Patent ID: 6259862
Filing Date: 2001-07-10
Classification: G03B

Abstract:
A camera supplemental illumination circuit comprising:a flash light source for providing flash illumination during taking of a picture;an auxiliary light source separate from said flash light source that is located on a camera and is operated after actuation of a shutter release of the camera to provide supplemental visible-light illumination into a scene prior to said taking of a picture;a red-eye reduction mode selection switch;a flash defeat mode selection switch;a self-timer mode selection switcha light sensor that receives light from the scene and produces a signal that indicates the relative amount of light that was received; anda light source controller that receives a ranging assist signal from a passive ranging system if the light sensor signal indicates the light was insufficient for the passive ranging system to determine distance to the object, responds to the ranging assist signal by operating the auxiliary light source, such that the supplemental visible-light illumination increases the amount of received light sufficiently for the passive ranging system to make a distance determination, until the passive ranging system has determined the distance, and further controls operation of the auxiliary light source such that the light source controllerresponds to mode control switch selection of the red-eye reduction mode by operating the auxiliary light source, for a predetermined period of time ending at predefined period of time prior to operation of a shutter mechanism, such that the supplemental visible-light illumination has a predetermined level of brightness that ordinarily causes a constriction reaction in eyes of persons in the scene who view the supplemental visible-light illumination, if the light source controller received a flash signal from an automatic exposure system,responds to mode control switch selection of the self-timer mode by operating the auxiliary light source for a predetermined self-timer time interval prior to operation of the shutter mechanism, andresponds to mode control switch selection of the flash defeat mode by inhibiting operation of the auxiliary light source.