Camera

Claim 2

A camera comprising: a camera body; a front lens group arranged as movable backward and forward relative to said camera body; a rear lens group disposed between said camera body and said front lens group as movable backward and forward relative to said camera body; a stepping motor for driving said rear lens group; rear lens group position detecting means for detecting a position of said rear lens group, based on a cumulative number of pulse signals output to said stepping motor to move said rear lens group, the cumulative number being a certain value when said rear lens group is located at a home position; and home position check means for detecting whether said rear lens group is properly located at said home position, said home position check means including stepping motor driving means for driving said stepping motor so that said rear lens group is located at said home position, and home position detecting means for detecting whether said rear lens group is located at said home position, wherein, during an operation of said stepping motor driving means, said rear lens group position detecting means is adapted to detect a position of said rear lens group every time said stepping motor is driven by a predetermined number of pulses, and only when said rear lens group position detecting means detects that said rear lens group is positioned between said home position and a predetermined position, said home position detecting means executes a detection as to if said rear lens group is located at said home position every time said stepping motor is driven by a predetermined number of pulses.

Claim 3

A camera according to claim 1, wherein said home position is a position where said rear lens group is located closest to said front lens group.

Claim 4

A camera according to claim 2, wherein said predetermined position is a position near said home position.

Claim 5

A camera according to claim 3, wherein said predetermined position is a position between said home position and a middle of a range within which said rear lens group can be moved relative to said front lens group.

Claim 6

A camera according to claim 1, wherein said home position check means includes counting means for counting every time said stepping motor is driven by the predetermined number of pulses during the operation of said stepping motor driving means, and abnormality detecting means for detecting an abnormal state in drive of said rear lens group, said abnormality detecting means being adapted to detect said abnormal state by detecting that a value counted by said counting means is over a predetermined value.

Claim 7

A camera according to claim 1, comprising a lens barrel arranged as movable backward and forward relative to said camera body, wherein said front lens group is mounted in a front end portion of said lens barrel, and wherein said rear lens group is disposed in said barrel behind said front lens group so as to be independently movable backward and forward.

Claim 8

A camera according to claim 6, wherein said rear lens group position detecting means is adapted to detect a position of said rear lens group with respect to said lens barrel.

Claim 9

A camera according to claim 6, wherein said home position check means is executed upon retracting said lens barrel into said camera body.

Claim 10

A camera according to claim 6, wherein said home position check means is executed upon moving said lens barrel from a retracted position to a photographable range.

Claim 11

A home position check apparatus for use in a camera having a camera body, a front lens group arranged as movable backward and forward relative to said camera body, a rear lens group disposed between said camera body and said front lens group as movable backward and forward relative to said camera body, a stepping motor for driving said rear lens group, and rear lens group position detecting means for detecting a position of said rear lens group, based on a cumulative number of pulse signals output to said stepping motor to move said rear lens group, the cumulative number being a certain value when said rear lens group is located at a home position, said home position check apparatus for detecting whether said rear lens group is properly located at said home position, comprising: stepping motor driving means for driving said stepping motor so that said rear lens group is located at said home position; and home position detecting means for detecting whether said rear lens group is located at said home position, wherein, during an operation of said stepping motor driving means, said rear lens group position detecting means is adapted to detect a position of said rear lens group every time said stepping motor is driven by a predetermined number of pulses, and only when said rear lens group position detecting means detects that said rear lens group is positioned between said home position and a predetermined position, said home position detecting means executes a detection as to if said rear lens group is located at said home position every time said stepping motor is driven by a predetermined number of pulses.

Claim 12

A home position check apparatus for use in a camera having a camera body, a front lens group arranged as movable backward and forward relative to said camera body, a rear lens group disposed between said camera body and said front lens group as movable backward and forward relative to said camera body, a stepping motor for driving said rear lens group, and rear lens group position detecting means for detecting a position of said rear lens group, based on a cumulative number of pulse signals output to said stepping motor to move said rear lens group, the cumulative number being a certain value when said rear lens group is located at a home position, said home position check apparatus for detecting whether said rear lens group is properly located at said home position, comprising: stepping motor driving means for driving said stepping motor so that said rear lens group is located at said home position; and home position detecting means for detecting whether said rear lens group is located at said home position, wherein, during an operation of said stepping motor driving means, said rear lens group position detecting means is adapted to detect a position of said rear lens group every time said stepping motor is driven by a predetermined number of pulses, and only when said rear lens group position detecting means detects that said rear lens group is positioned between said home position and a predetermined position, said home position detecting means executes a detection as to if said rear lens group is located at said home position every time said stepping motor is driven by a predetermined number of pulses.

Claim 13

A home position check apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said home position is a position where said rear lens group is located closest to said front lens group.

Claim 14

A home position check apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said predetermined position is a position near said home position.

Claim 15

A home position check apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said predetermined position is a position between said home position and a middle of a range within which said rear lens group can be moved relative to said front lens group.

Claim 16

A home position check apparatus according to claim 10, comprising counting means for counting every time said stepping motor is driven by the predetermined number of pulses during the operation of said stepping motor driving means, and abnormality detecting means for detecting an abnormal state in drive of said rear lens group, said abnormality detecting means being adapted to detect said abnormal state by detecting that a value counted by said counting means is over a predetermined value.

Claim 17

A home position check method for use in a camera having a camera body, a front lens group arranged as movable backward and forward relative to said camera body, a rear lens group disposed between said camera body and said front lens group as movable backward and forward relative to said camera body, a stepping motor for driving said rear lens group, and rear lens group position detecting means for detecting a position of said rear lens group, based on a cumulative number of pulse signals output to said stepping motor to move said rear lens group, the cumulative number being a certain value when said rear lens group is located at a home position, said home position check method comprising the steps of: driving said stepping motor so that said rear lens group is located at said home position; detecting whether said rear lens group is located at said home position; detecting a position of said rear lens group every time said stepping motor is driven by a predetermined number of pulses; and detecting as to if said rear lens group is located at said home position every time said stepping motor is driven by a predetermined number of pulses, only when detecting that said rear lens group is positioned between said home position and a predetermined position.

Claim 18

A home position check method for use in a camera having a camera body, a front lens group arranged as movable backward and forward relative to said camera body, a rear lens group disposed between said camera body and said front lens group as movable backward and forward relative to said camera body, a stepping motor for driving said rear lens group, and rear lens group position detecting means for detecting a position of said rear lens group, based on a cumulative number of pulse signals output to said stepping motor to move said rear lens group, the cumulative number being a certain value when said rear lens group is located at a home position, said home position check method comprising the steps of: driving said stepping motor so that said rear lens group is located at said home position; detecting whether said rear lens group is located at said home position; detecting a position of said rear lens group every time said stepping motor is driven by a predetermined number of pulses; and detecting as to if said rear lens group is located at said home position every time said stepping motor is driven by a predetermined number of pulses, only when detecting that said rear lens group is positioned between said home position and a predetermined position.

Claim 19

A home position check method according to claim 15, wherein said home position is a position where said rear lens group is located closest to said front lens group.

Claim 20

A home position check method according to claim 16, wherein said predetermined position is a position near said home position.

Claim 21

A home position check method according to claim 17, wherein said predetermined position is a position between said home position and a middle of a range within which said rear lens group can be moved relative to said front lens group.

Claim 22

A home position check method according to claim 15, comprising steps of: counting every time said stepping motor is driven by the predetermined number of pulses; and detecting an abnormal state in drive of said rear lens group by detecting that the counted value is over a predetermined value.