Apparatus for ordering to phototake with eye-detection

• US 5,239,337 A
• Filed: 12/16/1992
• Issued: 08/24/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Kato, Minoru, Utagawa, Ken, Takagi, Tadao, Takeuchi, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): PERKEY, WILLIAM B
• Application Number:
  US07/992,290
• Time in Patent Office: 251 Days
• Field of Search: 354/62, 354/443, 354/471, 354/219, 354/266
• US Class Current: 396/51
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/02 Viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/06 with lenses with or without reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/20 visible in viewfinder
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2213/025 Sightline detection
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/005 Blur detection
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/091 Digital circuits

Abstract

A camera operation directing device includes an eye-gaze direction detection device for detecting a direction of an eye-gaze of an observer who is looking into a finder, in a predetermined eye-gaze operation area within the finder and for outputting an eye-gaze operation signal, and a photographic operation direction device for directing the photographic operation, including at least starting of a photo-taking operation, in accordance with the eye-gaze operation signal from the eye-gaze direction detection device.

Claims

1. A device for directing a camera operation by detecting operator'"'"'s eye-gaze direction, said device comprising:

eye-gaze direction detection means for detecting a direction of an eye-gaze of an operator who is looking into a finder, in a predetermined eye-gaze operation area within said finder and for outputting an eye-gaze operation signal; and

photographic operation direction means for directing photographic operation, including at least starting of a photo-taking operation, in accordance with the eye-gaze operation signal from said eye-gaze direction detection means.

2. A device for directing a camera operation by detecting operator'"'"'s eye-gaze direction according to claim 1, further comprising an eye-gaze operation position presetting means which can preset an eye-gaze operating position within the finder and which outputs the eye-gaze operation signal when the operator'"'"'s eye-gaze is directed to the preset eye-gaze operation position.

3. A device for directing a camera operation by detecting operator'"'"'s eye-gaze direction according to claim 1, further comprising an eye-gaze operation position presetting means which can preset a plurality of eye-gaze operating positions within the finder and which outputs the eye-gazed operation signal when the operator'"'"'s eye-gaze is directed to the preset eye-gaze operation positions in sequence.

4. A device for directing a camera operation by detecting operator'"'"'s eye-gaze direction according to claim 1, further comprising display control means for prohibiting display of the eye-gaze operating position when the photo-taking operation is impossible.

5. A device for directing a camera operation by detecting operator'"'"'s eye-gaze direction, said device comprising:

eye-gaze direction detection means for detecting a direction of an eye-gaze of an operator who is looking into a finder, in a predetermined eye-gaze operation area of said finder and for outputting an eye-gaze operation signal;

manual operation means for outputting a manual operation signal by a manual operation;

mode selection means for making a selection between an eye-gaze operation mode which uses the eye-gaze operation signal and a manual operation mode which uses the manual operation signal; and

photographic operation direction means for directing photographic operation, including at least starting of a photo-taking operation, in accordance with the operation signal selected by said mode selection means.

6. A device for directing a camera operation by detecting operator'"'"'s eye-gase direction according to claim 5, further comprising a mode selection control means for switching over said mode selection means from the manual operation mode to the eye-gaze operation mode when a shutter speed is set to a value lower than a predetermined value.

7. A device for directing a camera operation by detecting operator'"'"'s eye-gaze direction according to claim 5, further comprising an exposure control means for controlling exposure in accordance with a first program diagram when the manual operation mode is selected by said mode selection means for controlling exposure in accordance with a second program diagram when the eye-gaze operation mode is selected by said mode selection means, a shutter speed determined by said second program diagram being slower than that determined by said first program diagram relative to the same exposure value.

8. An eye-gaze detection operation type camera comprising:

finder means for observing a subject;

eye-gaze detecting means for detecting an eye-gaze of a camera operator who is looking into said finder;

movement detecting means for detecting movement of said eye-gaze from a first predetermined area to a second predetermined area passing through a predetermined movement area in a visual field of said finder means and for outputting a control signal; and

release means for releasing the camera in accordance with said control signal.

9. An eye-gaze detection operation type camera according to claim 8, wherein said first predetermined area is in the visual field of said finder means, and said second predetermined area is outside the visual field of said finder means.

10. An eye-gaze detection operation type camera according to claim 9, further comprising attitude detecting means for detecting the angle and attitude of the camera, wherein said movement area is determined as a predetermined range of angle direction from an eye-gaze starting area within said first predetermined area or said second predetermined area, on the basis of the angle and attitude of the camera detected by said attitude detecting means.

11. An eye-gaze detection operation type camera according to claim 10, wherein said predetermined range of angle direction is around the vertical direction.

12. An eye-gaze detection operation type camera according to claim 10, wherein displays in the visual field of the finder means included in said predetermined range of angle direction can be put out or decreased in luminance.

13. An eye-gaze detection operation type camera comprising:

finder means for observing a subject;

eye-gaze detecting means for detecting an eye-gaze of a camera operation who is looking into said finder;

movement detecting means for detecting movement of said eye-gaze which has existed in a point in a first predetermined area in a visual field of said finder means or in the vicinity thereof for a predetermined period of time or longer, to a second predetermined area within a predetermined range of angle direction and for outputting a control signal; and

release means for releasing the camera in accordance with said control signal.

14. An eye-gaze detection operation type camera according to claim 13, wherein said control signal is generated in response to the movement of said eye-gaze which has existed in a point in said first predetermined area in the vicinity thereof for said predetermined period of time or longer, to said second predetermined area in a second predetermined period of time.

15. An eye-gaze input camera comprising:

eye-gaze detecting means for detecting an eye-gaze of a camera operator who is looking into a finder of a camera;

camera control means for controlling the operation of said camera in accordance with an eye-gaze detection signal from said eye-gaze detecting means;

release means for directing to start the phot-taking operation of said camera; and

release prohibiting means for prohibiting said release means from directing to start a photo-taking operation when there is no eye-gaze detection signal from said eye-gaze detecting means.