Patent ID: 6826365
Filing Date: 2004-11-30
Classification: G03B,H05B

Abstract:
A flash circuit for use in a camera, the flash charging circuit comprising:a flash light discharge circuit having a light emitting element electrically connected to a flash capacitor; a flash triggering circuit connected to the flash light discharge circuit with the flash triggering circuit having a trigger signal generating circuit generating a signal that enables energy from the flash capacitor to be converted into light by the light emitting element; a voltage conversion circuit connected between a battery and the flash capacitor to convert energy from a source voltage into a higher voltage to charge the flash capacitor; a timer circuit to cause the voltage conversion circuit to operate when the voltage at a timing capacitor is within a range of voltages, said timer circuit incorporating said timing capacitor in a time constant circuit that discharges energy stored in the timing capacitor at a predetermined rate; and a reset circuit that resets the timing capacitor voltage to a voltage that is within the range, the reset circuit being actuated by said flash triggering circuit; wherein the range of voltages is higher than the battery voltage and wherein the reset circuit first applies battery voltage to the timing capacitor and then applies voltage generated by the voltage conversion circuit to the timing capacitor to charge the timing capacitor to a voltage that is higher than the battery voltage.