EP0572979A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Optical apparatus equipped with sight line detector
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1993-06-01
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-06-01
Abstract
Abstract It is disclosed regarding as an optical apparatus having a sight line detecting device. In this apparatus, an axis so-called sight line (sight axis) in the direction of a point at which an observer (photographer) is turning his eyes through a finder system on an observing surface (focus surface) on which an object image is formed by photographing system is detected by use of reflected image of eyeball obtained when the eyeball surface of the photographer is illuminated. Sight line photographing mode for controlling the optical apparatus based on the sight line information from the sight line detecting means is limited, and a sight line prohibited photographic mode for controlling without using the sight line information can be selected when the photographer is changed, for example, thereby always providing desired images.
Inventors
- 👤 Akiro Yamada
- 👤 Keiji Nagata
- 👤 Yoshiaki Irie
- 👤 Akihiko Nagano
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 01:39
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B7/00; G02B7/28; G02B27/00; G02B27/0093; G02B7/287; G03; G03B; G03B13/00; G03B13/02; G03B2213/00; G03B2213/02; G03B2213/025
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 48
Claim 1
Independent Claim
92 words
An apparatus for effecting at least one function using sight line information from a sight line detecting means for detecting sight line direction of an operator, said apparutus comprising: a control means operable in a sight line information using mode for controlling the apparatus by use of the sight line information and a sight line information prohibited mode for controlling the apparatus to effect the function without using the sight line information; and a selecting means for selecting either the sight line information using mode or the sight line information prohibited mode.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
12 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus is a camera.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus is equipped with a finder through which the operator views scenes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said finder is designed to be viewed by one eye of the operator.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
47 words
An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said apparatus further comprising a focus point detecting means capable of detecting focus points for a plurality of detecting points in the visual field of said finder; and function is to select any one of the plurality of detecting points.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
63 words
An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein an effective region of the visual field of the finder is divided into a plurality of sub-regions; a photometric means for measuring the luminance at the respective sub-region is provided; and the function is to perform either one or both functions of selecting any one of the sub-regions and weighting in a predetermined manner the sub-regions.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
68 words
An optical apparatus comprising: a detecting means for detecting a sight line direction of an operator and outputting sight line information; a control means for controlling the apparatus using the sight line information during the sight line information using mode; and a display means electrically connected to said control means for displaying characters to indicate the sight line information using mode when the sight line mode is set.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the characters are composed of letters, marks, symbols and combinations thereof.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
72 words
An apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising: an observing means for observing scenes by the operator; a focus point detecting means electrically connected to the said control means for detecting focus point for each of the detecting area in the observing visual field of the observing means; and a second display means for displaying the selected detecting area selected in accordance with the sight line information in the observing visual field.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
12 words
An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said apparatus is a camera.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
72 words
An optical apparatus comprising: a detecting means for detecting a sight line direction of human eye to form sight line information; a means electrically connected to said detecting means for outputting correcting data as to personal differences of human eye; a memory means for storing a plurality of correcting data; and a control means for controlling said apparatus on the basis of one of the sight line information and the correcting data.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
34 words
An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said apparatus further comprising: a selecting means for selecting whether to select any one of the correcting data or to prohibit the operation of said detecting means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
45 words
An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said apparatus further comprising: a mode selecting means for selecting the control mode of said control means; and said selecting means performs the selecting operation upon said mode selecting means being set to the sight line correcting mode.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said apparatus further comprising: a display means for displaying for identifying selected data when said selecting means selects any one of the stored correcting data.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said display means indicates a state that an initial value is stored in said memory means or not, and a state that the correcting data are already stored.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said display means makes indication by using numeral-variable display segments for displaying the function of the apparatus.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said function of the apparatus is to photograph.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
29 words
An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said apparatus is camera; and said selecting means includes a operational member for selecting photographic information containing shuttering speed and stopping value.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
100 words
An optical apparatus comprising: a detecting means for detecting sight line direction of human eye to form sight line information; a correcting data forming means electrically connected to said detecting means for forming correcting data as to personal difference of human eye; a visual mark presenting means electrically coupled to said correcting data forming means for presenting visual mark for sampling correcting data at different positions in the visual field and being capable of flickering for guiding the sight line; and a control means for controlling said apparatus on the basis of the sight line information and the correcting data.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
69 words
An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said apparatus further comprising: an observing means for observing scenes; a focus point detecting means capable of detecting focus point for each a plurality of detecting areas in the observing visual field of said observing means; and the visual mark is disposed near at least two detecting frame, and both the visual mark and the detecting frame are lighted and lighted off.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said visual mark presenting means differently presents the visual mark depending on whether the correcting data are being sampled or the sampling is completed.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
34 words
An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said apparatus is a photographic device; and the correcting data are sampled only when a switch interlocking a release button of said photographic device is turned on.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
55 words
An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the apparatus further comprising: an observing means for observing scenes and having an information display section in vicinity of an observing visual field; and a series of operations for obtaining correcting data are shown by use of the visual mark and the display on the information display section.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein termination of the series of operations for obtaining the correcting data are displayed by use of the information display section.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
25 words
An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein warning display is carried out by said information display section if the correcting data are not properly obtained.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
26 words
An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the display on the information display section is made to turn off while the correcting data are being sampled.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
47 words
An optical apparatus controlled on the basis of output from a sight line detecting device for detecting a sight line direction, wherein said sight line detecting means detects the sight line direction from function of a pupil diameter of an observer's eye and sight line correcting data.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
45 words
An optical apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said sight line detecting means has a sight line correcting means for calculating sight line correcting data in accordance with pupil diameter of the observer to correct personal differences of human eye in detecting the sight line.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
94 words
An optical apparatus having a sight line detecting section for detecting rotation of eyeball and being controlled on the basis of the output from the sight line detecting section, wherein said apparatus comprising: a position detecting means for detecting a position of said optical apparatus; a means for detecting correcting data as to personal difference of human eye used for calculating eye line information from the information as to the eyeball rotation; and a control means for controlling said correcting data detecting means on the basis of the output from said position detecting means.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said control means prohibits the detecting operation of the correcting data detecting means when said position detecting means detects that the optical apparatus is non-basically positioned.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
28 words
An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said apparatus further comprising: a warning means for warning when said position detecting means detects that the apparatus is improperly positioned.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus according to claim 30 or 31, wherein said apparatus is a camera and the non-basical position is longitudinal position.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
91 words
An optical apparatus for detecting rotation of observer's eyball to provide sight line information, wherein said apparatus comprising: a means for detecting correcting data for correcting personal errors in detecting a sight line information from an information as for the rotation of eyeball; and a memory means for storing the correcting data in which the correcting data includes at least one of sight line correcting factor calculated by said correcting data detecting means, reliability information of the sight line correcting factor, and the information whether the observer wears spectacles or not.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
53 words
An apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said apparatus further comprising: an illuminating means capable of changing the illuminated state of eyeball of the observer; and said illuminating means can change the illuminating state of a case of using naked eyes when said correcting data contains information representing that the observer wears spectacles.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
21 words
An optical apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said change of the illuminating state is a change of the illuminating direction.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
54 words
An optical apparatus for detecting rotation of observer's eyeball to provide sight line information, comprising: a means for detecting correcting data as to personal difference of human eye used for calculating sight line information from the information as to the rotation of the eyball; a means for judging the reliability of the correcting data.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
77 words
An optical apparatus for detecting rotation of eyeball of an observer to provide sight line information, comprising: a means for detecting correcting data as to personal errors used for calculating sight line information from information as to rotation of eyeball; a memory means for storing the correcting data; and a means for judging the reliability of the correcting data stored in the memory means and changing to the other correcting data when judging them to be unreliable.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
19 words
An apparatus according to claim 37, wherein said correcting data includes information whether the observer wears spectacles or not.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
78 words
An optical apparatus including a means for detecting rotation of eyeball of an observer and having a plurality of functions, said optical apparatus comprising: a means for detecting correcting data as to personal differences of human eye used for calculating sight line information from information as to rotation of eyeball; a memory means for storing correcting data; and a control means for performing predetermined functions in accordance with the kinds of correcting data stored in the memory means.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
24 words
An apparatus according to claim 39, wherein said control means stops performing the functions when no correcting data are stored in the memory means.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
64 words
An optical apparatus for detecting rotation of eyeball of an observer to provide sight line information, said apparatus comprising: an optical means for imaging light flux from the eye of the observer; an image sensor for receiving light flux from the optical means; and a control means for designating a read-out region for said image sensor and reading out information from the read-out region.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
26 words
An apparatus according to claim 41, wherein said control means reads out information from all the effective regions of said image sensor under a predetermined condition.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
112 words
An optical apparatus having a means for detecting rotation of eyeball of an observer and having a function, wherein said apparatus comprising: a means for detecting correcting errors as to personal differences used for providing sight line information from information as to the rotation of the eyeball; a means for obtaining the sight line direction by correcting the output information from the eyball rotation detecting means by said correcting data when the correcting mode is set; a time counting means for measuring the passing time during the correcting mode; and a control means for controlling the function of said optical apparatus on the basis of the output of said time counting means.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
26 words
An apparatus according to claim 43, wherein said apparatus further comprising: a display means; and said function is to perform predetermined displays by said display means.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus according to claim 43, wherein said apparatus further comprising: an operational means for providing operational signals; and said apparatus controls the operation of the correcting mode based on the operational signals.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
120 words
An optical apparatus having a means for detecting rotation of an observer's eyeball and operating to perform a predetermined function, comprising: a means for detecting correcting data as to personal differences due to human eye used for calculating sight line information from information as to rotation of the eyeball; a means for calculating the sight line direction by correcting the output information from the eyeball rotation detecting means with the correcting data when the correcting mode is set; a time counting means for measuring the passing time when the correcting mode is set; and a control means for terminating the correcting mode of the sight line direction calculating means on the basis of the output from the time counting means.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
30 words
An apparatus according to claim 46, wherein said apparatus further comprising: an operational means for providing operational signals; and said time counting means is reset based on the operational signals.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
12 words
An apparatus according to claim 46, wherein said apparatus is a camera.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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