Imaging device

• US 20070139535A1
• Filed: 08/30/2006
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta OPTO Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta OPTO Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Tsuchida, Masaaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,611,297 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.990
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/663 for controlling interchangeable camera parts based on electronic image sensor signals

Abstract

An imaging device wherein a camera module is controlled based on a personality file for module (individual control data) which is retrieved from a camera module and is peculiar to the camera module and on a personality file for sensor (type-dependent control data) relating to the type of the camera module stored in a memory section (second memory) in advance.

Claims

1. An imaging device comprising a camera module including:

an imaging member for capturing a subject image as image data; and

a first memory for storing individual control data which are peculiar to the camera module in advance,

the imaging device further comprising a main unit connected with the camera module, the main unit including;

a second memory for storing type-dependent control data relating to a type of the camera module in advance;

a retrieving device for retrieving the individual control data from the first memory,

wherein the camera module further includes

a data communication device for transmitting and receiving data between the first memory and the retrieving device, and

the main unit further includes

a control device for controlling the camera module based on the individual control data retrieved by the retrieving device from the first memory through the data communication device and type-dependent control data stored in the second memory.

2. The imaging device of claim 1,

wherein the camera module further comprises

a third memory for storing identification information to identify a type of the camera module, and

wherein the main unit further comprises

an identification information retrieving device for retrieving the identification information from the third memory through the data communication device;

and

a specifying device for specifying type-dependent control data corresponding to the retrieved identification information from among a plurality of sets of the type-dependent control data stored in the second memory based on the identification information.

3. The imaging device of claim 1,

wherein the control device merges the individual control data and the type-dependent control data.

4. The imaging device of claim 1,

wherein the image data are raw data.