Abstract: In a camera driving stop apparatus, a motor serves as a driving source upon reception of a current. A driven unit performs a predetermined operation associated with driving of a camera by using the motor as the driving source. A pulse generator outputs a pulse in response to the operation of at least one of the motor and the driven unit. A position detector detects the current position of the driven unit by counting pulses output from the pulse generator. When the width of the pulse output from the pulse generator is equal to or larger than a first time, an energization unit energizes the motor for only a second time shorter than the first time. An energization stop unit stops energization of the motor for only a third time shorter than the first time. A forcible energization stop unit inhibits energization of the motor. A storage unit holds the target position of the driven unit.

Abstract: A signal determining circuit determines the voltage of a control signal which is output according to a rotational angle of a thumb ring. When the determined voltage of the control signal is lower than a predetermined cutoff voltage, an armature of a switch means is made to contact a point of contact which is grounded, so that the control signal can be interrupted. On the other hand, when the determined voltage of the control signal is higher than the cutoff voltage, the armature of the switch means is made to contact the other point of contact so as to input the control signal to a driving circuit, and a servo motor is driven according to the control signal, so that a zoom lens can be moved to the tele side or the wide side. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the lens from operating incorrectly and to effectively eliminate an unstable area in a circuit which has a wide dynamic range.

Abstract: A driving device includes a movable object, a driving part for moving the object, a manual operation member, a pulse generator for generating a plurality of pulses successively according to an operation of the operation member with pulse intervals varying depending on its operation speed, a data forming part for forming a plurality of data on the basis of the plurality of pulses successively according to the pulse intervals, a storage part for storing successively the plurality of data and a reading part for reading out the stored plurality of data successively and determining a drive parameter for each of the read out data corresponding to the speed for moving the object by the driving part by using the data value. The timing for reading out subsequent data is set after completion of the movement of the object on the basis of a prior data value.

Abstract: A driving device utilizes first and second driving units which drive an object when the operating speed of a manual operation member detected by a pulse signal are less than and not less than, respectively, a predetermined speed. The first driving unit drives the object based on the pulse signal and the second driving unit drives the object to a predetermined position. The second driving unit, when shifted to driving from the first driving unit, retains driving even if the operating speed falls below the predetermined speed.

Abstract: A focus detection device and method permits the shooting lens to follow the movement of the photographic object without a focussing delay due to the calculation time and the movement of the object. The system includes a camera, a shooting lens, a focus detection device for detecting a desired focussing position of the shooting lens for an object, and a communications circuit. The lens includes a shooting lens driving circuit moving the shooting lens to focus, a shooting lens driving control circuit that controls the shooting lens driving circuit, a monitoring circuit that monitors the shooting lens movement by the shooting lens driving circuit, and a shooting lens data memory circuit that stores camera data.

Abstract: A photographic camera has a movable part to be driven by an electric motor. A rotary encoder generates a pulse for every predetermined angle rotation of the motor and the motor is feedback-controlled on the basis of a pulse signal consisting of a plurality of the pulses output from the rotary encoder. The pulse signal is divided by pulse number into a high-speed portion signal corresponding to a period where the motor is to be driven at a high speed and a low-speed portion signal corresponding to a period where the motor is to be driven at a low speed. The high-speed portion signal is frequency-divided, and the motor is driven at a high speed by the frequency-divided high-speed portion signal.

Abstract: An automatic focus adjustment device which accurately performs end point detection of the range of movement of a photographic lens to smoothly drive the photographic lens completely to a focus position. The automatic focus adjustment device includes a defocus amount detection device to detect a position deviation of the image position of a subject formed by the photographic lens from an image forming plane. An actuation amount necessary to drive the photographic lens by the detected defocus amount is calculated. An actual actuation amount decision device decides whether the actual actuation amount output to drive the lens is within a permissible range predetermined for the drive.

Abstract: A power focus device for a camera provides a user-friendly lever interface allowing efficient camera operation. A lever, located outside a camera cover, is movable in two opposing directions but is biased to remain at a neutral position between two extremes of movement. Moving the lever from the neutral position initiates driving the camera lens to focus in either a first or a second direction according to a direction of a displacement of the lever from the neutral position. A speed of focusing is proportional to an amount of displacement of the lever from the neutral position, thus permitting variable high and low speed focusing in both directions for rapid and accurate close-up and infinity focussing. Incorporating a seal into the device permits use in underwater camera applications.

Abstract: An optical apparatus comprising a movable optical member, a driving part for causing the optical member to move, a manual operation member capable of being operated to be moved, a first detecting part for detecting at least an operating speed of the manual operation member, a second detecting part for detecting a focal length of the optical apparatus and a control part for causing the driving part to act on the basis of an output of the first detecting part and being arranged to receive an output of the second detecting part and to vary an action of the driving part according to a change of the focal length.

Abstract: A drive control apparatus of lens housing for camera, comprises a camera body, a lens housing, a drive unit, signal generating means and a control unit. The position detection of the lens housing is carried out only at a single reference position, and in each processing for moving the lens housing, the control for moving the lens housing to a first, second or third position is carried out based upon this single reference position after the lens housing is once moved to the reference position to execute position detection. According to the drive control apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to achieve a possibility of occurrence of detection error which is lower than those with conventional one requiring the position detection at at least three positions.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a zoom encoder for detecting an amount of angular movement and a direction of angular movement of a cam ring which is angularly moved about an optical axis of a photographing optical system to change a focal length of the photographing optical system.

Abstract: A camera is equipped with a photographic lens and a drive for moving the lens relative to the camera body. If an external or other force prevents the lens from moving to a prescribed position within a set time interval, for example, the drive changes the drive speed of the lens from a first-drive speed to a slower, second drive speed. When the external or other force is removed and normal movement of the lens again is possible, the drive changes the drive speed of the lens from the slower, second drive speed to the first drive speed, without requiring complicated restorative action on the part of the operator. Thus, damage to the drive and other components of the camera is prevented, without complicating operation of the camera.

Abstract: An optical apparatus having a movable member movable with a stepping motor as a drive source, and movement controller for moving the movable member to a set position. The movement controller step-drives the stepping motor in one direction by a first frequency so that the movable member may bear against a stopper member, and after the bearing of the movable member against the stopper member is discriminated, step-drives the stepping motor by a predetermined amount in the other direction by a second frequency, which is smaller than the first frequency, and the position of the movable member in that state is defined as the set position.

Abstract: A lens drive controlling apparatus includes a zooming lens, a focusing lens driven in follow-up relation to a movement of the zooming lens on the basis of a predetermined characteristic, a speed sensor for detecting a driving speed of the zooming lens, and a control circuit for determining a driving speed of the focusing lens on the basis of a detection result provided by the speed sensor.