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Still video camera    
United States Patent5465133   
Link to this pagehttp://www.wikipatents.com/5465133.html
Inventor(s)Aoki; Harumi (Tokyo, JP); Morisawa; Tahei (Tokyo, JP); Ogawa; Kimiaki (Tokyo, JP); Mogamiya; Makoto (Tokyo, JP)
AbstractA mode changing device for a camera employing a minimum number of actuating members to permit a user to change an operating mode and/or setting of the camera. A mode actuating member and a selector switch, used in conjunction with an LCD panel that indicates the mode and setting that has been selected by the user, permits the user to easily select and/or adjust the features of the camera, such as a photographing mode, a playback mode, an exposure mode, a white balance mode, a copy/monitor mode and a time/date mode. When the mode changing device is applied to a still video camera having a playback function, a change-over switch automatically changes the operating mode of the camera from a record mode to a playback mode when a monitoring adapter is connected to the camera, further reducing the number of actuating members that are needed to control the camera. In addition, the camera is designed to minimize the waste of electrical power by inhibiting the operation playback mode until the camera is instructed to begin operating.
   














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Drawing from US Patent 5465133
Still video camera - US Patent 5465133 Drawing
Still video camera
Inventor     Aoki; Harumi (Tokyo, JP); Morisawa; Tahei (Tokyo, JP); Ogawa; Kimiaki (Tokyo, JP); Mogamiya; Makoto (Tokyo, JP)
Owner/Assignee     Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Tokyo, JP)
Patent assignment
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Publication Date     November 7, 1995
Application Number     08/340,432
PAIR File History     Application Data   Transaction History
Image File Wrapper   Patent Term   Fees
Litigation
Filing Date     November 14, 1994
US Classification     348/363 348/220.1 348/362 396/238 396/239
Int'l Classification     G03B 007/08
Examiner     Adams; Russell E.
Assistant Examiner    
Attorney/Law Firm     Sandler, Greenblum & Bernstein
Address
Parent Case     This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/082,681, filed Feb. 2, 1993, now abandoned, which is a divisional of application Ser. No. 07/814,555, filed Dec. 30, 1991, now abandoned, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/417,055, filed 10/4/89, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,299, which issued on May 5, 1992.
Priority Data     Oct 04, 1988[JP]63-250266 Oct 04, 1988[JP]63-250267 Oct 04, 1988[JP]63-250268 Oct 04, 1988[JP]63-250269 Oct 04, 1988[JP]63-250270
USPTO Field of Search     354/442 354/289.1 354/289.12 348/341 348/362 348/563
Patent Tags     still video camera
   
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 U.S. References
 
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ReferenceRelevancyCommentsReferenceRelevancyComments
5359422
Fukushima
358/296
Oct,1994
[0 after 0 votes]		5130742
Miyamoto
396/292
Jul,1992
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5128704
Hayashi
396/299
Jul,1992
[0 after 0 votes]		5122899
Kaji
386/46
Jun,1992
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5111299
Aoki
348/333.02
May,1992
[0 after 0 votes]		5005033
Miyasaka
396/299
Apr,1991
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4959735
Kawai
386/105
Sep,1990
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Mihara
386/121
Aug,1989
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Saito
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Okino
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Kiyohara
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Yamamoto
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Kawamura
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Shroyer
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Miyake
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Sakai
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Yamamoto
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Tada

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Ishii
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Kinoshita
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Ogawa
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Oda
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Tosaka
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Iwashita
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Yamamoto
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Kawamura
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Utsugi
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Yamada
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Uchidoi
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Suzuki
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50% - 74.99%
25% - 49.99%
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5 - 9.99%
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50% - 74.99%
25% - 49.99%
10 - 24.99%
5 - 9.99%
2 - 4.99%
1 - 1.99%
< 1%
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0.0%
 
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 Technical Review Submit all comments and votes
 Claims Submit all comments and votes
 


What is claimed is:

1. An exposure compensating mode changing device for a camera, comprising:

means for calculating an exposure value in accordance with a brightness of an object to be photographed;

means for automatically setting an exposure on the basis of said exposure value provided by said exposure value calculating means;

means for compensating said set exposure so as to activate said automatic exposure means on the basis of a compensated exposure value;

means for applying a reference exposure compensation value to said exposure value calculated by said calculating means when said exposure compensation means is in an active state;

a switch for activating said exposure compensating means;

switching means for changing said exposure compensation value from said reference exposure compensation value when said exposure compensating means is activated;

said switching means for changing said exposure compensating means comprising an up/down switch for changing operating values other than said exposure compensation value, when said switch for activating said exposure compensating means is in an inactive state; and

an indicator for displaying said exposure compensation value, said indicator displaying said exposure compensation value when said switch for activating said exposure compensation means is in an active state;

said indicator further comprising means for indicating when said compensation value differs from said reference exposure compensation value, wherein said means for indicating when said compensation value differs from said reference exposure compensation value maintains an indication regardless of whether said exposure compensation value is being displayed.

2. An exposure compensating mode changing device for a camera according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for producing a track number indicating a number of a track to be recorded upon on a recording medium associated with the camera;

wherein said indicator for displaying said exposure compensation value also displays said track number, said indicator displaying said exposure compensation value when said switch for activating said exposure compensation means is in an active state, while displaying said track number when said switch for actuating said exposure compensation means is in an inactive state;

further wherein said means for indicating when said compensation value differs from said reference exposure compensation value maintains an indication when said compensation value differs from said reference exposure compensation value regardless of whether said exposure compensation value or said track number is being displayed.

3. An exposure compensating mode changing device for a camera according to claim 2, wherein said up/downswitch comprises means for tracking adjustment and said indicator displays a track number when said switch for activating said exposure compensation means is in said inactive state.

4. An exposure compensating mode changing device for a camera according to claim 1, wherein said camera comprises a still video camera.

5. An exposure compensating mode changing device for a camera according to claim 1, wherein a change in said exposure compensation value by said switching means is displayed on said display means when said exposure compensation value has been changed with respect to said reference exposure compensation value.

6. An exposure compensating mode changing device for a camera according to claim 2, further comprising means for incrementing the track number display by one after an object is photographed using field recording photography.

7. An exposure compensating mode changing device for a camera according to claim 2, further comprising means for incrementing the track number display by two after an object is photographed using frame recording photography.

8. An exposure compensating mode changing device for a camera, comprising:

means for calculating an exposure value in accordance with a brightness of an object to be photographed;

means for automatically setting an exposure on the basis of said exposure value provided by said exposure value calculating means;

means for compensating said set exposure so as to activate said automatic exposure means on the basis of a compensated exposure value;

means for applying a reference exposure compensation value to said exposure value calculated by said calculating means when said exposure compensation means is in an active state;

means for activating said exposure compensating means;

means for changing said exposure compensation value from said reference exposure compensation value when said exposure compensating means is activated;

an indicator for displaying operation states of the camera, said indicator displaying said exposure compensation value when said means for activating said exposure compensation means is in an active state;

said indicator further comprising means for indicating when said exposure compensation value differs from said reference exposure compensation value, wherein said means for indicating when said compensation value differs from said reference exposure compensation value maintains an indication regardless of whether said exposure compensation value is being displayed.

9. An exposure compensating mode changing device for a camera according to claim 8, wherein said indicator displays one of said operation states other than said exposure compensation, when said exposure compensation means is in an inactive state, in an area of said indicator which is the same area where said exposure compensation value is displayed when said means for activating said exposure compensation means is in an active state.

10. An exposure compensating mode changing device for a camera according to claim 9, further comprising:

means for producing a track number indicating a number of a track to be recorded upon on a recording medium associated with the camera, wherein said one of said operation states other than said exposure compensation comprises indication of a track to be recorded upon, and said indicator displays said track number when said exposure compensation means is in an inactive state.

11. An exposure compensating mode changing device for a camera according to claim 10, wherein said means for changing said exposure compensation value from said reference exposure compensation value when said exposure compensating means is activated, also functions as means for changing said track number when said exposure compensation means is in an inactive state.

12. An exposure compensating mode changing device for a camera according to claim 8, wherein said means for changing said exposure compensation value comprises an up/down switch, and wherein said up/down switch operates to change operating values other than said exposure compensation value when said exposure compensation means is in an inactive state.

13. An exposure compensating mode changing device for a camera according to claim 8, further comprising:

means for producing a track number indicating a number of a track to be recorded upon on a recording medium associated with the camera; wherein said indicator displays said track number when said exposure compensation means is in an inactive state.

14. A still video camera, comprising:

means for calculating an exposure value in accordance with a brightness of an object to be photographed;

means for indicating photographing information, said indicating means provided on said still video camera to enable a photographer to confirm said photographing information from an external surface of said still video camera;

means for setting a mode from a plurality of modes, including an exposure compensation mode and at least one mode other than an exposure mode, said exposure compensation mode having a default value which is selected and indicated on said indicating means when said exposure compensation mode is selected;

means for manually setting an exposure compensation value in said exposure compensation mode;

means for adding a reference exposure compensation value to said exposure value calculated by said exposure calculating means when said exposure compensation mode is selected by said mode setting means, said reference compensation value being indicated on said indicating means in a predetermined manner when said exposure compensating mode is selected by said mode selecting means;

means for manually changing said reference exposure compensation value by incrementing or decrementing said reference exposure compensation value; and

means for indicating that said reference exposure compensation value has been changed by said means for manually changing said reference exposure compensation value, said means for indicating that said reference exposure compensation value has been changed located on said means for indication photographing information;

wherein a manner of indication of said manually changed exposure compensation value is different from a manner of indication of said reference exposure compensation value, and wherein said manually changed exposure compensation value is indicated even when said exposure compensation mode is not selected by said mode setting means.
 Description Submit all comments and votes
 


BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a photographic camera and, more particularly, to a still camera that is provided with at least one mode changing device, a time/date device or an exposure compensating device which can be used with the still video camera that is provided with a playback device or an audio recording/playback device.

2. Description of Background Information

Recently, multifunction type cameras, in which each function includes a plurality of changeable modes and a plurality of changeable settings have become popular. For example, still video cameras having the capability of operating in a SINGLE mode (to take one photograph at a time), a RUNNING (CONTINUOUS) mode (for taking a series of rapid sequence photographs) and a SELF-TIMER mode. In addition, such a camera usually includes a white balance function having an AUTO, CLOUDY, FINE, FLUORESCENT and INCANDESCENT setting mode; a recording function, including an IMAGE (PICTURE) RECORD mode and an AUDIO (VOICE) RECORD mode; a playback function for playing back a recorded audio or image signal; and a time/date function for displaying or recording the date and time.

Changing any of these modes has usually been carried out by actuating a plurality of switches located on the body of the camera. In this respect, a plurality of actuating members have been required to change the modes and functions of the camera. Thus, the number of actuating members on a camera have increased as the number of functions or modes have increased. In addition, various combinations of several actuating members have also been employed to effect changes to the modes and functions of the camera.

However, the large number of actuating members has created a problem, in that users cannot understand or remember which actuating member should be operated to achieve a desired result. Consequently, a desired picture can be missed or poor recording can result.

Still video cameras have also been developed that include the ability to record the date, time, and other type of information, with the photographic recording. Such prior art cameras include display means for such a date/time "stamping" function which is independent of the display means for the other camera functions, such as the above-mentioned PHOTOGRAPHING mode. These cameras employ additional actuating members for specifically switching between the date display and the time display and for adjusting the date or time. The increased number of actuating members found on these cameras are a serious burden to the photographer which needs to be overcome in order to improve the operability and compactness of the camera.

Photographic cameras have also been developed which include an automatic exposure means that has am exposure compensating device to allow an exposure value to be manually compensated. The expression "automatic exposure means", as used herein, should be understood to designate a camera component which measures the light intensity of an object to be photographed, calculates an exposure value from the measured value (brightness of the object to be photographed) and then sets an F-stop value and a shutter speed or, in the case of a still video camera, sets a charging time of a pick-up element on the basis of the exposure value so as to effect an exposure on the basis of the value thus set up.

Prior art exposure compensating devices can be classified as one of two types. The first type has a fixed exposure compensation value. The second type has adjustable exposure compensation value which can be changed by the user. A camera employing the fixed exposure compensation value is convenient to operate, in that only a single actuating switch is needed. However, such a camera is inflexible in that it cannot be adapted to different light intensities in a photographic scene and it cannot obtain an optimum exposure to meet the requirements of certain photographic situations.