US7071987B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Digital camera having automatic exposure control for different photographing modes
Assignee: Minolta Co Ltd
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Filing: 1999-07-16
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Granted: 2006-07-04
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Expires: 2019-07-16
Abstract
Abstract A digital camera includes an image pick-up element which receives light reflected from an object and generates image data of the object, and a light-receiving element which receives light reflected form the object and outputs light-quantity data for the object. The light-receiving element differs from the image pick-up element. In the sequence photograph mode, the exposure amount of the image pick-up element is controlled based on the light-quantity data output from the light-receiving element. In the other modes, the exposure amount of the image pick-up element is controlled based on the image data generated by the image pick-up element itself.
Inventors
- 👤 Toshiyuki Tanaka
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 12:55
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N23/00; H04N23/60; H04N23/667; H04N23/70; H04N23/71; H04N23/74; H04N5/00; H04N5/76; H04N5/765; H04N5/77; H04N5/772; H04N5/907; H04N9/00; H04N9/79; H04N9/80; H04N9/804; H04N9/8042; H04N9/82; H04N9/8205; H04N9/8227
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
142 words
A digital camera having a sequence-photograph mode and other modes, said digital camera comprising: an image pick-up element for receiving light reflected from an object and outputting image data of the object; a light-receiving element for outputting data as to a light quantity received from the object, said light-receiving element being different from said image pick-up element; a first controller for controlling an exposure amount of said image pick-up element for a next frame in a sequence of photographs directly based on the light-quantity data for a previous frame output from said light-receiving element in the sequence-photograph mode; and a second controller for controlling the exposure amount of said image pick-up element based on the image data output from said image pick-up element in the other modes, wherein the light-receiving element outputs the light-quantity data during each frame in the sequence-photograph mode.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
142 words
A digital camera having a sequence-photograph mode and other modes, said digital camera comprising: an image pick-up element for receiving light reflected from an object and outputting image data of the object; a light-receiving element for outputting data as to a light quantity received from the object, said light-receiving element being different from said image pick-up element; a first controller for controlling an exposure amount of said image pick-up element for a next frame in a sequence of photographs directly based on the light-quantity data for a previous frame output from said light-receiving element in the sequence-photograph mode; and a second controller for controlling the exposure amount of said image pick-up element based on the image data output from said image pick-up element in the other modes, wherein the light-receiving element outputs the light-quantity data during each frame in the sequence-photograph mode.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
The digital camera according to claim 1 , wherein said image pick-up element is a CCD.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
The digital camera according to claim 2 , wherein said second controller controls a charge accumulation time of said CCD based on the image data output from said image pick-up element to control the exposure amount.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
The digital camera according to claim 3 , further comprising a third controller for controlling parameters other than the charge accumulation time of said CCD, based on the light-quantity data output from said light-receiving element, in the other modes.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The digital camera according to claim 4 , further comprising a flash lamp, wherein said third controller controls a quantity of light emission of said flash lamp.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
153 words
A method for controlling an exposure amount of a digital camera which has a sequence-photograph mode and other modes, the method comprising the steps of: receiving light reflected from an object and generating image data of the object using an image pick-up element; receiving light from the object and generating light-quantity data of the object using a light-receiving element which differs from the image pick-up element; controlling an exposure amount of the image pick-up element for a next frame in a sequence of photographs directly based on the light-quantity data for a previous frame generated by the light-receiving element if the digital camera is in the sequence-photograph mode; and controlling an exposure amount of the image pick-up element based on the image data generated by the image pick-up element if the digital camera is in the other modes, wherein the light-receiving element outputs the light-quantity data during each frame in the sequence-photograph mode.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
153 words
A method for controlling an exposure amount of a digital camera which has a sequence-photograph mode and other modes, the method comprising the steps of: receiving light reflected from an object and generating image data of the object using an image pick-up element; receiving light from the object and generating light-quantity data of the object using a light-receiving element which differs from the image pick-up element; controlling an exposure amount of the image pick-up element for a next frame in a sequence of photographs directly based on the light-quantity data for a previous frame generated by the light-receiving element if the digital camera is in the sequence-photograph mode; and controlling an exposure amount of the image pick-up element based on the image data generated by the image pick-up element if the digital camera is in the other modes, wherein the light-receiving element outputs the light-quantity data during each frame in the sequence-photograph mode.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method according to claim 6 , wherein the image pick-up element is a CCD.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method according to claim 7 , wherein a charge accumulation time of the CCD is controlled based on the image data output from the image pick-up element in the other modes to control the exposure amount.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method according to claim 8 , further comprising a step of: controlling a parameter other than the charge accumulation time of the CCD controlled in accordance with the light-quantity data output from the light-receiving element in the other modes.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method according to claim 9 , wherein the digital camera has a flash lamp, and wherein the parameter other than the charge accumulation time of the CCD, which is controlled in accordance with the light-quantity data output by the light-receiving element, is a quantity of light emission of the flash lamp.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
139 words
A digital camera having a sequence-photograph mode and other modes, said digital camera comprising: an image pick-up element for receiving light reflected from an object and outputting image data of the object; a light-receiving element for outputting data as to a light quantity received from the object, said light-receiving element being different from said image pick-up element; and a controller, for controlling an exposure amount of said image pick-up element for a next frame in a sequence of photographs directly based on the light-quantity data for a previous frame output from said light-receiving element in the sequence-photograph mode, and for controlling the exposure amount of said image pick-up element based on the image data output from said image pick-up element in the other modes, wherein the light-receiving element outputs the light-quantity data during each frame in the sequence-photograph mode.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
139 words
A digital camera having a sequence-photograph mode and other modes, said digital camera comprising: an image pick-up element for receiving light reflected from an object and outputting image data of the object; a light-receiving element for outputting data as to a light quantity received from the object, said light-receiving element being different from said image pick-up element; and a controller, for controlling an exposure amount of said image pick-up element for a next frame in a sequence of photographs directly based on the light-quantity data for a previous frame output from said light-receiving element in the sequence-photograph mode, and for controlling the exposure amount of said image pick-up element based on the image data output from said image pick-up element in the other modes, wherein the light-receiving element outputs the light-quantity data during each frame in the sequence-photograph mode.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
A digital camera according to claim 11 , wherein said image pick-up element is a CCD.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
35 words
A digital camera according to claim 12 , wherein said controller controls a charge accumulation time of said CCD based on the image data output from said image pick-up element to control the exposure amount.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
36 words
A digital camera according to claim 13 , wherein said controller controls parameters other than the charge accumulation time of said CCD, based on the light-quantity data output from said light-receiving element, in the other modes.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
26 words
A digital camera according to claim 14 , further comprising a flash lamp, wherein said controller controls a quantity of light emission of said flash lamp.
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