Photography – Having variable focal length of camera objective
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-14
2003-02-25
Adams, Russell (Department: 2851)
Photography
Having variable focal length of camera objective
C396S076000, C396S086000, C396S103000, C352S179000, C348S211990
Reexamination Certificate
active
06526232
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lens control unit, more particularly to a lens control unit that controls a lens or an iris of a lens unit by means of a personal computer.
2. Description of Related Art
A lens unit, such as an ENG lens and an EFP lens, is mounted on a TV camera, and the lens unit is connected with a lens controller (lens operating unit) such as a zoom controller and a focus controller. Operating members of the lens controller are operated so as to transmit a control signal to the lens unit, thereby a motor in the lens unit is driven so that lens control operations such as zoom, focus, and iris, are performed.
In a lens control unit, a “shot function” so called is installed, which registers beforehand desired zoom and focus positions in the lens controller, and instantly reproduces the registered zoom and focus positions by turning a shot switch on, which is provided on the lens controller. However, after the shot function is executed and the zoom position or the focus position is moved to the shot position, which is registered beforehand, a deviation is generated between the zoom position or the focus position that is instructed by the operating member of the lens controller and the actual zoom or focus position that has been moved to the shot position. Thus, the zoom position or the focus position could not be controlled using the shot position as an origin because the zoom position or the focus position temporarily returns to a position instructed by the operating member if the operating members are operated after the execution of the shot function. On the other hand, a lens control unit is proposed to control the displacement of the operating members as a variation of the zoom position or the focus position, in order to control zoom or focus using the shot position as the origin. However in such a case, a problem has arisen in that a movable end of the operating member and a movable end of the zoom position or the focus position do not correspond to each other, and a range uncontrollable by the operating member is generated in the movable area of the zoom position or the focus position.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been developed in view of the above-described circumstances, and has as its object the provision of a lens control unit which can control a position of the lens using the shot position as the origin to where the lens is moved by the shot function when the shot function is executed with respect to the predetermined lens such as a zoom lens and a focus lens, and at the same time can prevent the range which is uncontrollable by the operating members from generating in the area where the lens is movable.
In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention is directed to a lens control unit, comprising: an operating member; and a control part which moves a lens disposed in a lens barrel in accordance with a position of the operating member, the control part having a shot function for moving the lens to a position registered beforehand and moving the operating member to a position corresponding to the position of the lens in response to an instruction to execute the shot function.
According to the present invention, the operating members and the lens position move together when the lens position is moved to the shot position by the shot execution. Therefore, no deviation is generated between the actual lens position and the operating position of the operating members, and more advantageously, the lens can be controlled using the lens position where the lens is moved by the shot execution as the origin, while the range which is uncontrollable by the operating member can be prevented from generating in the area where the lens is movable.
In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention is directed to a lens control unit, comprising: a display which displays an image of an operating member; an inputting device which moves the operating member on the display; and a control part which moves a lens disposed in a lens barrel in accordance with a position of the operating member on the display, the control part having a shot function for moving the lens to a position registered beforehand and moving the operating member on the display to a position corresponding to the position of the lens in response to an instruction to execute the shot function.
According to the present invention, the operating member is displayed on the screen and the operation is performed on the screen; thus during the shot execution the operating position of the operating members can easily be moved to the actual lens position.
Preferably, the control part has a return function for returning, in response to an instruction to execute the return function from a predetermined commanding device after the shot function is executed, the lens to a position at which the lens was positioned when the shot function was started.
According to the present invention, the operating members can be returned to the lens position when the shot execution was started, even though the operation positions of the operating members are moved to the actual lens position during the shot execution.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4244006 (1981-01-01), Kitahara et al.
patent: 5068735 (1991-11-01), Tuchiya et al.
patent: 5570177 (1996-10-01), Parker et al.
patent: 5845044 (1998-12-01), Iizuka et al.
patent: 5929904 (1999-07-01), Uchida
patent: 6052537 (2000-04-01), Sasaki
Telemetrics Inc., Oct. 1999, pp. 1-4.*
Leaflet from NAB Convention showing prototype of controller, Las Vegas, Nevada, Apr. 19, 1999.
Adams Russell
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Fuji Photo Optical Co., Ltd.
Smith Arthur A
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