Camera system with plural interchangeable accessories sharing a common serial data bus

• US 4,816,853 A
• Filed: 01/21/1986
• Issued: 03/28/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Yoshida, Tadahiro, Nakai, Masaaki, Taniguchi, Nobuyuki, Omaki, Takanobu, Nakasa, Masayuki, Kikukawa, Yoshiiku, Kitaura, Mashio
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey, W. B.
• Application Number:
  US06/820,656
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 354/412, 354/286, 354/295, 354/475, 354/416, 354/417
• US Class Current: 396/159
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/091 Digital circuits

Abstract

A camera system including a camera body and a camera accessory attachable to the camera body, such as an interchangeable back lid, an interchangeable lens, a flash device and so on, is disclosed. In the system, a plurality of circuits provided in the plurality of camera accessories are controlled by a microcomputer provided in the camera body. Data is transmitted between the microcomputer and the circuits using a serial data bus and synchronizing clock line connected therebetween. The circuit to receive the data sent from the microcomputer, or the circuit which should send the data to the microcomputer are selected by the microcomputer through chip select lines provided between the microcomputer and each circuit.

Claims

1. A camera system, including a camera body and at least one camera accessor attachable to the camera body, comprising:

a plurality of circuit elements provided in the camera body and in the camera accessory for performing predetermined respective operations;

control means, provided in the camera body, for controlling the plurality of circuit elements;

at least one data bus for connecting the control means with the plurality of circuit elements to serially send data from the control means to the plurality of circuit elements and from the plurality of circuit elements to the control means;

at least one signal line for connecting the control means with the plurality of circuit elements to send clock pulses utilized for synchonizing the data sent through the data bus;

a plurality of selecting lines for connecting the control means with the plurality of circuit elements to select the circuit element which should receive data from the control means and should send data to the control means;

a light measuring circuit for measuring light coming from an object to be photographed to produce an analog light measuring signal representative of the measured light; and

a predetermined circuit element, included in the plurality of circuit elements, for converting the analog light measuring signal into the corresponding digital signal to send the digital signal to the control means.

2. A camera system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined circuit element further converts a digital data relating to the amount of flash light sent from the control means into the corresponding analog data, and further comprising, means for measuring an amount of a flash light, and means for producing a stop signal utilized for interrupting a light emission of a flash device when the measured amount of flash light reaches a value corresponding to the corresponding analog data.

3. A camera system, including a camera body and at least one camera accessory attachable to the camera body, comprising:

a plurality of circuit elements provided in the camera body and in the camera accessory for performing predetermined respective operations;

control means, provided in the camera body, for controlling the plurality of circuit elements;

at least one data bus for connecting the control means with the plurality of circuit elements to serially send data from the control means to the plurality of circuit elements and from the plurality of circuit elements to the control means;

at least one signal line for connecting the control means with the plurality of circuit elements to send lock pulses utilized for synchronizing the data sent thorugh the data bus;

a plurality of selecting lines for connecting the control means with the plurality of circuit elements to select the circuit element which should receive data from the control means and should send data to the control means;

at least one electric contact exposed at a first portion of the camera body for electric connection of the control means with a first kind of circuit element in a camera accessory and with a circuit element in the camera body;

at least one electric contact exposed at a second portion of the camera body for electric connection of the control means with a second kind of circuit element in a camera accessory; and

an interface circuit provided between the control means and the electric contact at the second portion;

whereby communication between the control means and the second kind of circuit element in one camera accessory attached to the camera body, commuication between the control means and the first kind of circuit element in another camera accessory, and communication between th control means and the circuit element in the camera body appear at the electric contact at the first portion.

4. A camera system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the camera accessory, including the first kind of circuit element, is an interchangeable back lid.