Nikon Corporation

Nippon Kogaku K.k.

Yoshikazu Iida

Hiroyuki Tsuru

Riichi Higaki

Toshiyuki Nakamura

Hideki Matsui

Norikazu Yokonuma

Hiroshi Sakamoto

Nobuyoshi Hagiuda

Nobuyoshi Hagyuda

Hiroshi Wakabayashi

Hiroshi Hasegawa

Akira Katayama

Daiki Tsukahara

Toru Kosaka

Hideya Inoue

Osamu Maida

Yukikazu Iwane

Tadashi Ohtani

Masashi Hashimoto

Hidenori Miyamoto

Hitoshi Aoki

Kiyosada Machida

Tatsuo Amanuma

Hiroshi Terunuma

Youichi Yamazaki

Yoshihiro Takeuchi

Keishi Urata

Kenji Ishizuki

Hisatoshi Takahata

Masayuki Koga

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, such as a video camera or other electrically recordable camera, has scale imprintable capabilities and a method for imprinting a scale onto memory storage media. The camera and method imprints, optically or electrically, a standard scale on memory storage media for the purpose of estimating the size of a subject image. A photographic magnification calculation circuit calculates the photographic magnification based on a subject distance, and a reference scale setting circuit sets a reference scale for the purpose of estimating the size of the subject image on the memory storage media regardless of the magnification during picture taking or print size. An imprinting circuit imprints, optically or electrically, the reference scale onto the memory storage media in accordance with the reference scale setting circuit, and only when needed or wanted. The reference scale can be imprinted in a vertical or horizontal direction in accordance with a mode selection switch. In addition, date, time and other information can also be imprinted onto the memory storage media. Picture taking will not be performed when it is not possible to accurately superimpose the reference scale and warning displays are generated.

Camera having scale imprintable capabilities and method for imprinting

A camera adapted to receive a film cartridge having a recording member on which is recorded information relating to a total number of available frames in a film is provided. This camera includes an information detector that detects the information relating to the total number of available frames that is recorded on the recording member, a display unit that displays the information relating to the total number of available frames, an abnormality judging unit that determines whether any abnormality is present in the information relating to the total number of available frames that is detected by the information detector, and a display controller that controls a display of the display unit according to a result of judgement made by the abnormality judging unit.

Camera capable of displaying information relating to the number of

A camera adapted to obtain a correct exposure, even with a film having a film sensitivity outside an automatic setting range of the camera. A film sensitivity outside the automatic setting range of the camera is stored, or canceled by manipulating a manipulation member in a manipulation order that differs from that used during photography. Further, two manipulation members may be used in a combined manipulation order that differs from that used during photography. For example, a zoom up and a zoom down switch may be used in conjunction with a main switch to set a higher and a lower, respectively, film sensitivity. Additionally, the setting may be canceled by manipulating the zoom up and zoom down switches simultaneously. A display device which normally displays photographic information regarding the camera, temporarily displays the manually set film sensitivity.

Film sensitivity setting and display device for a camera

An autofocusing camera allows a distance measurement operation even if the electric charge amount accumulated in the condenser does not reach a predetermined value when a picture to be taken does not require flash (strobe) light emission.

Optimal charging and energy conserving apparatus and method for

A camera-shake correcting camera, which corrects a camera shake by moving a camera-shake correcting device forming a part of phototaking optical system, comprises a first control device for controlling movement of the camera-shake correcting device, a second control device for executing a sequence control of the camera-shake correcting camera, a first data transfer device for transferring data in serial transfer between the first control device and the second control device, and a second data transfer device for executing transmission or reception of a binary signal between the first control device and the second control device, wherein the data transfer is carried out through the second data transfer device while the first control device is controlling the camera-shake correcting device.

Camera-shake correcting camera

A vibration compensation device for detecting vibration in an optical system, particularly vibration of a camera caused by hand tremor, during light measurement or during focal point adjustment information detection, and minimizing the effect of vibration by repeating light measurement or focal point adjustment information detection. The vibration compensation device includes a photographic lens, angular velocity detection circuits, a decision unit including a CPU, a light measurement device, an autofocus (AF) device, motor drive circuits, motors, and lens position detection circuits. Light measurement is performed using the light measurement device and focal point adjustment information detection is performed by the AF device when a release button is pressed halfway. Light measurement or focal point adjustment information detection is repeated as if vibration is detected by angular velocity detection circuits during light measurement or during focal point adjustment information detection. If vibration is not detected during a measurement or detection operation before a specified number of repetitions is performed, the light measurement value or focal point adjustment information detection value at that time is adopted. If vibration is detected during each of the specified number of repetitions, the light measurement value or the focal point adjustment information detection value is determined based on the average value of the light measurement values and the average value of the focal point adjustment information detection values, respectively. In alternative embodiments, photography may be prohibited when vibration is detected during each of the specified number of repetitions; photography may be prohibited until the release button is pressed again; or the last light measurement value or focal point detection information value may be used.

Vibration compensation device for a camera

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.

Camera

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 encoder for generating a position signal in accordance with a position of a conductive slider comprises a non-conductive substrate, a first conductive pattern formed on the substrate, and at least three second conductive patterns formed on the substrate. The second patterns are independent from the first pattern. Each of the second patterns has a lead wire extending to an edge of the substrate. The slider is slidable on the substrate, and produces a conductive state signal when it abuts against the first pattern and produces a non-conductive state signal when it abuts against the second pattern or the substrate. The position signal is generated in accordance with the conductive state signal and the non-conductive state signal. One of the second patterns is surrounded by the first pattern, and the lead wire extending therefrom passes between the other two second patterns and extends to the exterior of the first pattern.

Encoder switch with conductive patterns and leads

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

An automatic film rewinding apparatus, for use in a camera, is provided with a stopping device for interrupting an automatic film rewinding operation while such rewinding operation is conducted by the automatic film rewinding apparatus, and an operation unit for activating the stopping device, wherein the automatic film rewinding is interrupted by the stopping device only during the operation of the operation unit, but is re-started after the termination of operation of the operation unit.

Automatic film-rewinding apparatus having stop means for interrupting

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.

Camera with minimum subject-distance alarm display device

An electronic flash apparatus uses a voltage-controlled switching device, such as an insulated gate bipolar transistor, for controlling the start and termination of flash emission from a flash discharge tube. A peak voltage of an oscillation generated in a resonant circuit, produced in response to a flash emission start command, is clamped by a clamping circuit and is used to turn on the voltage-controlled switching device. Another resonant circuit may be used for doubling the voltage between the anode and cathode of the flash discharge tube when the flash discharge tube is triggered.

Growing community of inventors

Chigasaki, Japan

Yoshikazu Iida