JP2006267435A - Interchangeable lens - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically read the recognition information of an interchangeable lens that is in the state of a half-product or product. <P>SOLUTION: In the interchangeable lens attachable to a camera body designed to allow lens interchange, a radio type non-contact recognition tag is disposed on a substrate which is disposed in the interchangeable lens and on which electronic components are arranged and wired. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an interchangeable lens removable from a camera.

  In the production of conventional interchangeable lenses, the recognition number is attached to the interchangeable lens being manufactured as a handwritten slip or barcode sheet, and manufacturing management such as quality control is performed by manually entering the recognition number or reading the barcode in each process. After completion, an identification tag or barcode sheet based on the production number was attached, and inventory management was performed.

  However, handwritten slips or barcode sheets cannot be pasted on semi-finished products because the exterior parts are often attached last during assembly, and the finished product cannot be pasted because the appearance cannot be soiled. . In any case, automatic reading is difficult, and slips or barcode sheets are attached to the case to move the manufacturing process, and management is performed by manual input or barcode input.

In addition, when manufacturing a lens unit as a single unit and commercializing it in combination with the camera body as appropriate, the lens unit's various parameters are stored in the memory in the unit and combined with the camera body before the lens unit. There has been known a technique for setting a camera by reading parameters from the internal memory and sending them to the camera body being manufactured.
Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-198496

As described above, it is difficult for the conventional interchangeable lens to have the product or semi-finished product have recognition information such as a recognition number and automatically read it. An object of the present invention is to automatically read recognition information of an interchangeable lens in a semi-finished product or a product state.

The present invention is characterized in that, in an interchangeable lens that can be attached to a camera body in which a lens can be interchanged, a wireless non-contact recognition tag is disposed on a substrate that is placed inside the interchangeable lens and on which electronic components are arranged and wired.

In the interchangeable lens of the present invention, the recognition information of each interchangeable lens can be automatically read.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an interchangeable lens 100 showing an embodiment of the present invention, taken along a plane including the optical axis and parallel to the optical axis. The interchangeable lens 100 includes a first lens unit L1 to a fourth lens unit L4, a diaphragm mechanism 20 that restricts a light beam passing therethrough, a fixed mount unit 10 that is bayonet-coupled with a mount unit of the camera body, and electrical contacts of the camera body. A signal terminal group 15 that is coupled to communicate signals with the camera body, a control board 1 on which electronic components for electrical signal processing and drive control in the interchangeable lens are mounted, and a cam mechanism (not shown) during focusing operation. A focusing operation ring 30 for manually driving the lens group L2 through the zoom lens, and a zooming operation ring for changing the focal length by driving the lens groups L1 to L3 through a cam mechanism (not shown) during the zooming operation. 40.

  FIG. 2 is a plan view of the electric substrate 1 of the present embodiment. The control board 1 detects a non-contact type tag system (hereinafter referred to as RFID as appropriate) 2 that transmits recognition information such as a recognition number in response to a request signal from the outside, an RFID antenna 3, and a variable magnification driving amount. A CPU 5 that processes a signal of a zoom encoder (not shown) to determine a focal length and transmits focal length information as necessary, and a ROM 6 that stores aperture information of the interchangeable lens, optical characteristics according to the image height, and the like. Have.

  Although the manufacturing process varies depending on the interchangeable lens, generally speaking, the lens group is often incorporated and adjusted after electrical wiring, board mounting, and mechanical assembly adjustment. The reason for incorporating the lens and optical adjustment in this way is to prevent the lens from becoming dirty or damaged when the lens is incorporated at an early stage when the machine is incorporated or adjusted.

  Therefore, since the RFID 2 is incorporated at an early stage of the manufacturing process, in many cases, the recognition information of the interchangeable lens 100 at the semi-finished product stage can be automatically recognized without contact. As a method of manufacturing the interchangeable lens 100, a cell method in which assembly from the beginning to the end is performed by one worker, and each worker performs one or a small number of processes, and a transfer device is used between the processes. There is a line system for sending semi-finished products. In any of these steps, the effect is the same because the control board 1 is incorporated at a relatively early stage.

  Since the antenna portion of the RFID 2 is disposed along the outer periphery of the control board 1, the effective length of the antenna can be sufficiently secured and the communication sensitivity is increased. Furthermore, since the control board 1 has a planar shape, the RFID can be disposed without waste. When it is incorporated in another part, it is difficult to secure a plane part corresponding to the RFID 2, and it becomes necessary to provide a dedicated substrate for the RFID 2.

  In addition, since this product and others have recognition information for each product, even if multiple models are put together in the same box when stocking, what kind of models are entered by checking the recognition information Can know instantly. Therefore, the inventory space can be reduced, and the number of man-hours required for inventory management can be reduced by managing the recognition information with a personal computer or the like.

(Modification)
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and changes are possible. For example, the following modifications and changes are conceivable, but these are also within the equivalent scope of the present invention. is there.
(1) Although the present embodiment uses an RFID for an interchangeable lens, the same image is apparently obtained by managing the recognition information by attaching the RFID to an imaging unit assembly of a digital camera having the same model and different number of pixels. Can be handled without confusion.
(2) In this embodiment, the RFID is provided only on the control board. However, when the assembly (intermediate product) is assembled and assembled, the assembly assembled by attaching the RFID to the assembly. It is possible to check at once whether there is any wrong thing in the.

Sectional drawing which cut the interchangeable lens 100 which shows one Embodiment by the plane which contains an optical axis and is parallel to an optical axis The top view of the electric substrate 1 of this embodiment

Explanation of symbols

1 Control board 2 RFID
3 Antenna 5 CPU
6 ROM 10 Fixed mount portion 15 Signal terminal group

Claims (2)

In interchangeable lenses that can be attached to a camera body with interchangeable lenses,
An interchangeable lens, wherein a wireless non-contact recognition tag is disposed on a substrate inside the interchangeable lens on which electronic components are arranged and wired.
The interchangeable lens according to claim 1,
The interchangeable lens, wherein an antenna portion of the wireless non-contact recognition tag is disposed near an outer periphery of the substrate.

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