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Thomas Edison ; 1889
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7761001 | Imaging device with automatic control function of light for shooting When an auxiliary emission auto focus has been set by operation and through image display is started, a CPU 9 starts an operation of acquiring a single frame among those sequentially picked up at a predetermined interval. Next, the CPU 9 calculates an ... | 07/20/2010 |
| 7606481 | Image pickup apparatus and flash unit and method of controlling the same An image pickup apparatus having a flash unit locating at a storing position or a projecting position, in which either an automatic mode to automatically move the flash unit from the storing position to the projecting position or a manual mode to manually execute th... | 10/20/2009 |
| 7333725 | Method and apparatus for metadata synchronization A method and apparatus provides for accurately synchronizing a plurality of sensors, as well as for providing accurate timing information (e.g. timing metadata) associated with the synchronized data capture. According to one aspect of the invention, an apparatus inc... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7290095 | Information processing apparatus and method therefor, and recording medium An information processing apparatus, in which binding of data common to processes is performed such that common data is registered, and in which if it is determined that common data is not yet been registered, a task is shifted to a sleeping state and then shifted t... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7218759 | Face detection in digital images A method and apparatus for the detection of faces in a digital image captured under a variety of lighting conditions are provided. Rather than subjecting an entire image to computationally intensive face detection analysis, the image is subjected to computationally ... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7092625 | Camera with an exposure control function A camera according to this invention determines whether a subject to be photographed is backlit; and when it is backlit, compares a brightness of the subject with a brightness of a background of the subject by emitting strobe light onto the subject; and changes an a... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7043156 | Strobe light emitting apparatus and camera A strobe apparatus includes a xenon tube, which is a discharge tube, having a discharge light emitting portion and a light emitting portion terminal. Light is emitted from the xenon tube and is reflected in a predetermined direction by a reflection umbrella. A trans... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7035536 | Flash control mechanism A flash case, in which a flash is provided, is automatically moved to an up position, when a user selects a flash mode in a state where the flash case is at a down position, when a user begins to forcibly raise the flash case by hand in a state where the flash case ... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7027726 | Camera having proper exposure controlling function A camera includes a luminance distribution detecting unit, a changing point determining unit, and an exposure controller. The luminance distribution detecting unit detects distribution of brightness in a photographing picture. The changing point determining unit det... | 04/11/2006 |
| 6952527 | Apparatus for releasing flash device automatically The present invention relates to a built-in flash mechanism that will pop up when the illumination is insufficient or it is manually switched on. The present invention comprises a flash unit having a buckle, a driving motor, a driving gear set formed on said driving... | 10/04/2005 |
| 6944398 | Photometric device and camera A photometric device according to the present invention performs the steps of: performing photometry in a first area of an overall area where photometry can be performed; performing photometry in a plurality of second areas, each included in the first area; and when... | 09/13/2005 |
| 6922524 | Camera having blur detecting function A camera having a blur notifying function according to one aspect of the present invention has a blur mode setting section which is used to set a blur notification mode in which a blur is detected in the camera and a blur state is notified, a blur detection section ... | 07/26/2005 |
| 6909847 | Camera with built-in strobe The present invention provides a camera with a built-in strobe which can reduce its whole size, while having a pop-up mechanism that enables a strobe casing attached to a camera body to be shiftable. The camera is provided with a camera body (2), a support un... | 06/21/2005 |
| 6904234 | Camera and wide-angle field distance-measuring camera A camera includes a sensor array which can detect a brightness signal of a subject and has a plurality of segments for focal point detection, a first photometry unit for calculating the brightness signal of the subject on the basis of an output of one segment or out... | 06/07/2005 |
| 6859618 | Exposure compensation method and system employing meter matrix and flash Mechanisms for compensating for backlight conditions in a scene for use in an image capture device that includes a flash and a flash control signal for activating the flash when the flash control signal is asserted are described. First, a meter matrix for a scene th... | 02/22/2005 |
| 6853806 | Camera with an exposure control function A camera according to this invention includes a backlight judgment section which determines whether the photographic scene is against light by comparing the average luminance of the entire photographic screen obtained by photometry with the luminance of the main sub... | 02/08/2005 |
| 6850702 | Camera and light-receiving sensor of the camera In a pair of photometric sensors which receive an object light flux through a pair of the light-receiving lenses are formed on a semiconductor chip on which a pair of the sensor arrays are formed. Further, one of a pair of the photometric sensor performs photometry ... | 02/01/2005 |
| 6724987 | Lens-fitted photo film unit with electronic flash device A lens-fitted photo film unit includes a flash emitter for emitting flash light toward a photographic object in flash photography. A flash amount control circuit quenches flash emission of the flash emitter when a value of integration of light reflected by the objec... | 04/20/2004 |
| 6684130 | Robot apparatus and its control method A robot apparatus is provided with a photographing device for photographing subjects and a notifying device for making an advance notice of photographing with the photographing device. In addition, in a control method for the robot apparatus, an advance n... | 01/27/2004 |
| 6516147 | Scene recognition method and system using brightness and ranging mapping A method of controlling exposure of a scene image comprising the following steps: sensing a scene for image data; deriving values representative of a brightness map of the scene; sensing the scene for image data; deriving values representative of a range ... | 02/04/2003 |
| 6510285 | Strobe control device A strobe control device for a camera is provided with a light amount measuring system that measures amount of light emitted by a strobe and reflected by an object, a comparing system that compares the measured light amount with a reference exposure light ... | 01/21/2003 |
| 6427051 | Controller for controlling a camera having a built-in flash A camera includes a built-in flash and a controller for controlling the camera. The controller includes different photographic modes; an auto-exposure-mode selecting mode in which an appropriate photographic mode is automatically selected from the differe... | 07/30/2002 |
| 6389232 | Method and apparatus for controlling exposure of camera An exposure control method and apparatus for a camera having a two-area divided brightness measurement system. A central light value is determined based on a central area brightness of a photographic scene, and a peripheral light value is determined based... | 05/14/2002 |
| 6343189 | Controller for controlling a built-in flash of a camera A camera includes a retractable built-in flash unit which is movable between a retracted position and a discharge position, and a controller which controls the built-in flash and provides an auto flash mode in which the controller allows the built-in flas... | 01/29/2002 |
| 6272289 | Camera A camera using an image blur prevention device including exposure time calculating apparatus which calculates a first exposure time from at least photometry data, sensitivity data of a recording medium and brightness of a photographic lens, a strobe light... | 08/07/2001 |
| 6195509 | Exposure control apparatus for a camera An exposure control apparatus for a camera includes a focus detection device which receives object light within a predetermined distance measuring area to measure the object distance, a photometering device which receives object light within a plurality o... | 02/27/2001 |
| 6112030 | Distance measuring apparatus There is provided a distance measuring apparatus in lens-shutter type camera provided with a photographic lens, a focal length of the photographic lens being variable. The distance measuring device includes: a pair of image forming lenses each forming a s... | 08/29/2000 |
| 6094544 | Photographing operation control device A photographing operation control device has an electro-developing recording medium to electronically develop an image formed thereon. An exposure calculation is performed based on a photometry value corresponding to an object to be photographed, so that ... | 07/25/2000 |
| 6058270 | Photometric device and camera having the photometric device A low cost, low power photometric circuit suitable for use in a low end camera includes a first counter for counting successive pulses produced by a first oscillator having a substantially constant oscillation frequency and a second counter for counting s... | 05/02/2000 |
| 6029014 | Light measuring apparatus and camera using the light measuring apparatus A light measuring apparatus comprises an oscillation circuit, a first delaying circuit for delaying an output waveform of the oscillation circuit in accordance with a peripheral brightness, a second delaying circuit for delaying an output waveform of the ... | 02/22/2000 |
| 5881326 | Shutter apparatus and camera apparatus A shutter apparatus is provided wherein openings for defining a secondary aperture are formed in respective shutter blades, such that an amount of light transmitted through the secondary aperture is detected, and the drive force for driving the shutter bl... | 03/09/1999 |
| 5878290 | Camera provided with red-eye phenomenon preventing feature A camera with a red-eye preventing feature includes an operation unit for causing the red-eye phenomenon preventing feature to function, a timer for measuring a predetermined period when the red-eye phenomenon preventing feature functions, an indicating d... | 03/02/1999 |
| 5822624 | Camera control device and method for preventing red-eye effect A camera capable of operating in a red-eye prevention mode. The camera has an electronic flash device which is activated by a drive circuit in synchronization with the exposure. The electronic flash device also serve as a pre-light-emission device capable... | 10/13/1998 |
| 5717964 | Camera exposure apparatus having flash tubes for correcting for overexposure An exposure apparatus for flash illuminating a subject is disclosed. The exposure apparatus includes a main flash tube for directly illuminating the subject, a bounce flash tube for indirectly illuminating the subject, and sensing circuitry responsive to ... | 02/10/1998 |
| 5713055 | Ambient light sensitive automatic flash control circuit A flash control circuit for a camera flash circuit in which a scene ambient light sensing circuit is coupled to the main flash capacitor which serves as the sole energy source for the light sensing circuit independent of the battery source. The ambient li... | 01/27/1998 |
| 5697002 | Control device for preventing red-eye effect on camera A camera capable of operating in a red-eye prevention mode. The camera has an electronic flash device which is activated by a drive circuit in synchronization with the exposure. The electronic flash device also serve as a pre-light-emission device capable... | 12/09/1997 |
| 5669023 | Optimal charging and energy conserving apparatus and method for controlling camera functions in an automatic flash camera An autofocusing camera allows a distance measurement operation even if the electric charge amount accumulated in the condenser does not reach a predetermined value when a picture to be taken does not require flash (strobe) light emission.... | 09/16/1997 |
| 5666571 | Automatic emission device suitable for use as light source, such as flash unit The present invention relates to an automatic flash emission device suitable for use as, for example, an automatic flash emission device for a camera. The present invention is to provide an arrangement for detecting the kind of light source which illumina... | 09/09/1997 |
| 5606391 | Exposure control apparatus for camera There is disclosed an exposure control apparatus for a camera, enabling appropriate exposure control for varied photographing situations. The apparatus determines the optimum exposure value, referring to various conditions including the season and time of... | 02/25/1997 |
| 5528333 | Camera system capable of converting between a built-in flash and an external flash and control method thereof A camera system capable of automatically switching between a built-in flash and an external flash and including a body and an external flash detachable from the body. The body of the camera system includes a power supply integral therein, a built-in flash... | 06/18/1996 |