US2005122420A1PendingUtilityA1

Photographic illumination device, image-capturing system, camera system and camera

46
Assignee: NIKON CORPPriority: Dec 5, 2003Filed: Dec 1, 2004Published: Jun 9, 2005
Est. expiryDec 5, 2023(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Hideki Matsui
G03B 2215/05G03B 7/16G03B 15/05
46
PatentIndex Score
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Claims

Abstract

An image-capturing system includes: an image-capturing device that captures an image of a subject; and an illumination device that illuminates the subject. The image-capturing device includes a control unit that calculates a light quantity needed to illuminate the subject based upon at least, either an exposure time or an aperture value and image-capturing sensitivity. The illumination device includes a current-controlled light emission unit that emits light used to illuminate the subject and a light emission control unit that controls the light emission unit so as to emit light in the light quantity calculated by the control unit.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A photographic illumination device, comprising: 
 a current-controlled light emission unit that emits illuminating light toward a subject;    a range finding unit that detects distance information indicating a distance to a main subject; and    a light emission control unit that controls the light emission unit to emit light in a quantity calculated by using the distance information detected by the range finding unit and an exposure time, an aperture value and a photographic sensitivity set in a camera.    
     
     
         2 . A photographic illumination device, comprising: 
 a current-controlled light emission unit that emits illuminating light toward a subject; and    a light emission control unit that controls the light emission unit to emit light in a quantity calculated by using distance information indicating a distance to a main subject which is detected by a range finding unit in a camera and an aperture time, an aperture value and a photographic sensitivity set in the camera.    
     
     
         3 . A photographic illumination device according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the light emission control unit continuously supplies a drive current to the light emission unit over a specific length of time.    
     
     
         4 . A photographic illumination device according to  claim 3 , wherein: 
 the light emission control unit gradually increases the drive current.    
     
     
         5 . A photographic illumination device according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the light emission control unit supplies a pulse drive current to the light emission unit a specific number of times.    
     
     
         6 . A photographic illumination device according to  claim 3 , wherein: 
 the light emission control unit stops supplying the drive current once an integrated value representing light having been reflected off the subject illuminated by the light emission unit becomes equal to a value corresponding to the calculated light quantity.    
     
     
         7 . A photographic illumination device according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the light emission control unit determines a level of drive current so as to sustain a supply of drive current to the light emission unit while exposure is in progress over the exposure time.    
     
     
         8 . A camera system, comprising: 
 a photographic illumination device according to claims  1 ; and    a camera having a range finding unit that detects distance information indicating a distance to a main subject, an arithmetic operation unit that calculates a quantity of light to be emitted by the light emission unit by using the distance information detected by the range finding unit and an exposure time, an aperture value and a photographic sensitivity set in the camera, and a signal output unit that outputs a signal indicating the light quantity calculated by the arithmetic operation unit.    
     
     
         9 . A camera, comprising: 
 a current-controlled light emission unit that emits illuminating light toward a subject;    a range finding unit that detects distance information indicating a distance to a main subject;    an arithmetic operation unit that calculates a quantity of light to be emitted by the light emission unit by using the distance information detected by the range finding unit and an exposure time, an aperture value and a photographic sensitivity set therein; and    a light emission control unit that controls the light emission unit to emit light in the calculated light quantity.    
     
     
         10 . A camera system, comprising: 
 a current-controlled light emission unit that emits illuminating light toward a subject;    an arithmetic operation unit that starts a light emission at the light emission unit in response to a light emission start signal and calculates a quantity of light to be emitted by the light emission unit by using information indicating an aperture value and photographic sensitivity set therein; and    a light emission control unit that controls a light emission quantity in conformance to the calculated light quantity.    
     
     
         11 . A camera system, comprising: 
 a current-controlled light emission unit that emits illuminating light toward a subject;    an arithmetic operation unit that starts a light emission at the light emission unit in response to a light emission start signal and calculates a quantity of light to be emitted by the light emission unit by using distance information set therein and information corresponding to an aperture value and photographic sensitivity set therein; and    a light emission control unit that controls a light emission quantity in conformance to the calculated light quantity.    
     
     
         12 . A portable device, comprising: 
 a current-controlled light emission unit that emits illuminating light toward a subject;    an arithmetic operation unit that starts a light emission at the light emission unit in response to a light emission start signal and calculates a quantity of light to be emitted by the light emission unit by using information indicating an aperture value and photographic sensitivity set therein; and    a light emission control unit that controls a light emission quantity in conformance to the calculated light quantity.    
     
     
         13 . A portable device, comprising: 
 a current-controlled light emission unit that emits illuminating light toward a subject;    an arithmetic operation unit that starts a light emission at the light emission unit in response to a light emission start signal and calculates a quantity of light to be emitted by the light emission unit by using distance information set therein and information corresponding to an aperture value and photographic sensitivity set therein; and    a light emission control unit that controls a light emission quantity in conformance to the calculated light quantity.    
     
     
         14 . An image-capturing system, comprising: 
 an image-capturing device that captures an image of a subject; and    an illumination device that illuminates the subject, wherein:    the image-capturing device comprises a control unit that calculates a light quantity needed to illuminate the subject based upon at least, either an exposure time or an aperture value and image-capturing sensitivity; and    the illumination device comprises a current-controlled light emission unit that emits light used to illuminate the subject and a light emission control unit that controls the light emission unit so as to emit light in the light quantity calculated by the control unit.    
     
     
         15 . An image-capturing system according to  claim 14 , wherein: 
 the control unit in the image-capturing device calculates the light quantity based upon the exposure time, the aperture value and the image-capturing sensitivity set therein and measured subject brightness, so as to achieve optimal exposure.    
     
     
         16 . An image-capturing system according to  claim 14 , wherein: 
 the image-capturing device further comprises a range finding unit that detects distance information indicating a distance to the subject; and    the control unit in the image-capturing device calculates the light quantity by taking into consideration the distance information indicating the distance to the subject.    
     
     
         17 . An image-capturing system according to  claim 14 , wherein: 
 the light emission control unit in the illumination device controls light emission intensity at the light emission unit in correspondence to the exposure time.    
     
     
         18 . An image-capturing system according to  claim 17 , wherein: 
 the light emission control unit in the illumination device controls the light emission intensity at the light emission unit so as to emit light in the light quantity over the exposure time.    
     
     
         19 . An image-capturing system according to  claim 18 , wherein: 
 the light emission control unit in the illumination device implements control so as to stop the light emission by the light emission unit once light in the light quantity has been emitted.    
     
     
         20 . An image-capturing system according to  claim 14 , wherein: 
 the light emission control unit in the illumination device has information indicating drive current and light emission intensity characteristics at the light emission unit.    
     
     
         21 . An illumination device constituting an image-capturing system according to  claim 14 .  
     
     
         22 . A camera having an image-capturing device constituting an image-capturing system according to  claim 14 .  
     
     
         23 . An image-capturing system according to  claim 14 , wherein: 
 the image-capturing system is a camera.    
     
     
         24 . An image-capturing system according to  claim 14 , wherein: 
 the image-capturing system is a portable device equipped with a camera.

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