The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 09, 1980
Filed:
Jan. 24, 1979
Toshinori Imura, Sakai, JP;
Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A camera selectively settable to a daylight photography mode and to a flash photography mode includes an automatic focus adjusting device having a range finder for generating a distance signal representative of a distance from the camera to an aimed object, and an objective setting mechanism responsive to the distance signal for setting the objective to a proper focus of the aimed object. A control circuit responsive to the selection of the photographic modes causes the objective setting mechanism to set the camera objective at a position where the objective focuses on an object located at a predetermined distance zone within the maximum permissible distance for flash photography, upon selection of the flash photography mode. The control circuit may have a switch which causes the objective setting mechanism to effect the above setting of the objective in preference to the existence of the distance signal upon selection of the flash photography mode. Alternatively, the control circuit may have a conditioning circuit which conditions the objective setting mechanism such that, upon selection of the flash photography mode, the objective setting mechanism effects the above setting of the objective either when the distance signal is representative of a distance beyond the maximum permissible distance for flash photography or when the range finder generates no distance signal because of too low brightness of the scene.