Image sensing apparatus cleaning operation and control method of said cleaning operation

• US 7,483,073 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2008
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takai, Junji
• Primary Examiner(s): Ometz; David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): KHAN, USMAN A
• Application Number:
  US12/031,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20080138058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 348/333.13, 348/208.15, 348/208.16, 348/372, 348/208.12, 348/246, 348/374, 348/335, 348/208.1
• US Class Current: 348/372
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/26 Power supplies; Circuitry or arrangement to switch on the power source; Circuitry to check the power source voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 Control of camera operation in relation to power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes

Abstract

Image sensing apparatus having an image sensing element for sensing an object of shooting is provided. According to one aspect of the invention, when a cleaning mode is designated and executed to remove a foreign substance in the neighborhood of and on the image sensing element, the remaining amount of a battery which supplies electric power to the image sensing apparatus is detected by a voltage detector. If the remaining amount of the battery declines to a first predetermined value or less, a warning is issued by a lamp or a sound production unit. Moreover, if the remaining amount of the battery is the first predetermined value or less, a shift to the cleaning mode is prohibited. Furthermore, if the remaining amount of the battery declines to a second predetermined value or less, which is a lower value than the first predetermined value, mirror-down processing is performed so that cleaning operation cannot be executed.

Claims

1. A single lens reflex image sensing apparatus for capturing an image of object by an image sensing element, comprising:

a battery for supplying electric power to the single lens reflex image sensing apparatus;

an operation unit configured to designate a cleaning mode for removing a foreign substance in a neighborhood of or on a photoreceptive surface of the image sensing element;

a voltage detector configured to detect an output voltage of said battery;

a mirror controller configured to move up and down a mirror;

a cleaning operation allowing unit configured to cause said mirror controller to move up the mirror to allow a cleaning operation, in a case where said operation unit designates the cleaning mode and the output voltage detected by said voltage detector is a predetermined value or more; and

a termination unit configured to cause said mirror controller to move down the mirror in order to forcefully terminate the cleaning operation, in a case where the output voltage detected by said voltage detector declines to the predetermined value or less in the cleaning mode.

2. A single lens reflex image sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said termination unit causes said mirror controller to move down the mirror and then travels a curtain of a shutter to close the shutter.

3. A control method of a single lens reflex image sensing apparatus for capturing an image of object by an image sensing element, comprising the steps:

designating a cleaning mode for removing a foreign substance in a neighborhood of or on a photoreceptive surface of the image sensing element;

detecting an output voltage of a battery for supplying electric power to the single lens reflex image sensing apparatus;

moving up a mirror to allow a cleaning operation in the cleaning mode for removing the foreign substance, in a case where the cleaning mode is designated in said designating step and the output voltage detected in said detecting step is a predetermined value or more; and

moving down the mirror in order to forcefully terminate the cleaning operation, in a case where the output voltage detected in said detecting step declines to the predetermined value or less in the cleaning mode.

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising a step of traveling a curtain of a shutter to close the shutter after said moving down step of the mirror.