Camera capable of winding and rewinding film by revolution of motor

• US 5,534,960 A
• Filed: 04/11/1994
• Issued: 07/09/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Takase, Masami
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Application Number:
  US08/225,898
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 354/173.1, 354/266, 354/75, 354/76, 354/173.4
• US Class Current: 396/406
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/425 motor drive cameras

Abstract

The present invention provides a camera having a film feed mechanism comprising a microphone for sensing the surrounding noise around the camera, a noise level measuring portion for measuring the sensed noise (sound pressure), a noise level discriminator for comparing the measured noise level with a predetermined level to discriminate whether the measured noise level is higher or lower than the predetermined level, a feed mode change-over portion for changing the film feed speed to a silent mode or a normal film feed by selecting the normal film feed or the film feed whose generated noise level is low in response to the discriminated noise level, and a film feed mechanism for feeding a film in both winding and rewinding.

Claims

1. A camera being capable of winding and rewinding a film by a revolution of a motor, comprising:

noise level measuring means for measuring a noise level of the surroundings of the camera;

noise level discriminating means for discriminating whether the noise level measured by said noise level measuring means is higher or lower than a predetermined value; and

control means for controlling a revolution speed of a motor for feeding a film based on the result of the level discriminated by said noise level discriminating means.

2. A camera according to claim 1, wherein said control means sets the revolution speed of the motor to be high when said discriminated level is higher than said predetermined value, and to be low when said discriminated level is lower than said predetermined value.

3. A camera being capable of winding and rewinding a film by a revolution of a motor, comprising:

noise level measuring means for measuring a noise level of the surroundings of the camera;

noise level discriminating means for discriminating whether the noise level measured by said noise level measuring means is higher or lower than a predetermined value;

film feeding means for rewinding a film after exposure and/or rewinding a film after taking a predetermined number of photos; and

changing means for changing a film feeding mode to a normal mode for feeding the film at a predetermined normal speed or a silent mode for feeding the film at a higher speed than the normal speed based on the result of the level discriminated by said noise level discriminating means.

4. A camera according to claim 3, further comprising drive voltage control means for controlling a drive voltage such that a revolution speed of a motor in said normal mode changed by said changing means is lower than the revolution speed of the motor in said silent mode changed by said changing means.

5. A camera according to claim 4, wherein said drive voltage control means drives said motor with a fixed voltage at the time of said normal mode, and drives said motor with a pulsed drive voltage at the time of said silent mode.

6. A camera according to claim 4, wherein said drive voltage control means drives said motor with a high voltage at the time of said normal mode, and drives said motor with a low voltage at the time of said silent mode.

7. A camera being capable of winding and rewinding a film by a revolution of a motor, comprising:

sound pressure level measuring means, provided in a camera body, for measuring a sound pressure level of the surroundings of the camera; and

motor controlling means for controlling a revolution speed of said motor in response to an output of said sound pressure level measuring means.

8. A camera according to claim 7, wherein said motor controlling means determines a driving condition of said motor based on the result of a comparison between the output of said sound pressure level measuring means and a predetermined reference level.

9. A camera according to claim 7, wherein said motor controlling means drives said motor by a voltage control.

10. A camera according to claim 7, wherein said motor controlling means drives said motor by a duty control.

11. A camera being capable of winding and rewinding a film by a revolution of a motor, comprising:

sound pressure level measuring means, provided in a camera body, for measuring a sound pressure level of the surroundings of the camera; and

mode changing means for comparing an output of said sound pressure level measuring means with a predetermined reference level so as to set a film feeding mode in either a normal mode or a silent mode.

12. A camera according to claim 11, wherein said mode changing means drives said film feeding motor by a voltage control.

13. A camera according to claim 11, wherein said mode changing drives said film feeding motor by a duty control.

14. A camera being capable of winding and rewinding a film by a revolution of a motor, comprising:

sound pressure level measuring means, provided in a camera body, for measuring a sound pressure level of the surroundings of the camera;

storing means for storing a predetermined sound pressure level;

mode changing means for comparing a output of said sound pressure level measuring means with a predetermined reference level so as to set a film feeding mode in either a normal mode or a silent mode; and

driving means for driving said film feeding motor in response to an output of said mode changing means.

15. A camera according to claim 14, wherein said driving means drives said film feeding motor by a voltage control.

16. A camera according to claim 14, wherein said driving means drives said film feeding motor by a duty control.