Background of the Invention
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a temperature compensation apparatus for a camera and, more particularly, to a temperature compensation apparatus for performing temperature compensation for a camera whose characteristics change with the ambient temperature.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, with the widespread use of molded parts for a camera body and the like, the positional relationship of the optical components of a camera has been greatly influenced by temperature. For example, the refractive index of a plastic lens or the like, which is increasingly used nowadays, changes with temperature. For this reason, the focal point of the lens may be greatly shifted depending on the ambient temperature, and a high-quality photograph cannot be obtained.
Under the circumstances, a technique has been developed to obtain high-quality photographs (for example, Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Nos. 57-64204 and 1-288806). In this technique, the ambient temperature is measured in advance, and focus adjustment with temperature compensation is performed.
Temperature compensation is applied to other techniques. For example, since a load torque in a film wind-up operation changes with temperature, a driving voltage to a film wind-up motor is changed in accordance with temperature. Furthermore, in order to make the contrast of a liquid crystal element constant with respect changes in temperature, a voltage applied to the liquid crystal element is changed in accordance with temperature. In order to eliminate the influences of temperature, it is very important to accurately measure the ambient temperature.
As described above, for a proper operation of a camera, the ambient temperature must be accurately measured. As a method of measuring the ambient temperature, a method is disclosed (e.g., Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 57-64204), in which a temperature-measuring resistive element such as a thermistor is arranged near a member requiring temperature compensation to measure the ambient temperature.
If, however, the ambient temperature is to be measured by using such a temperature-measuring resistive element, the following disadvantages are posed. In an apparatus having limitations in terms of space and cost, such as a camera in which reductions in size and cost are important, it is not desirable to store a temperature measuring unit constituted by a temperature measuring resistive element and associated elements. Such an arrangement is not desirable also in terms of cost.
Summary of the Invention
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a temperature compensation apparatus for a camera, which can provide great merits in terms of space and cost for a camera in which reductions in size and cost are important.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a camera having a temperature compensating function, comprising a motor for performing focus adjustment of a photographing lens, a first IC which incorporates a driver for driving the motor and generates a large amount of heat due to a driving current of the motor, a second IC which incorporates a distance measuring circuit for measuring a distance to an object to be photographed and a temperature measuring circuit for measuring an ambient temperature, and generates a smaller amount of heat than the first IC, a memory for storing ambient temperature data measured by the temperature measuring circuit immediately after power is supplied to the second IC, operation means for performing a correcting operation with respect to object distance data output from the distance measuring circuit on the basis of the ambient temperature data stored in the memory, thereby obtaining a driving amount of the photographing lens, and control means for controlling the motor through the driver incorporated in the first IC on the basis of the driving amount, of the photographing lens, which is calculated by the operation means.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a camera having a temperature compensating function, comprising a motor for performing focus adjustment of a photographing lens, a driver for driving the motor, a distance measuring circuit for measuring a distance to an object to be photographed, a temperature measuring circuit for measuring an ambient temperature, a memory for storing ambient temperature data, which is measured by the temperature measuring circuit, at a timing immediately after power is supplied to the temperature measuring circuit, operation means for performing a correcting operation with respect to object distance data output from the distance measuring circuit on the basis of the ambient temperature data stored in the memory, thereby obtaining a driving amount of the photographing lens, and control means for controlling the motor through the driver on the basis of the driving amount, of the photographing lens, which is calculated by the operation means.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a camera having a temperature compensating function, comprising an actuator for driving a camera element, a first IC incorporating a driver for driving the actuator, a temperature measuring circuit, arranged in a second IC for performing distance measurement, photometry, or communication, for measuring an ambient temperature, storage means for storing ambient temperature data, which is measured by the temperature measuring circuit, immediately after power is supplied to the second IC, operation means for performing a correcting operation with respect to a driving amount of the at least one actuator on the basis of the ambient temperature data stored in the storage means, and control means for controlling the at least one actuator through the driver incorporated in the first IC on the basis of the driving amount corrected by the operation means.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a camera having a temperature compensating function, comprising a temperature measuring circuit, incorporated in a portion of a camera control IC, for measuring an ambient temperature, storage means for storing ambient temperature data, which is measured by the temperature measuring circuit, immediately after power is supplied to the IC, and control means for controlling the camera by using the stored ambient temperature data.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a camera having a first IC which generates a large amount of heat, and a second IC which generates a smaller amount of heat than the first IC, comprising a temperature measuring circuit, arranged in the second IC, for measuring an ambient temperature, and control means for controlling the camera by using ambient temperature data measured by the temperature measuring circuit.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic arrangement of a temperature compensation apparatus for a camera according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram, showing the overall arrangement, for explaining the first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a temperature measuring circuit in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a peripheral mechanism for a focusing motor;
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the peripheral mechanism for the focusing motor;
FIG. 6 is a flow chart for explaining a focusing operation;
FIG. 7 is a graph showing the differences between ambient temperatures and IC temperatures over time;
FIG. 8 is a flow chart for explaining a forward moving operation of a focusing lens;
FIG. 9 is a block diagram, showing the overall arrangement, for explaining the second embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 10 is a block diagram, showing the overall arrangement, for explaining the third embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 11 is a block diagram for explaining a modification of the present invention; and
FIG. 12 is a graph, showing a relationship between the aperture area of a shutter and time, for explaining the fourth embodiment of the present invention.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment
In the present invention, the ambient temperature is measured by measuring electrical outputs corresponding to changes in temperature, which are generated in an IC (integrated circuit), without using a temperature-measuring resistive element as in a conventional technique.
With recent advances in electronic cameras, a plurality of ICs are incorporated in a camera: an interface IC (to be referred to as an IFIC hereinafter) incorporating a motor driver and the like, an automatic focusing IC (to be referred to as an AFIC hereinafter) for performing automatic focusing control, a photometric IC for measuring a light amount, a remote control signal receiving IC for receiving a remote control signal, and the like. These ICs generally include an IC having a temperature measuring section for generating electrical outputs corresponding to changes in temperature. Therefore, a temperature dependent output is extracted from the temperature measuring Section in this IC, and the ambient temperature is measured on the basis of the extracted output.
Temperature measurement information output from the temperature measuring section is stored in a storage section. A correcting operation is performed with respect control data (e.g., distance measurement operation result or photometric result) for a control target member of the camera on the basis of the stored temperature information. Subsequently, the control target member is controlled on the basis of the operation result.
Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic arrangement of an apparatus of the present invention. This apparatus comprises: a temperature measuring section 12 arranged in a camera IC, which generates a relatively small amount of heat, such as an AFIC, a photometric IC, or a remote control signal receiving IC; a storage section 14 for storing temperature measurement information output from the temperature measuring section 12; a correcting operation section 18 for performing a correcting operation with respect to control data 16, e.g., a distance measurement result or a photometric result for a control target member of the camera on the basis of the temperature measurement information stored in the storage section 14; and a control section 20 for controlling the control target member on the basis of the operation result obtained by the correcting operation section 18. Temperature measurement by the temperature measuring section 12 is performed, for example, immediately after power is supplied to the camera IC, and the temperature measurement information is stored in the storage section 14.
FIG. 2 shows a detailed arrangement of an embodiment of the present invention, specifically the first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to temperature compensation for, e.g., forward moving control in the AF mode.
Referring to FIG. 2, a CPU 22 controls a sequence of a camera. A distance measuring unit 24 obtains a distance to an object to be photographed on the basis of the principle of triangulation. The unit 24 comprises a light-emitting element (e.g., a light-emitting diode) 26, a PSD (Position Sensitive Detector) 28, a projection lens 30, and a light-receiving lens 32.
An AFIC 34 serves to drive the distance measuring unit 24. When a signal AFSTART from a terminal C6 of the CPU 22 is input to a terminal A1, distance measurement is started. When the distance measurement is completed, the AFIC 34 converts the distance measurement data corresponding to the distance to the object into serial data, and supplies it from terminals A2 and A3 to terminals C1 and C2 of the CPU 22 through signal lines DATA and CLOCK.
In this embodiment, the control data 16 corresponds to, e.g., distance measurement data output from the AFIC 34.
A digital memory 36 as the storage section 14 stores ambient temperature data obtained by the temperature measuring section 12. This digital memory 36 incorporates, e.g., an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM). When signals MCEN, R/W, and STORE are input from terminals C3, C4, and C5 of the CPU 22 to terminals M3, M4, and M5 of the digital memory 36, data read and write operations are controlled.
The temperature measuring section 12 outputs an electrical signal associated with an IC temperature. In this embodiment, the section 12 corresponds to a temperature measuring circuit block 38 in the AFIC 34. An output voltage from the temperature measuring circuit block 38 is applied, as an analog amount, to a terminal C13 of the CPU 22 and is converted into a digital amount by an A/D converter incorporated in the CPU 22. The digital amount is then converted into a digital code corresponding to the measured temperature and is stored in the digital memory 36.
FIG. 3 shows a detailed circuit arrangement of the temperature measuring circuit block 38. The temperature measuring circuit block 38 is constituted by a reference current circuit 382, a circuit. 384, connected to the reference current circuit 382, for generating a T proportional voltage output, which changes in proportion to the absolute temperature, and a T stable voltage output, which is not influenced by the absolute temperature, and a differential amplifier 386 for obtaining a difference between the two output voltages from the circuit 384.
In the circuit 384, a voltage generated by a resistor 20R1 is represented by 10V.sub.T 1.sub.n 10, where v.sub.T is the thermal voltage and V.sub.T =(k/q)T, k is a Boltmann's constant, q is Coulomb charge, and T is the absolute temperature.
Furthermore, in the circuit 384, the anode potential of a diode D1 corresponds to a band gap reference voltage of 1.26 V, which is constant regardless of temperatures. Therefore, an output voltage V.sub.O from the differential amplifier 386 is given by ##EQU1## Consequently, a voltage proportional to the absolute temperature T is output.
Referring back to FIG. 2, the ambient temperature data stored in the digital memory 36 is supplied from terminals M1 and M2 to the terminals C1 and C2 of the CPU 22 through the signal lines DATA and CLOCK. Subsequently, the CPU 22 determines the driving amount of the focusing lens on the basis of the ambient temperature data stored in the digital memory 36 and the distance measurement data from the AFIC 34, and performs driving control in accordance with the determined driving amount.
The focusing lens is driven by, e.g., a DC motor 44 connected between terminals D4 and D5 of a motor driver block 42 in an IFIC (interface IC) 40. The motor driver block 42 drives the motor 44 in accordance with signals CW, CCW, and BRAKE from terminals C7, C8, and C9 of the CPU 22.
A power transmitting mechanism 46 reduces the rotational speed of the motor 44 and transmits power to a focusing lens group 48. The focusing lens group 48 is moved forward or backward depending on power from the power transmitting mechanism 46.
An encoder 50 serves to monitor the driving amount of the focusing lens group 48. The encoder 50 comprises a photointerrupter 56 connected to terminals C10 and C11 of the CPU 22 and having a light-emitting element 52 such as a light-emitting diode, and a phototransistor 54, and a rotating slit 58.
while the focusing lens group 48 is driven, the CPU 22 outputs a driving signal from the terminal C10 to the light-emitting element 52. The rotating slit 58 is a member which is rotated upon rotation of the motor 44. Upon rotation of the rotating slit 58, the encoder 50 outputs an encoder pulse to the terminal C11 of the CPU 22. The CPU 22 monitors the driving amount of the focusing lens group 48 by counting this encoder pulse.
Note that a release switch 60 is connected between a terminal C12 of the CPU 22 and the ground terminal.
A peripheral mechanism for the motor 44 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the rotational force of the motor 44 is transmitted to a gear 72 arranged on a focusing frame 70 through a pinion gear 62 fixed to the output shaft of the motor 44 and the power transmitting mechanism 46 constituted by gears 64, 66 and 68 which are sequentially meshed with the pinion gear 62. As a result, the focusing frame 70 is rotated. A helicoid 74 is formed around the focusing frame 70.
A mirror barrel 78 is fixed to a portion 76 of a camera body. In addition, a fixing frame 80 is fixed to the mirror barrel 78. A helicoid is formed on an inner surface 80a of the fixing frame 80 to be meshed with the helicoid 74 formed on the focusing frame 70. The focusing lens group 48 is fixed to the inner surface of the focusing frame 70.
With this arrangement, when the motor 44 is rotated by the direction signal CCW, the focusing frame 70 is moved forward in relation to the fixing frame 80. When the motor 44 is rotated by the direction signal CW, the focusing frame 70 is moved backward in relation to the fixing frame 80. The rotating slit 58 and the reduction gear 64 of the power transmitting mechanism 46 are coaxially arranged and are rotated at the same rotational speed. Note that reference numeral 82 denotes a sector.
A focusing operation of the camera having such an arrangement will be described below with reference to FIG. 6. The CPU 22 serves as a control means for controlling the overall sequence of the camera. In this case, however, a focusing operation, of the CPU 22, associated with the present invention will be described.
When the release switch 60 is turned on, a focusing operation is started (step S1). The CPU 22 sets a terminal PW of the AFIC 34 at low level ("L" level) to supply a current to the AFIC 34 (step S2). Subsequently, temperature measurement data from the temperature measuring circuit block 38 is A/D-converted (step S3) into a corresponding digital amount after proper arithmetic processing and is written, as ambient temperature data, at a temperature data storage address in the digital memory 36 (step S4).
As is apparent from FIG. 7, the difference between temperature measurement data and ambient temperature is small immediately after power is supplied to the IC. In this embodiment, therefore, the timing of processing is set such that A/D conversion is performed immediately after power is supplied to the IC.
Subsequently, the CPU 22 reads out the ambient temperature data from the digital memory 36 (step S5) and generates an address based on the ambient temperature data. Table 1 below shows a relationship between ambient temperatures and addresses. The CPU 22 performs data communication with the digital memory 36 to read out data DFOCUS stored at the address from an 8-bit data table used for focus adjustment and stored in the digital memory 36. The read data is then written at an address B0 of a RAM in the CPU 22. Table 2 below shows a relationship between the addresses and the data DFOCUS.
The CPU 22 outputs a signal AFSTART of high level ("H" level) from the output terminal C6 to the terminal A1 of the AFIC 34 (step S6). The AFIC 34 divides the range of distance within which photographing can be performed into 15 zones, and detects a specific zone in which an object to be photographed is located. The AFIC 4 then outputs the detected zone as a measurement result. Table 3 shows a relationship between object distances and zones (distance measurement results).
In response to the signal AFSTART, the AFIC 34 starts a distance measuring operation, and completes the operation within a predetermined period of time (100 ms in this embodiment (step S7).
Upon outputting the signal AFSTART, the CPU 22 starts a 100-ms timer and waits for the completion of the distance measuring operation by the AFIC 34. When the 100-ms timer ends counting, the CPU 22 performs data communication with the AFIC 34 to fetch 8-bit distance measurement data (step S8). Note that a serial communication method is used in this data communication. More specifically, the 8-bit data is sequentially fetched as a signal DATA through the terminal C1 of the CPU 22 in synchronism with the leading edge of a signal CLOCK from the terminal C2 of the CPU 22. Thereafter, the CPU 22 stores the data, as distance measurement data STEP, at an address C of the RAM.
Upon completion of the data communication with the AFIC 34, the CPU 22 sets the signal AFSTART at low level (step S9), and calculates the forward moving amount of the focusing lens (step S10). A moving amount (encoder pulse count) N of the focusing lens is obtained from the adjustment value DFOCUS for focusing stored at the address B0 of the RAM in the CPU 22 and the distance measurement data STEP stored at the address C of the RAM, according to the following equation:
One step of the distance measurement data STEP corresponds to eight pulses of the encoder. The adjustment value DFOCUS itself corresponds to a correction amount with respect to the pulse count of the encoder. In addition, constant [30] of the third term of the above equation corresponds to a forward moving amount for [STEP=0]. This forward moving amount corresponds to a mechanical adjustment margin value for absorbing a correction amount when the adjustment value DFOCUS is a negative value.
When the forward moving amount calculation is completed in this manner, a forward moving operation of the focusing lens is performed (step S11). This focusing lens forward moving operation will be described below with reference to FIG. 8.
The CPU 22 sets the value of an internal register BC to be "0" (step S21). Thereafter, the CPU 22 sets the terminal C10 at high level (step S22) to turn on the light-emitting element 52 in the photointerrupter 56, and sets the direction signal CCW output from the terminal C8 at high level (step S23). In response to the direction signal CCW, the motor driver block 42 supplies a driving current to the motor 44 to rotate it. With this operation, forward movement of the focusing lens group 48 is started.
The CPU 22 monitors the level of the terminal C11, i.e., the output level of the phototransistor 54 (step S24) and adds "1" to the value of the register BC for every change of "L".fwdarw."H" (step S25). When the value of the register BC becomes equal to the driving amount (encoder pulse count) N of the focusing lens (step S26), the CPU 22 sets the terminal C8,i.e., the signal CCW at low level (step S27). As a result, the motor driver block 42 stops supplying the current to the motor 44.
The CPU 22 sets the terminal C10 at low level to turn off the light-emitting element 52 (step S28), and subsequently sets the terminal C9, i.e., the signal BRAKE at high level (step S29). As a result, the motor driver block 42 short-circuits the motor 44 to perform a braking operation. The CPU 22 then starts a 100-ms timer (step S30). When the timer ends counting, the CPU 22 sets the terminal C9, i.e., the signal BRAKE, at low level to complete the braking operation (step S31), thus completing the focusing operation.
In this manner, temperature measurement is performed by the temperature measuring circuit block 38 arranged in the AFIC 34 which generates a relatively small amount of heat, and the temperature measurement information is stored in the digital memory 36. Temperature compensating operation is performed with respect to distance measurement data (distance measurement operation result) from the AFIC 34. The focusing motor 44 is driven/controlled in accordance with the temperature compensating operation result. Temperature measurement by the temperature measuring circuit block 38 is performed immediately after power is supplied to the AFIC 34, and the temperature measurement information is stored in the digital memory 36.
With this operation, the influences of heat generated by the IC can be eliminated, and temperature measurement can be performed with high precision by the IC itself without requiring a temperature-measuring resistive element such as a thermistor as in the conventional technique. This provides great merits, in terms of space and cost, to a camera in which reductions in size and cost are important.
Note that temperature measurement information output from the temperature measuring section is preferably stored in the storage section immediately after power is supplied to the IC having a temperature measuring means. Since the amount of heat generated by the IC is small and the difference between the ambient temperature and the IC temperature is small immediately after power is supplied to the IC, temperature measurement can be performed with higher precision.
Temperature measurement by the temperature measuring circuit block 38 is performed immediately after power is supplied to the AFIC 34, i.e., when the amount of heat generated by the IC is small, and the difference between the ambient temperature and the IC temperature is small. Therefore, the measurement of a temperature can be performed with higher precision.
FIG. 9 shows the second embodiment wherein a photometric IC 84 is used as a temperature measuring IC. FIG. 10 shows the third embodiment wherein a remote control signal receiving IC 86 is used as a temperature measuring IC. Since these embodiments are similar to the first embodiment, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.
In the above embodiments, a temperature measuring circuit block is not arranged in an IFIC, in which a large amount of heat is generated due to a motor driving operation, but is arranged in an AFIC, a photometric IC, or a remote control signal receiving IC, in which only a small amount of heat is generated. However, a temperature compensating apparatus may be designed such that a current is supplied to only a temperature measuring circuit block during measurement of an IC temperature.
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, a camera IC 88, e.g., an AFIC, a photometric IC, or a remote control signal receiving IC, is controlled by a CPU 22 through control lines PW0 and PW1. When a control signal is supplied to the camera IC 88 through the control line PW0, a current is supplied to the overall IC 88 to operate it. If a control signal is supplied to the IC 88 through the control line PW1, only the temperature measuring circuit block 38 is operated. In the latter case, the amount of heat generated by the IC 88 is small, and the difference between the ambient temperature and the IC temperature is reduced, thus allowing high-precision temperature measurement.
In each embodiment described above, the ambient temperature is measured immediately after power is supplied to the IC. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, temperature measurement is performed a predetermined period of time after power is supplied to the IC. Thereafter, the difference between the ambient temperature and the IC temperature is corrected by proper processing. Note that if high-precision temperature measurement is not required, the temperature measurement result obtained after the predetermined period of time may be used without any correcting operation.
As shown in FIG. 7, the amount of heat generated by a camera IC varies depending on its type. A temperature measuring circuit block is preferably incorporated in a camera IC which generates a minimum amount of heat. Even if, however, a temperature measuring circuit block is incorporated in an IC which generates a relatively large amount of heat as in the case of IC3 in FIG. 3, a temperature can be accurately measured by performing measurement immediately after power is supplied to the IC.
Furthermore, in each embodiment described above, an external memory is used as a storage means. However, an external memory need not always be used. For example, an internal memory such as a RAM in a CPU may be used.
The fourth embodiment will be described below. In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a shutter driving operation. FIG. 12 is a graph showing changes in aperture area as a function of time. The time integral value of an aperture area corresponds to the exposure value of a film. The relationship between aperture areas and time is influenced by temperature and changes as indicated by lines a and b in FIG. 12. Such changes in the relationship cannot be easily prevented because of changes in driving voltage of a shutter driving motor with temperature changes and load variations due to changes in a friction coefficient, a fitting state, and the like with temperature changes in a period during which a driving force is transmitted to a sector. In such a case, therefore, the ambient temperature is detected in the same manner as described in the first embodiment, and the driving voltage of the shutter driving motor is corrected such that the lines a and b become an ideal aperture characteristic line c. With this operation, a film exposing operation can be stably performed with high precision.
Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details, and representative devices shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.