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:
Sep. 25, 1984
Filed:
Nov. 27, 1981
Arthur J Winter, Encino, CA (US);
W. Haking Enterprises Limited, Hong Kong, HK;
Abstract
A camera is provided with flash lamp means, preferably a single flash lamp, useful for both range-determining purposes, for automatic focus control and/or flash lamp light exposure control, and in response to depression of the shutter release control, generates an initial range-determining flash of light and then a film exposure flash of light if flash exposure is desired. Before the shutter is opened, the range-determining flash of light reflected from the object involved is detected by a light sensor feeding the inputs of one or more signal level detectors respectively responsive to different peak levels of the reflected flash lamp light profiles indicating object distances falling within different adjacent range zones by being triggered into a given state. In the automatic focus control form of the invention, the outputs of the signal level detectors are scanned sequentially in the order where the signal level detectors responsive to profiles of objects in the nearest range zone are scanned first. A rotatable lens unit starting from a nearest range focussing position is stopped when the first signal level detector having a triggered condition is scanned, the lens unit then being in a properly focussed position for the corresponding range zone.