Abnormal operation warning apparatus for a camera

Claim 2

An abnormal operation warning apparatus for a camera, comprising: first voltage signal generating means for producing a first voltage signal having a level proportional to the sensitivity of the film used; a second voltage signal generating means for producing a second voltage signal having a level proportional to the amount of light exposed onto an exposure surface portion of said film, said second voltage signal generating means comprising a light measuring circuit including a light receiving element for receiving light reflected from the exposure surface portion of the film; a comparison means coupled with said first and second voltage signal generating means for comparing the level of said first voltage signal derived from the former with that of said second voltage signal derived from the latter; and a discriminating means coupled with said comparison means for detecting the difference between the levels of said first and second voltage signals compared thereby and for generating an output which permits the photographer to identify each photographic result in response to the magnitude of said difference.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said first voltage signal generating means comprises a dc power source a potentiometer including an elongated resistor body connected across said dc power source, and two slidable arms respectively slidable along said resistor body, one of the two slidable arms adapted to be positioned to produce a voltage having a level representative of the upper film sensitivity level and the other of the two slidable arms adapted to be positioned to produce a voltage having a level representative of the lower film sensitivity level; said comparison means comprises two comparators, one of which has one input terminal connected to one of the two slidable arms of said potentiometer, and the other of which has one input terminal connected to the other slidable arm of said potentiometer, the other input terminals of said comparators being coupled in common to the output of said second voltage signal generating means; and said discriminating means comprises two transistors connected in cascade, the base of the first of which being coupled to the common output terminal of said comparators, the collector-emitter paths of said two transistors being connected across said dc power source, and one of said two transistors being made conductive when a voltage level applied to the common output terminal of said comparators is within a voltage range defined by the two slidable arms of said potentiometer and the other of which being made conductive when said voltage level is lower or higher than said voltage range, and two light emitting elements each energized when a corresponding one of said two transistors is made conductive.

Claim 4

Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said two light emitting elements are arranged within the field of view of the associated camera finder.