Television – Camera – system and detail – With object or scene illumination
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-05
2003-10-21
Christensen, Andrew (Department: 2615)
Television
Camera, system and detail
With object or scene illumination
C348S362000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06636263
ABSTRACT:
This application is based on Patent Application No. 2000-179890 filed in Japan, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital camera provided with a flash for illuminating an object during photography, and having at least a continuous photography mode.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital cameras convert an optical image from an object to an electrical image, and record each electrical image signal in a memory medium such as a magneto-optical disk, removable semiconductor memory or the like of a card type corresponding to conventional film, and such digital cameras are seen more and more in recent years in place of cameras using conventional silver halide film (hereinafter referred to as “silver halide camera”).
Most digital cameras are provided with a built-in flash, and accomplish photography using the light emission when an object is dark (refer to U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,262).
On the other hand, digital cameras often are capable of switching the photography mode, single photo/continuous photo mode, and switching between light emission and non-flash similar to silver halide cameras.
In the aforesaid conventional digital camera, when a flash is used during continuous photo, the battery must be recharged after each light emission. A disadvantage arises for the aforesaid reason in that the frame speed in continuous photography (number of continuous photo frames per unit time) when the flash is used is reduced compared to continuous photography without light emission.
An object of the present invention is to eliminate the disadvantages of the conventional art, and provide a digital camera capable of attaining a continuous photography frame speed with light emission identical to that of continuous photography without light emission.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These objects are attained by the digital camera of the present invention comprising: an image sensor for sensing an object image; a light emission device for illuminating the object during photography; a chargeable power source for supplying power to the light emission device; an adjustor for adjusting a gain of the output of the image sensor; a determining portion for determining an amount of light emission of the light emission device in the photography; a charge time calculator for calculating a charge time of the power source needed after light emission based on the determined amount of light emission; a discriminator for discriminating whether or not a frame speed in the continuous photography mode is reduced based on the calculated charge time; and a gain controller for controlling the adjuster so as to increase the gain when it has been discriminated that the frame speed is reduced.
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Christensen Andrew
Harris Tia M.
Minolta Co. , Ltd.
Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP
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