Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Minolta Company, Ltd.

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Takashi Iida

Masatoshi Itoh

Hiroshi Kiten

Takeya Tsukamoto

Hidenori Fukuoka

Takashi Kondo

Mitsuo Yasukuni

Hiroyuki Tsumazawa

Masataka Hamada

Hiroshi Ootsuka

Kenji Ishibashi

Kunio Kawamura

Toshihiko Ishimura

Masayuki Ueyama

Toru Ishii

Keizou Ochi

Daigo Yoshioka

Kazufumi Nishikawa

Kazuhiko Kojima

Hideyuki Kanbayashi

Atsushi Kuwada

Yuziro Suzuki

Nobuo Yoshida

An image sensing device that provides image data to an external device adjusts the resolution at which the image is sensed in accordance with format requirements of the external device. The format requirements of the external device can be automatically detected, or entered by a user. The operating parameters of a line sensor, to scan the image in a subscanning direction, are varied in accordance with the format requirements. These operating parameters can be the integration cycle of the sensor, and/or the speed at which the image is optically scanned past the sensor.

Image input device in which the image sensing conditions are changed

A camera has a zoom lens which includes a variator and a compensator. However, in order to simplify the whole external form of the camera, reduce the size thereof, and further to materially eliminate the treatment of appearance of the taking lens, a linear movement means which includes a threaded shaft provided for linearlly moving a variator and a compensator composing a zoom lens and the nuts to be engaged with the threaded shaft and an electrically driving means for driving this linear movement means are covered by a housing of a camera body, a zoom operation key provided on this housing is caused to be operationally related to an electric circuit which drives and controls the motor.

Camera

An automatic white balance adjusting apparatus having a light measuring circuit, a determining circuit, and adjusting circuit and a time-average calculating circuit, in operation, color temperature adjustment data are calculated by using a value obtained by averaging color temperature information of a light source over a predetermined time period.

Automatic white-balance adjusting apparatus with reduced sensitivity to

A focus detection condition display device suitable for use in a camera provided with an electronic viewfinder. The pattern signal corresponding to a focus detection zone on which focus detection is conducted by a focus detecting system is superimposed on the video signal of the object field and said signal is output to an electronic viewfinder. When the focus detection has become impracticable for such reason as lack of contrast of the object field, or focusing has become impracticable because of the object coming too close to the camera, an alarm is issued by the pattern corresponding to a focus detection zone displayed on the electronic viewfinder displaying in a manner different from that ordinarily used.

Focus detection condition display device for camera

A camera has a zoom lens which includes a variator and a compensator. However, in order to simplify the whole external form of the camera, reduce the size thereof, and further to materially eliminate the treatment of appearance of the taking lens, a linear movement means which includes a threaded shaft provided for linearlly moving a variator and a compensator composing a zoom lens and the nuts to be engaged with the threaded shaft and an electrically driving means for driving this linear movement means are covered by a housing of a camera body, a zoom operation key provided on this housing is caused to be operatively related to an electric circuit which drives and controls the motor.

The present invention relates to a white balance adjusting device for a color video camera for photographing an object irradiated by light from a blackbody radiation source or a non-blackbody radiation source. When recording operation is being performed, the white balance adjusting device prevents the moving operation of a fluorescent light correction filter and a color temperature conversion filter into an optical path of image pickup means and permits a white balance adjustment operation performed by electrically correcting an output of the image pickup means. When a recording operation is not being performed, the white balance adjusting device permits the moving operation of the fluorescent light correction filter and the color temperature conversion filter into the optical path and permits white balance adjustment operation performed by electrically correcting the output of the image pickup means.

White balance adjusting device for a color video camera

A camera such as a vide camera having an automatic focusing function, a power focusing function and a power zooming function which allows most reasonable change-over between the functions of the camera. The camera comprises manually operable mode change-over means for alternatively changing over the camera between a zooming mode and a focusing mode, and manually operable instructing means for instructing a direction of movement of a zooming lens system or a focusing lens system for zooming or focusing. When the zooming mode is selected, first actuating means actuates the zooming lens system for zooming in a direction instructed by the instructing means, but when the focusing mode is selected, second actuating means actuates the focusing lens system for focusing operation in a direction instructed by the instructing means. Several forms of instructing means are disclosed.

Disclosed herein is an automatic focusing device of a camera for use with an exchangeable zoom lens which includes an objective adjustable for both focusing and zooming and a signal generator for generating a focal length signal. The automatic focus control device comprises a focus detector for generating a focus detecting signal .DELTA.L representing the amount of and the direction of the deviation (defocusing) of an image relative to a predetermined film plane, a motor driven for focus adjustment of the objective, and an operation circuit for determining the amount of and the direction of the driving of the motor in accordance with the focus detection signal and the focal length signal.

Automatic focusing device

A catadioptric light system such as a module lens system capable of being mounted on a camera is provided. A plurality of light reflecting and refracting optic members are designed to provide a desired image forming light path through the lens system. Disposed within the lens system is an electrochromic device that is responsive to an applied voltage to provide a predetermined degree of light transmission intensity through the lens system. The electrochromic device can be a thin film mounted on a transparent plate or on a reflective surface. The housing of the lens system can be advantageously designed to contain its own power source.

Catadioptric lens system with light transmission control means

An electrochromic light regulator for adjusting or regulating the amount of light passing therethrough comprises first, second and third electrode units stacked one above the other in spaced manner. A space between each adjacent two of the first to third transparent electrode units contains an electrochromic material and an ion conducting and electrically insulating layer. The second transparent electrode unit which is positioned intermediately between the first and third transparent electrode units serves as a counter electrode common to the first and third transparent electrode means.

Electrochromic light regulator

An aperture stop control device for a zoom lens system includes a variable aperture stop, a first sensor for determining the diameter of the aperture stop and providing a first electrical signal representative of the diameter of the aperture stop means and a second sensor for generating a second electrical signal indicative of a designated F number. A signal generator provides a third electrical signal indicative of the focal length of the zoom lens system. A computing circuit computes an output electrical signal as a function of the second and third electrical signals to control the diameter of the aperture stop for automatically maintaining a designated F number during a zooming operation.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Takashi Iida