Abstract: An information recording/reproduction apparatus for a camera includes a magnetic reading unit which can contact a magnetic recording medium arranged in advance on a film, and a drive control unit for, when the magnetic reading unit reaches a predetermined position with respect to the film, bringing the magnetic reading unit into contact with the magnetic recording medium.

Abstract: A camera including a shutter that regulates the exposure time of the recording medium, a shutter measuring device that measures the time during which the shutter exposes the recording medium, a discerning device that discerns whether or not the recording medium is an infrared sensitive medium, and a suppressing device that suppresses the action of the shutter measuring device when the discerning device discerns that the medium is the infrared sensitive medium. This structure prevents the accidental sensitization of infrared film in the camera. In an alternative arrangement, a controller controls the operation of the shutter measuring device in accordance with either the type of recording medium or a voltage amount supplied to the shutter measuring device.

Abstract: In a camera having magnetic recording apparatus for recording information regarding photograph film frames, a controller determines when a recording head engages a recording medium in accordance with different photographing modes. In a single-frame mode the recording head engages the recording medium for recording during single-frame film advancement after a single-frame exposure and then is disengaged from the medium. In a continuous mode the recording head may engage the medium only during a single-frame film advancement after exposure of a plurality of film frames, and stored information regarding all of the plurality of exposed film frames is then recorded collectively. Alternatively, stored information may be recorded frame-by-frame during film rewind. In a modification, the recording head is maintained engaged with the medium during continuous photographing, for frame-by-frame recording.

Abstract: In an exposure calculation device for a camera including a photometric sensor which performs photometry on the light from an object to be photographed and outputs a photometric signal related to the brightness thereof and a calculation device which calculates an exposure value based upon the photometric signal, the calculation device calculates the exposure value based upon the value obtained by subtracting a compensation value signal from the photometric signal from the object to be photographed. This compensation value signal is the stored photometric signal obtained when a condition change-over device is in its condition to prevent light from an object to be photographed from reaching the photometric device, i.e. is the signal value due to the noise component or generated as a function of temperature.

Abstract: A shutter operation detection device comprising a light emitting diode and a photo transistor is provided in proximity to the shutter curtains to measure the actual exposure time. The difference between the control exposure time, which is based upon the brightness value of the subject to be photographed and the film sensitivity, and the actual exposure time is determined. The control exposure time for the next session is corrected based upon this difference. The amount of correction for increasing the control exposure time is differentiated from the amount correction for decreasing the control exposure time.

Abstract: A camera includes a data recording system or databack which records information such as the time, the date, a name and a copyright symbol onto a recording medium used by the camera. The name, time and date data, which must be set by the user, are lost when power to the databack is lost or interrupted. To ensure that incorrect data is not recorded onto the recording medium after a power loss or interruption, a control system of the databack determines if the data to be recorded are in a default state or in an adjusted state. For data in the adjusted state, the control system allows those data to be recorded on the recording medium. For data in the default state, the control system prevents those data from being recorded on the recording medium. Alternately, if any data is in the default state, the control system prevents any data except fixed data, such as the copyright symbol, from being recorded, in one case, or prevents any data from being recorded, in another case.

Abstract: A battery pack capable of being installed in an electric equipment comprises a first battery, an integrating circuit for integrating at least the amount of discharge from the first battery, and a second battery for supplying power to the integrating circuit, which is arranged separatly from the first battery.

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: The photometric sensor of the present invention includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements which accumulate electric charge according to the intensity of the light which is incident upon them; a CCD shift register, comprising a plurality of CCD (Charge Coupled Device) elements which correspond respectively to the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, and at least one relay CCD element which does not correspond to any one of the photoelectric conversion elements, and which reads in the accumulated electric charges from the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements to the plurality of CCD elements and transmits them via the relay CCD element; a charge to voltage conversion circuit which converts the accumulated electric charges transmitted from the CCD shift register into photometric signals and outputs them in order; and a timing signal generation circuit which, when the photometric signals from the charge to voltage conversion circuit originating from the plurality of photoelectr

Abstract: An information recording apparatus performs a variety of characteristic actions to record, information on a photographing film, including a claim of copyright. As one version thereof, the information recording apparatus is constructed to make switchable a system of fully recording four figures of year number and a system of automatically recording low-order two figures, depending on whether or not the number of figures of a person's name is larger than a predetermined number of figures. Further, the information recording apparatus is constructed to surely record the copyright data on the film by making a timing of recording the copyright data different from a timing of recording date/hour information. The information recording apparatus is further constructed to preferentially record the copyright data on the film by independently controlling a recorder for recording the copyright data and a recorder for recording other date/hour information.

Abstract: A camera having a mechanism to determine the precise times at which a shutter or shutter blinds open or close an aperture. The camera measures the actual time in which shutter blinds pass over the aperture by utilizing a projection unit, positioned on one side of the shutter, to project a signal towards the aperture. A signal receiving unit is placed on the other side of the shutter and receives the signal. The output of the signal receiving unit changes depending on whether the signal projected by the projection unit is blocked by the shutter (when the shutter is closed) or whether the projected signal passes through the aperture. The projection unit and the receiving unit can also be placed on the same side of the shutter, with a reflecting unit placed on the other side of the shutter, with the shutter blinds having a different reflectivity than the reflecting unit. When the shutter blinds are closed, the projected signal is reflected off the shutter blinds and received by the receiving unit.

Abstract: An apparatus for performing photometry on a photographic subject image divided into plural regions, which eliminates the negative effects on photometry caused by an illumination source which provides auxiliary lighting. The illumination source for providing auxiliary lighting illuminates a portion of the photographic subject. When it is detected that photometry is being performed, illumination by the illumination source may be inhibited such that the brightness of the subject does not suddenly change, thereby adversely effecting photometry. Conversely, when the commencement of the action of the illumination source is detected, photometry may be inhibited such that the change in brightness due to the illumination source has no effect on the photometry. When a portion of the photographic subject has been illuminated by the illumination source during photometry this situation is detected, and the photometric result is corrected to compensate for the effect of the illumination source on photometry.

Abstract: There is disclosed a device for preventing the camera shaking, provided with a light metering circuit for receiving the light from an object and releasing luminance signal corresponding to the luminance of the object; a detection circuit for detecting the camera shaking at phototaking operation; a counter for counting the number of phototaking operations identified as involving camera shaking and the number of phototaking operations identified as not involving camera shaking; a discriminator for comparing the above-mentioned numbers and discriminating the relation of the numbers; and an exposure control circuit for varying the shutter time, calculated from the luminance signal, to a shorter shutter time if the count of phototaking operations identified, by the discriminator, as involving camera shaking is larger than the count of phototaking operations identified as not involving camera shaking.

Abstract: The speed of a light metering system that performs divided brightness measurements is increased by omitting the computations used to calculate the suitable exposure conditions when the metered signals output by the lightmeter are nearly identical to metered signals stored in the light meter from a previous metering operation. In such a case, the exposure operation is performed using exposure conditions that were previously calculated for the stored metered signals.

Abstract: There is disclosed a driving device for piezoelectric actuator, in which a voltage is applied to a piezoelectric actuator to generate a mechanical deformation therein, thus actuating a mechanical system. In an aspect, the piezoelectric actuator is at first given a voltage of inverse polarity, for generating a displacement in an opposite direction, and then given a voltage of forward polarity, for generating a displacement in the normal functioning direction, thereby actuating the mechanical system. Displacement and acceleration become larger, as the displacement of the actuator takes place from a position in the inverse direction. In another aspect, the electrical insulation state of the piezoelectric actuator is detected, and, if deteriorated, the destruction of insulation is prevented by an alarm generation and/or inhibition of voltage application. In an embodiment, the insulation state is identified from the ambient humidity of the actuator.

Abstract: A camera capable of photographing with the aid of the application of light to an object to be photographed by electrical flash means includes producing means for producing field angle information regarding the photographing field angle, detecting means for detecting that the photographing field angle is wider than the illuminating angle of the light of the electrical flash means and outputting a detection signal, and control means responsive to the detection signal to cause the producing means to produce field angle information indicative of a photographing field angle narrower than the illuminating angle of the light of the electrical flash means.

Abstract: A camera is so structured that trimming photographing in which the F-number of the photographing optical system does not change is preferentially selected for the zoom-up photographing of a dark object field, so that the shutter time does not extend unnecessarily and the risk of hand-vibrated photographing is reduced.

Abstract: A camera system including a camera and a data back has recording, display, and control functions. Signals are exchanged between CPU's of the camera and the data back through interface circuits. In one embodiment, the data back delivers periodic shutter release commands to the camera in an interval mode of operation so that the shutter is released cyclically. A shutter release signal causes an exposure operation, the completion of which terminates the shutter release signal. Then the shutter release signal is generated again to cause another exposure operation. If shutter release is not completed within a predetermined period, a new cycle of shutter release operation is nevertheless initiated.

Abstract: There are disclosed a secondary battery detachably mountable on a camera body, a camera body on which such secondary battery is mountable, and a battery system including such secondary battery and such camera body. A system includes a battery pack equipped with a circuit for calculating the charge/discharge amount of the battery and a device for displaying the remaining capacity of the battery obtained from the calculation, the display device being so positioned as to be observable from the rear side of the camera. In another embodiment, a primary battery pack or a secondary battery pack is selectively mounted to the camera body, and a display device on the camera body indicates the remaining capacity of either pack mounted on the camera. In still another embodiment, the calculation of charge/discharge amount is made more precisely, by controlling the timing of calculation according to the on/off timing of loads in the camera such as motors.

Abstract: A camera comprising a light press timer for maintaining a power source until a predetermined power source maintaining time elapses even if the power source is switched on by the half depression operation of a release button and the half depression operation is released, a time counting device for starting time counting with photographing, a memory device for finding the photographing interval time from the preceding photographing till the current photographing from the result of the time counting by the time counting device each time photographing is effected and memorizing it, and a determining device for determining a predetermined power source maintaining time from the memorized photographing interval time.