FR2661522A1 - Electronically controlled photographic camera - Google Patents

Abstract

A plurality of driven components: a zoom lens (70), a take-up spool (61), and a shutter drive motor (22) are housed in a body (1) and a plurality of drive mechanisms, namely: for changing focal plane (80), for winding film (60), and for the shutter (50), which mechanisms being housed in the casing (1), can be controlled electronically to actuate the driven components. The control comprises a circuit board (card) (4) and electronic elements mounted on this board which is arranged in the casing (1) near its upper panel (1a).

Description

ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED CAMERA
The present invention relates to an electronically controlled camera with electronic elements for automatically carrying out the change of plane change of a zoom lens, the winding of a photographic film, and the arming of a mechanism. shutter, and more particularly it relates to an improved construction of a set of electronic circuits, in a camera body which comprises electronic elements for controlling a change-of-plane motor, a film winding motor, and a shutter drive motor, electronic components for controlling the electrical energy to be supplied to the motors, and an integrated circuit comprising a central processing unit (CPU) for controlling different sequences of camera operations.

 Electronically controlled cameras are known which include electronic elements for automatically effecting the plan change movements of a zoom lens, the winding of a photographic film and the arming of a shutter mechanism.

Recent trends in the technique of such electronically controlled cameras have been directed towards smaller dimensions, reduced weights, more functions, and higher implantation densities in the camera body.

 The electronically controlled cameras include electronic elements for controlling a plan change motor, a film rewind motor, and a shutter drive motor, electronic elements for controlling the electrical energy to be supplied to the motors, and an integrated circuit comprising a CPU for controlling different sequences of operation of the camera. To date, these electronic elements and the integrated circuit have been mounted on respective circuit boards which are housed in spaces available between different mechanisms or elements in the camera body. The circuit boards are electrically interconnected by soldered wires.

However, conventional circuit boards packaged in the camera body have the following disadvantages
Since the electronic elements and the integrated circuit are mounted on the respective circuit boards and the circuit boards are positioned in the spaces in the camera body, the circuit boards are limited to the dimensions which depend on the positions of the circuit boards. circuits, and they may not be as large as desired. Circuit boards must be of different shapes imposed by the spaces in which they are mounted. The more circuit boards there are, the higher the cost of the circuit boards.

 Since the circuit boards must be placed in different positions, it is a complex job to assemble the circuit boards inside the camera body, and it is tedious and time consuming to inspect, troubleshoot and to test the electronic elements and the integrated circuit with regard to their operation.

 Another problem is that many wires are needed to connect the circuit boards, and the wires soldered to the circuit boards tend to be damaged easily. The electronic elements and the integrated circuit can be easily at the origin of malfunctions or susceptible to breakdowns because the conductive wires are capable of picking up noise.

 In view of the aforementioned drawbacks of the construction of conventional electronic circuit assemblies for electronically controlled cameras, it is an object of the present invention to create an electronically controlled camera which includes a circuit board having a large area to hold a plurality of electronic components therefrom, so that the circuit board can be inexpensively fabricated and easily installed in a camera body, and allows the electronic components to be mounted are easily inspected, repaired, and tested for their functions, and which have a reduced number of conductive wires in order to reduce the possibility of failure of the electronic elements and consequently to make the electronic elements resistant to breakdowns.

 To this end, the present invention provides an electronically controlled camera comprising a body, a plurality of driven components housed in the body and which can be used to photograph an object, a plurality of drive mechanisms housed in the body and electronically controllable to operate the driven components, electronic control circuit means disposed in the body, to electronically control the drive mechanisms and the electronic control circuit means comprising a circuit board disposed in the body and a plurality of electronic elements mounted on the circuit board.

 Lead wires that would otherwise be required to interconnect the electronics are thus avoided. Consequently, the number of lead wires required to be connected to the circuit board is reduced. As a result, the electronics on the circuit board are made more resistant to breakdowns.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a schematic front elevation view of an electronically controlled camera according to the present invention, the view showing elements arranged in the body of the camera; and
Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of the electronically controlled camera showing elements in the body.

 As shown in Figures 1 and 2 an electronically controlled camera according to the present invention comprises a camera body 1 which contains various driven components and drive mechanisms. More specifically, the camera body 1 contains a shutter cocking mechanism 51 as a driven component, a shutter mechanism 50 as a driving mechanism comprising a shutter drive motor 22 for actuating the shutter cocking mechanism 51, a take-up reel 61 as a driven component for winding a photographic film, a film winding mechanism 60 as a driving mechanism comprising a film winding motor 8 for making rotating the take-up reel 61, a zoom lens 70 as a driven component, a plane change mechanism 80 as a driving mechanism comprising a plane change motor 7 for moving the zoom lens 70.

 The shutter mechanism 50, the film winding mechanism 60 and the plane change mechanism 80 are electronically controlled by electronic elements contained in an integrated circuit (IC) 9, which will be described later.

 The zoom lens 70 includes a lens barrel block 2 fixedly mounted on the front panel of the camera body 1. The lens barrel block 2 has a rear end portion disposed in the body of the camera. camera 1 and a lens barrel 2a projecting towards the front of camera body 1.

The zoom objective 70 also includes a lens system 2b which is supported by a suitable support mechanism so as to be movable along an optical axis 71 (see FIG. 2) in the objective barrel block 2.

When the lens system 2b moves along the optical axis 71, the zoom lens 70 performs a change of plane to modify its focal distance.

 The camera body 1 also supports a telemetry unit 3 for measuring the distance between the camera and an object (not shown) to be photographed by the camera. The telemetry unit 3 is mounted on the front panel of the camera body above the zoom lens 70. The telemetry unit 3 comprises a light emitting element 3a, a light detector element 3b spaced horizontally by relative to the light emitting element 3a, a frame 3c supporting inside the light emitting element 3a and the light detector element 3b.

 As shown in FIG. 1, the telemetry unit 3 is arranged between an upper panel 1a of the camera body 1 and the lens barrel block 2 and it is fixed to an upper face 2c of the block of lens barrel 2. The frame 3c of the telemetry unit 3 has an upper face 3d which is spaced downward relative to the upper panel la of the camera body 1. In the space between these faces the , 3d, there is disposed a circuit board 4 made of a rigid material which extends parallel to the bottom panel 1b of the camera body 1 and perpendicular to the front, rear, left, and right panels lc, ld, the , 1f from the camera body. The circuit board 4 is fixed to an upper face 3d of the frame 3c by screws 5 (see FIG. 2).

 As shown in FIG. 2, the circuit board 4 is of an elongated shape, practically rectangular, corresponding to the shape as seen in plan, of the upper face 1a of the camera body 1. The circuit board 4 has a certain width between the front and rear panels lc, id of the camera body 1 and it extends longitudinally between the left and right panels le, 1f of the camera body 1.

 As shown in FIG. 1, the circuit board 4 supports on its upper face 4a printed circuits 6, 9, 10 constituting electronic control elements, a liquid crystal display unit 11 controlled electronically to display various photography parameters such as selected photography modes when a picture is taken by the electronically controlled camera, the sensitivity of a photographic film 62 loaded in the camera, a selected shutter speed, the number of views available on the photographic film 62, the number of exposures exposed on the photographic film 62 and a selected aperture value, and a mode selection switch 12 with electrically conductive rubber contacts for selecting the modes of The liquid crystal display unit 11 is electronically controlled by an IC 6.

The IC 6 includes a CPU (not shown) for controlling various camera operations such as display on the liquid crystal display unit 11, and a ROM (read only memory) (not shown) for storing a program to be run by the CPU, the
CPU and ROM being mounted on a single chip. The IC 9 is controlled by the CPU of the IC 6 to control the plane change motor 7, the film winding motor 8, and the shutter drive motor 22.

 The plane change motor 7, the film winding motor 8, the shutter drive motor 22, and the liquid crystal display unit 11 are supplied with energy by a battery 21 also housed in the body camera 1.

 The IC 10 is controlled by the IC 9 to deliver the electric current from the battery 21 to the motors 7, 8, 22 and to the liquid crystal display unit 11 by the control of the electric current.

 IC 6, 9, 10, the liquid crystal display unit, and the mode selection switch 12 are electrically interconnected by a wiring diagram (not shown) on a lower face 4b (or on the face top 4a) of circuit board 4.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lower face 4b of the circuit board 4 supports an LED (light-emitting diode) 13 to indicate to the user of the camera that the automatic delay release device (content in the IC 6) to trigger the shutter with a predetermined delay is implemented, an LED 14 to indicate to the user of the camera, that a process of measuring distance from the camera to the object is completed by the telemetry unit 3 and an LED 15 to indicate to the user of the camera that a capacitor 20 housed in the camera body 1 is charged with sufficient electrical energy to power a strobe flash tube (not shown) on the camera.
LEDs 13, 14, 15 are electrically connected to the ICs 6, 10 via a wiring diagram on the circuit board 4.

 As shown in FIG. 1, the plane change motor 7 is arranged below the lower face 4b of the circuit board 4 and it is fixedly mounted on the upper face 2c of the lens barrel block 2 and connected electrically to the IC 9 via conductive wires (not shown).

 The film winding motor 8 is disposed near the take-up reel 61 in the camera body 1, and it is electrically connected to the IC 9 via conductive wires (not shown).

 The shutter drive motor 22 is electrically connected to the IC 9 via a connection board 16 which is composed of an elongated conductive section 16a disposed in the camera body 1 and connected to a terminal 17 (see Figure 2) on the circuit board 4 which is electrically connected to the IC 9, and a link section 16b disposed in the camera body 1 and connected to the conductive section 16a and the shutter drive motor 22. The connection card 16 is a specialized connection card which is free from any circuit element such as ICs, resistors, capacitors, etc., and is made up of '' an insulating base card and a conductive wiring drawing mounted on it, with terminals if desired.

The IC 6 is electrically connected via a connection card 18 to a terminal
DX (data exchange terminal) (not shown) on camera body 1, to a plan change switch (not shown) on camera body 1 to indicate the direction in which the engine change of shot 7 should rotate and a shutter release switch (not shown) on the camera body 1 to release the shutter. The connection card 18 is housed in the camera body 1 and it contains a conductive section 18a connected to a terminal 19 (see Figure 2) on the circuit board 4 which is electrically connected to the IC 6 , to the link section 18b located near, and connected to, the conductive section 18a and to the terminal DX, to the change of plane contactor, and to the shutter release contactor. The connection card 18 is also a specialized connection card which is free from any circuit element such as ICs, resistors, capacitors, etc., and it consists of an insulating base card and a drawing conductor wiring mounted thereon, with terminals if desired.

 Since the circuit board 4 is positioned in the space between the upper face 3d of the frame 3c of the telemetry unit 3 and the upper panel la of the camera body 1, the circuit board 4 has an area of relatively large face to support all IC 6, 9, 10 which are susceptible to breakdowns. Therefore, lead wires that would otherwise be required to interconnect these ICs are avoided. The circuit board 4 thus positioned allows the liquid crystal display unit 11 and the mode selection switch 12 to be located on the upper panel 1a of the camera body 1, so that the unit Liquid crystal display 11 can be easily seen and the mode selection switch 12 can be easily operated by the user.

 The ICs 6, 9, 10 mounted on the single circuit board 4 can easily be inspected, repaired and tested with regard to their functions. Insofar as the circuit board 4 is rigid rather than flexible, it has sufficient mechanical strength to support different contactors of the pressure type.

 Since the ICs 6, 9, 10 are mounted on the single circuit board 4, the connection boards 16, 18 carry only wiring diagrams but no circuit elements, and therefore can be inexpensive. The shutter drive motor 22, and the DX terminal, the plane change-over switch, and the shutter release switch are connected to the link sections 16b, 18b of the connection boards 16, 18 and the conductive sections 16a and 18a of these are connected to the terminals 17, 19 of the circuit board 4.

Consequently, the number of lead wires required to be connected to the circuit board 4 is reduced. Consequently, the danger of contact faults which might otherwise tend to occur at the soldered ends of the conductor wires is reduced and the electronic elements on the circuit board 4 are made resistant to breakdowns.

 Although some preferred embodiments have been shown and described, it should be understood that many changes and modifications can be made here without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (12)

 1. Electronically controlled camera including  a body (1);  a plurality of driven components housed in said body (1) and operable to photograph an object;  a plurality of drive mechanisms housed in said body (1) and capable of being controlled electronically to operate said driven components;  electronic control circuit means disposed in said body (1), for electronically controlling said drive mechanisms;  characterized in that said electronic control circuit means comprises a circuit board (4) disposed in the body (1) and a plurality of electronic elements mounted on the circuit board (4).  2. An electronically controlled camera according to claim 1, characterized in that said driven components include a zoom lens (70) mounted on said body (1), a take-up reel (61) disposed in said body (1) for winding a photographic film (62), and a shutter cocking mechanism (51) disposed in said body (1), and in that said driving mechanisms include a plane change mechanism (80) disposed in said body (1) and having a plane change motor (7) for moving said zoom lens (70), a film winding mechanism (60) disposed in said body (1) and having a film winding motor (8) for actuating said take-up reel (61), and in that said shutter mechanism (50) includes a shutter cocking mechanism (51) disposed in said body (1) and having a shutter drive motor (22) for actuating said shutter cocking mechanism (51).  3. An electronically controlled camera according to claim 1, characterized in that said body (1) has an upper panel (la), and in that said circuit board (4) is disposed in an upper position in said body (1) near said upper panel (la).  4. An electronically controlled camera according to claim 3, characterized in that said driven components include a zoom lens (70) mounted on said body (1), a take-up reel (61) disposed in said body (1) for winding a photographic film (62), and a shutter mechanism (50) disposed in said body (1), and in that said drive mechanisms include a plane change mechanism (80) disposed in said body (1) and having a plane changing motor (7) for moving said zoom lens (70), a film winding mechanism (60) disposed in said body (1) and having a film winding motor (8) for actuating said take-up reel (61), and in that said shutter mechanism includes a shutter cocking mechanism (51) disposed in said body (1) and having a shutter drive motor (22) for operating said shutter shutter cocking mechanism (51).  5. An electronically controlled camera according to claim 3, characterized in that it further comprises display means controlled electronically to display photography parameters, said display means comprising a display unit ( 11) can be controlled electronically mounted on said circuit board (4).  The electronically controlled camera according to claim 4, wherein said zoom lens (70) has an optical axis (71), said zoom lens (70) comprising a lens barrel block (2) mounted on said body (1) and a movable lens system (2b) supported in said lens barrel block (2) for movement along said optical axis (71), and wherein said electronically controlled camera further comprises a telemetry unit (3) for measuring the distance between the camera and the object, said telemetry unit (3) being disposed in said body (1) upward relative to said lens barrel block (2 ), characterized in that said circuit board (4) is mounted on an upper face (3d) of said telemetry unit (3).  7. An electronically controlled camera according to claim 5, characterized in that said electronic control circuit means further comprises current supply means which comprise a battery (21) for supplying said plane change motor ( 7), said film winding motor (8), said shutter drive motor (22) and said display means (11), and in that said electronic elements include electronic control elements for delivering the electric power from said battery (21) to said plan change motor (7), to said film winding motor (8), to said shutter drive motor (22), and to said display means by electric current control.  8. An electronically controlled camera according to claim 3, characterized in that said circuit board (4) is made of a rigid material.  9. An electronically controlled camera according to claim 4, characterized in that it further comprises a connection card (16), said shutter drive motor (22) being electrically connected to said circuit means. electronic control via said connection card (16).  10. An electronically controlled camera according to claim 9, characterized in that said connection card (16) constitutes a specialized connection card free of circuit elements.  11. An electronically controlled camera according to claim 9, characterized in that said connection card (16) comprises a link section (16b) electrically connected to said shutter drive motor (22), and a conductive section (16a) electrically interconnected with said connecting section (16b) and said circuit board (4).  12. An electronically controlled camera according to claim 11, characterized in that said circuit board (4) comprises a terminal (17) electrically connected to one of said electronic elements, said conductive section (16a) of said connection card (16) and said one of the electronic elements being electrically connected to each other via said terminal (17).