US3836262A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Indicator circuit
Assignee: Minolta Co Ltd
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Filing: 1972-06-29
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Granted: 1974-09-17
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Expires: 1992-06-29
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus is disclosed for measuring and providing an indication of illumination, comprising a delay circuit including a lightreceiving element and a capacitor, for integrating the quantity of light in accordance with illumination incident on the lightreceiving surface of the light-receiving element; a switching circuit actuated by an output signal from the delay circuit; a pulse generator circuit generating pulses of a constant frequency; and a counter circuit comprising a plurality of binary counter circuits disposed in cascade connection, in which the counter circuit is provided with counting elements corresponding to all digits and indicating luminescent diodes connected to output terminals of the counting elements. The counter circuit initiates the counting of the pulses derived from the pulse generator circuit in accordance with illumination incident on the light-receiving surface of the light-receiving element, and the delaying operation of the delay circuit. The counting circuit counts the number of the pulses in a period of time until the switching circuit is actuated, thereby providing a digital indication of a set analog value.
Inventors
- 👤 K Yata
- 👤 M Matsuda
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 02:15
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03K; H03K21/00; H03K21/08; G; G01; G01J; G01J1/00; G01J1/42; G01J1/44; G01J1/46; H03M; H03M1/00; H03M1/12; H03M1/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
309 words
Apparatus for measuring and providing an indication of the intensity of scene illumination having: a. light measuring means including a light-receiving element and a capacitor, for integrating the incident scene illumination and for providing a signal in accordance with the illumination incident upon said light-receiving element; b. switching means responsive to the signal derived from said light measuring means, for providing an output signal whEn the aforementioned signal exceeds a predetermined level; c. pulse generator means for providing a series of pulses at a selected frequency; and d. counter means comprising a plurality of counter elements disposed in cascade connection with each other, said counter means responsive to the initiation of light measuring by said light measuring means for initiating the counting of pulses derived from said pulse generator means and to the output signal derived from said switching means for terminating the counting of the pulses derived from said pulse generator means to provide thereby a digital indication of the intensity of incident illumination in accordance with the number of counted pulses, characterized in that each of said counter elements is coupled to energize selectively a radiation emitting device, each of said counter elements further comprising first and second output and reset terminals, said radiation emitting devices connected to the first output terminals of their corresponding counter element, said second terminals of said counter elements being connected to the reset terminal of the preceding counter element, and a plurality of discriminating circuits, each interconnected between the second output terminal of one of said counter elements and said reset terminal of the preceding counting element, and each of said discriminating circuits further connected to said switching means, whereby the Nth counter element which is most significant for the indication of the number of pulses counted by said counter means is actuated to energize said radiation emitting device coupled thereto.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
309 words
Apparatus for measuring and providing an indication of the intensity of scene illumination having: a. light measuring means including a light-receiving element and a capacitor, for integrating the incident scene illumination and for providing a signal in accordance with the illumination incident upon said light-receiving element; b. switching means responsive to the signal derived from said light measuring means, for providing an output signal whEn the aforementioned signal exceeds a predetermined level; c. pulse generator means for providing a series of pulses at a selected frequency; and d. counter means comprising a plurality of counter elements disposed in cascade connection with each other, said counter means responsive to the initiation of light measuring by said light measuring means for initiating the counting of pulses derived from said pulse generator means and to the output signal derived from said switching means for terminating the counting of the pulses derived from said pulse generator means to provide thereby a digital indication of the intensity of incident illumination in accordance with the number of counted pulses, characterized in that each of said counter elements is coupled to energize selectively a radiation emitting device, each of said counter elements further comprising first and second output and reset terminals, said radiation emitting devices connected to the first output terminals of their corresponding counter element, said second terminals of said counter elements being connected to the reset terminal of the preceding counter element, and a plurality of discriminating circuits, each interconnected between the second output terminal of one of said counter elements and said reset terminal of the preceding counting element, and each of said discriminating circuits further connected to said switching means, whereby the Nth counter element which is most significant for the indication of the number of pulses counted by said counter means is actuated to energize said radiation emitting device coupled thereto.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said radiation emitting devices comprise luminescent diodes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said counter elements comprise a flip-flop circuits.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
81 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said counter means includes warning means connected to the last counter element of said plurality of cascade-connected counter elements, a radiation emitting device coupled for energization to said warning means, said counter means having a selected capacity such that when the counted number of pulses exceeds the selected capacity, said warning means is actuated to energize said radiation emitting device to provide an indication that the incident scene illumination is below a predetermined limit.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
101 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said counter means includes first detecting means responsive to the final pulse derived from said pulse generator means, for comparing the states of the output of said counter elements with the state of said final counter element to determine those counter elements different from the state of said final counter element, and second detecting means for detecting which of said counter elements having a different state represents the most significant digit and for actuating said detected counter element to energize its coupled radiation emitting device to provide an indication of the most significant digit.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
140 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said counter means includes an actuatable second warning means, a radiation emitting device coupled for energization to said second warning means, and logic circuit means responsive to the initiating of light measuring by said light measuring means to be disposed in a first state for actuating said second warning circuit, and responsive to the counting of each of said counter elements to be disposed in a second state wherein said warning circuit is deactivated, said switching means coupled to each counter element to prevent said counter elements from disposing said logic circuit means in its second state when the intensity of scene illumination is too high, so that said second warning circuit is actuated to energize its radiation emitting device to provide an indication that the scene illumination is above a predetermined level.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
92 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein there is included first logic means responsive to thE final clock pulse counted by said counter means for determining which counter element has an output different from that of the final counter element and for resetting the immediately-preceding counter element, and second logic means responsive to when the output state of the final counter element is reversed for resetting the immediately-preceding counter element to thereby actuate the counter element whose output state is reversed by the final input pulse to energize its radiation emitting device.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
279 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said counter elements comprise flip-flop circuits connected in cascade with each other; an AND circuit coupled to said pulse generator means and responsive to a first signal derived from said light measuring means indicative of the operation of said light measuring means and responsive to a second signal derived from said switching means indicative that said switching means is in its ON state, to enable the passage of the pulses derived from said pulse generator means to the first flip-flop circuit of said counter means; each of said plurality of said flip-flop circuits having an output terminal coupled to said immediately-preceding flip-flop circuit; a first plurality of OR circuits, the output of each connected to the reset terminal of a corresponding flip-flop circuit, one input terminal of each of said OR circuits being connected to said switching means and responsive to the second signal to reset said flip-flops; a plurality of AND circuits, the output of each connected to another input terminal of one of said plurality of OR circuits, one input terminal of each of said AND circuits being coupled to an output terminal of said flip-flop circuits, and another input terminal of each of said AND circuits being connected to the output of the next AND circuit, said AND circuit coupled to the output terminal of the last flip-flop circuit having its other input terminal connected to the first signal whereby said flip-flop circuits of less significant digits than said flip-flop circuit of the most significant digit to which the binary counting has proceeded in accordance with the number of pulses, are each reset by the first and second signals.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
67 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said light measuring means is a delay circuit which comprises a parallel connection of a series circuit including a light-receiving element and a transistor with another series circuit including a capacitor for integrating the quantity of light and a transistor and which integrates the quantity of light in accordance with illumination incident on the light-receiving surface of the light-receiving element.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
66 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said light measuring means is a delay circuit which comprises a parallel connection of a series circuit including a light-receiving element and a capacitor for integrating the quantity of light with a voltage divider formed with a resistance element and which integrates the quantity of light in accordance with illumination incident on the light-receiving surface of the light-receiving element.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
246 words
Apparatus for measuring and providing an indication of incident scene illumination, said apparatus comprising: a. light measuring means responsive to the incident scene illumination for providing an output signal therefrom indicative of the intensity of the incident scene illumination; b. actuatable means for initiating the operation of said light measuring means; c. switching means responsive to an output signal derived from said light measuring means, for providing an output signal when the aforementioned signal exceeds a predetermined level; d. pulse generating means for providing a series of pulses of a selected frequency; and e. counter means comprising a plurality of counter elements disposed in cascade connection with each other, said counter means responsive to the actuation of said initiating means for initiating the counting of the number of the pulses deriveD from said pulse generating means and to the output signal derived from said switching means to terminate the counting of the pulses, said counter means including visual indicating means responsive to the number of counted pulses to provide a visual indication of the intensity of the incident scene illumination, characterized by said visual indicating means which includes a plurality of radiation emitting elements, said counter means energizing only one of said radiation emitting elements dependent upon the intensity of the incident scene illumination, whereby the Nth counter element which is most significant for the indication of the number of pulses counted by said counter means is actuated to energize said radiation emitting element connected thereto.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
246 words
Apparatus for measuring and providing an indication of incident scene illumination, said apparatus comprising: a. light measuring means responsive to the incident scene illumination for providing an output signal therefrom indicative of the intensity of the incident scene illumination; b. actuatable means for initiating the operation of said light measuring means; c. switching means responsive to an output signal derived from said light measuring means, for providing an output signal when the aforementioned signal exceeds a predetermined level; d. pulse generating means for providing a series of pulses of a selected frequency; and e. counter means comprising a plurality of counter elements disposed in cascade connection with each other, said counter means responsive to the actuation of said initiating means for initiating the counting of the number of the pulses deriveD from said pulse generating means and to the output signal derived from said switching means to terminate the counting of the pulses, said counter means including visual indicating means responsive to the number of counted pulses to provide a visual indication of the intensity of the incident scene illumination, characterized by said visual indicating means which includes a plurality of radiation emitting elements, said counter means energizing only one of said radiation emitting elements dependent upon the intensity of the incident scene illumination, whereby the Nth counter element which is most significant for the indication of the number of pulses counted by said counter means is actuated to energize said radiation emitting element connected thereto.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said counter means includes warning means responsive to the counting of a predetermined number of pulses for providing an indication that the intensity of the scene illumination is below a predetermined level.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
56 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said counter means includes warning means coupled to said initiating means and said switching means for providing a warning indication if the interval between the initiation and termination of the light measuring process is less than a selected period, that the incident scene illumination is above a predetermined level.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-09-16 | 1978-03-18 | 1978-09-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-09-16 | 1982-03-18 | 1982-09-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-09-16 | 1986-03-18 | 1986-09-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |