Control device for preventing red-eye effect on camera

• US 5,400,113 A
• Filed: 01/18/1994
• Issued: 03/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Ohtsubo, Yoshiaki, Miyamoto, Hidenori, Kato, Minoru, Yokonuma, Norikazu, Tsukahara, Daiki, Inoue, Hideya, Machida, Kiyosada, Sosa, Toshio, Otani, Tadashi, Kotani, Noriyasu, Amanuma, Tatsuo, Kanai, Hachiro
• Primary Examiner(s): PERKEY, WILLIAM B
• Application Number:
  US08/181,967
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 354/415, 354/149.11, 354/137, 354/423, 354/127.1, 354/238.1
• US Class Current: 396/158
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/05 Combinations of cameras with electronic flash apparatus; Electronic flash units
• 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 17/40 with delayed or timed action
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/05 Combinations of cameras with electronic flash units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/18 Signals indicating condition of a camera member or suitability of light
• 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 capable of operating in a red-eye prevention mode. The camera has an electronic flash device which is activated by a drive circuit in synchronization with the exposure. The electronic flash device also serve as a pre-light-emission device capable of performing pre-light-emission for the purpose of preventing red-eye effect. When it is judged from the photographing condition that red-eye effect may occur, a controller activates the electronic flash device to effect a pre-light-emission for reducing the size of pupils of eyes of a person to be photographed, before the main flashing which is executed in synchronization with the exposure.

Claims

1. A camera comprising:

a release operating member operated to execute exposure;

means for indicating flash photographing;

main flash means operative to emit illuminating light toward an object in synchronism with exposure when said flash photographing indication is being given;

timer photographing means including self-timer operating means for setting a timer photographing mode by manual operation, said timer photographing means being responsive to the operation of said release operating member to effect exposure after the counting of a predetermined time when said timer photographing mode is set; and

pre-light-emitting means for emitting light toward the object for reducing the size of a human eye pupil prior to the illumination by said main flash means when said timer photographing mode is set and said flash photographing is indicated.

2. The camera of claim 1, wherein said pre-light-emitting means does not emit light when said flash photographing is not indicated even if said timer photographing mode is set.

3. A camera comprising:

a release operating member operated to execute exposure;

means for indicating flash photographing;

main flash means operative to emit illuminating light toward an object in synchronism with exposure when said flash photographing is indicated;

timer photographing means including a first mode selector for setting a timer photographing mode by manual operation, said timer photographing means being responsive to the operation of said release operating member to effect exposure after the counting of a predetermined time when said timer photographing mode is set;

pre-light-emitting means including a second mode selector for setting a pre-light-emitting mode by manual operation, said pre-light-emitting means emitting light toward the object for reducing the size of a human eye pupil prior to the light emission by said main flash means when said flash photographing is indicated and said pre-light-emitting mode is set; and

means responsive to the setting of said timer photographing mode by said first mode selector to set the pre-light-emitting mode by said second mode selector.

4. A camera comprising:

main flash means provided to emit illuminating light toward an object;

pre-light-emitting means provided to emit pre-irradiating light toward the object for reducing the size of a human eye pupil;

means for determining a photographing aperture value on the basis of pre-irradiating light reflected by the object;

means for detecting photographing conditions under which the red-eye effect occurs; and

control means for executing exposure under the illuminating light emitted by said main flash means, in accordance with the determined aperture value, after the lapse of a time from emission of said pre-irradiating light necessary for the reduction of the size of said pupil when said photographing conditions are detected by said detecting means, and for executing exposure under the illuminating light emitted by said main flash means, in accordance with said determined aperture value, immediately after said pre-irradiating light is emitted when said photographing conditions are not detected.

5. A camera comprising:

main flash means provided to emit illuminating light toward an object;

pre-light-emitting means provided to emit pre-irradiating light toward the object for reducing the size of a human eye pupil;

control means for causing said pre-irradiating light to be emitted at least once prior to the light emission of said main flash means; and

means for indicating the number of emissions of said pre-irradiating light prior to emission of said pre-irradiating light.

6. The camera of claim 5, wherein said indicating means includes light emission display means adapted to flicker repeatedly a number of times equal to the number of emissions of said pre-irradiating light.

7. The camera of claim 5, wherein said indicating means includes a plurality of light emitting elements, and circuit means for driving a number of said light-emitting elements equal to the number of emissions of said pre-irradiating light.

8. The camera of claim 5, wherein said indicating means includes means for displaying numerically the number of emissions of said pre-irradiating light.

9. The camera of claim 5, wherein said indicating means includes means for indicating the number of emissions of said pre-irradiating light by generating intermittent sounds.