JP2007057796A - Lens unit - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device utilizing the non-volatile memory of a lens unit even after being incorporated into a camera body. <P>SOLUTION: The lens unit 10 incorporated into the camera body 30 of an imaging device 1 includes a zoom lens 11, a focus lens 14, an imaging element 15, a diaphragm 12, a shutter 13, and an EEPROM 16. The EEPROM 16 stores lens adjustment value data of the lens unit 10 obtained during the adjustment of the lens unit 10 before the incorporation and written on the camera body 30 during the incorporation. The EEPROM 16 stores at least the use condition data of the imaging device obtained during normal use after the incorporation or the malfunction condition data of the imaging device obtained during a malfunction after the incorporation. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus, and more particularly to a lens unit incorporated in a camera body.

  A lens unit having a nonvolatile memory that records lens adjustment value data adjusted by the lens unit before being mounted (mounted) in the camera body has been proposed.

Patent Document 1 discloses a lens unit having a nonvolatile memory that records lens adjustment value data. When the camera body is assembled, lens adjustment value data is written into the camera body.
JP 2004-198496 A

  However, the non-volatile memory of the lens unit of Patent Document 1 only records adjustment data before being incorporated into the camera body, and is unnecessary after being incorporated.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that utilizes a nonvolatile memory of a lens unit even after being incorporated into a camera body.

  A lens unit incorporated in a camera body of an imaging apparatus according to the present invention includes an imaging optical system, an imaging element, an aperture, at least one of a shutter, and a recording unit, and the recording unit includes a lens unit before being incorporated. The lens adjustment value data of the lens unit that is obtained at the time of adjustment and written to the camera body at the time of incorporation is written, the usage status data of the imaging device obtained at normal use after incorporation and the imaging device obtained at the time of failure after incorporation At least one of the failure status data is written.

  Preferably, the usage status data and the failure status data are overwritten in an area where the lens adjustment value data is written in the camera body.

  Preferably, lens identification data having lens unit identification information is written in the recording unit.

  Preferably, the recording unit is a ROM capable of electrically rewriting contents.

  Preferably, the lens adjustment value data is at least one of the output characteristics of the imaging device, the characteristics of the imaging optical system, the diaphragm, and the characteristics of the shutter, and is after adjustment of the lens unit.

  The camera body of the imaging apparatus according to the present invention is incorporated in the camera body of the imaging apparatus, and includes a lens unit having at least one of an imaging optical system, an imaging element, a diaphragm, a shutter, and a recording unit, and an operating state of the camera body. Monitor and generate at least one of usage status data obtained during normal use and failure status data at the time of failure, and when adjusted, record lens adjustment value data obtained during adjustment of the lens unit before installation After being read from the unit and incorporated, the control unit performs control for writing at least one of the usage status data and the failure status data to the recording unit.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an apparatus that utilizes the nonvolatile memory of the lens unit even after being incorporated into the camera body.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The imaging device 1 in this embodiment includes a lens unit 10 and a camera body 30 (see FIG. 1). In the present embodiment, the imaging device 1 is a digital camera. The lens unit 10 is incorporated in the camera body 30.

  The lens unit 10 includes a zoom lens 11, an aperture 12, a shutter 13, a focus lens 14, an image sensor 15, an EEPROM (Electronically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory) 16, a zoom motor 21, an aperture drive 22, a shutter drive 23, and a focus motor 24. And the thermistor 25.

  The camera body 30 includes an AFE (Analog Front End) 31, a motor drive circuit 32, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 33, a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) 34, a ROM (Read Only Memory) operation unit 35, an external card interface 36, and the like. 37, a display unit 38, and a power supply circuit 39.

  The zoom lens 11 is moved in the optical axis direction by a zoom motor 21 that operates in accordance with a control signal sent from a motor drive circuit 32 provided in the camera body 30. As the zoom lens 11 moves in the optical axis direction, the photographing magnification varies. The aperture of the diaphragm 12 is adjusted by a diaphragm drive 22 that operates according to a control signal sent from the motor drive circuit 32. The shutter 13 is opened and closed by a shutter drive 23 that operates according to a control signal sent from the motor drive circuit 32. The focus lens 14 is moved in the optical axis direction by a focus motor 24 that operates in accordance with a control signal sent from the motor drive circuit 32. The focus adjustment is performed by the focus lens 14 moving in the optical axis direction.

  The positions of the zoom lens 11 and the focus lens 14 in the optical axis direction are monitored by the CPU 33 of the camera body 30 via an encoder (not shown). The operating states of the diaphragm 12 and the shutter 13 are monitored by the CPU 33 via a sensor (not shown). Whether or not the zoom lens 11 or the like is operating normally is grasped by the monitor by the CPU 33. The CPU 33 monitors the operating state of each part of the lens unit 10 and also monitors the operating state of each part of the camera body, and grasps whether each is operating normally.

  The imaging device 15 is an image sensor such as a charge coupled devices (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS). An optical image in which the subject image is projected through the imaging optical system (the zoom lens 11 and the focus lens 14) is formed on the imaging surface of the imaging element 15. The image sensor 15 converts the optical image into an electrical signal by photoelectric conversion. An electrical signal based on the read electric charge after being accumulated for a predetermined time (exposure time) by the image sensor 15 is an image signal that can be recorded on a recording medium via the external card interface 36 under the control of the CPU 33 by the AFE 31. And converted into an image signal that can be displayed on the display unit 38.

  The EEPROM 16 is a ROM whose contents can be electrically rewritten, and records lens adjustment value data, lens identification data, usage status data, and failure status data. The recording capacity of the EEPROM 16 is set to be larger than the total capacity of the lens adjustment value data and the lens identification data, and larger than the total capacity of the lens identification data, the usage status data, and the failure status data.

  The lens adjustment value data includes output characteristics of the image sensor, characteristics of the zoom lens 11 and the focus lens 14 such as the movement position (zoom end) of the zoom lens 11, and characteristics of the shutter 13 and the aperture 12 such as a shutter delay degree of the shutter 13. This is after adjustment of each part of the lens unit 10. The lens adjustment value data is obtained at the time of adjustment before the lens unit 10 is incorporated into the camera body, and is written into the ROM 35 of the camera body 30 at the time of incorporation. After the writing to the ROM 35 is completed, the lens adjustment value data recorded in the EEPROM 16 is deleted (see FIGS. 4 (1) and (2)).

  The lens identification data includes data for identifying the individual lens unit 10 such as a serial number (see FIG. 4).

  The usage status data is data that stores usage statuses of the lens unit 10 and the camera body 30 obtained after the lens unit 10 is incorporated into the camera body 30 and is normally used. The usage status data includes the zoom operation and the number of times the release switch is used, and is created based on the event information of the CPU 33. The usage status data is written in the recording area of the EEPROM 16 where the lens adjustment value data is written and erased after the writing to the ROM 35 is completed (see FIG. 4 (3)).

  The usage status data is data of the state of the operated switch (for example, the contents of the operation instruction by the user such as the ON / OFF state of the release switch, recording / reproducing mode setting, etc.) and the state of each part before and after the switch operation. Specifically, the usage data includes the cumulative number of movements of the zoom lens 11, the latest position of the zoom lens 11, the cumulative number of shutter operations of the shutter 13, the shutter speed during the latest photographing operation, and the cumulative focus operation of the focus lens 14. The number of times, the position of the latest focus lens 14, the temperature information around the latest focus lens 14, and the latest state of each switch.

  The failure status data is data that stores the failure status of the lens unit 10 obtained when the lens unit 10 or the camera body 30 fails after the lens unit 10 has been incorporated into the camera body 30. The failure situation data is created based on a situation where the malfunction did not occur normally in response to an instruction from the CPU 33. The failure status data is written in the recording area of the EEPROM 16 where the lens adjustment value data is written and erased after the writing to the ROM 35 is completed (see FIG. 4 (3)).

  The failure status data is a situation at the time of failure. When the CPU 33 monitors the operation state of each part of the lens unit 10 and the camera body 30 and detects an abnormality based on information from the monitor, the failure status data Situation data. Specifically, the failure status data includes initialization error and power supply abnormality of the zoom lens 11 and the focus lens 14, a state where the zoom lens 11 cannot operate, a state where the focus lens 14 cannot operate, and a shutter 13 which can operate. At least 1 such as no signal from the AFE 31 to the CPU 33, communication with the card via the external card interface 36, abnormality of the main board (not shown), or failure to read data written in the ROM 35. Have one.

  Usage status data and failure status data written in the EEPROM 16 can be read out via a predetermined device. Based on these data, it becomes easy to grasp the usage status of the user and identify the cause of the failure. It is also conceivable that the imaging device 1 may not move due to a failure before writing failure status data in the EEPROM 16. In this case, although failure status data cannot be obtained, it is possible to specify the cause of the failure based on the event information (event information immediately before the failure) of the CPU 33 written in the usage status data.

  4 (1) shows that the lens identification data is written in the addresses 0x0000 to 0x00FF and the lens adjustment value data is written in the addresses 0x0100 to 0x1FFF before the lens unit 10 is incorporated into the camera body 30. The memory MAP is shown.

  (2) in FIG. 4 shows that lens identification data is written from address 0x0000 to address 0x00FF after the lens unit 10 is incorporated into the camera body 30 and before the imaging apparatus 1 is used, and addresses 0x0100 to 0x1FFF are The memory MAP of the EEPROM 16 in which the lens adjustment value data is erased and is empty is shown. (3) in FIG. 4 shows that the lens identification data is written in the addresses 0x0000 to 0x00FF after the lens unit 10 is incorporated in the camera body 30 and when the imaging apparatus 1 is used (or at the time of failure). A memory MAP of the EEPROM 16 in which at least one of usage status data and failure status data is written from the address to the address 0x1FFF.

  The thermistor 25 is provided near the focus lens 14 in the lens unit 10 and detects the temperature around the focus lens 14. The temperature information around the focus lens 14 is used as one of the usage status data, and is also used for driving amount correction of the focus motor 24 and the like.

  The motor drive circuit 32 drives the zoom motor 21, the aperture drive 22, the shutter drive 23, and the focus motor 24 under the control of the CPU 33.

  In the DRAM 34, information from the image sensor 15, an image work area, and the like are primarily recorded during an image processing operation that is converted into an image signal by the AFE 31 and the CPU 33.

  The ROM 35 stores a camera control program and lens adjustment value data read from the EEPROM 16.

  The external card interface 36 is connected to a recording medium (not shown), and records the image signal output from the CPU 33 in a predetermined file format such as a JPEG file.

  The operation unit 37 sends a control signal corresponding to an input operation by the user such as a shutter button to the CPU 33.

  The display unit 38 displays an image corresponding to the image signal from the CPU 33, an operation screen, and the like.

  The power supply circuit 39 supplies power to each part of the lens unit 10 and the camera body 30.

  Next, the procedure for writing the lens adjustment value data in the EEPROM 16 of the lens unit 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The lens adjustment value data is written by attaching the lens unit 10 to a lens unit adjustment device (not shown) having an adjustment subject as a light source before the lens unit 10 is attached to the camera body 30. During the lens adjustment value data writing operation, the image sensor 15, the EEPROM 16, the zoom motor 21, the aperture drive 22, the shutter drive 23, and the focus motor 24 of the lens unit 10 are driven by the control of the lens unit adjustment device.

  In step S11, the lens unit 10 is attached to the lens unit adjusting device. In step S12, output adjustment of the image sensor 15 is performed, and it is determined whether or not the image sensor 15 operates normally. If it is determined in step S12 that the zoom lens 11 is normal, the zoom motor 21 and the focus motor 24 are driven in step S13, and zoom lens 11 and focus lens 14 adjustment processing such as zoom end adjustment is performed. Then, it is determined whether or not the focus lens 14 operates normally. If it is determined in step S13 that the aperture is normal, the aperture drive 22 and the shutter drive 23 are driven in step S14, and adjustment processing of the aperture 12 and the shutter 13 such as a shutter delay is performed. It is determined whether or not the shutter 13 operates normally.

  If it is determined to be normal in step S14, data (lens adjustment value data) and lens identification data in the adjustment process performed in steps S12 to S14 and lens identification data are written in the EEPROM 16 in step S15, and the data is normally transferred to the EEPROM 16. Whether or not writing has been performed is determined. The lens adjustment value data is the characteristics of the shutter 13 and the diaphragm 12 such as the output characteristics of the image sensor 15, the lens characteristics of the zoom lens 11 and the focus lens, and the shutter delay value after the adjustment process. If it is determined in step S15 that the data has been normally written, the writing procedure to the EEPROM 16 is terminated.

  If the output characteristic of the image sensor 15 is outside the assumed output adjustment range, it is determined in step S12 that it is not normal, and the lens adjustment value data writing procedure is terminated. If the characteristics of the zoom lens 11 or the focus lens 14 are outside the adjustment range assumed in advance, it is determined in step S13 that the characteristics are not normal, and the lens adjustment value data writing procedure is terminated. If the characteristics of the aperture 12 or the shutter 13 are outside the adjustment range assumed in advance, such as the shutter delay is outside the range that can be handled by the software of the camera body 30, it is determined in step S14 that the shutter delay is not normal. The adjustment value data writing procedure is terminated. If the output characteristics of the image sensor 15 or the like are not normally written in the EEPROM 16, it is determined in step S15 that it is not normal, and the lens adjustment value data writing procedure is terminated. The lens unit 10 that is determined to be not normal in the determinations in steps S12 to S15 is not incorporated into the camera body 30, and only the lens unit 10 that is determined to be normal in the determinations in steps S12 to S15 is the camera body. 30.

  Next, a procedure for incorporating the lens unit 10 into the camera body 30 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The lens unit 10 is incorporated into the camera body 30 by attaching the lens unit 10 to a camera assembly device (not shown) after the writing of the lens adjustment value data to the EEPROM 16 is completed. Until the lens unit 10 is incorporated into the camera body 30, the image pickup device 15, the EEPROM 16, the zoom motor 21, the aperture drive 22, the shutter drive 23, and the focus motor 24 of the lens unit 10 are driven by the control of the camera assembly device. The camera body 30 and the camera assembly device are in a communicable state.

  In step S31, lens adjustment value data is read from the EEPROM 16 of the lens unit 10 into the camera assembly apparatus. In step S <b> 32, lens adjustment value data is written from the camera assembly device to the ROM 35 of the camera body 30.

  In step S33, the lens adjustment value data in the EEPROM 16 of the lens unit 10 is deleted. As a result, only the lens identification data is recorded in the EEPROM 16, and the free space increases by the lens adjustment value data (see FIG. 4). However, if the usage status data and the failure status data are overwritten on the area of the EEPROM 16 where the lens adjustment value data is written, the same effect as that of the erasure can be obtained.

  In step S34, the lens unit 10 and the camera body 30 are integrally combined to complete the imaging device 1.

  Next, the operation procedure of the imaging apparatus 1 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. In step S51, the power supply circuit 39 of the imaging device 1 is turned on. After being turned on, the imaging apparatus 1 initializes the lens unit 10 under the control of the CPU 33.

  At the time of initialization in step S52, for example, although the CPU 33 controls the movement of the zoom lens 11 and the focus lens 14 to the predetermined positions, the zoom lens 11 and the focus lens 14 have not moved to the predetermined positions. Whether or not a malfunction has occurred is determined. If no malfunction occurs and the initialization is performed normally, the camera operation setting is performed by the user in step S53. The camera operation setting includes zooming, mode setting of the image pickup apparatus 1, on / off control of a release switch, and the like. If a failure occurs and initialization is not performed normally, information regarding the failure is written in the EEPROM 16 as failure status data in step S54.

  In step S55, the operation of the imaging device 1 is performed corresponding to the camera operation setting in step S53. The event information of the CPU 33 at this time is written in the EEPROM 16 as usage status data.

  In step S56, it is determined whether the camera operation of the lens unit 10 has been performed normally. If it is normally performed, it is determined in step S57 whether or not to continue the operation of the imaging device 1. When continuing, it returns to step S53. If the operation is not continued, such as an operation for turning off the power supply circuit 39 by the user, the imaging device 1 is turned off in step S58.

  If it is determined in step S56 that the camera operation of the lens unit 10 is not performed normally, in step S54, information regarding the failure of the lens unit 10 is written in the EEPROM 16 as failure status data.

  In the present embodiment, after the lens unit 10 is incorporated (mounted) in the camera body 30, usage status data when the lens unit 10 is operating normally, and failure status data when the lens unit 10 is not operating normally. Is written in the EEPROM 16 of the lens unit 10. Therefore, by preparing an environment in which data communication with the EEPROM 16 is possible, it is possible to acquire lens data (lens usage data, failure status data) regarding the lens unit 10 even after mounting.

  In particular, since the failure status data is recorded in the lens unit 10, when the lens unit 10 and the camera body 30 are separated, for example, when the lens unit 10 and the camera body 30 are separated in order to repair the imaging device 1, the lens unit 10 and the camera body 30. Management of the combination can be simplified. Even when the main board of the camera body 30 is broken, it is possible to know the failure status of the lens unit 10 or the camera body 30 from the EEPROM 16 of the lens unit 10.

  Moreover, since not only the situation at the time of failure but also the situation when operating normally is recorded in the EEPROM 16 as usage status data, the usage status data should be checked when the imaging device 1 is collected for repair or the like. This makes it possible to know the usage status of the user. This makes it possible to know the actual usage of the imaging device 1 that the user does not expect, and has the advantage of obtaining information for product development.

  Further, the failure status data and the usage status data are areas used for storing the lens adjustment value data in the recording area of the EEPROM 16, and the failure status data and the usage status data are stored in the EEPROM 16 for recording the failure status data and the usage status data. There is no need to increase the recording capacity.

  Although the imaging apparatus 1 in the present embodiment has been described as a digital camera, it may be a film type camera. Further, the zoom lens 11 and the focus lens 14 are not limited to operation control by a motor, and may be manual operation control by a user.

It is a block diagram of the imaging device in this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure which writes lens adjustment value data in a lens unit. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure which incorporates a lens unit in a camera main body. It is a figure which shows memory MAP of EEPROM. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement procedure of an imaging device.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Imaging device 10 Lens unit 11 Zoom lens 12 Aperture 13 Shutter 14 Focus lens 15 Image sensor 16 EEPROM
21 Zoom motor 22 Aperture drive 23 Shutter drive 24 Focus motor 25 Thermistor 30 Camera body 31 AFE
32 Motor drive circuit 33 CPU
34 DRAM
35 ROM
36 External Card Interface 37 Operation Unit 38 Display Unit 39 Power Supply Circuit

Claims (6)

A lens unit that is incorporated in a camera body of an imaging apparatus and includes an imaging optical system, an imaging element, an aperture, at least one of a shutter, and a recording unit;
The recording unit is written with the lens adjustment value data of the lens unit that is obtained when adjusting the lens unit before the incorporation and written to the camera body at the time of incorporation, and is obtained during normal use after the incorporation. The lens unit, wherein at least one of usage status data of the imaging device and failure status data of the imaging device obtained at the time of the failure after incorporation is written.   The lens unit according to claim 1, wherein the usage status data and the failure status data are overwritten in an area where the lens adjustment value data is written in the camera body.   The lens unit according to claim 1, wherein lens identification data including identification information of the lens unit is written in the recording unit.   The lens unit according to claim 1, wherein the recording unit is a nonvolatile memory capable of electrically rewriting contents.   The lens adjustment value data is at least one of output characteristics of the image sensor, characteristics of the imaging optical system, characteristics of the diaphragm, and characteristics of the shutter, and is after adjustment of the lens unit. The lens unit according to claim 1. A lens unit that is incorporated in the camera body of the image pickup apparatus and has at least one of an image pickup optical system, an image pickup element, an aperture, a shutter, and a recording unit, and a use state obtained during normal use by monitoring the operating state of the camera body Monitoring means for generating at least one of data and failure status data at the time of failure;
At the time of incorporation, lens adjustment value data obtained at the time of adjustment of the lens unit before the incorporation is read from the recording unit, and after the incorporation, at least one of the usage status data and the failure status data is obtained. A camera body comprising control means for controlling writing in the recording unit.

Images