Control system and units removably attachable to the same

• US 20020024611A1
• Filed: 09/27/2001
• Published: 02/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gaku Watanabe, Kenichi Kondo, Koichi Sono, Masayoshi Sekine, Motohiro Ishikawa, Nobuo Fukushima, Yuji Koide
• Original Assignee: Gaku Watanabe, Kenichi Kondo, Koichi Sono, Masayoshi Sekine, Motohiro Ishikawa, Nobuo Fukushima, Yuji Koide
• Inventors: Fukushima, Nobuo, Sono, Koichi, Kondo, Kenichi, Koide, Yuji, Watanabe, Gaku, Sekine, Masayoshi, Ishikawa, Motohiro
• Granted Patent: US 6,956,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/373
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00206 Transmitting or receiving computer data via an image communication device, e.g. a facsimile transceiver H04N1/00236 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00236 using an image reading or reproducing device, e.g. a facsimile reader or printer, as a local input to or local output from a computer image input to or image output from a computer via a network H04N1/00209
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00241 using an image reading device as a local input to a computer input via network, e.g. network scanners H04N1/00225
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00496 Constructional details of the interface or console not otherwise provided for, e.g. rotating or tilting means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00885 Power supply means, e.g. arrangements for the control of power supply to the apparatus or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00888 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00901 Using different supplies or connection to an external supply H04N1/00893, H04N1/00896 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0034 Details of the connection, e.g. connector, interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

A control system having device units removably attachable to a control device such as a computer is arranged to optimize the allocation and distribution of electric power to the device units and also displays of varied kinds. For this purpose, each device unit of the system includes a communication circuit arranged to transmit information of electric power consumption and an operating state of the device unit detachably connected to the control device such as a computer, a stopping circuit for partly stopping a function of the device unit according to a control signal sent in reply from the control device on the basis of information of varied kinds transmitted through the transmission circuit to the control device. The control device, on the other hand, includes a communication circuit arranged to receive the information on the device unit from the device unit, and a control circuit arranged to compare the information of electric power consumption and the operating state received by the communication circuit with information of the amount of electric power which can be supplied to the device unit and to send the control signal to the device unit for partly stopping the function of the device unit according to the result of comparison. Further, the control device changes a display made therein and controls the operation of the device unit according to information of the operating state and the connected state of the device unit.

Claims

1. An image pickup system which has at least one image pickup unit having at least one connection terminal and connectable to an external apparatus,

said image pickup unit connected to an arbitrary connection terminal of said external apparatus which has at least one connection terminal including means for exchanging data with said external apparatus,

said image pickup system comprising two or all of the following means:

detecting means for detecting one or both of an operating state and a connected state of said image pickup unit;

display means for displaying one or both of the operating state and the connected state of said image pickup unit; and

recording means for recording one or both of the operating state and the connected state of said image pickup unit.

2. An image pickup system according to claim 1, wherein said image pickup unit is arranged to transmit to said external apparatus information required for displaying one or both of the operating state and the connected state of said image pickup unit.

3. An image pickup system according to claim 1, wherein a display device included in said image pickup unit is employed as said means for displaying one or both of the operating state and the connected state of said image pickup unit.

4. An image pickup system according to claim 1, wherein said image pickup unit is arranged to transmit to said external apparatus information required for recording one or both of the operating state and the connected state of said image pickup unit.

5. An image pickup system according to claim 1, wherein a recording device included in said image pickup unit is employed as said means for recording one or both of the operating state and the connected state of said image pickup unit.

6. An image pickup system according to claim 1, wherein said image pickup unit is arranged to cause means for protecting a lens to act as said means for displaying one or both of the operating state and the connected state of said image pickup unit.

7. An image pickup system which has an external apparatus having at least one connection terminal and at least one image pickup unit connectable to said external apparatus,

said external apparatus including means for exchanging data with said image pickup unit connected to an arbitrary connection terminal of said external apparatus having at least one connection terminal,

said image pickup system comprising two or all of the following means:

detecting means for detecting one or both of an operating state and a connected state of said image pickup unit;

display means for displaying one or both of the operating state and the connected state of said image pickup unit; and

recording means for recording one or both of the operating state and the connected state of said image pickup unit.

8. An image pickup system according to claim 7, wherein said means for displaying one or both of the operating state and the connected state of said image pickup unit is a display device provided at said external apparatus.

9. An image pickup system according to claim 7, wherein a display device included in said image pickup unit is employed as said means for displaying one or both of the operating state and the connected state of said image pickup unit.

10. An image pickup system according to claim 7, wherein a recording device provided at said external apparatus is employed as said means for recording one or both of the operating state and the connected state of said image pickup unit.

11. An image pickup system according to claim 7, wherein a recording device included in said image pickup unit is employed as said means for recording one or both of the operating state and the connected state of said image pickup unit.

12. An image pickup system according to claim 7, wherein said external apparatus is arranged to cause means for protecting a lens of said image pickup unit to act as said means for displaying one or both of the operating state and the connected state of said image pickup unit.

14. An image pickup unit according to claim 13, wherein said image pickup unit is arranged to be removably attachable to said external signal processing device.

15. An image pickup unit according to claim 13, further comprising display means arranged to change a display state thereof in response to said state signal.

16. An image pickup unit according to claim 13, wherein said external signal processing device has display means arranged to change a display state thereof in response to said state signal.

18. A picked-up image signal processing device according to claim 17, wherein said image pickup unit is arranged to be removably attachable to said picked-up image signal processing device.

19. A picked-up image signal processing device according to claim 17, further comprising display means arranged to change a display state thereof in response to said state signal received by said receiving means.

20. A picked-up image signal processing device according to claim 17, further comprising recording means for recording said state signal received by said receiving means.

13. An image pickup unit comprising:

image pickup means for picking up an optical image to form a picked-up image signal;

interface means for communication with an external signal processing device; and

transmission means for transmitting to said external signal processing device through said interface means a state signal relating to an operating state of said image pickup means or a connected state of said interface means.

17. A picked-up image signal processing device comprising:

interface means for communication with an image pickup unit which includes image pickup means for picking up an optical image to form a picked-up image signal; and

receiving means for receiving a state signal coming from said image pickup unit through said interface means and relating to an operating state or a connected state of said image pickup unit.

21. A control system comprising:

a unit which is removably attachable to a control device and includes transmission means for transmitting information of power consumption of said unit and stop means for partly stopping a function of said unit according to a control signal sent in reply from said control device on the basis of the information of power consumption transmitted by said transmission means to said control device;

receiving means for receiving from said unit removably attachable to said control device the information of power consumption of said unit;

comparison means for comparing the information of power consumption received by said receiving means with information of an amount of electric power which can be supplied to said unit from said control device; and

control means for transmitting the control signal to said unit so as to partly stop the function of said unit according to an output of said comparison means.

22. A control device comprising:

communication means for receiving from a unit removably attachable to said control device information of power consumption of said unit;

comparison means for comparing the information of power consumption received by said communication means with information of an amount of electric power which can be supplied from said control device to said unit; and

control means for transmitting a control signal to said unit so as to partly stop a function of said unit according to an output of said comparison means.

25. An image pickup system according to claim 24, wherein said plurality of device units include an image pickup unit, and further comprising control means for decreasing, according to the result of comparison made by said comparison means, at least an amount of information of picked-up image data to be processed at said image pickup unit.

26. An image pickup system according to claim 24, wherein said plurality of device units include an image pickup unit, and further comprising control means for decreasing, according to the result of comparison made by said comparison means, at least the number of frames of images to be picked up per unit time by said image pickup unit.

27. An image pickup system according to claim 24, wherein said plurality of device units include an image pickup unit, and further comprising control means for decreasing, according to the result of comparison made by said comparison means, at least predetermined color data included in image data to be picked up by said image pickup unit.

28. An image pickup system according to claim 24, wherein said plurality of device units include an image pickup unit, and further comprising control means for decreasing, according to the result of comparison made by said comparison means, at least an amount of information in one or both of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction of an image plane to be picked up by said image pick up unit.

29. An image pickup system according to claim 24, wherein said plurality of device units include an image pickup unit, and further comprising control means for stopping, according to the result of comparison made by said comparison means, at least one or both of a focusing function and an image stabilizing function of said image pickup unit.

30. An image pickup system according to claim 24, wherein said plurality of device units include an image pickup unit, and further comprising control means for, according to the result of comparison made by said comparison means, at least stopping a light projecting function of said image pickup unit or decreasing an amount of light projection of said image pickup unit.

23. A unit which is removably attachable to a control device, comprising:

communication means for transmitting information of power consumption of said unit; and

stop means for partly stopping a function of said unit according to a control signal sent in reply from said control device on the basis of the information of power consumption transmitted by said communication means to said control device.

24. An image pickup system comprising:

a control device having a plurality of connection terminals and a power supply;

a plurality of device units connectable to said connection terminals;

determination means for predetermining amounts of allocation of electric power to be supplied from said control device respectively to said plurality of device units connected to said connection terminals;

detecting means for detecting amounts of electric power being consumed respectively by said plurality of device units;

comparison means for comparing the amounts of allocation of electric power with the amounts of electric power being consumed; and

change-over means for changing at least one operation of said plurality of device units over to a power saving mode according to a result of comparison made by said comparison means.

31. An image pickup device comprising:

a) image pickup means;

b) transmission means for externally transmitting data of electric power consumption by said image pickup device; and

c) receiving means for, after the data of electric power consumption is transmitted, receiving a signal for controlling an action of said image pickup device according to the data of electric power consumption.

32. A computer comprising:

a) receiving means for receiving, from an image pickup device, data relating to electric power consumption by said image pickup device; and

b) transmission means for transmitting to said image pickup device a signal for controlling an action of said image pickup device according to the data of electric power consumption received by said receiving means.