Patent · US Active

Image pickup system that provides automatic radiating direction control, image pickup apparatus, and control method therefor

US10291860B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
1References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 19, 2017
Grant dateMay 14, 2019
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 19, 2037

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N23/71
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An image pickup system capable of, during flash photography through automatic radiating direction control, quickly starting a next shooting operation when the automatic radiating direction control is suspended. A flash built in or removably mounted on a digital camera has a light-emitting unit that emits light and a drive control unit that changes a radiating direction of light from the light-emitting unit. A preparatory operation for shooting and a shooting operation by the digital camera are disabled while the radiating direction of the light from the light-emitting unit is being changed by the drive control unit. When an instruction to suspend changing the radiating direction of the light is issued, a preparatory operation for shooting and a shooting operation by the digital camera, which have been disabled, are enabled, and the drive control unit is controlled to return the light-emitting unit to an initial position prior to the change.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.