Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Shinichi Kodama

Junichi Itoh

Masafumi Yamasaki

Tsuyoshi Yaji

Toshiyuki Toyofuku

Keiji Kunishige

Junichi Ito

Shigeru Kato

Yukihiko Sugita

Kazuyuki Iwasa

Tetsuo Miyasaka

Mitsuhiro Sato

Masaki Nagao

Toyoji Sasaki

Yasushi Toizumi

Yasushi Odanaka

Hiroyoshi Watanabe

Mitsumasa Ookubo

Masafumi Yamashaki

Organic electroluminescence (EL) devices displaying the information of a camera are formed directly on a surface of a screen mat arranged near an image formation surface of a finder optical system. A CPU for the camera drives the organic EL device, under a forward or a reverse bias, as required, to enable light of a green or a red color to be emitted.

Intrafinder display apparatus, for a camera, utilizing organic electroluminescence devices

An improved camera includes a photographing optical system and a finder optical system, existing independently from each other. In order that a finder observation image will not be obstructed by a camera lens, the camera comprises a driving circuit for respectively driving the photographing optical system and the finder optical system, and an optical system control circuit for controlling the photographing optical system in a manner such that the finder optical system will not be obstructed by the photographing optical system.

Camera including a device for controlling the photographing optical systems to prevent obscuring of an image in the finder optical system

This invention provides an image reader which simply fetches a film image as an image of substantially the same size and the same image quality irrespective of issuance of a trimming command. In the image reader, information related to a trimming area can be read from a developed film by use of a magnetic information reading circuit. Further, light is applied to the developed film and image information is read based on light transmitted therethrough by use of an image input circuit. The resolution set when the image input circuit fetches image information from a preset trimming area is determined by a control circuit based on trimming information from the magnetic information reading circuit.

Image reader

A photographing lens of a camera comprises a non-circular lens and a light blocking mask. The non-circular lens receives an optical image from an object and forms an image on a photographing medium. The light blocking mask is fixed in front of the non-circular lens, and blocks noise light generated in relation to the non-circular lens.

Photographing lens of a camera having a mask for blocking off noise light which generates in relation to a non-circular lens

An image input apparatus is provided with an imaging section, a scanner, and a charge accumulation control section. The imaging section includes a line sensor and converts an image recorded on film into electric signals. The scanner mechanically scans the relative positional relationships between the film and the line sensor in an intermittent fashion. The charge accumulation control section controls the timings at which the line sensor starts a charge accumulation operation, and this control is executed in association with the intermittent scanning operation of the scanner.

Image input apparatus which controls charge accumulation of line sensor in association with intermittent scan motion of scanning means

An image reader uses a film having a magnetic information recording section. An image entry section reads a photographic image captured on a film and digitizes it. A setting section sets at least one imaging condition selected from the integration time, gradation conversion characteristic, and resolution of the image entry section as control information. A magnetic writing section writes the control information set by the setting section onto the magnetic information recording section of the film. A magnetic reading section reads the control information from the magnetic information recording section. A control section is responsive to the control information read by the reading section to control the image entry section.

Film image reader with function of writing image entry-time conditions on magnetic recording section for reutilization thereof

A system for reading an image formed on a silver-salt film, comprising: (a) a magnetic information reading unit for reading magnetic information recorded on a magnetic recording medium on the film; (b) a feeding unit for feeding the film; (c) an illuminating unit for irradiating light to the image formed on the film; (d) a filter unit arranged between the illuminating unit and the film; (e) a photoelectric conversion unit for receiving the light from the illuminating unit, which is passed through the film, to convert the image formed on the silver-salt film to an electric signal; (f) a memory unit for storing an image signal from the photoelectric conversion unit; and (g) a control unit for controlling at least one of the feeding unit, the illuminating unit and the photoelectric conversion unit, on the basis of information of the information reading unit.

Scanner system

A subject image is converted into an electrical picture signal by an imaging device. A mode setter sets either a still picture record mode or a moving picture record mode. A recording device records on a recording medium a still picture in the still picture record mode or a moving picture in the moving picture record mode on the basis of the picture signal from the imaging device. A computer computes the remaining capacity of the recording medium for each of still and moving pictures. A display unit displays the remaining capacity of the recording medium for each of still and moving pictures simultaneously.

Apparatus having a moving picture recording mode and a still picture

In a camera with a finder device which is capable of diopter adjustment, a visual axis detection unit detects the visual axis direction and the fundus imaging state of an observer, a multi-distance measurement unit measures distances to a plurality of points in a photographing frame, a diopter driving unit adjusts the imaging position, and a diopter controller drives the diopter driving unit in accordance with the outputs from the visual axis detection unit and the multi-distance measurement unit. Therefore, since diopter correction is attained based on distance measurement information corresponding to visual axis information, a finder image in which an object at an observation position of an observer is always in focus can be realized.

Camera

In an in-focus sensing device for a camera, an optical system directs the luminous flux from the subject. An optoelectric transducer section converts the optical distribution of the luminous fluxes with different optical path lengths passing through the optical system, into an electrical distribution. A frequency extracting section extracts specific frequency components from each output of the optoelectric transducer section. A frequency component ratio sensing section obtains the ratio of two frequency components with different optical path lengths based on the output of the frequency extracting section. A defocus amount computing section obtains the defocus amount for the optical system based on the frequency component ratio. A driving section drives the optical system based on the defocus amount obtained. A frequency switching section sets a first frequency as the specific frequency at the frequency extracting section, and based on the frequency ratio for the first frequency, sets a second frequency as the specific frequency.

In-focus sensing device for sensing an in-focus condition using a ratio

A Patrone and a camera using the Patrone. The Patrone comprises a film wind spool arranged in a cylindrical body, of which upper and lower ends are light-tightly sealed. The body stores film so that the film can move freely in or out of the body in such a manner that the film can rotate freely, and is wound about said spool in roll form. Locking members are arranged in the cylindrical body and can be displaced freely relative to the spool. Ends of the locking members normally project outwardly from the cylindrical body. Locked members are arranged opposed to said locking members and are formed substantially as parts of one of the cylindrical body or spool. An elastic member normally urges each of the locked members toward engagement with an associated locking member. A camera includes an unlocking member which presses the locking members of the Patrone to displace them against the force of the elastic member when the Patrone is mounted in a camera thereby disengaging the locking members from the locked members and enabling the spool to rotate freely.

Patrone with selective locking means and camera usable therewith

A focus area setting apparatus of a camera includes a zoom lens. A focal length detection unit detects the focal length of the zoom lens. A distance measuring unit detects distances of an object at a plurality of distance measurement points without using the zoom lens. A visual axis direction detection unit is provided near the finder of the camera and detects the visual axis direction of a user. A determining unit obtains a distance measurement enable range Ls in accordance with an equation:

Focus area setting apparatus of camera

A photoelectric converting device includes plurality of charge storage type photoelectric converting elements which are divided into a plurality of groups. A plurality of monitoring sections are respectively provided for the divided photoelectric converting element groups to output monitor signals corresponding to amounts of lights received by the photoelectric converting element groups. A first charge storage interruption section interrupts the charge storage operation of a corresponding one of the photoelectric converting element groups in a case where the monitor signal has reached a preset value after the photoelectric converting elements started the charge storage operation. A second charge storage interruption section forcedly interrupts the charge storage operation of the photoelectric converting element groups in a case where the charge storage operation is not interrupted by the first charge storage interruption section when a preset time has elapsed after the charge storage operation was started. A correcting section corrects an output of each of the plurality of photoelectric converting element groups to make the outputs of the photoelectric converting elements continuous in a case where the charge storage operations of the plurality of photoelectric converting element groups are interrupted at different timings by the first charge storage interruption section.

Photoelectric converting device having a plurality of monitoring means

A plurality of lens groups are moveable in the direction of an optical axis. A plurality of motors are provided for the lens groups, respectively. A driving circuit drives the motors. A switching section sequentially selects the motors and connects the selected motors to the driving circuit. A lens position-detecting section detects the positions of the lens groups. A driving control section sequentially drives the lens groups in accordance with intermediate target position data, respectively, via the switching section and the driving section, and determines whether the lens groups have reached their respective intermediate target positions, on the basis of the detection performed by the lens position-detecting section. When the driving control section determines that the lens groups have reached their respective intermediate target positions, it demands next intermediate target positions, which are slightly away from the initially-determined intermediate target positions. On the basis of the next intermediate target positions, the lens groups are driven again. With this operation repeated, the driving control section controls the driving of the lens groups until these lens groups reach their respective final target positions.

Optical lens system-driving control apparatus for microscopically

An optical image of an object is incident on a light-receiving unit of a two-dimensional matrix through a photographing lens. An output from the light-receiving unit is input to a first arithmetic logic unit to calculate an actual object brightness value in consideration of an aperture value of an aperture. An output from the first arithmetic logic unit is input to a multiplexer and a neural network. The neural network determines a main part of the object from brightness value pattern as a set of brightness values of the photoelectric transducer elements and outputs a position signal representing the main part. A multiplexer selectively passes only brightness values of the photoelectric transducer elements corresponding to the main part of the object from the outputs from the first arithmetic logic unit. An output from the multiplexer is supplied to a second arithmetic logic unit, and the second arithmetic logic unit calculates an APEX calculation on the basis of a speed value, an aperture value, a time value, and a mode signal representing a shutter or aperture priority operation, thereby determining a shutter speed or an f-number.

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Hino, Japan

Shinichi Kodama