Image pickup apparatus, interchangeable lens, and camera system

• US 9,398,228 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2013
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Morita, Takuro, Takanashi, Hideya
• Primary Examiner(s): DAGNEW, MEKONNEN D
• Application Number:
  US13/942,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20140022434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 348/363, 348/360, 396/241
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/663 for controlling interchangeable camera parts based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus on which an interchangeable lens is removably mounted, includes an image pickup element configured to perform a photoelectric conversion of an optical image formed via the interchangeable lens, and a controller configured to control a power supply to the interchangeable lens mounted on the image pickup apparatus. When the mounted interchangeable lens is a first type interchangeable lens and a power is turned off, the controller performs an aperture control so as to change a first aperture state set in the interchangeable lens to a second aperture state and then stops the power supply to the interchangeable lens. When the mounted interchangeable lens is a second type interchangeable lens and the power is turned off, the controller maintains the power supply differently from a case where the mounted interchangeable lens is the first type interchangeable lens.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus on which an interchangeable lens is removably mounted, the image pickup apparatus comprising:

an image pickup element configured to perform a photoelectric conversion of an optical image formed via the interchangeable lens; and

a controller configured to control a power supply to the interchangeable lens mounted on the image pickup apparatus,

wherein when the mounted interchangeable lens is a first type interchangeable lens and a power is turned off, the controller performs an aperture control so as to change a first aperture state set in the interchangeable lens to a second aperture state and then stops the power supply to the interchangeable lens, and

wherein when the mounted interchangeable lens is a second type interchangeable lens which is a different lens type from the first type interchangeable lens and the power is turned off, the controller maintains the power supply differently from a case where the mounted interchangeable lens is the first type interchangeable lens.

2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the power of the image pickup apparatus is turned on, the controller supplies the power to the interchangeable lens to perform an open control so as to change the second aperture state to the first aperture state.

3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the power is turned off and the controller determines that the power supply to the interchangeable lens is stopped, the controller performs the aperture control so as to change the first aperture state to the second aperture state and then stops the power supply to the interchangeable lens.

4. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein when the power of the image pickup apparatus is turned off and the controller determines that the power supply to the interchangeable lens is stopped and receives an error notification of a power-off preparing processing from the interchangeable lens, the controller determines whether an error related to the aperture control is contained in the error notification, and

wherein when the error related to the aperture control is not contained in the error notification, the controller performs the aperture control so as to change the first aperture state to the second aperture state and then stops the power supply to the interchangeable lens.

5. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second aperture state is a minimum aperture state.

6. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a terminal to determine a type of the interchangeable lens,

wherein the controller determines the type of the interchangeable lens based on a voltage value inputted from the interchangeable lens to the terminal.

7. An image pickup apparatus on which an interchangeable lens is removably mounted, the image pickup apparatus comprising:

an image pickup element configured to perform a photoelectric conversion of an optical image formed via the interchangeable lens; and

a controller configured to determine whether the interchangeable lens has a switch that switches a predetermined function based on a type of the interchangeable lens,

wherein when the controller determines that the interchangeable lens has the switch, the controller turns on a power of the image pickup apparatus and reflects switching of the predetermined function in the image pickup apparatus after receiving a notification indicating that the switch has been switched from the interchangeable lens, and

wherein when the controller determines that the interchangeable lens does not have the switch, the controller displays necessity of the switching of the predetermined function as a menu item on a display after the power of the image pickup apparatus is turned on.

8. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the switch is an auto focus/manual focus (AF/MF) switch that switches auto focus and manual focus functions.

9. A camera system comprising:

an image pickup apparatus according to claim 7, and

an interchangeable lens removably mounted on the image pickup apparatus.

10. An interchangeable lens removably mounted on an image pickup apparatus, the interchangeable lens comprising:

an aperture unit configured to adjust a light amount passing through the interchangeable lens; and

a controller configured to control the aperture unit, wherein the controller performs an aperture control so as to change a first aperture state to a second aperture state in accordance with a predetermined command from the image pickup apparatus and then informs the image pickup apparatus of completion of the aperture control without a subsequent command from the image pickup apparatus;

wherein a predetermined voltage level is obtained at a predetermined terminal of the interchangeable lens when being connected with the image pickup apparatus, and wherein the predetermined command from the image pickup apparatus is issued in a case where the predetermined voltage level is obtained at the predetermined terminal.

11. The interchangeable lens according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined command is issued when the image pickup apparatus is turned off.

12. The interchangeable lens according to claim 10, wherein the controller controls the aperture unit to open an aperture of the interchangeable lens when a power supply from the image pickup apparatus starts.

13. The interchangeable lens according to claim 10,

wherein when the power is cut off, the controller performs the aperture control so as to change the set first aperture state to the second aperture state in accordance with the predetermined command from the image pickup apparatus, and

wherein when the aperture control is not completed, the controller informs the image pickup apparatus of an incompletion of the aperture control.

14. The interchangeable lens according to claim 10,

wherein when the power is cut off, the controller performs the aperture control so as to change the set first aperture state to the second aperture state in accordance with the predetermined command from the image pickup apparatus, and

wherein when the aperture control is not completed, the controller informs the image pickup apparatus of an error notification.

15. The interchangeable lens according to claim 10, wherein the aperture unit in the second aperture state is smaller in aperture size than that in the first aperture state.

16. An interchangeable lens removably mounted on an image pickup apparatus, the interchangeable lens comprising:

an aperture unit configured to adjust an aperture size of the interchangeable lens;

a terminal configured to become a predetermined voltage level when being connected with the image pickup apparatus; and

a controller configured to control the aperture unit,

wherein when a power is cut off, the controller performs an aperture control so as to change a first aperture state to a second aperture state in accordance with a predetermined command from the image pickup apparatus in a case where the predetermined voltage level is obtained at the terminal, and then informs the image pickup apparatus of completion of the aperture control.

17. The interchangeable lens according to claim 16, wherein the controller controls the aperture unit to open an aperture of the interchangeable lens when a power supply from the image pickup apparatus starts.

18. The interchangeable lens according to claim 16, wherein when the aperture control is not completed, the controller informs the image pickup apparatus of the incompletion of the aperture control.

19. The interchangeable lens according to claim 16, wherein when the aperture control is not completed, the controller informs the image pickup apparatus of an error notification.

20. The interchangeable lens according to claim 16, wherein the aperture unit in the second aperture state is smaller in aperture size than that in the first aperture state.