CAMERA, ACCESSORY, AND CAMERA SYSTEM

• US 20080199173A1
• Filed: 02/14/2008
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Inoue, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 8,014,663 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/213
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/14 interchangeably
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 19/12 Reflex cameras with single objective and a movable reflector or a partly-transmitting mirror
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2206/00 Systems for exchange of information between different pieces of apparatus, e.g. for exchanging trimming information, for photo finishing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices

Abstract

A camera includes a camera control unit configured to acquire information on an accessory mounted on the camera by performing communication with an accessory control unit included in the accessory and to control a photographing operation based on the information on the accessory. When the camera control unit acquires, from the accessory control unit, first information that is required prior to start of photographing and second information that is required prior to generation of image data after the start of photographing, if the camera control unit determines that a photographer has performed an operation to start a photographing operation during a period in which the camera control unit is performing communication to acquire the second information, the camera control unit executes a photographic sequence in priority to acquiring the second information and thereafter acquires the second information.

Claims

1. A camera comprising:

a camera control unit configured to acquire information on an accessory mounted on the camera by performing communication with an accessory control unit included in the accessory and to control a photographing operation based on the information on the accessory,

wherein, when the camera control unit acquires, from the accessory control unit, first information that is required prior to start of photographing and second information that is required prior to generation of image data after the start of photographing, if the camera control unit determines that a photographer has performed an operation to start a photographing operation during a period in which the camera control unit is performing communication to acquire the second information, the camera control unit executes a photographic sequence in priority to acquiring the second information and thereafter acquires the second information.

2. An accessory comprising:

an accessory control unit configured to perform communication with a camera control unit included in a camera having the accessory mounted thereon and to transmit information on the accessory to the camera control unit,

wherein the accessory control unit stores first information that is required prior to start of photographing and second information that is required prior to generation of image data after the start of photographing, and, if transmission of the second information to the camera control unit is interrupted, the accessory control unit thereafter resumes the transmission of the second information.

3. A camera system comprising:

a camera having a camera control unit; and

an accessory having an accessory control unit,

wherein the camera control unit is configured to acquire information on the accessory mounted on the camera by performing communication with the accessory control unit included in the accessory and to control a photographing operation based on the information on the accessory, and

wherein the accessory control unit is configured to perform communication with the camera control unit included in the camera having the accessory mounted thereon and to transmit information on the accessory to the camera control unit,

wherein, when the camera control unit acquires, from the accessory control unit, first information that is required prior to start of photographing and second information that is required prior to generation of image data after the start of photographing, if the camera control unit determines that a photographer has performed an operation to start a photographing operation during a period in which the camera control unit is performing communication to acquire the second information, the camera control unit executes a photographic sequence in priority to acquiring the second information and thereafter acquires the second information, and

wherein the accessory control unit stores the first information and the second information, and, if transmission of the second information to the camera control unit is interrupted, the accessory control unit thereafter resumes the transmission of the second information.