Information setting device of a camera

• US 5,692,224 A
• Filed: 04/10/1996
• Issued: 11/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Saegusa, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): PERKEY, WILLIAM B
• Application Number:
  US08/630,331
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 354/21, 354/217, 354/412, 358/906, 396/207, 396/208, 396/209, 396/284, 396/300
• US Class Current: 396/207
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/36 Counting number of exposures of film strips G03B1/66
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/091 Digital circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/24 automatically in accordance with markings or other means indicating film speed or kind of film on the magazine to be inserted in the camera

Abstract

To cope with undefined codes of coded information, an information setting device is provided having a code read-in device, a memory device to store information corresponding to the codes, and an information reading device to read information from the memory device corresponding to the codes read by the code reading device. The memory device of the information setting device of a camera which sets information read from the information reading device in the camera can be an information overwritable memory device having an information storage area for undefined codes where information is not set.

Claims

1. An information setting device of a camera comprising:

a code read-in device to read codes representing characteristics of a recording medium,

a memory device to store information corresponding to the codes, wherein said memory device comprises at least a first memory device which exclusively stores and reads out information corresponding to defined codes for which information has been set and a second overwritable memory device which has an information storage area for undefined codes for which information has not been set,

an information read-out device to read from the memory device information corresponding to the defined codes read in by the code read-in device, and

an information writing device to write information for the undefined codes in the information storage area of the second overwritable memory device to thereby define the undefined codes after the information corresponding to the defined codes has been stored in the first memory device,

wherein the information read from the information read-out device is set in the camera.

2. An information setting device according to claim 1, wherein the codes represent an amount of recordable space of a recording medium.

3. An information setting device according to claim 1, wherein the information writing device is an external information writing device connected to said information setting device.

4. An information setting device according to claim 1, wherein the information writing device is provided in the camera.

5. An information setting device according to claim 4, further comprising an information inputting member to receive information corresponding to an undefined code.

6. An information setting device according to claim 1, wherein said information read-out device reads information corresponding to the codes read in by the code read-in device from the first memory device if the read-in codes are defined codes and reads information corresponding to the codes read in by the code read-in device from the second memory device if the read-in codes are undefined codes.

7. An information setting device according to claim 1, wherein the code read-in device reads codes which are recorded optically, magnetically, or electrically.

8. An information setting device according to claim 7, wherein the codes to be read are recorded on a film or a film cartridge.

9. An information setting device according to claim 1, further comprising a control device which executes a temporary process if an initial value is received from the information storage area for the undefined codes indicating undefined data and otherwise executes a permanent process.

10. An information setting device according to claim 9, wherein the temporary process executed by the control device comprises the display of a warning indicating undefined codes.

11. An information setting device according to claim 9, wherein the temporary process executed by the control device comprises the display of 0 for the number of shootable frames.

12. An information setting device of a camera comprising:

code read-in means to read codes representing characteristics of a recording medium,

memory means to store information corresponding to the codes, wherein said memory means comprises at least a first memory means which exclusively reads out and stores information corresponding to defined codes for which information has been set and a second overwritable memory means which has an information storage area for undefined codes for which information has not been set,

information read-out means to read from the memory means information corresponding to the codes read in by the code read-in means, and

information writing means to write information for the undefined codes in the information storage area of the second overwritable memory means to thereby define the undefined codes after the information corresponding to the defined codes has been stored in the first memory means,

wherein the information read from the information read-out means is set in the camera.

13. An information setting device according to claim 12, wherein the information writing means is an external information writing means connected to said information setting device.

14. An information setting device according to claim 12, wherein the information writing means is provided in the camera.

15. An information setting device according to claim 14, further comprising information inputting means to receive information corresponding to an undefined code.

16. An information setting device according to claim 12, wherein the codes represent an amount of recordable space of a recording medium.

17. A method for setting an undefined code representing characteristics of a recording medium in a camera having defined codes set in an information storage area of a first memory device, comprising providing information corresponding to said undefined code to an information writing device, and writing said code and corresponding information into an information storage area of a second overwritable memory device, thereby setting the code in the camera after the defined codes are set in the information storage area of the first memory device.

18. A method for setting an undefined code in a camera according to claim 17, wherein said information writing device is external to said camera, and said writing is effected by connecting said external information writing device to said second overwritable memory device of the camera.

19. A method for setting an undefined code in a camera according to claim 17, wherein said information writing device is contained in the camera, said process further comprising initially reading recorded codes with a read-in device and determining that said code is undefined in the information storage area of the second overwritable memory device, indicating on a display device that said code is undefined, accepting input information corresponding to the undefined code, and writing said code and corresponding information into the information storage area of the second overwritable memory device with said information writing device, thereby setting the code in the camera.

20. A method for setting an undefined code in a camera according to claim 19, wherein said reading of recorded codes is done optically, magnetically, or electrically.

21. A method for setting an undefined code in a camera according to claim 20, wherein the recorded codes are recorded on a film or a film cartridge.