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US5162837A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Electronic camera having a built-in strobe

Assignee: Sony Corp
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Filing: 1991-04-17
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Granted: 1992-11-10
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Expires: 2011-04-17
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Abstract

Abstract An electronic camera having a built-in strobe, in which upon a normal photographing mode a return light of a light emitted from the strobe on an object to be photographed is detected to thereby control a light emission amount of the strobe and a controller is provided for controlling the light emission amount of the strobe and an opening degree of an iris to be fixed to constant values, respectively, upon a macroscopic photographing mode where a distance between the camera and the object is shorter than that upon the normal photographing mode.

Inventors

  • 👤 Shinji Katsuki

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 20:57
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N23/00; H04N23/70; H04N23/74

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim 145 words
An electronic camera having a built-in strobe, in which when in a normal photographing mode, a return light of a light emitted from said strobe is detected to thereby control a light emission amount of said strobe, comprising: control means for controlling the light emission amount of said strobe and an opening degree of an iris to be fixed to constant values respectively when in a macroscopic photographing mode where a distance between the camera and an object is shorter than that when in the normal photographing mode, wherein said control means includes: constant current generating means for generating a constant current, an integration circuit for integrating the constant current supplied from said constant current generating means when the macroscopic photographing is selected, and means for terminating the light emission of the strobe when an integrated value of said integration circuit reaches a pregiven value.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 145 words
An electronic camera having a built-in strobe, in which when in a normal photographing mode, a return light of a light emitted from said strobe is detected to thereby control a light emission amount of said strobe, comprising: control means for controlling the light emission amount of said strobe and an opening degree of an iris to be fixed to constant values respectively when in a macroscopic photographing mode where a distance between the camera and an object is shorter than that when in the normal photographing mode, wherein said control means includes: constant current generating means for generating a constant current, an integration circuit for integrating the constant current supplied from said constant current generating means when the macroscopic photographing is selected, and means for terminating the light emission of the strobe when an integrated value of said integration circuit reaches a pregiven value.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 51 words
An electronic camera according to claim 1 wherein said controlling means includes time counter means for counting a time lapse after emitting light from the strobe and means for terminating the light emission of the strobe when a time lapse counted by said time counter means reaches a given time period.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 159 words
An electronic camera having a built-in strobe comprising: means for selecting one of a normal photographing mode for photographing an object positioned in a normal distance from the camera and a macroscopic photographing mode for photographing an object positioned in a distance shorter than the normal distance; reflected light detecting means for detecting an amount of light reflected from said object to which light is emitted from the strobe when in the normal photographing and for generating a current signal corresponding to the amount of the detected light; constant current generating means for generating a constant current, integration circuit means for integrating the current signal supplied from said reflected light detecting means when in the normal photographing mode and for integrating the constant current supplied from said constant current generating means when in the macroscopic photographing mode, and means for terminating the light emission of the strobe when an integrated value of said integration circuit reaches a pregiven value.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 159 words
An electronic camera having a built-in strobe comprising: means for selecting one of a normal photographing mode for photographing an object positioned in a normal distance from the camera and a macroscopic photographing mode for photographing an object positioned in a distance shorter than the normal distance; reflected light detecting means for detecting an amount of light reflected from said object to which light is emitted from the strobe when in the normal photographing and for generating a current signal corresponding to the amount of the detected light; constant current generating means for generating a constant current, integration circuit means for integrating the current signal supplied from said reflected light detecting means when in the normal photographing mode and for integrating the constant current supplied from said constant current generating means when in the macroscopic photographing mode, and means for terminating the light emission of the strobe when an integrated value of said integration circuit reaches a pregiven value.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 28 words
An electronic camera as claimed in claim 3, wherein said selecting means is switched in a ganged relation to switching between said photographing modes of said electronic camera.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 28 words
An electronic camera as claimed in claim 3, wherein an opening degree of an iris is fixed to a predetermined value when the macroscopic photographic mode is selected.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 191 words
An electronic camera, comprising: a built in strobe; a light emission control circuit means for controlling the light emission of said strobe; means for selecting either a normal photographing mode for photographing an object positioned at a normal distance from the camera and a macroscopic photographing mode for photographing an object positioned at a distance shorter than the normal distance; reflected light detecting means for detecting an amount of light reflected from said object to which light is emitted from the strobe when in the normal photographing mode and for generating a reflected light output signal representative thereof; a constant current generating means for generating a constant current signal; means for processing said constant current signal or said reflected light output signal relative to a reference signal to provide an processed output signal for controlling said light emission control circuit, said processing means processing said constant current signal when in the macroscopic photographing mode, and processing said reflected light output signal when in said normal photographing mode, said light emission control circuit terminating light emission from the strobe when said processed signal reaches a predetermined value determined by said reference signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 191 words
An electronic camera, comprising: a built in strobe; a light emission control circuit means for controlling the light emission of said strobe; means for selecting either a normal photographing mode for photographing an object positioned at a normal distance from the camera and a macroscopic photographing mode for photographing an object positioned at a distance shorter than the normal distance; reflected light detecting means for detecting an amount of light reflected from said object to which light is emitted from the strobe when in the normal photographing mode and for generating a reflected light output signal representative thereof; a constant current generating means for generating a constant current signal; means for processing said constant current signal or said reflected light output signal relative to a reference signal to provide an processed output signal for controlling said light emission control circuit, said processing means processing said constant current signal when in the macroscopic photographing mode, and processing said reflected light output signal when in said normal photographing mode, said light emission control circuit terminating light emission from the strobe when said processed signal reaches a predetermined value determined by said reference signal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 25 words
An electric camera as set forth in claim 6 wherein said processing means includes switching means for switching between said photographing modes of said camera.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 29 words
An electronic camera as set forth in claim 6, wherein an opening degree of an iris is fixed to a predetermined value when the macroscopic photographic mode is selected.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4491404A Cited
US4924248A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1995-11-10 1996-05-11 1996-11-10 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1999-11-10 2000-05-11 2000-11-10 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2003-11-10 2004-05-11 2004-11-10 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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