JP2012109991A - Electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To supply appropriate electric power to an external apparatus connected depending on a type of the external apparatus.SOLUTION: An electronic apparatus to which an external apparatus can be connected comprises: electric power supplying means for supplying electric power to the external apparatus connected to the electronic apparatus; discriminating means for discriminating the external apparatus; and controlling means for controlling timing of starting or stopping supply of the electric power to the external apparatus by the electric power supplying means based on the discriminated result by the discriminating means.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device to which an external device can be connected.

  An imaging device such as a digital camera generates and stores digital image data, and thus has good compatibility with various digital devices such as a PC. Therefore, by connecting to a digital device and performing a cooperative operation, various functions such as transmission / reception of image data, acquisition of position information, remote control of a digital camera, and cooperation with an information service can be expanded. However, conventionally, when the functions are specifically expanded, a method of transferring image data to a PC once and using functions of various digital devices via the PC is generally used.

  On the other hand, in a PC, a USB host port is widely used as a general-purpose port to which various digital devices can be connected, and the number and types of compatible devices are enormous.

  Even in an imaging system such as a digital camera, by providing a USB host port compliant with the USB standard, it is possible to connect various types of USB device devices for PC with only one port in terms of hardware. It becomes possible, and the function can be directly expanded without going through the PC. As described above, when the function can be directly expanded by the imaging apparatus, the system is downsized compared with the case of using a conventional PC, and the work efficiency particularly when working outdoors is greatly improved. There is.

  However, since an imaging device such as a digital camera is mainly used outdoors, a battery is used as a power source, and there is a limit to driving ability. A battery for a digital camera is inferior in terms of voltage / capacity as compared with a general notebook PC battery as well as inferior in driving capability to an AC power source. Therefore, when trying to drive a USB device developed for a PC, it is essential to manage the power supply and use it efficiently. Therefore, it has been proposed to save power by stopping the function of the USB interface unit depending on whether the USB device is connected or not. (Refer to Patent Document 1) When the connected USB device is not operating, it is also proposed to save power by turning off a switch provided in the middle of the USB bus and blocking the USB signal. ing. (See Patent Document 2)

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-10907 JP 2002-163047 A

  However, since various types of device devices can be connected to a general-purpose port such as a USB host port, the function, performance, and power consumption differ depending on each device device. For this reason, effective system expansion when combined as an imaging system requires system control optimized according to the type of device. Particularly in terms of power control, it is necessary to efficiently use the power supply of the imaging system including the device equipment. However, there has been no such technique until now, and there has been a problem that a device that can be used as compared with a PC is greatly limited and a practical driving time cannot be obtained.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides an electronic device to which an external device can be connected, a power supply unit that supplies power to the connected external device, a determination unit that determines the external device, and the determination And control means for controlling the timing of starting or stopping the supply of power to the external device by the power supply means based on the determination result of the means .

  According to the present invention, it is possible to supply power according to the type of external device, and it is possible to efficiently use the power source of the electronic device.

Schematic diagram of an example of an imaging system in the present invention The block diagram of an example of the imaging system in this invention The flowchart when performing the discrimination | determination operation | movement of the external device apparatus in the Example of this invention Example of display of imaging apparatus in embodiment of the present invention The flowchart of the operation example by the release operation when the storage A is connected in the embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart of the operation example by release operation at the time of connecting the storage B in the Example of this invention. The flowchart of the operation example by release operation at the time of connecting the storage C in the Example of this invention.

  An example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an example of an imaging system according to the present invention.

  A general-purpose port connector that can connect various device devices such as a USB host to the image pickup apparatus main body including a release switch having a two-stage switch structure and a TFT display device 13 is provided. A storage device such as a USB hard disk or a card reader, a GPS device that acquires position information, or a mobile phone can be connected to the general-purpose port connector via a cable. Some device devices do not have a power source. In this case, power is supplied from a battery provided in the imaging apparatus main body.

  FIG. 2 is an example of a block diagram of an imaging system according to the present invention.

  When the release switch in the operation button 15 is pressed, the overall control / image processing CPU 21 performs an AE / AF operation, transmits information to the lens control CPU 16 to drive the lens, and operates the sensor drive circuit to perform the photographing operation. Do. The image incident from the interchangeable lens 10 is photoelectrically converted by the image sensor 11. Further, after analog-to-digital conversion by the AFE 12, image processing is performed by the overall control / image processing CPU 21 to obtain a final digital image. This digital image is displayed as a quick review on the TFT display device 13 and stored in the SD card 22 or the CF card 23 which is an image data recording medium.

The imaging device of FIG. 2 includes a USB connector 2 4, to connect various external devices device via a USB cable 30, it is possible to extend the variety of functions to the imaging system.

  For example, by connecting a storage device such as a USB hard disk, it can be handled as a third image recording medium in addition to the SD card 22 and the CF card 23. USB hard disks have larger capacity than SD cards and CF cards, and have faster writing and reading speeds, so you can shoot without worrying about capacity, and greatly increase the number of shots during continuous shooting. Can be. Furthermore, if it is used as a backup medium for image files, it is possible to provide an imaging system that does not need to worry about the media capacity even during long-term shooting.

Further, by connecting the GPS device of the USB connection to the USB connector 2 4 obtains a point where the image was captured longitude, latitude, location information of the altitude or the like, can be appended to the image data. This shooting position information enables image data management methods, so that general users can check the shooting point later, but also provide useful information for construction sites, reporting, the police, the armed forces, etc. Is possible.

Further, by connecting a communication device such as a cellular phone to the USB connector 2 4, the captured image data not only allows transmission and reception PC or server, between the cameras, made the settings of the image pickup apparatus via the communication device It is possible to control the release operation of the imaging apparatus.

In addition, the USB connector 2 4, for example, a keyboard input, such as, a mouse device, an output device such as speakers and printers are possible physically connected, in correspondence depending software are possible extension of the imaging system.

  The problem of power management is a problem when these devices are connected and the functions of the imaging system are expanded. As the external device 31, various types of commercially available devices can be used as long as they are USB-connected. Some of them are equipped with a battery as a power source for driving, a type in which power is supplied from an AC power source, and a type in which power is supplied from a battery 27 inside the imaging apparatus main body through a USB cable 30. Considering the use of an imaging system outdoors, a method that can drive the entire system with one battery as much as possible is the most convenient. However, there are many USB-connected external device devices that were originally built on the premise that they are connected to a PC indoors, and the current consumption is large. It consumes batteries and is not practical. Therefore, it is necessary to drive by an optimum method in accordance with the operation sequence of the imaging system.

  As one mechanism for that purpose, in this embodiment, a power switch 28 is provided on a power supply line supplied from the DCDC converter 26 to the external device 31. The external interface circuit 24 turns the power switch 28 on and off to stop the power supply to the external device equipment as necessary, such as when it is desired to save current consumption or when a large current flows through the external device equipment. Can be done.

  By controlling these power management functions in accordance with the operation timing of the imaging system, we provide a system that has good overall response, operates lightly, uses power effectively, and operates continuously for a long time. .

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart for determining a connected external device device in this embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a GUI display screen for determination.

  The user connects an external device device to the camera and performs a physical connection operation. Next, the type of the external device to be used is selected using the operation button 15 from the GUI menu displayed on the TFT display device 13 in step 51 of FIG. FIG. 4A shows a display example when selecting an external device. In FIG. 4 (a), when the user operates the operation button 15 to input one of storage, GPS, and cellular phone as an external device, the display transitions as shown in FIG. 4 (b). Move on to connection operation.

  As an internal connection operation, in step 52 of FIG. 3, the power switch 28 is controlled from the external interface circuit 24 and power supply from the USB connector 25 to the external device device 31 is started. Next, in step 53, initial communication with the external device is performed. Further, in step 54, a descriptor which is device identification information is read from the external device, and in step 55, it is checked whether or not the type is the same as that selected by the GUI menu. In addition to the case where the type is different from the type selected in the GUI menu, if communication is not possible due to some abnormality or an excessive current is detected by the current detection circuit 29, the connection operation is canceled for safety, and the diagram is shown in step 63. A warning message such as 4 (d) is displayed.

  When the warning display as shown in FIG. 4D is displayed, the user correctly reconnects the external device device of the correct type, and selects the “reconnect” icon shown in FIG. It can be carried out.

In step 5 4, if they match the device selected in the GUI menu shifts to more detailed device determination step. If the storage device is determined in step 56, the current consumption is measured by measuring the current flowing through the power supply line 30 using the current detection circuit 29 in step 57.

If the connected external device 31 has a self-power source and the current supplied from the imaging apparatus main body side is 200 mA or less, the process proceeds to step 66 and finally connected external device It is determined that 31 is storage A. The current value of 200 mA is preset based on the battery capacity and the like.

If not, the process proceeds to step 60 , where the overall control / image processing CPU 21 and the external interface circuit 24 measure the startup time of the connected external device 31. The activation time is determined by measuring the time from when power is supplied to the external device device 31 until the overall control / image processing CPU 21 receives a signal indicating that the device can be used. If the activation time is less than 5 seconds, the process proceeds to step 68 and it is determined that the finally connected device is the storage B. Note that if the activation time is less than 5 seconds, even if stop control is performed, the image file is temporarily stored in the memory 18 inside the imaging apparatus, and the image file is transferred after the external device device 31 is activated to perform the shooting operation. Does not affect. If the startup time is 5 seconds or longer and it takes a very long time to return from the stopped state to the operating state, it is determined that the connected device is the storage C.

  If it is determined in step 56 that the device is not a storage device, it is determined in step 70 and step 73 whether a GPS device is connected or a mobile phone is connected. Finally, if it is determined that none of them, the warning display of FIG. 4D is output.

  When it is determined that the external device is the storage A, in this embodiment, power is supplied to the external interface circuit 24 and the external device 31 at the timing of the release switch operation at the time of shooting and the playback operation of the image. Control. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of power control during the release operation when the external device 31 that is the storage A is designated as a storage medium for image files.

In step 81, it is determined whether or not SW1 that is turned on by the first stroke of the release button is input. In step 82, the power supply switch 28 is controlled from the external interface circuit 24 to start supplying power to the external device device 31, and the process proceeds to step 83. In step 83, the external interface circuit 24 is set from the stopped state to the operating state, and the process proceeds to step 84. In step 84, it determines whether SW2 which is turned on by the second stroke of the release button is input. If SW2 is input, the image file of the image taken in step 85 is stored in the external device device 31 and the process returns to step 84.

  At this time, it is conceivable that the external device device 31 is not completely activated. In such a case, the image file is temporarily stored in the memory 18 inside the imaging apparatus, and the external device device 31 is completely After the activation, the image file is transferred from the memory 18 to the external device device 31. By setting the timing for returning the external device device 31 from the stopped state to the operating state instead of the SW2 on timing, the timing until the external device device 31 returns to the operating state is absorbed. It is possible to continue the shooting operation comfortably.

  The memory 18 can temporarily store a plurality of images. The memory 18 can perform the work of returning the external device device 31 to the operating state in parallel with the shooting even when the continuous shooting is performed. Therefore, finally, before the storage capacity of the memory 18 is filled with images, the external device device 31 can be put into an operating state and an image file can be written.

  If SW2 is not turned on in step 84, it is determined in step 86 whether or not a certain time has elapsed since SW1 was turned on. If a certain time has not elapsed since the switch SW1 was turned on, the process returns to step 84. If the predetermined time has elapsed since the switch SW1 was turned on, the process proceeds to step 87, where the external interface circuit 24 is set from the operating state to the stopped state in order to reduce power consumption. Shut off the power supply.

  Further, when an image playback operation is performed, when the playback button is pressed, power supply to the external device device 31 is started, and the external interface circuit 24 is set to an operating state. While the image is displayed on the TFT display device 13 by the playback operation, the external device device 31 is set in an operating state to prepare for a user operation. When the user stops the playback operation and no image is displayed on the TFT display device 13, the external interface circuit 24 is set from the operating state to the stopped state again to reduce power consumption, and supplied to the external device device 31. Shut off the power.

  When it is determined that the external device 31 is the storage B, power control is performed as shown in the flowchart of FIG. In step 91, it is determined whether or not the main switch of the imaging apparatus main body is turned on. In step 92, the power supply switch 28 is controlled from the external interface circuit 24 to start supplying power to the external device 31, and the process proceeds to step 93. In step 93, it is determined whether or not SW1 which is turned on by the first stroke of the release button is inputted. If SW1 is input, the process proceeds to step 94. If SW1 is not input, the process proceeds to step 97. In step 94, the external interface circuit 24 is set from the stopped state to the operating state. In step 95, it is determined whether or not SW2 which is turned on by the second stroke of the release button is inputted. If SW2 is input, the process proceeds to step 96, and if SW2 is not input, the process proceeds to step 100. In step 96, the photographed image is stored in the external device device 31 and the process returns to step 95. On the other hand, in step 100, it is determined whether or not a fixed time has elapsed since SW1 was input in step 93. If the predetermined time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step 101, and the external interface circuit 24 is set to a stopped state. On the other hand, if the predetermined time has not elapsed, the process returns to step 93. If SW1 is not input in step 93, it is determined in step 97 whether or not the main switch of the imaging apparatus main body has been turned off. If the main switch of the imaging apparatus main body is off, the process proceeds to step 98. If the main switch of the imaging apparatus main body is not turned off, the process returns to step 93. In step 98, the power supply switch 28 is controlled from the external interface circuit 24 to stop the power supply to the external device device 31.

  When the external device device 31 is the storage B, since the startup time of the external device device 31 is long, once it is set to the stopped state, it takes time to return to the next operating state. Therefore, importance is placed on the response as the imaging device rather than the power consumption, and power is continuously supplied to the external device device 31 while the main switch of the imaging device body is on. The external interface circuit 24 controls the operation / stop at the same timing as in the case of the storage A because it does not relate to the activation time of the external device device 31.

  When the external device is determined as the storage C, power control is performed as shown in the flowchart of FIG. In step 111, it is determined whether or not the main switch of the image pickup apparatus main body is turned on. In step 112, the power switch 28 is controlled from the external interface circuit 24 to start supplying power to the external device device 31, and the process proceeds to step 113. In step 113, it is determined whether or not SW1 that is turned on by the first stroke of the release button is input. If SW1 is input, the process proceeds to step 114. If SW1 is not input, the process proceeds to step 117. In step 114, the external interface circuit 24 is set from the stopped state to the operating state. In step 115, it is determined whether or not SW2 which is turned on by the second stroke of the release button is inputted. If SW2 is input, the process proceeds to step 116, and if SW2 is not input, the process proceeds to step 120. In step 116, the photographed image is stored in the external device device 31 and the process returns to step 115. On the other hand, in step 120, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since SW1 was input in step 113. If the predetermined time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step 121, and the external interface circuit 24 is set to a stopped state. On the other hand, if the predetermined time has not elapsed, the process returns to step 113. If SW1 is not input in step 113, it is determined in step 117 whether or not the main switch of the imaging apparatus main body has been turned off. If the main switch of the imaging apparatus main body is turned off, the process proceeds to step 118. If the main switch of the imaging apparatus main body is not turned off, the process returns to step 113. In step 118, the power supply switch 28 is controlled from the external interface circuit 24 to stop the power supply to the external device device 31.

  When the external device device 31 is the storage C, the current consumption of the external device device 31 is sufficiently small, and priority can be given to the response. Therefore, as with the storage B, the external device Continue to supply power to the device 31. The external interface circuit 24 controls the operation / stop at the same timing as in the case of the storage A because it does not relate to the activation time of the external device device.

  When the external device device 31 is determined to be a GPS device, power is continuously supplied to the external device device 31 while the main switch of the imaging apparatus main body is on. Meanwhile, the GPS device transmits position information such as latitude, longitude, altitude, etc., according to a predetermined information transmission interval. The information transmission interval is usually about 1 second. The main body of the imaging apparatus controls each part to be stopped when there is no shooting operation, and suppresses power consumption as much as possible, and returns to the operating state when performing the imaging operation. Since the GPS device acquires the position information at the moment of imaging and adds the position information data to the image data and records it, it is necessary to always acquire the position information according to a predetermined information transmission interval. However, since the time required for the position information transmission itself is very short, once the position information is received, the external interface circuit 24 is set to the stop state to perform control for suppressing power consumption. The overall control / image processing CPU waits for a predetermined time to elapse with the real-time clock 20, and when the next information acquisition timing comes, sets the external interface circuit 24 from the stopped state to the operating state, and receives position information from the GPS. It can be so. In this way, the operation / stop of the external interface circuit is repeated at regular intervals to reduce power consumption.

  When the external device device 31 is determined to be a mobile phone, power is continuously supplied to the external device device 31 while the main switch of the imaging apparatus is on. When the user performs a release operation, as in the case of the storage A, the photometry and distance measurement operations are started at the timing when SW1 is turned on, and the external interface circuit 24 is set to the operation state. At this time, communication with the mobile phone is performed, outgoing control is performed, and communication with an external image server set in advance through the mobile phone is established. Further, when SW2 is turned on, the photographing operation is performed to generate image data, and the generated image data is transmitted to an external image server through the mobile phone. If no operation is performed after a certain period of time has elapsed since the switch SW1 was turned on, the external interface circuit 24 is set to a standby state. In this standby state, it is possible to significantly reduce power consumption compared to the operation state, and it is possible to receive a wake-up signal from an external device device. When an external user accesses the imaging system from a PC or server through a mobile phone, the mobile phone outputs a wake-up signal to the imaging device body. When receiving the wake-up signal, the external interface circuit 24 inside the imaging apparatus main body returns to the operation state again and establishes communication with the external PC or server. With this mechanism, the user can perform function expansion such as release control of the imaging apparatus and change of setting of the imaging apparatus from an external PC or server. However, even when such a function expansion is performed, according to the present embodiment, the operability and the performance of the driving time are not impaired as the imaging system.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the type of device connected to a general-purpose port to which a plurality of types of devices can be connected is determined, and the control timing of the current consumption reduction unit is switched according to the determined type of device. Therefore, since it operates at the optimal timing as an imaging system depending on the type of device to be connected, or the function and performance of the device, it provides a system that operates responsively and lightly as an imaging system, and uses power efficiently. A system that operates continuously for a long time can be provided.

  The discriminating means for discriminating the type of device selects a device to be connected by the user from the GUI menu of the imaging apparatus. Also, identification information inside the device is read and discriminated. If the GUI designation and the identification information are different, a warning is displayed. Furthermore, power is supplied to the device, the current consumed by the device is measured, and the startup time of the device is measured. The discriminating means uses one of these methods or a combination of plural methods. For this reason, it is possible to classify the device types into appropriate groups for the operation of the imaging system, and it is possible to point out user designation mistakes.

  When the determination unit determines that the connected device is a storage device such as a hard disk, the operation and stop of the interface unit are controlled in accordance with the release sequence of the imaging apparatus and the timing of the playback operation of the captured image. In addition, in the case of a storage device with a large current consumption, the power supply to the device is controlled according to the above timing, and in the case of a storage device with a slow startup time, the power supply to the device is cut off. Control to delay the timing. Alternatively, do not cut off the power supply to the device. For this reason, the storage device connected to the general-purpose port can be handled as an external storage medium with the same response as that of a built-in storage medium such as a CF card or an SD card. Furthermore, even in the case of a storage device that consumes a large current or has a slow start-up time compared to a built-in storage medium, it is possible to provide a system that is balanced in terms of response and operation time.

  Furthermore, when the connected device is determined to be a position information acquisition device such as a GPS by the determination means, the power supply to the device is not interrupted, and the interface unit according to the position information acquisition timing from the device Controls the operation and stop of For this reason, functions such as adding position information to an image file in the imaging system can be expanded without making the user excessively aware of the operation of the position information acquisition device.

  Further, when the connected device is determined to be a communication device with an external system such as a mobile phone by the determining means, the power supply to the device is not cut off, and the operation of the interface unit is performed according to the release sequence. The stop is controlled, and when there is no release operation, the interface unit is set in a sleep state in which it can stand by. When a wake-up signal from the device is detected by a user operation or the like, the interface unit is returned to a normal operation state. For this reason, it is possible to expand functions such as a communication function without sacrificing the response and driving time of the imaging system.

Electronic device according to the present invention is an electronic device, a power supply means for supplying power to an external device connected to the electronic device, when the external device is the first device, said electronic device when the first operation on the first operation means for causing the generation of a shot image in is performed, and a control unit that performs control for starting the power supply to the external device from the power supply unit have a, wherein, the when the external device is the first device, to said first operating means from said first operation is performed on the first operating means The power supply means supplies power to the external device until a predetermined time elapses when the second operation is not performed, and the control means is configured so that the external device is the second device. If the device is When the second operation means is turned on, control is performed to start power supply from the power supply means to the external device, and the control means is configured such that the external device is the second device. The power supply means supplies power to the external device during a period from when the second operation means is turned on to when the second operation means is turned off. the device is characterized by Oh Rukoto in the storage device.

The imaging device of FIG. 2 includes a USB connector 2 5 to connect various external devices device via a USB cable 30, it is possible to extend the variety of functions to the imaging system.

If a GPS device connected via USB is connected to the USB connector 25 , position information such as the longitude, latitude, altitude, etc., of the location where the image was taken can be acquired and added to the image data. This shooting position information enables image data management methods, so that general users can check the shooting point later, but also provide useful information for construction sites, reporting, the police, the armed forces, etc. Is possible.

Furthermore, if a communication device such as a mobile phone is connected to the USB connector 25 , the captured image data can be transmitted and received between the PC, the server, and the camera, and the imaging device is set via the communication device. It is possible to control the release operation of the imaging apparatus.

Further, for example, an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse and an output device such as a speaker and a printer can be physically connected to the USB connector 25 , and the function of the imaging system can be expanded depending on the correspondence of software.

In step 5 5, if they match the device selected in the GUI menu shifts to more detailed device determination step. If the storage device is determined in step 56, the current consumption is measured by measuring the current flowing through the power supply line 30 using the current detection circuit 29 in step 57.

If the connected external device 31 has a self-power source and the current supplied from the imaging apparatus main body side is 200 mA or less, the process proceeds to step 66 and finally connected external device It is determined that 31 is the storage C. The current value of 200 mA is preset based on the battery capacity and the like.

If not, the process proceeds to step 59 , where the overall control / image processing CPU 21 and the external interface circuit 24 measure the startup time of the connected external device 31. The activation time is determined by measuring the time from when power is supplied to the external device device 31 until the overall control / image processing CPU 21 receives a signal indicating that the device can be used. If this activation time is less than 5 seconds, the process proceeds to step 68 and it is determined that the finally connected device is the storage A. Note that if the activation time is less than 5 seconds, even if stop control is performed, the image file is temporarily stored in the memory 18 inside the imaging apparatus, and the image file is transferred after the external device device 31 is activated to perform the shooting operation. Does not affect. If the startup time is 5 seconds or longer and it takes a very long time to return from the stopped state to the operating state, it is determined that the connected device is the storage B.

In step 81, it is determined whether or not SW1 that is turned on by the first stroke of the release button is input. In step 82, the power supply switch 28 is controlled from the external interface circuit 24 to start supplying power to the external device device 31, and the process proceeds to step 83. In step 83, the external interface circuit 24 is set from the stopped state to the operating state, and the process proceeds to step 84. In step 84, it determines whether SW2 which is turned on by a second stroke of the release button is input. If SW2 is input, the image file of the image taken in step 85 is stored in the external device device 31 and the process returns to step 84.

Claims (1)

An electronic device to which an external device can be connected,
Power supply means for supplying power to a connected external device;
A discriminating means for discriminating the external device;
An electronic apparatus comprising: control means for controlling timing of starting or stopping power supply to the external device by the power supply means based on a determination result of the determination means.

Images