← Back to Patent Explorer
US5392091A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Exposure calculating apparatus

Assignee: Nikon Corp
•
Filing: 1992-08-24
•
Granted: 1995-02-21
•
Expires: 2012-08-24
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract An exposure calculating apparatus includes a light-metering device, consisting of a light-metering elements corresponding to elementary areas obtained by dividing a field of a focusing optical system, for measuring a light intensity distribution in the field, a position of object detecting means for detecting a position of object in the field, a classifying means for changing a divisional pattern of light-metering areas in correspondence with the position of object, and classifying the light-metering elements of the light-metering device into a plurality of groups according to the divisional pattern, and a calculating device for calculating an exposure value by weighting the outputs from the plurality of light-metering elements in correspondence with the groups to which the light-metering elements belong, and supplying the exposure value to exposure control.

Inventors

  • 👤 Hiroyuki Iwasaki

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 10:55
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03B; G03B13/00; G03B13/02; G03B7/00; G03B7/08; G03B7/099; G03B7/0993; G03B7/0997; G03B7/09979; G03B2213/00; G03B2213/02; G03B2213/025

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim 146 words
An exposure calculating apparatus comprising: a light-metering device comprising a first predetermined number of light-metering elements corresponding to elementary areas obtained by dividing a field into said first predetermined number, said light-metering elements measuring a light intensity in said field; a detecting device for detecting a position of an object in said field based on a direction of an eyeball of a photographer and for outputting the position of the object; a classification processing circuit, into which said position of the object is input, for classifying said light-metering elements of said light-metering device into groups having predetermined numbers of light-metering elements less than said first predetermined number according to said position of the object; and a calculating circuit for calculating an exposure value by weighting outputs of said light-metering elements of said groups of light-metering elements according to the group to which the light-metering elements belong.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 146 words
An exposure calculating apparatus comprising: a light-metering device comprising a first predetermined number of light-metering elements corresponding to elementary areas obtained by dividing a field into said first predetermined number, said light-metering elements measuring a light intensity in said field; a detecting device for detecting a position of an object in said field based on a direction of an eyeball of a photographer and for outputting the position of the object; a classification processing circuit, into which said position of the object is input, for classifying said light-metering elements of said light-metering device into groups having predetermined numbers of light-metering elements less than said first predetermined number according to said position of the object; and a calculating circuit for calculating an exposure value by weighting outputs of said light-metering elements of said groups of light-metering elements according to the group to which the light-metering elements belong.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 30 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said classification processing circuit classifies said light-metering elements into concentric first and second circles with a center at said position of the object.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 79 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said classification processing circuit includes: a storing circuit for storing a boundary line of said field in order to classify said field into said groups of light-metering elements with a predetermined shape; a displacement calculating circuit for calculating a displacement from a reference position in said field to said position of the object; and a movement processing circuit for moving the boundary line stored in said storing circuit based on said displacement.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 28 words
An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said classification processing circuit includes a movement limiting circuit for limiting a movement range within which said boundary line is moved.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 170 words
An exposure calculating apparatus comprising: a light-metering device having a plurality of light-metering elements which respectively correspond to elementary areas obtained by dividing a field of an imaging optical system into the plurality; a detecting device for detecting a position of an object in said field; a first calculating circuit for calculating a first brightness value based on outputs of said light-metering elements within a predetermined range including said position of the object; a distance detecting device for detecting an amount related to a distance between said imaging optical system and said object; a changing circuit for changing, in accordance with said amount related to the distance, said predetermined range which is used in said first calculating circuit; a second calculating circuit for calculating a second brightness value based on outputs of said light-metering elements in the whole of said field; and an exposure calculating circuit for calculating an exposure value by weighting the second brightness value and the first brightness value based on outputs of the changed predetermined range.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 170 words
An exposure calculating apparatus comprising: a light-metering device having a plurality of light-metering elements which respectively correspond to elementary areas obtained by dividing a field of an imaging optical system into the plurality; a detecting device for detecting a position of an object in said field; a first calculating circuit for calculating a first brightness value based on outputs of said light-metering elements within a predetermined range including said position of the object; a distance detecting device for detecting an amount related to a distance between said imaging optical system and said object; a changing circuit for changing, in accordance with said amount related to the distance, said predetermined range which is used in said first calculating circuit; a second calculating circuit for calculating a second brightness value based on outputs of said light-metering elements in the whole of said field; and an exposure calculating circuit for calculating an exposure value by weighting the second brightness value and the first brightness value based on outputs of the changed predetermined range.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 38 words
An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said detecting device detects a position of an object in said field on the basis of a direction of an eyeball of a photographer and outputs the position of the object.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 197 words
An exposure calculating apparatus comprising: a light-metering device having a plurality of light-metering elements which respectively correspond to elementary areas obtained by dividing a field of an imaging optical system into the plurality; a detecting device for detecting a position of an object in said field; a first calculating circuit for calculating a first brightness value based on outputs of said light-metering elements within a predetermined range including said position of the object; a distance detecting device for detecting an amount related to a distance between said imaging optical system and said object; a focal length detecting device for detecting an amount related to a focal length of said imaging optical system; a changing circuit for changing, in accordance with said amount related to the distance and said amount related to the focal length, said predetermined range which is used in said first calculating circuit; a second calculating circuit for calculating a second brightness value based on outputs of said light-metering elements in the whole of said field; and an exposure calculating circuit for calculating an exposure value by weighting the second brightness value and the first brightness value based on outputs of the changed predetermined range.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 197 words
An exposure calculating apparatus comprising: a light-metering device having a plurality of light-metering elements which respectively correspond to elementary areas obtained by dividing a field of an imaging optical system into the plurality; a detecting device for detecting a position of an object in said field; a first calculating circuit for calculating a first brightness value based on outputs of said light-metering elements within a predetermined range including said position of the object; a distance detecting device for detecting an amount related to a distance between said imaging optical system and said object; a focal length detecting device for detecting an amount related to a focal length of said imaging optical system; a changing circuit for changing, in accordance with said amount related to the distance and said amount related to the focal length, said predetermined range which is used in said first calculating circuit; a second calculating circuit for calculating a second brightness value based on outputs of said light-metering elements in the whole of said field; and an exposure calculating circuit for calculating an exposure value by weighting the second brightness value and the first brightness value based on outputs of the changed predetermined range.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 36 words
An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said detecting device detects a position of an object in said field based on a direction of an eyeball of a photographer and outputs the position of the object.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4445778A Cited
US4912495A Cited
JPS6394232A Cited
US5272538A Cited
JPH0232312A Cited
US4978990A Cited
US5253008A Cited
US5255044A Cited
US5184172A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1998-02-20 1998-08-22 1999-02-21 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2002-02-20 2002-08-22 2003-02-21 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2006-02-20 2006-08-22 2007-02-21 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag