Operation mode display device for picture taking devices

• US 4,529,290 A
• Filed: 08/16/1984
• Issued: 07/16/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Nakai, Masaaki, Taniguchi, Nobuyuki, Omaki, Takanobu, Kobori, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): ADAMS JR, RUSSELL E
• Application Number:
  US06/641,391
• Time in Patent Office: 334 Days
• Field of Search: 354/441, 354/442, 354/443, 354/471, 354/474, 354/475, 354/289.1, 354/289.12
• US Class Current: 396/239
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/20 visible in viewfinder

Abstract

An operation mode display device is provided for a picture taking device such as a camera which controls exposure in a plurality of modes such as a programmed automatic exposure control mode, a diaphragm priority automatic shutter speed control mode, a shutter speed priority automatic diaphragm control mode and a manual exposure control mode. A plurality of display devices are individually operable for displaying a letter for each display means and arranged in a single line to display the letters P, R, O, G, R, A, M and S in order of mention. When the programmed automatic control mode, which is the most frequently used mode in practice, has been selected, all or almost all of the display devices are driven to display the letters "PROGRAMS" or "PROGRAM". When another mode, e.g., the diaphragm priority automatic shutter speed control mode has been selected, one of the display devices is driven to display a single letter "A". Similarly, the letter "S" is displayed when the shutter speed priority automatic diaphragm control mode is selected, and the letter "M" is displayed when the manual exposure control mode is selected. The invention is also applicable to a display of a single and continuous photographic operation of a motor driven camera. In this case, "CONTINUOUS" may be displayed with full letters.

Claims

1. An operation mode display device for a picture taking device operable in a plurality of modes including a specific mode, comprising:

a mode selector manually operable for selecting one of the modes;

a plurality of display means individually operable for displaying a letter for each display means and arranged in a single line in the order to form the word of the specific mode;

a display control means, responsive to the mode selection by said mode selector, for driving, under the selection of the specific mode, all of said display means to display full letters and for driving, with the selection of other modes, one of said display means to display a letter corresponding to the selected mode.

2. An operation mode display device according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of display means further includes an additional display means for displaying a letter representing an additional mode that can not be shown by the letters representing the specific mode, said additional display means being driven by said display control means only when the additional mode is selected by said mode selector.

3. An operation mode display device according to claim 2, wherein said picture taking device includes a camera which controls exposure in a programmed automatic exposure control mode, a diaphragm priority automatic shutter speed control mode, a shutter speed priority automatic diaphragm control mode and a manual exposure control mode, and said plurality of display means is arranged to display the letters P, R, O, G, R, A, M and S in order of mention and display "PROGRAM" in combination when the programmed automatic exposure control mode has been selected.

4. An operation mode display device according to claim 3, wherein said camera further including a program shift means manually operable for shifting a line of the program from a standard program, and said display control means drives said plurality of display means, under selection of the programmed automatic exposure control mode, to display letters "PROGRAM" when said program shift means has not been operated and letters "PROGRAMS" when said program shift means has been operated.

5. An operation mode display device according to claim 1, wherein said picture taking device includes an automatic film wind-up device which controls film wind-up operation in a continuous mode and a single mode, and said plurality of display means is arranged to display the letters of C, O, N, T, I, N, U, O, U and S in order of mention and display "CONTINUOUS" with full letters when the continuous mode has been selected.

6. An exposure control mode display device for a camera which controls exposure in a plurality of modes including a programmed automatic exposure control mode, said device comprising:

a mode selector manually operable for selecting one of the modes;

a plurality of display means individually operable for displaying a letter for each and arranged in a single line to display the letters P, R, O, G, R, A, M and S in order of mention;

a display control means, responsive to the mode selection by said mode selector, for driving, under selection of the programmed automatic exposure control mode, at least some of said plurality of display means to display the letters "PROGRAM" and for driving, under selection of one of the other modes, one of said plurality of display means to display a letter corresponding to the selected mode.

7. An exposure control mode display device according to claim 6, wherein said plurality of modes further including a diaphragm priority automatic shutter speed control mode, a shutter speed priority automatic diaphragm control mode and a manual exposure control mode, and said display control means drives one of said plurality of display means to display the letters "A", "S", and "M" respectively for the diaphragm priority automatic shutter speed control mode, the shutter speed priority automatic diaphragm control mode and the manual exposure control mode.