Camera having a wireless remote controller

• US 5,541,703 A
• Filed: 04/05/1994
• Issued: 07/30/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PENTAX RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD.
• Original Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Suzuka, Shinya
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey, W. B.
• Application Number:
  US08/222,905
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 354/400, 354/402, 354/266, 354/268, 354/293, 354/403
• US Class Current: 396/59
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/32 using active means, e.g. light emitter including both an active and a passive focus detecting device G02B7/285; using ultrasound G02B7/40
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/38 Releasing-devices separate from shutter integral with shutter G03B9/08

Abstract

A camera having a remote controller provided separate from a body of the camera, wherein, based upon a signal outputted from the remote controller, a zoom lens of the camera is driven in accordance with calculated distance measuring data and a shutter of the camera is released. The camera includes a focal length detecting mechanism for detecting all existing focal length of the zoom lens, a mechanism for setting a framing mode in which a photographer carrying a remote controller is framed in a predetermined manner when the signal is output from the remote controller, a control mechanism for comparing a first focal length detected by the focal length detecting mechanism with a second focal length determined in the framing mode set by the setting mechanism, and for releasing the shutter under the condition that the first focal length is equal to or shorter than the second focal length.

Claims

1. A zoom lens camera having a focusing function that is operable in accordance with direction data of an object to be photographed, said camera comprising:

a remote controller that is separate from a camera body of said camera and which is capable of being actuated from an object side of said camera of emit a measuring light and a shutter release signal toward said camera;

means for calculating a distance from said camera to said remote controller based on upon said direction data in accordance with detection of said measuring light detected on said camera body;

means for selecting a framing mode from a plurality of framing modes;

means for setting a plurality of focal lengths in accordance with said calculated distance data, said plurality of focal lengths corresponding to said plurality of framing modes to enable an operator of the remote controller to be framed on an imaging area of said camera;

means for driving said zoom lens to a selected focal length in accordance with the selection of a framing mode;

means for detecting a present focal length of said zoom lens;

means for comparing said present focal length detected by the detecting means with said selected focal length selected by said framing mode selecting means;

a shutter; and

means for releasing said shutter after said shutter release signal has been issued from said remote controller, said releasing means releasing said shutter without changing said focal length upon issuance of said release signal when said present focal length is equal to or shorter than said selected focal length, and said releasing means releasing said shutter after said driving means drives said zoom lens until a focal length of said zoom lens becomes shorter than said selected focal length when said present focal length is longer than said selected focal length.

2. The camera of claim 1, wherein said plurality of framing modes includes a first framing mode in which the image of the photographer is situated within a certain angle of view of the zoom lens, a second framing mode in which the image of the photographer is a certain size with respect to a film plane, and a third framing mode in which the shorter of said two focal lengths of the zoom lens is selected.

3. The camera of claim 1, further comprising a mode selecting manual switch provided on the camera body for instructing the mode selecting means to select one of the plurality of framing modes.

4. The camera of claim 3, wherein said mode selecting means is further capable of selecting an automatic mode in which the zoom lens is automatically driven or a manual mode in which the zoom lens is manually driven, and wherein said mode selecting manual switch is further capable of instructing the mode selecting device to designate the automatic mode or the manual mode.

5. A zoom lens camera system comprising a camera body and a remote controller separate from said camera body;

said remote controller comprising;

means for emitting measuring light and means for emitting shutter release light toward said camera body;

said camera body comprising;

a zoom lens;

a shutter;

means for receiving said measuring light and for detecting the direction from which said measuring light was emitted, said direction data being used to calculate a distance between said remote controller and said camera body;

a framing mode selecting means for selecting a framing mode from a plurality of framing modes;

means for setting a plurality of focal lengths based upon said calculated distance data, said plurality of focal lengths corresponding to said plurality of framing modes to enable an operator of said remote controller to be framed on an imaging area of said camera;

a focal length detecting means for detecting a present focal length of said zoom lens;

a driving means for driving said zoom lens in an optical axis direction; and

a releasing means for releasing said shutter after said shutter release light has been issued from said remote controller, said releasing a means releasing said shutter without changing said focal length upon issuance of said shutter release light when said present focal length is equal to or shorter than said selected focal length, and said releasing means releasing the shutter after driving said zoom lens until a focal length of said zoom lens becomes shorter than said selected focal length when said present focal length is longer than said selected focal length.

6. The camera of claims 5, wherein said plurality of framing modes includes a first framing mode in which the image of the photographer is situated within a certain angle of view of the zoom lens, a second framing mode in which the image of the photographer is a certain size with respect to a film plane, and a third framing mode in which the shorter of said two focal lengths of the zoom lens is selected.

7. The camera of claim 5, further comprising a mode selecting manual switch provided on the camera body for instructing the mode selecting means to select one of the plurality of framing modes.

8. The camera of claim 7, wherein said mode selecting means is further capable of selecting an automatic mode in which zoom lens is automatically driven or a manual mode in which the zoom lens is manually driven, and wherein said mode selecting manual switch is further capable of instructing the mode selecting device to designate the automatic code or the manual code.