Camera provided with an attitude detecting device

Claim 2

A camera comprising: a penta-roof prism provided between a photo-taking lens and a finder optical system and having plural planes, said plural planes including an incidence plane on which light from said photo-taking lens is incident, an emergence plane ;from which light from said incidence plane is emitted toward said finder optical system, and at least one inclined plane in addition to said incidence plane and said emergence plane, said inclined plane being tilted with respect to said incidence plane; at least one sensor disposed at a position facing said inclined plane at the outside of said penta-roof prism, said sensor having a measurement axis substantially parallel to said inclined plane and tilted with respect to said incidence plane, and said sensor producing an output dependent upon inclination of said measurement axis; and attitude detecting means for detecting the attitude of said camera in response to said output of said sensor.

Claim 3

A camera according to claim 1, wherein said sensor is so disposed that said measurement axis is tilted with respect to both said incidence plane and said emergence plane and so that said axis is tilted with respect to a plane perpendicular to said incidence plane and said emergence plane.

Claim 4

A camera according to claim 1, wherein said sensor has a tubular shape extending lengthwise in the direction of said measurement axis.

Claim 5

A camera according to claim 3, further comprising a cover surrounding the periphery of said penta-roof prism in such a manner that a space is formed between said cover and said penta-roof prism and wherein said sensor is disposed within said space.

Claim 6

A camera comprising: a penta-roof prism provided between a photo-taking lens and a finder optical system and having plural planes, said plural planes including an incidence plane on which light from said photo-taking lens is incident, an emergence plane ;from which light from said incidence plane is emitted toward said finder optical system, and plural inclined planes in addition to said incidence plane and said emergence plane, said plural inclined planes being tilted with respect to said incidence plane in different directions; plural sensors respectively disposed at positions opposed to corresponding inclined planes at the outside of said penta-roof prism, said of said sensors having a measurement axis substantially parallel to the corresponding inclined plane and tilted with respect to said incidence plane, and each of said sensors producing an output dependent upon inclination of its measurement axis; and attitude detecting means for detecting the attitude of said camera in response to said outputs of said plural sensors.

Claim 7

A camera comprising: a penta-roof prism provided between a photo-taking lens and a finder optical system and having plural planes, said plural planes including an incidence plane on which light from said photo-taking lens is incident, an emergence plane ;from which light from said incidence plane is emitted toward said finder optical system, and plural inclined planes in addition to said incidence plane and said emergence plane, said plural inclined planes being tilted with respect to said incidence plane in different directions; plural sensors respectively disposed at positions opposed to corresponding inclined planes at the outside of said penta-roof prism, said of said sensors having a measurement axis substantially parallel to the corresponding inclined plane and tilted with respect to said incidence plane, and each of said sensors producing an output dependent upon inclination of its measurement axis; and attitude detecting means for detecting the attitude of said camera in response to said outputs of said plural sensors.

Claim 8

A camera according to claim 5, wherein each of said sensors has a tubular shape extending lengthwise in the direction of its measurement axis.

Claim 9

A camera according to claim 5, further comprising a cover surrounding the periphery of said penta-roof prism in such a manner that a space is formed between said cover and said penta-roof prism, and wherein said plural sensors are disposed within said space.

Claim 10

A camera according to claim 5, wherein said plural inclined planes are reflecting planes for forming an optical path between said incidence plane and said emergence plane.

Claim 11

A camera according to claim 8, wherein said reflecting planes include two inclined roof planes positioned opposed to said incidence plane and wherein said plural sensors include first and second sensors substantially parallel to said two inclined roof planes, respectively.

Claim 12

A camera comprising: N sensors inclined in different directions on said camera and each responsive to variations in the direction of gravity caused by changes of the attitude of said camera to produce either of first and second state outputs independently of the outputs of the other sensors and such that different permutations of first and second state outputs are produced depending on the attitude of said camera, where N≧2; means for classifying 2 N pieces of information obtained from a combination of said outputs of said N sensors into less than 2 N pieces of attitude information; and means for determining the attitude of said camera based upon the classified attitude information.

Claim 13

A camera comprising: N sensors inclined in different directions on said camera and each responsive to variations in the direction of gravity caused by changes of the attitude of said camera to produce either of first and second state outputs independently of the outputs of the other sensors and such that different permutations of first and second state outputs are produced depending on the attitude of said camera, where N≧2; means for classifying 2 N pieces of information obtained from a combination of said outputs of said N sensors into less than 2 N pieces of attitude information; and means for determining the attitude of said camera based upon the classified attitude information.

Claim 14

A camera comprising: three sensors inclined in different directions and each responsive to variations in the direction of gravity caused by changes of the attitude of said camera to produce either of first and second state outputs independently of the outputs of the other sensors; combinations of said outputs of said three sensors differing dependent upon the attitude of said camera, said camera being capable of assuming any one of first to sixth attitudes, including first to fourth attitudes in which the optical axis of a photo-taking lens of the camera is horizontal and the camera has different orientations respectively displaced by 90° about the optical axis, and fifth and sixth attitudes in which the optical axis is directed upward and downward, respectively; means for classifying a number of pieces of attitude information obtained by combination of said outputs of said three sensors into a smaller number of pieces of information, said classifying including treating information corresponding to said first, fifth and sixth attitudes as the same classification type; and means for determining the attitude of said camera based upon the classified attitude information.

Claim 15

A camera comprising: three sensors inclined in different directions and each responsive to variations in the direction of gravity caused by changes of the attitude of said camera to produce either of first and second state outputs independently of the outputs of the other sensors; combinations of said outputs of said three sensors differing dependent upon the attitude of said camera, said camera being capable of assuming any one of first to sixth attitudes, including first to fourth attitudes in which the optical axis of a photo-taking lens of the camera is horizontal and the camera has different orientations respectively displaced by 90° about the optical axis, and fifth and sixth attitudes in which the optical axis is directed upward and downward, respectively; means for classifying a number of pieces of attitude information obtained by combination of said outputs of said three sensors into a smaller number of pieces of information, said classifying including treating information corresponding to said first, fifth and sixth attitudes as the same classification type; and means for determining the attitude of said camera based upon the classified attitude information.

Claim 16

A camera comprising: photometric means for dividing an object field into plural areas, photometering them, and producing photometric data for each of said plural areas; attitude detecting means for detecting the attitude of said camera and producing attitude information; memory means having plural memory positions for storing said photometric data; means for determining, in response to said attitude information, addresses designating memory positions at which said photometric data is stored; means for sequentially forwarding said photometric data to said addresses; and means for reading out said photometric data stored in said memory means and determining a proper exposure value corresponding to said object field.

Claim 17

A camera comprising: photometric means for dividing an object field into plural areas, photometering them, and producing photometric data for each of said plural areas; attitude detecting means for detecting the attitude of said camera and producing attitude information; memory means having plural memory positions for storing said photometric data; means for determining, in response to said attitude information, addresses designating memory positions at which said photometric data is stored; means for sequentially forwarding said photometric data to said addresses; and means for reading out said photometric data stored in said memory means and determining a proper exposure value corresponding to said object field.

Claim 18

A camera according to claim 12, wherein said reading means includes means for sequentially accessing said plural memory positions of said memory means in accordance with a predetermined order and for judging status of said object field from photometric data stored at said memory positions.

Claim 19

A camera according to claim 12, wherein said address determining means includes means for changing a correspondence between said plural areas and said plural memory positions in response to said attitude information.

Claim 20

A camera according to claim 12, wherein said forwarding means rearranges photometric data in accordance with addresses determined by said address determining means.