GB2244563A

GB2244563A - Electronically controlled camera

Info

Publication number: GB2244563A
Application number: GB9108849A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Masaki Sano; Norimichi Takahashi; Hidetaka Yokota
Original assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Co Ltd
Current assignee: Pentax Corp
Priority date: 1990-04-25
Filing date: 1991-04-24
Publication date: 1991-12-04
Also published as: FR2661522A1; KR910018844A; GB9108849D0; DE4113546A1; JPH043433U

Abstract

An electronically controlled camera is disclosed which has a plurality of driven components, including a zoom lens (70), a takeup spool (61), and a shutter driving motor (22), accommodated in a housing (1) and actuatable to photograph a subject. A plurality of drive mechanisms, including a zooming mechanism (80), a film winding mechanism (80), and a shutter mechanism (50) are accommodated in the housing (1) and electronically controllable to actuate the driven components. An electronic control circuit (9) is disposed in the housing (1), for electronically controlling the drive mechanisms. The electronic control circuit (9) includes a circuit board (4) and a plurality of electronic parts mounted on the circuit board. <IMAGE>

Description

-":: 2 -1:---1 ES 6=1 -_- - 1 f,' ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED CAMERA The

present invention relates to an electronically controlled camera with electronic parts for automatically effecting the zooming movement of a zoom lens, the winding of a photographic film, and the driving of a shutter mechanism. The invention relates more particularly to an improved electronic circuit package construction, in a camera housing, which includes electronic parts for controlling a zooming motor, a film winding motor, and a shutter driving motor, electronic parts for controlling the electrical power to be supplied to the motors, and an integrated circuit including a central processing unit (CPU) for controlling various sequences of operation of the camera.

There are with electronic zooming movement photographic film known electronically controlled cameras parts for automatically effecting the of a zoom lens, the winding of a and the driving of a shutter mechanism. Recent tendencies in the art of such electronically controlled cameras are toward smaller sizes, reduced weights, more functions, and higher packaging densities in the camera housing.

The electronically controlled cameras have electronic parts for controlling a zooming motor, a film winding motor, and a shutter driving motor, electronic parts for controlling the electrical power to be supplied to the motors, and an integrated circuit including a CPU for controlling various sequences of operation of the camera. Heretofore, these electronic parts and integrated circuit are mounted on respective circuit boards which are located in gaps or spaces between various mechanisms and members in the camera housing. The circuit boards are electrically interconnected by soldered leads.

However, the conventional packaged circuit boards in the camera housing have suffered the following shortcomings:

Since the electronic parts and integrated circuit are mounted on the respective circuit boards and the circuit boards are positioned in the spaces in the camera housing, the circuit boards are limited to sizes which depend on the positions of the circuit boards, and may not be of sizes as large as desired. The circuit boards are required to be of different shapes dictated by the spaces in which they f it. The more differently shaped circuit I,- boards, the higher the cost of the circuit boards.

As the circuit boards must be placed in different positions, it is a complex procedure to assemble the circuit boards into the camera housing, and it is tedious and timeconsuming to inspect, service, and check the functions of the electronic parts and integrated circuit.

Another problem is that many leads are required to connect the circuit boards, and the leads soldered to the The electronic parts and integrated circuit may easily be caused to malfunction or susceptible to disturbances because the leads are apt to pick up noises.

circuit boards tend to be damaged easily.

In view of the aforesaid drawbacks of the conventional electronic circuit package constructions for electronically controlled cameras, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electronically controlled camera which includes a circuit board having a wide area for supporting a plurality of electronic parts thereon, so that the circuit board can be manufactured inexpensively and installed easily in a camera housing. It is also an object of the invention to provide a camera which allows the mounted electronic parts to be easily inspected and serviced, and their functions checked, and which has a reduced number of leads that are less responsible for failures of the electronic parts and hence make the electronic parts resistant to disturbances.

k.

According to the present invention, there is provided an electronically controlled camera comprising a housing, a plurality of driven components accommodated in the housing and actuatable to photograph a subject, a plurality of drive mechanisms accommodated in the housing and electronically controllable to actuate the driven components, electronic control circuit means disposed in the housing, for electronically controlling the drive mechanisms, wherein the electronic control circuit means includes a circuit board disposed in the housing and a plurality of electronic parts mounted on the curcuit board.

The leads which would otherwise be required to interconnect the elctronic parts are dispensed with.

Accordingly, the number of leads required to be connected to the circuit board is reduced. Therefore, the electronic parts on the circuit board are made resistant to disturbances.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

FIG. 1 is a schematic front elevational view of an 0 electronically controlled camera embodying the present invention, the view showing parts disposed in the housing of the camera; and FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the electronically controlled camera of Fig. 1 showing parts in the housing.

1 As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an controlled camera embodying the present includes a camera housing 1 which houses various components and drive mechanisms. Specifically, the camera housing 1 accommodates a shutter driving mechanism 51 as a driven component, a shutter mechanism 50 as a drive mechanism including a shutter driving motor 22 for actuating the shutter driving mechanism 51, a takeup spool 61 as a driven component for winding a photographic film, and a film winding mechanism 60 as a drive mechanism including a film winding motor 8 for rotating the takeup spool 61. A zoom lens 70 is provided as a driven component, and a zooming mechanism 80 as a drive mechanism including a zooming motor 7 for moving the zoom lens 70.

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

electronically invention driven The zoom lens 70 includes a lens barrel block 2 fixedly mounted on a front panel of the camera housing 1. The lens barrel block 2 has a rear end portion disposed in the camera housing 1 and a lens barrel 2a projecting forwardly from the camera housing 1. The zoom lens 70 also includes a lens system 2b support mechanism so as to 71 (FIG. 2) in the lens which is supported by a suitable be movable along an optical axis barrel block 2. When the lens system 2b moves along the optical axis 71, the zoom lens 70 effects zooming movement to vary its focal length.

The camera housing 1 also supports a rangefinder unit 3 for measuring the distance between the camera and a subject (not shown) to be photographed by the camera. The rangefinder unit 3 is mounted on the front panel of the camera housing 1 above the zoom lens 70. The rangefinder unit 3 includes a light-emitting element 3a, a light-detecting element 3b spaced horizontally from the light-emitting element 3a, and a frame 3c supporting the light-emitting element 3a and the light-detecting element 3b therein.

As shown in FIG. 1, the rangefinder unit 3 is disposed between an upper panel la of the camera housing 1 and the lens barrel block 2, and is fastened to an upper surface 2c of the lens barrel block 2. The f rame 3c of the rapgefinder unit 3 has an upper surface 3d which is downwardly spaced from the upper panel la of the camera housing 1. In the space between these surfaces la, 3d, k there is disposed a circuit board 4 of a rigid material which lies parallel to a lower panel lb of the camera housing 1 and perpendicularly to front, rear, left, and right panels lc, ld, le, lf respectively of the camera housing 1. The circuit board 4 is fastened to the upper surface 3d of the frame 3c by screws 5 (Fig. 2).

As shown in FIG. 2, the circuit board 4 is of an elongate, substantially rectangular shape corresponding to the shape, as viewed in plan, of the upper surface la of the camera housing 1. The circuit board 4 has a certain width between the front and rear panels lc, ld of the camera housing 1 and extends longitudinally between the left and right panels le, lf of the camera housing 1.

As shown in Fig. 1, the circuit board 4 supports on an upper surface 4a thereof ICs 6, 9, 10 as control electronic parts, and an electronically controllable liquid crystal display unit 11 for displaying various photographing parameters such as photographing modes selected 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 frames available on the photographic film 62, the number of exposed frames on the photographic film 62, and a selected aperture value. The circuit board 4 also supports a mode selector switch 12 with contacts of electrically conductive rubber, for selecting the photographing modes. The liquid crystal display unit 11 is - a - electronically controlled by the IC 6.

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

The zooming motor 7, the film winding motor 8, the shutter driving motor 22, and the liquid crystal display unit 11 are energized by a battery 21 also housed in the. camera housing 1.

The IC 10 is controlled by the IC 9 to supply the electrical power from the battery 21 to the motors 7, 8, 22 and the liquid crystal display unit 11 while controlling the electrical power.

The ICs 6, 9, 10, the liquid crystal display unit 11, and the mode selector switch 12 are electrically interconnected by a wiring pattern (not shown) on a lower surface 4b (or the upper surface 4a) of the circuit board 4.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lower surface 4b of the circuit board 4 supports an LED 13 for indicating, to the user of the camera, that a self-timer apparatus (included on IC 6) for releasing the shutter with a preset time delay is actuated, and an LED 14 f or indicating, to the user of the camera, that a process of measuring the distance from the 1 k camera to a subject is completed by the rangefinder unit 3.

The lower surface 4b also supports an LED 15 for indicating, to the user of the camera, that a capacitor 20 housed in the camera housing 1 is charged with enough electrical energy to energize a L.

stroboscopic flash tube (not shown) on the camera. The LEDs 13, 14, 15 are electrically connected to the ICs 6, 10 through the wiring pattern on the circuit board 4.

As shown in FIG. 1, the zooming motor 7 is disposed beneath the lower surface 4b of the circuit board 4 and fixedly mounted on the upper surface 2c of the lens barrel block 2, and is electrically connected to the IC 9 through leads (not shown).

The film winding motor 8 is disposed near the takeup spool 61 in the camera housing 1, and is electrically connected to the IC 9 through leads (not shown).

The shutter driving motor 22 is electrically connected to the Ic 9 through a connector board 16. The connector board 16 comprises an elongate lead section 16a disposed in the camera housing I and connected to a terminal 17 (Fig. 2) on the circuit board 4 which is electrically connected to the IC 9, and a joint section 16b disposed in the -camera housing 1 and connected to the leading section 16a and the shutter driving motor 22. The connector board 16 is a dedicated connector board which is free of any circuit elements such as ICs, resistors, capacitors, etc., and comprises an insulating baseboard and a conductive wiring pattern mounted thereon, with terminals if desired.

The IC 6 is electrically connected through a connector board 18 to a DX terminal (not shown) on the camera housing 1, a zooming switch (not shown) on the camera housing 1 for indicating the direction in which the zooming motor 7 is to rotate, and a shutter release switch (not shown) on the camera housing 1 for releasing the shutter. The connector board 18 is housed in the camera housing 1 and includes a lead section 18a connected to a terminal 19 (FIG.2) on the circuit board 4 which is electrically connected to the IC 6, and joint section 18b positioned closely to and connected to the leading section 18a and the DX terminal,- the zooming switch, and the shutter release switch. The connector board 18 is also a dedicated connector board which is free of any circuit elements such as ICs, resistors, capacitors, etc., and comprises an insulating baseboard and a conductive wiring pattern mounted thereon, with terminals if desired.

Since the circuit board 4 is positioned in the space between the upper surface 3d of the frame 3c of the rangefinder unit 3 and the upper panel la of the camera housing 1, the circuit board 4 has a relatively large surface area for supporting all of the ICs 6, 9, 10 that are susceptible to disturbances. Accordingly, leads which 1 ---k would otherwise be required to interconnect these ICs are dispensed with. The circuit board 4 thus positioned allows the liquid crystal display unit 11 and the mode selector switch 12 to be located on the upper panel la of the camera housing 1, so that the liquid crystal display unit 11 can easily be seen and the mode selector switch 12 can easily be operated on by the user.

The ICs 6, 9, 10 mounted on the single circuit board 4 can easily be inspected and serviced, and their functions checked. inasmuch as the circuit board 4 is rigid rather than flexible, it has sufficient mechanical strength to support various pressure-type switches.

As the ICs 6, 9, 10 are mounted on the single circuit board 4, the connector boards 16, 18 carry only wiring patterns, but not circuit elements, and hence may be inexpensive. The shutter driving motor 22, and the DX terminal, the zooming switch, and the shutter release switch are connected to the joint sections 16b, 18b of the connector boards 16, 18, and the lead sections 16a, 18b thereof are connected to the terminals 17, 19 of the circuit board 4. Accordingly, the number of leads required to be connected to the circuit board 4 is reduced.

the danger of contact failures which would otherwise tend to occur at the soldered ends of the leads is reduced, and the electronic parts on the circuit board 4 are made resistant to disturbances.

Therefore, - 12 Although a certain preferred embodiment has been shown and described, it should be understood that many changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

t.

- 13 i

Claims

Claims:

1. An electronically controlled camera comprising:

housing; plurality of driven components accommodated in said housing and actuatable to photograph a subject; a plurality of drive mechanisms accommodated in said housing and electronically controllable to actuate said driven components; electronic control circuit means disposed in said housing, for electronically controlling said drive mechanisms, wherein said electronic control circuit means includes a circuit board disposed in said housing and a plurality of electronic parts mounted on said circuit board.

2. An electronically controlled camera according to claim 1, wherein said driven components include a zoom lens mounted on said housing, a takeup spool disposed in said housing for winding a photographic film, and a shutter mechanism disposed in said housing, and wherein said drive mechanisms include a zooming mechanism disposed in said housing and having a zooming motor for moving said zoom lens, a film winding mechanism disposed in said housing and having a film winding motor for actuating said takeup spool, and wherein said shutter mechanism includes a shutter driving mechanism disposed in said i - 14 housing and having a shutter driving motor for actuating said shutter driving mechanism.

3. An electronically controlled camera according to claim 2, further including a connector board, said shutter driving motor being electrically connected to said electronic control circuit means through said connector board.

4. An electronically controlled camera according to claim 3, wherein said connector board comprises a dedicated connector board free of circuit elements.

5. An electronically controlled camera according to claim 3 or 4, wherein said connector board comprises a joint section electrically connected to said shutter driving motor, and a lead section electrically interconnecting said joint section and said circuit board.

6. An electronically controlled camera according to claim 5, wherein said circuit board has a terminal electrically connected to one of said electronic parts, said lead section of said connector board and said one of the electronic parts being electrically connected to each other through said terminal.

7. An electronically controlled camera according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein said zoom lens has an optical axis, said zoom lens comprising a lens barrel block mounted on I said housing and a lens system movably supported in said lens barrel block f or movement along said optical axis, and wherein said electronically controlled camera further includes a rangefinder unit for measuring the distance between the camera and the subject, said rangefinder unit being disposed in said housing upwardly of said lens barrel block, said circuit board being mounted on an upper surface of said rangefinder unit.

8. An electronically controlled camera according to any one of claims 2 to 7, further including display means electronically controllable for displaying photographing parameters, said display means comprising an electronically controllable display unit mounted on said circuit board.

9. An electronically controlled camera according to claim 8, wherein said electronic control circuit means further includes power supply means which comprises a battery for energizing said zooming motor, said film winding motor, said shutter driving motor, and said display means, and wherein said electronic parts comprise control electronic parts for supplying electric energy from said battery to said zooming motor, said film winding motor, said shutter driving motor, and said display means while controlling the electric energy.

10. An electronically controlled camera according to any one of the preceding claims. wherein said housing has an upper panel, and said circuit board is disposed in an upper position in said housing adjacent to said upper panel.

1

11. An electronically controlled camera according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said circuit board is of a rigid material.

12. An electronically controlled camera substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Published 1991 at The Patent Office, Concept House. Cardiff Road. Newport, Gwent NP9 IRH- Further copies may be obtained from Sales Branch. Unit 6. Nine Mile Point. Cwnffelinfach. Cross Keys. Newport. NP I 7HZ. Printed by Multiplex techniques lid. St Mary Cray. Kent.