CN111886852B

CN111886852B - Image pickup apparatus

Info

Publication number: CN111886852B
Application number: CN201980003064.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 桥本真吾; 铃木悠一
Original assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co Ltd
Current assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-02-15
Filing date: 2019-07-16
Publication date: 2022-04-12
Anticipated expiration: 2039-07-16
Also published as: JPWO2020166106A1; JP6754996B1; CN111886852A; WO2020166106A1

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an image pickup apparatus. The imaging device (1) has a main body (1a) to which a battery (20) can be attached and detached, and is provided with a USB port (16), a PD controller (13), and a microcomputer (11). The USB port (16) can be connected to an external device via a USB cable, and power is supplied from the external device to the imaging apparatus (1). A PD controller (13) determines whether or not an external device connected to a USB cable connected to a USB port (16) corresponds to a USB PD. The microcomputer (11) outputs information indicating whether or not charging of the battery (20) based on the power supplied from the external device is possible, based on the determination made by the PD controller (13), and displays the information on the state liquid crystal monitor (15) or the liquid crystal monitor (35).

Description

Image pickup apparatus

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an image pickup apparatus to which a battery is detachably attached, and more particularly, to an image pickup apparatus capable of receiving Power by a USB PD (Power Delivery).

Background

An electronic device capable of receiving power through a USB connection is known (for example, see patent document 1).

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

When an electronic device is connected to an external device via a USB terminal, it is often desirable for a user to charge a battery of the electronic device. However, depending on the USB standard, the power supply status to the electronic device varies, and the battery may not be charged from the external device as desired by the user.

The present disclosure provides an image pickup apparatus capable of preventing a user from mistakenly recognizing charging of a battery.

Means for solving the problems

The imaging device in the present disclosure is an imaging device having a main body to which a battery is detachably attached, and includes a terminal, a determination unit, and a control unit. The terminal can be connected to an external device via a USB cable, and power is supplied from the external device to the image pickup apparatus. The determination unit determines whether or not an external device connected to a USB cable connected to the terminal corresponds to the USB PD. The control unit outputs information indicating whether or not charging of the battery based on the power supplied from the external device is possible, based on the determination made by the determination unit, and displays the information on the display unit.

Effects of the invention

According to the present disclosure, in the image pickup apparatus corresponding to the USB PD, it is effective to prevent the user from misunderstanding the charging of the battery.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an imaging apparatus according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a control flow for turning on the power of the image pickup apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a control flow for turning off the power supply of the image pickup apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the imaging apparatus according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an operation flow of negotiation at the time of USB connection.

Fig. 6A shows an example of information displayed on the liquid crystal monitor in embodiment 1.

Fig. 6B shows an example of information displayed on the liquid crystal monitor in embodiment 1.

Fig. 7A shows an example of information displayed on the liquid crystal monitor in embodiment 1.

Fig. 7B shows an example of information displayed on the liquid crystal monitor in embodiment 1.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the imaging apparatus according to embodiment 2.

Fig. 9 is a table showing the power and communication speed of the USB external devices of each specification.

Fig. 10 is a graph comparing suppliable power of a USB PD compliant device and a USB PD non-compliant device with respect to power consumption of an image pickup apparatus.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings as appropriate. However, unnecessary detailed description may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of already known matters and repetitive descriptions of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid the following description being excessively lengthy and to make it readily understandable by a person skilled in the art. In addition, the present inventors provide the drawings and the following description in order to fully understand the present disclosure by those skilled in the art, and do not intend to limit the subject matter described in the claims by these drawings.

In the following description, the external device and the image pickup apparatus are connectable via a USB cable having plugs conforming to various specifications of USB shown in fig. 9, and the plugs are detachable from a USB port 16 (fig. 1) of the image pickup apparatus 1 described later. In addition, as shown in fig. 9, the USBPD compliant device is a device conforming to the standard that can supply 15W to 100W. With the USB PD compliant device, charging and power supply (supply of drive power of the image pickup apparatus) can be performed simultaneously for the first time as described later.

As shown in fig. 9, among the USB connection devices, the current USB connection devices are USB2.0, USB3.0, and USB BC1.2, and the transmission power is about 5V/0.5A to 5V/1.5A. However, since the power that can be supplied by the current USB connection device is 7.5W or less, it is not possible to supply both the power for charging the battery and the drive power for driving all the functions of the image pickup device to the image pickup device connected. On the other hand, as shown in fig. 9, the transmission power of the USB PD-compliant device can reach 100W. Therefore, the image pickup apparatus connected to the USB PD compliant device can obtain drive power simultaneously with charging of the battery. Although not shown in fig. 9, USB1.0 and USB1.1, which do not have power supply capability, exist as a lower specification of the current USB connection device.

The driving of the imaging device consumes different power depending on the operation mode. Fig. 10 graphically shows power consumption when the main functions of the imaging apparatus are executed. The main functions include LIVE view (LIVE), high-speed continuous shooting (H continuous shooting), and recording of 4K images at a frame rate of 60P (4K60P REC). As shown in the figure, the image pickup apparatus consumes about 10W for performing high-speed continuous shooting and 14W for performing 4k60P REC. However, as described above, in the case of the existing USB connection device (USB PD non-compliant device) that does not comply with the USBPD, only 7.5W of power can be supplied at most, and therefore, the main functions of these image pickup apparatuses cannot be executed only by the transmission power from the USB connection device.

On the other hand, in the USB PD compliant device, as shown in the right graph of fig. 10, not only the driving power necessary for executing the main function of the image pickup apparatus can be supplied, but also the power remaining in the power supply (right-view hatched portion) can be used for battery charging.

Based on the above description, an image pickup apparatus according to the present disclosure is explained.

[1, embodiment 1]

The imaging device according to embodiment 1 will be described below with reference to fig. 1 to 6.

[1-1. Structure ]

Fig. 1 shows an overall configuration of an imaging apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1. The imaging device 1 is, for example, a lens-integrated digital camera capable of capturing still images and moving images.

The imaging device 1 includes a main body 1a, an optical system 50 attached to the main body 1a, and a battery 20 detachably attached to the main body 1 a. The main body 1a is a housing that houses internal components described below. The optical system 50 includes lens groups such as a focus lens and a zoom lens, and a driving unit for each lens. The optical system 50 is driven under the control of a main body control unit 30 described later. The battery 20 supplies power for operating the imaging apparatus 1. The battery 20 may be a primary battery or a secondary battery. The battery 20 may be an internal battery mounted in the main body 1a, or may be an external battery mounted outside the main body 1a via a battery handle or the like. The battery 20 may be a plurality of batteries, and the plurality of batteries 20 may be internal batteries and external batteries, respectively.

As shown in fig. 1, the imaging device 1 includes a Microcomputer (Microcomputer)11, a charging IC (Integrated Circuit) 12, a PD controller 13, a state liquid crystal monitor 15, a USB port 16, an analog switch 17, a power switch monitoring IC (Integrated Circuit)18, and a power IC (Integrated Circuit) 19. These portions operate in controlling the supply of electric power to the image pickup apparatus 1, as will be described later.

The imaging device 1 further includes a main body control unit 30, an operation unit 33, a flash memory 34, a liquid crystal monitor 35, a wireless communication unit 36, a CMOS image sensor 37, and a memory card 40. These portions execute the main functions of the imaging apparatus 1 by the operation of the main body control section 30. The main functions of the imaging apparatus 1 include imaging, image processing, input/output of image data, writing/reading of image data to/from a recording medium, software update processing of firmware, and the like.

In fig. 1, the arrows with broken lines indicate the flow of signals related to power supply, and the arrows with solid lines indicate the flow of serial signals or parallel signals used for other communications and control. The functions of the respective sections including the exchange of signals will be described below.

The microcomputer 11 (an example of the control unit) includes a CPU and a memory. The microcomputer 11 switches the analog switch 17 and inputs the D +/D-signal from the USB port 16 to the main body control unit 30, the microcomputer 11, or the charging IC 12. The microcomputer 11 obtains the result of the port determination from the charging IC 12. The microcomputer 11 also detects a signal (High signal or Low signal) generated by the attachment and detachment of the battery 20, and determines whether or not the battery 20 is attached. The microcomputer 11 acquires the remaining amount of the battery 20. The remaining amount of the battery 20 may be obtained by monitoring a voltage value of the battery 20 by the power supply IC19, for example, and acquiring the remaining amount of the battery 20 from the voltage value.

The charging IC12 controls the supply of power from the USB port 16. By this control, the battery 20 is charged using the electric power obtained from the USB port 16, or the main body control unit 30 of the image pickup apparatus 1 is started.

The charging IC12 is also connected to the microcomputer 11 to perform port determination. In the port determination, the type of the external device is determined. For example, whether the external device is a PC (personal computer) or an AC adapter, or the like.

The PD controller 13 performs negotiation with an external device via a CC (Configuration Channel) terminal of the USB port 16. In the negotiation, the direction of power supply between the imaging apparatus 1 and the external device, setting of current and voltage, the function of each terminal, and the like are determined via the CC terminal as will be described later. The microcomputer 11 determines whether or not the external device is a USB PD compliant device by obtaining the result from the PD controller 13.

The state liquid crystal monitor 15 (an example of a display unit) is a display device disposed separately from the liquid crystal monitor 35 on the main body (for example, the upper surface) of the imaging apparatus 1. The state liquid crystal monitor 15 displays a message or the like corresponding to a command from the microcomputer 11.

The USB port 16 (an example of a terminal) is a Type C terminal, and is a connection terminal for connecting an external device to the image pickup apparatus 1 via a USB cable (not shown). The USB port 16 includes a VBUS terminal for power supply, a GND terminal, the CC terminal, and a D + and D-signal terminal. The external device has the same terminal, pulls up the CC, and monitors the voltage at the CC terminal. When detecting the pull-down of CC on the image pickup apparatus 1 side, the external device supplies a voltage to VBUS. Thereby, power is supplied to the imaging device 1.

The analog switch 17 is switched under the control of the microcomputer 11, and connects the USB port 16 to any one of the microcomputer 11, the main body control unit 30, or the charging IC 12. When the input signal (D +, D-) from the USB port 16 is present, the analog switch 17 connects the USB port 16 to the charging IC12, and the charging IC12 performs port determination. When the external device is, for example, a PC and the imaging apparatus 1 performs communication as a result of the port determination, the analog switch 17 connects the USB port 16 to the main body control unit 30. After the external device and the imaging apparatus 1 are connected, enumeration (enumeration) is performed as exchange of data for mutual authentication, and when the microcomputer 11 determines the power from the VBUS, the analog switch 17 connects the USB port 16 to the microcomputer 11.

The power switch monitoring IC18 is a circuit for monitoring whether or not an operation (hereinafter referred to as an on operation) for turning a power switch (not shown) of the image pickup apparatus 1 from off to on has been performed. When the power switch is turned on, the power switch monitoring IC18 transmits a signal to the microcomputer 11 via a GPIO (General-purpose input/output) terminal.

When the battery 20 is mounted, the power supply IC19 controls the supply of electric power from the battery 20. Further, the power supply IC19 performs execution and interruption of power supply to the main body of the image pickup apparatus 1 in accordance with the power switch of the image pickup apparatus 1 being turned on/off.

As shown in fig. 2, the power switch monitoring IC18 transmits a power-on request signal to the microcomputer 11 when detecting that the power switch is turned on. The microcomputer 11 transmits a power-on request signal to the power IC19, and the power IC19 turns on the power of the imaging apparatus 1. As a result, the main body control unit 30 can be activated, and the main functions of the imaging apparatus 1 can be executed. When the power switch is turned from on to off, as shown in fig. 3, the main body control unit 30 that operates detects that the power switch is turned off, and transmits a power-off request signal to the microcomputer 11. The microcomputer 11 transmits a power-off request signal to the power IC19, and the power IC19 turns off the power of the imaging apparatus 1.

The main body control unit 30 is a computer device including a memory such as a CPU, RAM, ROM, and the like. The main body control unit 30 controls the overall operation of the imaging apparatus 1 including image processing, based on instructions from the operation unit 33 and software written in the ROM. The main body control section 30 communicates with an external device through the USB port 16. For example, the main body control unit 30 communicates with an external device when the mass storage is connected or when the strap is taken.

The main body control unit 30 includes an image processing unit 31 and a DRAM 32. The image processing unit 31 performs predetermined image processing on the image data output from the CMOS image sensor 37. The prescribed image processing includes gamma correction processing, white balance correction processing, defect correction processing, YC conversion processing, digital zoom processing, compression processing, decompression processing, and the like. The DRAM32 is used as a work memory of the main body control section 30.

The main body control unit 30 may include a processor including a dedicated electronic circuit designed to realize a predetermined function, instead of the CPU. That is, the main body control unit 30 can be realized by various processors such as a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, a DSP, an FPGA, and an ASIC. The main body control unit 30 may be constituted by one or more processors. The main body control unit 30 may be formed of a single semiconductor chip together with the image processing unit 31 and the like.

The operation unit 33 includes a release button, other types of buttons, a cross key, a dial, a touch panel disposed on the liquid crystal monitor 35, and the like. The user operates the operation unit 33 to execute each function of the imaging apparatus 1. The operation unit 33 includes a power switch of the imaging apparatus 1. When the power switch is turned on, the main body control unit 30 can be activated, and the main functions of the imaging apparatus 1 can be executed. When the power switch is turned off, the main body control unit 30 is not activated, and the main functions of the imaging apparatus 1 cannot be executed.

The flash memory 34 stores image data processed by the main body control unit 30. The flash memory 34 also stores programs and parameters used by the main body control unit 30.

The liquid crystal monitor 35 (an example of a display unit) is a display device disposed on, for example, the back surface of the main body 1 a. The liquid crystal monitor 35 displays the image data (still image or moving image) processed by the image processing unit 31. The liquid crystal monitor 35 displays a setting menu for setting the operating conditions of the imaging apparatus 1. The liquid crystal monitor 35 may include a touch panel that functions as a part of the operation unit 33. Instead of the liquid crystal monitor 35, another display device such as an organic EL display may be used.

The wireless communication unit 36 includes pass-through modules of Wi-Fi (registered trademark) and Bluethooh (registered trademark) standards, and the main body control unit 30 performs communication control in both directions with the wirelessly connected device. The communication module may be infrared communication, wireless LAN (Local Area Network), or the like, as long as it can be wirelessly connected to an external device.

The CMOS image sensor 37 is an imaging device including a light receiving element, an automatic gain control circuit, and an analog/digital converter. The light receiving element converts the optical signal condensed by the optical system 50 into an electric signal and outputs the electric signal. The automatic gain control circuit amplifies and outputs an electric signal output from the light receiving element. The analog/digital converter converts the electric signal output from the automatic gain control circuit into a digital signal, and outputs the digital signal to the main body control section 30. The CMOS image sensor 37 is controlled by a timing generator, and executes an image capturing operation for a still image and a moving image, an image capturing operation for a through-view image, a data transfer operation, an electronic shutter operation, and the like. The image data generated by the CMOS image sensor 37 is sent to the image processing unit 31. Instead of the CMOS image sensor 37, another image pickup device such as an NMOS image sensor or a CCD image sensor may be used.

The memory card 40 is mounted in a memory slot and includes a memory element such as a semiconductor memory therein. The memory card 40 stores image data. The main body control unit 30 reads image data stored in the memory card 40, processes the read image data by the image processing unit 31, and displays the processed image data on the liquid crystal monitor 35. A plurality of, for example, 2 memory cards 40 may be provided.

[1-2. actions ]

Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the imaging apparatus 1.

The microcomputer 11 of the imaging apparatus 1 determines whether or not the USB cable is connected to the imaging apparatus 1 (S101). When the input signal (D +, D-) from the USB port 16 is present, the USB port 16 is connected to the microcomputer 11 by switching the analog switch 17. If the microcomputer 11 determines that connection is established (yes in S101), the process proceeds to step S102.

The microcomputer 11 is connected to the charging IC12, determines the type of the external device connected to the USB port 16 based on a signal from the charging IC12, and then detects whether or not the connected external device is a USB PD compliant device via the PD controller 13 (S102). At this time, the PD controller 13 connected to the microcomputer 11 acquires the result of negotiation via the CC terminal of the USB port 16, and thereby determines whether or not the external device is a USB PD compliant device.

Here, negotiation via the CC terminal for detecting a device corresponding to the USB PD will be described with reference to fig. 5.

First, the microcomputer 11 applies power to the PD controller 13 by power control (S1131: control power on). Subsequently, the microcomputer 11 performs the required power/current setting for the PD controller 13 (S1132: initial setting). After the initial setting, the PD controller 13 performs a restart and connects with an external device according to the setting value set in S1132, and starts negotiation (S1133). At this time, the PD controller 13 notifies the microcomputer 11 that the plug of the USB cable has been inserted into the USB port 16. In the negotiation, the power supply capability is notified from the external device to the PD controller 13. At this time, the PD controller 13 notifies the microcomputer 11 that the power supply capability list is received. Upon receiving the notification, the microcomputer 11 determines whether or not the external device is a USB PD compliant device. Next, the PD controller 13 makes a power supply request to the external device. Then, upon receiving the request, the external device notifies the PD controller 13 of power supply permission and completion of power supply preparation.

The PD controller 13 notifies the microcomputer 11 of the so-called PD contract completion including the above-described power supply condition (S1132), whereby the PD contract completion. The microcomputer 11 checks the voltage and current set in the PD contract with the PD controller 13 (S1135).

As a result of the negotiation, if it is detected in fig. 4 that the external device is a USB PD compliant device, the process proceeds to step S103, and if it is not a USB PD compliant device, the process proceeds to step S108.

The microcomputer 11 allows power supply from the external device based on the above negotiation via the charging IC12 (S103). For example, as shown in fig. 6A, the microcomputer 11 causes the state liquid crystal monitor 15 to display information or a message indicating that power supply from the external device is performed (S104). Instead of text, icons, marks, graphics, and the like may be used as the information.

The microcomputer 11 determines whether or not the battery 20 is mounted in the imaging device 1 (S105). The microcomputer 11 detects a signal (High signal or Low signal) generated by attachment and detachment of the battery 20 via the power supply IC19, and determines whether or not the battery 20 is attached. In the case where the battery 20 is mounted (yes at step S105), the microcomputer 11 permits the charging of the battery 20 to the charging IC12 (S106). The microcomputer 11 causes the state liquid crystal monitor 15 to display information indicating charging of the battery 20 and a message (hereinafter referred to as charging information) (S107).

The charging information includes information such as the availability of charging, the remaining amount of the battery 20, the charging power (W), the amount of charging current (a), and the full charge scheduled time. For example, as shown in fig. 6B, a meaning ("CHArGE" or the like) indicating that the battery 20 is being charged may be displayed, and an icon indicating the remaining amount of the battery 20 may be displayed by an icon of the battery 20. When it is indicated that the battery 20 cannot be charged, the indication ("CHArGE" or the like) may not be displayed. As shown in the figure, information 15a (for example, 65 minutes) of a predetermined time until the completion of charging may be displayed. Instead of or in addition to this information, the charging power (W) and the amount of charging current (a) of the battery 20 may be shown. The display information may be displayed so as to be switchable by a menu operation button (not shown) to be displayed. Note that the charging power and the charging current may be displayed not by the values themselves, but by a display corresponding to the user's feeling such as "fast", "normal", and "slow" charging.

By the display of the charging information, the user of the image pickup apparatus 1 can recognize that the battery 20 is charged. In the present embodiment, the power allocated from the USB PD compliant device to charge the battery 20 is predetermined to be a constant value. As shown in fig. 10, since the power consumption of the image pickup apparatus 1 differs depending on the operation, the value of the power is determined based on the difference between the power supplied from the external device and the drive power of the function having the largest power consumption among the main functions of the image pickup apparatus 1.

On the other hand, in step S102, if it is not detected that the external device is a USB PD compatible device (no in step S102), the microcomputer 11 determines whether or not the external device is USB standard 2.0 or more via the PD controller 13 (S108). If the external device is not the USB specification of 2.0 or more, the microcomputer 11 allows power supply from the external device (S109). At this time, the microcomputer 11 causes the state liquid crystal monitor 15 to display information or a message indicating that power supply is performed (S110). Further, the microcomputer 11 determines whether or not the power of the image pickup apparatus 1 is on via the main body control unit 30 or the power switch monitoring IC18 (S111). When the power is turned on, the microcomputer 11 displays information or a message urging the power to be turned off for charging the battery 20 on the state liquid crystal monitor 15, for example, as shown in fig. 7A (S112). When the power supply is turned off, the microcomputer 11 permits charging of the battery 20 via the charging IC12 (S113).

In the case of a USB PD non-compliant device, a device having a power supply capability of USB2.0 or more is provided, but as described above, sufficient power supply capability for both power supply of drive power for executing the main function of the image pickup apparatus 1 and charging of a battery is not provided. For example, as shown in fig. 10, even in the live view in which the power consumption is the minimum in the operation mode of the imaging apparatus 1, 6.5W of power is required. On the other hand, as shown in fig. 9, the power supplied to the USB BC1.2 compliant device is 7.5W (5V/1.5A), which is 1.0W greater than the power consumption of the image pickup apparatus 1. However, even if 1.0W of electric power is present, the charging current value is about 100mA if the full charge voltage of the battery 20 is about 10V. If the current value is the same, the charging current may vary and reach a lower limit of the charging current (for example, the charging may be stopped when 50mA or less), and the battery 20 may not be charged. In the other operation mode, the power consumption of the image pickup apparatus 1 exceeds the power supplied from the USB BC 1.2-compliant device, and therefore, the power of the battery 20 is required instead. The operation mode of the imaging apparatus 1 is monitored, and the charging and the power supply of the battery 20 are switched, so that the system of the imaging apparatus 1 becomes complicated and the advantage becomes relatively small. Therefore, in the case of a device that is not USB PD compliant and is USB2.0 or more, if the image pickup apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is driven, that is, powered on, the battery 20 is not charged.

When the image pickup apparatus 1 is driven, the user of the image pickup apparatus 1 is notified that the battery 20 is not charged, that is, that the power supply needs to be turned off in order to charge the battery. This can prevent the user from mistakenly recognizing that the battery 20 is charged only in accordance with the state of connection to the external device via the USB cable.

In step S108, if the external device is not USB specification 2.0 or more, that is, USB1.0 or USB1.1, the microcomputer 11 causes the state liquid crystal monitor 15 to display information or a message indicating that power cannot be supplied from the external device, as shown in fig. 7B (S114).

The imaging apparatus 1 ends the above processing in accordance with a predetermined end condition. The predetermined termination condition is, for example, release of connection of the USB cable.

The display modes shown in fig. 6A, 6B, 7A, and 7B are examples, and any one of text, icons, marks, graphics, and the like, or a combination thereof may be used. When the imaging device 1 is powered on, the liquid crystal monitor 35 may be caused to display information instead of or in addition to the state liquid crystal monitor 15.

[1-3. Effect ]

The imaging device 1 according to embodiment 1 is an imaging device having a main body 1a to which a battery 20 is detachably attached, and includes a USB port 16, a PD controller 13, and a microcomputer 11. The USB port 16 can be connected to an external device via a USB cable, and supplies power from the external device to the image pickup apparatus 1. The PD controller 13 determines whether or not an external device connected to a USB cable connected to the USB port 16 corresponds to a USB PD. The microcomputer 11 outputs information indicating whether or not charging of the battery 20 based on the power supplied from the external device is possible, based on the determination made by the PD controller 13, and displays the information on the state liquid crystal monitor 15 or the liquid crystal monitor 35.

The information indicating the availability of charging is information that the user can recognize that the battery 20 can be charged by the power supply from the connected external device. For example, as shown in fig. 6A and 7A, the message indicates that power supply by the USB PD is performed, and as shown in fig. 7B, the message indicates that power supply by the USB PD is not possible. Alternatively, as shown in fig. 6B, the display flag ("CHArGE" or the like) may be displayed only when the battery 20 can be charged, and may not be displayed when the battery 20 cannot be charged.

The user of the image pickup apparatus 1 basically expects charging of the battery 20 by connecting the image pickup apparatus 1 to an external device via a USB cable. However, there are a Type corresponding to the USB PD and a Type not corresponding to the USB PD in the USB Type-C cable. If the connected external device does not correspond to the USBPD, the electric power for driving the image pickup device 1 and the electric power for charging the battery 20 cannot be obtained.

Therefore, the image pickup apparatus 1 can prevent the user from misunderstanding that the charging of the battery 20 is in progress by displaying the information indicating whether or not the charging of the battery 20 is possible, based on the determination whether or not the external device is the USB PD-compliant device. As a result, the risk of the image pickup apparatus 1 stopping driving due to battery depletion can be suppressed.

In addition, although the USB PD compliant device is described, the power that can be supplied is various, and the user cannot know at a glance how much power the device is being charged with. However, by displaying the charging information, the user can recognize whether or not the charging desired by the user is being performed.

[2. embodiment 2]

In the image pickup apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1, when the external device connected thereto is a USB PD-compatible device, the power used for charging the battery 20 is constant. However, the power consumed by the imaging device 1 differs depending on the operation thereof. For example, as shown in fig. 10, the power required for driving the image pickup apparatus 1 differs depending on the operation mode of the image pickup apparatus 1. On the other hand, when the power for charging the battery 20 is constant, the power is set based on the minimum value of the difference obtained by subtracting the driving power of the imaging device 1 in the operation mode from the power supplied from the external device. Therefore, the supply power from the external device may be excessive.

Therefore, in the image pickup device 1 according to the present embodiment, the electric power used for charging the battery 20 is controlled based on the power consumption corresponding to the operation of the image pickup device 1, that is, the driving power of the image pickup device 1. Hereinafter, the imaging device 1 according to embodiment 2 will be mainly described focusing on differences from embodiment 1.

[2-1. Structure ]

The configuration of the imaging device 1 according to the present embodiment is the same as the configuration of the imaging device 1 shown in fig. 1.

[2-2. actions ]

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing a part of the operation of the imaging apparatus 1 according to embodiment 2. In the flowchart shown in fig. 4, when the connected external device is a USB PD-compatible device, power supply to the image pickup apparatus 1 is performed, and charging is performed when the battery 20 is mounted (steps S102 to S106). In embodiment 1, the charging power of the battery 20 is constant, but in embodiment 2, the charging power of the battery 20 is controlled in accordance with the driving power of the imaging device 1. Specifically, the following process is performed for charging the battery 20. In addition, the power of the imaging apparatus 1 is turned on.

The microcomputer 11 acquires the supply power information of the external device (S1061). The microcomputer 11 acquires the supply power information of the external device by serial communication from the charging IC 12.

The microcomputer 11 acquires power consumption information for operating the imaging device 1 (S1062). The microcomputer 11 acquires power consumption information for executing the function of the imaging apparatus 1 from the charging IC12 by serial communication. The charging IC12 includes a circuit for monitoring the power consumption of the imaging device 1, and the microcomputer 11 acquires power consumption information from the charging IC 12.

The microcomputer 11 calculates a current for charging (S1063). Specifically, the microcomputer 11 calculates a difference between the power supplied from the external device and the power consumption for executing the function of the imaging apparatus 1, and calculates the current required for charging. For example, if the power supplied from the external device is 27W and the power consumption for executing the functions of the imaging apparatus 1 is 14W, the difference is 13W. When the electric power of 13W is used as the electric power for charging the battery 20, the current value for charging the battery 20 becomes about 1.55A when the full charge voltage of the battery 20 is 8.4V.

The microcomputer 11 sets the calculated current value as the charging power of the battery 20 (S1064). Specifically, the microcomputer 11 sets the charging current value to the charging IC12 by serial communication. The charging IC12 controls the amount of current from the external device according to the set current value.

The microcomputer 11 causes the state liquid crystal monitor 15 or the liquid crystal monitor 35 to display the charging information of the battery 20, as in embodiment 1 (S107).

The microcomputer 11 repeatedly executes steps S1062 to S107 shown in fig. 8 as long as predetermined termination conditions such as release of the connection of the USB cable and power-off operation do not occur.

In embodiment 2, the charging current to the battery 20 is also changed every time the power consumption of the imaging device 1 is determined. Therefore, the displayed charging information is changed according to the set charging current.

[2-3. Effect ]

In the imaging apparatus 1 according to embodiment 2, when the external device corresponds to the USB PD and the imaging apparatus 1 is powered on, the microcomputer 11 monitors the driving power of the imaging apparatus 1 and controls the charging power of the battery 20 based on the driving power.

In the imaging device 1 according to the present embodiment, the charging power of the battery 20 is set according to the driving power of the imaging device 1. For example, in the example shown in fig. 10, during the LIVE view (LIVE) operation, the power consumption of the imaging device 1 is smaller than that during the operation of recording 4K images at a frame rate of 60P, and the power for charging the battery 20 is larger. Therefore, the USB supply power can be efficiently used, and the battery 20 can be efficiently charged.

[2-4. modified examples ]

In embodiment 2 described above, the microcomputer 11 monitors the drive power of the imaging device 1 and controls the charging power of the battery 20 based on the drive power, but instead of this, the charging power of the battery 20 may be controlled based on the operation mode of the imaging device 1.

When the external device corresponds to the USB PD and the imaging apparatus 1 is powered on, the main body control unit 30 determines the operation mode of the imaging apparatus 1 in accordance with operations of an operation button and an operation menu (not shown). For example, as shown in fig. 10, the operation modes include LIVE view (LIVE), high-speed continuous shooting (H continuous shooting), and recording of 4K images at a frame rate of 60P (4K60P REC). The power for charging battery 20 can be dynamically set based on the difference between the maximum power consumption in these operation modes and the power supplied from the external device. In this case, the microcomputer 11 acquires information on switching of the operation mode from the main body control unit 30, and calculates and sets the charging current based on the switching (S1063 to 1064).

By the above operation of the image pickup apparatus 1, the image pickup apparatus 1 can also efficiently supply power by using the USB.

[3 ] other embodiments ]

As described above, the embodiments have been described as an example of the technique disclosed in the present application. However, the technique in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can be applied to an embodiment in which appropriate changes, substitutions, additions, omissions, and the like are made. Further, each component described in the above embodiments may be combined to form a new embodiment.

In the above embodiment, the lens-integrated digital camera is taken as an example of the imaging device 1, but a lens-interchangeable camera may be used. The imaging apparatus 1 may be a device having an imaging function, such as a smartphone or other mobile terminal.

The execution order of the processing method in the above embodiment is not necessarily limited to the description of the above embodiment, and the execution order may be changed or a plurality of processes may be executed simultaneously without departing from the scope of the invention.

The program in the above-described embodiment is not limited to the program recorded in the recording medium, and may be a program acquired via an electric communication line, a wireless or wired communication line, a network typified by the internet, or the like.

As described above, the embodiments have been described as an example of the technique in the present disclosure. For this reason, the drawings and detailed description are provided. Therefore, the components described in the drawings and the detailed description include not only components necessary to solve the problem but also components not necessary to solve the problem in order to exemplify the above-described technology. Therefore, these unnecessary components should not be immediately recognized as being necessary because they are described in the drawings and the detailed description.

Further, the above-described embodiments are intended to exemplify the technology in the present disclosure, and various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, and the like can be made within the scope of the claims and the equivalents thereof.

Industrial applicability

The present disclosure can be applied to an electronic device having an imaging function, such as a digital camera, a video camera, and a mobile phone with a camera.

Description of the symbols

1: image pickup apparatus

1 a: main body

11: microcomputer with a memory card

13: PD controller

15: state liquid crystal monitor

15 a: information

16: USB port

17: analog switch

19: power supply IC

20: battery with a battery cell

30: main body control part

31: image processing unit

32：DRAM

33: operation part

34: flash memory

35: liquid crystal monitor

36: wireless communication unit

37: CMOS image sensor

40: memory card

50: optical system

Prior art documents

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2018-32221

Claims

1. An imaging device having a main body to which a battery can be attached and detached, the imaging device comprising:

a terminal that is connectable to an external device via a USB cable and that supplies power from the external device to the image pickup apparatus;

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not an external device connected to the terminal and connected to the USB cable corresponds to the USB PD; and

a control unit that outputs information indicating whether or not charging of the battery is possible using the power supplied from the external device, based on the determination by the determination unit, and causes a display unit to display the information,

the control unit controls power for charging the battery in accordance with power consumption of the image pickup apparatus when the external device corresponds to a USB PD and power of the image pickup apparatus is turned on,

when the external device does not correspond to a USB PD but has a predetermined power supply capability and the power supply of the image pickup apparatus is turned on, the control unit causes the display unit to display that the power supply needs to be turned off for charging, and allows the battery to be charged when the power supply is turned off.

2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1,

the control unit does not allow charging of the battery when the external device does not correspond to a USB PD and does not have a predetermined power supply capability.

3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,

when the external device corresponds to a USB PD, charging of the battery is permitted regardless of whether the image pickup apparatus is powered on or off.

4. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,

the power consumption is power consumption obtained by monitoring.

5. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,

the power consumption is determined according to an operation mode of the imaging device.

6. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,

the control unit displays, on the display unit, charging information related to charging of the battery when the external device corresponds to a USB PD.