Exposure control apparatus

Claim 2

For use in a camera having exposure control means, circuitry operative to establish a control signal for the exposure control means, comprising: a. light responsive means including a plurality of individual segments adapted to receive light from respective portions of a scene to be photographed, each of the segments of said light responsive means having an electrical parameter which varies in accordance with the intensity of light incident thereon; b. first circuit means containing a plurality of amplifiers, one for each of said segments of said light responsive means, including means for connecting the output of each of said segments to a respective one of said plurality of amplifiers; c. means for deriving a reference signal related in value to the total scene illustration received by said light responsive means; and d. means for applying a portion of said reference signal to each of said channels, operative thereby to selectively limit the output from each of said amplifiers.

Claim 3

For use in a camera having exposure control means, circuitry operative to establish a control signal for the exposure control means, comprising: a. light responsive means including a plurality of individual segments adapted to receive light from respective portions of a scene to be photographed, each of the segments of said light responsive means having an electrical parameter which varies in accordance with the intensity of light incident thereon; b. first circuit means containing a plurality of amplifiers, one for each of said segments of said light responsive means, including means for connecting the output of each of said segments to a respective one of said plurality of amplifiers; c. means for deriving a reference signal related in value to the total scene illustration received by said light responsive means; and d. means for applying a portion of said reference signal to each of said channels, operative thereby to selectively limit the output from each of said amplifiers.

Claim 4

For use in a camera having exposure control means, circuitry operative to establish a control signal for the exposure control means, comprising: a. light responsive means including a plurality of individual segments adapted to receive light from respective portions of a scene to be photographed, each of the segments of said light responsive means having an electrical parameter which varies in accordance with the intensity of light incident thereon; b. first circuit means containing a plurality of amplifiers, one for each of said segments of said light responsive means, including means for connecting the output of each of said segments to a respective one of said plurality of amplifiers; c. means for deriving a reference signal related in value to the total scene illustration received by said light responsive means; and d. means for applying a portion of said reference signal to each of said channels, operative thereby to selectively limit the output from each of said amplifiers.

Claim 5

For use in a camera having exposure control means, circuitry operative to establish a control signal for the exposure control means, comprising: a. light responsive means including a plurality of individual segments adapted to receive light from respective portions of a scene to be photographed, each of the segments of said light responsive means having an electrical parameter which varies in accordance with the intensity of light incident thereon; b. first circuit means operative to receive inputs from each of the segments of said light responsive means and to provide an output therefrom as a single signal related to the sum of the individual portions; c. second circuit means containing a plurality of channels, one for each of said segments of said light responsive means; d. means for connecting each of said segments to a respective one of said plurality of channels of said second circuit means; e. means for applying a portion of the output from said first circuit means to each of the channels of said second circuit means operative thereby to selectively limit the output from each of said channels; and f. means adapted to receive the outputs from said second circuit means and provide therefrom a net control signal to be applied to the exposure control means.

Claim 6

For use in a camera having exposure control means, circuitry operative to establish a control signal for the exposure control means, comprising: a. light responsive means including a plurality of individual segments adapted to receive light from respective portions of a scene to be photographed, each of the segments of said light responsive means having an electrical parameter which varies in accordance with the intensity of light incident thereon; b. first circuit means operative to receive inputs from each of the segments of said light responsive means and to provide an output therefrom as a single signal related to the sum of the individual portions; c. second circuit means containing a plurality of channels, one for each of said segments of said light responsive means; d. means for connecting each of said segments to a respective one of said plurality of channels of said second circuit means; e. means for applying a portion of the output from said first circuit means to each of the channels of said second circuit means operative thereby to selectively limit the output from each of said channels; and f. means adapted to receive the outputs from said second circuit means and provide therefrom a net control signal to be applied to the exposure control means.

Claim 7

The invention according to claim 2 wherein said first circuit means is a summing amplifier.

Claim 8

The invention according to claim 2 wherein the means for deriving a portion of the output from said first circuit means to be applied to said multichannel amplifier comprises first and second resistors connected between the output of said first circuit means and a source of reference potential, with the junction of said first and second resistors applied to an input of said second circuit means;