Display method and apparatus for camera

Claim 2

A camera which is capable of driving an aperture diaphragm of a phototaking lens from a fully open aperture to a manually set aperture value, and which, upon driving a shutter with manually set shutter speed, controls driving of the aperture diaphragm in order to obtain an optimal exposure, comprising: (a) means for determining an aperture value for obtaining an optimal exposure at said manually set shutter speed; (b) means for detecting that the aperture value determined by said determining means is greater than said manually set aperture value and generating a first detection signal; (c) means for detecting that said manually set aperture value is smaller than a predetermined aperture value, and generating a second detection signal; and (d) a single display means for displaying generation of said first and second detection signals.

Claim 3

A camera according to claim 1, wherein said camera further comprises means for detecting that said manually set aperture value is greater than said predetermined aperture value and generating a third detection signal, and said single display means displays generation of said first and third detection signals in a different manner from said displaying of generation of said first and second detection signals.

Claim 4

A camera according to claim 1, wherein said single display means displays, when it is possible to obtain an optimal exposure by said manually set shutter speed and an aperture value within a range from said fully open aperture value to said manually set aperture value, an aperture value enabling obtention of the optimal exposure, and said display means displays, when the aperture value determined by said determining means is out of a range from said manually set aperture value to said fully open aperture value, and when a shutter speed obtaining an optimal exposure at the manually set aperture value is within a range where shutter speed is controllable and is different from said manually set shutter speed, said shutter speed obtaining the optimal exposure.

Claim 5

A camera which is capable of driving an aperture diaphragm of a phototaking lens from a fully open aperture to a manually set aperture value, and which determines an aperture value and a shutter speed for an optimal exposure and controls the apertures diaphragm and a shutter, comprising: (a) means for detecting that an amount of exposure based on said manually set aperture value and a maximum shutter speed is above the amount of an optimal exposure and generating a first detection signal; (b) means for detecting that a predetermined aperture value is greater than said manually set aperture value and generating a second detection signal; and (c) single display means for displaying generation of said first and second detection signals.

Claim 6

A camera which is capable of driving an aperture diaphragm of a phototaking lens from a fully open aperture to a manually set aperture value, and which determines an aperture value and a shutter speed for an optimal exposure and controls the apertures diaphragm and a shutter, comprising: (a) means for detecting that an amount of exposure based on said manually set aperture value and a maximum shutter speed is above the amount of an optimal exposure and generating a first detection signal; (b) means for detecting that a predetermined aperture value is greater than said manually set aperture value and generating a second detection signal; and (c) single display means for displaying generation of said first and second detection signals.

Claim 7

A camera according to claim 4, wherein said camera further includes means for detecting that said manually set aperture value is greater than said predetermined aperture value and generating a third detection signal, said single display means displaying generation of said first and third detection signals in a different manner from that of display of said first and second detection signals.

Claim 8

A camera upon which is mountable a first phototaking lens having a fully open aperture value information as well as a second phototaking lens having no fully open aperture value information and which controls an aperture diaphragm of each of the mounted first and second phototaking lenses between said fully open aperture and a manually set aperture value in accordance with a preset shutter speed: (a) means for detecting said fully open aperture value information and generating a signal corresponding to said fully open aperture value information; (b) means for determining, in accordance with said fully open aperture value information and said preset shutter speed, an aperture value for obtaining an optimal exposure at said preset shutter speed, the determining means generating an output signal indicative of said determined aperture value; (c) single display means for displaying said determined aperture value in accordance with said output signal from said determining means; and (d) means for detecting that no fully open aperture value signal is generated and generating a detection signal, wherein said single display means displays generation of said detection signal in lieu of display of said determined aperture value.

Claim 9

A camera upon which is mountable a first phototaking lens having a fully open aperture value information as well as a second phototaking lens having no fully open aperture value information and which controls an aperture diaphragm of each of the mounted first and second phototaking lenses between said fully open aperture and a manually set aperture value in accordance with a preset shutter speed: (a) means for detecting said fully open aperture value information and generating a signal corresponding to said fully open aperture value information; (b) means for determining, in accordance with said fully open aperture value information and said preset shutter speed, an aperture value for obtaining an optimal exposure at said preset shutter speed, the determining means generating an output signal indicative of said determined aperture value; (c) single display means for displaying said determined aperture value in accordance with said output signal from said determining means; and (d) means for detecting that no fully open aperture value signal is generated and generating a detection signal, wherein said single display means displays generation of said detection signal in lieu of display of said determined aperture value.

Claim 10

A camera according to claim 6, wherein said single display means has a predetermined area for displaying said determined aperture value, in which area is also displayed generation of said detection signal.

Claim 11

A camera body to which a phototaking lens generating an optical property signal indicative of information relating to an optical property is removably attached, comprising: (a) means for receiving said optical property signal; (b) means for detecting that said optical property signal is not received by the receiving means and generating a detection signal; and (c) display means having a plurality of segments by some of which is displayed that said detection signal is generated, said display means displaying "F--" in response to said detection signal.

Claim 12

A camera body to which a phototaking lens generating an optical property signal indicative of information relating to an optical property is removably attached, comprising: (a) means for receiving said optical property signal; (b) means for detecting that said optical property signal is not received by the receiving means and generating a detection signal; and (c) display means having a plurality of segments by some of which is displayed that said detection signal is generated, said display means displaying "F--" in response to said detection signal.

Claim 13

A camera body according to claim 8, wherein said camera body further comprises operating means for computing an aperture value of said phototaking lens for obtaining a proper exposure in accordance with said optical property signal; and said display means displays the aperture value computed by said operating means.

Claim 14

A camera body according to claim 9, wherein the aperture value is displayed together with the "F" of said "F--" to replace the "--" of said "F--".

Claim 15

A camera body to which is removably attached a phototaking lens generating an optical property signal containing information relating to an optical property comprising: (a) means for receiving said optical property signal; (b) means for detecting that said optical property signal is not received by said receiving means and generating a dectection signal; (c) operating means for computing an aperture value of said phototaking lens for obtaining a proper exposure in accordance with said optical property signal received by said receiving means; and (d) display means having a plurality of areas for displaying the aperture value computed by the operating means when said detection signal is not generated, said display means displaying, with at least a portion of said areas, that said detection signal has been generated when said detection signal has been generated.

Claim 16

A camera body to which is removably attached a phototaking lens generating an optical property signal containing information relating to an optical property comprising: (a) means for receiving said optical property signal; (b) means for detecting that said optical property signal is not received by said receiving means and generating a dectection signal; (c) operating means for computing an aperture value of said phototaking lens for obtaining a proper exposure in accordance with said optical property signal received by said receiving means; and (d) display means having a plurality of areas for displaying the aperture value computed by the operating means when said detection signal is not generated, said display means displaying, with at least a portion of said areas, that said detection signal has been generated when said detection signal has been generated.

Claim 17

A camera body according to claim 11, wherein said display means displays "F--" in at least a portion of said areas in response to said detection signal.

Claim 18

A camera body according to claim 12, wherein "F" of said "F--" is displayed at a predetermined area of said areas, and said display means displays said "F" at said predetermined area when said detection signal is not generated, and displays the numerical value of the aperture value computed by said generating means at the remaining areas other than said predetermined area.

Claim 19

A camera body to which is removably attached a phototaking lens generating a predetermined signal comprising: (a) means for receiving said predetermined signal; (b) means for detecting that said predetermined signal is not received by said receiving means and generating a detection signal; (c) operating means for computing an aperture value of said phototaking lens for obtaining a proper exposure; and (d) display means having a plurality of areas for displaying the numerical value of the aperture value computed by the operating means when said detection signal is not generated, said display means displaying, with at least a portion of said plurality of areas, that said detection signal has been generated when said detection signal has been generated.

Claim 20

A camera body to which is removably attached a phototaking lens generating a predetermined signal comprising: (a) means for receiving said predetermined signal; (b) means for detecting that said predetermined signal is not received by said receiving means and generating a detection signal; (c) operating means for computing an aperture value of said phototaking lens for obtaining a proper exposure; and (d) display means having a plurality of areas for displaying the numerical value of the aperture value computed by the operating means when said detection signal is not generated, said display means displaying, with at least a portion of said plurality of areas, that said detection signal has been generated when said detection signal has been generated.

Claim 21

A camera body according to claim 14, wherein said operating means computes the aperture value of said phototaking lens for obtaining the proper exposure in response to said detection signal.

Claim 22

A camera body according to claim 15, wherein said display means displays "--" in at least a portion of said plurality of areas in response to said detection signal.

Claim 23

A camera body according to claim 16, wherein said display means has another plurality of areas for displaying "F", and said another plurality of areas is disposed adjacent to the first-mentioned plurality of areas.

Claim 24

A camera body according to claim 17, wherein said display means displays "F" with said another plurality of areas irrespective of said detection signal.

Claim 25

A camera body to which is removably attached a phototaking lens generating a predetermined signal comprising: (a) means for receiving said predetermined signal; (b) means for detecting that said predetermined signal is not received by said receiving means and generating a detection signal; and (c) display means having a plurality of segments for displaying an aperture value when said detection signal is generated, said display means displaying, with a portion of said plurality of segments, "F--" in response to said detection signal.

Claim 26

A camera body to which is removably attached a phototaking lens generating a predetermined signal comprising: (a) means for receiving said predetermined signal; (b) means for detecting that said predetermined signal is not received by said receiving means and generating a detection signal; and (c) display means having a plurality of segments for displaying an aperture value when said detection signal is generated, said display means displaying, with a portion of said plurality of segments, "F--" in response to said detection signal.

Claim 27

A camera body to which is removably attached a phototaking lens generating a predetermined signal comprising: (a) means for receiving said predetermined signal; (b) means for detecting that said predetermined signal is not received by said receiving means and generating a detection signal; and (c) display means having a plurality of segments for displaying the numerical value of an aperture value when said detection signal is not generated, said display means displaying, with a portion of said plurality of segments, "--" in response to said detection signal.

Claim 28

A camera body to which is removably attached a phototaking lens generating a predetermined signal comprising: (a) means for receiving said predetermined signal; (b) means for detecting that said predetermined signal is not received by said receiving means and generating a detection signal; and (c) display means having a plurality of segments for displaying the numerical value of an aperture value when said detection signal is not generated, said display means displaying, with a portion of said plurality of segments, "--" in response to said detection signal.

Claim 29

A camera body according to claim 20, wherein said display means has another plurality of segments for displaying "F", and said another plurality of segments is disposed adjacent to the first-mentioned plurality of segments.