Camera with learning function

• US 5,774,746 A
• Filed: 03/31/1997
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PENTAX RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD.
• Original Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Masato, Furuno, Masashi, Haneishi, Yasuyuki, Sato, Koji, Hirai, Isamu, Takahashi, Akio, Tsuji, Hideaki, Kirigaya, Tadayuki, Haga, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): ADAMS JR, RUSSELL E
• Application Number:
  US08/828,512
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: 396/49, 396/238, 396/243
• US Class Current: 396/49
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2207/005 involving control of motion blur
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/005 Blur detection
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/091 Digital circuits

Abstract

A camera wherein exposure parameters fixed by a program line can be shifted along an exposure value EV line so that exposure parameters for an exposure operation are based on the shifted program line according to the preference of the camera user.

The camera has setting means for temporarily changing these exposure parameters at a constant exposure value with respect to the values predetermined by a program line. A counting means counts the number of times that a shutter is released while the program line is shifted in one direction and control means stores the changed values for shifting the program line under certain conditions. In this way a learning function is provided to learn the aforementioned tendency of the user.

Claims

1. A camera with a program controlled exposure mode in which exposure parameters are set for each exposure value according to a reference program characteristic, the camera comprising:

setting means for temporarily changing said exposure parameters corresponding to a constant exposure value, said exposure parameters being changed by an amount with respect to values predetermined by the reference program characteristic; and

control means for modifying said reference program characteristic, based upon the temporarily changed exposure parameters, when a predetermined plurality of exposure operations, changed in a same direction, have been executed in accordance with the temporarily changed exposure parameters.

2. A camera according to claim 1 wherein said control means modifies said reference program characteristic based on a magnitude of said temporary change.

3. A camera according to claim 1 wherein said control means modifies said reference program characteristic based on a direction of said temporary change.

4. A camera according to claim 1 wherein said control means modifies said reference program characteristic based on a predetermined number of exposure operations executed according to said changing.

5. A camera according to claim 4 wherein said predetermined number is variable according to a magnitude of said temporary change.

6. A camera according to claim 5 wherein said predetermined number is different according to whether the magnitude of said temporary change is equal to or greater than a predetermined value or whether the magnitude of said temporary change is smaller than said predetermined value.

7. A camera according to claim 5 wherein said control means comprises counting means for counting exposure operations executed according to said changing and wherein said counting means is reset for counting when a direction of said temporary change changes before the count is greater than or equal to said predetermined number.

8. A camera according to claim 1, wherein said control means modifies said reference program characteristic based upon the temporary changing of exposure parameters when a plurality of exposure operations have been executed according to the changing by said reference program characteristic by substituting another predetermined program characteristic.

9. A camera according to claim 1 wherein said control means comprises memory means for storing said modified reference program characteristic.

10. A camera according to claim 1, wherein said control means modifies said reference program characteristic based upon the temporary changing of exposure parameters when a plurality of exposure operations have been executed according to the changing, by shifting the reference program characteristic by a predetermined amount.

11. A camera according to claim 10 further comprising memory means for storing a direction and magnitude of said shifting.

12. A camera according to claim 1 having two or more program controlled exposure modes and wherein each mode has a respective reference program characteristic and said control means modifies a respective reference program characteristic of a respective mode.

13. A camera according to claim 1 wherein said temporary changing is evaluated on the basis of shutter speed.

14. A camera according to claim 1 further comprising means for reverting said modified reference program characteristic to a preset initial reference program characteristic.

15. A camera according to claim 14 further comprising count clearing means for clearing the count of said counting means.

16. A camera according to claim 15 wherein said count clearing means simultaneously clears the count of said counting means with the clearing of the stored transition.

17. A camera according to claim 1 further comprising film detecting means for detecting whether a film is loaded or not in the camera;

and wherein said control means is operable on the condition that said film detecting means detects a film loaded in the camera.

18. A camera according to claim 17 wherein said film detecting means comprises DX code reading means for reading a DX code on a film cartridge, and detects whether a film is loaded or not in the camera based on a DX code read by said DX code reading means.

19. A camera according to claim 1 including learning display means for displaying a status of operation of said control means.

20. A camera according to claim 19 wherein said learning display means includes a display section for displaying a magnitude of said temporary change.

21. A camera as claimed in claim 19 wherein said display section can display said modified reference program characteristic.

22. A camera according to claim 20 wherein said display section has graduations spaced at predetermined intervals with energizable display elements disposed in positions corresponding to the graduations.

23. A camera according to claim 22 wherein said display elements are energizable in the direction of said temporary change and can alternately be turned on and off to indicate a magnitude of said change.

24. A camera according to claim 22 wherein said display section displays a direction in and a magnitude by which said modified reference program characteristic has been modified by means of one energized display element.

25. A camera according to claim 23 wherein said display elements are energizable for displaying a magnitude of the modifying of said modified reference program characteristic relative to a preset program characteristic.

26. A camera according to claim 19 wherein said learning display means has a learning mark element for displaying the activation of said control means.

27. A camera according to claim 26 wherein said learning display means alternately turns on and off said learning mark element for a predetermined period of time after the shutter is released when said control means is activated.

28. A camera according to claim 1 further comprising mode switching means for switching between a learning mode in which said control means is activated and a normal mode in which said control means is inactivated.

29. A camera according to claim 1 further comprising dial means wherein manual operation of said dial means in a program controlled exposure mode temporarily changes said exposure parameters.

30. A camera according to claim 1 comprising a switch for connecting the camera to a power supply and wherein said control means includes means for storing said modified reference program characteristic during disconnection of the camera from said power supply.

31. The camera of claim 1, wherein said plurality of exposure operations comprises three exposure operations.

32. The camera of claim 4, wherein said predetermined number comprises three.

33. A camera, comprising:

first operating means;

second operating means;

control means for switching said camera from a normal photographic mode to a setting mode for setting data in each of a plurality of operating modes; and

initializing means actuable to initialize all data in each of said operating modes when said first operating means and said second operating means are simultaneously operated for a continuous predetermined period of time after said camera has been switched to said setting mode.

34. A camera according to claim 33 wherein said first and second operating means are simultaneously operated for a continuous predetermined period of time for switching the camera in said normal photographic mode to said setting mode.

35. A camera according to claim 34 wherein said initializing means is actuable to initialize all data provided said first and second operating means remain simultaneously operated immediately after the camera has been switched to said setting mode.

36. A camera according to claim 33 wherein said first and second operating means are simultaneously operated for a continuous predetermined period of time for switching the camera in said setting mode to said normal photographic mode.

37. A camera according to claim 33 wherein said initializing means, said first operating means and said second operating means must all be actuated simultaneously for said first mentioned predetermined period of time to initialize said data.

38. A camera according to claim 33 wherein said initializing means comprises a button for selecting a shutter or aperture preference mode in a normal photographing mode.

39. A camera according to claim 33 wherein said first operating means comprises a drive mode button and said second operating means comprises a mode button for selecting said operating modes.

40. A camera according to claim 33 further comprising display means for displaying the passage of said predetermined time.

41. A camera having at least one program exposure mode, comprising:

means for allocating, for an exposure in a program exposure mode, data values which are displaced from a reference program characteristic, after a predetermined plurality of exposure operations have been executed;

display means for displaying, on a visually observable display element, an amount of displacement of said data values from said reference program characteristic; and

push button means actuable to clear said data values which are displaced from said reference program characteristic and to clear said display element of said amount of displacement by said display means.

42. A camera according to claim 41 further comprising an exposure correcting button actuable to display an exposure correcting value on said display means, wherein an exposure correcting value and the display thereof on the display means is cleared when said push button means is actuated while the exposure correcting button is actuated.

43. A camera according to claim 41 wherein said push button means comprises a button for selecting a shutter or aperture preference mode.

44. A camera according to claim 41 wherein said display means comprises a display graph having graduations spaced at predetermined intervals with energizable visually observable display elements disposed in positions corresponding to the graduations, and wherein a number and direction of energised display elements indicate the amount and direction of said displacement.

45. A camera having at least one program exposure mode, comprising:

means for allocating, for an exposure in a program exposure mode, data values which are displaced from a reference program characteristic, after a predetermined plurality of exposure operations have been executed;

display means for displaying said displaced data values on a visually observable display element, said display means having pictures at opposite ends of said display means to serve as visual representations of said displaced data values; and

display control means for switching between types of said pictures at said opposite ends of said display means according to a current mode of said camera.

46. A camera according to claim 45 wherein said display means comprises a display graph having graduations spaced at predetermined intervals with energizable visually observable display elements disposed in positions corresponding to the graduations, and wherein a number and direction of energised display elements indicate the amount and direction of said displacement.

47. A camera according to claim 45 wherein said program exposure modes include a landscape mode in which mode said pictures for display indicate a photographic effect relating to aperture to convey whether a distant object is to be focused or de-focused.

48. A camera according to claim 45 wherein said program exposure modes include a moving object mode in which mode said pictures for display indicate a photographic effect relating to shutter speed to convey whether a moving object is to be photographed as fuzzy or still.

49. A camera according to claim 45 wherein said display section displays a mark "Tv" indicative of a shutter speed and/or a mark "Av" indicative of an aperture.

50. A camera having at least one program exposure mode, in which data values are allocated which are displaced from a reference program characteristic, after a predetermined plurality of exposure operations have been executed;

and

display means having a display graph for displaying a change in one of a shutter speed and an aperture by means of a visually observable display element, and marks "+" and "-" positioned at opposite ends of said display graph for indicating a magnitude and direction of said one of said shutter speed and said aperture.

51. A camera according to claim 50 wherein said display section displays a mark "Tv" indicative of a shutter speed and/or a mark "Av" indicative of an aperture.

52. A camera according to claim 50 wherein said display graph has graduations spaced at predetermined intervals with energizable display elements disposed in positions corresponding to the graduations, and wherein an energised display element indicates the amount and direction by which the shutter speed or aperture is changed.

53. A camera having at least one program exposure mode, comprising:

means for allocating, for an exposure in a program exposure mode, data values which are displaced from a reference program characteristic, after a predetermined plurality of exposure operations have been executed;

exposure correction mode setting means for setting an exposure correction;

display means having a display graph with graduations spaced at predetermined intervals, with energizable display elements disposed in positions corresponding to said graduations, and with a minus mark and a plus mark;

display control means wherein, when said program exposure mode is set, said graduations and a number of said display elements are energized to indicate said displacement, an end element of said number of display elements being alternately energized and de-energized, and wherein, when an exposure correction mode is set, said graduations and one of said display elements are energized in combination with energization of a minus or plus mark to indicate said exposure correction, the energized minus or plus mark remaining energized on returning to said program exposure mode for indicating said exposure correction when said exposure correction mode is inactivated.

54. A camera according to claim 53 wherein said exposure correction mode setting means comprises a pressable exposure correction button, and wherein the exposure correction mode is activated from the program exposure mode as long as the exposure correction button is pressed and is inactivated when the exposure correction button is released.

55. A camera according to claim 53 wherein when the exposure correction mode is set, said graduations and one of said display elements is energised in combination with energisation of a minus or plus mark to indicate an exposure correction, and wherein said display graph is not displayed when a shutter speed preference mode or an aperture preference mode of an automatic exposure mode is selected and set except when an exposure correction is to be indicated.

56. A camera according to claim 53 wherein when a manual exposure mode is set, said graduations and a number of said display elements can be energised in combination with energisation of a minus or plus mark to indicate an amount and direction of an exposure change.

57. A camera with a program-controlled exposure mode in which an aperture value and an exposure time are set for each exposure value according to a reference program characteristic, said camera comprising setting means for temporarily assigning the exposure parameters different values that are changed with respect to values predetermined by the reference program characteristic, wherein the values of said exposure parameters are set to include an aperture value or an exposure time while maintaining the exposure value, said camera further comprising control means which, upon detection of at least two exposures with a changed exposure parameter in a same direction, effect further exposure control according to a new program characteristic which is modified with respect to the reference program characteristic.

58. Camera according to claim 57, characterized in that the exposure control is effected according to the modified program characteristic, when a change of an exposure parameter by at least a predetermined amount has been detected.

59. Camera according to claim 57, characterized in that the exposure control is effected according to the modified program characteristic, when a change of an exposure parameter with a predetermined frequency in the same direction has been detected.

60. A camera according to claim 57, wherein the exposure control is effected according to a new program characteristic when a plurality of exposures are detected to have occurred with the changed exposure value.

61. Camera according to claim 60, characterized in that successive exposures with changed exposure parameters are counted, and that, after exceeding a predetermined number of such successive exposures with same signs of the changes, the exposure control is effected according to the modified program characteristic.

62. Camera according to claim 61, characterized in that said exposures are also counted when the aperture value and the exposure time are changed with same signs with respect to the values fixed by a new program characteristic in order to attain further modification with respect to the reference program characteristic.

63. Camera according to claim 61, characterized in that counting of said exposures is reset when the sign of change of the aperture value and the shutter time changes.

64. Camera according to claim 61 characterized in that the predetermined number of exposures can be variably set at the camera.

65. Camera according to claim 57, characterized in that the new program characteristic is shifted by a predetermined shifting amount with respect to the reference program characteristic in direction of constant exposure values.

66. Camera according to claim 65, characterized in that the exposure control is effected according to the new program characteristic starting from the reference program characteristic whereby one of its two fixed exposure parameters (Tv, Av) is changed by a predetermined amount, and the other exposure parameter (Av, Tv) is calculated therefrom for the respectively relevant exposure value (Av).

67. Camera according to claim 66, characterized in that the predetermined shifting amount can be variably set at the camera.

68. Camera according to claim 65, characterized in that, upon exceeding said predetermined number of exposures, data is stored which change the combinations of aperture value and exposure time, fixed by said reference program characteristic, by a predetermined amount at a constant exposure value.

69. Camera according to claim 57, characterized in that the new program characteristic deviates from the reference program characteristic only in part.

70. Camera according to claim 69, characterized in that the reference program characteristic in certain sections keeps one of the exposure parameters constant and that the new program characteristic is not modified at least in one part of these sections with respect to the reference program characteristic.

71. Camera according to one of the claim 57, characterized in that the new program characteristic is modified with respect to the reference program characteristic in relation to a gradient of the characteristic.

72. Camera according to claim 57, characterized in that data (STDYCNT(X), GENPSFT(X) with X=0 to 3) characterizing the new program characteristic are stored in a storage in an appropriate manner, in order to be still available following switching off a main button of the camera.

73. Camera according to claim 57, characterized by storing of the camera condition independent of the switching mode of a main button in which the exposure control is effected according to a new program characteristic,

74. Camera according to claim 57, characterized by means for resetting the camera condition in which the exposure control is effected according to a new program characteristic.

75. Camera according to claim 61, characterized in that said successive exposures are counted up to a predetermined first number, when the amount of a change, with respect to a program characteristic, reaches or exceeds the a predetermined shifting amount, and that said successive exposures are counted up to a predetermined second number, higher with respect to the first number, if the amount of a change, with respect to a program characteristic, is smaller than the predetermined shifting amount.

76. Camera in particular according to claim 57 comprising a display field for operational modes and photographic parameters, said display field providing display symbols and picture symbols which can be switched on and off, characterized by a graduation for indicating the shift amount of a program characteristic comprising an indication symbol movable along said graduation, picture symbols displayed at the two ends of the graduation for marking the shifting direction, and a switch for switching to other picture symbols at the two ends of the graduation for indicating different exposure programs.

77. Camera according to claim 76, characterized in that said other picture symbols indicate a photographic effect which results from the two shifting directions of a program characteristic.

78. Camera according to claim 77, characterized by further display symbols for the shutter time and the aperture value, and by picture symbols in form of plus and minus signs at the two ends of the graduation for indicating the direction and the amount of change of the shutter time or the aperture value set at the camera, with respect to predetermined values.

79. Camera according to claim 78, characterized in that said graduation comprises a division with predetermined segments as well as display symbols corresponding to this division, which can be switched on with a number corresponding to a shift amount to be displayed along the graduation whereby they can be alternately switched on and off in order to display the amount by which the program characteristic is shifted.

80. Camera according to claim 79, characterized in that the graduation depicts the shifting direction and the shifting amount by the position of an activated dot when the direction and the amount are stored.

81. Camera according to claim 76, characterized in that the display field comprises a picture symbol for displaying the selection of that operational mode in which the exposure control is effected by a program characteristic which is shifted with respect to the reference program characteristic.

82. Camera according to claim 81, characterized in that said picture symbol is switched on and off for a predetermined time when the number of exposures is counted.

83. Camera, in particular according to claim 57, characterized in that the reference program characteristic constantly fixes the open-aperture value with an increasing exposure value in a range from the maximum exposure time up to a vibration limit value, and fixes a decrease to a predetermined aperture at said vibration limit value.

84. Camera according to claim 83, characterized in that in a zoom lens the aperture is decreased by three aperture steps at a first vibration limit value in the wide angle position, and by one aperture step at a second vibration limit value in the tele position.

85. Camera according to claim 84, characterized in that the aperture is decreased at the respective vibration limit value by 1.5 aperture steps in the wide angle position and by a half aperture step in the tele position.

86. Camera in particular according to claim 57, characterized in that a reference program characteristic constantly fixes, with an increasing exposure value in a range from the maximum exposure time up to a vibration limit value, the open-aperture value increased by one aperture step, and that the exposure time and the aperture value are fixed with a further increasing exposure value according to a program characteristic having a predetermined gradient.

87. Camera according to claim 57, characterized by a display unit mounted on the camera body for displaying various items of photographic information, which comprises a display graph having a plurality of dots, a picture display section for indicating directions, a minus mark and a plus mark, an exposure correcting means for setting an exposure correction mode, and display control means for displaying an amount and a direction of a program characteristic shift by continuous activation of dots and alternate activation and de-activation of dots at at least one of the two ends when the program exposure mode is set, for displaying an exposure correction amount and direction with activation of one dot and activation of the minus or plus mark when the exposure correction mode is set, and for returning the display unit to the display of the program shift, leaving only the minus mark or plus mark displayed, when the exposure correction mode is activated.

88. Camera according to claim 87, characterized in that the exposure correction means comprises a push button which activates the exposure correction when being pressed, and which returns the camera to the program exposure mode when being released.

89. Camera according to claim 88, characterized in that the exposure control means does not display a display graph in principle when during selected automatic exposure an exposure time preference mode or an aperture preference mode is selected, whereas only one dot is activated and the minus or plus mark for exposure correction is displayed, while said exposure correction button is depressed, and with the displayed data not being changed when said exposure correction button is released.

90. Camera according to claim 87, characterized in that the display control means displays the amount and the direction of an exposure deviation by continuous activation of the dots and the minus or plus mark during manual exposure.

91. The camera of claim 57, wherein said plurality of exposures comprises three exposures.

92. A camera, comprising:

means for determining exposure parameters for each exposure value in accordance with a program characteristic;

means for temporarily changing said exposure parameters;

means for modifying said program characteristic in accordance with changes made with changes made by said changing means; and

means for actuating said modifying means to modify said program characteristic only when a predetermined plurality of exposure operations shifted in a same direction have been executed with the changed exposure parameters.

93. A camera, comprising:

means for determining exposure parameters for each exposure value in accordance with a program characteristic;

means for temporarily changing said exposure parameters;

means for modifying said program characteristic, based on said exposure parameters changed by said changing means, when a predetermined plurality of exposure operations shifted in a same direction have been executed with exposure parameters changed by said changing means, so that further exposure operations are performed according to said modified program characteristic.

94. The camera of claim 93, wherein said changing means changes said exposure parameters while maintaining said exposure value.

95. The camera of claim 94, wherein said plurality of exposure operations comprises three exposure operations.

96. A camera, comprising:

means for determining exposure parameters for each exposure value in accordance with a program characteristic;

means for temporarily changing said exposure parameters determined by said determining means for respective exposure operations;

means for modifying said program characteristic in accordance with changes made by said changing means; and

means for actuating said modifying means to modify said program characteristic only when a predetermined plurality of exposure operations have been executed with changed exposure parameters shifted in a same direction.

97. A camera, comprising:

means for determining exposure parameters for each exposure value in accordance with a program characteristic;

means for temporarily changing said exposure parameters;

means for counting a number of exposure operations only when said changing means changes said exposure parameter to satisfy a predetermined condition; and

means for modifying said program characteristic in accordance with said changed exposure parameter when said number of exposure operations shifted in a same direction counted by said counting means reaches a predetermined value greater than 1.

98. The camera of claim 97, wherein said predetermined condition comprises a condition where changes of said exposure parameters for said plurality of exposure operations have been made in a same direction.

99. The camera of claim 97, wherein said modifying means modifies said program characteristic in a predetermined manner.