Failure detection apparatus for storing and displaying the nature of the failure and the time of its occurrence

• US 6,104,878 A
• Filed: 11/07/1996
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Toguchi, Michi, Nonaka, Osamu, Maruyama, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Application Number:
  US08/746,273
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 396/281, 396/284, 396/285, 396/287-292, 396/429, 396/52, 396/53, 396/55, 396/104, 396/310
• US Class Current: 396/52
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/18 Signals indicating condition of a camera member or suitability of light indicating depth of field G03B13/30
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/425 motor drive cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2206/00 Systems for exchange of information between different pieces of apparatus, e.g. for exchanging trimming information, for photo finishing
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 43/00 Testing correct operation of photographic apparatus or parts thereof

Abstract

A failure detection and storage device provided with a failure factor detection unit for detecting generation of a failure factor when the failure factor being capable of causing a failure of a camera is generated, a date-and-time information output unit for outputting date-and-time information which corresponds to a date and a time at which the failure factor is generated, a storage unit being capable of storing failure factor information representing the failure factor, the generation of which is detected by the failure factor detection unit, and date-and-time information outputted the date-and-time information output unit, a display unit being capable of displaying the information stored by the storage unit and a control unit for determining a level of the failure factor, the generation of which is detected by the failure factor detection unit, and for deciding whether or not at least one of the failure factor information, the generation of which is detected by the failure factor detection unit, and the date-and-time information, which is outputted by the date-and-time output unit, is stored by the storage unit.

Claims

1. In combination, an apparatus having parts to be monitored for a possible abnormality and a failure detection and storage device which is a single, portable unit for detecting an abnormality experienced by said apparatus, said device comprising:

failure factor detection means for detecting a failure factor capable of causing a failure of said apparatus experienced by said apparatus;

date-and-time information output means for outputting date-and-time information which corresponds to a date and a time at which a failure factor experienced by said apparatus is detected by said failure factor detection means;

abnormality detection means for detecting whether the apparatus has experienced an abnormality, including identifying means for identifying a part in the apparatus which has experienced an abnormality, responsive to detection of a failure factor by said failure factor detection means;

storage means for storing failure factor information detected by said failure factor detection means, date-and-time information outputted by the date-and-time information output means and information representing the part identified as abnormal by said identifying means;

display means for displaying the information stored by the storage means;

failure factor level determining means for determining a level of a failure factor detected by said failure factor detection means; and

control means for deciding whether or not at least one of the failure factor information detected by the failure factor detection means, the date-and-time information, which is outputted by the date-and-time information output means and information representing the part identified as abnormal by said identifying means, is stored by the storage means.

2. The failure detection and storage device according to claim 1, wherein the failure factor is at least one of an impact, a temperature and a humidity.

3. A camera being capable of detecting an abnormality, comprising:

damage detection means for detecting when a failure factor condition external to said camera is applied to the camera;

abnormality detection means for initiating an operation for detecting a presence of an abnormality by judging a state of the camera responsive to the output signal generated by the damage detection means and for generating abnormality information;

storage means for storing abnormality information corresponding to the abnormality detected by the abnormality detection means; and

display means for displaying the information stored in the storage means.

4. The camera according to claim 3 wherein the abnormality information stored in the storage means represents a part thereof, at which the abnormality occurs.

5. The camera according to claim 3, wherein the damage is a condition which can cause a failure thereof and includes at least one of an impact, a temperature and a humidity.

6. A camera for detecting an abnormality, comprising:

failure factor detection means for detecting a failure factor being capable of causing a failure thereof and for outputting detection information of representing different levels of failure factor;

date-and-time information output means for obtaining a date and a time at which the failure factor is generated by said failure factor determining means, and for outputting date-and-time information;

storage means for storing information including a failure factor level detected by the detection means and for storing the date-and-time information outputted by the date-and-time information output means; and

display means for reading and displaying the information stored in the storage means.

7. A camera being capable of detecting an abnormality, comprising:

damage detection means for detecting a possible damage caused to a camera and for generating an output signal;

abnormality detection means for detecting an abnormality by judging a state of a the camera according to the output signal generated by the damage detection means;

date-and-time information output means for outputting date-and-time information;

storage means adapted so that, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection means, the storage means stores information including the date-and-time information, which is outputted by the date-and-time information, and abnormal part information representing a part of the camera, at which the abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection means; and

display means for displaying the information stored in the storage means.

8. A device which is a single, portable unit capable of detecting an abnormality, said device comprising:

detection means for detecting a cause of a possible failure, which is one of an impact and a change in temperature, and for outputting detection information corresponding to the cause;

timing means for determining one of a date and a time;

storage means for storing information representing a result of determination of the date and time;

display means for displaying information stored in the storage means;

a cause of failure'"'"'s level determining means for determining a level represented by the detection information outputted by the information detection means; and

control means for deciding whether or not the information representing the result of determination and of one of the date and time is stored in the storage means based on the output of the cause of failure'"'"'s level determining means.

9. A failure detection and storage device formed as a single, portable unit, said device comprising:

failure factor detection means for detecting application of a failure factor condition to an apparatus, capable of causing a failure;

date-and-time information output means for outputting date-and-time information which corresponds to a date and a time at which the failure factor condition is detected;

storage means for storing date-and-time information outputted by the date-and-time information output means and information identifying an abnormal part of said apparatus detected by said detection means;

display means for displaying the information stored by the storage means;

failure factor level determining means for determining a level of the failure factor detected by failure factor detection means; and

control means for deciding whether or not the date-and-time information, which is outputted by the date-and-time means, and the abnormal part information of said apparatus which is detected by said abnormality detection means is stored by the storage means based on the output of the failure factor level determining means.

10. A camera being capable of detecting an abnormality, comprising:

damage detection means for detecting a possible damage caused to a camera and for generating an output signal;

abnormality detection means for detecting an abnormality by judging a state of the camera according to the output signal generated by damage detection means;

date-and-time information output means for outputting date-and-time information;

storage means responsive to an abnormality detected by the abnormality detection means for storing date-and-time information outputted by the date-and-time information output means; and

display means for displaying the information stored in the storage means.

11. A device, which is a single portable unit, capable of detecting an abnormality, comprising:

detection means for detecting a cause of a possible failure, which is one of an impact and a change in temperature, and for outputting detection information corresponding to a cause of the abnormality;

timing means for determining one of a date and a time;

storage means for storing information representing a result of determination of the date and time;

display means for displaying information stored in the storage means; and

control means for deciding whether or not the information representing the result of determination of one of the date and time by said timing means is stored in the storage means based on a result outputted by said detection means.