Control circuit for photographic apparatus

Abstract

An automatic photographic camera, which features automatic focusing, automatic exposure control, automatic flash operation and automatic film advance and shutter cocking, includes an electronic control circuit. The electronic control circuit includes a binary logic circuit which is responsive to a number of parametric signals to effect a control of the timing and actuation of the several automatic functions of the camera.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. In an automatic photographic camera featuring a plurality of automatic functions, a control system for controlling the sequence and actuation of said automatic functions, said control system comprising: means for producing a plurality of parametric signals representative of parameters related to said automatic functions,   a binary logic control circuit responsive to said parametric signals for producing a plurality of control signals,   said binary logic control circuit including means for establishing the selection and sequence of the actuation of said automatic functions,   means responsive to said control signals to effect the actuation of said automatic functions,   said control system including an automatic exposure control means for controlling the operation of the shutter of said camera,   said control means including an integrating light sensing means,   voltage reference means,   signal comparator means connected to said light sensing means and to said voltage reference means for producing one of said parametric signals as a function of the comparison of the outputs of said voltage reference means and said light sensing means,   said binary logic control circuit including gating means responsive to said one parametric signal for controlling the operation of the shutter of said camera,   said automatic functions including an automatically controlled electronic flash means, said automatic exposure control means including means for sampling the ambient light at a point in time early in the opening phase of the shutter of said camera,   means for producing a further parametric signal representative of the result of the sampling of said ambient light, and   said binary logic control circuit includes means responsive to said further parametric signal to control the actuation of said electronic flash means, in accordance with the value of its ambient light whereby said electronic flash means is actuated to produce a flash whenever said ambient light is below a predetermined value and to block the actuation of said electronic flash means whenever the ambient light is above said predetermined value. .[.   
     
     
       2.  In an automatic photographic camera featuring a plurality of automatic functions, a control system for controlling the sequence and actuation of said automatic functions, said control system comprising: means for producing a plurality of parametric signals representative of parameters related to said automatic functions,   a binary logic control circuit responsive to said parametric signals for producing a plurality of control signals,   said binary logic control circuit including means for establishing the selection and sequence of the actuation of said automatic functions,   means responsive to said control signals to effect the actuation of said automatic functions,   said control system including an automatic exposure control means for controlling the operation of the shutter of said camera,   said control means including an integrating light sensing means,   voltage reference means,   signal comparator means connected to said light sensing means and to said voltage reference means for producing one of said parametric signals as a function of the comparison of the outputs of said voltage reference means and said light sensing means,   said binary logic control circuit including gating means responsive to said one parametric signal for controlling the operation of the shutter of said camera,   said control system further including focus control means for automatically adjusting the focus of the lens system of said camera,   said focus control means including an electric motor for driving the adjusting means for said lens system, and   means correlated with the lens system for producing a focus related parametric signal representative of the condition of focus of said lens system,   said binary logic control circuit including means responsive to said focus related parametric signal for controlling the energization of said electric motor whereby to deenergize said motor when a condition of best focus is indicated by said focus related parametric signal..].   
     
     
       3. The control system as set forth in claim .[.2.]. .Iadd.7 .Iaddend.wherein said binary logic control circuit includes further means responsive to said focus related parametric signal to block the initiation of others of said automatic functions until the completion of said automatic focus adjustments. 
     
     
       4. In an automatic camera featuring a plurality of automatic functions, a control system for controlling the sequence and actuation of said automatic functions, said control system including means for producing a plurality of signals representative of parameters relating to the operation of said camera, control circuit means responsive to said signals for producing a plurality of control signals,   said automatic functions including focussing control, exposure control and electronic flash producing means, and   means connected to be responsive to said control signals for effecting adjustment of the focus of said camera, for effecting said automatic exposure control of said camera in accordance with the illumination of a scene to be photographed, and for effecting the control of the actuation of said electronic flash producing means in accordance with the value of the ambient light whereby said electronic flash producing means is enabled to produce a flash whenever the ambient light is below a predetermined value and to timely actuate said flash producing means.   
     
     
       5. The control system as set forth in claim 4 wherein one of said control signals is effective to block the actuation of said electronic flash producing means when the ambient light is above said predetermined value. 
     
     
       6. The control system as set forth in claim 4 wherein said camera includes means for resetting said automatic functions preparatory to a new photographic cycle, and wherein said control circuit includes means for completing the sequence of photographic operations comprising means for effecting the actuation of said means for resetting said automatic functions. .Iadd. 7. In an automatic photographic camera featuring a plurality of automatic functions, a control system for controlling the sequence and actuation of said automatic functions, said control system comprising: means for producing a plurality of parametric signals representative of parameters related to said automatic functions,   a binary logic control circuit responsive to said parametric signals for producing a plurality of control signals,   said binary logic control circuit including means for establishing the selection and sequence of the actuation of said automatic functions,   means responsive to said control signals to effect the actuation of said automatic functions,   said control system including an automatic exposure control means for controlling the operation of the shutter of said camera,   said control means including an integrating light sensing means,   voltage reference means,   signal comparator means connected to said light sensing means and to said voltage reference means for producing one of said parametric signals as a function of the comparison of the outputs of said voltage reference means and said light sensing means,   said binary logic control circuit including gating means responsive to said one parametric signal for controlling the operation of the shutter of said camera,   said control system further including focus control means for automatically adjusting the focus of the lens system of said camera,   said focus control means including motion producing means for driving the adjusting means for said lens system, and   means correlated with the lens system for producing a focus related parametric signal representative of the condition of focus of said lens system,   said binary logic control circuit including means responsive to said focus related parametric signal for controlling said motion producing means whereby to inactivate said motion producing means when a condition of best focus is indicated by said focus related parametric signal. .Iaddend.