Camera having data transmission function

• US 6,023,292 A
• Filed: 11/15/1996
• Issued: 02/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Wakui, Yoshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOE, AUNG SOE
• Application Number:
  US08/748,807
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207, 348/211, 348/348, 348/552, 348/15, 396/139, 396/106, 396/56, 396/57, 396/108, 396/109
• US Class Current: 348/211.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules

Abstract

A camera provided with a distance measuring system having an infrared light emitting element, and an infrared light receiving element. The infrared light emitted by the emitting element and reflected by an object is received by the light receiving element, and based on a point where the reflected infrared light is incident to the light receiving element, an object distance is determined. In such a camera, the light emitting element is used for sending data by emitting a modulated infrared light. Similarly, the light receiving element is used for receiving data. Further, the light emitting angular range is changed in accordance with whether the emitted light is used for distance measuring or the data transmission.

Claims

1. A camera, comprising:

an infrared light emitting element;

an infrared light receiving element;

a distance measuring system, said distance measuring system including said infrared light emitting element and said infrared light receiving element, said infrared light receiving element receiving said infrared light emitted by said infrared light emitting element and reflected from an object, a distance to said object being determined based on a position of received light on a light receiving area of said infrared light receiving element;

a data transmission system, said data transmission system sending data by modulating said infrared light emitted by said infrared light emitting element, said data transmission system receiving data carried by said infrared light via said infrared light receiving element;

a system that controls said infrared light emitting element to vary an intensity of said infrared light emitted by said infrared light emitting element so that high intensity infrared light is utilized by said distance measuring system to measure a distance to said object and low intensity infrared light is utilized by said data transmission system to send data; and

an optical system which changes a light emitting angular range so that a parallel beam is emitted towards the object when the infrared light is emitted for determining the object distance and a divergent beam is emitted towards the object when the infrared light is emitted for the data transmission.

2. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising:

an image capturing system which captures digital image data of said object; and

a memory in which said digital image data is stored.

3. The camera according to claim 2, wherein said data transmitted by said data transmission system includes said digital image data.

4. The camera according to claim 1, said optical system comprising a lens and a moving system that changes a position of said lens with respect to a light emitting surface of said infrared light emitting element.

5. The camera according to claim 4, said moving system positioning said lens so that a focal point of said lens substantially coincides with a surface of said infrared light emitting element when said infrared light is utilized for determining a distance to said object, said moving system positioning said lens closer to said light emitting element than a focal length of said lens when said infrared light is utilized for data transmission.

6. A camera, comprising:

an image capturing system which receives light from an object and generates digital image data;

an image memory in which said image data is stored;

a light emitting element, which emits infrared light toward said object;

a light receiving element, which receives said infrared light emitted by said light emitting element after said infrared light is reflected by said object;

a distance calculating system, which calculates a distance to said object based on a position of received light on said light receiving element;

a controller, which controls said light emitting element to emit infrared light modulated in accordance with said image data stored in said image memory;

a system that controls said light emitting element to vary an intensity of infrared light emitted by said light emitting element so that high intensity infrared light is utilized by said distance calculating system to calculate a distance to said object and low intensity infrared light is utilized by said controller to modulate said infrared light in accordance with image data; and

an optical system which changes an angular range of the infrared light emitted by the light emitting element, the controller controlling the optical system such that the angular range is greater and a divergent beam is emitted towards the object when the modulated infrared light is emitted and a parallel beam is emitted towards the object when the infrared light is used for distance measurement.

7. The camera according to claim 6, wherein said modulated infrared light is modulated as serial data.