Communication between imaging apparatus, lens apparatus, and intermediate accessory

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10992846-B2
Application number	US-202016738960-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2020
Priority date	May 31, 2017
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

A lens apparatus is mountable to a camera body. The camera body has multiple electric contacts. Of these multiple electric contacts, when mounting the lens apparatus to the camera body, electric contacts used for second communication or third communication come into contact with an electric contact provided to the lens apparatus before electric contacts used for first communication, when mounting the lens apparatus to the camera body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging apparatus to which a lens apparatus is detachably mountable, the imaging apparatus comprising:
a mount unit; and
a contact holding member provided to the mount unit where a plurality of electric contacts are arrayed,
wherein the plurality of electric contacts include:
a first power contact configured to supply first power,
a second power contact configured to supply second power,
a first electric contact group configured to be used to perform first communication, and
a second electric contact group configured to be used to perform communication that is different from the first communication,
wherein the contact holding member has two tiers each of which holds electric contacts included in the plurality of electric contacts,
wherein the first electric contact group and the second electric contact group are held on one of the two tiers and the first power contact and the second power contact are held on the other of the two tiers, and
wherein, where a direction of rotation of the lens apparatus with respect to the imaging apparatus when mounting the lens apparatus to the imaging apparatus directly is a first direction, the second electric contact group, the first electric contact group, the first power contact and the second power contact are arrayed in the order of the second electric contact group, the first electric contact group, the second power contact and the first power contact in the first direction.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the imaging apparatus transmits a control command to control the mounted lens apparatus, using the first electric contact group.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second electric contact group includes
an electric contact configured to be capable of transmission and reception of data, and
an electric contact configured to perform notification of timing relating to communication using the second electric contact group.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein, in a state where a plurality of accessories are mounted to the imaging apparatus, the imaging apparatus performs communication with the plurality of accessories using the second electric contact group.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the communication using the second electric contact group is broadcast communication where data is transmitted from one of the plurality of accessories and the imaging apparatus to all the other of the plurality of accessories and the imaging apparatus, and
wherein the timing includes a timing of starting the broadcast communication.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the communication using the second electric contact group is broadcast communication where data is transmitted from one of the plurality of accessories and the imaging apparatus to all the other of the plurality of accessories and the imaging apparatus, and
wherein the timing includes a timing of completing preparation for reception of data at all the other of the plurality of accessories and the imaging apparatus.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the communication using the second electric contact group is peer-to-peer communication performed between one of the plurality of accessories and the imaging apparatus, and
wherein the timing includes a timing of completing transmission of data at the side of the one of the plurality of accessories or the imaging apparatus transmitting data in the peer-to-peer communication.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the communication using the second electric contact group is peer-to-peer communication performed between one of the plurality of accessories and the imaging apparatus, and
wherein the timing includes a timing of completing preparation for reception of data at the side of the one of the plurality of accessories or the imaging apparatus receiving data in the peer-to-peer communication.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second electric contact group includes an electric contact capable of receiving data transmitted from the lens apparatus, and
wherein the data transmitted from the lens apparatus using the second electric contact group is data specified by the imaging apparatus by communication using the first electric contact group.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first electric contact group includes
an electric contact configured to be capable of outputting a clock signal,
an electric contact configured to be capable of transmitting data synchronously with the clock signal, and
an electric contact configured to be capable of receiving data transmitted synchronously with the clock signal.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of electric contacts include, disposed on the opposite side of the first electric contact group from the second electric contact group:
an electric contact used to determine whether or not a lens apparatus is mounted to the imaging apparatus,
an electric contact used to determine a type of lens apparatus mounted to the imaging apparatus,
and
an electric contact configured to set a ground level of the second power.

12. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the imaging apparatus is capable of mounting any one of lens apparatuses including a first lens apparatus and a second lens apparatus,
wherein the imaging apparatus is configured to perform communication using the first electric contact group with both of the first lens apparatus and the second lens apparatus, and
wherein the imaging apparatus is configured to perform communication using the second electric contact group with the second lens apparatus but is configured not to perform communication using the second electric contact group with the first lens apparatus.

13. The imaging apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the first lens apparatus is configured to be mounted to the imaging apparatus only via an intermediate accessory.

14. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electric contacts include an electric contact used to determine whether or not a lens apparatus is mounted to the imaging apparatus, at a location on the same tier with the first electric contact group and opposite from the second electric contact group in between the first electric contact group.

15. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of electric contacts include an electric contact used to determine a type of lens apparatus mounted to the imaging apparatus at a location on the same tier with the first power contact and the second power contact.

16. An accessory detachably mountable to an imaging apparatus, the accessory comprising:
a mount unit; and
a contact holding member provided on the mount unit where a plurality of electric contacts of the accessory are arrayed,
wherein the plurality of electric contacts includes:
a first power contact configured to receive first power,
a second power contact configured to receive second power,
a third electric contact group configured to be used to perform first communication
wherein the contact holding member has two tiers each of which holds electric contacts included in the plurality of electric contacts,
wherein the third electric contact group is held on one of the two tiers and the first power contact and the second power contact are held on the other of the two tiers, and
wherein, where a direction of rotation of the accessory when mounting the accessory i

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Mizuochi Fuya
• Ohara Toru
• Watazawa Yasuyuki
• Fujihashi Naoto

Classifications

• H04N23/54 Primary

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title

• H04N23/55

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• B41K3/46

  for locating when stationary · CPC title

• B41K3/40

  for numerical or alphabetical characters · CPC title

• B41K3/32

  with co-operating stamping and counter-stamping members · CPC title