Automatic focusing apparatus of a camera
Abstract
An automatic focusing apparatus of a camera according to the present invention includes: a focus detector which detects repeatedly focus conditions of a photographic lens and outputs successively focus signals corresponding to the focus conditions; a drive unit for driving the photographic lens for focus adjustment; a predictor for predicting an in-focus point from the plurality of focus signals from the focus detector; a control unit for controlling the drive unit to drive the photographic lens toward the in-focus point predicted by the predictor; an auxiliary light projector for projecting auxiliary light onto an object to enable detecting operation of the focus detector; and a forbidding device for forbidding the control of drive by the control unit while the auxiliary light is projected by the auxiliary light projector.

Term
Term ended
Projected expiry passed 12 May 2009, 17.4 years ago.
- Priority
- Filed
- Published
- Projected expiry
- Today
1 sheet
Sheet 1
Every citation, both ways
| Document | Relation | Office | Category | Cited during |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4575212A | Cites | United States of America | Y | Search report |
| US4633072A | Cites | United States of America | A | Search report |
| US4697891A | Cites | United States of America | A | Search report |
| US4740064A | Cites | United States of America | A | Search report |
| US4762986A | Cites | United States of America | APD | Search report |
4 priority claims, no other members on record
Priority claims4
| Document | Office | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11743988 | Japan | – | |
| 11743988 | Japan | A | |
| 11743988 | – | – | – |
| JP19880117439 | – | – | – |
20 legal events, as 2 offices reported them to INPADOC
Over the term
Point at a mark for the eventEvents
| Event | Code | Office | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]GrantedPGFP | PGFP | EP | |
| Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]LapsedPG25 | PG25 | EP | |
| Patent expired after termination of 20 yearsExpiredPE20 | PE20 | GB | |
| Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]GrantedPGFP | PGFP | EP | |
| Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]GrantedPGFP | PGFP | EP | |
| European patent in force as of 2002-01-01IF02 | IF02 | GB | |
| No opposition filedOpposition26N | 26N | EP | |
| No opposition filed within time limitOppositionORIGINAL CODE: 0009261PLBE | PLBE | EP | |
| Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patentGrantedSTATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMITSTAA | STAA | EP | |
| Fr: translation filedET | ET | EP | |
| Corresponds to:REF | REF | EP | |
| Designated contracting statesAK | AK | EP | |
| Party data changed (applicant data changed or rights of an application transferred)RAP1 | RAP1 | EP | |
| (expected) grantORIGINAL CODE: 0009210GRAA | GRAA | EP | |
| First examination report despatched17Q | 17Q | EP | |
| Request for examination filed17P | 17P | EP | |
| Designated contracting statesAK | AK | EP | |
| Search report despatchedORIGINAL CODE: 0009013PUAL | PUAL | EP | |
| Designated contracting statesAK | AK | EP | |
| Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phaseORIGINAL CODE: 0009012PUAI | PUAI | EP |
Numbers
- Publication
- 0349736
- Publication, DOCDB
- 0349736
- Publication, EPODOC
- EP0349736
- Application
- 89108583
- Application, DOCDB
- 89108583
- Application, EPODOC
- EP19890108583
Titles3
- English
- Automatic focusing apparatus of a camera
- German
- Automatisches Schafeinstellgerät einer Kamera
- French
- Dispositif de mise au point automatique d'une caméra
Classification
- CPC, 1
- G02B7/36
- IPC, 3
- G03B13 36
- G02B7 28
- G02B7 36
Designated states3
- Contracting states, 3
- Germany
- France
- United Kingdom