JP2623527B2 - Signal setting device - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an encoder for converting a set position of an operating member in an optical device into an electric signal.

(Background of the Invention) In recent years, computerization of photographic equipment has been remarkably advanced, and various kinds of information are processed in the form of electric signals in the photographic equipment for automation such as automatic exposure and automatic focusing. For example, in an interchangeable lens for a single-lens reflex camera, according to an operation of a zoom operation ring, set focal length information is transmitted as a digital electric signal to a microcomputer of a body main body. As described above, in order to convert the set position of the operation member such as the zoom operation ring into an electric signal,
2. Description of the Related Art A so-called encoder that outputs a signal code corresponding to a brush position by sliding a brush on an encoder pattern including a conductor pattern formed on an insulating substrate is used.

Looking at the structure of the encoder in conventional photographic equipment,
Adjustment of the relative position between the encoder pattern and the brush is usually performed visually while looking at the conductor shape of the pattern and the brush. However, with such a structure,
For parallax and pattern reading error at the time of alignment,
There is a disadvantage that the accuracy of the encoder is likely to be reduced. In addition, when the adjustment is performed visually, the encoder section must be visible from the outside of the apparatus, which has been a constraint in designing.

(Object of the Invention) It is an object of the present invention to solve these drawbacks and to provide a signal setting device of an optical device that can easily and highly accurately align an encoder pattern with an operation member.

(Summary of the Invention) The technical point of the present invention is to form an encoder pattern so as to output a signal code representing a reference position of an operation member position in order to perform relative positioning between the encoder pattern and the operation member. And

(Embodiment) FIGS. 1 to 3 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of a signal setting device applied to a lens information setting device of a camera interchangeable lens, and FIGS. The figure is an explanatory diagram for explaining the relationship between the camera and the interchangeable lens.

In a zoom lens barrel that can be attached to a camera having an automatic focus detection device, various information such as focal length information at a set focal length of the zoom lens barrel must be transmitted to the camera-side automatic focus detection device. For this purpose, an encoder (signal setting device) interlocked with a lens operating member such as a zoom operation ring is provided. The configuration of this encoder is shown in FIG. 1, in which an encoder section 2 on a circuit board (for example, a flexible printed board) 1 is shown.
In addition, conductor patterns 2a to 2d and 2g are formed on an insulating substrate as encoder patterns, and each of the conductor patterns is an input port I _{1 of} a one-chip microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as a microcomputer) MC1 installed on the substrate _1. ~I ₄ and is electrically connected to the ground pin GND. Communication output port C ₁ -C ₄ This microcomputer MC1 via electrical contacts provided on a lens mount and a camera mount section, of a microcomputer, including an automatic focus detection device provided in the camera (not shown) Connected to input / output port.

In FIG. 1, a sliding brush 3 is installed on a lens operating member such as a zoom operating ring, and slides in a direction indicated by an arrow X on the conductor pattern of the encoder section 2 in conjunction with the movement of the operating ring. The sliding portions 3g, 3a to 3c of the brush 3 are made of a conductive member, and are configured to slide with the respective conductor patterns 2g, 2a to 2c. The conductor pattern 2g is at the ground level (potential 0) of the microcomputer MC1, and is connected to the ground pin GND. In the input ports (I _{1 to} I ₄ ) where the sliding brush 3 and the conductor pattern are in contact, L
The signal is a level signal, and an H level signal is generated at a portion that does not touch. For example, when the sliding brush 3 located in position P _5, the sliding portion 3g of the brush 3, 3g of 3 a to 3 c, 3b, 3c
Contacts the conductor patterns 2g, 2b, and 2c, so that the microcomputer MC1
, Only the input ports I ₂ and I ₃ become L level signals, and the remaining input ports I ₁ and I ₄ become H level signals. This, at each position of the positions P ₁ to P ₈ representing the position of the sliding brush 3, summarizes the signal input to the input port I ₁ ~I ₄ is a table 1 shown below.

The microcomputer MC1 reads the lens information corresponding to the input code to the input ports I ₁ ~I ₄ from the internal memory,
Outputted from the data output port C ₄ as a digital signal in accordance with a predetermined format. For example, if a communication format is defined so as to output a signal in a time series, it is possible to send a plurality of data to the camera body.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a flow of signals in a state where a zoom lens barrel L on which a flexible printed circuit board 1 having the encoder unit of FIG.

As described above, the contact position between the sliding brush 3 and the encoder unit 2 is determined by the set position of the lens operating member (for example, the zoom operation ring), and the encoder unit 2 outputs a signal code. Here, the position P ₁ to P ₈ in the encoder unit 2 indicates the focal length information of the zoom lens barrel, so that each position corresponds to one focal length information, respectively. The signal code output from the encoder unit 2 is input to a microcomputer MC1 including a lens information setting circuit. As a result, lens information (for example, set focal length) determined by the signal code is output as a digital signal from the microcomputer MC1,
The digital signal is transmitted to the camera control microcomputer MC3 in the camera body via the camera body side electric contacts B _S to be connected to electrical contacts L _s and electrical contacts L _S of the lens mount. On the camera body side, control such as automatic exposure and automatic focus detection is performed based on the lens information thus input.

In FIG. 1 and Table 1, P _{1-1 to} P _1-3 and P _{2 to} P ₈ are:
Represents a position determined by the position of the sliding brush 3,
As described above, the signal code corresponding to each position is set. Of these, the signal code produced by the input port I ₁ ~I ₃ are shown in Table 2. This input port I ₁
The 3-bit signal code produced by ~I _3, the first cord for lens information setting. Lens information set according to the first code is transmitted to the camera side, and is used for automatic exposure, automatic focus detection, and the like. That is, the first code corresponding to the lens information used for control of the camera is the same data in the 3-position of the position P _1-1 to P _1-3.

In the encoder unit 2 configured as described above, the first
By being provided with the conductor pattern 2d is connected to the input port I ₄ to the range of position P ₁ as shown in FIG., To form a position P _1-1 to P _1-3, the 4-bit code described above Is set. The conductor pattern 2d is, for example, actuating members (where the zoom operation ring) to the encoder reference position P ₀ corresponding to the rotation limit position of, and is formed with a certain width. This encoder reference position P ₀ and its vicinity, the signal code shown in P _1-2 of saw table 1 when the sliding brush 3 located is inputted to the microcomputer MC1 by the encoder 2.
The signal code output at this position P _1-2 is
It is a second code indicating an encoder reference position. The conductor pattern 2d is formed on a substrate having no conductor pattern in the arrangement of the gray code pattern including the conductor patterns 2a to 2c.
2e. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a separate sliding brush portion brought into contact with the conductor pattern 2d for input port I _4. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide the sliding brush 3 and the encoder section 2 widely.

Microcomputer MC1, the encoder position is set by the addition to the second code input from the input port I ₁ ~I ₄ of lens information to be set by the first code input from the input port I ₁ ~I ₃ described above Output information port C ₄
Output from As an example of the encoder position information, Table 3 shows an example in which the states of the input ports I _{1 to} I ₄ are directly converted into data.

In this, the data "1110" shown in P _1-2 corresponding to the encoder reference position signal.

With the above configuration, in a normal use state in which the lens barrel is mounted on the camera, only the lens information set by the first code is transmitted from the microcomputer MC1 of the lens barrel to the microcomputer MC2 of the camera body. You.

FIG. 3 shows the encoder 2 during the manufacture of the lens barrel.
Signal reading circuit when adjusting the relative position of the
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram when a lens barrel L is mounted on a tool W containing MC3. This signal reading circuit MC3 has a lens contact L
From _S "tool contacts W microcomputer of the lens barrel via the _S (information setting circuit) MC1 reads encoder position information including the encoder reference position signal is displayed on the external display unit. Therefore, the zoom operation of the lens barrel when adjusting mounting the sliding brush 3 to the actuating member of the ring, the position corresponding to the encoder reference position P _0, while for example set the operating member in the rotation restriction position, is displayed on the display section of the tool W The mounting position of the sliding brush 3 may be adjusted so that the encoder position information indicates the encoder reference position.

In the embodiment, the position adjustment between the zoom operation ring and the encoder pattern as the operation members has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a sliding brush is linked to an aperture ring and a distance ring as the operation members. The position may be adjusted similarly. The method for generating the signal code of the encoder is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, a method using a photoreflector by providing a reflection pattern instead of the encoder pattern, or a method using the photoreflector instead of the encoder pattern A method of providing a light transmission pattern and using a photo interrupter, or a method of providing a magnetic pattern instead of an encoder pattern and magnetically detecting the same may be used.

Further, in the embodiment, the case of the interchangeable lens barrel for the camera is shown, but the present invention is not limited to the lens barrel, but can be applied to all devices that need to set an electric signal such as a strobe, a motor drive device, and the like. Needless to say. The signal is not limited to a digital signal, but may be an analog signal using a resistor or the like. Further, the signal indicating the encoder reference position is not limited to the output signal from the signal setting circuit, and a method of directly reading an encoder output code may be employed.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, there is an effect that the positioning between the encoder pattern and the operation member can be performed easily and with high accuracy.

According to the embodiment, since the relative position adjustment between the encoder pattern and the sliding brush can be performed not by visual observation but by electrical reading of a signal, there is no visual parallax or pattern reading error. In addition, since the encoder section does not need to be seen from the outside, the degree of freedom in design increases accordingly. Furthermore, if the width of the conductor pattern 2d representing the reference position is reduced,
It is also possible to further increase the accuracy of the relative position between the brush and the encoder pattern. In addition, since signals are electrically read to adjust the position between the sliding brush and the encoder pattern, automatic assembly and the like can be easily performed without relying on humans.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a developed view showing an encoder pattern of a signal setting device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between the signal setting device and an optical device, and FIG. 3 is a relationship between the signal setting device and a tool. FIG. (Explanation of reference numerals of main parts) 1 ... Flexible printed circuit board 2 ... Encoder unit 3 ... Sliding brush, MC1; MC2; MC3 ... Microcomputer

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. An optical apparatus comprising: an encoder for generating a code corresponding to a set position of an operation member; and a signal processing circuit for outputting information corresponding to the code generated by the encoder as a signal. A first pattern for generating a first code, and a second pattern for generating a reference position code representing a reference position, the first pattern and the second pattern for encoder position information setting An encoder for generating a second code, receiving the first code, outputting lens information as a signal to the camera when the camera is mounted, and receiving the second code, a range corresponding to a reference position width for encoder adjustment when the tool is mounted. A signal processing circuit that outputs encoder position information including reference position information output as a signal to the tool,
A signal processing device for an optical device, comprising: 2. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the encoder position information is binary data in which one terminal corresponds to one bit.