JPH07191369A - Communication control system for camera and communication control method used in camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To optically perform data communication between a camera and an external equipment by providing plural optical elements. CONSTITUTION:This invention is applied to the camera provided with a photoreflector 5 for detecting the bar code of a cartridge 3 and a CPU. When a dummy cartridge connected to a personal computer is loaded in a cartridge chamber and the back cover of the camera is closed, the CPU simultaneously starts a light projecting element and a photodetector of the photoreflector 5. When the photodetector receives an optical signal in a specified time after they are started, the CPU discriminates the optical signal. In the case of discriminating that it is a command for the data communication, the data communication with the personal computer is performed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camera having a communication function for performing data communication with an external device by using a bar code reading optical element of a film cartridge.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A camera is disclosed in which a bar code pattern indicating information about the film such as the number of films and sensitivity is provided on the upper surface of a film cartridge, and the bar code pattern is read by a photo reflector provided in the camera. (US Pat. No. 5,032,854 publication). There is also known a camera in which a DX code, which is provided on the side surface of the film and indicates the film sensitivity or the like, is read by a contact provided on the camera.

[0003]

Since the photometric elements for automatic exposure in the cameras have variations in their characteristics, it is necessary to input adjustment values for each camera to absorb the variations. Also, in the shipping inspection etc. of the camera,
It is necessary to control the camera with an external device such as a personal computer and perform lens drive inspection, shutter open / close inspection, and the like. Further, data is transferred from the camera to an external device in order to record shooting conditions such as an exposure value.

In such a case, for example, a camera may be provided with a terminal for data communication, and this terminal may be connected to an external device for data communication. However, in this case, since the terminal has to be newly provided, the cost is increased and the miniaturization of the camera is hindered.

On the other hand, it is possible to set a dummy cartridge having the same shape as the film in the film cartridge chamber and newly provide a DX code terminal for data communication in this dummy cartridge to perform data communication with the camera. According to this method, there is an advantage that the contact terminal for inputting the DX code, which is provided in advance on the camera side, can be shared, but by repeatedly inserting and removing the dummy cartridge, the contact portion is worn and contact failure occurs. May occur. Further, in the case of performing data communication, the reliability of data communication and the data transfer rate are improved by providing a plurality of control lines such as a dedicated line for transmitting a synchronous clock for communication.

An object of the present invention is to provide a communication control system for a camera, which is provided with a plurality of optical elements to optically perform data communication between the camera and an external device, and a communication control method used for the camera. Especially.

[0007]

The present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1 showing an embodiment. The present invention relates to a camera 1 having a plurality of optical elements 5 and 21 for performing data communication with the outside. , A dummy cartridge 8 which can be loaded in the cartridge chamber 2 and which has a plurality of optical elements 10 arranged corresponding to each of the plurality of optical elements 5 and 21 for performing data communication with the camera 1, and data relating to the camera 1. Is output to the dummy cartridge 8 and the external device 11 that reads the data received by each optical element 10 of the dummy cartridge 8 is provided, the above object can be achieved.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the communication control system for a camera according to the first aspect, one of the plurality of optical elements 5 and 21 included in the camera 1 is indicated by a barcode of the film cartridge 3. It is used to detect information about the film. The invention described in claim 3 is
The first optical element 5 for reading the information about the film indicated by the barcode on the film cartridge 2 and performing the data communication with the outside, and the synchronous clock of the data transmitted and received by the data communication are converted into the optical signal and output. A camera 1 having a second optical element 21, an external device 11 for reading data output from the camera 1 in synchronization with a synchronization clock, and outputting data related to the camera 1 in synchronization with the synchronization clock; It has a third optical element 10 arranged at a position facing the optical element 5 and a fourth optical element arranged at a position facing the second optical element 21, and is output from the external device 11. An optical signal received by the third optical element 10 and the fourth optical element while the data is converted into an optical signal and output from the third optical element 10. And outputs to the external device 11 into an electric signal, by providing a loadable dummy cartridge in the cartridge chamber, the object is achieved. In the invention described in claim 4, the optical signal is projected from the optical element provided in the camera 1, and the optical signal reflected by the bar code indicating the information regarding the film of the film cartridge 3 loaded in the cartridge chamber 2 is reflected. Is applied to a communication control method used in a camera that receives light by the optical element 5 to detect information about a film, and converts a synchronous clock of data exchanged by data communication with the external device 11 into an optical signal. Of one of the plurality of optical elements 5 and 21 provided in the camera 1, and the output optical signal is output from one of the plurality of optical elements 10 provided in the dummy cartridge 8. The element receives the light, converts it to a synchronous clock, outputs it to the external device 11, and synchronizes it with the synchronous clock so that the data related to the camera 1 is output from the external device 11 to the dummy cart. Sending the plurality of optical elements 10 of Tsu di 8, the external device 11 by receiving the data from the camera 1 is received by a plurality of optical elements 10 of the dummy cartridge 8, the above-described object can be attained.

[0008]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, data for data communication with the outside is converted into an optical signal and output from the plurality of optical elements 5 and 21 provided in the camera 1. This optical signal is received by the plurality of optical elements 10 provided in the dummy cartridge 8, converted into an electrical signal, and input to the external device 11. In addition, the data about the camera 1 output from the external device 11 is converted into an optical signal and transmitted from the plurality of optical elements 10 of the dummy cartridge 8 to the camera 1.
The light is projected onto the plurality of optical elements 5 and 21. in this way,
Since data communication is performed using a plurality of communication lines, data transfer can be performed at high speed. In the invention according to claim 2, one of the plurality of optical elements 5 and 21 provided in the camera 1 is
Since the optical element is provided in advance for detecting the information about the film indicated by the barcode of the film cartridge 3, the number of optical elements newly provided for data communication can be reduced and the cost can be reduced. According to the third aspect of the invention, the synchronous clock of the data transmitted and received by the external data communication is converted into an optical signal and output from the second optical element 21, and the output is output from the fourth optical element of the dummy cartridge. The light is received by and converted into a synchronous clock and output to the external device 11. The external device 11 outputs the data relating to the camera 1 to the dummy cartridge 8 in synchronization with this synchronous clock, and the third optical element 10 converts this data into an optical signal and outputs it. This output is received by the first optical element 5 of the camera 1. Thereby, the data communication between the camera 1 and the external device 11 can be performed in synchronization with the synchronization clock.

Incidentally, in the section of means and action for solving the above-mentioned problems for explaining the constitution of the present invention, the drawings of the embodiments are used to make the present invention easy to understand. It is not limited to.

[0010]

【Example】

—First Embodiment— A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment of a camera operation control system, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a positional relationship between a photo reflector and a film cartridge provided in the camera. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a camera, and a cartridge chamber 2 in which a film cartridge (hereinafter, also referred to as a cartridge) is loaded is provided inside the back cover. As shown in FIG. 2, the cartridge chamber 2 is provided with a spool driving member 4 for controlling the movement of the film inside the cartridge 3, and at the upper part of the cartridge chamber 2, reading of film information and external equipment. A photo reflector 5 is provided for performing data communication with the. It should be noted that the film cartridge shown in FIG. 2 is for normal photography, and as shown in the drawing, a bar code pattern B indicating information about the film on the upper surface of the cartridge.
Is drawn. The photo reflector 5 shown in FIG. 2 includes a light projecting element that emits an optical signal of a predetermined wavelength and a light receiving element that receives an optical signal from the outside. When the normal cartridge 3 is loaded in the cartridge chamber 2 and the spool driving member 4 is rotated, the film is pulled out from the cartridge 3, passes through the aperture A, and the take-up spool 7
Is wound up by.

Reference numeral 8 is a dummy cartridge loaded in the cartridge chamber 2. The dummy cartridge 8 has the same shape as the normal film cartridge 3, and a disc 9 is provided on the upper surface thereof. A photo reflector 10 is arranged at a predetermined position on the disk 9, and when the dummy cartridge 8 is loaded in the cartridge chamber 2, the photo reflector 10 is arranged so as to face the photo reflector 5 of the camera 1. Reference numeral 11 denotes a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a personal computer), which is connected to the dummy cartridge 8 by a communication line L.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the inside of the camera shown in FIG. In this block diagram, components that are not directly related to the present invention are omitted. Reference numeral 5 denotes the above-mentioned photo reflector, and the light projecting element 51 and the light receiving element 52 therein are connected to the CPU 12 through the light projecting circuit 53 and the light receiving circuit 54, respectively. Reference numeral 13 is a focus adjustment information detection circuit that detects focus adjustment information, 14 is a photometric circuit that measures the subject brightness, and 15 is an exposure control circuit that controls the aperture and shutter speed according to the measured subject brightness. 16
Is a lens drive circuit for moving the taking lens according to the detection result of the focus adjustment information, and 17 is an EEPROM in which adjustment values of each part of the camera are stored. The focus adjustment information detection circuit 13, the photometry circuit 14, the exposure control circuit 15, the lens drive circuit 16, and the EEPROM 17 are all C.
It is connected to the PU 12. Further, the CPU 12 has a main switch 18 for activating the operation of the camera, and a camera back cover U.
The back cover detection switch 19 for detecting whether or not is closed is connected.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the processing of the CPU 12, and the operation of this embodiment will be described below based on this flow chart. When the back cover detection switch 19 (not shown) detects that the back cover U of the camera is closed, the CPU 12 starts the process of FIG. Step S1
Then, an activation signal is sent to the light receiving circuit 54 to activate the light receiving element of the photo reflector 5. As a result, the light receiving element 52 starts a light receiving operation, and when an optical signal is received, the light receiving element 52 performs photoelectric conversion, and then the light receiving circuit 54 converts the signal into a digital signal and inputs the digital signal to the CPU 12. In step S2, a timer (not shown) is started. This timer measures the time after the light receiving element 52 starts the light receiving operation.

In step S3, it is determined whether the light receiving element 52 has received an optical signal. This judgment is made by the light receiving element 52.
To determine whether or not a digital signal is input to the CPU 12. If the determination is affirmative, it is determined that the dummy cartridge 8 has been loaded for the purpose of data communication, the process proceeds to step S4, and data communication processing shown in FIGS. That is, when a normal cartridge is loaded, the light receiving element 52 cannot receive the optical signal even though the light projecting element 51 does not project the optical signal. Therefore, the optical signal is received in such a state. If so, it is determined to be data communication processing. If the determination in step S3 is negative, the process proceeds to step S5, and it is determined whether or not the time is up, that is, whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed after starting timer measurement. If the determination is negative, the process returns to step S3 and the determination When is affirmed, it progresses to step S6. In this way, if the optical signal is not input to the light receiving element 52 even after a predetermined time has passed since the back cover U was closed, it is determined that the data communication is not performed,
The cartridge identification process after step S6, that is, whether the cartridge 3 can be loaded or not and the reading of the film information are performed.

In step S6, a start signal is sent to the light projecting circuit 53. As a result, the light projecting element 51 starts projecting light to the cartridge chamber 2. In step S7, it is determined whether or not the cartridge 3 is loaded in the cartridge chamber 2 and whether or not the cartridge 3 can be loaded, that is, can be photographed, by a cartridge information detection process of FIGS.

In step S8, it is determined whether or not the cartridge 3 is loaded in the cartridge chamber 2. This determination is made based on whether or not the flag A is set by the processing of FIGS. If the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step S9, a warning display indicating that the cartridge is not loaded is displayed, and the process ends. If the determination in step S8 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S10, and it is determined whether the cartridge 3 can be loaded, that is, can be photographed.
This determination is made depending on whether or not the flag B is set by the processing of FIGS. If the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step S11, a warning message indicating that loading is not possible is displayed, and the process ends.

If the determination in step S10 is affirmative, the flow advances to step S12 to rotate the spool drive member 4.
As a result, the disk 9 on which the barcode pattern B above the cartridge 3 is drawn rotates, and the photo reflector 5 is rotated.
The light projected from the light projecting element 51 hits the bar code pattern B, is reflected, and enters the light receiving element 52. Further, since the reflectance of the black portion of the barcode pattern B is smaller than that of the white portion, the amount of light incident on the light receiving element 52 is smaller when reflected by the black portion than when reflected by the white portion. Therefore, the CPU 12 detects the barcode pattern information by detecting the difference in the light amount.

In step S13, the detected bar code pattern information is stored in a memory (not shown). In step S14, a correspondence table of bar code patterns and film types is read from a ROM (not shown),
The type of film is identified by comparing with the barcode pattern B detected in 11, and the process is ended.

5 and 6 are flowcharts showing the data communication process performed when the determination in step S3 is affirmative. FIG. 5 shows a flowchart in the case of performing data communication for the purpose of sending data such as adjustment values from the personal computer 11 to the camera 1, while FIG. 9 is a flowchart for controlling the operation, for example, for performing lens drive control, shutter opening / closing control, and the like.

In step S21 of FIG. 5, the light receiving circuit 54
The communication command is analyzed to detect what kind of communication command is sent from the personal computer 11. Step S
In step 22, data read preparation is performed according to the communication command detected in step S21. For example, if the communication command sent is an instruction to read the adjustment value for automatic exposure, the EE for storing the adjustment value
The address of the PROM 17 is set. In step S23, the data sent after the communication command is read. In step S24, the read data is EEPR
It is stored in a predetermined address of OM17 and the process returns.

On the other hand, in step S31 of FIG. 6, as in step S21 of FIG. 5, what kind of communication command is sent is analyzed. In step S32, it is determined whether the personal computer 11 controls the operation of the camera 1. This determination is made based on the analysis result of step S31. When the determination is negative, that is, when the adjustment value or the like is read from the personal computer 11, the process proceeds to step S33, and thereafter, the same processes as steps S22 to S24 in FIG. 5 are performed and the process returns.

On the other hand, if the determination in step S32 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S36 to perform the operation control process and then return. In this operation control process, a command from the personal computer 11 is received, and when the command is incident on the light receiving element 52 as an optical signal, the command is analyzed and the command is executed. Thereby, for example, the lens drive and shutter opening / closing can be performed from the personal computer 11, and the exposure mode, aperture value, shutter speed, etc. can be set / changed from the personal computer 11.

As described above, in the flowcharts of FIGS. 4 to 6, the light receiving element 52 of the camera-side photo reflector 5 is activated prior to the light projecting element 51, and the light receiving element 52 is activated within a predetermined time after the light receiving element 52 is activated. When light is input to the device, data communication is automatically performed, so that a dedicated switch for instructing data communication is unnecessary. Further, since the data communication is performed using the photo reflector 5 for reading the film information, which is provided in advance in the cartridge chamber 2, it is not necessary to newly provide a communication terminal for data communication, and the cost can be reduced. Further, a dummy cartridge 8 having the same shape as the normal cartridge 3 is loaded in the cartridge chamber, and the photo reflector 10 for data communication is arranged on the upper surface of the dummy cartridge 8 so as to correspond to the photo reflector 5 in the cartridge chamber 2. Data communication can be performed without installing a special device for data communication.

7 and 8 are flow charts showing details of the cartridge information detection processing of step S7 of FIG. When a switch that is turned on when the cartridge 3 is loaded in the cartridge chamber 2 is provided, C
The PU 12 performs the process of FIG. 7 and, if there is no such switch, the process of FIG. Further, in the flowchart of FIG. 7, a case will be described in which a cartridge of a type in which the rotation position of the disk 9 on the upper surface of the cartridge is automatically changed before the film is used and after the total number of sheets is photographed. That is, the white portion of the bar code pattern B drawn on the disk 9 faces the photo reflector 5 in the cartridge chamber 2 before the film is used, and the black portion faces the photo reflector 5 after all the images have been taken. It is assumed that a cartridge is used in which the position of the disk 9 is set so that

In step S51 of FIG. 7, it is determined whether or not the light receiving element 52 of the photo reflector 5 has received light. For example, when the cartridge 3 is not loaded in the cartridge chamber 2, the light projecting element 5 of the photo reflector 5
Even if the light is projected from 1, the light is not reflected from anywhere, and therefore the light receiving element 52 does not receive the light. Also,
When the light from the light projecting element 51 is applied to the black portion of the bar code pattern B, the amount of light reflected is small, and thus the determination at step 51 is also denied in this case. For example, when the black portion of the cartridge 3 faces the light receiving element 52, the determination in step S51 is negative, and thus it can be determined that the image has been captured.

If the determination in step S51 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S52, it is determined that loading is possible, that is, photographing is possible, the flag A and the flag B to be described later are reset, and the process returns. When the determination in step S51 is negative, the process proceeds to step S53, and it is determined whether or not the switch provided in the cartridge chamber is on. When the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step S54, it is determined that the cartridge 3 is not loaded in the cartridge chamber 2, the flag A indicating that is set, and the process returns. On the other hand, step S5
When the determination of 3 is affirmative, the routine proceeds to step 55, where it is determined that loading is impossible, that is, photographing is not possible, the flag B indicating that is set, and the routine returns.

On the other hand, in step S61 of FIG. 8, the same determination process as in step S51 is performed. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S62, the same process as in step S52 is performed, and the process returns. If the determination in step S61 is negative, the process proceeds to step S63, and the spool drive member 4 is rotated. As a result, the disk 9 on which the barcode pattern B is drawn rotates. In step S64, the light receiving element 52
Determines whether or not it has received light. If the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step S65, the same process as step 54 is performed, and the process returns. On the other hand, if the determination in step S64 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S66, the same process as step S55 is performed, and the process returns.

As described above, in the processing of FIGS. 7 and 8, the color of the bar code pattern B at the position corresponding to the photo reflector 5 is changed before photographing and after photographing all the images.
Since it is determined whether or not the film can be loaded, the determination can be performed easily and quickly. Also, FIG.
Then, since it is determined whether or not the cartridge 3 is loaded by the switch provided in the cartridge chamber 2, it is possible to quickly detect the loading of the cartridge. On the other hand, in FIG. 8, since the disc 9 is rotated to determine whether or not the cartridge is loaded by the reflection from the barcode, the determination process takes longer than in FIG. Since a detection switch is not required, cost can be reduced.

Second Embodiment In the first embodiment, whether or not data communication is performed by activating the light receiving element 52 of the photo reflector 5 provided in the camera 1 prior to the light projecting element 51. On the other hand, in the second embodiment described below, the light projecting element 51 and the light receiving element 52 are simultaneously activated. This second
The embodiment has a configuration similar to that of the first embodiment shown in the figure except for the processing of the CPU 12, and therefore only the processing of the CPU 12 will be described below with reference to FIG.

When the back cover detection switch 19 detects that the back cover U is closed, the CPU 12 starts the process of the flowchart of FIG. In step S101,
A start signal is sent to each of the light projecting circuit 53 and the light receiving circuit 54. As a result, the light projecting element 51 projects light toward the cartridge chamber 2, and the light receiving element 52 starts the operation of receiving an optical signal. In step S102, a timer is started. This timer is used to measure the time since the light projecting element 51 and the light receiving element 52 are activated.

In step S103, it is determined whether the optical signal indicating the communication command is received by the light receiving element 52. If the determination is positive, the process proceeds to step S104,
The data communication processing shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is performed, the data is read, or the operation of the camera is controlled by the personal computer, and the processing ends. On the other hand, if the determination in step S103 is negative, the process proceeds to step S105 and it is determined whether or not the time is up. If the determination is negative, step S
Returning to 103, if the determination is affirmative, step S6 in FIG.
The subsequent cartridge identification processing is performed and the processing is ended.

As described above, in the second embodiment, the light projecting element 51 and the light receiving element 52 of the photo reflector 5 are simultaneously activated, and the optical signal indicating the communication command is received within a predetermined time after the activation. Then, since the data communication is automatically performed, the process of separately activating the light projecting element 51 and the light receiving element 52 of the photo reflector 5 as in the first embodiment is unnecessary.

-Third Embodiment-In the first and second embodiments, when data communication is performed between the camera 1 and the personal computer 11, the camera 1 is the personal computer 11.
In the third embodiment described below, data can be sent from the camera 1 to the personal computer 11 as well, and bidirectional communication can be performed between the camera 1 and the personal computer 11. It was done like this. The third embodiment has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment except for the processing of the CPU 12, so that only the processing of the CPU 12 will be described below based on the flowchart of FIG.

When the back cover detection switch detects that the back cover U is closed, the CPU 12 starts the process of the flowchart of FIG. In step S151, both the light projecting element 51 and the light receiving element 52 are activated, as in step S101 of FIG. In step S152, the communication command is sent to the light projecting circuit 53. As a result, an optical signal corresponding to this communication command is projected from the light projecting element 51 toward the cartridge chamber 2. Step S153
Now start the timer. This optical signal is received by the light receiving element 52 of the dummy cartridge 8 and the personal computer 11
Sent to. The personal computer 11 recognizes that the communication command is sent from the camera 1 and the communication with the camera 1 is ready, and sends a response signal to the dummy cartridge 8. Then, the photo reflector 10 of the dummy cartridge 8 converts this response signal into an optical signal and projects it toward the camera 1.

In step S154, it is determined whether or not the light receiving element 52 of the photo reflector 5 has received an optical signal indicating a communication command. If the judgment is positive, the computer 11
It is determined that communication with the mobile phone is ready, and step S1
Proceeding to 55, bidirectional communication processing is performed. As a result, bidirectional communication such as sending shooting conditions such as exposure information from the camera 1 to the personal computer 11 or driving the lens of the camera 1 from the personal computer 11 becomes possible.

On the other hand, if the determination in step S154 is negative, the process proceeds to step S156 and it is determined whether or not the time is up. If the determination is negative, the process returns to step S154, and if the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S6 in FIG. 4, the cartridge identification process is performed, and the process ends.

As described above, in the third embodiment, after the photo reflector 5 is activated, a communication command is sent from the camera 1 to the cartridge chamber 2 and a response to the communication command is given within a predetermined time. In this case, since it is determined that the dummy cartridge 8 is loaded and the communication with the personal computer 11 is enabled, a dedicated switch for instructing the start of communication is unnecessary. Further, when the camera 1 is ready for communication, the camera 1 sends a command to the personal computer 11 indicating that communication is possible.
Data communication can be done smoothly. Further, according to the third embodiment, since the data can be sent from the camera 1 to the personal computer 11, for example, the personal computer 11
To operate the camera 1 from the
You can perform complicated data communication such as reading to.

[Fourth Embodiment] In the fourth embodiment, data communication with the personal computer 11 is performed only when data communication is instructed by a switch (not shown) provided at a predetermined position of the camera 1. It is the one. Since the fourth embodiment also differs from the first embodiment only in the processing of the CPU 12, the CPU 12 will be described based on FIG.
Only the processing of will be described. When the back cover detection switch 19 detects that the back cover U is closed, the CPU 12 starts the process of the flowchart of FIG. 11. Step S
In 201, both the light projecting element 51 and the light receiving element are activated, as in step S101 of FIG. Step S20
In step 2, it is determined whether or not an instruction to perform data communication is given by a switch (not shown). If the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step S5 of FIG. 4 and the cartridge identification process is performed.

On the other hand, if the process of step S202 is affirmed, the process proceeds to step S203, and step S15 of FIG.
Similarly to 2, the communication command is sent to the light projecting circuit 53. As a result, the optical signal corresponding to the communication command is transmitted by the light projecting element 5.
Light is projected from 1 toward the cartridge chamber 2. In step S204, a timer is started. Step S2
At 05, it is determined whether or not the light receiving element 52 has received an optical signal. If the determination is positive, the process proceeds to step S206,
Bidirectional communication processing is performed in the same manner as in step S155 of FIG. On the other hand, if the determination in step S205 is negative, the process proceeds to step S207, it is determined whether the time is up, the process returns to step S205 if the determination is negative, and the process ends if the determination is affirmative.

As described above, in the fourth embodiment, when the cartridge 3 is loaded in the cartridge chamber 2, it is determined whether the data communication or the cartridge identification is performed.
Since the switch for instructing the data communication is used for the judgment, whether or not to perform the data processing can be judged easily and quickly. Note that the data communication may be instructed by combining existing switches or by changing the operation method of the existing switches without providing a dedicated switch as a switch for instructing data communication.

If data transmission / reception is asynchronously performed in the first to fourth embodiments, data corruption and data loss are likely to occur. For example, a so-called self-clock system in which a synchronous clock for data communication and data are superimposed is used. , Data may be transmitted.

-Fifth Embodiment- The fifth embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, and includes a camera 1
A clock is transmitted from the personal computer 11 to the personal computer 11, and communication commands and data are transmitted from the personal computer 11 to the camera 1 in synchronization with the clock. 12
5 is a block diagram of the fifth embodiment, which is the block diagram of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3 additionally provided with a clock generation circuit 20. In this clock generation circuit 20, the CP
The operation clock (system clock) of U12 is divided to create a clock for data communication.

The processing of the CPU 12 of the fifth embodiment is basically the same as that of the first embodiment, but the data communication processing is different as shown in FIG. The data communication process of the fifth embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. This FIG.
The process is started when the determination in step S3 in FIG. 4 is affirmative. In step S301, the clock generation circuit 20 is activated. As a result, the clock generation circuit 20
Outputs a clock for data communication. Step S
At 302, a data communication clock is sent to the light projecting circuit 53. As a result, this clock is converted into an optical signal and emitted from the light projecting element 51. This optical signal is received by the photo reflector 10 on the upper surface of the dummy cartridge 8 and converted into an electric signal, and then sent to the personal computer 11.
The personal computer 11 sends the communication command and data to the dummy cartridge 8 in synchronization with this clock.
Then, it is converted into an optical signal by the dummy cartridge 8 and emitted from the photo reflector 10 toward the camera 1.

In step S303, the data communication process of FIG. 5 or 6 is performed. That is, the communication command is analyzed, and the data sent after the command is EEP.
It is stored in a predetermined area of the ROM 17 and the timing control at the time of data communication becomes easy.

As described above, in the fifth embodiment, when the data communication with the personal computer 11 is performed, the clock is sent from the camera 1 to the personal computer 11 in advance, and the data communication is performed in synchronization with the clock. Effectively prevent garbled data and lost data during data communication.

-Sixth Embodiment-In all of the first to fifth embodiments, the photo-reflector 5 for reading film information, which is provided in advance in the cartridge chamber 2, is used for data communication. In the sixth embodiment described below, another photo reflector dedicated to data communication is added and data communication is performed using a total of two photo reflectors. FIG. 14 is the sixth
4 is a block diagram of the camera of the embodiment of FIG.
The photo reflector 21 is newly added to the block diagram of the embodiment. The photo reflector 21 is disposed, for example, adjacent to the photo reflector 5 conventionally provided in the cartridge chamber 2. Further, a photo reflector 22 is newly provided in the dummy cartridge 8 so that an optical signal can be transmitted / received to / from the newly provided photo reflector 21.

In the sixth embodiment, the CPU 12 performs the same processing as the flowchart of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4 except for the data communication processing. FIG. 15 shows C of the sixth embodiment.
It is a flow chart which shows data communication processing by PU12. The process of FIG. 15 is started when the determination in step S3 of FIG. 4 is affirmative. In step S401, the signal from the light receiving circuit 54 is analyzed to detect what communication command is sent from the personal computer 11. In step S402, it is determined whether the personal computer 11 controls the operation of the camera 1. If the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step S403, and thereafter step S in FIG.
The same process as 22 to S24 is performed and the process returns.

When the determination in step S402 is negative, the process proceeds to step S406, and a clock for data communication is sent to the photo reflector 21. As a result, the photo reflector 21 outputs an optical signal corresponding to the clock for data communication. In step S407, the personal computer 11
The data to be transmitted to the light emitting circuit 53 is transmitted to the light projecting circuit 53. As a result, this data is converted into an optical signal and projected from the light projecting element 51 of the photo reflector 5. This optical signal is converted into an electric signal by the dummy cartridge 8 and sent to the personal computer 11. When the personal computer 11 sends a communication command and data to the camera 1, the personal computer 11 sends the communication command and data to the camera 1 in synchronization with the clock output from the photo reflector 21 via the light projecting element of the photo reflector 10.

As described above, in the sixth embodiment, two photoreflectors are provided, one of them is dedicated to the clock and the other is dedicated to the data, so that the efficiency of data communication is improved. At the same time, the influence of noise can be avoided. As described above, in the sixth embodiment, a plurality of photo reflectors are used for data communication,
For one of them, the example in which the photo-reflector 5 for detecting the film information is diverted is shown, but it is not necessary to use the other photo-reflector exclusively for the data communication, and the photo-reflector 5 is provided in the camera in advance for the purpose of being used for other purposes. The photo reflector used may be diverted.

In the first to sixth embodiments, when the data communication between the camera and the personal computer is performed, the data is transmitted serially. However, the photoreflectors are provided by the number of data bits, and the data are transmitted in parallel. May be. This improves the data transmission rate. In each of the above embodiments, an example in which data communication is performed by using a dummy cartridge that does not have a bar code is shown, but by using a dummy cartridge with a bar code, it is possible to perform data communication and perform a read inspection of film information. Good. Further, at that time, the barcode need not be on the upper surface of the cartridge, and may be on the side surface of the cartridge, for example. In this case, a photo reflector may be provided at a predetermined position in the cartridge chamber facing the bar code.

In the above embodiment, an example in which data communication is performed using a photo reflector has been described, but an optical element other than the photo reflector, such as a photo interrupter, may be used. Further, when performing data communication only for the purpose of inputting data from the personal computer to the camera, the personal computer may be provided with a single light emitting element and the camera may be provided with a single light receiving element instead of the photo reflector. In each of the above-described embodiments, the case where the back cover is opened and the cartridge is inserted and removed is shown. However, a cartridge insertion port may be provided and the cartridge may be inserted and removed through the insertion port.

[0052]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, since the dummy cartridge which can be loaded in the cartridge chamber is provided and the data communication between the external device and the camera is performed through the dummy cartridge, No special device for data communication is required. In addition, since a plurality of optical elements are provided facing each other in both the camera and the dummy cartridge and data communication is performed by an optical signal, data communication can be performed at high speed.
Further, since the optical element provided in the camera in advance for reading the barcode of the film cartridge is also used for data communication, the cost can be reduced. Further, according to the invention described in claim 2, since the data communication is carried out by diverting the optical element provided in advance for the purpose of reading the information on the film, the optical element newly added for the data communication. It is possible to reduce the cost because the number of is small. Furthermore, according to the invention described in claim 3, since an optical element for outputting a synchronous clock for data communication is provided and data communication is performed in synchronization with this synchronous clock, the timing at the time of data communication Control becomes easier and data transfer mistakes are reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of a communication control system for a camera having a communication function according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a positional relationship between a photo reflector and a film cartridge.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of a camera having a communication function.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing of the CPU of the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a data communication process by a CPU.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a data communication process by a CPU.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a cartridge information detection process by a CPU.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a cartridge information detection process by a CPU.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the processing of the CPU of the second embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the processing of the CPU of the third embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the processing of the CPU of the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a fifth embodiment of a camera having a communication function.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the processing of the CPU of the fifth embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram of a sixth embodiment of a camera having a communication function.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the processing of the CPU of the sixth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 camera 2 cartridge chamber 3 cartridge 4 spool drive member 5, 10 photo reflector 8 dummy cartridge 11 personal computer

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued Front Page (72) Inventor Yoichi Yamazaki 3 2-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Inside Nikon Corporation

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A camera having a plurality of optical elements for performing data communication with the outside, and a plurality of optical elements arranged corresponding to each of the plurality of optical elements and performing data communication with the camera. A camera including: a dummy cartridge that can be loaded into a cartridge chamber; and an external device that outputs data regarding the camera to the dummy cartridge and reads data received by each optical element of the dummy cartridge. Communication control system. 2. The communication control system for a camera according to claim 1, wherein one of a plurality of optical elements included in the camera is used for detecting information about a film indicated by a barcode of a film cartridge. A communication control system for a camera, characterized in that 3. A first optical element for reading information about a film indicated by a bar code on a film cartridge and performing data communication with the outside, and converting a synchronous clock of data exchanged by the data communication into an optical signal. A camera having a second optical element that outputs the data, and an external device that reads the data output from the camera in synchronization with the synchronization clock and outputs the data related to the camera in synchronization with the synchronization clock, The third optical element arranged at a position facing the first optical element and the fourth optical element arranged at a position facing the second optical element are output from the external device. The converted data into an optical signal to be output from the third optical element, and the third optical element and the fourth optical element. Converts the received light signal into an electrical signal and outputs to the external device, the camera communication control system, characterized in that it comprises a dummy cartridge can be loaded in the cartridge chamber. 4. An optical signal is projected from an optical element provided in a camera, and the optical signal reflected by a bar code indicating information about a film in a film cartridge loaded in a cartridge chamber is received by the optical element. In a communication control method used for a camera configured to detect information about the film, a plurality of data provided on the camera by converting a synchronous clock of data transmitted and received by data communication with an external device into an optical signal. The optical signal is output from one of the optical elements, and the output optical signal is received by one of the plurality of optical elements provided in the dummy cartridge, converted into the synchronous clock, and output from the external device. Data to the device, and data relating to the camera from the external device in synchronization with the synchronous clock is stored in the plurality of dummy cartridges. A communication control method used for a camera, which transmits to an optical element, and the external device receives data from the camera received by a plurality of optical elements of the dummy cartridge.