Camera information recording apparatus

• US 5,493,355 A
• Filed: 04/10/1995
• Issued: 02/20/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Kazami, Kazuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Application Number:
  US08/419,766
• Time in Patent Office: 316 Days
• Field of Search: 354/105, 354/106, 354/173.1, 354/173.11
• US Class Current: 396/319
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/24 with means for separately producing marks on the film, e.g. title, time of exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/244 Magnetic devices
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/246 Details of the markings

Abstract

A camera has a recording apparatus for magnetically recording finished photograph information, indicating exposure of a film frame, and for magnetically recording other photograph information for each film frame. The finished photograph information is recorded at a designated film area, while a film feed motor is in a transient speed state. Other photograph information is recorded in a designated film area when the film feed motor speed is constant. Appropriate positioning of the designated recording areas for recording information therein is determined by counting film perforations or by measuring a period of time during film feed subsequent to an exposure.

Claims

1. Information recording apparatus in a camera having exposing means for exposing successive film frames, comprising:

film feed means having a motor for feeding a film having successive frames, the motor having transient speed states during starting and stopping of the feeding of each film frame and having a substantially constant speed state between the transient speed states for the feeding of each film frame;

recording means responsive to said exposing means for recording finished photograph information indicating that a corresponding film frame has been exposed, and

control means for causing said recording means to record finished photograph information only while said motor is in a transient speed state.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the film has a designated recording area, adjacent to at least one of front and rear ends of each film frame, for the recording of finished photograph information, and wherein said control means causes said recording means to record finished photograph information only in a designated recording area.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the film has further designated recording areas for the recording of photograph information other than finished photographed information, and wherein said control means causes said recording means to record other photograph information in a further designated recording area only while said motor is in the substantially constant speed state.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said control means has recording position detecting means for detecting that at least one of a designated recording area and a further designated recording area is positioned relative to said recording means for recording therein.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said recording position detecting means comprises means for determining that a predetermined length of film has been fed during the feeding of each film frame.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said recording position detection means comprises means for determining that a predetermined period of time has elapsed during the feeding of each film frame.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said film feed means is capable of winding and rewinding said film, and said control means causes said recording means to record finished photograph information during film rewinding.

8. Information recording apparatus in a camera, comprising:

film feed means having a motor for feeding a film, the motor having a transient speed state during the starting and stopping of the feeding of the film and having a substantially constant feed state after a predetermined length of film has been fed;

recording means for recording photograph information on the film; and

control means for causing said recording means to record said photograph information on the film only during the substantially constant speed state of said motor;

wherein said film has a plurality of perforations spaced in a feed direction of the film, and wherein said control means includes means for detecting passage of a predetermined number of film perforations during feeding of the film and thereafter causing said recording means to record photograph information.

9. Information recording apparatus in a camera, comprising:

film feed means having a motor for feeding a film, the motor having a transient speed state during the starting and stopping of the feeding of the film and having a substantially constant feed state after a predetermined length of film has been fed;

recording means for recording photograph information on the film; and

control means for causing said recording means to record said photograph information on the film only during the substantially constant speed state of said motor;

wherein said control means causes said recording means to record finished photograph information, indicating that a corresponding film frame has been exposed, during said transient speed state.

10. Information recording apparatus in a camera, comprising:

film feed means having a motor for feeding a film;

recording means for recording finished photograph information on said film indicating that a corresponding film frame has been exposed and for recording other photograph information on said film; and

control means for causing said recording means to record said finished photograph information on the film while the motor is starting or stopping and for recording said other photograph information on the film only when the motor speed is substantially constant, said finished photograph information and said other photograph information being recorded at different recording frequencies.

11. Information recording apparatus in a camera, comprising:

film feed means having a motor for feeding a film having successive frames, the film having a recording area adjacent to a front end and/or a rear end of each film frame;

detecting means for detecting said recording area;

recording means for recording onto said recording area finished photograph information indicating that a corresponding film frame has been exposed; and

control means for controlling said recording means to enable said recording means as the film feeding is started and to disable said recording means in accordance with a result of said detecting means.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said motor has transient speed states which are a starting state and a stopping state of the feeding of each film frame and has a constant speed state between the transient speed states, and wherein the state of said motor during the recording by said recording means is said transient speed state.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said detecting means comprises means for determining that a predetermined length of film has been fed during the feeding of each film frame.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said detecting means comprises means for determining that a predetermined period of time has elapsed during the feeding of each film frame.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said film feed means is capable of winding and rewinding said film, and said control means causes said recording means to record finished photograph information during film rewinding.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said film has a photograph information recording area which is different from the first-mentioned recording areas, wherein said detecting means detects said photograph information recording area, and wherein said recording means records onto said photograph information recording area photograph information different from said finished photograph information in accordance with a result of said detecting means.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein said photograph information recording area is disposed between first-mentioned recording areas adjacent to the front and rear ends of each film frame.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein said motor has transient speed states which are a starting state and a stopping state of the feeding of each film frame and has a constant speed state between the transient speed states, and wherein the state of said motor during the recording of said photograph information of said recording means is said constant speed state.

19. Information recording apparatus in a camera which is capable of recording information onto a film, comprising:

film feed means having a motor for feeding a film having a plurality of perforations spaced in a feed direction of the film;

recording means for recording photograph information onto said film;

detecting means for detecting an area disposed on the film, onto which said photograph information is recorded, in accordance with said perforations during feeding of the film, and

control means for causing said recording means to record said photograph information onto the film in accordance with a result of said detecting means.

20. The apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein said motor has transient speed states which are a starting state and a stopping state of the feeding of each film frame and has a constant speed state after a predetermined length of film has been fed, and wherein said control means causes said recording means to record said photograph information.

21. The apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein said detecting means detects a time when said motor is decelerated in accordance with said perforations during feeding of the film, and wherein said apparatus further comprises record controlling means for ceasing recording of said photograph information by said recording means in response to the detection of said time.

22. Information recording apparatus in a camera having an exposing unit to expose successive film frames, comprising:

a film feeding unit having a motor to feed a film having successive frames, the motor having transient speed states during starting and stopping of the feeding of each film frame and having a substantially constant speed state between the transient speed states for the feeding of each film frame;

a recorder responsive to said exposing unit to record finished photographing information indicating that a corresponding film frame has been exposed; and

a controller to cause said recorder to record finished photograph information only while said motor is in a transient speed state.

23. Information recording apparatus in a camera, comprising:

a film feeding unit having a motor to feed a film, the motor having a transient speed state during the starting and stopping of the feeding of the film and having a substantially constant speed state after a predetermined length of film has been fed;

a recorder to record photograph information on the film; and

a controller to cause said recorder to record said photograph information on the film only during the substantially constant speed state of said motor;

wherein said film has a plurality of perforations spaced in a feed direction of the film, and wherein said controller includes a detector to detect passage of a predetermined number of film perforations during feeding of the film and thereafter to cause said recorder to record photograph information.

24. Information recording apparatus in a camera, comprising:

a film feeding unit having a motor to feed a film, the motor having a transient speed state during the starting and stopping of the feeding of the film and having a substantially constant speed state after a predetermined length of film has been fed;

a recorder to record photograph information on the film; and

a controller to cause said recorder to record said photograph information on the film only during the substantially constant speed state of said motor;

wherein said controller causes said recorder to record finished photograph information, indicating that a corresponding film frame has been exposed, during said transient speed state.

25. Information recording apparatus in a camera, comprising:

a film feeding unit having a motor to feed a film;

a recorder to record finished photograph information on said film indicating that a corresponding film frame has been exposed and to record other photograph information on said film; and

a controller to cause said recorder to record said finished photograph information on the film while the motor is starting or stopping and to record said other photograph information on the film only when the motor speed is substantially constant, said finished photograph information and said other photograph information being recorded at different recording frequencies.

26. Information recording apparatus in a camera, comprising:

a film feeding unit having a motor to feed a film having successive frames, the film having a recording area adjacent to a front end and/or a rear end of each film frame;

a detector to detect said recording area;

a recorder to record onto said recording area finished photograph information indicating that a corresponding film frame has been exposed; and

a controller to control said recorder to enable said recorder as the film feeding is started and to disable said recorder in accordance with a result of said detector.

27. Information recording apparatus in a camera which is capable of recording information onto a film, comprising:

a film feeding unit having a motor to feed a film having a plurality of perforations spaced in a feed direction of the film;

a recorder to record photograph information onto said film;

a detector to detect an area disposed on the film, onto which said photograph information is recorded, in accordance with said perforations during feeding of the film, and

a controller to cause said recorder to record said photograph information onto the film in accordance with a result of said detector.

28. Information recording apparatus in a camera, comprising:

film feeding means which can feed a film in a winding direction and in a rewinding direction;

information recording means for recording information on the film as the film is fed;

information reproducing means for reproducing information recorded on the film as the film is fed; and

controlling means for controlling the film feeding means so that when the film is reloaded, recorded information is reproduced by the information reproducing means, while said film feeding means feeds the film, and when an absence of information recorded on the film is detected by the reproducing means, a feeding direction of the film is reversed to place an unexposed film portion following an exposed film portion in a position in which the unexposed film portion is opposite an aperture of the camera.

29. The apparatus as defined in claim 28, wherein said controlling means feeds the film by one exposing film portion after reversing the feeding direction of the film.

30. Information recording apparatus in a camera, comprising:

a film feeding unit which can feed a film in a winding direction and in a rewinding direction;

a recorder to record information on the film as the film is fed;

a playback system to play back the information recorded on the film as the film is fed; and

a controller to control the film feeding unit so that when the film is reloaded, recorded information is played back while said film feeding unit feeds the film, and when an absence of information recorded on the film is detected by the playback system, a feeding direction of the film is reversed to place an unexposed film portion following an exposed film portion in a position in which the unexposed film portion is opposite an aperture of the camera.