Camera system operable in accordance with stored memory

• US 4,477,164 A
• Filed: 12/10/1982
• Issued: 10/16/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1981
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Sahara, Masayoshi, Nakai, Masaaki, Taniguchi, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): ADAMS JR, RUSSELL E
• Application Number:
  US06/448,834
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 354/23 D, 354/286, 354/412, 354/289.1, 354/286
• US Class Current: 396/71
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/00 Details of cameras or camera bodies; Accessories therefor lens hoods or caps G03B11/04
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/091 Digital circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/663 for controlling interchangeable camera parts based on electronic image sensor signals

Abstract

A camera system is provided that permits memory data dedicated to particular camera accessories to be transmitted to the camera body for enabling the operation of the camera. The camera accessories can carry dedicated information or variable information to the camera body. Synchronization between the camera accessory and the camera body can be provided by a train of clock pulses. Information can be programmed in a fixed memory circuit to insure that only a particular accessory so designated will provide information to the camera body to prevent any erroneous inputting of data from a plurality of camera accessories that are contemplated for use with a particular camera body.

Claims

1. In a camera system operable in accordance with memory data by means of carrying the memory data from a camera accessory to a camera body, the improvement comprising:

first means for carrying electric power from the camera body to the camera accessory to power the camera accessory;

second means for carrying a train of clock pulses from the camera body to the camera accessory to synchronize the camera accessory with the camera body;

third means for serially carrying address data from the camera body to the camera accessory to locate the memory data;

fourth means for serially carrying the memory data corresponding to the address data from the camera accessory to the camera body; and

fifth means for carrying an initiating signal from the camera body to the camera accessory to control the timing of reading the memory data corresponding to the address data.

2. The improvement according to claim 1, further comprising means for generating the clock pulses to be transmitted through said second carrying means, means for converting the memory data serially received through said fourth carrying means into parallel data in response to the clock pulses of said generating means, means for serially providing the address data to be transmitted through said third carrying means in response to the clock pulses of said generating means, means for originating an operation signal in response to a manual operation of the camera, means for supplying the electric power to be transmitted through said first means in response to the operation signal of said originating means, means for producing the initiating signal to be transmitted through said fifth carrying means in response to the operation signal of said originating means, and means for storing the parallel data of said converting means, and wherein said first to fifth carrying means each include means for bringing the camera body into electric contact with the camera accessory when the camera accessory is attached to the camera body.

3. The improvement in claim 1, further comprising a read-only-memory for storing the memory data, means for converting the address data serially received through said third carrying means into parallel data to address said read-only-memory in response to the clock pulses received through said second carrying means, means for parallelly reading the addressed memory data in said read-only-memory and for serially outputting the read memory data through said fourth carrying means in response to the clock pulses received through said second carrying means, and means for controlling the timing of reading the memory data of said reading and outputting means in response to said initiating signal and said clock pulses received through said fifth and second carrying means, respectively, and wherein said first to fifth carrying means each include means for bringing the camera accessory into electric contact with the camera body when the camera accessory is attached to the camera body.

4. In a camera system operable in accordance with stored memory data by means of carrying the memory data from a camera accessory to a camera body, the camera body comprising:

first means for transmitting electric power toward the camera accessory;

second means for transmitting a train of clock pulses toward the camera accessory;

third means for serially transmitting address data toward the camera accessory;

fourth means for serially receiving the memory data from the camera accessory;

fifth means for transmitting an initiating signal toward the camera accessory to control the timing of reading the memory data corresponding to the address data;

means for generating the clock pulses;

means for converting the serially received memory data into parallel data in response to the clock pulses;

means for serially providing the address data in response to the clock pulses;

means for originating an operation signal in response to a manual operation of the camera;

means for supplying the electric power in response to the operation signal;

means for producing the initiating signal in response to the operation signal; and

means for storing the parallel data.

5. The camera body according to claim 4, wherein said third and fourth means in total include a common terminal and means for sequentially changing over the electric connection of said common terminal between said converting means and said providing means in response to the clock pulses.

6. The camera body according to claim 4, wherein said third and fifth means in total include a common terminal, and wherein said providing means and said producing means in total are adapted so that the address data are preceded by the initiating signal produced as special address data.

7. The camera body according to claim 4, wherein said third to fifth means in total include a common terminal and means for sequentially changing over the electric connection of said common terminal between said converting means and a combination of said providing means and said producing means in response to the clock pulses, and wherein the combination of said providing means and said producing means is adapted so that the address data are preceded by the initiating signal produced as special address data.

8. The camera body according to claim 4, wherein said first to fifth means are capable of being connected to a plurality of kinds of accessories, and wherein said providing means includes means for making the address data for respective accessories differ from each other.

9. The camera body according to claim 4, wherein said storing means includes a plurality of registers for sequentially receiving the parallel data from said converting means.

10. The camera body according to claim 4, wherein said supplying means includes means for maintaining the power supply while the operation signal is existing.

11. The camera body according to claim 4, wherein said producing means includes means for repeating the production of the initiating signal while the operation signal is existing.

12. The camera body according to claim 4, further comprising means for determining whether or not the camera accessory is attached to the camera body, and means for postponing the production of the initiating signal in accordance with the determining means when the camera accessory is not attached to the camera body.

13. In a camera system operable in accordance with memory data by means of carrying the memory data from a camera accessory to a camera body, the camera accessory comprising:

first means for receiving electric power from the camera body;

second means for receiving a train of clock pulses from the camera body;

third means for serially receiving an address data from the camera body;

fourth means for serially transmitting the memory data toward the camera body;

fifth means for receiving an initiating signal from the camera body to control the timing of reading the memory data corresponding to the address data;

a read-only-memory for storing the memory data;

means for converting the serially received address data into parallel data to address said read-only-memory in response to the clock pulses;

means for parallelly reading the addressed memory data in said read-only-memory and for serially outputting the read memory data at said fourth means in response to the clock pulses; and

means for controlling the timing of reading the memory data of said reading and outputting means in response to said initiating signal and said clock pulses.

14. The camera accessory according to claim 13, wherein said third and fourth means in total include a common terminal and means for sequentially changing over the electric connection of said common terminal between said converting means and said reading and outputting means in response to the clock pulses.

15. The camera accessory according to claim 13, wherein said third and fifth means in total include a common terminal, and wherein said controlling means is responsive to special address data corresponding to said initiating signal.

16. The camera accessory according to claim 13, wherein said third to fifth means in total include a common terminal and means for sequentially changing over the electric connection of said common terminal between said reading and outputting means and a combination of said converting means and said controlling means in response to the clock pulses, and wherein said controlling means is responsive to a special address data corresponding to said initial data.

17. The camera accessory according to claim 13, further comprising means responsive to said converting means for examining whether or not the parallel data include an information designating the camera accessory to determine whether or not the memory data are to appear at said fourth means.

18. The camera accessory according to claim 13, wherein said read-only-memory includes a predetermined check data at an address to be addressed in a predetermined turn.

19. The camera accessory according to claim 13, wherein the camera accessory consists of an exchangeable objective lens.

20. The camera accessory according to claim 13, wherein the camera accessory consists of a lens accessory.

21. In a camera system operable in accordance with memory data by means of carrying the memory data from a camera accessory to a camera body, the camera body comprising:

means for generating a train of clock pulses;

means for transmitting the clock pulses toward the camera accessory;

means for serially receiving the memory data from the camera accessory;

means for converting the serially received memory data into parallel data in response to the clock pulses;

means for storing the parallel data;

means for transmitting a controlling signal toward the camera accessory to control the camera accessory so that the transmission of the memory data from the camera accessory toward the camera body is enabled during the transmission of the controlling signal;

means for originating an operation signal in response to a manual operation of the camera; and

means for producing the controlling signal in response to the operation signal, said producing means including means for repeating the production of the controlling signal during the time period the operation signal is existing.

22. The camera body according to claim 21, further comprising means for transmitting electric power toward the camera body, and means for supplying the electric power during the time that the operation signal is existing.

23. In a camera system operable in accordance with memory data by means of carrying the memory data from a camera accessory to a camera body, the camera accesory comprising:

first means for receiving electric power from the camera body;

second means for receiving a train of clock pulses from the camera body;

a read-only memory for storing the memory data;

third means for receiving a controlling signal from the camera body;

means for parallelly reading the memory data from said read-only memory and for serially outputting the read memory data in response to the clock pulses, said reading and outputting means including means responsive to the controlling signal for enabling the serially outputting operation during the time that the controlling signal is being received; and

means for serially transmitting the read memory data toward the camera body.

24. The camera system according to claim 23, wherein said read-only memory includes a predetermined check data.

25. The camera system according to claim 23, wherein the camera accessory consists of a lens accessory.

26. The camera system according to claim 23, wherein the camera accessory consists of an exchangeable objective lens.

27. The camera system according to claim 26, wherein said read-only memory includes data representative of a fully open aperture size of the exchangeable objective lens.

28. The camera system according to claim 26, wherein said read-only memory includes data representative of a minimum aperture size of the exchangeable objective lens.

29. The camera system according to claim 26, wherein said read-only memory includes data representative of a focal length of the exchangeable objective lens.