JPH02294606A - Cameras with power zoom function, interchangeable lenses, and interchangeable lenses with power zoom function - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Field of Application of the Invention) The present invention relates to a camera with a power zoom function that uses a single battery as a power source to perform various drives, an interchangeable lens with a power zoom function, and a camera to which the lens is attached. It is something.

(Background of the Invention) In recent years, camera systems (systems consisting of a combination of an interchangeable lens and a camera to which the lens is attached) have become increasingly electronic, and automatic exposure. Winding and rewinding the film. AF drive. Aperture drive, power zoom drive, and single-lens reflex camera systems are configured to automatically perform various controls using many motors, such as mirror up and shutter charge. Therefore, a large battery is used as a power source to drive these devices, and as a result, the camera system becomes large and heavy, making portability difficult. Furthermore, if miniaturization of the system is prioritized and a small battery is used, there is a problem that, in the worst case, normal photographing may not be possible.

(Objective of the Invention) The object of the present invention is to prevent the inability to perform normal photographing, to achieve a reduction in size and weight, and to provide a power zoom function that is relatively resistant to photo-shooting. To provide an interchangeable camera and lens, and an interchangeable lens with a power zoom function.

(Features of the Invention) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a drive control means that, when driving power zoom and AF simultaneously, consumes less current than when driving each separately at the same time. The present invention is characterized in that simultaneous driving is performed using only the current consumed when driving either one (or the one that consumes more current).

In addition, a power supply voltage detection means detects whether the voltage level of the battery is below a predetermined value, and when the power supply voltage detection means detects that the voltage level is below a predetermined value, power zoom and AF The battery is characterized by an operation control means for prohibiting the simultaneous operation of the batteries, and thereby prohibits the operation of either one when the voltage level of the batteries is below a predetermined value, thereby allowing efficient use of small batteries. shall be.

(Embodiments of the Invention) Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the main part configuration of the first embodiment of the present invention, in which 1 is a camera body, 50
An interchangeable lens is detachably attached to the camera body 1, and these lenses are connected by a camera mount 1a and a lens mount 51a.

In the camera body 1, 3 is a mirror, 4 is a vantaprism, 5 is an eyepiece, and 6 is a photometric light receiving element. 7
1 is a photometric calculation circuit connected to a film sensitivity information input circuit 8, a shutter control circuit 9, and a microcomputer 10. Reference numeral 34 denotes a cylinder shutter, 3a a mirror rotating shaft, and 3b an operating bin, which are opposed to the mirror drive force arm 11. 12 is a mirror drive moke, which is connected to the motor drive circuit 13. Reference numeral 14 denotes a film winding and rewinding motor, which is connected to a motor drive circuit 15. A distance measuring sensor 16 is connected to a distance measuring calculation circuit 17. 18 is the battery that operates the entire camera system, 19 is the main power switch, and 20 is the DC/
A DC converter connects the battery l8 to the microcomputer 10. 2l is a photometering and distance measuring switch, and 22 is a release switch. In addition, generally,
The switches 21 and 22 are two-stage stroke switches, and the first stroke of the release button turns the switch 21 on.
N, the switch 22 is configured to be turned on at the second stroke.

Reference numerals 23a to 23e are a group of contact point bins on the side of the camera body 1, which are arranged near the mount 1a. Reference numerals 528 to 52e represent contact bin groups on the side of the interchangeable lens body 50, which are opposed to the contact bin groups 23a to 23e on the camera side.

On the interchangeable lens 50 side, Gl, G2, and G3 are optical lenses for photographing. 53 is a lens drive motor used for focus adjustment, and is connected to a lens drive circuit 54.
The ratchet 60 is rotated by the lens drive motor 53.
The number of pulses is input to the counter 62 via. 61 is an aperture drive circuit connected to the microcomputer 55 and to a known pulse motor 56;
6 drives the aperture. 57 is a zoom drive motor used during zooming, and is connected to a zoom drive circuit 58. 59a to 59d are encoders for transmitting the focal length of the optical lens G2 to the microcomputer 55. 63 is a power zoom switch,
If no operation is performed, the state is b (as shown). When pushed toward the a side, the zoom drive motor 57 is rotated, for example, toward the telephoto side, and when pushed toward the C side, the zoom drive motor 57 is rotated toward the wide-angle side.

Next, the operation of the system having the above configuration will be explained.

First, by turning on the main power switch 19 of the camera body 1 and exciting the DC/DC converter 20,
The converter 20 provides a constant voltage for operation of the microcomputer 10. Next, when the photometric and distance measuring switch 21 is pressed, the amount of light detected by the photometric light receiving element 6 is transmitted to the photometric calculation circuit 7, and the exposure amount is stored in a known manner. Furthermore, since the photometering and distance measurement switch 2l also serves as a trigger switch for automatic distance measurement, when the photometer and distance measurement switch 21 is pressed, the microcomputer 1
The distance measurement sensor 16 is activated in accordance with the instruction, the distance measurement calculation circuit 17 performs distance measurement calculation using a known method, the amount of lens extension is determined, and a known serial communication is established with the microcomputer 55 on the side of the interchangeable lens 50. The rotation direction of the lens drive motor 53 is instructed to the lens drive circuit 54, and the photographing optical lens Gl is moved. At this time, the contents of the counter 62 are changed by the ratchet 60 in response to the movement of the optical lens G1, and the amount of movement of the lens can be detected by the microcomputer 55 reading the number of pulses. The optical system lens G1 is moved according to the amount of movement instructed from the side, and is stopped at the in-focus position. Generally, distance measurement is performed again, and if it is determined that the focus is in focus, the focus is displayed on the camera body 1 side, or
A focusing sound is emitted.

Next, the subsequent operations will be explained with reference to the timing chart shown in FIG. 2, but the operations up to now are performed before point O in FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, the horizontal axis shows time and the vertical axis shows each item.

When the release switch 22 is pressed at point ○ in FIG. 2, the microcomputer 10 energizes the mork drive circuit 13 to rotate the mirror drive motor 12, which rotates the mirror drive force M11 and pushes up the actuating bin 3b. (Point a in Figure 2) to raise and hold the mirror (Point d). At point b, which is delayed by a certain period of time from point a, known serial communication is performed between the microcomputer 10 on the camera body 1 side and the microcomputer 55 on the interchangeable lens 50 side via the contact bin groups 23a, 23b, 52a, and 52b. The aperture setting value corresponding to the amount of photometry is then instructed to the lens side. The aperture setting value instructed by the camera body l is used as a signal for controlling the pulse motor 56 by the aperture drive circuit 61. At this time, there is a certain time difference between the mirror lift operation point (point a) and the aperture drive operation point (point b) because a large current flows through the mirror drive motor 12 immediately after the power is turned on. I try to avoid driving the aperture and make effective use of the limited power supply.

Also, points b-c are the time for stopping down the aperture, point C is the completion of stopping down, and points s-f are the shutter seconds when the shutter is opened and are controlled by the result of the photometry calculation circuit 7. Points f to g after the shutter operation is completed are mirror down, h
The xi point is the time for returning the aperture to the open state, and the mirror drive motor 12 also serves as a mechanical charge for the four-force brane shutter 34, and is operated up to the j point. The completion of the aperture drive (point i) is communicated to the microcomputer 10 on the camera body 1 side via the microcomputer 55, which issues an operation command to the motor drive circuit 15, and the film is wound by the film winding/rewinding motor 14. . This winding is completed at point k, and the camera sequence returns to its original state and moves on to photometering and distance measurement.

Note that the negative signal from point 0 to point k is a signal for prohibiting power zoom to the interchangeable lens 50 side, and is a signal transmitted from the camera to the lens side by known serial communication.

Since the details of the camera are not directly related to the present invention, they will be omitted below.

Here, during AF driving (when the lens driving motor 53 is rotating) and when the zoom switch 63 is switched to the a or C side, power is alternately supplied to the lens driving motor 53 and the zoom driving motor 57. The aim of this embodiment is to control the energization so as to Originally, a motor has a rotational moment, so it continues to rotate even if the power supply is stopped for a short time, and even if such control is performed, there is no problem with its operation. For example, power may be alternately supplied to the lens drive motor 53 and the zoom drive motor 57 every 10 ms (generally, this is called duty control). Therefore, the electric power when these two motors are rotating is equal to the electric power when one of them is continuously driven.

This will be explained below using a flowchart.

FIG. 3 shows a microcomputer 55 on the side of the interchangeable lens 50.
This is the main flowchart.

The microcomputer 55 performs step 1 when the power is turned on.
The operation starts from step 01 and proceeds to step 102, where the internal and peripheral circuits are brought to an initial state.

Next, the process proceeds to step 103, where it is determined whether AF driving is in progress. If the AF drive is in progress, the process advances to step 104; if the AF drive is not in progress, the process advances to step 106. In step 104, the value of the counter 62 is read to determine the amount of AF drive, and the value is compared with the specified AF drive amount sent from the camera body 1. If the specified amount of AF drive has been reached, the process proceeds to step 105. ,here? ．． The drive of F is stopped and the process proceeds to step 106. If the specified drive amount has not been reached, the process proceeds to step 106.6 In step 106, the state of the power zoom switch 63 is determined, and whether the switch is turned ON to either the a side or the C side.
If it is OFF, the process proceeds to step 107, and if it is OFF, the process proceeds to step 114.

In step 114, it is determined whether or not the zoom is being driven. If not, the process returns to step 103 and the operations described above are repeated again. If the zoom is being driven, the power zoom switch 63 is OFF, so the process proceeds to step 114, where the zoom drive is stopped and step 1
Return to 03.

In step 106, the power zoom switch 63 is turned on.
If so, the process proceeds to step 107, and it is determined whether or not zoom driving is in progress. If zooming is in progress, the process proceeds to step 115, where the focal length is detected from the encoder 59 that detects the focal length of the lens, and the process proceeds to step 116.

In step 116, if the focal length is at the end in the direction in which the zoom is being driven, the zoom cannot be driven any further, so the process proceeds to step 117, where the zoom drive is stopped and the process returns to step 103. Also, if it is not at the end of the direction in which the zoom is being driven, continue to drive the zoom and step 1.
Return to 03.

If the zoom drive is not in progress on the stage 107, the process advances to step 108 to start zoom drive.

In step 108, it is determined by looking at the zoom permission flag in the microcomputer 55 whether zoom driving is permitted. If zoom driving is permitted, the process proceeds to step 109; if not, zoom driving is not performed. Then, the process returns to step 103.

In step 109, the zoom switch 63 is turned on to the a side.
If it is on the a side, it is determined that the driving direction is the telephoto side, and if it is on the C side, it is determined that the driving direction is in the infinity direction, and the process proceeds to step 110.

In step 110, it is determined whether AF is being driven, and
If the F drive is not in progress, the process advances to step 112, and if the AF drive is in progress, the process advances to step 111.

In step 111, in order to drive AF and zoom simultaneously, an operation is started in which power is alternately supplied to the AF drive motor 53 and the zoom drive motor 57, and the AF drive speed is lowered to drive the zoom at a low speed. Start driving in the driving direction detected in step 109 and return to step 103,
Repeat the operations described above.

Also, since only the zoom is driven in step 112, the zoom drive motor 57 is always energized (meaning not duty control) and the zoom drive is performed at a faster speed than when driving AF and zoom at the same time in step 109. Driving is started in the driving direction detected in step 103, and the process returns to step 103.

Next, the operation when starting AF driving will be explained using the flowchart of FIG. 4.

When the AF drive command and AF drive amount are sent from the microcomputer 10 of the camera body 1 to the microcomputer 55 on the interchangeable lens 50 side via communication, the microcomputer 55 starts AF drive using a known interrupt operation. do.

At step 120, when the AF drive command interrupts,
The process proceeds to step 121, where the driving direction sent from the camera body 1 side is determined, and the process proceeds to step l22. Step 1
In step 22, it is determined whether zoom driving is in progress. If the zoom drive is not in progress, the process proceeds to step 124, and if the zoom drive is in progress, the process proceeds to step 123.

In step 123, in order to drive AF and zoom simultaneously, an operation of alternately supplying power to the AF drive motor 53 and the zoom drive motor 57 is started, and the zoom drive speed is lowered to drive AF at a low speed in the steps described above. Driving is started in the driving direction detected in step 121, and the process proceeds to step 125, where the interrupt processing ends.

In addition, since only the zoom is driven in step 124, the AF is driven in the direction detected in step 121 at a faster speed than when the AF drive motor 53 is always energized and AF and zoom are simultaneously driven. , and the process proceeds to step 125, where the interrupt processing ends. Next, operations for permitting and prohibiting zoom drive will be explained.

Regarding prohibition and permission of zoom drive, the microcomputer 10 of the camera body 1 executes the operation shown in FIG. When the point is set, a zoom drive prohibition command is sent to the microcomputer 55 on the interchangeable lens 50 side via communication, and the k
Send zoom drive permission when the point is set. The microcomputer 55 on the interchangeable lens 50 side processes these communications in the form of a known interruption.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the microcomputer 55 on the side of the interchangeable lens 50 that has received the communication prohibiting zoom driving.

When a communication prohibiting zoom driving is received in step 130, the process proceeds to step 131, where an internal zoom prohibition flag is set.

Next, the process proceeds to step 132, and if zooming is not in progress, the process proceeds to step 134 to end the interrupt processing. If zooming is in progress, the process proceeds to step 133 to stop zooming, and then proceeds to step 134 to end the interrupt process.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the microcomputer 55 on the interchangeable lens 5o side when receiving communication for zoom drive permission.

When the zoom drive permission communication is received in step 140, the process proceeds to step 141, resets the internal zoom prohibition flag, and proceeds to step 142, and ends the interrupt processing.

Here, when the zoom prohibition flag is reset, when the power zoom switch 63 is ON, zoom driving is started as described above.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention, and parts common to those in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals.

In FIG. 7, 64 and 65 are constant current circuits, which are set to 1/2 of the current consumed by the lens drive motor 53 and the zoom drive motor 57. 66 and 67 are switches which can be opened and closed according to instructions from the microcomputer 55.

During either AF drive or power zoom drive, the switches 66 and 67 remain ON, and normal drive is performed. During simultaneous driving, the switches 66 and 67 are turned off, and the current flowing to each motor becomes 1/2.

In the first and second embodiments described above, even if the AF drive and power zoom drive are executed at the same time, the current consumed is equivalent to one motor, and there is no need to use a large battery 18. , it is possible to make the camera smaller and lighter,
Moreover, it is resistant to photo opportunities. Furthermore, even when the motors are driven simultaneously in this manner, the current consumption is sufficient for one motor, so that there is no problem such as abnormal photographing.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a third embodiment of the present invention, and parts common to those in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals.

In FIG. 8, 68 is a voltage detection circuit for monitoring the voltage of the power line (of the battery 18) supplied from the camera body 1 side to the interchangeable lens 50 side, and includes, for example, a known A/D converter. etc.

As is well known, when a dry battery (battery 18) is new, it has a large capacity and its terminal voltage also shows a sufficiently high voltage. In such cases, it is quite possible to drive many motors at the same time. Furthermore, as the battery ages, the voltage decreases, making it impossible to run many motors, or in the worst case, only one motor. Therefore, this embodiment provides a camera system that does not operate simultaneously when the voltage detection circuit 68 detects that the power line has fallen below a predetermined value.

Below, the operation will be explained using a flowchart. FIG. 9 is the main flowchart of the microcomputer 55 on the side of the interchangeable lens 50, and steps 101 to 108 and steps 113 to 117 are the same as in FIG. Therefore, the explanation will be omitted.

In step 109, it is determined whether AF is being driven, and
If the F drive is not in progress, the process proceeds to step 153, and if the AF drive is in progress, the process proceeds to step 152.

In step 152, the voltage detection circuit 68 detects the power supply voltage, and if the power supply voltage is equal to or higher than a predetermined voltage, AF and zoom can be driven simultaneously.
If the voltage is lower than the predetermined voltage, the AF cannot be driven at the same time, so AF continues to be driven, and the process returns to step 103 without zooming.

In step 153, it is detected whether the power zoom switch 63 is turned on to the a side or the C side, and if it is on the a side, it is determined that the driving direction is the telephoto side,
If it is on the C side, it is determined that the direction is infinite, and step 15
Proceed to step 4.

In step 154, zooming is started in the driving direction detected in step 153, and the process returns to step 103 to repeat the operations described so far.

Next, the operation when starting AF driving will be explained.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of interrupt processing of the AF drive command.

When the AF drive command interrupts in step 160, the process proceeds to step 161, where it is determined whether the zoom is being driven. If zooming is not in progress, step 16
3, and if zooming is in progress, proceed to step 162. In step 162, if the power supply voltage is equal to or higher than a predetermined voltage, AF and zoom can be driven simultaneously.
Proceeding to step 163, if the voltage is below the predetermined voltage, it is not possible to drive at the same time, so continue the zoom drive,
The process proceeds to step 165 without AF driving, and a message is sent to the microcomputer 10 of the camera body 1 that AF cannot be driven, and the process proceeds to step 166, where the interrupt processing is ended.

In step 163, the driving direction sent from the camera body l side is determined, and the process proceeds to step 164, where AF driving is started, and the process proceeds to step 166, where the interrupt processing ends.

In the first and second embodiments of the present invention, even if AF drive and power zoom drive are executed at the same time, the power is as if it were for one motor, so there is no need to use a large battery, and the camera Since it is possible to downsize and save energy, it has the effect of increasing the number of images to be taken.

In the third embodiment of the present invention, when the power supply voltage is high,
In other words, when the battery is new, AF drive and power zoom are allowed to operate simultaneously, but when the power supply voltage drops (when the battery gets old), simultaneous operation is prohibited.
The power source can be used efficiently, a small battery 18 can be used, and the camera system can therefore be miniaturized. Furthermore, since the camera system is constructed in such a way that at least images can be taken even if the power supply voltage drops, there is an effect that the number of images taken can be increased.

(Correspondence between the invention and the embodiments) In this embodiment, #1 of the microcomputer 55
10, #1 1 1. The parts that perform the operations #122 and #123, the constant current circuits 64 and 65, and the switches 66 and 67 correspond to the operation control means according to claims 1 to 3 of the present invention. Further, the portions of the microcomputer 55 that perform the operations #151 and #152 correspond to the operation control means according to claims 4 to 6, and the voltage detection circuit 68 corresponds to the power supply voltage detection means according to claims 4 to 6, respectively. ．． (Modification) In the first and second embodiments, when AF and zoom are driven simultaneously, duty control and constant current control (this may be constant voltage control) are performed to drive one motor. Although the configuration is configured to consume similar current, this embodiment is equipped with a voltage detection circuit as shown in the third embodiment, and this detects that the power supply voltage is below a predetermined value. The configuration may be such that the control described above is performed only when the This allows for stronger shutter opportunities. Furthermore, in the third embodiment, when the power supply voltage is below a predetermined value, the AF drive and the zoom drive are not performed at the same time, thereby achieving miniaturization of the system. A circuit that performs duty control and constant current control as shown in Example 2 is added, and such control is performed from the first predetermined voltage to a second predetermined value lower than the first predetermined voltage, for example. But it's okay. This makes it more resistant to photo opportunities than the third embodiment.

Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, the means for performing duty control and constant current control is arranged on the interchangeable lens 50 side.
Of course, it may be located on the camera body 1 side. Similarly, in the third embodiment, the voltage detection circuit is placed on the side of the interchangeable lens 50, but of course it may be placed on the side of the camera body 1.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, when power zoom and AF are simultaneously driven, a drive control means is provided that realizes each drive with lower current consumption than when driving each independently at the same time. A power supply voltage detection means is provided for detecting whether the voltage level of the battery is below a predetermined value, and the power supply voltage detection means is provided to simultaneously drive using only the current consumed when driving one of the batteries. If the means detects that the voltage level is below a predetermined value, an operation control means is provided that prohibits simultaneous operation of power zoom and AF, and thereby, when the voltage level of the battery is below a predetermined value, By prohibiting the driving of either one of them and efficiently using a small battery, it is possible to prevent the inability to perform normal photography, and to achieve a reduction in size and weight. Moreover, it can be made relatively resistant to shutter opportunities.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a timing chart thereof, FIGS. 3 to 6 are flow charts showing operations on the interchangeable lens side, and FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the third embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 9 and 10 are block diagrams showing the second embodiment of the present invention.
The figure is a flowchart showing the operation of the interchangeable lens. 1...Camera body, 10...Microcomputer, 50...Interchangeable lens, 55
・・・・・・Microcomputer, 53・・・・・・
Lens drive motor, 54...Lens drive circuit, 57...Zoom drive motor, 58...
...Zoom drive circuit, 64.65... Constant current circuit, 66.67... Switch, 68...
・Voltage detection circuit.

Claims (6)

[Claims] (1) In a camera with a power zoom function that is equipped with a single battery that serves as a power source for various drives, power zoom and AF
A camera with a power zoom function, characterized in that a camera with a power zoom function is provided with a drive control means that realizes driving of each with lower current consumption when driving each simultaneously than when driving each separately at the same time. (2) In a lens-interchangeable camera equipped with an interchangeable lens with a power zoom function and equipped with a single battery that serves as a power source for various drives including power zoom drive, when power zoom and AF are driven simultaneously, each What is claimed is: 1. A camera with interchangeable lenses, characterized in that it is provided with a drive control means that realizes each drive with less current consumption than when driving each separately at the same time. (3) When a power zoom means that is driven by the battery on the camera side as a power source and changes the focal length of the photographic lens, an AF means that adjusts the focus of the photographic lens, and simultaneous driving of power zoom and AF is instructed. is an interchangeable lens with a power zoom function that is equipped with a drive control means that allows each drive to be performed with less current consumption than when driving each separately at the same time. (4) In a camera with a power zoom function that is equipped with one battery that serves as a power source for various drives, a power supply voltage detection means for detecting whether the voltage level of the battery is below a predetermined value;
If the power supply voltage detection means detects that the voltage level is below a predetermined value, power zoom and AF
A camera with a power zoom function, characterized in that a camera with a power zoom function is provided with an operation control means for prohibiting simultaneous driving of the two. (5) In a lens-interchangeable camera equipped with an interchangeable lens with a power zoom function and equipped with one battery that serves as a power source for various drives including power zoom drive, whether the voltage level of the battery is below a predetermined value or not. power supply voltage detection means for detecting whether the voltage level is lower than or equal to a predetermined value; A camera with interchangeable lenses. (6) A power zoom means that is driven by a battery on the camera side as a power source to vary the focal length of the photographic lens, an AF means that adjusts the focus of the photographic lens, and a power zoom means that is driven by a battery on the camera side as a power source, and an AF means that adjusts the focus of the photographic lens, and a power zoom means that is driven by a battery on the camera side as a power source, and an AF means that adjusts the focus of the photographic lens. A power zoom comprising a power supply voltage detection means to detect, and an operation control means for prohibiting simultaneous driving of power zoom and AF when the power supply voltage detection means detects that the voltage level is below a predetermined value. Interchangeable lenses with functions.