JP6751642B2 - Communication equipment, its control method, programs and imaging system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a communication device, a control method thereof, a program, and an imaging system.

In recent years, Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth is a registered trademark) capable of short-range wireless communication with low power consumption has become widespread. Communication devices that use that standard, such as portable communication devices such as remote controls for cameras, have to use batteries with a small capacity due to restrictions such as the size of the housing, so low power consumption is achieved for as long as possible. There is a request to operate in mode. Patent Document 1 describes a technique for disconnecting communication between communication devices when the communication devices are not close to each other in order to realize a mode of low power consumption by cutting off communication between communication devices. It is disclosed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-119211

However, in the above-mentioned conventional technique, it takes a certain time from the state of low power consumption to the state of being able to communicate with other communication devices. That is, it may take time to establish the connection again before the communication becomes possible, which may lead to a decrease in the operation response in the user operation. In particular, when the communication device is a remote controller for remotely controlling the camera via wireless communication, low power consumption and a high response for shooting are required, and power consumption can be suppressed and operated. A technology that achieves both improved response is desired.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and is a communication device capable of improving the operation response when remotely controlling an external device while suppressing power consumption, a control method thereof, a program, and imaging. The purpose is to provide a system.

In order to solve this problem, for example, the communication device of the present invention has the following configuration. That is, a communication device capable of remotely operating the image pickup device, which is an operation means capable of accepting operations related to the image pickup device, a wireless communication means for wireless communication between the image pickup device, and an image pickup device by the operation means. In response to receiving the operation related to the image pickup device, wireless communication with the image pickup device is established, information indicating the operation related to the image pickup device is transmitted, and the image pickup device performs the corresponding operation to the operation related to the image pickup device. It has a control means for controlling the wireless communication means so as to disconnect the wireless communication, and the control means is a second operation in which the operation related to the image pickup apparatus precedes the first operation for instructing imaging. In the case, the wireless communication is disconnected after a longer time has elapsed than when the image pickup device performs the operation corresponding to the first operation in response to the image pickup device performing the operation corresponding to the second operation. It is characterized in that the wireless communication means is controlled so as to perform.

According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the operation response when remotely controlling an external device while suppressing power consumption.

The figure which shows the system configuration example of the remote controller (remote control) as an example of the communication device which concerns on Embodiment 1, and the digital camera (camera) as an example of an image pickup device Block diagram showing a functional configuration example of a camera and a remote controller according to the first embodiment A flowchart explaining a basic operation example of the camera and remote controller when the release button is pressed. Sequence diagram explaining a basic operation example of the camera and remote controller when the release button is pressed A flowchart explaining a basic operation example of the camera and remote controller in continuous shooting. Sequence diagram explaining the basic operation example of the camera and remote controller in continuous shooting Flow chart explaining the basic operation example of the camera and remote controller when pressing the AF button Sequence diagram explaining a basic operation example of the camera and remote controller when pressing the AF button A flowchart showing a series of operations related to the camera and the remote controller in the first embodiment. A sequence diagram showing a series of operations related to the camera and the remote controller in the first embodiment. A sequence diagram for explaining the effect of the operation related to the camera and the remote controller in the first embodiment. A flowchart showing a series of operations related to the camera and the remote controller in the second embodiment. A sequence diagram showing a series of operations related to the camera and the remote controller in the second embodiment. A flowchart showing a series of operations related to the camera in the third embodiment. A flowchart showing a series of operations related to the remote controller in the third embodiment. A sequence diagram showing a series of operations related to the camera and the remote controller in the third embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following, as an example of the communication device, an example of using an arbitrary remote controller (remote controller) capable of remotely controlling the image pickup device (digital camera) will be described. However, this embodiment is applicable not only to a remote controller but also to any electronic device capable of remotely controlling an imaging device. These devices may include, for example, personal computers, mobile phones including smartphones, game machines, tablet terminals, clock-type and eyeglass-type information terminals, medical devices, surveillance systems, and devices for in-vehicle systems.

(Digital camera configuration)
FIG. 1 shows an example of an imaging system including a digital camera as an example of an imaging device and a remote controller as an example of a communication device capable of remotely controlling a digital camera. Further, FIGS. 2A and 2B show a functional configuration example of the digital camera according to the present embodiment and the remote controller according to the present embodiment. In addition, one or more of the functional blocks shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B may be realized by hardware such as an ASIC or a programmable logic array (PLA). Further, it may be realized by executing software by a programmable processor such as a CPU or MPU. It may also be realized by a combination of software and hardware. Therefore, in the following description, the same hardware can be realized as the main body even if different functional blocks are described as the main body of operation.

The digital camera shown in FIG. 1 (hereinafter, simply referred to as a camera 100) is connected to the remote controller 101 via a wireless communication unit 102 described later. The camera 100 and the remote control 101 are connected by a wireless communication method such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth is a registered trademark, hereinafter simply referred to as BLE), Zigbee, wireless LAN, or the like. Compared to the infrared method, the wireless communication method has merits such as bidirectional communication, less directivity, and a relatively long communication distance. Therefore, when the wireless communication method is used, there are few restrictions on the operating position. Further, among the wireless communication methods, the BLE method consumes less power, and it has become possible to obtain performance that can withstand use even in applications such as a remote controller operated by a coin battery.

The remote controller 101 is provided with an operating member for remotely controlling the camera 100, such as a release button 103, an AF (autofocus) button 104, a ZoomWide button 105, and a ZoomTele button 106, on its exterior surface.

As described above, the wireless communication unit 102 of the camera 100 shown in FIG. 2A includes a circuit or module for wirelessly communicating with an external device such as a remote controller 101. It is necessary to perform pairing in advance so that the camera 100 and the remote controller 101 can communicate with each other. Pairing is a process of registering the device of the connection partner, and the camera and the remote controller recognize each other of the connection partner to prevent malfunction even in an environment where a plurality of devices exist.

The lens microcomputer 200 controls the operation of the optical system such as the zoom lens 201 based on the control of the control unit 212 included in the main body of the camera 100. The zoom lens 201 includes a lens that can move forward and backward in the optical axis direction, and changes the magnification of the subject image by controlling the lens position. The diaphragm 202 changes the amount of light incident on the image sensor 204, which will be described later, by controlling the diaphragm diameter. The focus lens 203 includes a lens that can move forward and backward in the optical axis direction, and by controlling the lens position, the degree of focusing of the subject image that passes through the optical system and is imaged on the image pickup sensor 204 is changed. The lens microcomputer 200, the zoom lens 201, the aperture 202, and the focus lens 203 constitute the photographing optical system of the camera 100.

The image sensor 204 has a configuration in which a plurality of pixels having a photoelectric conversion element are arranged two-dimensionally. The image sensor 204 photoelectrically converts the subject optical image imaged by the photographing optical system such as the zoom lens 201 with each pixel, and further performs analog-to-digital conversion with an A / D conversion circuit to perform a pixel-by-pixel digital signal (image). Data) is output. The image sensor 204 may be an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor. The shutter 205 includes, for example, a mechanical mechanical shutter, and exposes the image sensor 204 for an appropriate time according to a user's shooting instruction. The mirror 206 is a mirror for switching the light incident from the photographing optical system such as the zoom lens 201 between the finder side (not shown) and the image sensor 204 side. Normally, the mirror 206 is arranged so as to guide the light to the finder side, but when shooting or in the case of live view display, the mirror 206 is arranged so as to guide the light to the image sensor 204 (bounces upward and reflects the light). It is evacuated to a position where it does not. Further, the mirror 206 is a half mirror so that the central portion thereof transmits a part of the light, and the mirror 206 transmits a part of the light and is incident on a sensor for performing focus detection (not shown).

The power switch 207 is an operating member for supplying electric power from the battery 214 to start the operation of the camera 100. For example, when the switch is turned on, electric power is supplied to each part of the camera 100, and when the switch is turned off, electric power is supplied. Supply is stopped.

The mode changeover switch 208 is an operation member for setting the camera 100 to a mode in which the camera 100 can be remotely controlled by the remote control 101, and the camera 100 is in a state of accepting the remote control operation by turning on the switch.

The non-volatile memory 209 is a recording medium such as a memory card for recording a captured image or video, and is composed of a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or the like. The non-volatile memory 209 stores a program executed by the control unit 212, constants for operation when the program is operated, and the like. The recording unit 210 includes, for example, a recording control unit that records captured images and videos on a recording medium, and a large-capacity, randomly accessible recording medium such as a memory card. The recording unit 210 may further have a mounting / discharging mechanism (not shown) so that the recording medium can be easily mounted on the camera 100 and can be removed.

The display unit 211 includes, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or electronic paper, and displays a photographed image or an image read from the recording unit 210. In addition, a menu screen for the user to operate the camera 100 is displayed.

The control unit 212 has, for example, a CPU (MPU), RAM, etc., executes a program stored in the non-volatile memory 209 to control each block of the camera 100, and controls data transfer between each block. To do. Further, the control unit 212 controls each block of the camera 100 according to an operation signal from the mode changeover switch 208 and the release switch 215 that accepts an operation from the user, and an operation signal received from the remote controller 101.

The battery 214 includes, for example, a battery or the like, and a battery having a large capacity such as a lithium ion rechargeable battery is used. The power supply circuit 213 controls the electric power output from the battery 214 to supply electric power to each block constituting the camera 100.

The release switch 215 includes an operation member composed of a two-stage switch that can be half-pressed and fully-pressed, and transmits an operation state by user operation to the control unit 212. When the release switch 215 is pressed halfway, the control unit 212 executes a predetermined function for shooting such as autofocus, and when the release switch 215 is pressed fully, for example, main shooting is performed. Do. The antenna 216 transmits the signal output from the wireless communication unit 102 to the external device, and receives the signal transmitted from the external device. The photometric circuit 221 includes a sensor for measuring the brightness incident on the image pickup sensor 204, and transmits the measured brightness information to the control unit 212. The control unit 212 adjusts the aperture 202 based on, for example, the information of the photometric circuit 221 to realize the automatic exposure adjustment function.

The still image / moving image changeover switch 224 is an operation member for switching the shooting mode of the camera 100. For example, when the camera 100 is set to the moving image mode, not only the still image shooting but also the moving image shooting can be controlled from the remote controller. The notification unit 225 includes an audio output unit such as a speaker, and generates a predetermined sound when the camera 100 is in a predetermined state or in response to a user operation.

On the other hand, the remote controller 101 shown in FIG. 2B includes an operating member such as the release button 103 described above with reference to FIG. The release button 103 is a button for causing the camera 100 to take a picture when pressed by the user. Further, the AF button 104 is a button for causing the camera 100 to execute the autofocus function (AF) when pressed by the user. The ZoomWide button 105 is a button for controlling the position of the zoom lens 201 to the Wide side and changing the variable magnification when pressed by the user. On the other hand, the ZoomTele button 106 is a button for controlling the zoom lens 201 to the TV side to change the variable magnification.

In addition to the operation members described above, the remote controller 101 has a function of notifying the user such as a display unit 219 (not shown in FIG. 1), a buzzer 218, and a vibration generating unit 217. The user operating the remote controller can notify the operating state of the camera in detail by these notification functions. That is, even when the user operates the camera away from the camera 100, whether the shooting was successful, whether the autofocus (AF) was in focus, or whether the autoexposure (AE) was completed. It becomes possible to grasp the state such as whether or not.

The control unit 227 includes, for example, a CPU (MPU), a ROM, a RAM, and the like, executes a program stored in the ROM to control each block of the remote control 101, and controls data transfer between the blocks. Or something. Further, when the control unit 227 receives an operation from the user via the release button 103 or the like, the control unit 227 controls each block of the remote controller 101 so as to transmit a signal to, for example, the camera 100.

The antenna 220 is connected to the receiving unit 222 and the transmitting unit 223 by a wiring (not shown), receives the signal transmitted from the camera 100, and transmits the signal output from the transmitting unit 223 to the camera 100. The receiving unit 222 receives a signal from the camera 100 via the antenna, takes out information according to the wireless communication method, and transmits necessary information to the control unit 227. The transmission unit 223 converts the information output from the control unit 227 into a signal conforming to, for example, a wireless communication method, and outputs the information to the antenna. The battery 230 includes, for example, a coin battery, and provides the power required for the operation of the remote controller 101 to the control unit 227 via the power supply circuit 231. The remote controller 101 uses a battery having a small capacity such as a coin battery to execute the operation sequence described below in order to achieve both an operation response when remotely controlling an external device and low power consumption (battery life). To do.

(Basic operation between remote controller 101 and camera 100)
Next, the basic operation between the remote controller 101 and the camera 100, which is a prerequisite for operating the camera 100 using the remote controller 101, will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 8.

First, with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, a series of operations of operating the remote controller 101 to take a still image with the camera 100 will be described. FIG. 3A shows a series of operations on the camera 100 side, and FIG. 3B shows a series of operations on the remote controller 101 side. In the following description, in order to facilitate understanding of the relationship between the processes, each figure will be referred to as appropriate. In addition, while explaining FIG. 3, FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b), which are sequence diagrams corresponding to this series of operations, will be described as appropriate. Note that FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b) show how each operation changes from left to right in chronological order.

This process is started in a state where, for example, the camera 100 and the remote controller 101 are paired and the camera 100 is installed toward a predetermined subject. Further, this processing is realized by the control unit 227 of the remote controller 101 expanding and executing the program stored in the ROM in the RAM and controlling each block of the remote controller 101. Similarly, the control unit 212 of the camera 100 expands and executes the program stored in the non-volatile memory 209 in the RAM, and controls each block of the camera 100.

In S101, the control unit 212 determines whether the camera 100 is set to the remote control reception mode. The control unit 212 determines whether the camera 100 is set to the remote control reception mode based on the setting of the mode changeover switch 208, and proceeds to S102 if the camera 100 is in the remote control reception mode. On the other hand, when the camera 100 is not in the remote control reception mode, the process proceeds to S103S103, and normal shooting is executed in S103. In this case, the control unit 212 executes normal shooting and ends this series of operations.

In S102, the control unit 212 starts transmitting the advertisement packet to the external device via the wireless communication unit 102. In the transmission of the advertisement packet, the control unit 212 broadcast-transmits (transmits to an unspecified external device) a packet including connection information necessary for the external device to establish a connection with the camera 100. As a result, the external device to be connected to the connection can establish a connection with the camera 100 by receiving the packet. The state in which the advertisement packet is being transmitted is the connection standby state.

The sequence diagram shown in FIG. 4A shows each operation from the time when the camera 100 starts transmitting the advertisement packet. In the operation of wireless communication in the camera 100 (also simply referred to as camera wireless operation), advertisement packets are periodically transmitted at regular intervals from the first timing shown in the sequence diagram (the leftmost part of the diagram).

Here, the operation of the remote controller 101 shown in FIG. 3B will be described from the state in which the camera 100 has started transmitting the advertisement packet. In S121, the control unit 227 determines whether the release button 103 of the remote controller 101 has been pressed. When the control unit 227 determines that the release button 103 has been pressed based on, for example, the signal change caused by the release button 103, the control unit 227 proceeds to S122. If it is determined that the release button 103 is not pressed, the process is returned to S121 and the process is repeated.

In S122, the control unit 227 transmits a wireless connection request. More specifically, the control unit 227 performs a scanning operation for detecting the advertisement packet, and when the advertisement packet is detected, transmits a wireless connection request for establishing a connection with the camera 100 and shifting to the connection state. ..

In S104 shown in FIG. 3A, the control unit 212 of the camera 100 determines whether or not the wireless connection request transmitted from the remote controller 101 has been received. When the control unit 212 determines that the wireless connection request has been received, the process proceeds to S105, and when it is determined that the wireless connection request has not been received, the control unit 212 returns to S104 and repeats the process.

In S105, the control unit 212 executes a wireless connection operation with the remote controller 101. On the other hand, also in S124 shown in FIG. 3B, the control unit 227 executes a wireless connection operation with the camera 100.

The sequence of the camera 100 and the remote controller 101 related to the operation described so far with reference to FIG. 4A will be described. In the state of the remote controller when the user is not operating anything, the control unit 227 goes into a sleep state to suppress battery consumption as much as possible and waits for a change in the signal connected to the operation member (standby state). Also called). In this state, when the release button 103 is pressed, the control unit 227 generates an interrupt by detecting a signal change to operate the activation sequence. In the startup sequence, for example, the control unit 227 reads the program from the non-volatile memory and executes it. When the control unit 227 is activated, the remote control wireless operation (using the receiving unit 222 and the transmitting unit 223) is immediately started, the scanning operation is performed, and the advertisement packet transmitted from the camera 100 is received. When the control unit 227 receives the advertisement packet by the scanning operation, the control unit 227 sends a connection request to the camera 100. Since the connection request includes, for example, the identification information of the remote controller 101, the control unit 212 on the camera 100 side connects the remote controller 101 to the connection destination when the identification information matches the identification information registered in advance by pairing. Recognize as and establish a wireless connection. When a wireless connection is established, the camera 100 and the remote controller can be connected one-to-one in the subsequent processing, and transmission / reception can be performed periodically at the same timing. In the wireless operation of the camera 100 and the wireless operation of the remote controller 101 shown in FIG. 4A, the white-painted rectangle represents the advertisement transmission, and the black-painted rectangle represents the communication (connection) after the connection is established.

Referring to FIG. 3B again, in S124, the control unit 227 of the remote controller 101 transmits an operation command. The operation command transmitted in S124 is, for example, a command indicating that the release button 103 has been pressed. In S106 shown in FIG. 3A, when the control unit 212 of the camera 100 receives the operation command transmitted from the remote controller 101, the control unit 212 of the camera 100 issues a still image shooting command (because the set mode is the still image mode). Recognize that there is. Next, the control unit 212 of the remote controller performs a still image shooting preparation operation in S107 in order to start a series of still image shooting sequences. In addition to the AF and AE operations, the still image shooting preparation may include other operations such as an aperture drive operation and a pre-exposure preparation operation of the image sensor.

As shown in the sequence of camera operations in FIG. 4A, in the "still image single-shot shooting sequence", a series of operations from the start of the AF operation to the completion of the still image shooting is performed. In the "still image shooting", for example, the light from the subject is exposed to the image sensor, and the operation is performed from the completion of the exposure to the completion of the reading. Further, in the series of shooting sequences, when the AF operation, the AE operation, and the aperture drive are completed, the preparation for exposure to the image sensor is completed, and the shooting preparation is completed.

When a series of shooting preparations is completed, in S108, the control unit 212 of the camera 100 transmits a shooting preparation completion notification to the remote controller 101 informing that the shooting preparation is ready. On the other hand, in S125, the control unit 227 of the remote controller 101 receives the shooting preparation completion notification. Further, in S126, in order to notify the camera 100 that the shooting preparation completion notification has been received, a response to the shooting preparation completion notification is transmitted. The control unit 227 includes information indicating that the wireless communication is disconnected in the packet related to the response to the shooting preparation completion notification. In S127, the control unit 227 then disconnects the wireless communication with the camera 100. When the remote control 101 disconnects the wireless communication in S127, the shooting operation of the camera 100 is not completed, but the remote control 101 is ready to shoot the camera 100, and the shooting is surely performed after that. Can be regarded. Therefore, by disconnecting the wireless communication before the shooting operation of the camera 100 is completed, it is possible to prevent the battery from being wasted by continuing the communication with the camera 100.

In S128, the control unit 227 of the remote controller 101 turns on the LED included in the display unit 219 in order to notify the user that the shooting preparation is completed. As a method of notifying the user, in addition to the method of turning on the LED, a method of driving the buzzer 218 to notify by sound or a method of driving the vibration generating unit 217 to transmit by vibration may be used. In S129, the control unit 227 turns off the LED after a predetermined time has elapsed.

On the other hand, in S109, the control unit 212 of the camera 100 determines whether or not the response from the remote controller 101 has been received. When the control unit 212 determines that the response has been received, the control unit 212 advances the process to S111. On the other hand, if the response from the remote controller 101 is not received, the process proceeds to S110. In S110, the control unit 212 determines whether or not a time-out has occurred, returns the process to S109 if it determines that the time-out has not occurred, and proceeds to the process to S111 if it determines that the time-out has occurred.

In S111, the control unit 212 controls the camera 100 side to disconnect the wireless communication by referring to the information included in the received response. In S112, the control unit 212 waits for the LED of the remote controller 101 to turn off. It should be noted that the camera 100 side can grasp in advance how long the remote control 101 side will turn on the LED by the shooting preparation completion notification. Therefore, it is possible to wait until the LED is surely turned off. Next, in S113, the control unit 212 drives the shutter 205, the mirror 206, or the image sensor 204 to take a still image. At this time, since the LED on the remote control 101 side is surely turned off, the appearance of the LED of the remote control 101 shining is not reflected in the captured image. The control unit 212 of the camera 100 ends a series of operations when the shooting is completed.

The sequence related to the above-mentioned steps will be described with reference to FIG. 4A again. When the camera 100 receives the release command from the remote controller 101, the camera 100 starts a series of still image single-shot shooting sequences. The control unit 212 starts the still image single shooting sequence from the AF operation. For example, the control unit 212 detects the distance to the subject by using a contrast detection method, a phase difference detection method, or the like, and drives the lens to a position where the lens is in focus. The AF operation may fail if the contrast of the subject is low, the subject is dark, or the subject is too close to the shortest shooting distance of the lens. Further, even in the AE operation performed after the AF operation, if the subject is too bright or the brightness fluctuates, the AE operation may fail.

FIG. 4B shows a sequence when the AF operation fails. The still image single-shot shooting sequence is started and the AF operation is performed, but when the AF operation fails (focusing failure), the camera 100 sends a focusing failure notification to the remote controller 101. In this case, the control unit 227 of the remote controller 101 immediately transmits a response to the focusing failure notification and disconnects the wireless communication with the camera 100. In this case, the control unit 227 does not turn on the LED of the display unit 219. By such an operation, the user can recognize that the camera 100 fails to prepare for shooting and the shooting is not performed. Further, in the AF operation of the camera 100, it may be difficult to focus and the AF operation may continue for a long time. In this case, the control unit 227 of the remote controller 101 detects a timeout and disconnects the wireless communication with the camera 100. In this way, even when the camera 100 does not take a picture, it is possible to achieve both operability and battery life.

See FIG. 4A again. When the AF operation, the AE operation, and the aperture drive are successful and the shooting preparation is completed, the control unit 212 of the camera 100 transmits a still image shooting preparation completion notification to the remote controller 101. The remote controller 101 disconnects the wireless communication with the camera 100 in response to receiving the still image shooting preparation completion notification, and turns on / off the LED. When the LED is turned off, the control unit 227 of the remote controller 101 enters a sleep state for suppressing battery consumption as much as possible, which is the same as the initial state of FIG. 4A. When the wireless communication is disconnected (or the still image shooting is completed), the control unit 212 of the camera 100 transmits an advertisement packet and waits for a connection from the remote controller 101, as in the initial state of FIG. 4A. Become.

In this way, when the camera 100 starts the operation sequence and the shooting preparation is completed, the camera 100 notifies the remote controller 101 before completing the actual shooting. Then, the remote controller 101 disconnects the wireless communication at the timing when the camera 100 is ready for shooting, and notifies the user after the disconnection. Therefore, since the user can grasp the operating state of the camera 100 while extending the battery life as much as possible, it is possible to provide an imaging system that makes it possible to achieve both operability and battery life.

Next, as a basic operation between the camera 100 and the remote controller 101, a case of continuous shooting of still images will be described. In continuous shooting of still images, the LED is not turned on or off for each frame of still image shooting. This is because if the LED is turned on and off for each shooting, the shooting speed (number of frames) will be slower than when the camera 100 is operated (because the shooting operation cannot be performed while the LED is on). is there. In continuous shooting of still images, the LED is turned on only for the first image, and the LED is not turned on for the second and subsequent images with priority given to the shooting speed.

First, with reference to FIG. 5, a series of operations related to continuous shooting of still images will be described. Note that FIGS. 5A and 5B show a series of operations of the camera 100 and the remote controller 101 when continuous shooting of still images is performed using the remote controller 101, respectively. Further, the sequence diagram shown in FIG. 6 will be referred to as appropriate while explaining the series of operations shown in FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b) as in the case of taking one still image. Note that the same operations as those described with reference to FIG. 3 are designated by the same reference numbers and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the example of continuous shooting of still images described below, it is assumed that the operation mode of the camera 100 is set to the still image continuous shooting mode in advance. When the continuous shooting is started by the remote controller 101, the user presses the release button 103 of the remote controller 101 and performs an operation to maintain the state. The camera 100 performs continuous shooting while the release button 103 is pressed, and stops continuous shooting when the release button 103 is released.

First, the control unit 212 of the camera 100 executes the processes S101 to S106 in the first shooting in the same manner as in the case of shooting one still image. Further, the control unit 227 of the remote controller 101 similarly executes the processes S121 to S124, establishes a wireless communication connection with the camera 100, and transmits an operation command. In a state where wireless communication is established, the camera 100 and the remote controller 101 transmit and receive information at regular intervals (indicated by a black rectangle) as shown in the remote controller wireless operation and the camera wireless operation in FIG.

In S521, the control unit 227 of the remote controller 101 puts information indicating the button state of the remote controller 101 on the packets transmitted and received at a fixed cycle, and repeats the transmission to the camera 100. On the other hand, in S501, the control unit 212 of the camera 100 receives information indicating a button state that is periodically transmitted. As a result, the camera 100 can recognize which button of the remote controller 101 is in what state in almost real time.

After that, the control unit 212 of the camera 100 performs the processes of S107 and S108 in the same manner as in the case of taking one still image. Then, when the response to the shooting preparation completion notification is received from the remote controller 101 in S109, the process proceeds to S502. On the other hand, in S109, when the control unit 212 determines that the response has not been received from the remote controller 101, the control unit 212 returns to S109 again.

In S502, the control unit 212 determines whether the wireless communication has been disconnected. This is because the wireless communication may be disconnected by the remote controller 101 according to the process in S522 of the remote controller 101, which will be described later. The control unit 212 determines whether the wireless communication is disconnected by the remote controller 101, and thereby determines whether to continue continuous shooting. When it is determined that the wireless communication is disconnected, the process proceeds to S112, and the process is performed in S112 and S113 in the same manner as when one still image is taken. After that, the control unit 212 ends a series of operations related to continuous shooting of still images.

Further, when the control unit 212 determines in S502 that the wireless communication is not disconnected, the control unit 212 waits until the LED is surely turned off in S503, and then proceeds to process in S504 to take a picture. In S504 to S506, after photographing the above-mentioned S113, the same processing as in S501 and S107 is performed. Further, in S507, it is determined whether the wireless communication is disconnected in the same manner as in S502 described above. If the wireless communication is not disconnected, shooting is performed in S508 in order to continue shooting. After that, the process is returned to S505. On the other hand, when the control unit 212 determines that the wireless communication is disconnected, the control unit 212 takes a picture in S509, and then ends the series of operations.

As described above, in the camera 100, when the release button 103 is continuously pressed after the first shooting (S504), the shooting preparation operation for the second shooting is performed in S506. Do. When the release button 103 is released, the disconnection of the wireless communication is determined in S507, so that the second image is taken in S509 and the continuous shooting is ended. If it is determined in S507 that the wireless communication is not disconnected, the second image is taken and then the process returns to S505 to prepare for the third image.

On the other hand, the control unit 227 of the remote controller 101 performs S125 and S126 in the same manner as when taking one still image, and transmits a response to the shooting preparation completion notification. Then, in S522, the control unit 227 determines whether the release button 103 is continuously operated even after transmitting the response to the shooting preparation completion notification. When the control unit 227 determines that the release button 103 is continuously pressed, the process proceeds to S523, and when it is determined that the release button 103 is not pressed, the control unit 227 proceeds to S127 to S129 as in the case of taking one still image. To turn off the LED.

When it is determined in S522 that the release button 103 is continuously pressed, the control unit 227 proceeds to S523 without disconnecting the wireless communication (unlike the case of single-shot still image shooting). .. In S523 and S524, the control unit 227 turns on and off the LED only in the first shooting to notify the user of the execution of shooting. After that, in S525, the control unit 227 continues to transmit information indicating the button state, and in S526, determines whether or not the release button 103 is continuously pressed again. When the control unit 227 determines that the release button 103 is continuously pressed, the control unit 227 returns the process to S525. Then, the continuous shooting is continued until the release button 103 is released and the wireless communication is disconnected. On the other hand, when it is determined that the button has been released, information indicating the button state that the release button 103 has been released is transmitted to the camera 100, and then the wireless communication is disconnected in S527. The control unit 227 then ends this series of operations.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 212 of the camera 100 has described an example of determining whether the wireless communication is disconnected in S502 (and S507). However, since the camera 100 always receives the information indicating the button state from the remote controller 101, it may be determined whether or not the release button 103 is released in the camera 100. In this case, the camera 100 may disconnect the wireless communication and end the continuous shooting.

In FIG. 6, as shown in the operation of the remote controller, the release button 103 of the remote controller 101 is continuously pressed, and the release button 103 is released at the timing of shooting the fourth frame. In response to the release button 103 being released, the remote controller 101 uses a wireless communication packet to transmit to the camera 100 that the state of the button has changed. When the camera 100 transmits the shooting end notification to the remote controller 101, the remote controller 101 disconnects the wireless communication after transmitting the response to the shooting end notification. After that, the remote controller 101 goes into a sleep state and waits for an operation from the user again.

In this way, in continuous shooting of still images, the remote controller 101 disconnects the wireless communication when it determines that the release button is continuously pressed (even after receiving the shooting preparation completion notification). do not do. Then, the camera 100 continues continuous shooting when the wireless communication is continued by the remote controller 101. By doing so, it is possible to achieve both operability and battery life without increasing the time for enabling wireless communication more than necessary.

Next, when the user presses the AF button 104 of the remote controller 101, the basic operation in which the camera 100 controls only the AF operation independently of the shooting will be described. This example is common to the above-mentioned operations of the camera 100 and the remote controller 101 except that the AF operation is independently controlled by pressing the AF button 104 of the remote controller 101. Therefore, the same reference is given to the common operations. Number the differences and explain the differences.

Hereinafter, a series of operations and sequences when the AF button 104 is operated will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. 7 (a) and 7 (b) show the operation of the remote controller 101 and the operation of the camera 100 according to the present embodiment, respectively, and FIG. 8 shows the camera 100 and the remote controller corresponding to the operation shown in FIG. The sequence of 101 is shown.

First, in S101 to 105, the camera 100 establishes wireless communication with the remote controller 101 in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment.

On the other hand, in S721, the control unit 227 of the remote controller 101 determines whether the AF button 104 has been operated by the user. If the control unit 227 has not detected the operation of the AF button 104, the control unit 227 returns to S721 again. When the operation of the AF button 104 is detected, the process is activated and the process proceeds to S122. After that, the processes S122 to S124 are performed, and an operation command (here, an AF command) is transmitted to the camera 100. Further, FIG. 8 shows a sequence in which the remote controller 101 detects the pressing of the AF button 104, establishes wireless communication with the camera 100, and transmits an AF command to the camera 100.

In S106, the control unit 212 of the camera 100 receives an operation command (AF command) from the remote controller 101 and starts an AF operation sequence in which only the AF operation is performed. In S701, the control unit 212 of the camera 100 performs the AF operation described above to control the camera so as to focus on a predetermined subject. After that, when focusing is successful, in S702, a focusing success notification is transmitted to the remote controller 101.

On the other hand, in S722, the remote controller 101 receives the focusing success notification transmitted from the camera 100, and in S126, transmits a response to the focusing success notification to the camera 100. After that, the remote controller 101 disconnects the wireless communication with the camera 100 in S127.

In S723, the remote controller 101 blinks the LED twice. Since the double blinking of the LED is also distinguished from the notification of the completion of shooting of the still image and the notification of the start and end of shooting of the moving image, the user can recognize that the AF operation is successful. The notification method to the user may be voice or vibration notification. By using a notification method different from other camera 100 operation sequences, the user can grasp the situation of the camera 100 in more detail.

When the camera 100 determines in S109 that a response has been received from the remote controller 101, the camera 100 disconnects the wireless communication in S111. However, when the LED of the remote controller 101 is blinking, the LED is waited to be turned off in S112 so that the next operation command is not accepted.

Referring to FIG. 8, as shown in the camera operation at the bottom, there is a series of AF operation sequences from the start of the AF operation to the end of waiting for the LED to turn off. The camera 100 does not accept the next operation command during this period. As a result, it is possible to reduce the possibility of malfunction due to blinking of the LED when the AF operation or the AE operation is performed by receiving the next operation command.

(A series of operations when multiple buttons are operated)
Next, a series of operations when a plurality of buttons are operated on the remote controller 101 according to the present embodiment will be described.

By the way, for example, when the operation by the AF button 104 and the operation by the release button 103 are operated in order (a plurality of button operations are performed), if the above-mentioned basic operations are simply combined, the wireless communication is disconnected for each button operation. Will be done. Therefore, the response may be reduced when a plurality of buttons are operated. However, when a button such as the AF button 104 is operated in advance, there is a high possibility that the release button 103 will be subsequently operated. Therefore, in the series of operations described below, the above-mentioned basic operation is extended to improve the response (while maintaining the power saving performance obtained by the basic operation as much as possible) when a plurality of buttons are operated. Let me.

In the present embodiment, an example in which the release button 103 and the buttons such as the AF button 104 switch whether or not to disconnect the wireless communication according to the pressed button will be described. In the series of operations according to the present embodiment, the operations common to the above-mentioned basic operations are designated by the same reference numerals, duplicated explanations are omitted, and the differences will be mainly described.

Buttons such as the AF button 104, the ZoomWide button 105, and the ZoomTele button 106 for changing the shooting environment such as AF and zoom before shooting are referred to as shooting preparation buttons to distinguish them from the release button 103. Further, the shooting preparation completion notification is used to notify that the AF operation, the AE operation, the aperture drive is completed, the Wide / Tele operation of the lens is completed, and the like. Further, in the following description, the shooting preparation completion notification when the release button 103 is pressed is referred to as the first shooting preparation completion notification. Further, the shooting preparation completion notification when the AF button 104 (or another shooting preparation button) is pressed is referred to as a second shooting preparation completion notification.

FIG. 9A shows a series of operations in the camera 100 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 9B shows a series of operations in the remote controller 101.

The control unit 212 of the camera 100 performs the processes of S101 to S105 in the same manner as in the case of taking one still image described above, and establishes wireless communication with the remote controller 101. That is, the camera 100 transmits an advertisement signal in the remote control mode, and when it receives a wireless connection request from the remote control 101, it establishes wireless communication with the remote control 101.

On the other hand, in S911, the control unit 227 of the remote controller 101 determines whether the button of the remote controller 101 has been pressed by the user. In the present embodiment, it is determined not only when the release button 103 is pressed but also when the shooting preparation button is pressed. When the control unit 227 does not detect the signal change due to the button pressing, the control unit 227 determines that the button is not pressed and returns the process to S911. On the other hand, when the signal change due to the button pressing is detected, it is determined that the button is pressed and the process proceeds to S122. The control unit 227 performs the processes S122 to S124 in the same manner as in the case of taking one still image described above, establishes wireless communication with the camera 100, and performs an operation command (an operation command corresponding to the pressed button). ) Is transmitted to the camera 100.

In S901, the control unit 212 of the camera 100 determines whether the pressed button is the release button 103. The control unit 212 determines the pressed button based on the operation command transmitted from the remote controller 101, and when it is determined that the pressed button is the release button 103, proceeds to S107 to perform the shooting preparation operation. Execute. On the other hand, if it is determined that the button is not the release button (or the operation preparation button), the control unit 212 proceeds to S903 to execute the shooting preparation operation in S903. Further, in S902, the control unit 212 of the camera 100 transmits the first shooting preparation completion notification. After that, the control unit 212 performs the processes of S109 to S113 to end a series of operations.

On the other hand, when the control unit 227 of the remote controller 101 receives the first shooting preparation completion notification in S913, it sets a timer and responds to the first shooting preparation completion notification in S126 after the lapse of the first time (230). To send. Then, in S127, the control unit 227 disconnects the wireless communication. Further, the control unit 227 turns on the LED in S128, turns off the LED in S129, and then ends a series of operations related to this process. Although the timing of disconnecting the wireless communication after transmitting the response in S126 and the timing of turning on the LED in S128 are described in order, they may be performed in parallel at almost the same time.

Next, processing of the camera 100 when the shooting preparation button is pressed on the remote controller 101 will be described. The control unit 212 of the camera 100 performs a shooting preparation operation (AF operation, zoom, etc.) in S903, and then transmits a second shooting preparation completion notification in S904.

The control unit 212 determines in S905 whether the release button 103 of the remote controller 101 has been pressed. When the control unit 212 receives the operation command corresponding to the release switch, it determines that the release button 103 has been pressed and proceeds with the process to S108, and when it determines that the release button 103 has not been pressed, the process proceeds to S906. To proceed. In S906, the control unit 212 determines whether or not a response to the second shooting preparation completion notification has been received from the remote controller 101, and if it determines that the response has been received, proceeds to S908 and disconnects the wireless communication. When it is determined in S906 that the response to the second shooting preparation completion notification has not been received, the process proceeds to S907 to determine whether the response has been received before the time-out. If the time-out has not yet occurred, the control unit 212 repeats the process of S906, and if it determines that the time-out has occurred, advances the process to S908 and disconnects the wireless communication.

On the other hand, in S914, the control unit 227 of the remote controller 101 receives the second shooting preparation completion notification transmitted from the camera 100, and starts the timer in S915. This timer is provided to extend the time until wireless disconnection in consideration of the high possibility that the release button 103 is pressed after the shooting preparation button is pressed. At the same time, the control unit 227 turns on and off the LEDs in S916 and S917, respectively. As a result, it is possible to notify the user that the operation corresponding to the operation of the shooting preparation button has been performed in the camera 100.

Further, in S918, the control unit 227 determines whether the release button 103 has been operated during the second time (231) from S915. If the release button 103 is not pressed, the timer is stopped in S919. On the other hand, when the release button 103 is pressed, the process is returned to S124 and the operation command is transmitted.

In S920, the control unit 227 transmits a response to the second shooting preparation completion notification, and disconnects the wireless communication in S921. After that, the control unit 227 ends this series of operations. In the above description, the timing of starting the timer in S915 and the timing of turning on the LED in S916 are described in order, but they may be performed in parallel at almost the same time.

Further, with reference to FIG. 10, a sequence related to the above-mentioned series of operations will be described. In order to facilitate the comparison with the above-mentioned basic operation, when the release button 103 is pressed on the remote controller 101 (FIG. 10A) and when the AF button 104, which is a shooting preparation button, is pressed (FIG. 10). 10 (b)) and are shown separately.

From the time the button is pressed on the remote controller 101 to the time when wireless communication is established, procedures such as activation of the remote controller 101, scanning, transmission of a connection request, and establishment of communication occur, for example, a time of several tens of ms to several hundred ms. is necessary.

In the example shown in FIG. 10A, when the remote controller 101 receives the first shooting preparation completion notification, the remote controller 101 disconnects the wireless communication immediately or after the first time. On the other hand, in the example shown in FIG. 10B, when the remote controller 101 receives the second shooting preparation completion notification, the wireless communication is not immediately disconnected, and after the second time has elapsed as the connection maintenance time. Disconnect wireless communication.

The first time is preferably about 1 to 2 seconds, and the second time is preferably about 6 to 10 seconds, but the time is not limited thereto. In any case, it is highly probable that the release button 103 is pressed after the AF button 104, the ZoomWide button 105, the ZoomTele button 106, and the like are pressed. Therefore, the time until the wireless communication is disconnected is set longer than when the release button is pressed. By doing so, it is possible to eliminate the time lag until shooting between "communication unit activation", "communication establishment", and "release". On the other hand, after the release button 103 is pressed, a series of shooting is completed, so that the power consumption can be suppressed as much as possible by shortening the time until the power saving mode is entered.

Next, the effects of the above-described embodiments will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 (a) and 11 (b). FIG. 11A shows an operation example in which the above-mentioned second time is provided when the shooting preparation button (for example, AF button 104) is pressed when a plurality of buttons are operated. On the other hand, FIG. 11B shows a case where the above-described basic operation is simply a combination of the case where the AF button 104 is pressed and the case where the release button 103 is pressed (that is, without providing a connection maintenance time). , Disconnect wireless communication and reestablish).

In FIG. 11A, when the AF button 104 of the remote controller 101 is pressed, the remote controller 101 starts a timer for measuring the second time when the wireless communication is established and the second shooting preparation completion notification is received. Let me. After that, when the release button 103 is pressed, if the timer is operating (because wireless communication is continuing), the release command is sent immediately after the release button 103 is pressed, and the still image shooting sequence is started. You can enter.

On the other hand, in the example shown in FIG. 11B, when the release button 103 is pressed, the remote controller 101 is in the standby state and the wireless communication is also disconnected. Therefore, it is necessary to start over from the activation of the remote controller 101, scan the advertisement packet and establish a connection with the camera 100, and there is a time lag until it becomes possible to take a still image (as is clear from the figure). As described above, this difference may be, for example, several tens of ms to several hundreds of ms, but it is a very large time until shooting that requires a high response.

Regarding the second time, the time may be different depending on each button such as the AF button 104, the ZoomWide button 105, and the ZoomTele button 106. That is, when setting the timer in S915, the control unit 227 reads a table associated with the second time for each button from, for example, a ROM, and sets the second time according to the operated button. You may.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the time until the wireless communication is disconnected is controlled according to the button pressed on the remote controller 101. Specifically, when a button that is likely to be pressed subsequently is pressed, the wireless communication is not reconnected and the release is performed by increasing the time until the wireless communication is disconnected. The response when the switch is pressed can be improved. That is, it is possible to improve the operation response when remotely controlling the external device while suppressing the power consumption.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, the second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the time (second time) until the wireless communication is disconnected after the AF button 104 is pressed is the time of the photometric timer of the camera 100 (the photometric operation is continued for a certain period of time, and the shooting state is released. An example of making it depend on the timer) will be described. In the second embodiment, the operation of disconnecting the wireless communication in response to the end notification of the photometric timer transmitted from the camera 100 is different from that of the first embodiment, but the configuration of the camera 100 and the remote controller 101 and other operations are the first embodiment. Is common with. For this reason, the same configuration and the same operation are designated by the same reference numerals, duplicate explanations are omitted, and differences will be mainly described.

FIG. 12A shows a series of operations in the camera 100 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 12B shows a series of operations in the remote controller 101 according to the present embodiment. Further, FIGS. 13 (a) and 13 (b) show sequence diagrams in the camera 100 and the remote controller 101 corresponding to FIG. 12, respectively.

In the present embodiment, a series of operations (S101 to S901, S911 to S912) until the AF button 104 is pressed, and a series of operations (S108 to S113, S913 to) until the release button 103 is pressed to take a picture. S129) is common to the first embodiment. Therefore, the process after the camera 100 performs the shooting preparation operation in S903 to S904 and transmits the second shooting preparation completion notification will be described.

The control unit 227 of the remote controller 101 receives the second shooting preparation completion notification from the camera 100 in S914, turns on the LED in S916, and turns off the LED in S917.

In S918, the control unit 227 further determines whether the release button 103 has been pressed, and if it determines that the release button 103 has been pressed, proceeds to the process in S913. On the other hand, when it is determined that the release button 103 is not pressed, the process proceeds to S1211 and waits until the metering timer OFF notification is received from the camera 100. Since the metering timer OFF notification indicates the timing at which the shooting state of the camera 100 is released, the state of wireless communication on the remote controller 101 side can be controlled according to the shooting state on the camera 100 side.

On the other hand, the control unit 212 of the camera 100 determines in S905 whether the release button 103 of the remote controller 101 has been pressed. The control unit 212 determines that the release button 103 has been pressed when receiving an operation command corresponding to the release switch, proceeds to S108, and if it determines that the release button 103 has not been pressed, processes to S1201. To proceed. In S1201, the control unit 212 determines whether the photometric timer has stopped (that is, OFF), and if it determines that the metering timer has turned OFF, transmits a photometric timer OFF notification in S1203. On the other hand, when it is determined that the metering timer is not turned off, it is further determined in S1202 whether the metering timer has timed out. If the metering timer has not timed out, the control unit 212 returns the process to S905, and if the metering timer has timed out, the control unit 212 transmits a metering timer OFF notification to the remote controller 101 in S1203. The control unit 212 further performs the processes of S906 to S908 described above, receives the response transmitted from the remote controller 101, and then ends a series of operations.

The control unit 227 of the remote controller 101 determines in S1211 whether or not the notification of the metering timer OFF has been received from the camera 100. When the control unit 227 determines that the notification of the metering timer OFF has been received, the control unit 227 advances the process to S920 and transmits a response. On the other hand, if it is determined in S1211 that the notification has not been received, in S1212, it is determined whether or not the timeout has occurred beyond a predetermined time, and if the timeout has not occurred, the process is returned to S918 again. That is, the control unit 227 waits until the notification of the metering timer OFF is received from the camera 100, and interlocks the timing of disconnecting the wireless communication with the time of the metering timer. If it is determined in S1212 that the timeout has occurred, the process proceeds to S920. In this operation example, an example is shown in which the processing is advanced by the timeout of the second time or the metering timer, whichever is earlier. However, as will be described later with reference to FIG. 13, the time may be advanced to S920 by the time-out of the second time or the time of the photometric timer, whichever is later. In S920, the control unit 227 transmits a response and disconnects the wireless communication in S921 to end a series of operations.

Further, with reference to FIG. 13, a sequence related to the above-described operation will be described. In FIG. 13A, when the AF button 104 is pressed, the camera 100 performs an AF operation and further performs an AE operation. At this time, the control unit 212 of the camera 100 starts the photometric timer when performing the AE operation. Further, the control unit 212 periodically executes the AE operation while operating the photometric timer. FIG. 13 shows an example in which the second shooting preparation completion notification is transmitted at the timing when the first AE operation is completed, but it does not have to be the completion timing of the first AE operation. When the photometric timer stops during camera operation, the camera 100 sends a photometric timer OFF notification to the remote controller 101. In the example of FIG. 13A, the timer related to the second time started on the remote controller 101 side has already stopped, and the remote controller 101 waits for the reception of the photometric timer OFF notification and disconnects the wireless communication. Further, in the example of FIG. 13B, when the notification of the metering timer OFF is notified before the end of the second time, the wireless communication is disconnected after waiting for the timer stop of the second time. In this way, the time for disconnecting the wireless communication may be extended to the later of the second time and the time of the photometric timer. The wireless communication disconnection timing may be switched to match either the timer on the remote controller 101 side or the photometric timer on the camera 100 side, depending on the situation.

As described above, in the present embodiment, after the shooting preparation button such as the AF button 104 is pressed, the time until the wireless communication is disconnected (the time until the power saving mode is entered) is set by the photometric timer of the camera 100. I tried to match the time. By doing so, the wireless communication can be maintained until the block other than the wireless communication unit of the camera 100 enters the power saving mode, and then disconnected. That is, it is possible to eliminate the time lag (before shooting) by executing the "communication unit activation", "communication establishment", and "release" again on the remote controller 101. Further, the remote controller 101 may disconnect the wireless communication during the wasted time when the remote controller 101 is ready for shooting but the camera 100 is not ready for shooting (the shooting state is released). It is possible to enter the power saving mode.

(Embodiment 3)
Next, the third embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, a processing example will be described in which the user presses the release button 103 once while pressing the AF button 104, and then releases the AF button 104 later.

As described above, in the first embodiment, when the AF button 104 is pressed on the remote controller 101 and the remote controller is notified that the AF operation has been executed on the camera 100 (second shooting preparation completion notification), the second time I just tried not to disconnect the wireless communication. On the other hand, if the release button 103 is pressed while the AF button 104 is continuously pressed, it is necessary to provide a second time after the AF button is released to extend the disconnection of wireless communication. There is no. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the release button 103 is pressed, the process is executed so as not to extend the second time. In this embodiment, for example, when the AF mode is realized by the servo, an example assuming that the shooting operation is performed while pressing the AF button (while performing the AF operation) will be described, but the present embodiment is limited to the AF button. It's not a thing. In the present embodiment, the operation when the AF button 104 is continuously pressed and then released is different from that in the first embodiment, but other operations are common. Further, the configurations of the camera 100 and the remote controller 101 of this embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. For this reason, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, duplicate explanations are omitted, and differences will be mainly described.

First, a series of operations of the camera 100 and the remote controller 101 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 14A and 14B. Note that FIG. 14A shows a series of operations of the remote controller 101 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 14B shows a series of operations of the remote controller 101 according to the present embodiment.

The operations of the camera 100 and the remote controller 101 are started, and the operations of S101 to S105 of FIG. 14A and S911 to S124 of FIG. 14B are executed (similar to the first and second embodiments). As a result, the operation command related to the AF button 104 is transmitted from the remote controller 101 in the established wireless communication.

In S901 of FIG. 14A, when the control unit 212 of the camera 100 determines that the release button 103 of the remote controller 101 is pressed, the process proceeds to S108, and S108 to S113 are executed in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment. When the control unit 212 determines in S901 that the release button 103 is not pressed, the process of S903 to S905 as described above (whether the release button 103 is pressed after receiving the second shooting preparation completion notification) is determined. Judgment) is executed.

In S912 of FIG. 14B, when the control unit 227 of the remote controller 101 determines that the AF button 104 has been pressed, the process proceeds to S1411. In S1411, the control unit 227 determines whether the AF button 104 is continuously pressed. If it is determined that the button is not continuously pressed, the process proceeds to S914, and the process when the AF button is pressed in a short time by the above-mentioned processes S915 to S921 is performed. On the other hand, if it is determined in S1411 that the AF button 104 is continuously pressed, the control unit 227 proceeds to S1412 and receives a second shooting preparation completion notification. In S1413, the control unit 227 determines whether the release button has been operated. If it is determined that the release button has not been operated in this step, it is confirmed in S1414 whether the AF button 104 continues to be pressed again. When the control unit 227 determines that the pressing of the AF button 104 is still continuing, the control unit 227 transmits an AF operation command in S1415 (and returns to S1412 again). That is, the control unit 227 continues to transmit the AF operation command while the AF button 104 is continuously pressed.

When it is determined in S1413 that the release button 103 has been pressed, the operation command of the release button is transmitted to the camera 100 in S1416, and then the process returns to S1412 again. After that, when the user stops pressing, the operation is determined in S1414, and the process proceeds to S915. That is, the response is transmitted to the camera 100 without counting the timer, and the wireless communication is immediately disconnected, as in the case where the release is simply pressed.

On the other hand, in S1401 of FIG. 14A, the control unit 212 of the camera 100 determines whether or not the operation command of the AF button 104 transmitted from the remote controller 101 has been received. When it is determined that the AF button operation command continuously transmitted from the remote controller 101 has been received, the process is returned to S903 again. On the other hand, when it is determined that the operation command of the AF button has not been received, the processes of S906 to S908 are executed to disconnect the wireless communication, and this series of processes is completed.

Further, with reference to FIG. 15, the above-described processing sequence will be described. FIG. 15A shows a process in which the release button 103 is pressed while the AF button 104 is being pressed, and then the AF button 104 is released, as described in the present embodiment. In this example, the control unit 227 disconnects the wireless communication immediately after the AF button is released. The timing of the second shooting preparation completion notification is the response to the first AF command.

On the other hand, FIG. 15B shows a sequence for comparison showing the effect of the processing shown in FIG. 15A. The sequence shown in FIG. 15B illustrates a case where the wireless communication is not disconnected immediately after the AF button is released. That is, in this example, as in the example shown in the first embodiment, the wireless communication is disconnected after the wireless communication connection time is extended by the second time from the start to the stop of the timer. In this case, although there is no high possibility that the user presses the release button or the like after releasing the AF button, the wireless communication is continued and the time for establishing the communication is prolonged. On the contrary, in the process shown in FIG. 15A, if the user's release button or the like is not likely to be pressed, the wireless communication is immediately disconnected, so that wasteful power consumption can be reduced.

As described above, in the present embodiment, when the AF button 104 is released after the series of operations originally intended to press the release button 103 after pressing the AF button 104 is completed, wireless communication is immediately performed. I tried to disconnect. That is, if the release button 103 has already been pressed in response to the long press of the shooting preparation button, and there is no high possibility that the release button will be further pressed when the shooting preparation button is released, wireless communication is immediately performed. I tried to disconnect. By doing so, it is possible to reduce unnecessary power consumption after releasing the shooting preparation button. In other words, it is possible to improve the operation response when remotely controlling the external device while suppressing the power consumption.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention supplies a program that implements one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or apparatus via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or apparatus read and execute the program. It can also be realized by the processing. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

102 ... wireless communication unit, 103 ... release button, 104 ... AF button, 212 ... control unit, 221 ... photometric circuit, 222 ... receiving means, 223 ... transmitting means, 227 ... control unit

Claims (12)

A communication device that can remotely control an imaging device.
An operating means capable of accepting operations related to the imaging device and
A wireless communication means for wireless communication with the image pickup device and
In response to the reception of the operation related to the imaging device by the operating means, the wireless communication with the imaging device is established, information indicating the operation related to the imaging device is transmitted, and the operation related to the imaging device is described. It has a control means for controlling the wireless communication means so as to disconnect the wireless communication according to the imaging device performing a corresponding operation.
When the operation related to the image pickup apparatus is a second operation preceding the first operation for instructing imaging, the control means has performed the operation corresponding to the second operation. The wireless communication means is controlled so as to disconnect the wireless communication after a longer time has elapsed than when the imaging device performs an operation corresponding to the first operation. Communication device. The control means transmits information representing the first operation without disconnecting the wireless communication in response to the operation means receiving the first operation before disconnecting the wireless communication. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication means is controlled as described above. The wireless communication means receives the first notification in response to the imaging device performing the shooting preparation operation for the first operation, and the imaging device performs the operation corresponding to the second operation. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a second notification is received accordingly. The control means disconnects the wireless communication after the lapse of the first time in response to receiving the first notification, and receives the second notification in response to the second time. Control the wireless communication means so as to disconnect the wireless communication after the elapse of
The communication device according to claim 3, wherein the second time is longer than the first time. When the control means receives a notification from the imaging device indicating that the imaging state in the imaging device has been released by the wireless communication means, the control means responds to the reception of the notification indicating that the imaging state has been released. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the wireless communication means is controlled so as to disconnect the wireless communication. The control means receives a notification from the imaging device indicating that the photographing state in the imaging device has been released by the wireless communication means, receives a notification indicating that the photographing state has been released, or receives a notification indicating that the photographing state has been released. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the wireless communication means is controlled so as to disconnect the wireless communication when the time elapses, whichever is later. Each operation of the control means is performed when the operation means receives an operation in which the first operation is performed while the second operation is periodically continued and then the second operation is terminated. Information representing the above is transmitted to the imaging device,
The control means controls the wireless communication means so as to disconnect the wireless communication without elapse of the long time in response to the operation corresponding to the first operation of the imaging device. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the second operation is an operation for instructing preparation for shooting. The second operation includes at least an operation instructing the execution of the autofocus function and an operation instructing the change of the variable magnification.
The control means is characterized in that the time until the wireless communication is disconnected in response to the operation corresponding to the second operation by the imaging device is made different according to the second operation. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. It is a control method of a communication device which can remotely control an image pickup device and has a wireless communication means for wireless communication with the image pickup device and an operation means capable of accepting operations related to the image pickup device. ,
In response to the control means receiving the operation related to the image pickup device by the operation means, the control means establishes the wireless communication with the image pickup device, transmits information indicating the operation related to the image pickup device, and operates the image pickup device. It has a control step of controlling the wireless communication means so as to disconnect the wireless communication according to the corresponding operation of the imaging device.
In the control step, when the operation related to the image pickup apparatus is a second operation preceding the first operation for instructing imaging, the image pickup apparatus has performed an operation corresponding to the second operation. It is characterized in that the wireless communication means is controlled so as to disconnect the wireless communication after a longer time has elapsed than when the image pickup apparatus performs an operation corresponding to the first operation. Communication device control method. A program for causing a computer to function as each means of the communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 9. In an imaging system including an imaging device and a communication device capable of remotely controlling the imaging device,
The communication device is
An operating means capable of accepting operations related to the imaging device and
A first wireless communication means for wireless communication with the image pickup device,
In response to the reception of the operation related to the image pickup device by the operation means, the wireless communication with the image pickup device is established to transmit information indicating the operation related to the image pickup device, and the operation related to the image pickup device is described. It has a first control means for controlling the first wireless communication means so as to disconnect the wireless communication according to the imaging device performing a corresponding operation.
When the operation related to the image pickup device is a second operation preceding the first operation for instructing imaging, the first control means causes the image pickup device to perform an operation corresponding to the second operation. Depending on what has been done, the first wireless communication means is controlled so that the wireless communication is disconnected after a longer time has elapsed than when the imaging device performs an operation corresponding to the first operation. And
The image pickup device
Imaging means and
A second wireless communication means that performs the wireless communication with the first wireless communication means,
A second control that performs an operation corresponding to the second operation performed before taking a picture using the imaging means in response to receiving information corresponding to the second operation via the wireless communication. An imaging system comprising means and means.

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