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:
Oct. 07, 2003
Filed:
May. 13, 1998
Koji Takahashi, Yokohama, JP;
Kenji Kyuma, Yokohama, JP;
Kyoji Tamura, Yokohama, JP;
Yuji Tsuda, Musashino, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image pickup device capable of exposure control utilizing the iris aperture, shutter speed and gain as three control parameters, comprising means for setting a photometry area in the image frame; means for setting an input parameter as a reference for evaluation, based on the luminance information in an image signal obtained from the photometry means; means for determining the values of the three control parameters for exposure control, according to the value of the input parameter; switch means for switching, according to the phototaking mode, a program setting the control caharacteristics of each control parameter as a function of the input parameter; and photometry area switch means for switching the set state of the photometry area in the image frame, in linkage with the switching operation of the switch means, wherein the phototaking mode is switched according to the phototaking conditions, thereby controlling the parameters and the light metering area according to a program matching the phototaking mode, and enabling to constantly effect the optimum phototaking operation under any phototaking situation or conditions.