Patent US5235380A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US5235380A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Camera having device for display within viewfinder

Assignee: Canon Inc
•
Filing: 1991-01-31
•
Granted: 1993-08-10
•
Expires: 2011-01-31
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A camera is provided with two display devices, one for making a superimposed display of information inside an image plane frame within a viewfinder and the other for displaying information outside the image plane frame. The superimposed display is controlled to be made for a shorter period of time than the display made outside the image plane frame, so that the viewfinder can be sighted without being hindered by the superimposed display.

Inventors

  • 👤 Akira Yamada
  • 👤 Naohiko Hayashi

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-10 00:53
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03B; G03B17/00; G03B17/18; G03B17/20

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim 107 words
A camera having a device for making a display within a viewfinder, comprising: a) a display device operable for displaying information inside an image plane frame of the viewfinder; b) a light measuring circuit; c) an exposure control circuit arranged to perform an exposure control on the basis of an output of said light measuring circuit; and d) operation control means responsive to operation of said display device to inhibit said exposure control circuit from performing the exposure control on the basis of the output of said light measuring circuit obtained for a period of time during which the information is being displayed by said display device.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 107 words
A camera having a device for making a display within a viewfinder, comprising: a) a display device operable for displaying information inside an image plane frame of the viewfinder; b) a light measuring circuit; c) an exposure control circuit arranged to perform an exposure control on the basis of an output of said light measuring circuit; and d) operation control means responsive to operation of said display device to inhibit said exposure control circuit from performing the exposure control on the basis of the output of said light measuring circuit obtained for a period of time during which the information is being displayed by said display device.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 77 words
A camera according to claim 1, wherein said exposure control circuit includes a computing circuit arranged to perform an exposure computing operation on the output of said light measuring circuit, and wherein said operation control means is further responsive to termination of operation of said display device to operate said light measuring circuit and said computing circuit thereby to then cause said computing circuit to perform a computing operation on the output of said light measuring circuit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 42 words
A camera according to claim 1, wherein said display device includes a light emitting means and is arranged to make a superimposed display of information inside said image plane frame within the viewfinder by using light emitted from said light emitting means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 21 words
A camera according to claim 3, wherein said light measuring circuit is disposed at a pentagonal prism portion of said camera.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 100 words
A camera having a device for making a display within a viewfinder, comprising: a) a display device for displaying information inside an image plane frame of the viewfinder, said display device includes light emitting means and is arranged to make a superimposed display of information inside said image plane frame within the viewfinder by using light emitted from said light emitting means; b) a light measuring circuit; and c) a luminance control circuit arranged to cause said light emitting means to emit light at a degree of luminance determined on the basis of an output of said light measuring circuit.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 100 words
A camera having a device for making a display within a viewfinder, comprising: a) a display device for displaying information inside an image plane frame of the viewfinder, said display device includes light emitting means and is arranged to make a superimposed display of information inside said image plane frame within the viewfinder by using light emitted from said light emitting means; b) a light measuring circuit; and c) a luminance control circuit arranged to cause said light emitting means to emit light at a degree of luminance determined on the basis of an output of said light measuring circuit.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 51 words
A camera according to claim 5, wherein said luminance control circuit is arranged to control the luminance of light to be emitted by said light emitting means on the basis of the output of said light measuring circuit which is obtained while no light is emitted by said light emitting means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 21 words
A camera according to claim 5, wherein said light measuring circuit is disposed at a pentagonal prism portion of said camera.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 60 words
A camera according to claim 6, wherein said light measuring circuit operates in response to an operation of an operation member of the camera, and said luminance control circuit latches the output of said light measuring circuit as obtained by the operation of the operation member to control the luminance of the light on the basis of the latched output.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 114 words
A camera having a device for making a display within a viewfinder, comprising: a) a first display device for displaying information inside an image plane frame within the viewfinder; b) a second display device for displaying information outside said image plane frame within the viewfinder; and c) a control circuit for controlling periods of time for which said first and second display devices display the information, said control circuit having a timer means for causing said first display device to make the information display for a predetermined period of time and including prohibition means for prohibiting display by said second display device in response to an operation of an operation portion of the camera.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 114 words
A camera having a device for making a display within a viewfinder, comprising: a) a first display device for displaying information inside an image plane frame within the viewfinder; b) a second display device for displaying information outside said image plane frame within the viewfinder; and c) a control circuit for controlling periods of time for which said first and second display devices display the information, said control circuit having a timer means for causing said first display device to make the information display for a predetermined period of time and including prohibition means for prohibiting display by said second display device in response to an operation of an operation portion of the camera.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 23 words
A camera according to claim 9, wherein said first display device is arranged to make a superimposed display inside the image plane frame.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 25 words
A camera according to claim 9, wherein said information to be displayed by said first and second display devices relates to a state of focusing.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 105 words
A camera according to claim 9, further comprising a focus detecting circuit arranged to detect a state of focusing, and an in-focus signal forming circuit arranged to form an in-focus signal when the state of focusing detected by said focus detecting circuit represents an in-focus state, said control circuit being arranged to operate in response to said in-focus signal in such away as to cause said first display device to make an in-focus display for a predetermined period of time and to cause said second display device to make an in-focus display for a period of time during which said in-focus signal is being formed.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 136 words
A camera having a device for making a display within a viewfinder, comprising: a) a display device having a first display device for displaying information inside an image plane frame within the viewfinder and a second display device for displaying information outside said image plane frame within the viewfinder; b) a light measuring circuit; c) an exposure control circuit arranged to perform an exposure control on the basis of an output of said light measuring circuit; and d) an inhibition circuit arranged to inhibit said exposure control circuit from performing the exposure control on the basis of the output of said light measuring circuit obtained for a period of time during which the information is being displayed by said first display device, said inhibition circuit operation irrespectively of a display operation by said second display device.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 136 words
A camera having a device for making a display within a viewfinder, comprising: a) a display device having a first display device for displaying information inside an image plane frame within the viewfinder and a second display device for displaying information outside said image plane frame within the viewfinder; b) a light measuring circuit; c) an exposure control circuit arranged to perform an exposure control on the basis of an output of said light measuring circuit; and d) an inhibition circuit arranged to inhibit said exposure control circuit from performing the exposure control on the basis of the output of said light measuring circuit obtained for a period of time during which the information is being displayed by said first display device, said inhibition circuit operation irrespectively of a display operation by said second display device.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 89 words
A camera according to claim 13, wherein said exposure control circuit includes a computing circuit arranged to perform an exposure computing operation on the output of said light measuring circuit, and wherein said inhibition circuit is arranged to operate said light measuring circuit and said computing circuit after termination of a displaying action of said first display device in such a way as to take out the output of said light measuring circuit and to cause said computing circuit to perform a computing operation on the output taken out.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 42 words
A camera according to claim 13, wherein said first display device includes light emitting means and is arranged to make a superimposed display of information inside said image plane frame within the viewfinder by using light emitted from said light emitting means.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4035815A Cited
US3971048A Cited
US4294529A Cited
US4367463A Cited
US4475800A Cited
US4827303A Cited
US4597659A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1996-08-09 1997-02-08 1997-08-10 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2000-08-09 2001-02-08 2001-08-10 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2004-08-09 2005-02-08 2005-08-10 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag