Imaging device

• US 7,611,297 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2006
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta OPTO Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta OPTO Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Tsuchida, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey; W B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan; Minh Q
• Application Number:
  US11/513,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20070139535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 348/231.99, 348 72- 76, 348/231.7, 348/211.99, 348/211.4, 348/211.6, 348/231.3, 348/231.6, 348/360, 396/529
• US Class Current: 396/529
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/663 for controlling interchangeable camera parts based on electronic image sensor signals

Abstract

An imaging device wherein a camera module is controlled based on a personality file for module (individual control data) which is retrieved from a camera module and is peculiar to the camera module and on a personality file for sensor (type-dependent control data) relating to the type of the camera module stored in a memory section (second memory) in advance.

Claims

1. An imaging device, comprising:

an individual camera module including;

an imaging member for capturing a subject image as image data;

a data communication device; and

a first memory storing individual control data which is peculiar to the individual camera module in advance, and

a main unit connected with the individual camera module, the main unit comprising;

a second memory storing type-dependent control data common to all camera modules of a type of the individual camera module in advance;

a retrieving device for retrieving the individual control data from the first memory, the data communication device being configured for transmitting and receiving data between the first memory and the retrieving device; and

a control device configured for controlling the individual camera module based on the individual control data retrieved by the retrieving device from the first memory through the data communication device and the type-dependent control data stored in the second memory,

wherein the control device merges the individual control data and the type-dependent control data, and

wherein when an identical item is present in both the individual control data and the type-dependent control data, the item in the individual control data has priority when the individual control data and type-dependent control data are merged.

2. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein the individual camera module further comprises a third memory for storing identification information to identify a type of the individual camera module, and wherein the main unit further comprises an identification information retrieving device for retrieving the identification information from the third memory through the data communication device;

and a specifying device for specifying type-dependent control data corresponding to the retrieved identification information from among a plurality of sets of the type-dependent control data stored in the second memory based on the identification information.

3. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein the image data are raw data.

4. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein the individual control data reflects a difference between the individual camera module and other camera modules of the same type as the individual camera module.

5. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein the individual control data reflects a manufacturing variation among different camera modules of the same type as the individual camera module.

6. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein the individual control data shows lens characteristics or a defective picture element position of an imaging element in the individual camera module.