Camera systems for providing precise exposures with digital light measurement

Claim 2

In a camera, diaphragm means for determining the magnitude of the exposure aperture through which film in the camera is exposed, shutter means for determining the time during which film in the camera is exposed, said diaphragm means and shuter means forming a pair of means for participating in the determination of the extent to which film in the camera is exposed, said pair of means including one means which is adjustable and preliminarily set to remain normally at a given adjusted position during exposure of the film, and the other of said means being automatically operable in accordance with light intensity, light-responsive means for responding to the light intensity and for providing in accordance therewith a quantity the magnitude of which corresponds to the light intensity, digital memory means having a series of digital positions at least one of which is close to but does not necessarily coincide precisely with the magnitude of said quantity, said digital memory means being operatively connected to said light-responsive means for memorizing said magnitude of said quantity at least approximately by way of said one digital position which is close thereto, detecting means operatively connected with said digital memory means for detecting at least approximately the difference between the magnitude of a quantity corresonding precisely to said one digital position of said digital memory means and the actual magnitude of a quantity corresponding more precisely to the light intensity to which said light-responsive means responds, adjusting means operatively connected to said one adjustable means for adjusting the latter in accord with said difference, if any, detected by said detecting means, so as to provide at said one means a compensating adjustment according to said difference, and said digital memory means being operatively connected with the other of said means for operating the latter according to said one digital position which is close to the magnitude of a quantity corresponding to said light intensity, whereby if the latter magnitude does not coincide precisely with said one digital position the compensating adjustment of said one means will provide for film in the camera an exposure more accurate than that which would be achieved without said compensating adjustment.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 and wherein said other of said pair of means is said shutter means for determining the exposure time.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 2 and wherein said one of said pair of means is said diaphragm means for determining the magnitude of the exposure aperture.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 1 and wherein said light-responsive means responds to the light intensity for providing a plurality of pulses the total number of which corresponds to the light intensity, said digital memory means corresponding at said series of digital positions thereof to equal groups of said pulses, so that said one digital position which is at least close to said magnitude is equal to the total number of said pulses divided by a constant equal to the number of pulses in each of said groups, and said detecting means detecting when there is a remainder left over from dividing said total number of pulses by said constant, said remainder, if any, being equal to a given number of said pulses smaller than the number included in each of said groups, and said compensating adjustment of said one means being provided in accordance with the number of pulses included in said remainder.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 1 and wherein said detecting means provides one voltage corresponding to the actual light intensity and is operatively connected with said digital memory means for providing a second voltage corresponding to said one digital position of said digital memory means, and said detecting means providing a voltage differential, if any, between the latter voltages, said adjusting means being operatively connected with said one of said pair of means for adjusting the latter in accordance with said voltage differential.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 5 and wherein said detecting means includes its own light-responsive means for providing said voltage corresponding to the light intensity.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 6 and wherein said one of said pair of means is an adjustable diaphragm for providing an adjustable exposure aperture, the other of said pair of means determining the exposure time, and said light-responsive means of said detecting means including a diaphragm operatively connected with said diaphragm which forms said one of said pair of means to be simultaneously adjusted therewith.

Claim 9

In a camera, a pair of means for participating in the determination of the extent to which film in the camera is exposed, said pair of means including one means which is adjustable and preliminarily set to remain normally at a given adjusted position during exposure of the film, and the other of said means being automatically operable in accordance with light intensity, light-responsive means for responding to the light intensity and for providing in accordance therewith a quantity the magnitude of which corresponds to the light intensity, digital memory means having a series of digital positions at least one of which is close to but does not necessarily coincide precisely with the magnitude of said quantity, said digital memory means being operatively connected to said light-responsive means for memorizing said magnitude of said quantity at least approximately by way of said one digital position which is close thereto, detecting means operatively connected with said digital memory means for detecting at least approximately the difference between the magnitude of a quantity corresponding precisely to said one digital position of said digital memory means and the actual magnitude of a quantity corresponding more precisely to the light intensity to which said light-responsive means responds, adjusting means operatively connected to said one adjustable means for adjusting the latter in accordance with said difference, if any, detected by said detecting means, so as to provide at said one means a compensating adjustment according to said difference, and said digital memory means being operatively connected with the other of said means for operating the latter according to said one digital position which is close to the magnitude of a quantity corresponding to said light intensity, whereby if the latter magnitude does not coincide precisely with said one digital position the compensating adjustment of said one means will provide for film in the camera an exposure more accurate than that which would be achieved without said compensating adjustment, said light-responsive means responding to the light intensity for providing a plurality of pulses the total number of which corresponds to the light intensity, said digital memory means corresponding at said series of digital positions thereof to equal groups of said pulses, so that said one digital position which is at least close to said magnitude is equal to the total number of said pulses divided by a constant equal to the number of pulses in each of said groups, and said detecting means detecting when there is a remainder left over from dividing said total number of pulses by said constant, said remainder, if any, being equal to a given number of said pulses smaller than the number included in each of said groups, and said compensating adjustment of said one means being provided in accordance with the number of pulses included in said remainder, said detecting means being itself in the form of a digital memory means which counts the pulses provided by said light-responsive means and which is automatically reset when the number of the latter pulses is equal to the number included in each of said groups.

Claim 10

In a camera, a pair of means for participating in the determination of the extent to which film in the camera is exposed, said pair of means including one means which is adjustable and preliminarily set to remain normally at a given adjusted position during exposure of the film, and the other of said means being automatically operable in accordance with light intensity, light-responsive means for responding to the light intensity and for providing in accordance therewith a quantity the magnitude of which corresponds to the light intensity, digital memory means having a series of digital positions at least one of which is close to but does not necessarily coincide precisely with the magnitude of said quantity, said digital memory means being operatively connected to said light-responsive means for memorizing said magnitude of said quantity at least approximately by way of said one digital position which is close thereto, detecting means operatively connected with said digital memory means for detecting at least approximately the difference between the magnitude of a quantity corresponding precisely to said one digital position of said digital memory means and the actual magnitude of a quantity corresponding more precisely to the light intensity to which said light-responsive means responds, adjusting means operatively connected to said one adjustable means for adjusting the latter in accordance with said difference, if any, detected by said detecting means, so as to provide at said one means a compensating adjustment according to said difference, and said digital memory means being operatively connected with the other of said means for operating the latter according to said one digital position which is close to the magnitude of a quantity corresponding to said light intensity, whereby if the latter magnitude does not coincide precisely with said one digital position the compensating adjustment of said one means will provide for film in the camera an exposure more accurate than that which would be achieved without said compensating adjustment, said light-responsive means responding to the light intensity for providing a plurality of pulses the total number of which corresponds to the light intensity, said digital memory means corresponding at said series of digital positions thereof to equal groups of said pulses, so that said one digital position which is at least close to said magnitude is equal to the total number of said pulses divided by a constant equal to the number of pulses in each of said groups, and said detecting means detecting when there is a remainder left over from dividing said total number of pulses by said constant, said remainder, if any, being equal to a given number of said pulses smaller than the number included in each of said groups, and said compensating adjustment of said one means being provided in accordance with the number of pulses included in said remainder, said detecting means being itself in the form of a digital memory means which counts the pulses provided by said light-responsive means and which is automatically reset when the number of the latter pulses is equal to the number included in each of said groups.

Claim 11

The combination of claim 8 and wherein said one means is an adjustable diaphragm for determining the exposure aperture while the other of said means determines the exposure time, said detecting means being in the form of a shift register operatively connected with said light-responsive means for counting the pulses produced thereby and for automatically resetting each time the number of said pulses is equal to the number of pulses in each of said groups, said first-mentioned digital memory means itself being in the form of a shift register operatively connected to said detecting means for shifting from one digital position to the next in response to resetting of said shift register of said detecting means, said diaphragm including a rotary diaphragm ring having a projection, a plurality of fingers successively situated in the path of movement of said projection, a plurality of electromagnets operatively connected with said fingers for respectively retracting the latter from said path, and a plurality of OR circuit means electrically connected between said shift register of said detecting means and said electromagnets for energizing the latter according to the number of pulses detected by said detecting means so that when said projection of said diaphragm adjusting ring engages or does not engage said fingers as controlled by said plurality of electromagnets, a compensating adjustment will be made at said diaphragm.

Claim 12

The combination of claim 8 and wherein said one means is an adjustable diaphragm while said other means determines exposure time, said detecting means providing a series of voltages the magnitudes of which respectively correspond to the remainder, if any, and diaphragm-adjusting means operatively connected with said diaphragm and with said detecting means for automatically adjusting said diaphragm in accordance with the detected voltage, if any, provided by said detecting means.

Claim 13

The combination of claim 8 and wherein said one means is an adjustable diaphragm while said other means determines exposure time, said diaphragm being manually adjustable and said detecting means including a series of lamps one of which becomes illuminated in accordance with the remainder, if any, detected by said detecting means, a series of electrical contacts respectively connected electrically with said lamps, and said diaphragm means having a manually movable adjusting member carrying a contact for moving along said contacts which are respectively connected electrically with said lamps and connected into an electrical circuit for extinguishing any one of said lamps which is illuminated when the diaphragm has been manually adjusted in accordance with the remainder, if any, detected by said detecting means.

Claim 14

In a camera, a pair of means for participating in the determination of the extent to which film in the camera is exposed, said pair of means including one means which is adjustable and preliminarily set to remain normally at a given adjusted position during exposure of the film, and the other of said means being automatically operable in accordance with light intensity, light-responsive means for responding to the light intensity and for providing in accordance therewith a quantity the magnitude of which corresponds to the light intensity, digital memory means having a series of digital positions at least one of which is close to but does not necessarily coincide precisely with the magnitude of said quantity, said digital memory means being operatively connected to said light-responsive means for memorizing said magnitude of said quantity at least approximately by way of said one digital position which is close thereto, detecting means operatively connected with said digital memory means for detecting at least approximately the difference between the magnitude of a quantity corresponding precisely to said one digital position of said digital memory means and the actual magnitude of a quantity corresponding more precisely to the light intensity to which said light-responsive means responds, adjusting means operatively connected to said one adjustable means for adjusting the latter in accordance with said difference, if any, detected by said detecting means, so as to provide at said one means a compensating adjustment according to said difference, and said digital memory means being operatively connected with the other of said means for operating the latter according to said one digital position which is close to the magnitude of a quantity corresponding to said light intensity, whereby if the latter magnitude does not coincide precisely with said one digital position the compensating adjustment of said one means will provide for film in the camera an exposure more accurate than that which would be achieved without said compensating adjustment, said light-responsive means responding to the light intensity for providing a plurality of pulses the total number of which corresponds to the light intensity, said digital memory means corresponding at said series of digital positions thereof to equal groups of said pulses, so that said one digital position which is at least close to said magnitude is equal to the total number of said pulses divided by a constant equal to the number of pulses in each of said groups, and said detecting means detecting when there is a remainder left over from dividing said total number of pulses by said constant, said remainder, if any, being equal to a given number of said pulses smaller than the number included in each of said groups, and said compensating adjustment of said one means being provided in accordance with the number of pulses included in said remainder, a frequency dividing means being connected between said light-responsive means and said digital memory means for transmitting to the latter a single pulse for each of said groups of pulses, said detecting means including a pulse-accumulating means which is connected with said light-responsive means for counting the pulses produced thereby and which is also connected with said frequency dividing means to be reset by each pulse provided by said frequency dividing means, and means connected between said pulse-accumulating means and said one of said pair of means for adjusting the latter in accordance with the pulses, if any, accumulated at said pulse-accumulating means when said digital memory means has said one digital position which is close to said magnitude.

Claim 15

In a camera, a pair of means for participating in the determination of the extent to which film in the camera is exposed, said pair of means including one means which is adjustable and preliminarily set to remain normally at a given adjusted position during exposure of the film, and the other of said means being automatically operable in accordance with light intensity, light-responsive means for responding to the light intensity and for providing in accordance therewith a quantity the magnitude of which corresponds to the light intensity, digital memory means having a series of digital positions at least one of which is close to but does not necessarily coincide precisely with the magnitude of said quantity, said digital memory means being operatively connected to said light-responsive means for memorizing said magnitude of said quantity at least approximately by way of said one digital position which is close thereto, detecting means operatively connected with said digital memory means for detecting at least approximately the difference between the magnitude of a quantity corresponding precisely to said one digital position of said digital memory means and the actual magnitude of a quantity corresponding more precisely to the light intensity to which said light-responsive means responds, adjusting means operatively connected to said one adjustable means for adjusting the latter in accordance with said difference, if any, detected by said detecting means, so as to provide at said one means a compensating adjustment according to said difference, and said digital memory means being operatively connected with the other of said means for operating the latter according to said one digital position which is close to the magnitude of a quantity corresponding to said light intensity, whereby if the latter magnitude does not coincide precisely with said one digital position the compensating adjustment of said one means will provide for film in the camera an exposure more accurate than that which would be achieved without said compensating adjustment, said light-responsive means responding to the light intensity for providing a plurality of pulses the total number of which corresponds to the light intensity, said digital memory means corresponding at said series of digital positions thereof to equal groups of said pulses, so that said one digital position which is at least close to said magnitude is equal to the total number of said pulses divided by a constant equal to the number of pulses in each of said groups, and said detecting means detecting when there is a remainder left over from dividing said total number of pulses by said constant, said remainder, if any, being equal to a given number of said pulses smaller than the number included in each of said groups, and said compensating adjustment of said one means being provided in accordance with the number of pulses included in said remainder, a frequency dividing means being connected between said light-responsive means and said digital memory means for transmitting to the latter a single pulse for each of said groups of pulses, said detecting means including a pulse-accumulating means which is connected with said light-responsive means for counting the pulses produced thereby and which is also connected with said frequency dividing means to be reset by each pulse provided by said frequency dividing means, and means connected between said pulse-accumulating means and said one of said pair of means for adjusting the latter in accordance with the pulses, if any, accumulated at said pulse-accumulating means when said digital memory means has said one digital position which is close to said magnitude.

Claim 16

The combination of claim 12 and wherein said one of said pair of means is a diaphragm for adjusting the size of the exposure aperture and the other of said pair of means determines the exposure time, said means connected between said pulse-accumulating means and said diaphragm automatically adjusting the latter in accordance with the number of pulses, if any, accumulated by said pulse-accumulating means after said digital memory means has said one digital position close to said magnitude.

Claim 17

In a camera, a pair of means for participating in the determination of the extent to which film in the camera is exposed, said pair of means including one means which is adjustable and preliminarily set to remain normally at a given adjusted position during exposure of the film, and the other of said means being automatically operable in accordance with light intensity, light-responsive means for responding to the light intensity and for providing in accordance therewith a quantity the magnitude of which corresponds to the light intensity, digital memory means having a series of digital positions at least one of which is close to but does not necessarily coincide precisely with the magnitude of said quantity, said digital memory means being operatively connected to said light-responsive means for memorizing said magnitude of said quantity at least approximately by way of said one digital position which is close thereto, detecting means operatively connected with said digital memory means for detecting at least approximately the difference between the magnitude of a quantity corresponding precisely to said one digital position of said digital memory means and the actual magnitude of a quantity corresponding more precisely to the light intensity to which said light-responsive means responds, adjusting means operatively connected to said one adjustable means for adjusting the latter in accordance with said difference, if any, detected by said detecting means, so as to provide at said one means a compensating adjustment according to said difference, and said digital memory means being operatively connected with the other of said means for operating the latter according to said one digital position which is close to the magnitude of a quantity corresponding to said light intensity, whereby if the latter magnitude does not coincide precisely with said one digital position the compensating adjustment of said one means will provide for film in the camera an exposure more accurate than that which would be achieved without said compensating adjustment, said light-responsive means responding to the light intensity for providing a plurality of pulses the total number of which corresponds to the light intensity, said digital memory means corresponding at said series of digital positions thereof to equal groups of said pulses, so that said one digital position which is at least close to said magnitude is equal to the total number of said pulses divided by a constant equal to the number of pulses in each of said groups, and said detecting means detecting when there is a remainder left over from dividing said total number of pulses by said constant, said remainder, if any, being equal to a given number of said pulses smaller than the number included in each of said groups, and said compensating adjustment of said one means being provided in accordance with the number of pulses included in said remainder, a frequency dividing means being connected between said light-responsive means and said digital memory means for transmitting a pulse to the latter only after said frequency dividing means divides the pulses from said light-responsive means into said groups, said detecting means being in the form of a pulseaccumulating means which counts the pulses from said lightresponsive means and said digital memory means being operatively connected to said pulse-accumulating means for resetting the latter each time said digital memory means receives a pulse from said frequency dividing means.

Claim 18

In a camera, a pair of means for participating in the determination of the extent to which film in the camera is exposed, said pair of means including one means which is adjustable and preliminarily set to remain normally at a given adjusted position during exposure of the film, and the other of said means being automatically operable in accordance with light intensity, light-responsive means for responding to the light intensity and for providing in accordance therewith a quantity the magnitude of which corresponds to the light intensity, digital memory means having a series of digital positions at least one of which is close to but does not necessarily coincide precisely with the magnitude of said quantity, said digital memory means being operatively connected to said light-responsive means for memorizing said magnitude of said quantity at least approximately by way of said one digital position which is close thereto, detecting means operatively connected with said digital memory means for detecting at least approximately the difference between the magnitude of a quantity corresponding precisely to said one digital position of said digital memory means and the actual magnitude of a quantity corresponding more precisely to the light intensity to which said light-responsive means responds, adjusting means operatively connected to said one adjustable means for adjusting the latter in accordance with said difference, if any, detected by said detecting means, so as to provide at said one means a compensating adjustment according to said difference, and said digital memory means being operatively connected with the other of said means for operating the latter according to said one digital position which is close to the magnitude of a quantity corresponding to said light intensity, whereby if the latter magnitude does not coincide precisely with said one digital position the compensating adjustment of said one means will provide for film in the camera an exposure more accurate than that which would be achieved without said compensating adjustment, said light-responsive means responding to the light intensity for providing a plurality of pulses the total number of which corresponds to the light intensity, said digital memory means corresponding at said series of digital positions thereof to equal groups of said pulses, so that said one digital position which is at least close to said magnitude is equal to the total number of said pulses divided by a constant equal to the number of pulses in each of said groups, and said detecting means detecting when there is a remainder left over from dividing said total number of pulses by said constant, said remainder, if any, being equal to a given number of said pulses smaller than the number included in each of said groups, and said compensating adjustment of said one means being provided in accordance with the number of pulses included in said remainder, a frequency dividing means being connected between said light-responsive means and said digital memory means for transmitting a pulse to the latter only after said frequency dividing means divides the pulses from said light-responsive means into said groups, said detecting means being in the form of a pulseaccumulating means which counts the pulses from said lightresponsive means and said digital memory means being operatively connected to said pulse-accumulating means for resetting the latter each time said digital memory means receives a pulse from said frequency dividing means.

Claim 19

In a camera, a pair of means for participating in the determination of the extent to which film in the camera is exposed, said pair of means including one means which is adjustable and preliminarily set to remain normally at a given adjusted position during exposure of the film, and the other of said means being automatically operable in accordance with light intensity, light-responsive means for responding to the light intensity and for providing in accordance therewith a quantity the magnitude of which corresponds to the light intensity, digital memory means having a series of digital positions at least one of which is close to but does not necessarily coincide precisely with the magnitude of said quantity, said digital memory means being operatively connected to said light-responsive means for memorizing said magnitude of said quantity at least approximately by way of said one digital position which is close thereto, detecting means operatively connected with said digital memory means for detecting at least approximately the difference between the magnitude of a quantity corresponding precisely to said one digital position of said digital memory means and the actual magnitude of a quantity corresponding more precisely to the light intensity to which said light-responsive means responds, adjusting means operatively connected to said one adjustable means for adjusting the latter in accordance with said difference, if any, detected by said detecting means, so as to provide at said one means a compensating adjustment according to said difference, and said digital memory means being operatively connected with the other of said means for operating the latter according to said one digital position which is close to the magnitude of a quantity corresponding to said light intensity, whereby if the latter magnitude does not coincide precisely with said one digital position the compensating adjustment of said one means will provide for film in the camera an exposure more accurate than that which would be achieved without said compensating adjustment, said light-responsive means responding to the light intensity for providing a plurality of pulses the total number of which corresponds to the light intensity, said digital memory means corresponding at said series of digital positions thereof to equal groups of said pulses, so that said one digital position which is at least close to said magnitude is equal to the total number of said pulses divided by a constant equal to the number of pulses in each of said groups, and said detecting means detecting when there is a remainder left over from dividing said total number of pulses by said constant, said remainder, if any, being equal to a given number of said pulses smaller than the number included in each of said groups, and said compensating adjustment of said one means being provided in accordance with the number of pulses included in said remainder, said digital memory means being in the form of a forward shift register, said light-responsive means being operatively connected with said shift register for providing a logarithmically compressed number of pulses in response to the light intensity, and means for providing at the start of the exposure time a series of reference pulses for said shift register to complete the operation thereof until a given position when the exposure time terminates.

Claim 20

In a camera, a pair of means for participating in the determination of the extent to which film in the camera is exposed, said pair of means including one means which is adjustable and preliminarily set to remain normally at a given adjusted position during exposure of the film, and the other of said means being automatically operable in accordance with light intensity, light-responsive means for responding to the light intensity and for providing in accordance therewith a quantity the magnitude of which corresponds to the light intensity, digital memory means having a series of digital positions at least one of which is close to but does not necessarily coincide precisely with the magnitude of said quantity, said digital memory means being operatively connected to said light-responsive means for memorizing said magnitude of said quantity at least approximately by way of said one digital position which is close thereto, detecting means operatively connected with said digital memory means for detecting at least approximately the difference between the magnitude of a quantity corresponding precisely to said one digital position of said digital memory means and the actual magnitude of a quantity corresponding more precisely to the light intensity to which said light-responsive means responds, adjusting means operatively connected to said one adjustable means for adjusting the latter in accordance with said difference, if any, detected by said detecting means, so as to provide at said one means a compensating adjustment according to said difference, and said digital memory means being operatively connected with the other of said means for operating the latter according to said one digital position which is close to the magnitude of a quantity corresponding to said light intensity, whereby if the latter magnitude does not coincide precisely with said one digital position the compensating adjustment of said one means will provide for film in the camera an exposure more accurate than that which would be achieved without said compensating adjustment, said light-responsive means responding to the light intensity for providing a plurality of pulses the total number of which corresponds to the light intensity, said digital memory means corresponding at said series of digital positions thereof to equal groups of said pulses, so that said one digital position which is at least close to said magnitude is equal to the total number of said pulses divided by a constant equal to the number of pulses in each of said groups, and said detecting means detecting when there is a remainder left over from dividing said total number of pulses by said constant, said remainder, if any, being equal to a given number of said pulses smaller than the number included in each of said groups, and said compensating adjustment of said one means being provided in accordance with the number of pulses included in said remainder, said digital memory means being in the form of a forward shift register, said light-responsive means being operatively connected with said shift register for providing a logarithmically compressed number of pulses in response to the light intensity, and means for providing at the start of the exposure time a series of reference pulses for said shift register to complete the operation thereof until a given position when the exposure time terminates.

Claim 21

In a camera, a pair of means for participating in the determination of the extent to which film in the camera is exposed, said pair of means including one means which is adjustable and and preliminarily set to remain normally at a given adjusted position during exposure of the film, and the other of said means being automatically operable in accordance with light intensity, light-responsive means for responding to the light intensity and for providing in accordance therewith a quantity the magnitude of which corresponds to the light intensity, digital memory means having a series of digital positions at least one of which is close to but does not necessarily coincide precisely with the magnitude of said quantity, said digital memory means being operatively connected to said light-responsive means for memorizing said magnitude of said quantity at least approximately by way of said one digital position which is close thereto, detecting means operatively connected with said digital memory means for detecting at least approximately the difference between the magnitude of a quantity corresponding precisely to said one digital position of said digital memory means and the actual magnitude of a quantity corresponding more precisely to the light intensity to which said light-responsive means responds, adjusting means operatively connected to said one adjustable means for adjusting the latter in accordance with said difference, if any, detected by said detecting means, so as to provide at said one means a compensating adjustment according to said difference, and said digital memory means being operatively connected with the other of said means for operating the latter according to said one digital position which is close to the magnitude of a quantity corresponding to said light intensity, whereby if the latter magnitude does not coincide precisely with said one digital position the compensating adjustment of said one means will provide for film in the camera an exposure more accurate than that which would be achieved without said compensating adjustment, said light-responsive means responding to the light intensity for providing a plurality of pulses the total number of which corresponds to the light intensity, said digital memory means corresponding at said series of digital positions thereof to equal groups of said pulses, so that said one digital position which is at least close to said magnitude is equal to the total number of said pulses divided by a constant equal to the number of pulses in each of said groups, and said detecting means detecting when there is a remainder left over from dividing said total number of pulses by said constant, said remainder, if any, being equal to a given number of pulses smaller than the number included in each of said groups, and said compensating adjustment of said one means being provided in accordance with the number of pulses included in said remainder, said digital memory means being in the form of a reversible shift register while said light-responsive means provides a number of logarithmically compressed pulses inversely proportional to the light intensity to be received by said reversible shift register, and reference pulse means for providing a series of reference pulses for reversing said shift register back to its initial position to determine the exposure time.

Claim 22

In a camera, a pair of means for participating in the determination of the extent to which film in the camera is exposed, said pair of means including one means which is adjustable and and preliminarily set to remain normally at a given adjusted position during exposure of the film, and the other of said means being automatically operable in accordance with light intensity, light-responsive means for responding to the light intensity and for providing in accordance therewith a quantity the magnitude of which corresponds to the light intensity, digital memory means having a series of digital positions at least one of which is close to but does not necessarily coincide precisely with the magnitude of said quantity, said digital memory means being operatively connected to said light-responsive means for memorizing said magnitude of said quantity at least approximately by way of said one digital position which is close thereto, detecting means operatively connected with said digital memory means for detecting at least approximately the difference between the magnitude of a quantity corresponding precisely to said one digital position of said digital memory means and the actual magnitude of a quantity corresponding more precisely to the light intensity to which said light-responsive means responds, adjusting means operatively connected to said one adjustable means for adjusting the latter in accordance with said difference, if any, detected by said detecting means, so as to provide at said one means a compensating adjustment according to said difference, and said digital memory means being operatively connected with the other of said means for operating the latter according to said one digital position which is close to the magnitude of a quantity corresponding to said light intensity, whereby if the latter magnitude does not coincide precisely with said one digital position the compensating adjustment of said one means will provide for film in the camera an exposure more accurate than that which would be achieved without said compensating adjustment, said light-responsive means responding to the light intensity for providing a plurality of pulses the total number of which corresponds to the light intensity, said digital memory means corresponding at said series of digital positions thereof to equal groups of said pulses, so that said one digital position which is at least close to said magnitude is equal to the total number of said pulses divided by a constant equal to the number of pulses in each of said groups, and said detecting means detecting when there is a remainder left over from dividing said total number of pulses by said constant, said remainder, if any, being equal to a given number of pulses smaller than the number included in each of said groups, and said compensating adjustment of said one means being provided in accordance with the number of pulses included in said remainder, said digital memory means being in the form of a reversible shift register while said light-responsive means provides a number of logarithmically compressed pulses inversely proportional to the light intensity to be received by said reversible shift register, and reference pulse means for providing a series of reference pulses for reversing said shift register back to its initial position to determine the exposure time.

Claim 23

In a camera, a pair of means for participating in the determination of the extent to which film in the camera is exposed, said pair of means including one means which is adjustable and preliminarily set to remain normally at a given adjusted position during exposure of the film, and the other of said means being automatically operable in accordance with light intensity, light-responsive means for responding to the light intensity and for providing in accordance therewith a quantity the magnitude of which corresponds to the light intensity, digital memory means having a series of digital positions at least one of which is close to but does not necessarily coincide precisely with the magnitude of said quantity, said digital memory means being operatively connected to said light-responsive means for memorizing said magnitude of said quantity at least approximately by way of said one digital position which is close thereto, detecting means operatively connected with said digital memory means for detecting at least approximately the difference between the magnitude of a quantity corresponding precisely to said one digital position of said digital memory means and the actual magnitude of a quantity corresponding more precisely to the light intensity to which said light-responsive means responds, adjusting means operatively connected to said one adjustable means for adjusting the latter in accordance with said difference, if any, detected by said detecting means, so as to provide at said one means a compensating adjustment according to said difference, and said digital memory means being operatively connected with the other of said means for operating the latter according to said one digital position which is close to the magnitude of a quantity corresponding to said light intensity, whereby if the latter magnitude does not coincide precisely with said one digital position the compensating adjustment of said one means will provide for film in the camera an exposure more accurate than that which would be achieved without said compensating adjustment, said light-responsive means responding to the light intensity for providing a plurality of pulses the total number of which corresponds to the light intensity, said digital memory means corresponding at said series of digital positions thereof to equal groups of said pulses, so that said one digital position which is at least close to said magnitude is equal to the total number of said pulses divided by a constant equal to the number of pulses in each of said groups, and said detecting means detecting when there is a remainder left over from dividing said total number of pulses by said constant, said remainder, if any, being equal to a given number of said pulses smaller than the number included in each of said groups, and said compensating adjustment of said one means being provided in accordance with the number of pulses included in said remainder, said light-responsive means including a light-responsive timer for responding to the light intensity for a given period of time corresponding to the light intensity, a pulse oscillator operatively connected with said timer for providing said pulses corresponding to the light intensity, a frequency divider being electrically connected with said pulse oscillator for dividing the number of pulses produced thereby into said groups with said digital memory means receiving from said frequency divider a pulse for each of said groups to determine said one digital position of said digital memory means, said detecting means including an integrating circuit means for providing a series of sawtooth waves each of which has a gradually increasing voltage during the time that said frequency divider receives a number of pulses from said pulse oscillator equal to said group, so that when there is a remainder of said frequency pulses after said one digital position of said digital memory means has been provided, said remainder corresponds to a given voltage of one of said sawtooth waves, and said adjusting means being operatively connected with said integrating circuit means for responding to the latter voltage for providing an automatic adjustment of said one means in accordance with said latter voltage.

Claim 24

In a camera, a pair of means for participating in the determination of the extent to which film in the camera is exposed, said pair of means including one means which is adjustable and preliminarily set to remain normally at a given adjusted position during exposure of the film, and the other of said means being automatically operable in accordance with light intensity, light-responsive means for responding to the light intensity and for providing in accordance therewith a quantity the magnitude of which corresponds to the light intensity, digital memory means having a series of digital positions at least one of which is close to but does not necessarily coincide precisely with the magnitude of said quantity, said digital memory means being operatively connected to said light-responsive means for memorizing said magnitude of said quantity at least approximately by way of said one digital position which is close thereto, detecting means operatively connected with said digital memory means for detecting at least approximately the difference between the magnitude of a quantity corresponding precisely to said one digital position of said digital memory means and the actual magnitude of a quantity corresponding more precisely to the light intensity to which said light-responsive means responds, adjusting means operatively connected to said one adjustable means for adjusting the latter in accordance with said difference, if any, detected by said detecting means, so as to provide at said one means a compensating adjustment according to said difference, and said digital memory means being operatively connected with the other of said means for operating the latter according to said one digital position which is close to the magnitude of a quantity corresponding to said light intensity, whereby if the latter magnitude does not coincide precisely with said one digital position the compensating adjustment of said one means will provide for film in the camera an exposure more accurate than that which would be achieved without said compensating adjustment, said light-responsive means responding to the light intensity for providing a plurality of pulses the total number of which corresponds to the light intensity, said digital memory means corresponding at said series of digital positions thereof to equal groups of said pulses, so that said one digital position which is at least close to said magnitude is equal to the total number of said pulses divided by a constant equal to the number of pulses in each of said groups, and said detecting means detecting when there is a remainder left over from dividing said total number of pulses by said constant, said remainder, if any, being equal to a given number of said pulses smaller than the number included in each of said groups, and said compensating adjustment of said one means being provided in accordance with the number of pulses included in said remainder, said light-responsive means including a light-responsive timer for responding to the light intensity for a given period of time corresponding to the light intensity, a pulse oscillator operatively connected with said timer for providing said pulses corresponding to the light intensity, a frequency divider being electrically connected with said pulse oscillator for dividing the number of pulses produced thereby into said groups with said digital memory means receiving from said frequency divider a pulse for each of said groups to determine said one digital position of said digital memory means, said detecting means including an integrating circuit means for providing a series of sawtooth waves each of which has a gradually increasing voltage during the time that said frequency divider receives a number of pulses from said pulse oscillator equal to said group, so that when there is a remainder of said frequency pulses after said one digital position of said digital memory means has been provided, said remainder corresponds to a given voltage of one of said sawtooth waves, and said adjusting means being operatively connected with said integrating circuit means for responding to the latter voltage for providing an automatic adjustment of said one means in accordance with said latter voltage.

Claim 25

The combination of claim 17 and wherein said one means is an adjustable diaphragm while said other means determines the exposure time.