Shutter control circuit for a photographic camera

Claim 2

In a camera having a shutter mounted for movement between light blocking and unblocking positions for regulating exposure of film to scene light, the combination comprising: control means, operatively associated with said shutter and being actuatable, for moving said shutter between said light unblocking and blocking positions; timing means, associated with said control means and including photosensitive means disposed to receive scene light, for regulating said control means to move said shutter between said light unblocking and blocking positions over an interval of time related to scene light intensity; means, associated with said control means, for limiting the interval of said exposure independent of said photosensitive means; and selectively operable means, associated with said limiting means, for deactivating said limiting means to permit said interval of exposure to be controlled solely in relation to scene light intensity.

Claim 3

In a camera having an aperture for exposing photographic film to scene light and actuatable shutter means movable relative to the aperture between a light unblocking position and a light blocking position to regulate the amount of scene light impinging on such film, the improvement comprising exposure control apparatus for controlling said actuatable means comprising: a. means operably associated with said actuatable shutter means and energizable for regulating movement of said shutter means between its light unblocking position and its light blocking position; b. first timer means responsive to scene light for operating said energizable means after an interval of time related to the intensity of scene light; c. second timer means for operating said energizable means after an interval of time that is independent of the scene light intensity; and d. selectively operatable means for permitting said first timer means to exclusively operate said energizable means.

Claim 4

In a camera having an aperture for exposing photographic film to scene light and actuatable shutter means movable relative to the aperture between a light unblocking position and a light blocking position to regulate the amount of scene light impinging on such film, the improvement comprising exposure control apparatus for controlling said actuatable means comprising: a. means operably associated with said actuatable shutter means and energizable for regulating movement of said shutter means between its light unblocking position and its light blocking position; b. first timer means responsive to scene light for operating said energizable means after an interval of time related to the intensity of scene light; c. second timer means for operating said energizable means after an interval of time that is independent of the scene light intensity; and d. selectively operatable means for permitting said first timer means to exclusively operate said energizable means.

Claim 5

In a camera having an aperture for exposing photographic film to scene light and actuatable means movable relative to the aperture between a light unblocking position and a light blocking position to regulate the amount of scene light impinging on such film, the improvement comprising exposure control apparatus for controlling said actuatable means comprising: a. means operably asssociated with said actuatable means and energizable for regulating movement of said actuatable means between its light unblocking position and its light blocking position; b. first timer means responsive to scene light for operating said energizable means after an interval of time related to the intenSity of scene light; c. second timer means for operating said energizable means after an interval of time that is independent of the scene light intensity; d. means for enabling said first and said second timer means to be actuated concurrently; and e. operatable means for rendering said second timer means ineffective to operate said energizable means while permitting said first timer means to exclusively operate said energizable means.

Claim 6

In a camera having an aperture for exposing photographic film to scene light and actuatable means movable relative to the aperture between a light unblocking position and a light blocking position to regulate the amount of scene light impinging on such film, the improvement comprising exposure control apparatus for controlling said actuatable means comprising: a. means operably asssociated with said actuatable means and energizable for regulating movement of said actuatable means between its light unblocking position and its light blocking position; b. first timer means responsive to scene light for operating said energizable means after an interval of time related to the intenSity of scene light; c. second timer means for operating said energizable means after an interval of time that is independent of the scene light intensity; d. means for enabling said first and said second timer means to be actuated concurrently; and e. operatable means for rendering said second timer means ineffective to operate said energizable means while permitting said first timer means to exclusively operate said energizable means.

Claim 7

In a camera having an aperture for exposing photographic film to scene light and actuatable means movable relative to the aperture between a light unblocking position and a light blocking position to regulate the amount of scene light impinging on such film, the improvement comprising exposure control apparatus for controlling the light regulating means comprising: a. means operably associated with said actuatable means and energizable for regulating movement of said actuatable means between its light unblocking position and its light blocking position; b. first timer means responsive to scene light for operating said energizable means after an interval of time related to the intensity of scene light; c. second timer means for operating said energizable means after an interval of time that is independent of the scene light intensity; d. means for enabling said first and said second timer means to be actuated concurrently; and e. operatable means for overriding said second timer means to permit said first timer means to exclusively operate said energizable means.

Claim 8

In a camera having an aperture for exposing photographic film to scene light and actuatable means movable relative to the aperture between a light unblocking position and a light blocking position to regulate the amount of scene light impinging on such film, the improvement comprising exposure control apparatus for controlling the light regulating means comprising: a. means operably associated with said actuatable means and energizable for regulating movement of said actuatable means between its light unblocking position and its light blocking position; b. first timer means responsive to scene light for operating said energizable means after an interval of time related to the intensity of scene light; c. second timer means for operating said energizable means after an interval of time that is independent of the scene light intensity; d. means for enabling said first and said second timer means to be actuated concurrently; and e. operatable means for overriding said second timer means to permit said first timer means to exclusively operate said energizable means.

Claim 9

In a camera having an aperture for exposing photographic film to scene light and actuatable means movable relative to the aperture between a light unblocking position and a light blocking position to regulate the amount of scene light impinging on such film, the improvement comprising exposure control apparatus for controlling the light regulating means comprising: a. energizable means operably associated with said actuatable means for regulating movement of said actuatable means from its light unblocking position to its light blocking position to terminate a film exposure interval; b. first timer means responsive to scene light for de-energizing said energizable means after an interval of time related to the intensity of scene light; c. second timer means for de-energizing said energizable means after a predetermined interval of time that is independent of scene light intensity; d. means associated with the initiation of the exposure interval for actuating said first timer means and said second timer means substantially simultaneously; e. means for indicating the adequacy of scene light to effect a particular film exposure value within said predetermined interval of time; f. means responsive to said scene light indicating means for rendering said first timer means ineffective to de-energize said energizable means when said particular exposure value cannot be effected within said predetermined time interval; and g. operatable switch means for overriding said scene light indicating means and said second timer means to permit said first timer means to operate said energizable means exclusively in accordance with the intensity of scene light.

Claim 10

In a camera having an aperture for exposing photographic film to scene light and actuatable means movable relative to the aperture between a light unblocking position and a light blocking position to regulate the amount of scene light impinging on such film, the improvement comprising exposure control apparatus for controlling the light regulating means comprising: a. energizable means operably associated with said actuatable means for regulating movement of said actuatable means from its light unblocking position to its light blocking position to terminate a film exposure interval; b. first timer means responsive to scene light for de-energizing said energizable means after an interval of time related to the intensity of scene light; c. second timer means for de-energizing said energizable means after a predetermined interval of time that is independent of scene light intensity; d. means associated with the initiation of the exposure interval for actuating said first timer means and said second timer means substantially simultaneously; e. means for indicating the adequacy of scene light to effect a particular film exposure value within said predetermined interval of time; f. means responsive to said scene light indicating means for rendering said first timer means ineffective to de-energize said energizable means when said particular exposure value cannot be effected within said predetermined time interval; and g. operatable switch means for overriding said scene light indicating means and said second timer means to permit said first timer means to operate said energizable means exclusively in accordance with the intensity of scene light.

Claim 11

In a camera having an aperture for exposing photographic film to scene light and actuatable shutter means movable relative to the aperture between a light unblocking position and a light blocking position to regulate the amount of scene light impinging on such film, the improvement comprising exposure control apparatus for controlling said actuatable shutter means comprising: a. energizable means operably associated with said actuatable shutter means for regulating movement of said shutter means from its light unblocking position to its light blocking position to terminate a film exposure interval; b. first timer means having a control terminal operably associated with said energizable means, said first timer means being responsive to scene light fOr producing at its control terminal a first control signal having a particular parameter related to the intensity of scene light; c. second timer means having a control terminal operably associated with said energizable means, said second timer means being adapted to produce at its control terminal after a predetermined interval of time a light independent control signal having a particular parameter that is independent of the intensity of scene light; d. means for indicating the adequacy of scene light to effect a particular film exposure value within said predetermined interval of time; e. means responsive to said scene light indicating means for biasing said control terminal of said first timer means to render said first timer means ineffective to produce said light dependent control signal; and f. selectively operatable switch means for electrically grounding said control terminal of said second timer means and for rendering said control terminal biasing means nonresponsive to said light adequacy indicating means to permit said first timer means to operate said energizable means exclusively in accordance with the intensity of the scene light.

Claim 12

In a camera having an aperture for exposing photographic film to scene light and actuatable shutter means movable relative to the aperture between a light unblocking position and a light blocking position to regulate the amount of scene light impinging on such film, the improvement comprising exposure control apparatus for controlling said actuatable shutter means comprising: a. energizable means operably associated with said actuatable shutter means for regulating movement of said shutter means from its light unblocking position to its light blocking position to terminate a film exposure interval; b. first timer means having a control terminal operably associated with said energizable means, said first timer means being responsive to scene light fOr producing at its control terminal a first control signal having a particular parameter related to the intensity of scene light; c. second timer means having a control terminal operably associated with said energizable means, said second timer means being adapted to produce at its control terminal after a predetermined interval of time a light independent control signal having a particular parameter that is independent of the intensity of scene light; d. means for indicating the adequacy of scene light to effect a particular film exposure value within said predetermined interval of time; e. means responsive to said scene light indicating means for biasing said control terminal of said first timer means to render said first timer means ineffective to produce said light dependent control signal; and f. selectively operatable switch means for electrically grounding said control terminal of said second timer means and for rendering said control terminal biasing means nonresponsive to said light adequacy indicating means to permit said first timer means to operate said energizable means exclusively in accordance with the intensity of the scene light.

Claim 13

In a camera having an aperture for exposing photographic film to scene light and actuatable shutter means movable relative to the aperture between a light unblocking position and a light blocking to regulate the amount of scene light impinging on such film, the improvement comprising exposure control apparatus for controlling said actuatable shutter means comprising: a. energizable means operably associated with said actuatable shutter means for regulating movement of said shutter means from its light unblocking position to its light blocking position to terminate a film exposure interval; b. first timer means for operating said energizable means after an interval of time that is related to the intensity of scene light; c. second timer means for operating said energizable means after a predetermined interval of time independent of scene light intensity; d. means for determining the anticipated film exposure interval relative to said predetermined interval of time; and e. means for effectively enabling either said first timer means or said second timer means to operate said energizable means exclusively when scene light intensity level is such as to produce an exposure time in excess of said predetermined time interval.

Claim 14

In a camera having an aperture for exposing photographic film to scene light and actuatable shutter means movable relative to the aperture between a light unblocking position and a light blocking to regulate the amount of scene light impinging on such film, the improvement comprising exposure control apparatus for controlling said actuatable shutter means comprising: a. energizable means operably associated with said actuatable shutter means for regulating movement of said shutter means from its light unblocking position to its light blocking position to terminate a film exposure interval; b. first timer means for operating said energizable means after an interval of time that is related to the intensity of scene light; c. second timer means for operating said energizable means after a predetermined interval of time independent of scene light intensity; d. means for determining the anticipated film exposure interval relative to said predetermined interval of time; and e. means for effectively enabling either said first timer means or said second timer means to operate said energizable means exclusively when scene light intensity level is such as to produce an exposure time in excess of said predetermined time interval.