Flash photography system

• US 4,558,939 A
• Filed: 10/24/1983
• Issued: 12/17/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Inoue, Toru, Nakai, Masaaki, Taniguchi, Nobuyuki, Omaki, Takanobu, Hosomizu, Hiroshi, Sekida, Minoru, Niwa, Masatake
• Primary Examiner(s): Hix, L. T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Application Number:
  US06/544,870
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 354/127.1, 354/127.11, 354/127.13, 354/129, 354/145.1, 354/416, 354/465, 354/471, 354/472, 354/474, 354/475, 354/421
• US Class Current: 396/159
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/05 Combinations of cameras with electronic flash apparatus; Electronic flash units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/005 Blur detection
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/097 for control of both exposure time and aperture

Abstract

A flash photography system for a photographic camera and a flash device adapted to be connected thereto with the camera providing an aperture value output for flash light photography and a flash light stop signal obtained from an integrated output of the light reflected from a photographic object to terminate flash light emission when the integrated value reaches a predetermined value. The flash device calculates a maximum photographing distance covered by the flash light for effecting a correct exposure of the photographic object from the maximum flash light value and the aperture value from the camera. The maximum photographing distance is displayed by a suitable display visible to the camera operator.

Claims

1. A flash device comprising:

(a) input means for receiving a flash light start signal from a photographic camera;

(b) means for effecting emission of flash light from the flash device in response to said flash light start signal received by said input means;

(c) means for stopping emission of the flash light by a flash light stopping signal from the photographic camera

(d) means for receiving an aperture control value a film speed value from the photographic camera for flash light photographing in series in a digitalized bit-by-bit manner in synchronism with a clock pulse train fed from the photographic camera;

(e) maximum light quantity output means for producing a signal representing a maximum light quantity which can be emitted from the flash device;

(f) calculating means for calculating a maximum photographing distance covered by the flash light for effecting a correct exposure on the photographic object for flash light photographing on the basis of said aperture control value, said film speed value and said maximum light quantity;

(g) means for introducing said clock pulse train from the photographic camera;

(h) means for manually selecting between a first unit of distance and a second unit of distance; and

(i) display means for displaying the maximum photographing distance from the output of the calculating means in accordance with a selected unit of distance, said displaying means including common displaying elements usable both in said first and second units of distance.

2. A flash device comprising:

(a) a first terminal for receiving a flash light start signal from a photographic camera;

(b) flash light emitting means for emitting flash light in response to said flash light start signal;

(c) maximum light quantity output means for producing a signal representing a maximum light quantity for illuminating the photographic object from said flash light emitting means;

(d) output means for producing a signal representing emission of the flash light to start light measurement of reflected light from the photographic object on the basis of said flash light start signal;

(e) means for transferring said maximum light emission quantity to a photographic camera;

(f) means for receiving a flash stop signal from the photographic camera;

(g) means for stopping emission of said flash light;

(h) means for reading a maximum photographing distance covered by the flash light for effecting a correct exposure of the photographic object, said maximum photographing distance being calculated and output from the photographic camera; and

(i) means for displaying said maximum photographing distance on the basis of the output of said reading means.

3. The flash device according to claim 2, wherein said device further comprises:

(j) a DC battery power source;

(k) a booster for boosting the voltage of said battery power source;

(l) A main capacitor being charged by the output of said booster for supplying energy to said flash light emitting means; and

(m) means for producing a charge completion signal by determining whether or not the charged voltage across said main capacitor reaches a predetermined value, reversing the polarity of said charge completion signal when the voltage across said main capacitor reaches said predetermined value.

4. The flash device according to claim 2, wherein said transferring means further comprises means for receiving a clock pulse train from the photographic camera and data output means for outputting various data in synchronism with said clock pulse train, whereby the signal for starting measurement of light and the various data can be transferred to the photographic camera through a second terminal, and the flash stopping signal and the clock pulse train are applied to said flash device through a third terminal.

5. A flash device comprising:

(a) DC battery power source means;

(b) boosting means for boosting the output voltage of said battery means;

(c) a capacitor charged with the output of said boosting means;

(d) a flash light emitting means for emitting flash light enabled by the charge of said capacitor;

(e) means for outputting a charge completion signal by determining whether or not the charged voltage across said capacitor reaches a predetermined value, reversing the polarity of said charge completion signal when the voltage across said capacitor reaches said predetermined value;

(f) means for outputting digital signals including said charge completion signal in series in a bit-by-bit manner in synchronism with a clock pulse train fed from a photographic camera;

(g) a first terminal for receiving a signal produced by closure of a synchronizing switch of the photographic camera;

(h) means, connected to said first terminal, for starting emission of flash light from said flash light emitting means upon closure of said synchronizing switch;

(i) means for producing a light measurement start signal for starting measurement of light upon closure of said synchronizing switch;

(j) a second terminal for outputting said digital signals and said light measurement start signal;

(k) means for stopping emission of flash light in response to a flash light stopping signal derived from the photographic camera; and

(l) a third terminal for receiving said clock pulse train and said flash light stopping signal.

6. In a flash photography system having an electronic flash device and a photographic camera in communication with the flash device by means of digital signals, the electronic flash device comprising:

(a) means for supplying power;

(b) a DC-DC converter connected to the power supplying means;

(c) means for storing an electric charge derived from said DC-DC converter;

(d) means for emitting flash light enabled by the charge of said storing means;

(e) means for receiving a signal produced by closure of a synchronizing switch of the photographic camera;

(f) means, connected to said receiving means, for starting emission of flash light from said emitting means;

(g) means for communicating with the photographic camera by said digital signals;

(h) digital circuit means connected with said communicating means;

(i) means for enabling said DC-DC converter; and

(j) means for detecting an appearance of at least one digital signal at said communicating means to automatically actuate said enabling means.

7. A flash device comprising:

(a) DC battery power source means;

(b) boosting means for boosting the output voltage of said battery means;

(c) a capacitor charged with the output of said boosting means;

(d) a flash light emitting means for emitting flash light enabled by the charge of said capacitor;

(e) means for outputting a charge completion signal by determining whether or not the charged voltage across said capacitor reaches a predetermined value, reversing the polarity of said charge completion signal when the voltage across said capacitor reaches said predetermined value;

(f) means for outputting digital signals including said charge completion signal in series in a bit-by-bit manner in synchronization with a clock pulse train fed from a photographic camera;

(g) receiving means for receiving a signal produced by closure of a synchronizing switch of the photographic camera;

(h) means, connected to said receiving means, for starting emission of flash light from said flash light emitting means upon closure of said synchronizing switch;

(i) means for stopping emission of the flash light by a flash light stopping signal from the photographic camera;

(j) means for receiving an aperture control value and a film speed value from the photographic camera for flash light photographing in series in a digitalized bit-by-bit manner in synchronism with a clock pulse train fed from the photographic camera;

(k) maximum light quantity output means for producing a signal representing a maximum light quantity which can be emitted from the flash device;

(l) calculating means for calculating a maximum photographing distance covered by the flash light for effecting a correct exposure of the photographic object for flash light photographing on the basis of said aperture control value, said film speed value and said maximum light quantity;

(m) means for introducing said clock pulse train from the photographic camera;

(n) display means for displaying the maximum photographing distance from the output of the calculating means;

(o) means for outputting said digital signal to the photographic camera; and

(p) means for receiving said flash stopping signal.