Auto focus camera with electronic lens disc pawl release arrangement
First Claim
1. An automatic lens focusing apparatus for automatically focusing image forming rays at a camera focal plane, said apparatus comprising:
- means for generating and transmitting a sonar ranging signal and for providing an indication upon detection of an echo signal reflected from a photographic subject at an elapsed time subsequent to the transmission of the sonar ranging signal;
an objective lens arrangement;
means for mounting said objective lens arrangement for displacement between a plurality of focal positions, said objective lens arrangement being adapted to focus an image of a subject located at a different distance from said objective lens arrangement within a given range of distance at the focal plane of a camera at each of its said focal positions;
means for effecting the displacement of said objective lens arrangement so that said objective lens arrangement reaches each one of its said plurality of focal positions respectively at an elapsed time from its initial displacement greater than the elapsed time from transmission to receipt of an echo signal by said sonar ranging means in an event that a photographic subject is located from said objective lens arrangement by a distance within the given range of distances corresponding to that one focal position in which said objective lens arrangement would focus an image of the subject at the focal plane of the camera; and
means responsive to receipt of an echo signal from a subject by said sonar ranging means for stopping the displacement of said objective lens arrangement at the one focal position in which the objective lens arrangement would focus an image of the subject at the focal plane of the camera, said stopping means operating to stop said objective lens arrangement at an elapsed time subsequent to receipt of the echo signal corresponding to the difference in the elapsed time for said objective lens arrangement to reach its said one focal position from its initial displacement and the elapsed time from transmission to receipt of the echo signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic focusing control apparatus focuses subjects in any one of a plurality of different camera-to-subject distance ranges by transmitting a sonar ranging signal and at the same time displacing an objective lens to move through a plurality of different focal positions corresponding respectively to the different camera-to-subject distance ranges, and thereafter detecting an echo signal from a subject and utilizing the detected echo signal to provide a specially timed control signal to ultimately stop the displacement of the objective lens at the appropriate focal position corresponding to the distance range in which the subject is located.
5 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An automatic lens focusing apparatus for automatically focusing image forming rays at a camera focal plane, said apparatus comprising:
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means for generating and transmitting a sonar ranging signal and for providing an indication upon detection of an echo signal reflected from a photographic subject at an elapsed time subsequent to the transmission of the sonar ranging signal; an objective lens arrangement; means for mounting said objective lens arrangement for displacement between a plurality of focal positions, said objective lens arrangement being adapted to focus an image of a subject located at a different distance from said objective lens arrangement within a given range of distance at the focal plane of a camera at each of its said focal positions; means for effecting the displacement of said objective lens arrangement so that said objective lens arrangement reaches each one of its said plurality of focal positions respectively at an elapsed time from its initial displacement greater than the elapsed time from transmission to receipt of an echo signal by said sonar ranging means in an event that a photographic subject is located from said objective lens arrangement by a distance within the given range of distances corresponding to that one focal position in which said objective lens arrangement would focus an image of the subject at the focal plane of the camera; and means responsive to receipt of an echo signal from a subject by said sonar ranging means for stopping the displacement of said objective lens arrangement at the one focal position in which the objective lens arrangement would focus an image of the subject at the focal plane of the camera, said stopping means operating to stop said objective lens arrangement at an elapsed time subsequent to receipt of the echo signal corresponding to the difference in the elapsed time for said objective lens arrangement to reach its said one focal position from its initial displacement and the elapsed time from transmission to receipt of the echo signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A camera having means for defining a focal plane, said apparatus comprising:
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means for generating and transmitting a sonar ranging signal and for providing an indication upon detection of an echo signal reflected from a photographic subject at an elapsed time subsequent to the transmission of the sonar ranging signal; an objective lens arrangement; means for mounting said objective lens arrangement for displacement between a plurality of focal positions, said objective lens arrangement being adapted to focus an image of a subject located at a different distance from said camera within a given range of distances at the focal plane of the camera at each of its said focal positions; means for effecting a displacement of said objective lens arrangement so that said objective lens arrangement reaches each one of its said plurality of focal positions respectively at an elapsed time from its initial displacement greater than the elapsed time from transmission to receipt of an echo signal by said sonar ranging means in an event that a photographic subject is located from said camera by a distance within the given range of distances corresponding to that one focal position in which said objective lens arrangement would focus an image of the subject at the focal plane of said camera; and means responsive to receipt of an echo signal from a subject by said sonar ranging means for stopping the displacement of said objective lens arrangement at the one focal position in which the objective lens arrangement would focus an image of the subject at the focal plane of said camera, said stopping means operating to stop said objective lens arrangement at an elapsed time subsequent to receipt of an echo signal corresponding to the difference in the elapsed time for said objective lens arrangement to reach its said one focal position from its initial displacement and the elapsed time from transmission to receipt of the echo signal. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An automatic lens focusing apparatus for automatically focusing image forming rays at a camera focal plane, said apparatus comprising:
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means for generating and transmitting a sonar ranging signal and for providing an indication upon detection of an echo signal reflected from a photographic subject at an elapsed time subsequent to the transmission of the sonar ranging signal; an object lens arrangement; means for mounting said objective lens arrangement for displacement between a plurality of focal positions, said mounting means comprising a plurality of spaced apart catches corresponding respectively to said plurality of focal positions, said objective lens arrangement being adapted to focus an image of a subject located at a different distance from said objective lens arrangement within a given range of distances at the focal plane of a camera at each of its said focal positions; means for effecting a displacement of said objective lens so that said objective lens arrangement reaches each one of its said plurality of focal positions at a time correlated to an indication of an echo signal being provided from said sonic ranging means in an event that a subject is located from said objective lens arrangement at a distance at which said objective lens arrangement would focus an image thereof at the camera'"'"'s focal plane; and means responsive to receipt of an echo signal from a subject by said sonar ranging means for stopping the displacement of said objective lens arrangement at the one focal position in which the objective lens arrangement would focus an image of the subject at the focal plane of the camera, said stopping means comprising means for engaging a respective one of said catches to stop the displacement of said objective lens arrangement and timing means for releasing said catch engaging means at an elapsed time subsequent to receipt of the echo sufficient to enable said catch engaging means to always first engage said objective lens arrangement in the space between a pair of adjacent catches such that the continued displacement of said objective lens arrangement operates to thereafter move a respective one of said catches into engagement with said catch engaging means to stop the displacement of said objective lens arrangement at the appropriate focal position corresponding to the distance range in which the subject is located. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A camera having means for defining a focal plane, said camera comprising:
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means for generating and transmitting a sonar ranging signal and for providing an indication upon detection of an echo signal reflected from a photographic subject at an elapsed time subsequent to the transmission of the sonar ranging signal; an object lens arrangement; means for mounting said objective lens arrangement for displacement between a plurality of focal positions, said mounting means comprising a plurality of spaced apart catches corresponding respectively to said plurality of focal positions, said objective lens arrangement being adapted to focus an image of a subject located at a different distance from said camera within a given range of distances at the focal plane of said camera at each of its said focal positions; means for effecting a displacement of said objective lens so that said objective lens arrangement reaches each one of its said plurality of focal positions at a time correlated to an indication of an echo signal being provided from said sonic ranging means in an event that a subject is located from said camera at a distance at which said objective lens arrangement would focus an image thereof at the camera'"'"'s focal plane; and means responsive to receipt of an echo signal from a subject by said sonar ranging means for stopping the displacement of said objective lens arrangement at the one focal position in which the objective lens arrangement would focus an image of the subject at the focal plane of the camera, said stopping means comprising means for engaging a respective one of said catches to stop the displacement of said objective lens arrangement and timing means for releasing said catch engaging means at an elapsed time subsequent to receipt of the echo sufficient to enable said catch engaging means to first engage said objective lens arrangement in the space between a pair of adjacent catches such that the continued displacement of said objective lens arrangement operates to thereafter move a respective one of said catches into engagement with said catch engaging means to stop the displacement of said objective lens arrangement at the appropriate focal position corresponding to the distance range in which the subject is located. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification