JP2016014799A - Optical device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical device configured to cause the body of the optical device to read control information of an accessory from an external memory, to enable high-speed processing, and to control the accessory with the latest and optimal control information.SOLUTION: An optical device includes a detachable accessory having a first control section and first storage means. The optical device includes a second control section, second storage means, and a detachable mounting mechanism for mounting third storage means. When the third storage means is mounted on the mounting mechanism, the optical device confirms whether control information of the accessory has been stored or not. When the accessory control information has been stored, the optical device determines whether all the accessory control information recorded in the third storage means can be transferred to the second storage means or not, and transfers the data to the second storage means when it is affirmative. When it is negative, each piece of the accessory control information is transferred to the second storage means with priority.

Description

  The present invention generally relates to an optical device that newly acquires control information, an accessory, and an external memory that can be attached to the optical device, and more particularly to acquisition and update of control information in controlling an accessory.

  Conventionally, an interchangeable lens camera is known as a camera to which an accessory (lens unit, strobe unit, etc.) and an external memory (nonvolatile memory) can be attached and detached. By connecting the accessory to the camera. The function of the camera can be expanded. As these optical devices become more sophisticated, complicated control is executed by the CPU and firmware.

  When a camera system or an accessory that can exchange lenses is placed in a removable camera system, the camera body generally performs various calculations and controls based on information from the interchangeable lens or accessories.

  In Patent Document 1, various data necessary for autofocus operation and exposure operation are stored in a ROM in the lens, and when performing the operation on the camera body side, communication is performed with an interchangeable lens, and the data is read out. Such a technique is disclosed.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a technique in which all data stored in a lens is read when an interchangeable lens is attached or when power is turned on, and stored in a storage unit in the camera body. .

  Further, Patent Document 3 discloses a technique in which all or a part of data accumulated in a lens is read out when an interchangeable lens is attached or when power is turned on and stored in a storage means in the camera body. Has been.

Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 5-59411 Japanese Patent No. 2868226 JP 2007-129563 A

  However, the technique described in Patent Document 1 described above has a problem that data communication between the camera body and the interchangeable lens causes a time lag in each operation and impairs high-speed performance as a camera system.

  In addition, the technique described in Patent Document 2 has a problem in that a large amount of data communication is performed when a lens is mounted, and thus it takes a long time to complete photographing after the lens is mounted. doing.

  Further, in Patent Documents 1 to 3, since data is read from the memory in the accessory, it is not possible to cope with the control data in the latest method mounted on the camera developed after the accessory is manufactured.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to include an optical device main body, an accessory that can be attached to and detached from the main body, and an external memory that can be attached to and detached from the main body. Furthermore, the present invention is to provide an optical apparatus that can control accessories with the latest and optimum control information.

  In order to achieve the above object, the configuration of the optical apparatus according to the present invention includes a first control unit and an accessory having first storage means for storing control information used for control of the first control unit. A second control unit capable of communicating with the first control unit, a second storage means communicable with the second control unit, and a detachable second control unit capable of communicating with the second control unit. An optical device having a mounting mechanism capable of mounting three storage means, wherein the second control unit includes one or more of the third storage means when the third storage means is mounted on the mounting mechanism. It is confirmed whether the accessory control information is stored. When the accessory control information is stored, all data of the accessory control information recorded in the third storage unit is stored in the second storage unit. Determine if transfer is possible, and if all data transfer is possible, Transfer the data to 憶 means, when all data transfer is impossible is characterized by performing transfer to the second storage means prioritize 其 s accessories control information.

  According to the present invention, in an optical device system including an optical device main body and an accessory that can be attached to and detached from the main body, high-speed processing can be performed by reading the control information of the accessory from the external memory before the accessory is mounted. . Furthermore, it is possible to provide an optical device system that is optimal for cameras and can control accessories with the latest control information.

Configuration diagram of interchangeable lens digital camera Block diagram showing information stored in flowchart memory The figure which shows the accessory information currently recorded on the external memory 132 or the 2nd flash memory Figure showing priority during data transfer Figure showing priority during data transfer

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows an optical apparatus system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Example 1
Hereinafter, an optical apparatus system according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the interchangeable lens digital camera 100. The interchangeable lens digital camera 100 includes a lens unit 101 that is a lens side unit, and a camera body 102 that is a camera side unit to which the lens unit 101 can be attached and detached. The lens unit 101 includes an optical system that converges and forms an image of incident light, a control system that controls the optical system, and a connection unit.

  The optical system includes a first fixed lens 103, a variable power lens 104, a diaphragm 105, a second fixed lens 107, and a focus lens 108. The focus lens 108 performs focus adjustment and focus position correction by zooming. The light incident on the lens unit 101 passes through the optical system and forms an image on the image sensor 118 that performs photoelectric conversion.

  The control system includes a lens system controller 116 and a first flash memory 117. The first flash memory 117 may be a memory area incorporated in the lens system controller.

  The first flash memory 117 stores all the actuators of the lens unit 101 and stores a control program for communicating with the camera unit 102 and optical data related to the lens unit 101.

  The control system includes a zoom lens actuator 109, a focus lens actuator 111, an iris actuator 110, first and second lens driver circuits 113 and 115, and an iris driver circuit 114. The zoom lens actuator 109 drives the zoom lens 104, the iris actuator 110 drives the diaphragm 105, and the focus lens actuator 111 drives the focus lens 108.

  The first lens driver circuit 113 outputs a drive signal to the zoom lens actuator 109, and the second lens driver circuit 115 outputs a drive signal to the focus lens actuator 111. Further, the iris driver circuit 114 outputs a drive signal to the iris actuator 110.

The lens system controller 116 performs various controls (system control) including output control of control signals to the driver circuits. More specifically, the lens system controller 116 uses the zoom direction (telephoto or wide angle) data, the zoom speed data, and the focus evaluation value obtained by communication with the camera body 102 to perform zooming and focusing operations. Generate control data. Then, the lens system controller 116 outputs the generated control data as control signals to the first and second lens driver circuits 113 and 115 to drive the variable power lens 104 and the focus lens 108.

  Further, the lens system controller 116 generates exposure control data for the aperture 105 from the exposure evaluation value obtained through communication with the camera body 102, and outputs the data as a control signal to the iris driver circuit 114 to drive the aperture 105.

  The first flash memory 117 stores various parameters for focus control / magnification control and adjustment data. The first flash memory 117 is connected to the lens system controller 116 via a bus, and is read from the lens system controller 116 as necessary. The first flash memory 117 stores a control program that is operated by the lens system controller 116, a version of the program, optical data relating to the lens unit 101, and unique identification data for identifying the lens unit 101 itself, as necessary. Read out.

  A connecting portion between the lens unit 101 and the camera unit 102 is connected by a lens side contact 127 and a camera side contact 128. The lens system controller 116 communicates with a camera system controller 125 described later via the communication terminals of the contacts 127 and 128. Through this communication, the optical data and unique identification data regarding the lens unit 101 described above are transmitted to the camera body 102. Further, power is also supplied from the camera body 102 to the lens unit 101 via the power terminals of the contacts 127 and 128. The above is the configuration of the lens unit 101.

  Next, the configuration of the camera body 102 will be described. The camera body 102 includes an imaging system, a control system, a connection unit, and a display unit. The imaging system includes an imaging device 118, an analog front end (AFE) circuit 119, a camera signal processing circuit 121, an OSD circuit 122, and a video signal processing circuit 123. The light passing through the optical system of the lens unit 101 forms an image on the image sensor 118 and undergoes photoelectric conversion. The converted electrical signal is read at a predetermined timing of the timing generator 120, and is converted into a digital signal by performing sampling, gain control, and A / D conversion processes in the AFE circuit 119.

  The camera signal processing circuit 121 converts the digital signal output from the AFE circuit 119 into a video signal, and exposes an exposure evaluation value necessary for exposure control, a color difference evaluation value necessary for white balance control, and a focus evaluation value necessary for focus control. Is generated. The camera signal processing circuit 121 performs image quality setting control including white balance, color balance, and gamma in response to a request from the camera system controller 125.

  The OSD circuit 122 synthesizes predetermined characters and graphic information with the video signal output from the camera signal processing circuit 121 and outputs it. The video signal processing circuit 123 converts the video signal output from the OSD circuit 122 into a video signal of a predetermined format and outputs it externally.

  The control system includes a lens unit detection circuit 104, a second flash memory 124, a camera system controller 125, an operation key detection circuit 126, an external communication circuit 129, an external memory communication unit 131, an external memory 132, and an input unit 133.

  The accessory detection circuit 134 detects that the lens unit 101 is attached to the camera body 102 and outputs the information to the camera system controller 125.

  The second flash memory 124 is a non-volatile memory that stores exposure, white balance, various parameters for image quality control, adjustment data, a control program for controlling the camera unit 102, control data, and identification data for identifying the camera unit 102. is there. Furthermore, lens identification data, lens control data (such as optical data), and lens adjustment data obtained by communicating with the lens unit 101 and the external memory 132 can be stored. The operation key detection circuit 126 detects a key state by a user operation and notifies the camera system controller 125 of the key state.

  The camera system controller 125 is connected to the camera signal processing circuit 121 and the second flash memory 124 by a bus. The second flash memory may be a flash memory area inside the camera system controller.

  The camera system controller 125 can acquire the exposure, color difference, and focus evaluation values generated by the camera signal processing circuit 121 and read various parameters stored in the second flash memory 124. Further, the camera system controller 125 reads various key switches of the camera body 102 by the operation key detection circuit 126, and switches the control contents according to the result.

  The external communication circuit 129 is connected to an external PC and transmits / receives data.

  The external memory 132 is a card or stick-shaped removable memory, and is detachably inserted. The external memory 132 is connected to the camera system controller 125 via the external memory communication unit 131, and can store captured image data and a control program for controlling the camera unit 102. Furthermore, it is possible to store a control program for controlling the lens unit 101, optical data relating to the lens unit 101, and unique identification data for identifying the lens unit 101 itself.

  Data stored in the external memory 132 is read and written by the camera system control 125.

  The input unit 133 is a part for the user to input various information. The display unit includes a liquid crystal display 130 and displays various messages in addition to the captured image. The above is the description of the configuration of the camera / lens unit.

  Hereinafter, a sequence in which the camera unit 102 transfers the optical data in the external memory 132 or the first flash memory 117 to the second flash memory as necessary, and drives the lens unit 101 to perform photographing will be described. To do. FIG. 2 is a flowchart. FIG. 3 shows accessory information recorded in the external memory 132 or the second flash memory. FIGS. 4A and 4B and FIGS. 5A and 5B are tables showing priorities during data transfer.

  Here, a description will be given according to the flowchart of FIG. First, the case where the external memory is mounted and the lens unit 101 is mounted as an accessory will be described. The external memory 132 is inserted into the camera unit 102 (S101). Next, it is determined whether or not the lens unit 101 is attached (S102). When the lens unit 101 is mounted, the lens unit 101 transmits lens unique identification information (lens name, ID, serial number, etc.) through communication between the lens system controller 116 and the camera system controller 125 (S103).

  The camera body 102 records the transmitted lens unique identification information in the second flash memory 124 or the external memory 132. Data such as the date recorded at this time and the number of times of mounting are also recorded. Also, when shooting with the attached accessory, the number of shots is also recorded.

  If the lens unit 101 is attached, it is determined whether the optical data of the attached lens unit 101 has been transferred to the second flash memory 124 (S104). If there is data, the camera body reads the optical data in the second flash memory, controls the driving of the lens unit 101, and starts the photographing action (S106). At this time, when there are a plurality of optical data related to the lens unit 101 transferred to the second flash memory, the camera system controller 125 selects the optimum data for the camera body 102 and controls the lens unit 101.

  If the optical data of the attached lens unit 101 is not transferred to the second flash memory 124 in step S104, it is confirmed whether the optical data of the lens unit 101 is stored in the external memory 132 (S105). . If optical data is stored, data is transferred from the external memory 132 to the second flash memory 124 (S107).

  If no optical data is stored, data is transferred from the first flash memory 132 to the second flash memory 124 by communication between the lens system controller 116 and the camera system controller 125 (S108).

  In each of step S107 and step S108, after the data transfer, the camera body controls the lens unit 101 based on the transferred data and starts photographing driving (S106). At this time, when there are a plurality of optical data related to the lens unit 101 transferred to the second flash memory, the camera system controller 125 selects the optimum data for the camera body 102 and controls the lens unit 101.

  Next, a sequence when the external memory 132 is attached with the lens unit 101 not attached as an accessory will be described. The external memory 132 is inserted into the camera unit 102 (S101).

  Next, it is determined whether or not the lens unit 101 is attached (S102). If the lens unit 101 is not attached, the camera system controller 125 checks whether the optical data is transferred to the second flash memory 124 (S113). When the transfer has been completed, the process returns to step S102 and waits for the accessory to be mounted. When not being transferred, the camera system controller 125 checks the amount of data stored in the external memory 132. Further, the free capacity of the second flash memory 124 is also confirmed.

  Next, it is determined whether all the optical data stored in the external memory 132 can be stored in the free space of the second flash memory 124 (S109). At this time, even if the free space of the second flash memory 124 is large and all the data in the external memory 132 can be stored, it is determined that the amount of data stored in the external memory 132 is enormous and transfer takes time. Therefore, it may be determined that all data cannot be transferred.

  If it is determined that transfer is possible, all the optical data recorded in the external memory 132 is transferred to the second flash memory 124 (S110). After this, it waits for an accessory to be mounted (S102).

  If it is determined in step 109 that all the optical data stored in the external memory 132 cannot be stored in the second flash memory 124, the camera body 102 assigns the priority of the data to be transferred. At this time, it is confirmed whether or not the user uses the interface unit 133 to input settings for the priority (S111).

  When there is a setting, the user setting is given top priority. If there is no user setting for priority, the default setting is used by the camera system controller.

There are various methods of priority, but here are some examples. The latest mounting date, frequency (mounting frequency), frequency (imaging frequency), type (focal length), and type (open F value) are used as parameters. The parameter information is created by reading the lens unique identification information recorded in step S103 from the second flash memory 124 or the external memory 132 by the camera system controller 125. (The number of shots shall be recorded at the time of shooting.)
FIG. 3 shows accessory information recorded in the second flash memory 124 or the external memory 132. FIG. 4A shows the priority order set by the user. When the data transfer order is determined according to the priority order set in FIG. 4A, the order is as shown in FIG. 4B. Further, when the data transfer order is determined by the priority order set in FIG. 5A, the order is as shown in FIG. 5B. In this way, the data transfer order is determined (S112).

  Data is transferred from the external memory 132 to the second flash memory 124 within a data transferable range according to the priority set in step S112. After this, it waits for an accessory to be mounted (S102).

  As mentioned above, although preferable embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to these embodiment, A various deformation | transformation and change are possible within the range of the summary.

100 cameras, 101 lens units, 102 camera units,
116 lens system controller, 117 first flash memory,
124 second flash memory, 125 camera system controller,
129 External communication circuit, 132 External memory, 134 Accessory detection circuit

Claims (6)

An accessory having first storage means for storing control information used for control of the first control unit and the first control unit is removable,
A second control unit capable of communicating with the first control unit; a second storage unit capable of communicating with the second control unit; and a third storage unit which is detachable and capable of communicating with the second control unit. An optical device having a mounting mechanism that can be mounted,
The second control unit determines whether or not the control information of one or more accessories is stored in the third storage unit when the third storage unit is mounted on the mounting mechanism.
When accessory control information is stored, it is determined whether all data of accessory control information recorded in the third storage means can be transferred to the second storage means. Transferring the data to the second storage means;
An optical apparatus characterized in that when all data transfer is impossible, a priority is given to each accessory control information, and transfer is performed to the second storage means within a possible range in descending order of priority.   The third storage means includes first control information for controlling the first accessory recorded in the first storage means, or one or more first accessories different from the first control information. The optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein control information for controlling is recorded.   Whether or not transfer to the second storage means is possible is determined according to the free capacity of the second storage means, or according to the total capacity of the accessory control information recorded in the third storage means. The optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical device is determined by the determination.   In the case where all of the accessory control information recorded in the third storage means cannot be transferred to the second storage means, the method of assigning priorities when transferring with priority is determined by the use of accessories. The optical apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the optical apparatus is performed according to frequency, accessory use date and time, user selection, and type of optical apparatus.   The first storage means and the second storage means are each a nonvolatile memory or a nonvolatile memory area incorporated in a CPU. The optical apparatus described in 1.   The optical device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the accessory control information is optical data.