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:
Jan. 08, 1991
Filed:
May. 21, 1987
Koji Suzuki, Tokyo, JP;
Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An automatic range finder for a camera for setting the focus position of the camera to correspond to the closest object to the camera within a specified field of view. Infrared light sources are sequentially activated to project infrared beams, through a light projecting lens, within the specified field of view. A condenser lens, positioned a predetermined base length apart from the optical axes of the light sources and having an optical axis parallel to that of the light projecting lens, focuses the returned beams onto a light detecting element having a light receiving surface arranged perpendicular to the optical axis of the condenser lens. The light detecting element produces a signal indicative of the positions of the sequential light spots received thereon. A signal processing circuit determines which value of the output signal of the light detecting element corresponds to the closest object, and sets the focus position of the camera accordingly.