Activated Under Low Light Condition Patents (Class 396/165)
  • Patent number: 5881326
    Abstract: A shutter apparatus is provided wherein openings for defining a secondary aperture are formed in respective shutter blades, such that an amount of light transmitted through the secondary aperture is detected, and the drive force for driving the shutter blades is changed so that the amount of the received amount increases in the opening stroke according to a predetermined function. When the integrated quantity of the received light reaches a threshold value, the movement of the shutter blades is reversed, and the shutter speed is determined based on the integrated light quantity obtained upon completion of shifting to the closing stroke. Thus, variations in the exposure amount that occur upon reversal of the shutter blades are canceled in the closing stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: RIC Company Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 5878290
    Abstract: A camera with a red-eye preventing feature includes an operation unit for causing the red-eye phenomenon preventing feature to function, a timer for measuring a predetermined period when the red-eye phenomenon preventing feature functions, an indicating device for indicating the state of the timer, and an exposure unit for performing an exposure operation. The exposure unit can perform the exposure operation even during the predetermined time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Masuda, Toshio Nagata, Hidenori Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 5822624
    Abstract: A camera capable of operating in a red-eye prevention mode. The camera has an electronic flash device which is activated by a drive circuit in synchronization with the exposure. The electronic flash device also serve as a pre-light-emission device capable of performing pre-light-emission for the purpose of preventing red-eye effect. When it is judged from the photographing condition is judged that red-eye effect may occur, a controller activates the electronic flash device to effect a pre-light-emission for reducing the size of pupils of eyes of a person to be photographed, before the main flashing which is executed in synchronization with the exposure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Fukuhara, Toshio Sosa, Toshio Dobashi, Nobuaki Sasagaki, Masaharu Hara
  • Patent number: 5717964
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus for flash illuminating a subject is disclosed. The exposure apparatus includes a main flash tube for directly illuminating the subject, a bounce flash tube for indirectly illuminating the subject, and sensing circuitry responsive to ambient scene illumination for producing an ambient scene illumination signal, and responsive to light from the main flash tube reflected from the subject for producing a reflected flash illumination signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1998
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: David R. Dowe
  • Patent number: 5713055
    Abstract: A flash control circuit for a camera flash circuit in which a scene ambient light sensing circuit is coupled to the main flash capacitor which serves as the sole energy source for the light sensing circuit independent of the battery source. The ambient light sensing circuit comprises a light sensing device and resistor coupled in series across a zener diode which serves as a fixed voltage reference device for the light sensing circuit. In a preferred embodiment, the ambient light sensing circuit is coupled in series with the flash sync switch across the flash capacitor such that activation of the light sensing circuit occurs only while the sync switch is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1998
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Joel S. Lawther, Norbert Koenig, David R. Dowe, Douglas W. Constable
  • Patent number: 5697002
    Abstract: A camera capable of operating in a red-eye prevention mode. The camera has an electronic flash device which is activated by a drive circuit in synchronization with the exposure. The electronic flash device also serve as a pre-light-emission device capable of performing pre-light-emission for the purpose of preventing red-eye effect. When it is judge from the photographing condition that red-eye effect may occur, a controller activates the electronic flash device to effect a pre-light-emission for reducing the size of pupils of eyes of a person to be photographed, before the main flashing which is executed in synchronization with the exposure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1997
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hachiro Kanai, Toru Fukuhara, Toshio Sosa, Norikazu Yokonuma, Masaharu Hara
  • Patent number: 5669023
    Abstract: An autofocusing camera allows a distance measurement operation even if the electric charge amount accumulated in the condenser does not reach a predetermined value when a picture to be taken does not require flash (strobe) light emission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1997
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshikazu Iida
  • Patent number: 5666571
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an automatic flash emission device suitable for use as, for example, an automatic flash emission device for a camera. The present invention is to provide an arrangement for detecting the kind of light source which illuminates a scene which is to be photographed (for example, whether tungsten light or a fluorescent lamp), and shifting the threshold of a subject luminance beyond which a flash device performs an automatic emission, thereby enabling the flash device to perform the automatic emission in a form conforming to the kind of light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Matsumura
  • Patent number: RE35415
    Abstract: A strobe incorporated camera having a strobe light emitter which emits strobe light, a light emitter driving mechanism which moves the light emitter between a retracted position in which the light emitter is retracted in a camera body and an operative position in which the light emitter emits the strobe light, a photometering device for obtaining an exposure factor when a first switch is turned ON, and an exposure device for performing a predetermined exposure when a second switch is turned ON. The camera includes a strobe judging device for determining whether the strobe should be used, in accordance with the exposure factor, and a strobe controller for moving the strobe light emitter to the operative position when the strobe judging device determines that the strobe should be used when the first switch or the second switch is turned ON.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1996
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Satoshi Takami