Electronically controlled camera having internal photographing mode and display

• US 5,280,320 A
• Filed: 03/23/1993
• Issued: 01/18/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Takeo, Numako, Norio, Nagai, Katsutoshi, Nishida, Takao, Tabata, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): PERKEY, WILLIAM B
• Application Number:
  US08/035,892
• Time in Patent Office: 301 Days
• Field of Search: 354/412, 354/105, 354/106, 354/195.1, 354/195.12, 354/195.13, 354/237, 354/238.1, 354/267.1, 354/289.1, 354/289.12, 354/471, 354/474, 354/475, 354/21 7
• US Class Current: 396/85
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/102 controlled by a microcomputer cameras with interchangeable lenses G03B17/14
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/282 Autofocusing of zoom lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 1/56 Threading; Loop forming
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/05 Combinations of cameras with electronic flash apparatus; Electronic flash units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/12 with means for supporting objectives, supplementary lenses, filters, masks, or turrets
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/14 interchangeably
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/18 Signals indicating condition of a camera member or suitability of light indicating depth of field G03B13/30
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/20 visible in viewfinder
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/40 with delayed or timed action
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/425 motor drive cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0503 Built-in units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 3/10 Power-operated focusing
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/285 of the unit Hamming distance type, e.g. Gray code

Abstract

An electronically controlled camera which takes a picture every time a preset interval passes and displays remaining time available until a picture taking operation is effected on a display portion by reducing the interval time. A display portion displays the taking number and prohibits the display of the remaining time at a time when interval photographing is being performed.

Claims

1. An electronically controlled camera, comprising:

means for taking a plurality of interval photographs, in which one picture is taken every time a preset time interval passes;

an indicator for displaying a remaining time that is available until said preset time interval passes; and

means for displaying additional information on said indicator in response to a manually actuated trigger signal by prohibiting display of said remaining time on said indicator, at a time when said interval photographing is being performed, wherein said means for taking a plurality of interval photographs is uninterrupted by the display of additional information on said indicator.

2. The electronically controlled camera of claim 1, wherein said additional information comprises a taking number.

3. The electronically controlled camera of claim 1, said trigger signal comprising a shutter button actuation signal.

4. The electronically controlled camera of claim 1, said trigger signal comprising a zoom switch actuation signal.

5. The electronically controlled camera of claim 1, said remaining time and said additional information being alternately displayed on said indicator.

6. The electronically controlled camera according to claim 1, further comprising means for mounting said indicator immovably with respect to a camera body.

7. An electrically controlled camera, comprising:

means for taking an interval photograph every time a preset time interval passes;

an indicator for displaying a time period that remains until a picture taking operation of said interval photography is effected; and

means for displaying additional information related to said electronically controlled camera on said indicator by prohibiting said display of said remaining time period, while interval photographing is being performed, by said taking means;

wherein said means for displaying additional information occurs in response to an operation of a shutter button associated with said electronically controlled camera.

8. An electronically controlled camera, comprising:

means for taking an interval photograph every time a preset time interval passes;

an indicator for displaying a time period that remains until a picture taking operation of said interval photography is effected; and

means for displaying additional information related to said electronically controlled camera on said indicator by prohibiting said display of said remaining time period, while interval photographing is being performed, by said taking means;

wherein said additional information comprises focal length information of a lens associated with said electronically controlled camera.

9. An electronically controlled camera, comprising:

means for taking an interval photograph every time a preset time interval passes;

an indicator for displaying a time period that remains until a picture taking operation of said interval photography is effected; and

means for displaying additional information related to said electronically controlled camera on said indicator by prohibiting said display of said remaining time period, while interval photographing is being performed, by said taking means;

wherein said additional information comprises a taking number.

10. An electronically controlled camera, comprising:

means for performing interval photography by taking a picture every time a preset time interval passes;

means for alternately displaying, on a display portion, a time period that remains until a picture taking operation is effected and additional information related to said electronically controlled camera, while interval photographing is performed;

wherein said alternately displaying means prohibits said display portion from displaying said time period that remains when a photometric switch is turned ON at a time when said interval photographing is being performed.

11. An electronically controlled camera, comprising:

means for performing interval photography by taking a picture every time a preset time interval passes;

means for alternately displaying, on a display portion, a time period that remains until a picture taking operation is effected and additional information related to said electronically controlled camera, while interval photographing is performed;

wherein said additional information comprises focal length information of a lens associated with said electronically controlled camera.

12. An electronically controlled camera, comprising:

means for performing interval photography by taking a picture every time a preset time interval passes;

means for alternately displaying, on a display portion, a time period that remains until a picture taking operation is effected and additional information related to said electronically controlled camera, while interval photographing is performed;

wherein said additional information comprises a taking number.

13. An electronically controlled camera, comprising:

means for performing interval photography by taking a picture every time a preset time interval passes;

means for alternately displaying, on a display portion, a time period that remains until a picture taking operation is effected and additional information related to said electronically controlled camera, while interval photographing is performed;

wherein said additional information comprises a taking number and focal length information of a lens associated with said electronically controlled camera, and further comprising means for alternately displaying said taking number and said focal length information on said display portion.

14. An electronically controlled camera, comprising:

means for taking an interval photograph every time a preset time interval passes; and

means for selectively displaying, on a display portion, a time period that remains until said interval photograph is taken, said display portion being switched to display additional information related to said electronically controlled camera when a predetermined trigger is manually activated, said taking means being operative to take interval photographs when said display is switched to display said additional information, wherein said means for taking a plurality of interval photographs is uninterrupted by the display of additional information on said indicator.

15. The electronically controlled camera of claim 14, wherein said predetermined trigger comprises a switch.

16. The electronically controlled camera of claim 15, wherein said switch comprises a photometric switch.

17. The electronically controlled camera of claim 15, wherein said switch comprises a zoom switch.

18. The electronically controlled camera of claim 14, wherein said additional in formation comprises focal length information of a zoom lens.

19. The electronically controlled camera of claim 14, wherein said display portion is prohibited from being switched when said remaining time period becomes less than a predetermined time.

20. An electronically controlled camera, comprising:

an interval photography mode wherein an interval photograph is taken every time a preset time interval passes; and

means for selectively displaying on a display portion, a time period that remains of said preset time interval, when said electronically controlled camera is set to said interval photography mode, said display portion being changed to display additional information related to said electronically controlled camera when a predetermined trigger is manually actuated, without cancelling said interval mode, wherein said means for taking a plurality of interval photographs is uninterrupted by the display of additional information on said indicator.

21. The electronically controlled camera of claim 20, wherein said additional information is displayed on said display portion when a trigger associated with said additional information is activated.

22. The electronically controlled camera of claim 20, wherein said additional information comprises focal length information of a lens.

23. The electronically controlled camera of claim 20, wherein said additional information comprises a taking number.

24. An electronically controlled camera, comprising:

means for zooming a lens associated with said electronically controlled camera;

means for taking an interval photograph every time a preset time interval passes; and

a display portion for selectively displaying a remaining time that is available until said interval photograph is taken, said display portion being changed to display a value representing the number of said interval photograph that is taken by prohibiting said display of said remaining time on said display portion when a photometric switch is activated at a time when said interval photographing is being performed, a focal length of said zoom lens being displayed on said display portion by prohibiting said display of said remaining time on said display portion when a zoom switch associated with said zoom lens is activated.

25. An electronically controlled camera, comprising:

means for taking an interval photograph every time a preset time interval passes;

an indicator for displaying a time period that remains until a picture taking operation of said interval photography is effected; and

means for displaying additional information related to said electronically controlled camera on said indicator by prohibiting said display of said remaining time period, while interval photographing is being performed, by said taking means;

wherein said means for displaying additional information occurs in response to an operation of a zoom actuation switch associated with said electronically controlled camera.