Abstract: In the disclosed distance measuring arrangement, a light projector turns on and off to illuminate an object over the ambient light during projection periods when light is projected and during space periods when light is not projected. The reflected light is detected as a function of distance by integrating projection signals representing light reflected during projection periods, integrating space signals representing light during reflected space periods, subtracting the integration space signals from the projection signals, and extracting measurements based on the subtractions. Compensation for change in ambient light between periods is obtained by changing the timing of the integrations and extractions from concidence with the projections and space periods.

Abstract: The disclosed device responds to pulsed light from a light source to produce electrical signals. A photo-electric transducer element uses a number of signal storage sites on which successive signals from the photo-electric transducer element are accumulated. A signal flow circuit transfers the stored signals from one of the signal storage sites to another in synchronism with the energization and de-energization of the light source. Simultaneously, those signals produced when the light source is energized are accumulated on a common storage site. The other signals produced when the light source is not energized are accumulated on another common storage site. When performing a computation on the basis of an electrical readout of one set of stored signals and another electrical readout of another set of stored signals, the different characteristics of the different storage site prevent inaccurate results.

Abstract: A visual field searching device is arranged to divide the visual field to be searched into a plurality of intermediate fields each of which is larger than a constituent unit field; to select, for each of the intermediate fields, a typical or representative object distance data from among object distance data obtained for individual constituent unit fields included in each intermediate field; further, for each intermediate field, to discriminate whether the representative distance data thus selected is in a predetermined relation to other object distance data; and after that, to perform a signal processing operation to obtain necessary information by processing only the number of data representing the intermediate fields instead of processing all the data for all the constituent unit fields.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of detecting the focusing condition of an image forming optical system to an object, in which two images of the object are formed with respective light beams from the prescribed exit pupil areas lying in almost symmetry to each other with respect to the optical axis of the optical system and are sensed to obtain an equal number of picture element data for each of the images, and based on the thus-obtained picture element data, while sequential shifting for the first image is carried out from its one end to its opposite end, and a sequential shifting for the second image from its symmetric one end thereto to its opposite end, each by a predetermined number of picture elements, a correlation betweeen the first and second images in every predetermined equal number of picture elements is sought, whereby an optimum correlation is obtained, the corresponding mutual positional relationship between the above-described predetermined numbers of picture elements is detected to discriminate whether

Abstract: A photoelectric transducer element responsive to ambient light and a combination of ambient and projected light from light emitting apparatus operates with a predetermined cycle by signals from an oscillator. This produces respective output signals which are then stored on first and second storing apparatus. Signals from the storing apparatus provide information necessary for photographing, since the storing operation is synchronized with the oscillating operation.

Abstract: In the disclosed distance measuring device a light source projects light on an object to be photographed. A photo-electric converter for receiving light reflected from the object includes at least one photo-electric converting portion whose electric charge varies according to the quantity of light incident thereon. A control includes a first electric charge store which stores an electric charge produced at the photo-electric converting portion while the light is projected from the light source, a second electric charge store which stores an electric charge produced at the photo-electric converting portion while light is not projected from the light source, and a detector which detects at least one of the amounts of electric charge stored at the first and second electric charge stores. The control varies the quantity of light projected by the light source on the basis of the result detected by the detector.

Abstract: A code plate for a camera comprises parts arranged in various two-dimensional shapes highly suited for an automatic focus control system for a zoom lens.

Abstract: Disclosed is a camera having a plurality of range finder areas in the field of view upon distance measurement thereof to provide information for focusing adjustment of the photographic lens, wherein the number of the aforesaid rangefinder spots contributing to focal adjustment of the photographic lens is changed by automatically depending upon the object distance, whereby focusing is properly performed by taking into account the number of laterally spaced objects in a target area and the back- or fore-ground by a very simple operation.

Abstract: In a focus detecting apparatus for detecting the focus state of an objective lens on the basis of a light passing through the objective lens, a field lens is disposed near the predetermined imaging plane of the objective lens, and a projecting optical system for projecting the light from a light source onto an object through a first area of the pupil of the objective lens and a light-receiving optical system for forming a plurality of images on a sensor on the basis of lights passing through second and third areas of the pupil of the objective lens are disposed rearward of the image of the pupil of the objective lens formed by the field lens, whereby both focus detection based on the projected light and focus detection not based on the projected light can be accomplished.

Abstract: In the disclosed photo-electric conversion device, a light source repetitiously emits light and a photo-electric converter receives reflected light originally generated by the source and ambient light. A first store stores the output of the photo-electric converter when the light source emits light and a second store stores data from the photo-electric converter when the source does not emit light. A gate transfers the output from the converter to the first and second stores. A pulse generator controls the gate for transferring the converter output to the first store and the second store during every light emitting cycle of the light source.

Abstract: A distance detection apparatus detects distances to a far object and a near object in a view field, weights the detected distance information, and selects the distance information on the near object to finally detect the distance.

Abstract: The disclosed automatic focusing device operates with cameras, or the like, in either a first mode in which a range finding operation and a lens drive operation occur alternately or in a second mode in which the lens is driven during the range finding operation. The mode is automatically selected depending on the conditions of an object to be photographed so as to optimize the focus adjustment for a given photographic situation.

Abstract: A compression type A/D converter for producing an output in the form of a digital value almost equal to the square root of the input analog value. For this purpose, the A/D converter is constructed as a dual-slope A/D converter in which the current signal for inverse integration increases as a function of a polynominal of order n (n=1) of the inverse integration period.

Abstract: A distance measuring apparatus provided with a plurality of light-emitting units and a plurality of light-receiving units. The light emission period of each of the light-emitting units is changed over at each predetermined period interval. A plurality of light-receiving elements constituting each light-receiving unit are constructed so as to receive the reflected light from a plurality of distance measurement fields of view on an object to be photographed in a plurality of distance measurement zones obtained by dividing a range to be measured into several blocks. The input signal from each of the light-receiving elements in each of the distance measurement zones is changed over in synchronism with the light emission period of the light-emitting units and the output signals for the respective distance measurement zones are compared, whereby a distance data indicative of the distance measurement zone most approximate to the object distance is put out.

Abstract: A focusing device for focusing a photographic camera or the like on the image of an object to be photographed is arranged to control and adjust the operating time of each performance of a focus detecting process according to a signal produced from reflection light receiving means during a series of processes. These processes include projecting a light on the object, receiving a reflection light from the object, computing an extent of deviation of a photo-taking lens from an in-focus position on the basis of a signal produced from a light receiving device; and driving the lens to shift its position.

Abstract: The disclosed distance measuring device is arranged to project light on an object. Reflected light from the object is received by a photo-electric converter to shift the position of a photo-taking lens to an in-focus position on the basis of a signal produced from the photo-electric converter. The projected light and/or the reflected light is divided into a multiplicity of light fluxes for the purpose of broadening and simplifying the distance measuring range and accuracy.

Abstract: This specification discloses improvements in the so-called sharpness detection type algorism in which three light receiving means are provided near a predetermined focal plane and forwardly and rearwardly thereof to quantitatively detect the out-of-focus relative to the predetermined focal plane and the sharpnesses of the images at the positions of the three light receiving means are detected. More particularly, it discloses a technique whereby the range in which the amount of in-focus error can be detected is increased by using as a signal for normalizing an error signal a signal indicative of the difference between the sharpness of the image on the light receiving means disposed near the predetermined focal plane and the smaller one of the sharpnesses of the images on the light receiving means at the opposite ends.

Abstract: Disclosed is a control system for carrying out the focus detection and the light measurement of a camera by means of which after the termination of the exposure the next focus detection and the next light measurement are controlled systematically so as to be started at a proper timing respectively in such a manner that the next focus detection and the next light measurement is prohibited before the diaphragm in the exposure state is brought back into the stationary state, in order to prevent the misoperation.

Abstract: In the device disclosed, an image formed by an optical system is scanned by an image sensor composed of independently arranged photoelectric transducing elements to produce an image scanning signal. A detecting circuit detects the variation of the brightness between the adjacent image elements as a measure of the sharpness of the image and the focus of the optical system. The focus detection accuracy is improved by non-linear transformation of the brightness variation signal with a non-linear transformation circuit that weighs the brightness variation signal on the basis of the signal level. A signal forming circuit detects the difference between the outputs of transducing elements and adds the differences to produce a comparator signal when a predetermined relationship is reached between the sharpness indication and the addition signal.

Abstract: This specification discloses an apparatus for detecting and counting the pulse from a monitor signal source which repetitively forms a pulse in association with a member to be controlled and thereby detecting the amount of movement of the member to be controlled. In the apparatus, depending on whether the pulse put out from the monitor signal source for the first time starts from a rising signal or from a falling signal, the count mode of the pulse is made into a falling pulse count mode or a rising pulse count mode, thereby ensuring accurate detection of the amount of movement to be accomplished.