← Back to Patent Explorer
US4470685A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Intermediate adapter

Assignee: Canon Inc
•
Filing: 1982-09-29
•
Granted: 1984-09-11
•
Expires: 2002-09-29
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract Disclosed is an intermediate adapter to be used between the camera body and the photographing lens during close-up photography. A light beam splitter in the adapter housing projects part of the light from the lens to a sensor to produce an electric signal. An illumination device that lights a subject to be photographed is controlled by the signal produced by the light split by the light beam splitter. The beam splitter includes a diffraction arrangement that directs a portion of the light from the path to the film.

Inventors

  • 👤 Tokuichi Tsunekawa
  • 👤 Yuichiro Konishi

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-27 07:26
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03B; G03B15/00; G03B15/02; G03B15/03; G03B15/05; G03B7/00; G03B7/16; G03B2215/00; G03B2215/05; G03B2215/0514; G03B2215/056

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim 238 words
A photographic system, comprising: (A) a camera body, a flash mountable on the body, flash means, a photographic lens defining an optical path from the lens to a light sensing surface, (B) an adapter, including: (a) a diffraction element in the optical path for directing a part of the light out of the optical path; (b) a housing for holding the diffraction element and for mounting or dismounting the diffraction element in or out of the optical path, said housing being arranged on the photographic optical path between said camera body and said photographic lens; (c) first conversion means for receiving light coming from the object and directed out of the optical path by the diffraction element so as to convert the light into an electrical signal on the basis of the amount of the received light; and (d) second conversion means for receiving a part of the light having passed through the diffraction element, reflected on the light sensitive surface and directed out of the optical path by means of the diffraction element so as to convert it into an electrical signal on the basis of the amount of light received, and (C) said flash means including means for correcting the amount of flash which receives signals from said first conversion means and said second conversion means and corrects the amount of flash of said flash means in correspondence to the signal from said second conversion means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 238 words
A photographic system, comprising: (A) a camera body, a flash mountable on the body, flash means, a photographic lens defining an optical path from the lens to a light sensing surface, (B) an adapter, including: (a) a diffraction element in the optical path for directing a part of the light out of the optical path; (b) a housing for holding the diffraction element and for mounting or dismounting the diffraction element in or out of the optical path, said housing being arranged on the photographic optical path between said camera body and said photographic lens; (c) first conversion means for receiving light coming from the object and directed out of the optical path by the diffraction element so as to convert the light into an electrical signal on the basis of the amount of the received light; and (d) second conversion means for receiving a part of the light having passed through the diffraction element, reflected on the light sensitive surface and directed out of the optical path by means of the diffraction element so as to convert it into an electrical signal on the basis of the amount of light received, and (C) said flash means including means for correcting the amount of flash which receives signals from said first conversion means and said second conversion means and corrects the amount of flash of said flash means in correspondence to the signal from said second conversion means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 136 words
A camera system comprising: (a) a camera body; (b) a photographic lens; (c) an intermediate adapter arranged between said camera body and said photographic lens, said intermediate adapter having: (c1) a light directing means arranged in a photographic optical path; (c2) first light receiving means for receiving a light beam directly from an object through the light directing means; (c3) second light receiving means for receiving a light beam reflected on a film surface through the light directing means, and (d) flash means for controlling the amount of flash in correspondence to the object brightness and the film used, said flash means being arranged for receiving signals from said first light receiving means and the second light receiving means to generate a correction signal in correspondence to the film used to control the amount of flash.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 136 words
A camera system comprising: (a) a camera body; (b) a photographic lens; (c) an intermediate adapter arranged between said camera body and said photographic lens, said intermediate adapter having: (c1) a light directing means arranged in a photographic optical path; (c2) first light receiving means for receiving a light beam directly from an object through the light directing means; (c3) second light receiving means for receiving a light beam reflected on a film surface through the light directing means, and (d) flash means for controlling the amount of flash in correspondence to the object brightness and the film used, said flash means being arranged for receiving signals from said first light receiving means and the second light receiving means to generate a correction signal in correspondence to the film used to control the amount of flash.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3726197A Cited
DE2021180A1 Cited
US4172646A Cited
US4178084A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1987-09-11 1988-03-12 1988-09-11 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1991-09-11 1992-03-12 1992-09-11 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1995-09-11 1996-03-12 1996-09-11 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag