Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Canon Denshi Kabushiki Kaisha

Syuichiro Saito

Nobuaki Date

Tadashi Okino

Nobuo Tezuka

Ryoichi Suzuki

Takashi Uchiyama

Yoji Sugiura

Takehiko Ohniwa

Masaharu Kawamura

Hiroshi Aizawa

Akira Akashi

Yukio Ogawa

Masayoshi Kiuchi

Makoto Katsuma

Akio Sunouchi

Shigeru Kamata

Fumio Shimada

Yoshihiro Shigeta

Yoshitaka Murata

Michio Senuma

Syozo Yoshida

Susumu Kozuki

Masanori Uchidoi

Akihiko Tojo

Teiji Hashimoto

Suzumu Kozuki

An image pickup apparatus for use in, for example, a camera, includes an image pickup device, an image pickup operation start switch, a recorder, a detector, an image pickup driver, and a controller. The image pickup device can be a CCD for converting an optical image to an electric signal. The image pickup operation start switch starts an image pickup operation in response to a manual operation. The recorder performs a predetermined signal processing of an electric signal provided by the image pickup device and records the processed electric signal on a recording medium driven with a predetermined speed. The detector detects whether a stable speed state of the recording medium is attained. The image pickup driver drives the image pickup device on the basis of a first reference signal for regular image pickup or a second reference signal corresponding to an operation state of the recorder. The controller causes the image pickup device to be driven by using the first reference signal in response to the operation by the image pickup operation start switch. The controller also causes the image pickup device to be driven by using the second reference signal after it is detected on the basis of an output of the detector that a predetermined stable speed state of the recording medium is attained, when the recorder is operated.

Image pick-up apparatus for recording when recording medium is moved at

An image sensing apparats comprises a plurality of image sensing devices, a beam splitter for supplying an image of an object to the plurality of image sensing devices, and a plurality of shutters, each of which is disposed between the beam splitter and a respective one of the plurality of image sensing devices. The shutters are arranged to travel in the same direction relative to the image of an object formed on each of the plurality of image sensing devices and a detector is provided for detecting that all of the plurality of shutters means are in a full open state.

Image sensing apparatus

A shutter device for a still video camera comprises first and second shutter blades, a latch member and an unlatch member. The latch member latches the first blade at its moved position where an image pickup element is exposed to an image light. The first blade is kept latched for a preparatory exposure to correct a set exposure value on the basis of the output of the pickup element or for picking up a motion picture. The unlatch member releases the latching of the first blade. In one embodiment, the unlatch member is provided on the second blade to unlatch the first blade when the second blade is moved to terminate the exposure. In other embodiments, the unlatch member includes an electromagnet to unlatch the first blade. A still video camera comprises a view finder mirror and a mirror operating mechanism. The mechanism includes a motor and is arranged to retract and return the mirror relative to an optical path by utilizing a normal and a reverse rotation of the motor, respectively. In the disclosed embodiments, the camera further comprises a mechanism to maintain the mirror in the retracted condition and a shutter in the opened condition to operate in a motion video mode where an image pickup element is continuously exposed to an image light. The mechanism for setting in the motion video mode may be operable manually from the exterior of the camera or by connecting an external device to the camera.

Camera shutter and viewfinder control apparatus

An image sensing apparatus is arranged to have the image of one and the same object received by a plurality of image sensing devices through shutters discretely arranged in pairs with these image sensing devices respectively. The apparatus is provided with a synchronizing circuit for synchronizing exposure timings of these shutters.

Image sensing apparatus having plural image sensors and plural shutters

An image sensing device includes an image sensor; a photometric element which is arranged separate from the image sensor to measure light with a diaphragm aperture fully opened; a storing time control circuit arranged to variably control the storing time of the image sensor; a circuit arranged to form exposure control information from the output of the image sensor on the basis of the output of the photometric element at least under a condition in which the storing time is controlled by the storing time control circuit; and an exposure control circuit arranged to control the exposed condition of the image sensor on the basis of the exposure control information.

Image sensing device having a photometric element for setting an

An electronic still/motion picture photography system including an optical-electronic transducer for producing electrical signals responsive to an optical image, a light information control member, such as a diaphragm, for controlling the state of light information incident on the transducer, a discriminating circuit for discriminating the state of light information as it is controlled by the light information control member, a drive source responsive to the output of the discriminating circuit for driving the light information control member, a recorder for recording the output of the transducer, an indicating switch for indicating the amount of output representing the exposed image to be recorded by the recorder, and a operating circuit responsive to the output of the indicating switch for changing the driving characteristics of the drive source.

Electronic photography system with still and motion picture modes

An image sensing device comprises image sensing apparatus for converting an optical image into an electrical signal; shutter apparatus for blocking light incident upon the image sensing apparatus; periodic signal generating apparatus for forming periodic signals which are produced for periodically reading the electrical signal of the image sensing apparatus; a switch for giving an instruction to operate the shutter apparatus; first timer apparatus to operate in response to a predetermined periodic signal produced after the switch is operated; and shutter driving apparatus which begins to operate for opening the shutter apparatus after the lapse of a predetermined time counted by the timer apparatus. The device is capable of cancelling a delay in the operation of the shutter apparatus, etc. by the first timer apparatus. The device is provided with closure detecting apparatus to detect a shift of the shutter apparatus from an open state to a closed state; and an inhibiting apparatus to inhibit the above-stated reading by the periodic signal generating apparatus until the output of the closure detecting apparatus is obtained after commencement of a still picture image sensing process. This arrangement deletes any adverse effect of a bounce or bound of the shutter apparatus even if it takes place at the end of a shutter travel. The device is provided further with second timer apparatus which operates in response to a predetermined periodic signal obtained after the switch is operated. The shutter driving apparatus starts to open the shutter apparatus after the lapse of a predetermined length of time counted by the first timer apparatus and starts to close the shutter apparatus after the lapse of another length of time counted by the second timer apparatus, so that the shutter apparatus can be opened and closed with highly precise timing.

Image sensing device with shutter-readout coordination

A video recording camera having a movable head and actuating apparatus for controlling an exposing state of an image pick-up apparatus, wherein the internal structural arrangement of the camera is simplified for a head shifting apparatus and for a charging apparatus which accumulates an urging force for the actuating apparatus. This arrangement results in a reduction in size of the video recording camera. This arrangement enables a successive shot function in addition to a single shot function, and causes the head to shift to a position on a recording medium coinciding with a position indicated by an indicating member on the recording medium container while inhibiting power from being supplied to other operating systems of the camera until the coincidence is achieved.

Video recording camera

A diaphragm device having a plurality of blades defining an aperture opening whose size is varied by a stepwise drive. For the adjustment of the size to small values, the driving of the diaphragm blades is controlled in such a manner that they are first driven excessively by at least one step and then backward by the corresponding number of steps to that excess.

Diaphragm drive method

An electronic still/motion picture photography system includes an optical-electronic transducer for producing electrical signals responsive to an optical image, a light information control member such as a diaphragm for controlling the state of the light information incident on the transducer, a discriminating circuit for determining the state of the light information as it is controlled by the light information control member, a drive source responsive to the output of the discriminating circuit for driving the light information control member, a recorder for recording the output of the transducer, an indicating switch for indicating the amount of output representing the exposed image to be recorded by the recorder, and a computer circuit responsive to the output of the indicating switch for changing the driving characteristics of the drive source.

An exposure control apparatus including a diaphragm for controlling the exposure amount on a focal plane, a light metering element for measuring the light passing through an aperture opening of the diaphragm, a servo control circuit for servo controlling the size of the aperture opening by the output of the light metering element, and a signal forming circuit receptive of the output of the light metering element for producing an output signal for controlling the light amount of a flash device.

Exposure control apparatus

In an image sensing apparatus having an image sensor which converts an optical image of an object into an electrical signal, a view finder for monitoring the optical image equivalent to the image incident on the image sensor, an optical member arranged in the path of light incident on the image sensor to selectively guide the light to the image sensor and also to the view finder, an exposure member which is at least partially disposed in between the object and the optical member and is arranged to control an exposure and a light receiving element which is arranged separately from the image sensor, a control circuit is arranged to cause the light receiving element to form a first photometric information when the optical member guides the optical image to the view finder; to control the exposure member on the basis of the first photometric information while the optical image is led to the image sensor by the optical member; to cause, after that, the image sensor to form a second photometric information; and again to control the exposure member on the basis of the second photometric information.

The disclosed shutter time switching device for a rotary shutter is provided with a stepping motor for controlling the opening angle of the rotary shutter. The device includes a driving mechanism for driving the stepping motor in a two-phase driving mode when switching between relatively high shutter speeds and in a single-phase driving mode when switching between relatively low shutter speeds. Optimum responsivity of the switching operation is thus obtained. The stepping motor is rotatable in a first direction and a second direction which is reverse to the first direction. To solve the problem of hysteresis of the motor, the device is provided with a further drive mechanism for driving the stepping motor in the first direction at least one step before a desired step position, regardless of whether the motor has been driven in the first or second direction for switching the shutter speed.

Shutter time switching device for rotary shutter

A recording apparatus for use with a recording medium including a detecting device for detecting whether the recording medium is applicable for information recording and a preventing device responsive to the detecting device for preventing the recording medium from being loaded on a loading station when the recording medium is not applicable for information recording.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Syuichiro Saito