Photography – Camera detail – Body structure or housing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-30
2002-08-13
Mahoney, Christopher (Department: 2851)
Photography
Camera detail
Body structure or housing
C396S542000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06434342
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electric circuit board system for a camera.
Jpn. UM. Appln KOKAI Publication No. 63-113135 discloses a structure of a system disposed inside a camera, which system consists of one main circuit board into which there are loaded, in high density, electric devices including a photometric sensor, a dimming sensor, a control circuit device for carrying out an exposure control and a stroboscopic photographing control based on output signals from these sensors, and the like.
However, according to a conventional electric circuit board system for a camera including the above-described Jpn. UM. Appln KOKAI Publication No. 63-113135, it is necessary to exchange a main circuit board itself when the version of the system is changed to an upgraded version or when it is desired to structure a camera of a different type. Further, as the main circuit board itself has many functions, there is a problem that the size of the main circuit board becomes larger in this case.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in the light of the above-described problems, and it is an object of the invention to provide an electric circuit board system for a camera capable of obtaining a target camera structure by merely exchanging a relevant unit of a camera when there has been a change in the version of the system or when a type of the camera has been changed to a different type.
In order to achieve the above object of the invention, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an electric circuit board system for a camera, comprising:
at least one main electric circuit board having a central processing unit for performing a control of a camera, and at least one connection section for having an electric connection with other electric circuit boards; and
a plurality of unit circuit boards with mutually different specifications, capable of being connected with the above-described at least one connection section,
with any one optional unit circuit board being selected from the plurality of unit circuit boards, and being connected to at least one of the main electric circuit boards, for structuring a camera.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an electric circuit board structure for a camera structured by combining a plurality of units, the electric circuit board structure comprising:
a main circuit board provided with a CPU for controlling the whole operation of a camera; and
an auxiliary circuit board provided on each of the plurality of units, structured to be electrically connectable with the main circuit board, and provided with an electric part relating to each operation of the plurality of units.
Further, according to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided an electric circuit board system for a camera, comprising:
at least one main circuit board; and
a plurality of functional-unit circuit boards for achieving individual functions of a camera, with any one functional-unit circuit board being selected from the plurality of functional-unit circuit boards according to a specification of a camera, and being connected to the at least one main circuit board, for structuring a camera.
Further, according to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided an electric circuit board system for a camera, comprising:
a plurality of kinds of functional electric circuit boards mounted with a sensor or an actuator for achieving an individual function of a camera, and provided with a connection terminal of a common specification for connection with other electric circuit board; and
a master electric circuit board provided with a plurality of connection terminals to connect with the plurality of kinds of functional electric circuit boards, for integrally controlling the functional electric circuit boards.
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 hereinafter.
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Miyasho Hiroaki
Nakano Toshifumi
Nakata Koichi
Frishauf Holtz Goodman & Chick P.C.
Mahoney Christopher
Olympus Optical Co,. Ltd.
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