JP2012182700A - Camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a camera capable of being started up quickly.SOLUTION: When an acceleration sensor 217 detects acceleration and generates an interruption signal (S61), it is determined whether an operation of a focus ring 114 or a zoom ring 112 provided on a lens barrel 100, or movement from a collapse area to a photographing area is performed within a predetermined time period (S67-S71), and when any of the operations is performed, a camera is caused to be in an active state. Thus, a camera capable of being started up quickly can be provided.

Description

  The present invention relates to a camera that is activated by detecting movement of a camera.

  Normally, when a battery is loaded, the camera starts to operate in a low current consumption mode. In this state, the camera only accepts the operation of the power switch and does not operate for the operation of other operation members. . When the power switch is turned on, normal operation starts. However, in normal operation, the current consumption increases and the power supply battery is consumed, so that the photographer often turns on the power switch immediately before photographing in order to prevent power consumption.

  However, shutter chances often appear suddenly. Therefore, various cameras that can be switched from the power-off state to the power-on state according to the operation of the camera have been proposed. For example, in Patent Document 1, when the lens cover is removed, a program necessary for starting the camera is transferred from the ROM to the RAM, and then the camera is started by operating the power button.

JP 2005-286902 A

  In the camera disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is convenient to start power-on by removing the lens cover. However, when the camera is held by operating the power button and holding the camera, the camera must be held. The same applies when holding the camera in the reverse procedure. As described above, it is troublesome to change the camera and remove the lens cover. In recent years, an increasing number of cameras do not have a removable lens cover. With such cameras, the cameras cannot be activated quickly as in the camera disclosed in Patent Document 1.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a camera that can be activated quickly and be in an operating state.

  In order to achieve the above object, a camera according to a first aspect of the present invention outputs an operation member and a lens operation signal in accordance with an operation of the operation member in a camera that is released from a low current consumption mode by an interrupt signal and enters an operation state A lens operation detecting means; an acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration and generating an interrupt signal; and the camera when the operation member is operated within a predetermined time after detecting the interrupt signal from the acceleration sensor. And a control means for setting the operation state.

In the camera according to the second invention, in the first invention, the operation is any one of an operation of moving the lens from the retracted position to a position where photographing can be performed, an operation of changing a focal length, and a focusing operation.
A camera according to a third aspect of the present invention is the camera according to the second aspect, wherein the operation member is provided in a lens barrel.
A camera according to a fourth invention is the camera according to the third invention, wherein the lens barrel is removable from the camera body.

  A camera according to a fifth aspect of the invention is a camera that is released from a low current consumption mode by an interrupt signal and enters an operating state, and generates an interrupt signal by detecting an operation of the lens barrel having the operation member and the operation member. An operation signal generating means, an acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration applied to the camera, and a control for setting the camera in an operating state when a signal from the acceleration sensor is detected after detecting an interrupt signal from the operation signal generating means. Means.

  A camera according to a sixth invention is the camera according to the fifth invention, wherein the operation member is any one of an operation of moving the lens from the retracted position to a position where photographing can be performed, an operation of changing a focal length, and a focusing operation. .

  According to the present invention, since the operation of the operation member and the acceleration are detected and the camera is brought into an operation state, it is possible to provide a camera that can be quickly activated and become an operation state.

It is a block diagram which shows the whole structure mainly having the electrical system of the camera in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the main flow of the camera concerning 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement detection operation of the camera concerning 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the main flow of the camera concerning 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the interchangeable lens side main flow of the camera concerning 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment will be described using a camera to which the present invention is applied according to the drawings. A camera according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is a digital camera, includes an imaging unit, converts a subject image into image data by the imaging unit, and converts the subject image into a main body based on the converted image data. Live view is displayed on the display unit placed on the back of the camera. The photographer determines the composition and the photo opportunity by observing the live view display. During the release operation, image data is recorded on the recording medium. The image data recorded on the recording medium can be reproduced and displayed on the display unit when the reproduction mode is selected. The lens barrel of the camera according to the present embodiment has operation members such as a focus ring and a zoom ring, and activates the camera in accordance with the operation state of the operation member and the movement applied to the camera. be able to.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration mainly including an electric system of a camera according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The camera according to the present embodiment is a digital camera, and the lens barrel 100 and the camera body 200 are configured separately, and the lens barrel 100 is detachable from a mount opening (not shown) on the front surface of the camera body 200. It has become. The subject luminous flux formed by the photographing lenses 101a and 101b in the lens barrel 100 (collectively referred to as the photographing optical system 101) is guided into the camera body 200 through the mount opening.

  When the lens barrel 100 is attached to the camera body 200, the lens barrel 100 is electrically connected at the communication contact 300. Also, an attachment / detachment detection switch 259 is provided in the camera body 200 and in the vicinity of the mount opening, so that the mounting state of the lens barrel 100 and the camera body 200 can be detected.

  Inside the lens barrel 100, a photographing optical system 101 for adjusting the focal length and the focal length, and a diaphragm 103 for adjusting the aperture amount are arranged. The photographing optical system is driven by an optical system driving mechanism 107, and the diaphragm 103 is driven by an aperture driving mechanism 109. The position of the photographing optical system 101 driven by the optical drive mechanism 107 is detected by the optical position detection mechanism 105, and the focus adjustment lens position (focus position) and focal length (zoom position) of the photographing optical system 101 can be detected. it can.

  A rotatable focus ring 113 and zoom ring 112 are provided around the lens barrel 100. The focus ring 113 is an operation member for performing manual focusing in the manual focus mode, and a photo interrupter signal is generated on the focus ring 113 according to the rotation. A rotation direction (operation direction) and a rotation amount (operation amount) of the focus ring 113 are detected by a photo interrupter (PI) 114.

  The zoom ring 112 is an operation member for manually adjusting the focal length. A zoom encoder signal is generated in response to the rotation of the zoom ring 112. Since the rotation position of the zoom ring 112 is detected by the encoder 110, the focal length can be determined by detecting the value of the zoom encoder.

  In addition, the lens barrel 100 in the present embodiment is a retractable type, and by switching the zoom ring 112, it is possible to switch between the retracted area and the imaging area. That is, when shooting is not performed, the zoom ring 112 is manually rotated, so that the shooting optical system 101 can be moved to the retracted region, and the protruding amount of the lens barrel 100 can be reduced. Further, when photographing, the zoom ring 112 can be manually moved to move from the retracted region to the photographing region. In addition to manually moving between the retracted area and the shooting area, if the camera is in an operating state, the operation of the operation button or the operation member is detected, and the optical system drive mechanism 107 is used to move it electrically. Is also possible. Based on the value of the zoom encoder, it can also be detected whether the photographing optical system 101 is in the retracted region or the photographing region.

  The optical position detection mechanism 105, the optical system drive mechanism 107, the aperture drive mechanism 109, the encoder 110, and the photo interrupter 114 are each connected to the lens CPU 111, and this lens CPU 111 is connected to the camera body 200 via the communication contact 300. Has been. The lens CPU 111 controls the lens barrel 100 and controls the optical system driving mechanism 107 to perform focusing, zoom driving, driving between the retracted area and the imaging area, position detection, and aperture stop. The drive mechanism 109 is controlled to perform aperture value control.

  In addition, the lens CPU 111 transmits lens information regarding the focus adjustment lens position (focus position) and the focal length detected by the optical position detection mechanism 105 to the camera body 200. The electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory provided in the lens CPU 111 or in the lens barrel 100 (not shown) includes focal length information of the lens barrel 100 (in the case of a zoom lens, the shortest focal length and the longest focal length). The lens information such as the distance, the maximum aperture value, the minimum aperture value, the imageable distance range (including the closest distance), and the lens type are stored. Further, the aperture state of the lens barrel 100 such as the aperture state of the aperture (open aperture state or aperture state), the operation state of the focus ring 113 (operation direction, operation amount), the operation state of the zoom ring 110 (zoom encoder signal), etc. Information about the state is also lens information. The lens information is transmitted from the lens CPU 111 to the camera body 200 via the communication contact 300. The nonvolatile memory also stores a program for controlling the operation of the lens barrel 100.

  Further, the lens CPU 111 operates when the focus ring 113 and the zoom ring 112 are operated when the camera is in a low power consumption mode (also referred to as a sleep mode), that is, when the value of the zoom encoder 110 changes, or When a photo interrupter signal is generated, an interrupt signal is generated and output to the communication circuit 241 described later.

  Further, the lens CPU 111 also transmits information to the camera body 200 indicating completion of aperture stop completion or aperture opening completion by the aperture drive mechanism 109 and lens drive completion by the optical system drive mechanism 107.

  A focal plane type shutter 203 for controlling exposure time and shielding the image sensor 221 is disposed in the camera body 200 on the optical axis of the imaging optical system 101 and on the imaging optical path. The shutter 203 is driven and controlled by a shutter driving mechanism 213.

  An image sensor unit 290 is disposed behind the shutter 203. The image pickup device unit 290 is a unit in which the dustproof filter 205, the infrared cut filter 209, the optical low-pass filter 210, and the image pickup device 221 are integrally formed. The image pickup device unit 290 is integrally stored in a sealed package, and dust is contained in the package. It is configured not to invade. The image sensor unit 290 is displaced two-dimensionally in the XY plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the photographing optical system 101 by the blur correction mechanism 260.

  The blur correction mechanism 260 includes an actuator composed of a piezoelectric element drive motor or the like as a drive source, and two-dimensionally displaces the image sensor unit 290 within an XY plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the photographing optical system 101. An angular velocity sensor 297a using a gyro is disposed in the camera body 200, and an output of the angular velocity sensor 297a is connected to an angular velocity detection circuit 297b. The angular velocity sensor 297a outputs a shake signal corresponding to the shake generated in the camera body 200, and the angle side detection circuit 297b amplifies the shake signal and performs AD conversion.

  The angular velocity sensor 297a and the angular velocity detection circuit 297b constitute blur detection means 297, and the output of the angular velocity detection circuit 297b is connected to a sequence controller (hereinafter referred to as “body CPU”) 229. The body CPU 229 outputs a shake control signal that cancels out the shake of the camera body 200 based on the shake signal detected by the shake detection unit 297, and the actuator drive circuit 296 outputs to the actuator in the shake correction drive mechanism 260. A drive signal is output. As a result, the image sensor 221 is moved in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the imaging optical system 101, the blur applied to the camera body 200 is canceled, and an image sensor shift type camera shake correction operation for preventing image degradation is executed. .

  A dustproof filter 205 constituting the image sensor unit 290 is disposed behind the shutter 203. The dust-proof filter 205 prevents dust generated in the mount opening of the camera main body 200 and inside the main body from adhering to the image sensor 221 and the optical element, and shadows of the dust appear in the subject image, resulting in an unsightly image.

  A piezoelectric element 207 is fixed to the entire circumference or a part of the peripheral edge of the dust filter 205. The piezoelectric element 207 is connected to a dustproof filter drive circuit 211. The piezoelectric element 207 vibrates the dust filter 205 with ultrasonic waves of a predetermined frequency based on the drive signal of the dust filter drive circuit 211. As the dust filter 205 vibrates with ultrasonic waves, dust attached to the front surface of the dust filter 205 is removed.

  An infrared cut filter 209 for cutting an infrared light component from the subject light beam is disposed behind the dust-proof filter 205, and an optical low-pass filter 210 for removing a high frequency component from the subject light beam is disposed behind the dust filter 205. ing. An imaging element 221 is disposed behind the optical low-pass filter 210 and photoelectrically converts the subject image formed by the photographing optical system 101 into an analog image signal. In the present embodiment, it goes without saying that a two-dimensional solid-state image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) can be used as the image sensor 211.

  The image sensor 221 is connected to the image sensor drive circuit 223, and the image sensor drive circuit 223 is driven and controlled by a control signal from the input / output circuit 239. The image sensor driving circuit 223 reads an analog image signal from the image sensor 221, amplifies this signal, and performs analog-digital conversion (AD conversion) or the like. An output of the image sensor driving circuit 223 is connected to a preprocessing circuit 225, and the preprocessing circuit 225 performs various preprocessing such as pixel thinning processing for live view display.

  The output of the preprocessing circuit 225 is connected to the contrast AF circuit 226, and the contrast AF circuit 226 extracts a high frequency component (contrast signal) of the image signal output from the preprocessing circuit 225. The range of the image from which the contrast signal is extracted receives an instruction from the sequence controller, and performs extraction for an area such as the AF target, the entire imaging screen, or the enlarged display area. The extracted contrast signal is output to the body CPU 229.

  The output of the preprocessing circuit 225 is connected to a data bus 261 in an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 262. The data bus 261 includes an image processing circuit 227, a body CPU 229, a compression / decompression circuit 231, a video signal output circuit 233, an SDRAM control circuit 237, an input / output circuit 239, a communication circuit 241, a recording medium control circuit 243, and a flash memory control circuit. 247 and a switch detection circuit 253 are connected. In the present embodiment, the above-described contrast AF circuit 226 is disposed outside the ASIC 262. However, the contrast AF circuit 226 may be disposed within the ASIC 262.

  An image processing circuit 227 connected to the data bus 261 performs digital amplification (digital gain adjustment processing), color correction, gamma (γ) correction, contrast correction, black and white / color of digital image data output from the preprocessing circuit 225. Various image processing such as mode processing and live view display processing are performed.

  The body CPU 229 connected to the data bus 261 controls the operation of this digital camera according to the program stored in the flash memory 249. Further, as described above, the body CPU 229 receives the contrast signal from the contrast AF circuit 226 and controls the automatic focus adjustment of the photographing optical system including the photographing optical system 101 via the lens CPU 111.

  The compression / decompression circuit 231 connected to the data bus 261 compresses the image data stored in the SDRAM 238 using JPEG or TIFF. Note that image compression is not limited to JPEG or TIFF, and other compression methods can be applied.

  The video signal output circuit 233 connected to the data bus 261 is connected to the rear liquid crystal monitor 26 and the finder liquid crystal monitor (abbreviated as “F liquid crystal monitor” in the figure) 29 via the liquid crystal monitor drive circuit 235. The video signal output circuit 233 converts the image data stored in the SDRAM 238 or the recording medium 245 into a video signal to be displayed on the rear liquid crystal monitor 26 and / or the finder liquid crystal monitor 29.

  The rear liquid crystal monitor 26 is disposed on the rear surface of the camera body 200. However, the rear liquid crystal monitor 26 is not limited to the rear surface as long as it can be observed by the photographer. The in-viewfinder liquid crystal monitor 29 is disposed at a position that can be observed by the photographer through the viewfinder eyepiece, and, like the rear liquid crystal monitor 26, is not limited to the liquid crystal and may be another display device. It is possible to use only the liquid crystal monitor 26 for observing the subject image, and omit the viewfinder eyepiece and the viewfinder liquid crystal 29.

  The SDRAM 238 is connected to the data bus 261 via the SDRAM control circuit 237, and the SDRAM 238 temporarily stores the image data processed by the image processing circuit 227 or the image data compressed by the compression / expansion circuit 231. This is a buffer memory.

  The input / output circuit 239 is connected to the above-described dustproof filter drive circuit 211, shutter drive mechanism 213, and image sensor drive circuit 223, and controls input / output of data with each circuit such as the body CPU 229 via the data bus 261. An acceleration sensor 217 is connected to the input / output circuit 239. The acceleration sensor 217 outputs an acceleration signal and an interrupt signal corresponding to the acceleration applied to the camera body 200. Note that the output of the angular velocity sensor 297 may also be used.

  The communication circuit 241 is connected to the lens CPU 111 via the communication contact 300 and is also connected to the data bus 261. The communication circuit 241 exchanges data and communicates control commands between the lens CPU 111 and the body CPU.

  A recording medium control circuit 243 connected to the data bus 261 is connected to the storage medium 245 and controls recording and reproduction of image data and the like on the recording medium 245. The recording medium 245 is configured so that any one of rewritable recording media such as CompactFlash (registered trademark), SD memory card (registered trademark), and Memory Stick (registered trademark) can be loaded. It is removable with respect to. In addition, a hard disk unit such as a microdrive (registered trademark) or a wireless communication unit may be connectable.

  A flash memory control circuit 247 connected to the data bus 261 is connected to a flash memory 249. The flash memory 249 is an electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory and controls the operation of the camera. Programs for control, adjustment values for control, and the like are stored. The body CPU 229 controls the camera in accordance with programs, adjustment values, and the like stored in the flash memory 249.

  The switch detection circuit 253 connected to the data bus 261 is connected to the power switch 257, other various switches 255, and the above-described attachment / detachment detection switch 259. The power switch 257 is turned on / off in conjunction with a power switch lever for controlling the power supply of the camera body 200 and the lens barrel 100. Other various switches 255 include a switch linked to a release button, a playback switch linked to a playback button for instructing a playback mode, a menu switch for displaying a setting menu on the rear liquid crystal monitor 26, and a screen on the rear liquid crystal monitor 26. There are a switch linked to the cross button for instructing the cursor movement displayed on the screen, a switch linked to the OK button for determining each selected mode, etc., a switch linked to the mode dial for instructing the shooting mode, etc. .

  The release button has a first release switch that is turned on when the photographer is half-pressed and a second release switch that is turned on when the photographer is fully pressed. When the first release switch (hereinafter referred to as 1R) is turned on, the camera performs photographing preparation operations such as focus detection, focusing of the photographing lens, and photometry of the subject brightness, and the second release switch (hereinafter referred to as 2R). When turned on, a shooting operation for capturing image data of the subject image is executed based on the output of the image sensor 221.

  Next, the operation in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. These flowcharts are executed by the CPU 229 according to a program stored in the flash memory 249. FIG. 2 is a main flow showing the operation after the power-on reset by the body CPU 229 on the camera body 200 side.

  When a battery is loaded in the camera body 200 or an external power source is connected, this flow starts. First, it is determined whether or not the power switch 257 of the camera body 200 is on (S1). If the result of determination is that the power switch 257 is off, the device enters a sleep mode, which is a low power consumption state (S3). In the sleep mode, the CPU 229 is driven with low current consumption and does not detect the operation of the operation members other than the power switch 257. In the sleep mode, power is not supplied to circuits other than the acceleration sensor 217, the input / output circuit 239, the switch detection circuit 253, and the like.

  The sleep mode is canceled by an operation of turning off the power switch 257 and an interrupt signal from the acceleration sensor 217. As described above, in the sleep mode, power is supplied to the power switch 257 and the switch detection circuit 253, and when the power switch 257 is operated from on to off, interrupt processing is executed and the sleep mode is released. The In addition, power is supplied to the acceleration sensor 217 and the input / output circuit 239. For this reason, when a camera operator 200 moves the camera body 200, for example, an interruption signal is output from the acceleration sensor 217, interruption processing is executed, and the sleep mode is released.

  If the result of determination in step S1 is that the power switch 257 is on, or if the sleep mode in step S3 is canceled, power supply is started (S11). As a result, power is supplied to each mechanism and each circuit in the camera body 200 and the lens barrel 100.

  When power supply is started in step S11, next, the operation state of the operation member in the lens barrel 100 or the like is detected (S13). Here, it is determined whether the zoom ring 112 is manually operated, the photographing optical system 101 is moved from the retracted region to the photographing region, whether the zooming operation is performed, the focus ring 113 is operated, and the power switch 257 is operated. Determine if it has been operated. As a result of this determination, if none of the operation members has been operated, the process proceeds to step S35 described later, and after the power supply is stopped, the sleep mode is entered again. On the other hand, if these operation members have been operated, the process proceeds to the next step S15. Detailed processing of this operation detection will be described later with reference to FIG.

  After the operation detection is executed, lens information is acquired (S15). In this step, the focal position information and focal length information of the photographing optical system 101 detected by the optical position detection mechanism 105 is acquired from the lens CPU 111 via the communication circuit 241, and the closest focal length and long focal length focal length are acquired. The lens information such as the unique information of various lens barrels 100 of the wide aperture value and the exposure correction value for each focal length is acquired.

  Once the lens information is acquired, the operation mode and parameter setting are performed (S17). In this step, if there is information such as a photographing mode set by a mode dial (not shown), ISO sensitivity, manually set shutter speed, aperture value, etc., those photographing conditions are read.

  Subsequently, the live view operation is started (S19). Here, based on the image signal from the image sensor 221, the subject image is displayed as a moving image on the rear liquid crystal monitor 26 for observing the subject image. When the live view operation is started, the photometry / exposure amount is calculated (S21). In this step, the subject brightness is obtained based on the output of the image sensor 221, and exposure control values such as a shutter speed and an aperture value for appropriate exposure are calculated according to the shooting mode and shooting conditions using the subject brightness.

  Once the photometry / exposure amount is calculated, a live view operation is performed (S23). As will be described later, if the power switch is on in step S33, the process returns to step S21, and after the imaging operation / image processing of the image sensor 221 is performed in step S21 in this processing loop, the rear surface is displayed. The display on the liquid crystal monitor 26 is updated, and live view display is performed by moving image display.

  Once the live view operation has been performed, it is next determined whether or not the playback switch is on (S25). Here, it is determined whether or not the playback switch linked to the playback button is on. If the result of this determination is that the regeneration switch is on, regeneration operation is performed (S41). In this reproduction operation, the captured image recorded on the recording medium 245 is reproduced and displayed on the rear liquid crystal monitor 26.

  If the playback operation is performed or if the result of determination in step S25 is that the playback switch is not on, it is next determined whether or not the menu switch is on (S27). Here, it is determined whether or not the menu switch linked to the menu button is on.

  If the result of determination in step S27 is that the menu switch is on, menu setting operation is performed (S43). In this menu setting operation, a menu screen is displayed on the rear liquid crystal monitor 26 and is displayed on various setting screens such as ISO sensitivity, white balance, manual focus (MF) mode, autofocus (AF) mode, and image stabilization mode. The photographer sets various modes and parameters by operating the cross button and the OK button. Executes the menu set mode. For example, when the image stabilization mode is set, the image stabilization operation is executed during the live view operation and the shooting operation.

  If the menu setting operation is performed or if the result of determination in step S29 is that the menu switch is not on, it is next determined whether or not the 1R switch is on (S29). Here, it is determined whether or not the 1R switch that is turned on when the release button is half-pressed is not turned on.

  If the result of determination in step S29 is that the 1R switch is on, a shooting operation is performed (S45). Here, in the AF mode, the photographing optical system 101 is focused by contrast AF, and an exposure control value for appropriate exposure is calculated by photometry / exposure calculation. When the 2R switch that is turned on when the release button is fully pressed is turned on, an exposure operation is performed, and image data of a still image is recorded on the recording medium 245.

  When the photographing operation is finished, or if the result of determination in step S29 is that the 1R switch is not on, it is next determined whether or not the lens is removed (S31). Here, it is determined by the attachment / detachment detection switch 259 whether or not the lens barrel 100 has been removed from the camera body 200. If the result of this determination is that the lens barrel 100 has been removed, the live view operation is stopped (S47), and the power supply is stopped (S49). Since the lens barrel 100 is removed and no subject image is formed on the image sensor 221, the live view display is stopped and the power supply is stopped to prevent waste of power.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the lens barrel 100 is attached (S51). Here, it is determined whether or not the removed lens barrel 100 is mounted again. This determination is detected by interrupt processing when the attachment / detachment detection switch 259 is turned on. If the lens attachment is detected by this determination, the process returns to step S11 to execute the above-described operation.

  If the result of determination in step S31 is that the lens has not been removed, it is next determined whether or not the power switch 257 is on (S33). In the present embodiment, when the power switch 257 is turned on, the power on mode is set and the camera is in an operating state. Thereafter, when the power switch 257 is turned off, the camera enters a power-off mode, and the camera enters a non-operating state.

  If the result of determination in step S33 is that the power switch 257 is on, it is in power-on mode, so processing returns to step S21 and the above-described operation is executed. That is, when the power is on, steps S21 to S31 are repeatedly executed. On the other hand, if the result of determination in step S33 is that the power switch 257 is not on, the power off mode is entered and power supply is stopped (S35). When the power supply is stopped, the process returns to step S3 to enter the sleep mode described above.

  Next, the detailed operation of the operation detection in step S13 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. If the operation detection flow is entered, it is first determined whether or not the acceleration sensor is interrupted (S61). As described above, the camera main body 200 is moved from the sleep mode in step S3 when an interrupt signal is output from the acceleration sensor 217 to the input / output circuit 239 and the power switch 257 is operated. There is a case. In this step S61, it is determined whether or not the sleep mode is canceled by an interrupt signal from the acceleration sensor 217.

  If the result of determination in step S61 is that there is an interrupt from the acceleration sensor 217, then timer operation is started (S63). Here, the timer operation is started by a timer (not shown) in the ASIC 262. The time measurement here is preferably about 1 second to 1 minute. The shorter the timekeeping time, the less wasteful current consumption can be achieved, but the reaction becomes slower and the usability becomes worse. The user may set this time on the menu screen.

  When the timer operation is started, lens information is acquired next (S65). The lens information is acquired from the lens CPU 111 via the communication circuit 241. Once the lens information has been acquired, it is next determined whether or not the lens area has moved from the retracted area to the imaging area (S67). Here, based on the value of the zoom encoder from the encoder 110, it is determined whether or not the photographing optical system 101 has moved from the retracted region to the photographing region. When the photographer takes a picture in the sleep mode, the zoom ring 112 is manually operated to take the picture from the retracted state. In this step, it is determined whether or not this operation has been performed.

  As a result of the determination in step S67, if it is determined that the zoom area 112 is not moved from the retracted area to the shooting area, it is next determined whether or not the zoom ring 112 is being operated (S69). Here, based on the zoom encoder signal from the encoder 110, it is determined whether or not the zoom ring 112 is being operated. When the zoom ring 112 is rotated, the zoom encoder signal changes with time. Therefore, the determination can be made based on the zoom encoder signal.

  If it is determined in step S69 that the zoom ring 112 is not being operated, it is next determined whether or not the focus ring 113 is being operated (S71). Here, the determination is made based on the photo interrupter signal from the photo interrupter 114. When the focus ring 113 is rotated, the photo interrupter signal changes with time, so that the determination can be made based on the photo interrupter signal.

  As a result of the determination in step S71, if it is determined that the focus ring 113 is not being operated, it is next determined whether or not the timer timing has been completed (S73). In step S63, the timing operation is started, and it is determined whether or not the timer has completed the timing operation for a preset time.

  If the result of determination in step S <b> 73 is that the timekeeping operation has not been completed, processing returns to step S <b> 65, lens information is acquired again, and the above-described determination is performed. On the other hand, if the timing operation is completed as a result of the determination, the process proceeds to step S35, where the power supply is stopped and the sleep mode is entered again.

  When the operation detection flow in step S13 is executed, since the camera has moved, the sleep mode is canceled and power supply is started, but the operation member of the lens barrel 100 is not operated. . Since the camera is merely moved and the photographer holds the lens barrel 100 and does not shoot, the camera returns to the sleep mode.

  If the result of determination in step S61 is not interruption by the acceleration sensor, it is next determined whether or not the power switch 257 is on (S75). It is determined whether or not the sleep mode is canceled by turning on the power switch 257.

  If the result of determination in step S75 is that the power switch 257 is not on, processing proceeds to step S35 as in the case of timer timing completion in step S73, where power supply is stopped and sleep mode is entered. Since this is a case where the sleep mode is canceled due to a malfunction of the camera, the camera returns to the sleep mode without shifting to the normal operation.

  On the other hand, if the result of determination in step S75 is that the power switch 357 is on, or the result of determination in step S67 is that the lens has moved from the retracted area to the shooting area, or the determination in step S69 is that the zoom ring 112 is If the focus ring 113 is being operated as a result of the determination in step S71 as a result of the operation, the operation detection flow is terminated, the original flow is returned, and the camera operation is continued.

  As described above, in the first embodiment of the present invention, when the acceleration sensor 217 detects acceleration and generates an interrupt signal (S61), shooting is performed from the focus ring 114, the zoom ring 112, and the retracted area within a predetermined time. It is determined whether or not movement to the area has been performed (S67 to S71), and when these operations are performed, the camera is in an operating state. For this reason, the camera which can be started rapidly can be provided. In the conventional camera, it was necessary to turn on the power switch in order to enter the operation state. However, in this embodiment, when an operation such as setting up for taking a picture with the camera is performed, an interrupt signal is output from the acceleration sensor 217. When the operation member of the lens barrel is further operated, the camera enters an operating state. The operation state can be set in the same manner as the power switch is turned on.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the first embodiment, the movement of the camera is detected first, and when the camera moves, the operation state of the focus ring 114 and the zoom ring 112 provided in the lens barrel is subsequently detected. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, conversely, the operation state of the lens barrel is detected first, and when it is operated, the movement of the camera is subsequently detected to bring the camera into an operation state.

  The schematic configuration in the second embodiment is the same as the block diagram shown in FIG. However, in the second embodiment, the lens CPU 111, the encoder 111, the photo interrupter 114, the communication circuit 241 and the like are supplied with power even in the sleep mode. When the focus ring 113 or the zoom ring 112 is operated, an interrupt signal is transmitted to the communication circuit 241. In this embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, no power is supplied to the acceleration sensor 217 during the sleep mode.

  The operation in the second embodiment may be performed by replacing the main flow shown in FIG. 2 with the flowchart shown in FIG. Steps that perform the same processing as in the flowchart of FIG. 2 are given the same step numbers, and differences will be mainly described. The flowchart shown in FIG. 4 is executed by the CPU 229 according to a program stored in the flash memory 249.

  When a battery is loaded in the camera body 200 or an external power source is connected, the process starts in the same manner as the flow of FIG. 2 in the first embodiment. First, it is determined whether or not the power switch 257 of the camera body 200 is on (S1). If the result of determination is that the power switch 257 is off, the device enters a sleep mode, which is a low power consumption state (S3).

  In the sleep mode, as in the first embodiment, the CPU 229 is driven with low current consumption and does not detect the operation of the operation members other than the power switch 257. Further, when power is supplied to the lens CPU 111 and the like and the focus ring 113 and the zoom ring 112 are operated, the lens CPU 111 outputs an interrupt signal to the communication circuit 243 (see S123 and S135 shown in FIG. 5). The sleep mode is canceled by turning off the power switch 257 and by an interrupt signal from the lens CPU 111.

  If the result of determination in step S1 is that the power switch 257 is on or the sleep mode in step S3 is canceled, the acceleration sensor 217 is turned on (S5). Here, power is supplied to the acceleration sensor 217 to detect movement applied to the camera body 200.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not there is a change in the output of the acceleration sensor 7 (S7). Whether or not the camera has moved, such as when the photographer lifts to hold the camera body 200 in this step when the sleep mode is canceled by operating an operation member such as the zoom ring 112 of the lens barrel 100 Determine.

  If the result of determination in step S7 is that there is no change in the output of the acceleration sensor 217, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has passed (S9). In step S5, when power is supplied to the acceleration sensor 217, a timer timing operation is started, and it is determined whether or not the timer has counted a predetermined time. The predetermined time is preferably about 1 second to 1 minute. Similar to the timing operation in step S63, the shorter the timing time, the less wasteful current consumption can be achieved, but the reaction becomes slower and the usability becomes worse. The user may set this time on the menu screen. If it is determined that the predetermined time has not elapsed, the process returns to step S7 and waits for a change in the acceleration sensor 217.

  If the result of determination in step S9 is that a predetermined time has elapsed, processing returns to step S3 and again enters sleep mode. That is, the operation member of the lens barrel such as the zoom ring 112 is operated to exit the sleep mode. However, since there is no movement thereafter, the sleep mode is entered again because there is no operation for photographing.

  On the other hand, if the result of determination in step S7 is that there is a change in the output of the acceleration sensor 217, then power supply is started (S11). As a result, power is supplied to the mechanisms and circuits in the camera body 200 and the lens barrel 100, and the normal camera operation starts. That is, the camera body 200 is detected because the operation member of the lens barrel such as the zoom ring 112 is operated, the sleep mode is released, and the photographer holds the camera body for shooting. Then, power supply to the lens barrel 100 is started, and normal camera operation can be executed.

  In step S11, the operation after the start of power supply is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG.

  Next, the operation on the lens barrel 100 side will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG. The flowchart shown in FIG. 5 is executed by the lens CPU 111 in accordance with a program stored in a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory (not shown). This interchangeable lens main flow starts when a power-on reset of the interchangeable lens, that is, when the lens barrel 100 is mounted on the camera body 200 and power is supplied from the built-in battery on the camera body 200 side or an external power supply.

  When the power-on reset on the lens side starts, it is first determined whether or not there is a lens information request (S101). In step S15, the body CPU 229 requests various lens information such as focal length information of the lens barrel 100, focal position information, and status information of the lens barrel 100. Therefore, in step S101, it is determined whether or not there is a request for such lens information.

  If the result of determination in step S101 is that there is a request for lens information, lens information is transmitted (S111). Here, the lens CPU 111 transmits lens information to the body CPU 229 via the communication circuit 241.

  If the result of determination in step S101 is that there has been no lens information request, it is next determined whether or not an instruction to narrow down has been received (S103). The body CPU 229 issues an aperture execution instruction prior to exposure of the image sensor 221. In this case, information on the aperture value at the time of aperture reduction is also transmitted.

  As a result of the determination in step S103, if there is a narrowing execution instruction, a narrowing operation is performed (S113). Here, the lens CPU 111 causes the aperture driving mechanism 109 to perform the aperture operation up to the received aperture value. When the narrowing-down operation is completed, a narrowing-down completion signal is transmitted to the body CPU 229.

  If the result of determination in step S103 is that no narrowing execution instruction has been received, it is next determined whether or not an aperture opening execution instruction has been received (S105). When the exposure to the image sensor 221 ends, the body CPU 229 issues an aperture opening execution instruction.

  If the result of determination in step S105 is that there is an aperture opening execution instruction, the aperture opening operation is executed (S115). Here, the lens CPU 111 causes the aperture driving mechanism 109 to perform the opening operation up to the open aperture value. When the aperture opening operation is finished, an opening completion signal is transmitted to the body CPU 229.

  If the result of determination in step S105 is that no aperture opening execution instruction has been received, it is next determined whether or not a lens drive execution instruction has been received (S107). The body CPU 229 issues a lens drive execution instruction together with information on the drive direction and drive amount in contrast AF for automatic focus detection.

  If the result of determination in step S107 is that there is a lens drive execution instruction, lens drive is executed (S117). Here, the lens CPU 111 instructs the optical system driving mechanism 107 to drive the photographing optical system 101 with the received driving direction and driving amount. When the driving is completed, a lens driving completion signal is transmitted to the body CPU 229.

  If each operation | movement is performed in step S111, S113, S115, S117, it will return to step S101.

  If the result of determination in step S107 is that there is no lens drive execution instruction, it is next determined whether or not the camera body is set to manual focus (MF) mode for manual focus adjustment (S109). Here, communication with the camera body 100 is performed, and information on whether or not the MF mode is set is acquired and determined.

  If the result of determination in step S109 is that MF mode has been set, it is detected whether or not the focus ring (distance ring) 112 has been operated (S121). The lens CPU 111 detects and determines the operation state of the focus ring 113 based on the output signal of the photo interrupter 114.

  If the result of determination in step S121 is that the focus ring 113 has been operated, a communication request is made to the body CPU 229 (S123). The communication request here is an interrupt signal in the sleep mode. As described above, when the focus ring 113 is made when the camera is in the sleep mode, the lens CPU 111 transmits an interrupt signal to the communication circuit 241 of the camera body 200. In a normal operation, the communication request is for exchanging information according to the movement of the body CPU 229 and the focus ring 113.

  When a communication request (transmission of an interrupt signal) is made to the body CPU 229, next, lens driving is performed in accordance with the operation of the focus ring 113 (S125). In this step, the operation direction and the operation amount of the focus ring 113 are detected, and lens driving is executed according to the detection result.

  Once the lens is driven, information during the focus ring operation is transmitted to the camera body (S127). In this step, when transmitting information during the focus ring operation by communication with the camera body, for example, position information of the focus lens may be transmitted to the camera body. When the information during the focus ring operation is transmitted, the process returns to step S121.

  In this way, the focus lens is driven according to the operation of the focus ring and the manual focus operation is performed by the processing loop of steps S121 to S127. Further, when the focus ring 113 is operated while in the sleep mode, an interrupt signal is transmitted, and the main body side cancels the sleep mode. In this embodiment, when step S127 is executed, the process returns to step S121. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the process may return to step S101. In this case, the release operation can be quickly executed when the release button is fully pressed during the manual focus operation.

  If the result of determination in step S121 is that the focus ring 113 has not been operated, or if the result of determination in step S109 is not MF mode, it is next determined whether or not the zoom ring 112 has been operated. (S131). The lens CPU 111 detects and determines the operation state of the zoom ring 112 based on the output signal of the zoom encoder 110.

  If the result of determination in step S131 is that the zoom ring 112 has not been operated, it is next determined whether or not there is an operation from the retracted area to the shooting area (S133). As described above, when the zoom ring 112 is rotated when the lens barrel 100 is in the retracted region, the lens barrel 100 can be moved from the retracted region to the photographing region. In this step, based on the value of the zoom encoder 110, it is determined whether or not there has been an operation from the retracted area to the imaging area.

  If the result of determination in step S133 is that there is an operation from the retracted area to the shooting area, or if the result of determination in step S131 is that there is an operation of the zoom ring 112, next, as in step S123, the body CPU 229 A communication request is made (S135). The communication request here is an interrupt signal in the sleep mode. As described above, when the zoom ring 112 is operated when the camera is in the sleep mode, the lens CPU 111 transmits an interrupt signal to the communication circuit 241 of the camera body 200. In a normal operation, it is a normal communication request for exchanging zoom information, zoom ring operating information, and the like with the body CPU 229.

  If a communication request is made to the body CPU 229, then the value of the encoder 110 is read (S137), and information during operation of the zoom ring 112 is transmitted to the body CPU 229 (S139). If information during zoom operation is transmitted or if the result of determination in step S133 is that there is no operation from the collapsed to the shooting area, the process returns to step S101.

  As described above, in the second embodiment of the present invention, when an operation of an operation member such as the zoom ring 112 or the focus ring 113 provided in the lens barrel 100 is detected, an interrupt signal is generated (S123, S135). ) After detecting this interrupt signal, if a signal from the acceleration sensor 217 is detected (S7), the camera is in an operating state. For this reason, the camera which can be started rapidly can be provided. In a conventional camera, it was necessary to turn on the power switch in order to put the camera in an operating state. However, in the present embodiment, when the operation member such as the zoom ring 112 of the lens barrel is operated and the camera is moved by holding the camera or the like, the camera is in an operating state. Thereby, it can be set as the operation state similar to ON of a power switch.

  As described above, in each embodiment of the present invention, based on the operation state of the operation member of the lens barrel and the movement applied to the camera, the camera is in the operation state even if the power-on switch is not turned on. It is said. When the lens barrel is relatively heavy, it is common to support the lens barrel with the left hand. At this time, even if the power-on switch is not turned on by operating the operation member of the lens barrel The camera will be in an operating state. For this reason, the camera can be quickly brought into an operating state.

  In each embodiment of the present invention, the movement of the camera is detected using an acceleration sensor. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the movement may be detected by another sensor such as a gyroscope or an angular velocity sensor. Further, even if a dedicated sensor is not provided, a camera shake detection sensor may also be used. In each embodiment of the present invention, the lens barrel 100 is an interchangeable lens. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the lens barrel may of course be fixed to the camera body.

  In each embodiment of the present invention, both the zoom ring 112 and the focus ring 113 are provided in the lens barrel 100, but only one of them may be provided. Further, although the photographic optical system 101 is moved from the retracted area to the photographic area by the zoom ring 112, it is of course possible to use a non-collapsed lens. Further, although the operation member is provided in the lens barrel 100, other operation members such as a zoom switch provided in the camera body 200 may be used.

  In each embodiment of the present invention, a digital camera has been described as an apparatus for photographing. However, the camera may be a digital single lens reflex camera or a compact digital camera, such as a video camera or a movie camera. It may be a camera for moving images, or may be a camera built in a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a game device, or the like.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments as they are, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the embodiment. For example, you may delete some components of all the components shown by embodiment. Furthermore, constituent elements over different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

26 ... Back LCD monitor, 29 ... Finder LCD monitor, 100 ... Lens barrel, 101 ... Shooting optical system, 101a ... Shooting lens, 101b ... Shooting lens, 103 ... -Diaphragm 105 ... Optical position detection mechanism 107 ... Optical system drive mechanism 109 ... Diaphragm drive mechanism 110 ... Encoder 111 ... Lens CPU 112 ... Zoom ring 113 ... Focus ring, 114 ... Photo interrupter (PI), 200 ... Camera body, 203 ... Shutter, 205 ... Dust filter, 207 ... Piezoelectric element, 209 ... Infrared cut Filter 210, optical low-pass filter 211, dust filter driving circuit, 213 shutter driving mechanism, 217 acceleration sensor, 221 ..Image sensor, 223 ... Image sensor drive circuit, 225 ... Pre-processing circuit, 226 ... Contrast AF circuit, 227 ... Image processing circuit, 229 ... Body CPU, 231 ... Compression Decompression circuit, 233, video signal output circuit, 235, liquid crystal monitor drive circuit, 237, SDRAM control circuit, 238, SDRAM, 239, input / output circuit, 241 ... communication circuit, 243 ... Recording medium control circuit, 245 ... Recording medium, 247 ... Flash memory control circuit, 249 ... Flash memory, 253 ... Switch detection circuit, 255 ... Other switches, 257 ..Power switch, 259... Attachment / detachment detection switch, 260... Shake correction drive mechanism, 262... ASIC, 296. Circuit, 297 ... motion detection unit, 297a ... angular velocity sensor, 297b ... angular velocity detecting circuit, 290 ... image sensor unit,
300: Communication contact

Claims (6)

In a camera that is released from the low current consumption mode by an interrupt signal and is in an operating state,
An operation member;
Lens operation detecting means for outputting a lens operation signal in response to an operation of the operation member;
An acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration and generating an interrupt signal;
Control means for setting the camera in an operating state when an operation of the operation member is performed within a predetermined time after detecting an interrupt signal from the acceleration sensor;
A camera comprising:   2. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the operation is any one of an operation from a retracted position to a position where photographing can be performed, an operation of changing a focal length, and a focusing operation.   The camera according to claim 2, wherein the operation member is provided in a lens barrel.   The camera according to claim 3, wherein the lens barrel is removable from the camera body. In the camera that is released from the low current consumption mode by the interrupt signal and enters the operating state,
A lens barrel with an operating member;
Operation signal generating means for detecting an operation of the operation member and generating an interrupt signal;
An acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration applied to the camera;
Control means for setting the camera to an operating state when detecting an acceleration sensor signal after detecting an interrupt signal from the operation signal generating means;
A camera comprising:   6. The camera according to claim 5, wherein the operation member is any one of an operation of moving the lens from the retracted position to a position where photographing can be performed, an operation of changing a focal length, and a focusing operation.