Camera having a remote control function

• US 5,119,123 A
• Filed: 03/15/1990
• Issued: 06/02/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Hayama, Koh, Okada, Hiroyuki, Tsuji, Sadafusa, Nakai, Masaaki, Tominaga, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Adams, Russell E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Noh, Jae
• Application Number:
  US07/494,231
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 354/137, 354/267.1, 354/223.1, 354/402, 354/131
• US Class Current: 396/59
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/28 Systems for automatic generation of focusing signals
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/38 Releasing-devices separate from shutter integral with shutter G03B9/08

Abstract

A camera having a remote controller. The automatic focusing mechanism of the camera measures a distance from the camera to a main object positioned within approximately the center region of a focus area and automatically obtains a in-focus condition in correspondence with the measured object distance. The camera includes a memory for storing a maximum object distance at which in-focus conditions are obtained by the automatic focusing mechanism in a remote control photographing mode. When the main object is photographed in the remote control photographing mode, a comparing device compares an object distance measured by the automatic focusing mechanism and the maximum object distance set in the memory with each other. If the measured object distance is less than the maximum object distance, an optical system is adjusted to a normal photographing mode. If the main object is positioned outside the focus area and the object distance measured by the automatic focusing mechanism is longer than the maximum object distance, the measured data is altered to the maximum object distance. According to a modified camera having the automatic focusing mechanism and an automatic exposure mechanism, in a photographing under the same light condition, an aperture size in the remote control mode is set to be larger than an aperture size set by the automatic exposure mechanism in the normal photographing mode.

Claims

1. A camera capable of performing an auto-focusing operation in response to a signal from a remote controller which is provided separately from said camera, comprising:

means for receiving the signal from the remote controller;

means, responsive to the signal received by said receiving means, for measuring an object distance of an object aligned with a focus area which is positioned with a predetermined region of a field of view in a viewfinder;

memory means for storing a predetermined object distance;

means for comparing the object distance measured by said measuring means and the predetermined object distance stored by said memory means with each other; and

means for replacing the measured object distance by the predetermined object distance when the measured object distance exceeds the predetermined object distance.

5. A camera according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined object distance is a maximum distance at which the signal from the remote controller can reach said receiving means of said camera.

2. A camera capable of performing an auto-focusing operation on an object aligned with a focus area which is positioned within a predetermined region of afield of view in a viewfinder in response to a signal from a remote controller which is provided separately from said camera, comprising:

means for receiving the signal from the remote controller; and

means for selectively setting one of a first aperture size and a second aperture size which is smaller than the first aperture size under a predetermined amount of light, wherein said setting means sets the second aperture size in response to the signal received by said receiving means.

3. A camera capable of performing a shutter release operation in response to a signal from a remote controller which is provided separately from said camera, comprising:

means for receiving the signal from the remote controller;

means, responsive to the signal received by said receiving means, for setting a time for delaying an exposure timing after an operation designating the shutter release operation of said camera is performed by the remote controller; and

sound generating means, provided in the remote controller, for indicating the exposure timing delayed according to the delay time set by said setting means.

4. A camera capable of performing a shutter release operation in response to a signal from a remote controller which is provided separately from said camera, comprising:

means for receiving the signal from the remote controller;

memory means for storing a predetermined object distance;

a focusing lens which consists of at least a part of a photographing lens;

means for moving said focusing lens within a predetermined range; and

means, responsive to the signal received by said receiving means, for controlling said moving means not to move said focusing lens to a position corresponding to an object distance which exceeds the predetermined object distance within the predetermined range.

6. A camera capable of performing an auto-focusing operation in response to a signal from a remote controller which is provided separately from said camera, comprising:

means for receiving the signal from the remote controller;

means, responsive to the signal received by said receiving means, for measuring an object distance of an object aligned with a focus area which is positioned within a predetermined region of a field of view in a viewfinder;

memory means for storing a predetermined object distance;

means for comparing the object distance measured by said measuring means and the predetermined object distance stored by said memory means with each other; and

means for replacing the measured object distance by a specified object distance when the measured object distance exceeds the predetermined object distance.

7. A camera according to claim 6 wherein the predetermined object distance is a maximum distance at which the signal from the remote controller can reach said receiving means of said camera.

8. A camera capable of performing a shutter release operation in response to a signal from a remote controller which is provided separately from said camera, comprising:

means for receiving the signal from the remote controller;

a focusing lens which consists of at least a part of a photographing lens;

means for moving said focusing lens within a predetermined range; and

means, responsive to the signal received by said receiving means, for controlling said moving means so as to limit a movable range of said focusing lens within the predetermined range.

9. A camera according to claim 8 wherein said controlling means controls said moving means to move said focusing lens to a position corresponding to a maximum object distance within the limited movable range in response to the signal from the remote controller.

10. A camera capable of performing a shutter release operation in response to a signal from a remote controller which is provided separately from said camera, comprising:

means for receiving the signal from the remote controller;

a focusing lens which consists of at least a part of a photographing lens;

means for moving said focusing lens within a predetermined range; and

means, responsive to the signal received by said receiving means, for controlling said moving means to move said focusing lens toward a position in a limited range within the predetermined range.

11. A camera according to claim 10 wherein said controlling means controls said moving means to move said focusing lens to a position corresponding to a maximum object distance within the limited movable range in response to the signal from the remote controller.

12. A camera operable in a remote control photographing mode comprising:

a camera body;

a remote controller for operating said camera in the remote control photographing mode;

a manually operable member provided on said camera body for being operated when said camera is in the remote control photographing mode; and

means for removably mounting said remote controller on said camera body, said mounting means including means for covering said manually operable member by said remote controller for preventing access to said manually operable member when said remote controller is mounted on said camera body.

13. A camera according to claim 12 wherein said manually operable member comprises a switch.