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:
May. 29, 2001
Filed:
Sep. 14, 1999
Motoshi Yamaguchi, Sakai, JP;
Ichiro Tsujimura, Higashiosaka, JP;
Shigeto Ohmori, Kawachinagano, JP;
Tsutomu Ichikawa, Sakai, JP;
Hiroshi Ueda, Habikino, JP;
Tatsuya Suzuki, Kawachinagano, JP;
Akio Nakamaru, Sakai, JP;
Minolta Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
An automatic-focusing camera is provided with a multiple-point distance-measurement device having a plurality of distance-measurement areas, a multiple-division photometry device having a plurality of photometry areas, and a multiple-division light-amount-control device having a plurality of light-amount-control areas. Part of the photometry areas and part of the light-amount-control areas correspond to the distance-measurement areas. When a taking lens is focused on a subject, its focus is locked. Out of the information obtained from the multiple-point distance-measurement device, a set of information obtained when the focus of the taking lens is locked is compared with a set of information obtained immediately before a shot is taken, and thereby a change in picture composition after the locking of the taking lens focus is detected. This makes it possible to achieve exposure control in ambient-light shooting and light amount control in flash shooting in accordance with a change in picture composition. Based on the information obtained from the multiple-point distance-measurement device, the subject and the background are identified, and, in accordance with the distribution of the subject and the background, the reference value to be used to stop emission of illumination light and the contribution ratios of the individual light-amount-control areas relative to the total amount of light received are determined to achieve light amount control in flash shooting.