JP2002320130A - Electronic camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To flexibly control the operation of a sub-central processing unit, by allowing the sub-central processing unit for sharing the held data of a main central processing unit at waking up of a system. SOLUTION: A sub-central processing unit 2 starts a central processing unit 1 at waking up of a system at power resupply which is posterior to the power source disconnection of a power unit 24, and transfers data with the main central processing unit 1, and acquires required data from a non-volatile RAM 1a. The sub-central processing unit 2 in a stand-by state is able to make different operations executed, according to the user setting by sharing data with the main central processing unit 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a main central processing unit (main CPU) having a memory which is rewritable and retains data even when the power is turned off, and a start / stop state of the entire system and a standby state when the system is stopped. The present invention relates to an electronic camera that controls and operates a system using a sub central processing unit (sub CPU) that controls and stores only the storage contents of a non-rewritable memory when power is turned off, and cannot store rewritable data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a digital camera or the like is used, and a subject image is captured by a solid-state image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor, and a still image (still image) or a moving image (movie image) of the object is captured. 2. Description of the Related Art An electronic camera that obtains image data and digitally records it on a recording medium such as an IC (integrated circuit) card, an ultra-small removable hard disk, or a floppy (registered trademark) disk is rapidly becoming popular. In this case, as the IC card,
Smart Media (trademark) using flash memory,
A small card such as a compact flash (trademark), a multimedia card (trademark), a memory stick (trademark), or an SD card (trademark) is often used. Generally, a central processing unit (CPU) configured using a microprocessor or the like is used for controlling each unit in such an electronic camera. Due to the versatility of the central processing unit and the convenience of the system configuration, there are many cases where an electronic camera is configured using two or more central processing units in combination.

When two central processing units are used to control an electronic camera, the main operations of the electronic camera, that is, a photographing operation, an autofocus control operation, an automatic exposure control operation, a strobe control operation, and an image The main central processing unit for controlling the taking-in operation and the like, and the operation for controlling the peripheral devices, that is, the display operation for controlling the display device, the power control operation for controlling the power supply device, the start / stop operation of the entire system, and the clock device. It often includes a sub-central processing unit that performs a timing operation for controlling, a user interface operation for controlling an interface with a user such as an operation unit, and the like. on the other hand,
Since mobile tools such as electronic cameras, that is, portable / portable devices are often driven by batteries, there is a demand for minimizing standby power when not in use. Therefore, when the system is stopped, power consumption may be reduced by stopping the main central processing unit and peripheral devices and driving only the sub central processing unit. In such a case, a small-sized and low-power-consumption device is naturally adopted as the sub central processing unit. However, this type of device usually does not support storage of retained data in an external auxiliary memory or the like. In addition, in terms of cost, a mask ROM (read only memory) is often used for storing the operation program of the sub central processing unit. That is, in this case, the sub central processing unit operates like hardware using fixed programs and data stored in the mask ROM.

[0004]

When the main central processing unit and the sub central processing unit are provided as described above, the sub central processing unit is a central processing unit using a mask ROM which is relatively easy to develop and is inexpensive. The units are used in a form that replaces the hardware, and their functions and operations cannot often be changed. Of course, even when the two central processing units, the main central processing unit and the sub central processing unit, are used, if the power consumption and the cost are not neglected, the stored data which can be commonly accessed by the two central processing units or the respective central processing units can be used. The processing units have their own data,
It is not impossible to be able to change the function and operation of the sub central processing unit. However,
To reduce standby power when not in use at low cost,
As also mentioned above, by the sub central processing unit,
By controlling the start and stop of the entire system including the main central processing unit and the peripheral devices, it is effective to make the standby power only the power consumption of the sub central processing unit. In such a case, a small and low power consumption device is used for the sub central processing unit. However, this type of device usually does not support storage of retained data in an external auxiliary memory or the like, and the main central processing unit is used when the system is started. The rewritable data in the central processing unit cannot be shared by the sub central processing unit and the operation of the sub central processing unit cannot be flexibly controlled, even when the power is turned off.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has a main central processing unit having a rewritable memory which retains data even when the power is turned off. When the standby state is controlled and the power supply is disconnected, only the storage content of the non-rewritable memory is held, and the system operation is controlled using the sub central processing unit that cannot hold the rewritable data. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic camera that allows the sub central processing unit to share data held in the main central processing unit and flexibly control the operation of the sub central processing unit. An object of claim 1 of the present invention is to enable the sub central processing unit to share data with the main central processing unit and control the operation of the sub central processing unit in a standby state, particularly during system wake-up. An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic camera that can reflect, for example, user setting information even before the entire system is activated.

The object of claim 2 of the present invention is to
At the time of system wake-up,
An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic camera capable of causing a sub central processing unit to perform different operations. An object of a third aspect of the present invention is to provide an electronic camera which can omit unnecessary processing particularly at the time of starting immediately after a system wake-up. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electronic camera capable of adjusting and setting the operating conditions of peripheral devices of the sub central processing unit at the time of system wake-up. A further object of the present invention is to provide an electronic camera capable of activating the entire system in accordance with operating conditions set by a user. It is an object of claim 6 of the present invention, inter alia, to provide an electronic camera which allows display on different display devices / configurations by means of a sub-central processing unit. An object of a seventh aspect of the present invention is to provide an electronic camera that enables a sub central processing unit to be commonly used for communication systems of different main central processing units.

[0007] The object of claim 8 of the present invention is to provide a data processing system, particularly when data sharing during system wake-up is unnecessary.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic camera that can omit the process for sharing data by an external input. An object of a ninth aspect of the present invention is to provide an electronic camera capable of performing an entire startup without passing through a standby state when a predetermined system entire startup condition is satisfied. An object of a tenth aspect of the present invention is to provide an electronic camera which enables the entire system to be started without any operation in response to a restart request. An object of claim 11 of the present invention is to provide an electronic camera capable of designating the operation of the main central processing unit at the next startup by the sub central processing unit. A further object of the present invention is to provide an electronic camera which can form a flexible system having a certain degree of versatility by a sub central processing unit which cannot hold rewritable data when power is turned off. is there.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, an electronic camera according to the present invention has a main central processing unit having a memory that is rewritable and retains data even when the power is turned off. Unit and a sub-central processing unit that controls the start / stop of the entire system and the standby state when the system is stopped, and when the power supply is disconnected, only the storage contents of the non-rewritable memory are retained and the rewritable data cannot be retained. In the electronic camera that controls the system operation by using the sub central processing unit, when the system wakes up, activates at least a part of the system including the main central processing unit to exchange data with another device. And share data with the main central processing unit before the whole system is started It is characterized by comprising a stage. The electronic camera according to the present invention as set forth in claim 2, wherein the sub central processing unit is configured to execute the sub central processing based on data received from at least one of the main central processing unit and the other device. It is characterized by including means for changing a control program in the processing unit.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, at the time of starting immediately after the system wakeup, the electronic camera according to the third aspect of the present invention includes at least means for notifying the main central processing unit that the start is immediately after the system wakeup. Features. 5. The electronic camera according to claim 4, wherein the sub central processing unit is configured to execute the sub central processing unit based on data received from at least one of the main central processing unit and the other device. And means for changing the setting condition of the peripheral device. 6. The electronic camera according to claim 5, wherein the sub central processing unit is configured to execute the sub central processing unit based on data received from at least one of the main central processing unit and the other device. And means for changing the start condition of the peripheral device. Claim 6
The electronic camera according to the present invention, wherein the sub central processing unit is controlled by the sub central processing unit from at least one of the main central processing unit and the other device. To receive the sub central processing unit,
It is characterized by including a means for controlling and setting to correspond to a different display format for the display device based on the received data table.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the electronic camera according to the present invention, the sub central processing unit may be configured to transmit the sub central processing unit and the main unit from at least one of the main central processing unit and the other device. Means for changing a communication method between the sub central processing unit and the main central processing unit based on the data table by receiving a data table of a communication method of data transmission / reception with the central processing unit. It is characterized by including. The electronic camera according to the present invention as set forth in claim 8, wherein the sub central processing unit includes means for detecting an external input and determining whether or not execution of data transmission / reception before activation of the entire system is possible. And 10. The electronic camera according to claim 9, wherein the sub central processing unit is transmitting and receiving data between the main central processing unit and at least one of the other devices prior to activation of the entire system. In addition, it is characterized in that it includes means for immediately starting up the entire system without shifting to the standby mode when a predetermined power supply start condition is satisfied.

In the electronic camera according to the present invention, the sub central processing unit may receive a restart request from at least one of the main central processing unit and the other device. It is characterized by including means for automatically starting the entire system. The electronic camera according to the present invention described in claim 11 is
The sub central processing unit includes means for selecting and setting an operation program for the next startup of the main central processing unit. An electronic camera according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the sub-central processing unit includes at least two of the respective means of the second to the eleventh means simultaneously. And

[0012]

That is, the electronic camera according to the first aspect of the present invention has a main central processing unit having a rewritable memory which retains data even when the power is turned off, a start / stop of the entire system, and a standby state when the system is stopped. The electronic camera controls the system operation using a sub-central processing unit that controls only the contents stored in a non-rewritable memory and cannot store rewritable data when the power supply is disconnected. At the time of system wake-up, the processing unit activates at least a part of the system including the main central processing unit, exchanges data with other devices, and exchanges data with the main central processing unit before the entire system is activated. A means for sharing is provided. With such a configuration, in particular, at the time of system wake-up, the sub-central processing unit can share data with the main central processing unit and control the operation of the sub-central processing unit in a standby state. Even before activation, for example, it is possible to reflect user setting information and the like.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the electronic camera according to the second aspect, the sub central processing unit is configured to execute the sub central processing based on data received from at least one of the main central processing unit and the other device. Means for changing the control program in the processing unit is included. With such a configuration, in particular, at the time of system wake-up, it is possible to cause the sub central processing unit to execute a different operation according to a user selection or the like. An electronic camera according to a third aspect of the present invention includes means for notifying at least the main central processing unit that the activation is performed immediately after the system wake-up when the system is activated immediately after the system wake-up. With such a configuration, unnecessary processing can be omitted particularly at the time of startup immediately after system wake-up. 5. The electronic camera according to claim 4, wherein the peripheral device of the sub central processing unit is based on data received by the sub central processing unit from at least one of the main central processing unit and the other device. Means for changing the setting conditions of
With such a configuration, particularly at the time of system wake-up, it is possible to adjust and set the operating conditions of the peripheral devices of the sub central processing unit.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the electronic camera according to the fifth aspect, the sub central processing unit may be configured to perform the processing based on data received from at least one of the main central processing unit and the other device. Means for changing the activation condition of the peripheral device. With such a configuration, in particular, the entire system can be activated according to operating conditions set by the user. An electronic camera according to claim 6 of the present invention, wherein the sub central processing unit comprises:
By receiving a data table of a display device controlled by the sub central processing unit from at least one of the main central processing unit and the other device, the sub central processing unit is converted into the received data table. Means for performing control setting to correspond to a different display format for the display device based on the above. Such a configuration makes it possible, in particular, to display on different display devices / forms depending on the sub-central processing unit.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the electronic camera according to the first aspect, the sub central processing unit may be configured to receive the sub central processing unit and the main central processing unit from at least one of the main central processing unit and the other device. Means for changing a communication method between the sub central processing unit and the main central processing unit based on the data table by receiving a data table of a communication method of data transmission and reception between the sub central processing unit and the main central processing unit. With such a configuration, in particular, the sub central processing unit can be commonly used for communication systems of different main central processing units. The electronic camera according to claim 8 of the present invention includes means for the sub central processing unit to detect an external input and determine whether to execute transmission / reception of data before activation of the entire system. With such a configuration, especially when data sharing during system wake-up is unnecessary,
This data sharing process can be omitted by external input.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the electronic camera, the sub central processing unit is transmitting / receiving data to / from the main central processing unit and / or the other device prior to activation of the entire system. In addition, means for immediately starting the entire system without shifting to the standby mode when a predetermined power supply start condition is satisfied is included. With such a configuration, in particular, when a predetermined system whole start condition is satisfied, the whole system can be started without going through the standby state. In the electronic camera according to claim 10 of the present invention, the sub central processing unit automatically starts up the entire system by receiving a restart request from at least one of the main central processing unit and the other device. Including means. With such a configuration, in particular, the entire system can be started without any operation in response to a restart request.

An electronic camera according to claim 11 of the present invention comprises:
The sub central processing unit includes means for selecting and setting an operation program for the next startup of the main central processing unit. With such a configuration, the operation of the main central processing unit at the next start-up can be specified by the sub central processing unit. According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the electronic camera, the sub central processing unit may be a second to a first aspect.
Item 2 includes at least the means described in Item 2. With such a configuration, a flexible system with a high degree of versatility can be configured, in particular, by a sub central processing unit that cannot retain rewritable data when the power is turned off.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an electronic camera according to the present invention will be described in detail based on an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a system block diagram mainly showing a configuration of a main portion around a sub central processing unit of an electronic camera according to one embodiment of the present invention. The electronic camera shown in FIG. 1 includes a main central processing unit 1, a sub central processing unit 2, a display device 21, an external clock device 22, a user interface (user I / F) 23, a power supply device 24, and other devices 25. ing. The main central processing unit 1 includes a nonvolatile RAM (random access memory) 1a, and the sub central processing unit 2 includes a non-rewritable ROM (read only memory) 2a and a volatile RAM 2b. The display device 21, the external clock device 22, the user interface 23, the power supply device 24, and the other device 25 are peripheral devices of the sub central processing unit 2, and the other device 25 is the display device 2
1, a device coupled to the sub central processing unit 2 other than the external clock device 22, the user interface 23 and the power supply device 24.

The main central processing unit 1 comprises a microprocessor or the like, and controls main operations as an electronic camera, such as a photographing operation, an auto focus control operation, an automatic exposure control operation, a strobe control operation, and an image taking operation. The nonvolatile RAM 1a is built in the main central processing unit 1 or provided so as to be connected to the main central processing unit 1, and is a memory that can be rewritten electronically at any time and retains data even when the power is turned off.
The sub central processing unit 2 includes a relatively inexpensive microprocessor or the like, and performs a display operation for controlling the display device 21;
A clock operation for controlling the external clock device 22, a user interface operation for controlling the user interface 23, a power control operation for controlling the power supply device 24, and other devices 2.
The control operation related to the peripheral device is executed like the operation for controlling the control device 5. The sub central processing unit 2 controls the display device 21, the external clock device 22, the user interface 23, the power supply device 24 and other devices 25, and the main central processing unit 1 to start / stop the entire system, and It has a function to control the standby state when the system is stopped.

The display device 21 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display device, and displays various kinds of operation information such as captured image information and setting information. The external clock device 22 is a general-purpose clock IC.
(Integrated circuit), etc., and supplies time information to the sub central processing unit 2. The time setting of the external clock device 22 is normally performed via the sub central processing unit 2. The user interface 23 is an interface of an operation unit such as various operation buttons and operation switches of the electronic camera. The sub central processing unit 2 acquires operation information of the operation unit via the user interface 23. The power supply 24 uses a battery or the like, and further uses a DC-D
It is a power supply having a C converter and the like. The other device 25 is another device connected to the sub central processing unit 2, and may include, for example, a strobe device or the like. The ROM 2a built in the sub central processing unit 2 is a non-rewritable mask ROM.
Thus, the stored contents will not be lost when the power supply is disconnected, but the stored contents cannot be rewritten. An operation program and initial data necessary for the operation of the sub central processing unit 2 are also stored in the ROM 2a. The RAM 2b incorporated in the sub central processing unit 2 is used for holding intermediate data and the like during operation, and can be electrically rewritten at any time. However, the stored contents cannot be retained.

When the battery of the power supply 24 is replaced, the sub central processing unit 2 is used for system wake-up such as when the power is turned off and the power is turned on again, such as when a new battery is set after the battery is once removed. The main central processing unit 1 is activated to exchange data with the main central processing unit 1 and acquire required data from the nonvolatile RAM 1a. If necessary, at the time of system wake-up, devices other than the main central processing unit 1 may be activated to acquire required data. The sub central processing unit 2 determines the operation immediately after the system wakeup by changing the control program based on the acquired data.

Next, the operation of the electronic camera having the above configuration will be described. At the time of system wake-up due to re-input after disconnection of the power supply such as removal of the battery of the power supply device 24, the sub central processing unit 2 that controls activation / stop of the entire system is activated. Sub central processing unit 2
Controls the DC-DC converter and the like of the power supply device 24 to once start the main central processing unit 1, fetches setting data and the like necessary for system wake-up from the RAM 1a, and performs control based on the setting data. Put the system on standby. As the setting data, for example, the display device 21 is provided so as to be able to open and close,
There is this selection setting information in the case where whether or not the power is turned on by operating the display device 21 from the closed state to the open state can be selected by user setting. The user setting data is stored in the RAM 1a of the main central processing unit 1, and the sub central processing unit 2 controls the operation according to the acquired setting data.

Since this first activation is a dummy activation that is invisible to the user, the sub central processing unit 2 informs the main central processing unit 1 when the main central processing unit 1 is activated, for example, by setting a predetermined port. Notification is made at H (high level) / L (low level). The port used at this time is usually an interrupt signal for communication between the main central processing unit 1 and the sub central processing unit 2. By doing so, the main central processing unit 1 can operate the display device 21 and other LEDs (light emitting diodes)
In order not to control the display system and the CCD image pickup device for photographing, etc., it is started up and terminated quickly, so that the user cannot know the start-up of the main central processing unit 1. That is, the operation of acquiring the entire system start condition data by the user setting at the time of system wakeup is as follows. First, the sub central processing unit 2
When the system power is turned on, the sub central processing unit 2
Activate the necessary peripheral devices to obtain the required data. In the case described above, in order to receive necessary data from the main central processing unit 1, the DC-D
The main central processing unit 1 is started by controlling the C converter.

As described above, the sub central processing unit 2
Notifies the sub central processing unit 2 of only the necessary data without starting unnecessary devices other than the main central processing unit 1 by notifying that it is the first activation when the main central processing unit 1 is activated. To send and receive. Thereafter, the sub central processing unit 2 turns off the power of the main central processing unit 1 and peripheral devices in order to enter the standby state. In this state, the sub central processing unit 2 waits in the low power consumption state until the received activation condition of the entire system is met. In this way, data such as user setting information can be substantially shared between the main central processing unit 1 and the sub central processing unit 2. In addition, when upgrading the firmware, conventionally, only the main central processing unit 1 could be upgraded.
There is an advantage that the function of the sub central processing unit 2 can be changed. That is, by sharing data with the main central processing unit 1, the operation of the sub central processing unit 2 in the standby state can be controlled. This allows the user setting information and the like to be reflected even before the first whole system activation.

By storing a plurality of operation programs in the sub central processing unit 2, it is possible to cause the sub central processing unit 2 to execute different operations according to user settings. Further, by notifying the activation immediately after the system wake-up from the sub central processing unit 2 to the main central processing unit 1, unnecessary processing is omitted and necessary data is transferred in a shorter time than usual. be able to. Also, depending on the user settings,
Since the peripheral devices of the sub central processing unit 2 can be set, the timing and the like can be adjusted. Further, the entire system can be started by using a button other than the power button. As a result, even immediately after the system wake-up, the entire system can be activated by a predetermined operation set by the user. Further, it is possible to flexibly cope with different display devices 21 by using the display data table. Furthermore, by changing communication conditions such as the number of data transmitted / received between the respective central processing units, a common sub central processing unit 2 can be used for different main central processing units 1.
Can be used as is. Also, when data transfer at the time of system wake-up is not necessary, this processing can be omitted by external input,
Initialization time is short.

Furthermore, if the whole system start-up condition is satisfied before the sub central processing unit 2 enters the standby state, it is not necessary to temporarily enter the standby mode.
Initialization time can be reduced. In addition, by setting the reception of the restart condition, the entire system can be started without any operation under a preset condition. In addition, since the operation program for the next startup of the main central processing unit 1 can be selected, it is possible to cause the main central processing unit 1 to perform a different operation without any operation. Also,
By appropriately using each of the above-described functions, a flexible system with a high degree of versatility can be configured even with the sub central processing unit 2 that operates based on the non-rewritable ROM 2a. The sub central processing unit 2 equipped with the ROM 2a can be used. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings. It goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the above description, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an electronic camera has been described. However, a mobile terminal having an electronic camera function is provided by incorporating functions such as a mobile phone, a communication terminal, and an Internet terminal into a body or the like. The same configuration as described above may be applied to a silver halide camera using a silver halide film.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention, a main central processing unit having a rewritable memory that retains data even when the power is turned off, a start / stop of the entire system, and a standby state when the system is stopped At the time of controlling the state and disconnecting the power supply, only the storage contents of the non-rewritable memory are retained, and the system operation is controlled using the sub central processing unit which cannot retain the rewritable data. It is possible to provide an electronic camera that allows the sub central processing unit to share data held in the main central processing unit and flexibly control the operation of the sub central processing unit.

That is, according to the electronic camera of the first aspect of the present invention, a main central processing unit including a memory that is rewritable and retains data even when the power is turned off,
Using a sub central processing unit that controls the start / stop of the entire system and the standby state when the system is stopped and disconnects the power supply, only the storage contents of the non-rewritable memory are retained and the rewritable data cannot be retained. In the electronic camera controlling the operation of the system, the sub central processing unit activates at least a part including the main central processing unit of the system at the time of system wake-up to exchange data with other devices, By having means for sharing data with the main central processing unit before the whole start-up,
Particularly, at the time of system wake-up, the sub central processing unit can share data with the main central processing unit and control the operation of the sub central processing unit in a standby state, so that even before the entire system is started up For example, user setting information can be reflected.

Further, according to the electronic camera of the second aspect of the present invention, the sub central processing unit performs the processing based on the data received from at least one of the main central processing unit and the other device. By including the means for changing the control program in the sub central processing unit, it becomes possible to cause the sub central processing unit to execute a different operation in response to a user selection or the like, particularly at the time of system wake-up. Further, according to the electronic camera of the third aspect of the present invention, at the time of starting immediately after the system wake-up, the electronic camera includes at least a means for notifying the main central processing unit that the start is immediately after the system wake-up. At the time of startup immediately after system wakeup, unnecessary processing can be omitted. According to the electronic camera of claim 4 of the present invention,
The sub central processing unit includes means for changing a setting condition of a peripheral device of the sub central processing unit based on data received from at least one of the main central processing unit and the other device. In particular, at the time of system wake-up, it is possible to adjust and set the operating conditions of the peripheral device of the sub central processing unit.

According to the electronic camera of the fifth aspect of the present invention,
The sub central processing unit includes means for changing a start condition of a peripheral device of the sub central processing unit based on data received from at least one of the main central processing unit and the other device. In particular, the entire system can be started in accordance with operating conditions set by the user. Claim 6 of the present invention
According to the electronic camera of the above, the sub central processing unit is:
By receiving, from at least one of the main central processing unit and the other device, a data table of a display device controlled by the sub-central processing unit, the sub-central processing unit receives the data table. In particular, by including means for controlling and setting the display device so as to correspond to different display formats on the display device, display by different display devices / configurations can be performed by the sub central processing unit. Claim 7 of the present invention
According to the electronic camera of the above, the sub central processing unit is:
By receiving a data table of a communication method for transmitting and receiving data between the sub central processing unit and the main central processing unit from at least one of the main central processing unit and the other device, Means for changing a communication method between the sub central processing unit and the main central processing unit based on the sub central processing unit. It can be used for

According to the electronic camera of claim 8 of the present invention,
Since the sub central processing unit includes means for detecting an external input and determining whether or not transmission and reception of data before starting the entire system can be performed, particularly, data sharing at the time of system wake-up is unnecessary. In this case, the data sharing process can be omitted by external input. According to the electronic camera of the ninth aspect of the present invention, the sub central processing unit transmits and receives data between the main central processing unit and at least one of the other devices prior to activation of the entire system. When the predetermined power-on condition is satisfied, the system does not shift to the standby mode and includes a means for immediately starting the entire system. It is possible to start the entire system without going through. According to the electronic camera of the tenth aspect of the present invention, the sub central processing unit receives the restart request from at least one of the main central processing unit and the other device, thereby automatically controlling the entire system. By including the means for starting, the whole system can be started without any operation, particularly when a restart is requested.

According to the electronic camera of the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the sub central processing unit includes means for selecting and setting an operation program at the time of next activation of the main central processing unit. The operation of the main central processing unit at the next startup can be designated by the unit. According to the electronic camera of the twelfth aspect of the present invention, in particular, the sub central processing unit includes at least two of the means of the second to the eleventh of the means of the second to the eleventh. In addition, a versatile and highly versatile flexible system can be configured by the sub central processing unit that cannot retain rewritable data when the power is turned off.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system block diagram schematically showing a configuration of a main part mainly of a sub central processing unit of an electronic camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 main central processing unit (main CPU) 1a (non-volatile) RAM (random access memory) 2 sub central processing unit (sub CPU) 2a (mask) ROM (read only memory) 2b (volatile) RAM 21 display device 22 external Clock device 23 User interface 24 Power supply device 25 Other device

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A main central processing unit comprising a memory which is rewritable and retains data even when the power is turned off, and controls the start / stop of the entire system and a standby state when the system is stopped, and the rewritable state is not available when the power is turned off. In an electronic camera that controls system operation using a sub central processing unit that retains only the storage content of the memory and cannot retain rewritable data, the sub central processing unit is configured to wake up the system when the system wakes up. It is characterized by comprising means for starting up at least a part including the main central processing unit, exchanging data with other devices, and sharing data with the main central processing unit before starting up the entire system. Electronic camera. 2. The sub central processing unit includes means for changing a control program in the sub central processing unit based on data received from at least one of the main central processing unit and the other device. The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein: 3. When starting immediately after system wake-up, it is determined that the system is started immediately after system wake-up.
2. The electronic camera according to claim 1, further comprising means for notifying at least the main central processing unit. 4. The sub central processing unit changes a setting condition of a peripheral device of the sub central processing unit based on data received from at least one of the main central processing unit and the another device. 2. The electronic camera according to claim 1, further comprising means. 5. The sub central processing unit changes a start condition of a peripheral device of the sub central processing unit based on data received from at least one of the main central processing unit and the other device. 2. The electronic camera according to claim 1, further comprising means. 6. The sub central processing unit receives a data table of a display device controlled by the sub central processing unit from at least one of the main central processing unit and the other device, 2. The electronic camera according to claim 1, further comprising means for controlling and setting the sub central processing unit to correspond to a different display format for the display device based on the received data table. 7. The communication method for transmitting and receiving data between the sub central processing unit and the main central processing unit from at least one of the main central processing unit and the other device. 2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: receiving a data table of the sub central processing unit and changing a communication method between the sub central processing unit and the main central processing unit based on the data table. Electronic camera. 8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sub-central processing unit includes means for detecting an external input and determining whether to execute transmission / reception of data before starting the entire system. camera. 9. The sub central processing unit satisfies a predetermined power activation condition during data transmission / reception between the main central processing unit and at least one of the other devices prior to activation of the entire system. 2. The electronic camera according to claim 1, further comprising means for immediately starting the entire system without shifting to the standby mode when the operation is performed. 10. The sub central processing unit includes means for automatically starting the entire system by receiving a restart request from at least one of the main central processing unit and the other device. The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein 11. The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the sub central processing unit includes means for selecting and setting an operation program for the next startup of the main central processing unit. 12. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the sub central processing unit simultaneously includes at least two of the units described in claims 2 to 11. camera.