Abstract: A digital camera captures at least photographic subjects intended to be positioned on left and right ends of a group photograph (temporary imaging), and prompts a user to designate the photographic subjects (may move) intended to be positioned on the left and right ends. Next, the digital camera, which has been placed on a suitable surface (such as on a desk), moves the optical zoom further to the wide-angle side than during the temporary imaging, and performs actual imaging when the self-timer reaches time up. Then, the digital camera identifies the photographic subjects designated by the temporary imaging within the actually captured image, and after determining the left, right, upper, and lower ends of a clipping area such that the identified photographic subjects are included, clips an image of the determined clipping area as a final image.

Abstract: A photographing device, which includes a photographing section; a display section that displays a photography image taken by the photographing section; a person indicator setting section that sets a person indicator prepared beforehand on the display screen; an operation section that operates a target position and/or a target size of the person indicator; a person detection section that detects a position and/or a size of a person in the photography image; a comparison section that compares the detected position and/or size of the person in the photography image with the target position and/or size; a guiding instruction section that generates an instruction for the person to be photographed to guide toward a direction coinciding with the compared result; and a control section that controls the photographing section such that, when a predetermined condition is satisfied after the compared result falls within a predetermined allowable error, a shutter is activated.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a self photographing is effected upon a detection of a face, which prevents a photographing of a failed image which does not include a face of a person in intending photographing a person. In particular, in generating a self portrait photograph where the photographer himself/herself is the object, even through the photographer is away from the photographing apparatus operation, a clocking and a shutter control are performed to obtain an image having the photographer in a proper position only when the photographer properly enters in its field angle. The proper entrance of an object in a field angle facilitates an automatic exposure control and automatic focusing control.

Abstract: The present invention provides a camera in which a flash emission section is aligned with a self-timer light-emitting indicator section and the amount of slide of a slide door is minimized. The camera includes; a housing with an opening for an image-taking optical system and a first opening through which both the flash emission section and the self-timer light-emitting indicator section appear; and a slide door with a second opening having a cover partially attached thereto. The opening for the image-taking optical system, the first and second openings and the amount of slide of the slide door are arranged such that, when the slide door is closed, part of the first opening overlaps with part of the second opening and the overlapped part of the first opening is shielded by the cover provided in the second opening.

Abstract: Operation situations of a plurality of functions of the camera can be checked from a front of the camera without adding any new hardware. A self-timer LED which is previously provided on a front of the camera is also used as an indicating device which indicates operation situations of other functions of the camera. That is, operation situations such as charging a rechargeable battery or communicating with a personal computer are indicated by lighting, blinking, or the like of the self-timer LED. Especially, when a digital camera is mounted to a cradle used in charging the battery or communicating with the personal computer, the operation situations such as charging or communicating can be effectively checked from the front of the camera. Further, for a digital camera which has a moving image-capturing function or a voice recording function, moving image recording or voice recording is indicated by lighting, blinking, or the like of the self-timer LED.

Abstract: A CPU judges whether a current operating state of a camera corresponds to an in-service state of a lens barrel or an in-service state of a self-timer, and performs light emission control over a front display LED or a rear display LED by controlling an LED drive circuit. The front display LED or the rear display LED is constituted by integrating LED chips having a plurality of types of colors. Therefore, the front display LED and the rear display LED can emit the light in a plurality of different colors by using one light source.

Abstract: A camera body of an instant camera is provided with four light sources LED1 to LED4 for a display. The four light sources LED1 to LED4 flash on and off in mutually different display modes in accordance with the state of progress of a series of processing of an exposure operation, a developing operation and a delivery operation which is carried out in accordance with one time photographic operation. This feature makes it possible to exactly inform a user of the state of progress of a series of processing.

Abstract: The present invention provides a camera comprising such a function for self-photographing that a self-photographer cannot only determine whether or not he or she is within the angle of view but can also determine his or her position within the angle of view more accurately than in the prior art. The present invention provides a camera that photographs a subject present within a photographing angle of view, according to a photographing operation, the camera comprising an indicator, and an optical path regulating member that allows, during self-photographing, a photographer to view the indicator with information on the photographer's own position within the photographing angle of view.

Abstract: A camera body of an instant camera is provided with four light sources LED1 to LED4 for a display. The four light sources LED1 to LED4 flash on and off in mutually different display modes in accordance with the state of progress of a series of processing of an exposure operation, a developing operation and a delivery operation which is carried out in accordance with one time photographic operation. This feature makes it possible to exactly inform a user of the state of progress of a series of processing.

Abstract: A movable power switch member mounted on the front face of a camera body is provided with a luminous display unit comprising any number (preferably a plurality) of illuminants, and light emission is so controlled as to realize different forms of displaying according to the operating state of the camera. For instance, the lighting, either continuous or intermittent, of the illuminants is controlled according to the remaining charge or the progress of charging of the battery. There are available a mode in which the luminous display unit is also used as a battery indicator, another mode in which the state of light is altered according to the initial mode (at the time of turning on power supply), still another mode in which the illuminants are used as a substitute for a tally lamp at the time of self-timed shooting and yet others, resulting in the achievement of an illumination effect in addition to the displaying of the operating state.

Abstract: The present invention provides a camera comprising such a function for self-photographing that a self-photographer cannot only determine whether or not he or she is within the angle of view but can also determine his or her position within the angle of view more accurately than in the prior art. The present invention provides a camera that photographs a subject present within a photographing angle of view, according to a photographing operation, the camera comprising an indicator, and an optical path regulating member that allows, during self-photographing, a photographer to view the indicator with information on the photographer's own position within the photographing angle of view.

Abstract: A camera auxiliary light system provides supplemental illumination for a passive ranging system in determining camera-to-object distance, provides a self-timer activation status light to persons in a scene, provides a point of visible light to assist in aiming the camera, and provides red-eye reduction illumination. Thus, multiple functions are performed by a single auxiliary light, thereby reducing the number of camera elements and reducing camera cost, size, and weight. The system includes an auxiliary light source, a mode control switch that selects between a self-timer mode, a red-eye reduction mode, and a flash defeat mode, a light sensor that receives light from the scene and produces a signal that indicates the relative amount of light that was received, and a light source controller that controls operation of the auxiliary light source in response to actuation of a shutter release of the camera.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling a light source that is used during operation of an imaging device (e.g., a camera) and, in particular, during operation of a camera feature/subsystem such as an AF subsystem, a red-eye reduction subsystem, a self-timer subsystem, etc. The apparatus and method include and involve a light source which is configured to emit light in relation to the operation of a subsystem of an imaging device, and a light source control unit which is configured to control an amount of light emitted by the light source based on a preset operating parameter (e.g., a user-selectable camera setting). The apparatus and method may be included within an imaging device such as a camera or in a peripheral (e.g., a flash unit, etc.) configured to operate with such a camera.

Abstract: An optical system includes an photographic lens, a fiber optical plate, and an image pickup member. The photographic lens forms the first image in the vicinity of the entrance end surface of the fiber optical plate, and after the first image is transmitted through the fiber optical plate, the second image is formed in the vicinity of the exit end surface of the fiber optical plate. The image pickup member is disposed to coincide in size with the second image. The first image is demagnified to a desired image size determined by the image pickup member and thereby the photographic lens is downsized.

Abstract: Disclosed is an accessory for a camera which is used separately from the camera. The camera transmits a signal for indicating an operational state thereof. The accessory includes a receiver for receiving the signal and a vibrator which vibrates in accordance with the signal received by the receiver. A transmitter-receiver system for the camera is also disclosed.

Abstract: A system for generating images having display based computation. The system of the present invention divides the image generation process between the display and a host computer system. The computation element of the display includes rendering mesh comprising a plurality of processing elements. One or more processing elements of the rendering mesh correspond to one or more pixels of the display. The host computer system includes a processing means for generating a rendering mesh map. The rendering mesh map is used to identify processing elements of the rendering mesh which will receive "seed" pixel values. The rendering mesh map is stored in a rendering mesh map buffer. The "seed" pixel values are stored in a frame buffer and represent an original rendering of an image. When the rendering mesh is seeded, pixel values are determined for the "unseeded" processing elements.

Abstract: The display apparatus according to the present invention includes a display device which has a rotating indicator pointer and which displays information by rotationally driving the indicator pointer, an operating device which is capable of being operated in two manners for rotating the indicator pointer, and a drive control device which rotationally drives the rotating indicator pointer in the same rotational direction, whichever be the one of the two manners in which the operating device is operated.

Abstract: A camera has an exposure device for effecting a photographing operation on a film in response to manipulation of a member, and a self-timer for causing the exposure device to effect the photographing operation after the counting of a predetermined time. The self-timer has a first state for causing the exposure device to effect the photographing operation only once and a second state for causing the exposure device to effect the photographing operation plural times. The camera comprises a first display for indicating that the self-timer is in an operable state, a second display for indicating that the exposure device functions plural times in response to the manipulation of the number, independently of the self-timer, and a control device for controlling the first and second display. The control device is adapted to only activate the first display in the first state of the self-timer and to activate both the first and second displays in the second state of the self-timer.