Camera system

• US 5,220,368 A
• Filed: 06/10/1992
• Issued: 06/15/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Yoshida, Tadahiro, Nakai, Masaaki, Taniguchi, Nobuyuki, Omaki, Takanobu, Nakasa, Masayuki, Kikukawa, Yoshiiku, Kitaura, Mashio
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey, W. B.
• Application Number:
  US07/896,873
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• Field of Search: 354/105, 354/106, 354/456-464, 354/266, 354/21
• US Class Current: 396/318
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/08 Control effected solely on the basis of the response, to the intensity of the light received by the camera, of a built-in light-sensitive device
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/091 Digital circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/16 in accordance with both the intensity of the flash source and the distance of the flash source from the object, e.g. in accordance with the "guide number" of the flash bulb and the focusing of the camera

Abstract

A camera system including a camera body and a camera accessory attachable to the camera body, such as an interchangeable back lid, an interchangeable lens, a flash device and so on, is disclosed. In the system, a plurality of circuits provided in plurality of camera accessories are controlled by a microcomputer provided in the camera body. Data transmitted between the microcomputer and the circuits using a serial data bus and synchronizing clock line connected therebetween. The circuit to receive the data sent from the microcomputer, or the circuit which should send the data to the microcomputer are selected by the microcomputer through chip select lines provided between the microcomputer and each circuit.

Claims

1. A camera to which a camera accessory, having a light source that is used for printing data on a film, is attachable, comprising;

means for transmitting a film sensitivity signal indicating film sensitivity of a film loaded in the camera in order to control the amount of light emitted by the light source;

means for producing a printing start signal in response to the start of an exposure control operation of the camera system in order to start a printing operation of the camera accessory; and

means for producing a printing terminating signal in response to termination of the exposure control operation of the camera system in order to terminate the printing operation of the camera accessory.

2. A data printing device for a camera, comprising;

means for receiving a printing signal from the camera;

means for printing one of a series of numbers on every successive frame of a film in response to the printing signal;

means for serially increasing or decreasing the number to be printed on the each frame in response to the printing signal;

means for discriminating whether the film has been wound to a position where one of its regular photographing frames is positioned at a photographing position at which an image will be formed; and

means for interrupting the operation of the increasing or decreasing means when one of the regular photographing frames is discriminated not to be positioned at the photographing position.

3. A data printing device for a camera, comprising;

means for selecting a printing mode among a plurality of prepared printing modes;

means for printing data determined in accordance with the selected printing mode, on a film;

means for selectively indicting a name of the selected printing mode and data to be printed on the film; and

means for switching the indication of the indicating means between a first condition in which the selected printing mode is indicated and a second condition in which the data to be printed is indicated.

4. A data recording device for a camera, comprising:

means for receiving a recording signal from the camera;

means for recording one number of a series on each successive frame of a film in response to the recording signal;

means for serially increasing or decreasing the number to be recorded on a frame in response to the recording signal;

means for discriminating whether the film has been wound to a position where one of the regular photographing frames is positioned at a photographing position at which an image will be formed; and

means for interrupting the operation of the increasing or decreasing means when one of the regular photographing frames is discriminated not to be positioned at the photographing position.

5. A data recording device for a camera, comprising:

means for selecting a recording mode from among a plurality of prepared recording modes;

means for recording data determined in accordance with the selected recording mode on a film;

means for selectively indicating a name of the selected recording mode and data to be recorded on the film; and

means for switching the indication of the indicating means between a first condition in which the selected recorded mode is indicated and a second condition in which the data to be recorded is indicated.

6. A data printing device for use in a camera system including a camera body which is capable of automatically reading data indicating sensitivity of a film loaded in the camera body and outputting a signal indicating the film sensitivity, comprising:

means for receiving the signal outputted by the camera body;

means for receiving an exposure operation starting signal indicating the start of an exposure operation of the camera system;

means for emitting light in order to print predetermined data on the film, said emitting means starting its light emission in response to receipt of the exposure operation starting signal; and

means for controlling the amount of light emitted by the emitting means in accordance with the received signal.

7. A data printing device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the controlling means includes means for controlling a period of time during which the emitting means emits said light, in accordance with the film sensitivity signal.

8. A data printing device as claimed in claim 7, further comprising means for receiving an exposure operation terminating signal which is produced to terminate an exposure operation of the camera system, and means for interrupting the light emission of the emitting means in response to receipt of the exposure operation terminating signal when said light emitting time period has not terminated.