Abstract: Various embodiments may include fire detector comprising: a fire sensor generating a signal corresponding to a characteristic fire parameter; a control unit; and a photodiode for detecting ambient light in a spectrally delimited range of 400 nm to 1150 nm. The control unit analyzes the signal and generates a fire alarm if the signal corresponds to a predetermined threshold for a fire. The control unit analyzes a photo-signal received from the photodiode and if the flicker frequencies characteristic of open fire are detected, the control unit increases a sampling rate for acquiring the sensor signal from the fire sensor by reducing a filter time of an evaluation filter for the fire analysis and/or by lowering an alerting threshold.

Abstract: A method for capturing an improved archival image using an electronic image capture device having a flash, comprising: capturing at least two preview images of a scene at different capture times using the image capture device; determining a scene brightness; using a processor to analyze the captured preview images to determine a motion velocity for the scene; determining a flash exposure setting and an ambient exposure setting responsive to a ratio between the determined scene brightness and the determined motion velocity; and capturing an archival image using the determined flash exposure setting and the determined ambient exposure setting.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a light metering unit, a setting unit configured to set an exposure condition including exposure time and an aperture value at a time of flash photography based on a result of light metering by the light metering unit, and a first calculation unit configured to calculate an amount of light emission by a light emission unit to perform flash photography under the set exposure condition based on the result of light metering, wherein, when a first amount of light emission to perform flash photography under a first exposure condition is larger than a maximum amount of light emission that can be achieved by the light emission unit, the setting unit sets a second exposure condition having shorter exposure time and a smaller aperture value than the first exposure condition, and the first calculation unit calculates a second amount of light emission smaller than the maximum amount of light emission.

Abstract: In a passive optical network system in which communication signals from a master station to a plurality of subsidiary stations are multiplexed by time division and transmitted, after converting (modulating) data with a high transmission speed to a low transmission speed, a base speed, in the master station, a header including an identifier destined for each subsidiary station is attached to the data with a low transmission speed and the converted data, respectively, the data and the header being multiplexed by time division inside a frame and transmitted to the subsidiary stations at the base speed. In the subsidiary station having received the concerned frame, only the data destined for the station itself is read, on the basis of the identifier included in the header, and by means of demodulation, the converted data are reconverted to the original high speed data and supplied to a user terminal.

Abstract: In an image pickup apparatus capable of setting the flash exposure amount of an external flash both in the camera and the standalone external flash, if a flash exposure compensation amount locally set in the external flash itself and that set in the camera exist, one of them is enabled. Display is changed depending upon the location of the enabled setting in order to give the user notice of the enabled flash exposure compensation amount.

Abstract: In an image sensing apparatus such as a digital camera, digital video camera, or the like, if a photography mode which requires photography with priority on precision is selected, photography is executed in accordance with precision priority setting even when the photography setting is so made as to put a higher priority on speed. This makes it possible to prevent the user's intention from disagreeing with setting as to whether a higher priority is put on speed or precision in photography.

Abstract: Maximum and minimum aperture sizes are regulated with regard to a diaphragm in order to secure predetermined optical capability in an optical unit which includes a taking lens and the diaphragm. In a normal taking, the diaphragm is used within a normal taking range from the maximum to the minimum aperture sizes. In the present invention, an aperture size which is larger than the maximum size and a size which is smaller than the minimum size (extra aperture size or extra small size) are respectively set at outside the range that secures the capability. The aperture sizes of the diaphragm at outside the specified range are used at least for one of the following: automatic exposure (AE) adjustment, auto focus (AF) adjustment, electronic zoom, displaying a moving image, taking for recording the moving image, and taking under a low resolution by thinning out pixels.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates registration of remote nodes in an Ethernet passive optical network (EPON). The system includes a central node and at least one remote node, wherein a number of virtual remote nodes are coupled to a common physical remote node and transmit upstream data through a common transmitter within the common physical remote node. During an initial discovery cycle, the system receives a solicitation message from the central node at a remote node, wherein the solicitation message assigns a discovery slot in which an unregistered remote node may transmit a response message to the central node for registration. The system then transmits a response message from an unregistered remote node to register within the assigned discovery slot.

Abstract: A camera uses a program shutter as a shutter device. When an exposure value becomes larger than EV9, a stop of the camera is closed down so as to increase an f-number. In a case that the camera is loaded with a photographic film having film sensitivity of ISO 1000 or more, an upper limit of a focus set position of a taking lens is fixed to 3 m. By utilizing a depth of field, a picture is taken in a state that a blur is reduced, relative to a subject existing within a range from a comparatively short photographic-distance to a far photographic-distance.

Abstract: An exposure control method and apparatus for a camera having a two-area divided brightness measurement system. A central light value is determined based on a central area brightness of a photographic scene, and a peripheral light value is determined based on a peripheral area brightness of the scene. After determining by comparison between the central and peripheral light values whether the scene is back-lighted or front-lighted, a correction coefficient specific to back-lighted scenes or that specific to front-lighted scenes is read from a memory. An exposure value suitable for a main subject is calculated according to the following equation: Es=log2{1−(1−&agr;)2LVb−LVa}−log2&agr;+LVa wherein Es represents the exposure value and &agr; represents the correction coefficient.

Abstract: In a camera with a shutter that also works as a diaphragm and adjusts an aperture of a lens and a shutter speed by controlling an opening shape, a first opening value for obtaining a target exposure is found according to a subject distance, a guide number of an electronic flash, a film speed and a control target value of an exposure of the electronic flash. Then, a range of a second opening value for an electronic flash light-emission control is found according to an exposure value determined from a photometry value and the film speed. When the photometry value is more than a predetermined value for an AE control, if the first opening value is more than a predetermined value lower than a minimum value of the range of the second opening value or more than the predetermined value higher than a maximum value of the range of the second opening value, the light-emission of the electronic flash is prohibited.

Abstract: An exposure control system for a camera, which is provided with a strobe, includes a photometry system that measures brightness of an object; an exposure parameter determining system that determines exposure parameters in accordance with the brightness detected by the photometry system; a judging system that judges whether a daylight synchro-flash photographing is executed; and an exposure parameter changing system that changes at least one of the exposure parameters determined by the exposure parameter determining system when it is judged that the daylight synchro-flash photographing is executed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed whereby generally matched exposures for at least first and second photoresponsive materials generally concurrently can be obtained, wherein the first photoresponsive material is more photoresponsive than the second.

Abstract: An exposure controlling device comprises, a controlling unit that controls, at the time of an exposure, the DC motor to rotate forward to open the shutter blades and then to rotate reversely to close the shutter blades, a calculating unit that calculates a time period for driving the DC motor in the forward direction between a predetermined starting point and a point where a required aperture area is obtained, a detecting unit that detects the starting point that is an intermediate point of the range of a shutter actuation, and a timer for counting the calculated time period.

Abstract: A shutter apparatus is provided wherein openings for defining a secondary aperture are formed in respective shutter blades, such that an amount of light transmitted through the secondary aperture is detected, and the drive force for driving the shutter blades is changed so that the amount of the received amount increases in the opening stroke according to a predetermined function. When the integrated quantity of the received light reaches a threshold value, the movement of the shutter blades is reversed, and the shutter speed is determined based on the integrated light quantity obtained upon completion of shifting to the closing stroke. Thus, variations in the exposure amount that occur upon reversal of the shutter blades are canceled in the closing stroke.

Abstract: A camera system comprises a brightness measuring circuit, a exposure line choosing circuit, an operable switch, a film driver and a film driving mode selector. The brightness measuring circuit measures brightness of a photographic scene to send a brightness value. The exposure line choosing circuit chooses one of a plurality of exposure lines in which each lines selects a combination of an aperture value and a shutter speed value at each brightness value. The film driver drives a film in either of a first mode in which the film is wound only one frame in response to the operation of the operable switch and a second mode in which the film is wound frame by frame continuously as long as the operable member is operated. The film driving mode selector selects one of the modes in accordance with the exposure line chosen by the choosing circuit.

Abstract: A camera capable of operation in continuous photography and one-frame photography modes has an automatically activated flash device the operation of which may be inhibited by the user when desired. In a preferred embodiment, when the camera is in the continuous photography mode and the user has inhibited the flash device, the inhibition of the flash device is maintained upon completion of continuous photography. One-frame photography may be performed while the camera is in the continuous photography mode, and while maintaining inhibition of the flash device, by momentary depression of the shutter release button. If the camera is operated in the one-frame photography mode and the flash device is inhibited, inhibition of the flash device is automatically cancelled after each exposure.