Camera battery check device having multiple battery check levels

• US 6,031,999 A
• Filed: 07/25/1997
• Issued: 02/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Ogawa, Hidehiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dalakis, Michael
• Application Number:
  US08/900,870
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 396/277, 396/278, 396/279, 396/301, 396/303
• US Class Current: 396/303
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/007 Details of energy supply or management
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/26 Power supplies; Circuitry or arrangement to switch on the power source; Circuitry to check the power source voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A camera including a battery check device, having a plurality of battery check levels, to inactivate auxiliary devices of the camera according to a detected battery voltage level, and to modify the battery check level depending on the auxiliary devices used for taking photographs. The remaining capacity of the battery is detected and compared with the plurality of battery check levels and the activation of the plurality of devices is prohibited in a specified order, for example, in order of lower priority, or in order of larger power consumption, as the detected value of the remaining battery capacity decreases. The battery check level can be modified based on the auxiliary devices which are inactivated by an operator. A photographic operation can be continued without missing a shutter opportunity as long as a sufficient battery capacity remains to activate the devices necessary for taking photographs.

Claims

1. A battery check device for a camera having a plurality of devices which are activated upon receiving an electrical power supply from a battery, comprising:

a detection device to detect a remaining capacity of the battery; and

a prohibition device to prohibit the activation of at least one of the plurality of devices, wherein the prohibition device selects the number and types of the plurality of devices whose activation is prohibited according to the detected remaining capacity of the battery,

and wherein the prohibition device stores predetermined respective levels of priority assigned to the respective of devices, the predetermined levels being from a lowest priority level to a highest priority level, and the prohibition device prohibits operation of the respective devices in order of the device assigned the lowest priority level to a device assigned the highest priority level as the detected remaining capacity of the battery decreases.

2. A battery check device as recited in claim 1, wherein the detection device detects the remaining capacity of the battery by comparing a plurality of battery check levels with the terminal voltage of the battery.

3. A battery check device as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of devices include a flash device, an autofocus device and a motion compensation device, and the motion compensation device is assigned the lowest priority, the autofocus device is assigned the next lowest priority and the flash device is assigned the highest priority.

4. A battery check device as recited in claim 2, wherein the prohibition device prohibits activation of a single device each time the battery voltage decreases below a battery check level.

5. A battery check device as recited in claim 2, wherein the prohibition device prohibits activation of a plurality of devices each time the battery voltage decreases below a battery check level.

6. A battery check device as recited in claim 2, wherein the plurality of devices include a motion compensation device, an autofocus device and a flash device, and the plurality of battery check levels include a first level, a second level, a third level and a fourth level, wherein the operation of the motion compensation device is prohibited when the voltage of the battery decreases to less than the first level, the operation of the autofocus device is prohibited when the voltage of the battery decreases to less than the second level, the operation of the flash device is prohibited when the voltage of the battery decreases to less than the third level, and the operation of all devices is prohibited when the voltage of the battery decreases to less than the fourth level.

7. A battery check device for a camera having a plurality devices which receive an electrical power supply from a battery, which plurality of devices can be respectively activated or inactivated, comprising:

a modification device to determine whether each respective device of the plurality of devices is activated or inactivated and to set a battery check level based on the devices which are activated and based on the devices which are inactivated; and

a prohibition device to prohibit a photographic operation when the voltage of the battery decreases to a level less than the battery check level set by the modification device,

wherein the modification device changes the battery check level to a level at which a device can operate, the device being a device consuming the most electrical power among the devices that have been activated if a plurality of devices are activated.

8. A battery check device as recited in claim 7, wherein the modification device changes the battery check level according to a device which is activated if only one device is activated.

9. A battery check device as recited in claim 7, wherein the plurality of devices include a flash device, an autofocus device and a motion compensation device, and the flash device has the highest power consumption followed in order of decreasing power consumption by the motion compensation device and the autofocus device.

10. A battery check device as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

a shutter device, wherein the modification device sets one of a first battery check level, a second battery check level and a third battery check level, and the first battery check level is a level at which at least the shutter device and the flash device can be activated, the second battery check level is a level at which at least the shutter device and the motion compensation device can be activated, and the third battery check level is a level at which at least the shutter device and the autofocus device can be activated.

11. A camera, comprising:

a battery;

a shutter device which is activated upon receiving an electrical power supply from the battery;

a plurality of devices, other than the shutter device, which are activated upon receiving an electrical power supply from the battery;

a detection device to detect a battery voltage level;

a prohibiting device to prohibit activation of at least one of the plurality of devices according to a voltage level detected by the detection device, the prohibiting device including a storage device to store predetermined respective levels of priority assigned to the respective devices, the predetermined levels being from a lowest priority level to a highest priority level, the prohibiting device prohibiting activation of the plurality of devices in order of the device having the lowest priority level to the device having the highest priority level as the detected battery voltage decreases; and

a control device to control activation of the shutter device based on the detected battery voltage level and the devices whose activation is prohibited by the prohibiting device.

12. A camera as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

a battery check level setting device to set a battery check level based on the devices whose activation is prohibited by the prohibiting device,

wherein the battery check level setting device sets a minimum battery check level which allows the shutter device to be activated.

13. A camera as recited in claim 11, wherein the prohibiting device prohibits activation of the plurality of devices according to the battery voltage level detected with respect to a plurality of battery voltage check levels.

14. A battery check device for a camera having a plurality devices which are activated upon receiving an electrical power supply from a battery, comprising:

a detection device to detect a remaining capacity of the battery; and

a prohibition device to prohibit the activation of the plurality of devices in order of lower priority as the detected remaining capacity of the battery decreases,

wherein the plurality of devices include a flash device, an autofocus device and a motion compensation device, and the motion compensation device has the lowest priority, the autofocus device has the next lowest priority and the flash device has the highest priority.

15. A battery check device for a camera having a plurality devices which are activated upon receiving an electrical power supply from a battery, comprising:

a detection device to detect a remaining capacity of the battery by comparing a plurality of battery check levels with the terminal voltage of the battery; and

a prohibition device to prohibit the activation of the plurality of devices in a specified order as the detected remaining capacity of the battery decreases,

wherein the plurality of devices include a motion compensation device, an autofocus device and a flash device, and the plurality of battery check levels include a first level, a second level, a third level and a fourth level, wherein the operation of the motion compensation device is prohibited when the voltage of the battery decreases to less than the first level, the operation of the autofocus device is prohibited when the voltage of the battery decreases to less than the second level, the operation of the flash device is prohibited when the voltage of the battery decreases to less than the third level, and the operation of all devices is prohibited when the voltage of the battery decreases to less than the fourth level.

16. A battery check device for a camera having a plurality devices which receive an electrical power supply from a battery, which plurality of devices can be respectively activated or inactivated, comprising:

a modification device to set a battery check level based on the devices which have been inactivated, wherein the modification device changes the battery check level according to a device consuming the most electrical power among the devices that have been inactivated if a plurality of devices are inactivated; and

a prohibition device to prohibit a photographic operation when the voltage of the battery decreases to a level less than the battery check level set by the modification device,

wherein the plurality of devices include a shutter device, a flash device, an autofocus device and a motion compensation device, and the flash device has the highest power consumption followed in order of decreasing power consumption by the motion compensation device and the autofocus device, and

wherein the modification device sets one of a first battery check level, a second battery check level and a third battery check level, and the first battery check level is a level at which at least the shutter device and the flash device can be activated, the second battery check level is a level at which at least the shutter device and the motion compensation device can be activated, and the third battery check level is a level at which at least the shutter device and the autofocus device can be activated.

17. A battery check device for a camera having a plurality of devices which are activated upon receiving an electrical power supply from a battery, comprising:

a detection device to detect a remaining capacity of the battery; and

a prohibition device to prohibit the activation of at least one of the plurality of devices, wherein the prohibition device selects the number and types of the plurality of devices whose activation is prohibited in a specified order corresponding to the detected remaining capacity of the battery, the specified order being from a device having a greatest power consumption to a device having a lowest power consumption.

18. A battery check device as recited in claim 17, wherein the plurality of devices include a flash device, an autofocus device and a motion compensation device, and the flash device has the greatest power consumption, the motion compensation device has the next greatest power consumption, and the autofocus device has the lowest power consumption.

19. A camera, comprising:

a battery;

a shutter device which is activated upon receiving an electrical power supply from the battery;

a plurality of devices, other than the shutter device, which are activated upon receiving an electrical power supply from the battery;

a detection device to detect a battery voltage level;

a prohibiting device to prohibit activation of at least one of the plurality of devices according to a voltage level detected by the detection device, the prohibiting device prohibiting activation of the plurality of devices in a specified order corresponding to the voltage level detected the detection device, the specified order being from a device having a greatest power consumption to a device having a lowest power consumption; and

a control device to control activation of the shutter device based on the detected battery voltage level and the devices whose activation is prohibited by the prohibiting device.

20. A method of operation of a system including a battery for supplying power to a plurality of devices, comprising the steps of:

setting predetermined respective levels of priority corresponding to the respective devices, the predetermined levels of priority ranging from a lowest priority level to a highest priority level;

setting a plurality of battery check levels;

detecting a remaining capacity of the battery;

comparing the detected remaining capacity of the battery with each of the plurality of battery check levels; and

prohibiting activation of at least one of the plurality of devices in order of the lowest priority device to the highest priority device as the result of the comparison between the remaining capacity of the battery and the battery check levels indicates that the remaining capacity of the battery is decreasing.

21. A method of setting a battery check level for a battery which supplies power to a plurality of devices, which plurality of devices are respectively activated by supplying power from the battery or inactivated by stopping supply of power from the battery, comprising the steps of:

determining whether each of the respective devices of the plurality of devices are activated;

setting respective battery check levels corresponding to each respective device which is determined to be activated;

setting a battery check level corresponding to the highest battery check level set among the activated devices; and

prohibiting a photographic operation in response to the voltage of the battery decreasing to a level less than the set battery check level.

22. A battery check device for a camera having a plurality of devices which are activated upon receiving an electrical power supply from a battery, comprising:

a detection device to detect a remaining capacity of the battery; and

a prohibition device to prohibit activation of at least one of the plurality of devices,

wherein the prohibition device selects the number and types of the plurality of devices whose activation is prohibited in a specified order corresponding to the detected remaining capacity of the battery,

wherein the specified order being from a lowest priority device to a highest priority device with respect to how essential the respective device is for photography, and

wherein the plurality of devices include a flash device, an autofocus device and a motion compensation device, and the motion compensation device has the lowest priority, the autofocus device has the next lowest priority and the flash device has the highest priority.

23. A battery check device for a camera having a plurality of devices which are activated upon receiving an electrical power supply from a battery, comprising:

a detection device to detect a remaining capacity of the battery; and

a prohibition device to prohibit the activation of at least one of the plurality of devices, wherein the prohibition device selects the number and types of the plurality of devices whose activation is prohibited in a specified order corresponding to the detected remaining capacity of the battery, the specified order being from a lowest priority device to highest priority device with respect to how essential the respective device is for photography,

wherein the detection device detects the remaining capacity of the battery by comparing a plurality of battery check levels with the terminal voltage of the battery, and

wherein the plurality of devices include a motion compensation device, an autofocus device and a flash device, and the plurality of battery check levels include a first level, a second level, a third level and a fourth level, wherein the operation of the motion compensation device is prohibited when the voltage of the battery decreases to less than the first level, the operation of the autofocus device is prohibited when the voltage of the battery decreases to less than the second level, the operation of the flash device is prohibited when the voltage of the battery decreases to less than the third level, and the operation of all devices is prohibited when the voltage of the battery decreases to less than the fourth level.

24. A battery check device for a camera having a plurality of devices which are activated by receiving power from a battery, including an exposure device to perform exposure, comprising:

a detection device to detect a remaining capacity of the battery;

a prohibition device to compare the detected remaining capacity of the battery with a first battery check level and a second battery check level, to prohibit activation of a first of the plurality of devices, while permitting an exposure operation, if the detected remaining capacity of the battery is less than the first battery check level, and to prohibit activation of a second of the plurality of devices, while permitting the exposure operation if the detected remaining capacity of the battery is less than the second battery check level.