Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Youji Watanabe

Junichi Itoh

Minoru Matsuzaki

Yoshiaki Kobayashi

Shinya Takahashi

Takao Nishida

Masataka Ide

Yasuo Asakura

Yoshinori Matsuzawa

Minoru Hara

Kazuhiro Satoh

Shunji Matsutani

Masaki Tokui

Masaki Nagao

Mamoru Sakashita

Masahiro Dai

Toru Komatsu

Makoto Harada

Masato Miyazawa

In a camera system, if software is rewritten in accordance with the change in hardware structure, compatibility between the hardware and the software is determined, thereby avoiding a problem, such as an inoperable condition or a breakdown of a component. The camera system includes a camera body operated in accordance with programs stored in a program storage circuit and a peripheral for rewriting at least a part of the programs. The camera body comprises a data storage circuit which stores structure data of the camera. The peripheral comprises a communication circuit for receiving the structure data of the camera and a control circuit for determining whether the programs should be rewritten based on the structure data.

Peripheral and camera system using the same, for rewriting programs stored in a camera

In a camera system according to the invention, a camera body and an interchangeable lens have respective identification data tables that are congruous with each other. As an appropriate data address is indicated to the interchangeable lens by the camera body, an identification data that is stored in the identification data storage section and corresponds to the indicated address is transmitted from the interchangeable lens to the camera body. The identification data judging section of the camera body compares the identification data transmitted back from the interchangeable lens and the identification data that is stored in the identification data storage section and corresponds to the address. As a result, it is determined if the dedicated accessory device is mounted on the camera body or not.

Camera system, camera, accessory device and method for judging and controlling an accessory device

The present invention provides a user-friendly camera having a silver-salt picture-taking function and an electronic-image pickup function. The camera includes a silver-salt picture-taking unit and an electronic-image pickup unit. The electronic-image pickup unit picks up an electronic image, which is almost equivalent to a subject image exposed to a silver-salt film, in synchronization with the exposure to the silver-salt film in the silver-salt picture-taking unit. Prior to the exposure, a control circuit causes a battery check circuit to check a power supply battery and causes a determination circuit to determine a result of the battery check while referring to a determination-level storage circuit, thereby properly controlling the silver-salt picture-taking unit and the electronic-image pickup unit so as to prevent the electronic-image pickup unit from performing its pickup operation in the subsequent picture-taking operations.

Camera having both silver-salt picture-taking function and electronic-image pickup function

A film cartridge in which a supply spool incorporated in a cartridge body is rotated to supply a film wound on the supply spool out of the cartridge body. A film supply unit rotates the supply spool to supply the film out of the film cartridge. A first control unit controls the film supply unit such that a supply operation of the film is started in response to a closing operation of the rear cover of a camera body. A film take-up unit takes up the film supplied by the film supply unit. A second control unit controls the film take-up unit to operate the film take-up unit upon completion of the supply operation of the film performed by the film supply unit. A third control unit interrupts a take-up operation of the film performed by the film take-up unit and reoperates the film supply unit when the take-up operation of the film is impossible during the take-up operation of the film performed by the film take-up unit.

Automatic film feeding apparatus for camera

A camera system includes a camera body and a camera accessory which may be mounted on the camera body and executes predetermined operations in accordance with instructions from the camera body when the accessory is mounted on the camera body. The camera system comprises circuitry for outputting a control signal to the accessory for bringing the accessory into an operative state prior to a predetermined camera operation, circuitry responsive to the control signal for activating the camera accessory from an inoperative state to an operative state, circuitry for providing a signal to instruct an operation mode to the accessory from the camera body after the accessory has been activated into an operative state, circuitry for executing the operation mode in the accessory in accordance with the operation mode instructing signal, and circuitry for returning the accessory from an operative state to an inoperative state after the execution of the operation mode.

Camera system

An automatic focusing camera includes a sensor for detecting an amount and a direction of difference between an image forming position of light from an object being photographed and a film surface to drive a taking lens in response to the measured outputs and focus determining capability which gives a decision of in-focus when the amount of difference is less than a first automatic focusing threshold. A focusing operation is achieved such that, comparing the amount of difference determined by the sensor with a second automatic focusing threshold of a standard value which is larger than the first automatic focusing threshold, when the amount is less than the second threshold and a direction of difference last measured and that presently measured are the same, a taking lens driving is continued to complete a focusing operation and when the directions are different from each other, the measurement is resumed after the next driving of the taking lens even when the amount is less than the second threshold.

Automatic focusing camera

In a diaphragm control apparatus of a camera for opening and closing aperture blades using a stepping motor, a step-out status of the stepping motor is detected if an open detecting switch for detecting a full-open status of the aperture blades does not function after a predetermined number of drive pulses necessary for resetting the aperture blades to a full-open position are supplied to the stepping motor. Normally, the stepping motor is subjected to such a slow-up control that the continuing duration of the energizing step (pulse width of an energizing pulse) is gradually reduced from the time the motor has been activated to increase a pulse rate and a driving speed. When the step-out status is detected, the pulse rate of the energizing pulse is set constant, and the driving speed of the stepping motor thereafter is fixed to a constant low speed to provide high-torque driving, and opening the aperture blades to the full-open position. Thereafter, when the aperture is closed to a given aperture value, the slow-up control is executed again, however, the pulse width of the energizing pulse is set lower than that used before detection of the step-out status, thus increasing the driving torque.

Diaphragm control apparatus of a camera

A lens driving apparatus for use in a camera, which adjusts the focus or the angle of view of a lens by means of a motor driven in accordance with the amount of rotation and the rotational angle of rotational operation member provided on a lens body or a camera body, comprises a first detector for detecting the operational direction and the amount of operation of the rotational operation member and generates an operational direction signal and an amount-of-operation pulse signal, a second detector for detecting the actual amount of driving of the lens and generating a drive pulse signal, a motor driver for rotating the motor in a direction according to the operational direction signal until the difference between the count value of an amount-of-operation pulse and an amount-of-driving pulse becomes 0, and a CPU for detecting pressing of the lens against a drivable end portion, inhibiting driving of the lens in that direction, and changing the resistive force of the operation member when operated, thus alarming that the lens has reached the end, in a case where a generation interval of the drive pulse signal is greater than a predetermined time even if the motor is driven.

Lens driving apparatus for a camera

A lens drive apparatus includes a manual operating member. A pulse generator produces pulses as the operating member is moved. Based on a phase shift between the pulses, the speed with which and the direction in which the operating member is moved are detected. Control circuitry delivers a drive signal to a lens driving motor in accordance with the speed of movement signal and the direction of movement signal. A relationship between the speed of movement signal and the drive signal which prevails in the control circuitry can be modified, allowing a high or low level of the drive output to the motor to be selected with respect to the speed of movement and also allowing the speed with which and the direction in which the motor is driven, thus enabling the control circuitry to control the motor.

Lens drive apparatus for camera

A program rewritable camera includes camera elements for conducting camera operation, a control circuit for controlling said camera elements in response to coded control orders, a first memory for storing said control orders and an input circuit for enabling part or all of the contents stored in said first memory to rewrite by a peripheral device disposed outside the camera body. Connecting the peripheral device to the camera, camera functions desired by a photographer can be transferred to and stored in said first memory from the peripheral device in which various camera functions have been stored, through said input circuit to put the camera into action.

Program rewritable camera

An automatic focusing camera, after determining composition of an object being photographed within a range finding frame disposed at the center of a finder, repeats operations of detecting a range difference between an image forming position and a predetermined focusing position of the object and of storing the detected range difference, before a shutter release button is half-depressed, and, after being half-depressed, drives a taking lens in accordance with a range difference based on the latest information stored immediately before the half-depression to stop the taking lens at the predetermined focusing position, thereby enabling the lens setting without a time lag even when the object being photographed is in a low brightness.

Automatic focusing cameras

Apparatus for delivering distance information of a camera includes counter means which counts a relative distance corresponding to a movement of a taking lens. The counter means is reset when the taking lens reaches a reference position located at infinity. Using stored data (absolute distance factors) which is specific to a taking lens and the count in the counter means, an absolute distance is derived.

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Sagamihara, Japan

Youji Watanabe