Abstract: An interchangeable lens camera system including a camera body and a lens detachably attached to the camera body. A camera-side control unit is disposed in the camera body and produces a control command. A lens-side control unit is disposed in the lens unit and produces status information indicating a plurality of functions in the lens unit. A communication unit transmits the control command outputted from said camera-side control unit to the lens-side control unit and transmits back the status information from the lens-side control unit to the camera. The lens-side control unit transmits a controllable function and an uncontrollable function to the camera-side control unit at the time of initial communication between the camera-side control unit and the lens-side control unit.

Abstract: There is provided an optical device which comprises a fixed barrel, a movable cam ring, and collars and abutments. The movable cam ring is shifted relative to the fixed barrel to move an optical unit, the movable cam ring being fitted to the fixed barrel. Collars and abutments can be engaged with each other when the movable cam ring is in a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the fixed barrel. The collars and abutments preventing the movable cam ring from being disengaged from the fixed barrel and displaced in a direction along an optical axis relative to the fixed barrel.

Abstract: In observing images picked up by a plurality of cameras connected to a network in a surveillance camera system or the like, the conventional arrangement necessitates a client device to switch an image display obtained from one camera over to an image display obtained from another by a manual operation, which has been troublesome. To solve this problem, a camera control system is arranged to automatically switch an image display obtained from one camera over to an image display from another at suitable intervals. The camera control system is further arranged to automatically control the image pickup directions of each camera and, in the event of occurrence of an error in any of the cameras, to carry on its automatic control operation by skipping the camera at which the error has occurred.

Abstract: In a focus detecting device of the type in which light fluxes passing through two areas obtained by dividing a pupil of an image forming lens are received by a sensor to detect a phase difference, pixels of the sensor are disposed in such a manner that the sensor has the light-receiving sensitivity in different directions with respect to the luminance distribution, and the phase-difference detection and the contrast detection are performed according to the direction of the light-receiving sensitivity so as to perform appropriate focus detection.

Abstract: An information signal processing apparatus according to the present invention is arranged to receive, as an input, an information signal to temporarily store therein the input information signal and to temporarily store therein management information prepared during a recording of the information signal in the recording medium, thereby recording the temporarily stored information signal and management information in the recording medium. Accordingly, it is possible to record an information signal having a large amount of information in the recording medium without lowering a recording speed and it is also possible to easily reduce the size, weight and cost of the apparatus.

Abstract: For providing a motor having a reduced length in the axial direction, the motor of the present invention comprises a rotor having a cylindrical magnet having an outer surface divided into portions in a circumferential direction which are alternately magnetized to different poles, a first outer magnetic pole which is excited by a first coil and faces the outer surface of the magnet within a first predetermined angular range, a first inner magnetic pole which is excited by the first coil and faces an inner surface of the magnet, a second outer magnetic pole which is excited by a second coil and faces the outer surface of the magnet within a second predetermined angular range, and a second inner magnetic pole which is excited by the second coil and faces the inner surface of the magnet, wherein the first and second outer magnetic poles are positioned on the same circumference centered on the magnet.

Abstract: An automatic focus adjusting device is provided with a focus evaluation value detecting circuit for detecting a focus evaluation value indicative of a focusing state of a lens, a focus control part for performing a focus adjusting operation by causing the lens to move in an optical axis direction whereby the focus evaluation value becomes a maximum value, a luminance detecting circuit for detecting luminance of an object or an illuminance detecting circuit for detecting an illuminance to an object, and a control circuit for lowering a response characteristic of the focus adjusting operation according to the luminance or illuminance detected by the luminance or illuminance detecting circuit.

Abstract: An electrical cable assembly including an electrical cable and an electrical connector connected to the electrical cable has a housing thereon defining a passage therethrough for the electrical cable and opposed housing ends circumscribing the cable, one of the housing ends being in facing relation to the electrical connector. The housing has an EAS member secured therein aside the housing passage. An article surveillance unit has first and second housing members joined to one another and defining a seam line, one of the first and second housing members defining structure overlapping the seam line.

Abstract: The invention provides an electronic camera which is excellent in portability and capable of sensing an image in portrait angle by holding a lower portion of the camera as well as of providing users with a drivability and an operational feeling equivalent to those of a silver halide film camera. The electronic camera comprises: image sensing means for photo-electrically transforming a subject image which is sensed through an optical system; a memory cartridge 4 for recording image data which is produced from the image sensing means as an image picture; and a battery 3 for supplying electric powers to built-in electronic components and various circuits, wherein: the battery 3 and the memory cartridge 4 are disposed, respective width directions being aligned in a depth direction of a main body 1 of the camera while respective thickness directions being aligned in a height direction of the main body of the camera.

Abstract: An image-taking lens system includes an image-taking lens, a lens driving control part for driving and controlling the image-taking lens, a reading part for reading information from a storage medium in which a plurality of pieces of lens control information according to conditions of shooting are stored, and a setting part for setting control parameters of the lens driving control part on the basis of the information read by the reading part. The arrangement enables the operator of the system to quickly change control characteristics for zooming and focusing as desired according to shooting conditions.

Abstract: An apparatus for reproducing video data recorded on a tape-shaped recording medium in one of a first recording mode in which the video data is recorded while the tape-shaped recording medium is transported at a first speed and a second recording mode in which the video data is recorded while the tape-shaped recording medium is transported at a second speed different from the first speed, is arranged to reproduce the video data, in the case of a slow reproduction mode, while transporting the tape-shaped recording medium at a predetermined speed irrespective of the recording mode of the video data.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electronic flash device, and in particular, an electronic flash device including forward and flyback type booster circuits. The two booster circuits are appropriately switched depending on the charged state of a capacitor of the electronic flash device or the operative state of the camera, thereby achieving proper charging time and charging efficiency.

Abstract: An illumination device or a flash device of a camera includes a light source, a first optical unit and a second optical unit. The first optical unit is arranged to direct light from the light source to an object, and has a lens part disposed a middle portion of the first optical unit and having such an optical power that each of both lens surfaces thereof has a positive refractive power to cause diverging light from the light source to exit in a light-collected state, and reflective surfaces disposed on both sides of the lens part and arranged to reflect light from the light source toward the object. The second optical unit is disposed on a side nearer to the object than the first optical unit and having a plurality of lens parts. An illumination angle is varied by varying a relative interval between the first optical unit and the second optical unit.

Abstract: There is provided an information processing method which can adjust benefits between electronic device makers and expendables makers. In the method of the present invention, a cartridge which is detachably attached to an electronic device is used. The cartridge carries expendables of the electronic device and has a storage medium in which information that specifies a maker of the electronic device is written by the electronic device when the expendable is consumed by the electronic device. The method comprises the recovery step of recovering the cartridge with the storage medium in which the information is written from a user, the acquisition step of acquiring the information written in the storage medium of the recovered cartridge; and the totalization step of totalizing quantities of expendables consumed for respective makers on the basis of the acquired information.

Abstract: A lens control apparatus and an image pickup apparatus each of which, during a magnification varying operation in an inner focus type of lens system, predicts a destination position to be reached by a variator lens after a predetermined time period, calculates a speed at which to move a focusing lens to a correction position of a focal plane relative to the predicted position of the variator lens, and controls the focusing lens.

Abstract: There is provided a battery storage case which is capable of accommodating batteries of different selected types without an unused space being left in a battery storage case thereof and is therefore very convenient to handle by users. A receiving section receives a plurality of AA battery cells that provide a predetermined voltage. A battery cover closes the receiving section. The receiving section has a space for accommodating the plurality of AA battery cells. The space has a first part for accommodating a smaller number of lithium battery cells than a number of the AA battery batteries, that provide the predetermined voltage, and a second part that is not used when the AA battery cells are received in the receiving section, the second part being used for accommodating spare batteries for the lithium battery cells.

Abstract: An exposure control device having a light measuring area setting circuit which sets a light measuring area on an image sensing plane, a discriminating circuit which discriminates from each other varied states of the image sensing plane through video signal parts corresponding to the inside and the outside of the light measuring area and an exposure compensating circuit which compensates the state of exposure to light is arranged to shift the set position of the light measuring area to trace an object's image at least when the exposure compensating circuit is in operation.

Abstract: A position control device arranged to store a stop position of a movable lens member and, after the lens member is moved from the stop position to an arbitrary position, to automatically move the lens member to the stored stop position includes a first encoder which divides a movable range of the lens member into a plurality of areas and detects one of the areas in which the stored stop position is located and a second encoder which outputs pulses according to the movement of the lens member at a finer rate of resolution than the resolution of the first encoder. In the position control device, information on the area detected by the first encoder and the number of pulses detected by the second encoder as a position within the detected area is stored as the information on the stored stop position. The position control device compares the output of the first encoder and that of the second encoder with the stored information in moving the lens member to the stored stop position.

Abstract: A seal includes a first housing member defining a recess and detent structure and a tail having an end thereof secured with the first housing member and extending outwardly of the first housing member, the tail having a securement structure at a free end thereof, the tail securement structure being receivable in the detent structure, an EAS marker disposed in the recess and a second housing member having a compartment therein for retentively containing the first housing member.

Abstract: A magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus includes guide posts arranged to pull out a tape-shaped recording medium from a cassette and wrap the tape-shaped recording medium around a drum, guide members arranged to support the guide posts, arms arranged to move the guide members, and arm driving parts arranged to cause the arms to swing, wherein the arms and the arm driving parts are disposed respectively on different sides of a chassis.