Camera having a charging operation which is inhibited during an operation of the camera function section and a battery check function which is inhibited during the charging function
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A camera having a battery check function comprising:
- a power source commonly used for a charging circuit associated with a strobe emission and a camera function section other than the charging circuit;
battery check means for achieving a battery check on said power source;
shooting operation inhibiting means for inhibiting a shooting operation when said battery check means detects that a volatage outputted from said power source is equal to or less than a predetermined value;
processing detect means for detecting an initiation and a termination of an operation of said camera function section;
power source inhibiting means for inhibiting said power source from charging said charging circuit during a period of time from when said processing detect means detects the initiation of said camera function section to when said processing detect means detects the termination thereof;
charging detect means for detecting a state in which the charging is being conducted onto said charging circuit;
battery check inhibiting means for inhibiting said battery check means from accomplishing the battery check while a charging operation onto said charging circuit is being detected by said charging detect means; and
control means for causing said power source inhibiting means to inhibit said power source from charging said charging circuit until a camera function processing is completed and for causing said camera function section to execute a requested camera function processing when a camera function is requested while said charging detect means is detecting the state in which the charging is being conducted onto said charging circuit.
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Abstract
In a camera having a power source shared between a charging circuit for a strobe emission and a camera function section other than the charging circuit, the charging operation is inhibited during an operation of the camera function section and a battery check is inhibited during the charging operation. As a result, a runaway of a CPU of the camera due to the voltage reduction of the power source in the charging operation is avoided; moreover, inhibition of a shooting operation due to the battery check is prevented, thereby efficiently utilizing the battery capacity.
28 Citations
7 Claims
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1. A camera having a battery check function comprising:
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a power source commonly used for a charging circuit associated with a strobe emission and a camera function section other than the charging circuit; battery check means for achieving a battery check on said power source; shooting operation inhibiting means for inhibiting a shooting operation when said battery check means detects that a volatage outputted from said power source is equal to or less than a predetermined value; processing detect means for detecting an initiation and a termination of an operation of said camera function section; power source inhibiting means for inhibiting said power source from charging said charging circuit during a period of time from when said processing detect means detects the initiation of said camera function section to when said processing detect means detects the termination thereof; charging detect means for detecting a state in which the charging is being conducted onto said charging circuit; battery check inhibiting means for inhibiting said battery check means from accomplishing the battery check while a charging operation onto said charging circuit is being detected by said charging detect means; and control means for causing said power source inhibiting means to inhibit said power source from charging said charging circuit until a camera function processing is completed and for causing said camera function section to execute a requested camera function processing when a camera function is requested while said charging detect means is detecting the state in which the charging is being conducted onto said charging circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method of operating a camera having a power source commonly used for a charging circuit associated with a strobe emission and a camera function section other than the charging circuit, battery check means for achieving a battery check on said power source, shooting operation inhibiting means for inhibiting a shooting operation when said battery check means detects that a voltage outputted from said power source is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and a control unit for conducting a control operation to achieve various functions of the camera, comprising the steps of:
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setting the control unit in a standby state in which an interruption signal can be accepted; changing a state of the control unit responsive to the interruption signal denoting a processing start of said function of the camera from the standby state to an operating state; allowing, by means of the control unit, the charging operation to be achieved onto the charging circuit; initiating, by means of the control unit in response to a reception of the interruption signal designating a charging instruction, the charging operation onto the charging circuit and inhibiting the battery check means from accomplishing the battery check; stopping, by means of the control unit in response to a reception of the interruption signal designating an instruction other than the charging instruction, the charging operation being achieved onto the charging circuit, if the charging operation is being executed; and inhibiting, by means of the control unit in response to a reception of the interruption signal designating an instruction other than the charging instructions, the charging operation from being achieved onto the charging circuit and executing processing based on the received interruption signal. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7)
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Specification