Abstract: An auto focusing apparatus in a camera comprises a detecting device for detecting the measured distance values of an object corresponding to a plurality of areas in a photographing image field, a first determining device for determining a first measured distance value which is the measured distance value of the shortest distance from the plurality of measured distance values detected by the detecting device, a comparing device for comparing the first measured distance value determined by the first determining device with a threshold value, a second determining device for determining the mean value of the plurality of measured distance values detected by the detecting device as a second measured distance value, and a driving device for driving a photo-taking lens on the basis of the first measured distance value when it is judged by the comparing device that the first measured distance value is smaller than the threshold value, and driving the photo-taking lens on the basis of the second measured distance valu

Abstract: An automatic focusing apparatus repetitively detects a defocus amount of a photographing lens, discriminates whether or not an object is moving, and calculates a pursuit correction amount for a moving object on the basis of present and previous defocus amounts. When a non-moving object is discriminated, a drive amount of the lens is calculated on the basis of the present defocus amount, and when a moving object is discriminated the drive amount is calculated on the basis of a pursuit drive amount as a sum of the present defocus amount and the pursuit correction amount. A pursuit enable/disable determining device determines whether the drive amount is calculated on the basis of the discrimination result or on the basis of the present defocus amount.

Abstract: An automatic focusing apparatus repetitively detects a defocus amount of a photographing lens, discriminates whether or not an object is moving, and calculates a pursuit correction amount for a moving object on the basis of present and previous defocus amounts. When a non-moving object is discriminated, a drive amount of the lens is calculated on the basis of the present defocus amount, and when a moving object is discriminated the drive amount is calculated on the basis of a pursuit drive amount as a sum of the present defocus amount and the pursuit correction amount. A pursuit enable/disable determining device determines whether the drive amount is calculated on the basis of the discrimination result or on the basis of the present defocus amount.

Abstract: An automatic focusing apparatus repetitively detects a defocus amount of a photographing lens, discriminates whether or not an object is moving, and calculates a pursuit correction amount for a moving object on the basis of present and previous defocus amounts. When a non-moving object is discriminated, a drive amount of the lens is calculated on the basis of the present defocus amount, and when a moving object is discriminated the drive amount is calculated on the basis of a pursuit drive amount as a stun of the present defocus amount and the pursuit correction amount. A pursuit enable/disable determining device determines whether the drive amount is calculated on the basis of the discrimination result or on the basis of the present defocus amount.

Abstract: The target follow-up device of the present invention is adapted quickly and reliably to follow up the position of a target which is moving at high speed. It incorporates an imaging sensor having a number of imaging elements, which performs photometry over the photographic field and which outputs input image data. Based upon this imaging sensor output, input image data for the target to be followed up are stored as reference image data by a memory device. Based upon minimum residue calculation between the input image data and the reference image data, the target follow-up device of the present invention determines the position of the target. In this determination operation, the target follow-up device selects at least one color from a plurality of colors contained in common by the input image data and the reference image data, and calculates the minimum residue for the selected color component.

Abstract: An automatic focusing apparatus repetitively detects a defocus amount of a photographing lens, discriminates whether or not an object is moving, and calculates a pursuit correction amount for a moving object on the basis of present and previous defocus amounts. When a non-moving object is discriminated, a drive amount of the lens is calculated on the basis of the present defocus amount, and when a moving object is discriminated the drive amount is calculated on the basis of a pursuit drive amount as a sum of the present defocus amount and the pursuit correction amount. A pursuit enable/disable determining device determines whether the drive amount is calculated on the basis of the discrimination result or on the basis of the present defocus amount.

Abstract: An automatic focusing apparatus repetitively detects a defocus amount of a photographing lens, discriminates whether or not an object is moving, and calculates a pursuit correction amount for a moving object on the basis of present and previous defocus amounts. When a non-moving object is discriminated, a drive amount of the lens is calculated on the basis of the present defocus amount, and when a moving object is discriminated the drive amount is calculated on the basis of a pursuit drive amount as a sum of the present defocus amount and the pursuit correction amount. A pursuit enable/disable determining device determines whether the drive amount is calculated on the basis of the discrimination result or on the basis of the present defocus amount.

Abstract: An automatic focusing apparatus repetitively detects a defocus amount of a photographing lens, discriminates whether or not an object is moving, and calculates a pursuit correction amount for a moving object on the basis of present and previous defocus amounts. When a non-moving object is discriminated, a drive amount of the lens is calculated on the basis of the present defocus amount, and when a moving object is discriminated the drive amount is calculated on the basis of a pursuit drive amount as a sum of the present defocus amount and the pursuit correction amount. A pursuit enable/disable determining device determines whether the drive amount is calculated on the basis of the discrimination result or on the basis of the present defocus amount.

Abstract: A camera is provided with an exposure arithmetic apparatus for patterning a field to calculate an amount of exposure. The exposure arithmetic apparatus has a light amount measuring portion for measuring amounts of light for a plurality of segmental zones of the field, a pattern generating portion for generating a plurality of patterns for spatially pattern-classifying the field, a correlation arithmetic portion for calculating correlation values each indicating a degree of correlation of each pattern with the field, based on outputs from the light amount measuring portion and the pattern generating portion, a pattern luminance calculating portion for performing an arithmetic process based on an output from the pattern generating portion, of the output from the light amount measuring portion, and an exposure arithmetic portion for calculating correct exposure, based on outputs from the correlation arithmetic portion and pattern luminance calculating portion.

Abstract: This camera includes a control circuit 12 which calculates a movement amount for a focusing lens group Z.sub.1 of a zoom lens 11 based upon the photographic distance R as measured by a distance measurement device 13 and the focal length of the zoom lens 11 as detected by a focal length detection device 15, and a lens driving device 18 which then moves the focusing lens group Z.sub.1 according to this projection amount calculated by the control circuit 12. Thereby it is possible to compensate for focus deviation when zooming.

Abstract: The target follow-up device of the present invention is adapted quickly and reliably to follow up the position of a target which is moving at high speed. It incorporates an imaging sensor having a number of imaging elements, which performs photometry over the photographic field and which outputs input image data. Based upon this imaging sensor output, input image data for the target to be followed up are stored as reference image data by a memory device. Based upon minimum residue calculation between the input image data and the reference image data, the target follow-up device of the present invention determines the position of the target. In this determination operation, the target follow-up device selects at least one color from a plurality of colors contained in common by the input image data and the reference image data, and calculates the minimum residue for the selected color component.

Abstract: A camera provides information to a printer to produce a print in which an image of a photographed object is of a desired size. More particularly, the enlargement magnification of a printer is controlled in accordance with information recorded on a recording medium in a camera. Determination of the enlargement magnification involves various parameters including, for example, a specified desired magnification (requested magnification) and photographing magnification, which may be determined by calculation from object distance and focal length of the photographing lens. Modification data may be produced to accommodate changes in photographing angle that accompany focusing of the photographing lens. Focal length or object distance may be varied as required to provide a print image size as close as possible to that desired (and within limitations of the camera).

Abstract: An exposure calculating apparatus for a camera has a plurality of processing devices for variously processing photometric outputs from regions of an object field divided into plural sections according to photographic conditions so as to determine the optimum exposure value according to the results of processes performed by the processing devices, the exposure calculating apparatus for a camera including: a device for setting a plurality of fuzzy rules in the form of membership functions corresponding to the processes performed by the plurality of processing devices; a device for calculating the grade of each of the fuzzy rules according to a plurality of values of photometry generated from photometric outputs from the plurality of regions; a device which selects fuzzy rules having the grades obtained by the calculations so as to calculate, according to the plurality of photometric outputs, exposure values obtained by the processes performed by the processing device which correspond to the selected fuzzy rules

Abstract: There is provided an automatic focusing device of a camera which accurately adjusts focus in a short time on the basis of recent and past information created in accordance with a focused object. The position of the object is predicted on the basis of the recent information and past information calculated at predetermined time intervals. It is therefore possible to accurately predict the position of the object in a short calculation time and to reliably determine whether the object is at rest or in motion. During a servo operation, a tracking servo operation does not begin erroneously for an object at rest. Once the tracking servo operation begins, because of hysteresis for determining whether the object is moving, the lens continuously and stably tracks the object. During the tracking servo operation, there is no delay of the time intervals at which the distance between the lens and the object is measured, and a distance moved by the object can be corrected and automatically adjusted.

Abstract: A photometric apparatus of a camera for carrying out a multi-segmented photometry by receiving object light reflected at a film or the shutter, includes a plurality of photometric elements which are disposed at positions to respectively receive reflected light from the film or the shutter. The elements are segmented in accordance with each of regions segmenting the object field, corresponding to regions of the film or the shutter, and are arranged in parallel in a predetermined direction within a mirror box so as to respectively receive light reflected with diffusion angles less than a predetermined angle from respective reflection regions of the film or the shutter.

Abstract: An automatic focus controlling apparatus for a camera can set a lens position in a focus detection impossible state on the basis of previously obtained information associated with a distance to an object. The apparatus comprises a memory means for storing a focus controlling signal, and lens drive controlling means for, when an inoperative signal is output, controlling to drive a photographing lens in accordance with lens position information, and for, when the focus controlling signal is output, controlling to drive the photographing lens to a focus controlling position in accordance with the focus controlling signal. When the focus controlling signal is detected, the photographing lens is driven to a focus controlling position in accordance with the detected information. When the inoperative signal is output, the photographing lens is driven in accordance with the focus controlling signal stored in the memory means.

Abstract: An automatic focus state detecting apparatus is capable of focus detection with respect to an object in different focus state detection areas, such as a narrow area or a wide area of an object field, or in areas extending in different directions in the object field. The focus state detecting area may be selected automatically or manually, and the automatic selection may depend upon whether the object is stationary or moving, and the direction of movement. Automatic switching between narrow and wide focus state detecting areas may occur after an in-focus state or a nearly in-focus state is obtained in the narrow area, after a predetermined time has elapsed from the selection of the narrow area, or after a predetermined number of focus detecting operations in the narrow area. Defocus amounts may be calculated for a plurality of sub-areas of the wide area. The defocus amount or a lens driving amount may be limited when the wide area is selected.

Abstract: A rear light detecting apparatus in a camera for detecting whether an object is in rear light comprises a center portion light meter for detecting the brightness of an object lying in the central area of the photographing picture plane, a peripheral portion light meter for detecting the brightness of an object lying in the peripheral area of the central area, a first rear light discriminator for judging on the basis of the result of the detection by the two light meters whether the object lying in the central area is in a rear light state, a focus detector for detecting the focuses of a plurality of objects lying in at least a predetermined detection area within the central area of the picture plane from a pair of object images formed on an image sensor, an object selector for selecting a main object on the basis of the result of the detection by the focus detector, a second rear light discriminator for judging from the outputs of the image sensor which correspond to the selected main object and the other obj

Abstract: A camera system has a device for recording an image of a photographing field in a recording medium such as a photographing negative color film, a photometering device for forming brightness information concerning the brightness of the photographing field, and a color information forming device for forming, in accordance with the brightness information, color information concerning the color of the light from a light source for illuminating the photographing field. The printing process after the deployment of the image is executed with a suitable control of the printing exposure light quantity in accordance with the color information so that a color print of a good quality can be obtained with a high reproducibility of the color.

Abstract: A plant model is constructed with a mathematical procedure known as the Kalman filter. The presumed value or predictive value of a certain parameter of a plant is compared with the actually-measured value of the parameter, and the state transition matrix and drive matrix of the Kalman filter are corrected. When a parameter which is a direct controlled object is difficult of actual measurement, the model is corrected by utilizing another parameter whose actual measurement value is easily obtained. When the plant has a feedback control system based on the proportional-plus-integral control, the gain of the system is corrected in correspondence with the corrections of the elements of the matrices.