Image sensing apparatus and control method of said apparatus

• US 20040165105A1
• Filed: 02/24/2004
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takai, Junji
• Granted Patent: US 7,355,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/372
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/26 Power supplies; Circuitry or arrangement to switch on the power source; Circuitry to check the power source voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 Control of camera operation in relation to power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes

Abstract

Image sensing apparatus having an image sensing element for sensing an object of shooting is provided. According to one aspect of the invention, when a cleaning mode is designated and executed to remove a foreign substance in the neighborhood of and on the image sensing element, the remaining amount of a battery which supplies electric power to the image sensing apparatus is detected by a voltage detector. If the remaining amount of the battery declines to a first predetermined value or less, a warning is issued by a lamp or a sound production unit. Moreover, if the remaining amount of the battery is the first predetermined value or less, a shift to the cleaning mode is prohibited. Furthermore, if the remaining amount of the battery declines to a second predetermined value or less, which is a lower value than the first predetermined value, mirror-down processing is performed so that cleaning operation cannot be executed.

Claims

1. An image sensing apparatus for capturing an image of object by an image sensing element, comprising:

power supply unit configured to supply an electric power to the image sensing apparatus;

detection unit configured to detect an electric power supplied from said power supply unit;

designation unit configured to designate a shift to a cleaning mode to remove a foreign substance in a neighborhood of and on a photoreceptive surface of the image sensing element; and

warning issuance unit configured to issue a warning in a case where the electric power detected by said detection unit declines to a first predetermined value or less during execution of the cleaning mode designated by said designation unit.

2. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising termination unit configured to forcefully terminate the cleaning mode in a case where the electric power detected by said detection unit declines to a second predetermined value or less, which is a smaller value than the first predetermined value, during execution of the cleaning mode.

3. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising prohibition unit configured to prohibit the shift to the cleaning mode in response to designation by said designation unit in a case where the electric power detected by said detection unit is the first predetermined value or less.

4. A single lens reflex image sensing apparatus for capturing an image of object by an image sensing element, comprising:

power supply unit configured to supply electric power to the image sensing apparatus;

detection unit configured to detect an electric power supplied from said power supply unit;

designation unit configured to designate a shift to a cleaning mode to remove a foreign substance in a neighborhood of and on a photoreceptive surface of the image sensing element;

cleaning mode setting unit configured to set the cleaning mode by moving up a mirror for the single lens reflex and making a shutter front curtain to travel; and

warning issuance unit configured to issue a warning in a case where the electric power detected by said detection unit declines to a first predetermined value or less in a state where the cleaning mode is set by said cleaning mode setting unit in accordance with designation of said designation unit.

5. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising unit configured to move down the mirror in a case where the electric power detected by said detection unit declines to a second predetermined value or less, which is a smaller value than the first predetermined value, during execution of the cleaning mode.

6. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising unit configured to make a shutter rear curtain to travel when the cleaning mode is terminated.

7. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising unit configured to prohibit said cleaning mode setting unit from setting the cleaning mode in response to designation by said designation unit in a case where the electric power detected by said detection unit is the first predetermined value or less.

8. A control method of an image sensing apparatus for capturing an image of object by an image sensing element, comprising:

a detection step of detecting electric power supplied to the image sensing apparatus;

a designation step of designating a shift to a cleaning mode to remove a foreign substance in a neighborhood of and on a photoreceptive surface of the image sensing element; and

a warning issuance step of issuing a warning in a case where the electric power detected in said detection step declines to a first predetermined value or less during execution of the cleaning mode designated in said designation step.

9. The control method according to claim 8, further comprising a termination step of forcefully terminating the cleaning mode in a case where the electric power detected in said detection step declines to a second predetermined value or less, which is a smaller value than the first predetermined value, during execution of the cleaning mode.

10. The control method according to claim 8, further comprising a prohibition step of prohibiting the shift to the cleaning mode in response to designation in said designation step in a case where the electric power detected in said detection step is the first predetermined value or less.

11. A control method of a single lens reflex image sensing apparatus for capturing an image of object by an image sensing element, comprising:

a detection step of detecting electric power supplied to the image sensing apparatus;

a designation step of designating a shift to a cleaning mode to remove a foreign substance in a neighborhood of and on a photoreceptive surface of the image sensing element;

a cleaning mode setting step of setting the cleaning mode by moving up a mirror for the single lens reflex and making a shutter front curtain to travel; and

a warning issuance step of issuing a warning in a case where the electric power detected in said detection step declines to a first predetermined value or less in a state where the cleaning mode is set in said cleaning mode setting step in accordance with designation in said designation step.

12. The control method according to claim 11, further comprising a termination step of forcefully terminating the cleaning mode by moving down the mirror in a case where the electric power detected in said detection step declines to a second predetermined value or less, which is a smaller value than the first predetermined value, during execution of the cleaning mode.

13. The control method according to claim 11, further comprising a step of making a shutter rear curtain to travel when the cleaning mode is terminated.

14. The control method according to claim 11, further comprising a step of prohibiting setting of the cleaning mode in said cleaning mode setting step in response to designation of said designation step in a case where the electric power detected in said detection step is the first predetermined value or less.

15. An image sensing apparatus comprising:

an image sensing element for sensing an object of shooting;

control unit configured to cause a shift to a cleaning mode to remove a foreign substance in a neighborhood of and on a photoreceptive surface of said image sensing element;

power supply unit configured to supply electric power;

detection unit configured to detect an electric power level supplied from said power supply unit during the cleaning mode; and

warning unit configured to issue a warning to terminate the cleaning mode in accordance with a detection result of said detection unit.

16. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising sound production unit configured to generate sound,

wherein said warning unit issues a warning using said sound production unit.

17. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising indicator unit,

wherein said warning unit issues a warning using said indicator unit.

18. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising mirror moving unit configured to position a mirror arranged on an image sensing optical axis to a first state at the time of non-photographing state so as to introduce an object image to an optical finder, and positioning the mirror to a second state at the time of photographing so as to evacuate the mirror from the image sensing optical axis,

wherein said warning unit issues a warning by moving the mirror from the second state to the first state using said mirror moving unit.

19. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said warning unit includes a first warning level which issues a warning using said sound production unit or said indicator unit in accordance with the electric power level, and a second warning level which issues a warning using said mirror moving unit.

20. A single lens reflex image sensing apparatus for capturing an image of object by an image sensing element, comprising:

a battery for supplying electric power;

an operation unit configured to designate a cleaning mode to remove a foreign substance in a neighborhood of and on a photoreceptive surface of the image sensing element;

a voltage detector configured to detect an output voltage of said battery;

a mirror controller configured to move up/down a mirror;

unit configured to allow removal of the foreign substance by moving up the mirror by said mirror controller in accordance with designation from said operation unit, in a case where the output voltage detected by said voltage detector is a first predetermined value or more;

warning unit configured to issue a warning in a case where the output voltage detected by said voltage detector declines to the first predetermined value or less during the cleaning mode; and

unit configured to move down the mirror using said mirror controller in a case where the output voltage detected by said voltage detector declines to a second predetermined value or less, which is a smaller value than the first predetermined value, during execution of the cleaning mode.

21. A control method of a single lens reflex image sensing apparatus for capturing an image of object by an image sensing element, comprising:

a step of allowing removal of a foreign substance by moving up a mirror in a case where an output voltage of a battery is a first predetermined value or more upon designation of a cleaning mode which is provided for cleaning a foreign substance in a neighborhood of and on a photoreceptive surface of the image sensing element;

a step of issuing a warning in a case where the output voltage of the battery declines to the first predetermined value or less during the cleaning mode; and

a step of moving down the mirror in a case where the output voltage of the battery declines to a second predetermined value or less, which is a smaller value than the first predetermined value, during execution of the cleaning mode.