, and the spread rollers pinch the exposed instant print film fed out of the film pack by the claw mechanism to develop the exposed instant print film and feed the developed instant print film from the optical printer module. The whole surface of the frame shades the film, except for an opening for the film pack.

Optical printer module

A multi-beam type rangefinding method and device uses three LEDs arranged along a line perpendicular to a base line, and a PSD for receiving light reflected from three measurement regions of a photographic scene. In the gain determining procedure, a selected LED emits light at least once. In the rangefinding procedure, it emits light a plurality of times. Light reflected from an object is received by the PSD which outputs two channel signals. The two channel signals are amplified by two gain control amplifiers which are adjusted to have the same gain. The gain is adjusted to be an optimum value for the two channel output signal levels. Upon changing the gain, light projection by a selected LED is stopped until the output of each gain control amplifier becomes stable. If one of the two channel output signals saturates during the rangefinding procedure, the light projection/measurement is repeated at the same gain after a lapse of predetermined delay time. If the number of times when the output signal saturates becomes a predetermined number during the rangefinding procedure, the rangefinding procedure is recommenced.

Method and apparatus for rangefinding

A CPU writes in a RAM various data obtained in a rangefinding procedure, e.g. offset values, gain values, data actually measured using a series of rangefinding LEDs, corresponding distance data obtained from each of the measurement data, and the optimum distance data used for setting a taking lens. When specifying an inspection mode, a microcomputer reads these written data out of the RAM to indicate them on an LCD numerically. Light emitting diode displays output the write data as light signals in intermittent light emission. To correct an error in the mounting position of the rangefinding LEDs, correction data are generated and written beforehand in an erasable ROM.

Autofocus camera and a method of regulating the same

An electronic copying machine for making a hard copy of a remote surface has a taking lens for forming an image of the remote surface and an image sensor which scans the image to provide video signals. The electronic copying machine is provided with a scanning area projecting device for projecting a frame onto the remote surface which defines an area of the image of the remote surface to be scanned. The scanning area projecting device comprises a frame slit plate formed with a plurality of frame slits for forming different sizes of slit frame images, a masking plate for selectively masking the frame slits and a source of illumination for illuminating the slit plate so as to project onto the remote surface a frame image of a size selected by the masking plate.

Electronic copying machine

A range finding device having a light projector and a light receiver. The light projector has a mirror for reflecting toward a subject near-infrared light emitted laterally from an IRED. The mirror has a reflection surface extending farther in a direction perpendicular to the base line direction than in the base line direction. According to the embodiment of this invention, for a light source unit, a base plate holding a plurality of IREDs is packaged in a transparent plastic package. The base plate is formed with arms extending out of the package. The light source unit is fixed on the camera body by the arms. The light receiver also uses a base plate with the similar arms.

Light projector for range finding device

A range finding device having a plurality of LEDs for projecting toward a scene to be photographed a plurality of spot beams of light disposed in a horizontal line, and a PSD for receiving light reflected from the object. Two channel signals from the PSD are amplified by gain control amplifiers and converted into digital signals. The two channel digital signals are obtained for each LED, and the ratio between the two digital signals is used for calculating a distance datum. Of a plurality of distance data obtained for respective LEDs, an optimum one is selected. For the calculation of a distance datum, there is used a microcomputer which controls an image taking sequence. The gain of the gain control amplifier is automatically adjusted by the measured data obtained in accordance with pulsed light emitted during the initial period of driving the LED. Digital signals obtained prior to the light emission of the LED are used for calculating an offset correction value. Each LED emits a pulsed light beam at a predetermined interval. An average value of digital signals for the pulsed light beams is used for calculating a distance datum. Several pulsed light beams during the initial period are not used for range finding or gain control. If the gain of the gain control amplifier is not proper, the range finding is interrupted and a distance datum specific to the then-existing gain value is used.

Stabilized range finder for use with an electronically controlled camera

A range finding device used on an automatic focusing camera comprises a plurality of light receiving photoelectric elements for receiving light reflected from subjects at different distances in the field each of which provides a subject distance signal. A subject brightness detecting device provides brightness information as to the subject, and a distance information providing device provides distance information based on the distance signals. A data table carries data as to a plurality of lens positions predetermined according to combinations of various subject distances and subject brightness. Based on combinations of information as to the subject brightness and subject distance, any of a plurality of lens positions is selected. To the selected lens position the taking lens of the camera is adjusted so as to include the subject within the depth of field of the taking lens.

Range finding device for cameras

A distance measuring device is provided with a plurality of comparators which are respectively connected to a plurality of light receiving elements for receiving light reflected from a subject. The plurality of comparators detect the levels of output signals of the light receiving elements. The comparators are supplied with reference voltages to be used for comparison with the output signals, the reference voltages being set diffrerent for each comparator according to the distance from which the respective light receiving element receives light.

Distance measuring device

An electronic flash charging circuit for use with a camera having a power source common to a microcomputer that controls a plurality of camera functions and to an electronic flash. The charging circuit has a booster circuit for boosting a charging voltage with which a main capacitor of the electronic flash is charged and a controller that causes the booster circuit to operate intermittently, thereby intermittently charging the main capacitor.

Electronic flash charging circuit

A distance measuring device is provided with a plurality of comparators which are respectively connected to a plurality of light receiving elements for receiving light reflected from a subject. The plurality of comparators detect the levels of output signals of the light receiving elements. The comparators are supplied with reference voltages to be used for comparison with the output signals, the reference voltages being set different for each comparator according to the distance from whic the respective light receiving element receives light.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Seiji Takada