Patent US6333750B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent EP0480774A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0480774A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Camera control system
Assignee: Nikon Corp
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Filing: 1991-10-14
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-10-14
Abstract
Abstract A camera includes a photo-taking lens, an automatic focus adjusting device for effecting the automatic focus adjustment of the photo-taking lens, an eye-gaze detecting device (21) for detecting the photographer's eye-gaze position in a finder field corresponding to a photographing picture plane, and producing an eye-gaze detection signal corresponding to the eye-gaze position, a focus adjustment signal producing device for outputting a plurality of focus adjustment signals corresponding to a plurality of detection areas in the photographing picture plane, and a control signal producing device for producing a control signal for controlling the automatic focus adjusting means, on the basis of the eye-gaze detection signal and the focus adjustment signals. The control signal producing device produces the control signal on the basis of the plurality of focus adjustment signals corresponding to the plurality of detection areas when the eye-gaze position indicated by the eye-gaze detection signal is at a position between the plurality of detection areas.
Inventors
- 👤 Shigeyuki Uchiyama
- 👤 Tadao Takagi
- 👤 Daisuke Saya
- 👤 Yuji Katano
- 👤 Shigemasa Sato
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 07:22
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03B; G03B13/00; G03B13/02; G02; G02B; G02B7/00; G02B7/28; G02B7/287; G03B2213/00; G03B2213/02; G03B2213/025
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 44
Claim 1
Independent Claim
151 words
A camera including: a photo-taking lens; automatic focus adjusting means for effecting the automatic focus adjustment of said photo-taking lens; eye-gaze detecting means for detecting the photographer's eye-gaze position in a finder field corresponding to a photographing picture plane, and producing an eye-gaze detection signal corresponding to said eye-gaze position; focus adjustment signal producing means for outputting a plurality of focus adjustment signals corresponding to a plurality of detection areas in said photographing picture plane; and control signal producing means for producing a control signal for controlling said automatic focus adjusting means, on the basis of said eye-gaze detection signal and said focus adjustment signals; said control signal producing means producing said control signal on the basis of the plurality of focus adjustment signals corresponding to said plurality of detection areas when said eye-gaze position indicated by said eye-gaze detection signal is at a position between said plurality of detection areas.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
39 words
The camera of Claim 2, wherein said control signal producing means includes calculating means which effects weighting attaching more importance to said focus adjustment signal of said detection area closer to said eye-gaze position, and produces said control signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
145 words
A camera including: a photo-taking lens; photo-taking lens driving means for electrically driving said photo-taking lens; eye-gaze detecting means for detecting the photographer's eye-gaze position in a finder field corresponding to a photographing picture plane, and producing an eye-gaze detection signal; distance measurement signal producing means for outputting a plurality of distance measurement signals corresponding to a plurality of distance measuring areas in said photographing picture plane; and control signal producing means for producing a control signal for controlling said photo-taking lens driving means, on the basis of said eye-gaze detection signal and said distance measurement signals; said control signal producing means producing said control signal on the basis of the plurality of distance measurement signals corresponding to said plurality of distance measuring areas when said eye-gaze position indicated by said eye-gaze detection signal is at a position between said plurality of distance measuring areas.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
The camera of Claim 3, wherein said control signal producing means includes calculating means which effects weighting attaching more importance to said distance measurement signal of said distance measuring area closer to said eye-gaze position, and produces said control signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The camera of Claim 3, wherein said photo-taking lens driving means effects the focus adjustment of said photo-taking lens in response to said control signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The camera of Claim 3, wherein said photo-taking lens driving means effects the zooming of said photo-taking lens in response to said control signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
129 words
A camera including: automatic exposure control means; eye-gaze detecting means for detecting the photographer's eye-gaze position in a finder field corresponding to a photographing picture plane, and producing an eye-gaze detection signal; photometric signal producing means for outputting a plurality of photometric signal corresponding to a plurality of photometry areas in said photographing picture plane; and control signal producing means for producing a control signal for controlling said automatic exposure control means, on the basis of said eye-gaze detection signal and said photometric signals; said control signal producing means producing said control signal on the basis of a plurality of photometric signals corresponding to said plurality of photometry areas when said eye-gaze position indicated by said eye-gaze detection signal is at a position between said plurality of photometry areas.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
The camera of Claim 7, wherein said control signal producing means includes calculating means which effects weighting attaching more importance to said photometric signal of said photometry area closer to said eye-gaze position, and produces said control signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
83 words
A camera including: eye-gaze detecting means for repetitively detecting the photographer's eye-gaze position in a finder field corresponding to a photographing picture plane, and repetitively producing an eye-gaze detection signal corresponding to said eye-gaze position during each said detection; and operating means having its operation controlled on the basis of said eye-gaze detection signal; said eye-gaze detecting means controlling said operating means on the basis of said plurality of eye-gaze detection signals produced immediately before the operation of said operating means is started.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
The camera of Claim 9, wherein said eye-gaze detecting means includes memory means for temporarily storing said plurality of eye-gaze detection signals therein.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
The camera of Claim 10, wherein said memory means is capable of storing a predetermined number of said eye-gaze detection signals therein.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
The camera of Claim 11, wherein said eye-gaze detecting means controls said operating means on the basis of said predetermined number of eye-gaze detection signals stored in said memory means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
46 words
The camera of any of Claims 10 to 12, wherein said eye-gaze detecting means includes nullifying means for nullifying said plurality of eye-gaze detection signals stored in said memory means, and said nullifying means nullifies said eye-gaze detection signals in succession from the earlier stored one.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
31 words
The camera of Claim 13, wherein said nullifying means nullifies said eye-gaze detection signals in succession by renewing said earlier stored eye-gaze detection signal by a newly produced eye-gaze detection signal.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
The camera of Claim 9, wherein said eye-gaze detecting means effects the detection of said eye-gaze position at a predetermined time interval.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
The camera of Claim 9, wherein said eye-gaze detecting means produces said plurality of eye-gaze detection signals during a predetermined time before the operation of said operating means is started.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
The camera of Claim 9, wherein said eye-gaze detecting means is such that the number of said plurality of eye-gaze detection signals is determined.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
37 words
The camera of Claim 9, further including an operating member on which a manual operation is exerted and wherein the start of the operation of said operating means responds to the manual operation of said operating member.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
143 words
A camera including: operating means performing operations necessary for photographing; eye-gaze detecting means for detecting the photographer's eye-gaze position in a finder field corresponding to a photographing picture plane, and producing an eye-gaze detection signal; measurement signal producing means for outputting a plurality of measurement signals corresponding to a plurality of measurement areas in said photographing picture plane; and control signal producing means for producing a control signal for controlling said operating means, on the basis of said eye-gaze detection signal and said measurement signals; said control signal producing means including calculating means which measures a cumulative time for which said eye-gaze position indicated by said eye-gaze detection signal has been in said plurality of measurement areas, effects weighting attaching more importance to the measurement signal corresponding to the measurement area for which said cumulative time is longer, and produces said control signal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
27 words
The camera of Claim 19, wherein said measurement signal producing means measures the object luminance in said measurement areas, and said operating means effects automatic exposure control.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
35 words
The camera of Claim 19, wherein said calculating means excludes from the object of said weighting the measurement signal of said measurement area for which said cumulative time has been less than a predetermined time.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
32 words
The camera of Claim 19, wherein said measurement signal producing means measures the object distance in said measurement areas, and said operating means effects the automatic focus adjustment of a photo-taking lens.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
96 words
The camera of Claim 22, wherein said calculating means does not effect said weighting if there is one or more measurement areas for which the difference from the longest one of a plurality of cumulative times corresponding to said plurality of measurement areas is less than a first predetermined time, and produces said outrol signal on the basis of only a measurement signal in which the measured object distance is closest, of the measurement area of the longest cumulative time and the measurement areas for which the difference therefrom is less than the first predetermined time.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
63 words
The camera of Claim 23, wherein said calculating means effects said weighting if there is one or more measurement areas for which the difference from the longest one of the plurality of cumulative times corresponding to said plurality of measurement areas is between said first predetermined time and a second predetermined time longer than said first predetermined time, and produces said control signal.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
70 words
The camera of Claim 24, wherein said calculating means does not effect said weighting if there is no measurement area for which the difference from the longest one of the plurality of cumulative times corresponding to said plurality of measurement areas is less than said second predetermined time, and produces said control signal on the basis of only the measurement signal of the measurement area of said longest cumulative time.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
147 words
A camera including: operating means performing operations necessary for photographing; eye-gaze detecting means for detecting the photographer's eye-gaze position in a finder field corresponding to a photographing picture plane, and producing an eye-gaze detection signal; measurement signal producing means for outputting a plurality of measurement signals corresponding to a plurality of measurement areas in said photographing picture plane; and control signal producing means for producing a control signal for controlling said operating means, on the basis of said eye-gaze detection signal and said measurement signals; said control signal producing means including calculating means which measures the cumulative number of times over which said eye-gaze position indicated by said eye-gaze detection signal has been in said plurality of measurement areas, effects weighting attaching more importance to the measurement signal corresponding to the measurement area for which said cumulative number of times is greater, and produces said control signal.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
27 words
The camera of Claim 26, wherein said measurement signal producing means measures the object luminance in said measurement areas, and said operating means effects automatic exposure control.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
104 words
A camera including: operating means performing operations necessary for photographing; eye-gaze detecting means for dividing a finder field corresponding to a photographing picture plane into a central portion and a marginal portion, detecting which of said central portion and said marginal portion the photographer desires to gaze at, and producing an eye-gaze detection signal; measurement signal producing means for outputting a plurality of measurement signals corresponding to a plurality of measurement areas in said photographing picture plane; and control signal producing means for producing a control signal for controlling said operating means, on the basis of said eye-gaze detection signal and said measurement signals.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
21 words
The camera of Claim 28, wherein said eye-gaze detecting means is such that said marginal portion is divided into a plurality.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
27 words
The camera of Claim 28, wherein said measurement signal producing means measures the object luminance in said measurement areas, and said operating means effects automatic exposure control.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
141 words
A camera including: operating means performing operations necessary for photographing; eye-gaze detecting means for detecting the photographer's eye-gaze position in a finder field corresponding to a photographing picture plane, and producing an eye-gaze signal; measurement signal producing means for outputting a plurality of measurement signals corresponding to a plurality of measurement areas in said photographing picture plane; and control signal producing means for producing a control signal for controlling said operating means, on the basis of said eye-gaze detection signal and said measurement signals; said control signal producing means including selecting means which measures the cumulative time for which said eye-gaze position indicated by said eye-gaze detection signal has been in said plurality of measurement areas, selects said plurality of measurement signals in accordance with said cumulative time, and produces said control signal on the basis of the selected measurement signals.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
31 words
The camera of Claim 31, wherein said selecting means does not select the measurement signal of said measurement area for which said cumulative time has been less than a predetermined time.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
32 words
The camera of Claim 31, wherein said measurement signal producing means measures the object distance in said measurement areas, and said operating means effects the automatic focus adjustment of a photo-taking lens.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
104 words
The camera of Claim 33, wherein said selecting means, if there is one or more measurement areas in which the difference from the longest one of a plurality of cumulative times corresponding to said plurality of measurement areas is less than a first predetermined time, compares the object distances indicated by the measurement signal of the measurement area of the longest cumulative time and the measurement signal of the measurement area in which the difference therefrom is less than the first predetermined time, and produces said control signal on the basis of the measurement signal indicative of the closest one of said object distances.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
136 words
The camera of Claim 34, wherein said selecting means, if there is one or more measurement areas in which the difference from the longest one of the plurality of cumulative times corresponding to said plurality of measurement areas is between said first predetermined time and a second predetermined time longer than said first predetermined time, produces a control signal for effecting the automatic focus adjustment of the photo-taking lens so that the photo-taking lens may be focused without fail to the object distance indicated by the measurement signal of the measurement area of the longest cumulative time and that the object distance indicated by the measurement signal of the measurement area in which said cumulative time difference is between said first predetermined time and said second predetermined time may also be within the depth of field.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
64 words
The camera of Claim 35, wherein said selecting means, if there is no measurement area in which the difference from the longest one of the plurality of cumulative times corresponding to said plurality of measurement areas is less than said second predetermined time, produces said control signal on the basis of only the measurement signal of the measurement area of said longest cumulative time.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
160 words
A camera including: operating means performing operations associated with photographing; eye-gaze detecting means provided with a plurality of eye-gaze detection areas obtained by vertically and horizontally dividing a finder field corresponding to a photographing picture plane, and for detecting which of the eye-gaze detection areas the photographer has gazed at, and producing an eye-gaze detection signal; measurement signal producing means for outputting a plurality of measurement signals corresponding to a plurality of measurement areas in said photographing picture plane; and control signal producing means for producing a control signal for controlling said operating means, on the basis of said eye-gaze detection signal and said measurement signals; the ratio between the horizontal and vertical dimensions of each of said eye-gaze detection areas being smaller than the ratio between the horizontal and vertical dimensions of said photographing picture plane, whereby the resolving power of the detection by said eye-gaze detecting means is higher in the horizontal direction than in the vertical direction.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
124 words
A camera including: operating means performing operations associated with photographing; eye-gaze detecting means provided with a plurality of eye-gaze detection areas obtained by vertically and horizontally dividing a finder field corresponding to a photographing picture plane and for detecting which of the eye-gaze detection areas the photographer has gazed at, and producing an eye-gaze detection signal; measurement signal producing means for outputting a plurality of measurement signals corresponding to a plurality of measurement areas in said photographing picture plane; and control signal producing means for producing a control signal for controlling said operating means, on the basis of said eye-gaze detection signal and said measurement signals; the sum total of said eye-gaze detection areas being more than the sum total of said measurement areas.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
124 words
A camera including: operating means performing operations associated with photographing; eye-gaze detecting means provided with a plurality of eye-gaze detection areas obtained by vertically and horizontally dividing a finder field corresponding to a photographing picture plane and for detecting which of the eye-gaze detection areas the photographer has gazed at, and producing an eye-gaze detection signal; measurement signal producing means for outputting a plurality of measurement signals corresponding to a plurality of measurement areas in said photographing picture plane; and control signal producing means for producing a control signal for controlling said operating means, on the basis of said eye-gaze detection signal and said measurement signals; the total number of said eye-gaze detection areas being greater than the total number of said measurement areas.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
73 words
A camera control system for controlling a photographic operation in response to the position in a photographic field at which a user is detected to be looking and selectively in response to measurements from respective areas in the field, characterised in that an interpolated measurement value based on the measurements from a plurality or areas is adopted when the detected position at which the user is looking is intermediate any of said areas.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
71 words
A camera control system for controlling a photographic operation in response to the position in a photographic field at which a user is detected to be looking and selectively in response to measurements from respective areas in the field, characterised in that the manner in which said measurements are selectively used is dependent on the relative periods of time for which the user is detected to be looking at respective positions.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
69 words
A camera control system for controlling a photographic operation in response to the position in a photographic field at which a user is detected to be looking and selectively in response to measurements from respective areas in the field, characterised in that the manner in which said measurements are selectively used is dependent on the relative frequencies with which the user is detected to be looking at respective positions.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
86 words
A camera control system for controlling a photographic operation in response to the position in a photographic field at which a user is detected to be looking and selectively in response to measurements from respective areas in the field, characterised in that said field is horizontally and vertically divided into a plurality of areas for detection of the position at which the user is looking, said division being such that the resolving power of said detection is greater in the horizontal direction than the vertical direction.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
76 words
A camera control system for controlling a photographic operation in response to the position in a photographic field at which a user is detected to be looking and selectively in response to measurements from respective areas in the field, characterised in that said field is divided into a plurality of areas for detection of the position at which the user is looking, the total number of detection areas being greater than the number of measurement areas.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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