Sensor module and camera system

Abstract

A sensor module, which can be optionally connected to or detached from the camera body of an associated camera, comprises an image sensor and a connection device for connecting the sensor module to the camera body. The connection device is designed to connect the sensor module to the camera body in a first orientation and in a second orientation that differs from the first, wherein the sensor module can be transferred from the first orientation to the second orientation by a rotation through a predetermined angle.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a sensor module comprising an image sensor and in particular a CMOS image sensor, as well as a camera system with such a sensor module.

[0002] For example, a sensor module can be attached to the camera body of an electronic camera to generate an image using the image sensor to generate an electrical charge from the light incident during an exposure and to convert the electrical charge into digital signals. Electronic cameras typically use silicon image sensors using CMOS or CCD technology. In such image sensors, the pixels form an image field and are arranged in rows and columns. The pixels can be provided with a color filter pattern (color filter array, CFA) to have different spectral sensitivities. Each pixel comprises at least one light-sensitive detector element to generate an electrical charge from the light incident during an exposure.The generated charge can be read out via a readout node of the pixel and then digitized to determine and output a digital value proportional to the generated charge. The respective digital values ​​of the plurality of pixels form a digital representation of the captured image. For example, the pixels can have a converter transistor for this purpose, which can form an impedance converter and generate a voltage signal at its signal output depending on the amount of charge present at its input.

[0003] The image sensor can further comprise column lines connected to respective column amplifiers to amplify the pixel voltage signals successively connected to the associated column line. For example, the pixels of the image sensor can be addressed row by row, and the pixel signals can be routed to the column amplifiers at the edge of the image field and from there to the output, digitized, and optionally offset with calibration data. Such image sensors are known, for example, from DE 10 2011 120 099 A1, DE 10 2010 035 811 A1, and DE 10 2020 127 129 A1, the disclosures of which are incorporated into the present disclosure with regard to the design of an image sensor and the readout of an image sensor.

[0004] Electronic cameras can, for example, be designed as motion picture cameras and intended to generate motion picture sequences as a sequence of images captured with the camera. The image sensor can usually be arranged such that the images are captured in a landscape format when the camera is held in an orientation in which, for example, control elements arranged on the right and left sides of a camera body are conveniently accessible for operation with the right or left hand. Motion picture sequences recorded in this way in a landscape format can, for example, be intended to be displayed on a television screen or a cinema screen.

[0005] However, given the increasing use of mobile phones and social media, moving image sequences are often presented in portrait format, creating a need for ways to produce such high-quality portrait shots, which can be achieved using professional moving image cameras. However, portrait shots are often difficult with such cameras, which are usually designed for landscape format shots. For example, rotating the camera 90 degrees from a landscape format orientation also rotates the controls located on the camera body, which can make these controls less accessible.For example, after such rotation of the camera, controls located below may be blocked by a tripod head of a tripod on which the camera is placed for recording, and controls on a top side may be located behind a handle of a camera body of the camera, which may make accessibility to the respective controls difficult.

[0006] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a sensor module for a camera, in particular a motion picture camera, which enables recordings by means of the associated camera in different orientations or formats without the operability of the camera being impaired by switching between the formats.

[0007] This object is achieved by a sensor module having the features of claim 1.

[0008] The sensor module can be selectively connected to a camera body of an associated camera or detached from a camera body of the associated camera and comprises an image sensor, in particular a CMOS image sensor. Furthermore, the sensor module comprises a connecting device for connecting the sensor module to the camera body. The connecting device is designed to connect the sensor module to the camera body in a first orientation and in a second orientation that differs from the first orientation, wherein the sensor module can be converted from the first orientation to the second orientation by rotation through a predetermined angle of rotation.

[0009] Since the sensor module is selectively detachable from the camera body and connectable to the camera body in both the first orientation and the second orientation, the image sensor can also be connected to the camera body in a first orientation and a second orientation. The first orientation and the second orientation of the sensor module can, in particular, refer to a respective orientation of the sensor module relative to the camera body.

[0010] For example, it can be provided that the image sensor of the sensor module can be arranged on the camera body in a conventional landscape format orientation by connecting the sensor module in the first orientation to the camera body, so that, for example, moving image sequences can be recorded in the common landscape format using the camera. In particular, any operating elements of the camera, for example a knob or button for starting or stopping a recording or any buttons on a touchscreen on a side of the camera body facing away from the sensor module, can be accessible in a designated and convenient manner for operation with the right or left hand.

[0011] Starting from such a landscape orientation of the image sensor, the sensor module disclosed herein makes it possible, for example, to first detach the sensor module from the camera body and then rotate it by the predetermined angle of rotation, which can in particular be an angle of 90 degrees. The sensor module can then be reconnected to the camera body by means of the connecting device, wherein the sensor module and in particular its image sensor are now in an orientation rotated relative to the camera body by the angle of rotation. With a rotation angle of 90 degrees, the image sensor can therefore be arranged in the second orientation of the sensor module, in particular in a portrait orientation relative to the camera body, so that portrait format images can subsequently be created using the camera without having to rotate the camera body or change the orientation of the camera's operating elements.By designing the sensor module with a connecting device that allows optional connection to the camera body in a first orientation and a second orientation, a recording format of the camera can be changed without having to rotate the camera body, so that recordings in different formats can be created with the same operation of the camera.

[0012] While a rotation angle of 90 degrees in particular can enable easy switching between landscape and portrait format shots, a predetermined rotation angle other than 90 degrees can also be provided in principle, for example, to enable the image sensor to be aligned relative to the camera body in 30-degree increments, 60-degree increments, or 120-degree increments. Such rotation angles, in particular those other than 90 degrees, can expand the design flexibility for motion picture recordings using the associated camera without having to change the orientation of the camera body. In particular, the predetermined rotation angle (in degrees) can be selected as an integer factor of 360.

[0013] In addition, the connecting device can be designed, in particular, to enable signal transmission of signals from the image sensor to a signal processing device arranged within the camera body, both in the first orientation of the sensor block and in the second orientation of the sensor block, and / or to receive any control signals for the image sensor from a control device arranged in the camera body and transmit them to the image sensor. In particular, the connecting device can have one or more plug-in connection elements designed, both in the first orientation and in the second orientation, to engage with respective counter-elements on the camera body as a result of the connection of the sensor module to the camera body and to establish a plug-in connection, thereby establishing a signal connection from the image sensor to the signal processing device and / or the control device.This will be explained in more detail below.

[0014] The associated camera may in particular be an electronic camera and / or a moving image camera.

[0015] Further embodiments can be found in the dependent claims, the description and the drawings.

[0016] In some embodiments, the predetermined angle of rotation can be 90 degrees, and the first orientation can be a landscape orientation of the image sensor and the second orientation a portrait orientation of the image sensor. As already explained, by selecting a rotation angle of 90 degrees, the sensor module, and thus in particular the image sensor, can be rotated by 90 degrees by transferring the sensor module from the first orientation to the second orientation and can be attached to the camera body of the associated camera in an orientation rotated by 90 degrees. This allows the image sensor to be transferred from a landscape orientation to a portrait orientation without the camera body having to be rotated.In particular, by simply detaching the sensor module from the camera body, transferring the sensor module from the first orientation to the second orientation by rotating the sensor module by 90 degrees, and subsequently attaching the sensor module to the camera body via the connecting device, a camera system comprising the camera body and the sensor module can be easily converted from a landscape format shot to a portrait format shot, or vice versa. The camera body itself can remain stationary and in the orientation intended for conventional shots.

[0017] In some embodiments, the sensor module can be converted from the first orientation to the second orientation by rotation about a rotation axis oriented perpendicular to an extension surface of the image sensor. In particular, the rotation axis can correspond to an optical axis of a camera lens arranged on the sensor module or of a camera lens that can be optionally connected to the sensor module. In this respect, when the sensor module is connected to the camera body, the image sensor can extend in the same plane both in the first orientation and in the second orientation of the sensor module.In particular, the orientation of the image sensor relative to the camera body can therefore change by transferring the sensor module from the first orientation to the second orientation, while the basic optical properties of a camera system comprising the camera body, the sensor module and a camera lens attached to the sensor module and / or optionally attachable to the sensor module can be independent of the orientation of the sensor module.

[0018] In some embodiments, the connecting device can be designed to be rotationally symmetrical with respect to rotations of the sensor module by the angle of rotation. In such embodiments, the connecting device can therefore be designed in particular such that the configuration of the connecting device relative to the camera body, in particular to counter-elements arranged on the camera body for interacting with the connecting device, does not change due to the rotation of the sensor module by the angle of rotation.

[0019] For example, in such embodiments, connecting elements of the connecting device can be present at identical positions after rotating the sensor module from the first orientation to the second orientation, where connecting elements were already present in the first orientation of the sensor module. This can be achieved, for example, by the connecting device having a plurality of connecting elements offset from one another by the angle of rotation, so that a respective connecting element, after rotating the sensor module by the angle of rotation, is located at a position where a connecting element was also arranged in the first orientation of the sensor module.By means of such a rotationally symmetrical design of the connecting device, the connecting elements can therefore interact with stationary counter-elements provided on the camera body both in the first orientation and in the second orientation in order to be able to fasten the sensor module to the camera body and / or to transmit signals from the image sensor.

[0020] In some embodiments, the connecting device may comprise at least one signal transmission element which is intended to cooperate with a counter element provided on the camera body for transmitting signals from the image sensor.

[0021] For example, the image sensor can have a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns, each pixel having a light-sensitive detector element configured to generate electrical charge from light incident during an exposure. The sensor module can further comprise an image converter configured to generate a pixel signal for each of the pixels depending on the respective electrical charge generated. For example, such pixel signals can be transmitted via the at least one signal transmission element to a signal processing device arranged in the camera body, which can be configured to create an image based on the received pixel signals.

[0022] In particular, the signal transmission element can be configured to interact with a counter-element arranged on the camera body, both in the first orientation and in the second orientation of the sensor module, in order to enable the transmission of signals from the image sensor in both the first orientation and the second orientation of the sensor module. For this purpose, for example, a plurality of counter-elements offset from one another by the angle of rotation can be provided on the camera body, so that a respective signal transmission element of the sensor module can interact with a respective counter-element following in the direction of rotation after the sensor module has been rotated by the angle of rotation.Accordingly, in some embodiments, a plurality of signal transmission elements offset from one another in the direction of rotation can also be provided on the sensor module, which signal transmission elements can interact with a respective counter-element on the camera body both in the first orientation of the sensor module and in the second orientation of the sensor module. In particular, in some embodiments, a number of signal transmission elements and counter-elements equal to 360 degrees divided by the angle of rotation (in degrees) can be provided, so that each of the signal transmission elements can be connectable to a counter-element both in the first orientation and in the second orientation. However, due to the rotation of the signal transmission elements relative to the counter-elements, an assignment between the signal transmission elements and the counter-elements can change depending on the orientation of the sensor module.However, it can also be provided that, for example, counter elements offset from one another are provided on the camera body, while only a single signal transmission element is provided on the sensor module, which can be connected to a respective one of the counter elements depending on the orientation of the sensor module.

[0023] In some embodiments, the at least one signal transmission element may comprise an association element, wherein the first orientation and the second orientation are distinguishable from one another by detecting the association element when connecting the sensor module to the camera body.

[0024] For example, it can be provided that the at least one signal transmission element has a signal pin, which, when inserted into an associated detection input, can be detected on a counter-element arranged on the camera body. Based on the assignment of signal pins to counter-elements, the orientation of the sensor module can be determined, for example, by a signal processing device arranged in the camera body. For example, this can also be achieved by providing an electronically readable coding on the assignment element and / or the signal pin, which enables an assignment between the signal transmission element and a respective counter-element on the camera body.By detecting the orientation of the sensor module and in particular of the image sensor, for example, received signals of the image sensor, in particular the mentioned pixel signals, can be processed depending on the orientation of the sensor module in order to be able to create either a landscape format image or a portrait format image according to the detected orientation.

[0025] In some embodiments, the at least one signal transmission element can be designed as a plug-in connection element. Accordingly, in such embodiments, at least one counter-element can be provided on the camera body of the associated camera, which counter-element is also designed as a plug-in connection element and with which the signal transmission element can establish a plug-in connection. Therefore, in such embodiments, the signal transmission element and the counter-element can interact, in particular, as a plug and socket, or vice versa. A signal transmission element designed in this way can also directly serve to fasten the sensor module to the camera body and therefore form one of the aforementioned connection elements.

[0026] In some embodiments, the at least one signal transmission element can be configured to transmit signals from the image sensor via an optical and / or radio connection. In particular, the signal transmission element can be configured to transmit signals from the image sensor via a short-range radio connection in order to be able to transmit the signals from the image sensor over a short range to a counter element arranged on the camera body when the sensor module is attached to the camera body.

[0027] For transmitting signals from the image sensor via an optical connection, the at least one signal transmission element can comprise at least one optical fiber. Furthermore, in such embodiments, the at least one signal transmission element can comprise at least one optical transmitter on the image sensor for outputting the optical signals into the respective optical fiber, and at least one optical receiver on the mating element of the camera body for receiving the optical signals from the respective optical fiber. Signal converters (electrical to optical or optical to electrical) can also be provided at both ends of the respective optical fiber. Furthermore, bidirectional optical communication between the image sensor and the camera body is also possible (e.g., via optical transceivers at both ends).

[0028] In some embodiments, the connecting device may comprise a signal transmission element arranged centrally on a side of the sensor module facing the camera body for connecting the sensor module to the camera body, which signal transmission element is rotationally symmetrical with respect to rotations of the sensor module by the angle of rotation. In particular, in such embodiments, the signal transmission element may be rotationally symmetrical with respect to rotations of the sensor module by 90 degrees and / or may have a square cross-section.

[0029] In particular, in such embodiments, the connecting device can comprise only a single signal transmission element arranged centrally on the sensor module. Since this centrally arranged signal transmission element can be rotationally symmetrical with respect to rotations of the sensor module by the angle of rotation, the signal transmission element can be aligned identically relative to the camera body both in the first orientation of the sensor module and in the second orientation of the sensor module, for example, to enable a plug-in connection with a counter-element provided on the camera body.This also makes it possible to connect the sensor module in the first orientation and in the second orientation, wherein, in addition, both in the first orientation and in the second orientation, a transmission of signals from the image sensor to the camera body and, in particular, a signal processing device arranged in the camera body can be made possible.

[0030] In some embodiments, the connecting device can comprise several, in particular four, signal transmission elements, wherein the signal transmission elements can be arranged offset from one another by the angle of rotation. In particular, in such embodiments, the connecting device can generally comprise a number of signal transmission elements equal to 360 degrees divided by the angle of rotation (in degrees), which are arranged offset from one another by the angle of rotation.

[0031] In particular, in such embodiments, a rotationally symmetrical arrangement of the signal transmission elements can be provided, so that the signal transmission elements can be arranged at predetermined positions regardless of the first orientation or the second orientation of the sensor module in order to be able to cooperate with respective counter-elements on the camera body to establish a signal connection.

[0032] In some embodiments, the plurality of signal transmission elements can be arranged around a cooling device of the sensor module for dissipating heat generated by the image sensor, as explained in more detail below. A signal transmission element arranged centrally on the sensor module can also be provided centrally on such a cooling device and surrounded by the cooling device.

[0033] In some embodiments, the image sensor may comprise a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns, each pixel having a light-sensitive detector element configured to generate electrical charge from light incident during an exposure. Furthermore, in such embodiments, the sensor module may comprise an image converter configured to generate a pixel signal for each of the pixels depending on the respective generated electrical charge and to distribute the pixel signals of the plurality of pixels, in particular uniformly, among the multiple signal transmission elements.

[0034] In particular, the image converter may comprise a converter unit with one or more analog-to-digital converters in order to generate, depending on electrical charges generated at the pixels, a respective digital pixel signal which is proportional to the electrical charge and / or the intensity of the light incident on the respective pixel during exposure.

[0035] Given the large number of pixels in image sensors used in professional motion picture recordings and the high frequency at which motion picture recordings can be created using a camera, the pixel signals must be read out and transmitted at high frequencies. However, such high-frequency signal transmission generally does not allow for branching to transmit the same pixel signal to all signal transmission elements; instead, a respective impedance-controlled point-to-point connection is required to transmit each pixel signal. Since the image converter can be configured to distribute the pixel signals among the multiple signal transmission elements, only a portion of the pixel signals needs to be received at each of the multiple signal transmission elements and, after establishing a signal connection with a counter element, transmitted to the camera body.In particular, a number of counterelements corresponding to the number of signal transmission elements can be provided on the camera body, so that it can be ensured that each of the signal transmission elements can interact with a respective counterelement both in the first orientation of the sensor module and in the second orientation of the sensor module, and that the pixel signals received at a respective signal transmission element can be transmitted to a respective counterelement. In particular, in such embodiments, it can therefore also be provided that the signal transmission elements enable the orientation of the sensor module to be detected, so that a signal processing device arranged in the camera body can evaluate the pixel signals received from a respective counterelement depending on the orientation of the sensor module and can combine the pixel signals to form a complete image.

[0036] In other embodiments, however, it can also be provided that all pixel signals are transmitted in parallel to all signal transmission elements. In such embodiments, for example, only one counter element can be provided on the camera body of the associated camera, which can interact with various signal transmission elements depending on the orientation of the sensor module. By transmitting the pixel signals to each of the signal transmission elements, it can also be ensured in such embodiments that the signals can be transmitted from the respective signal transmission element connected to the counter element.

[0037] In some embodiments, a power supply input for receiving a power supply signal may be provided on each signal transmission element.

[0038] Furthermore, in some embodiments, at least one control signal input for receiving a control signal for the image sensor may be provided on each of the signal transmission elements.

[0039] In particular, the power supply signal and the control signals for the image sensor can be relatively low-frequency signals, which can be easily branched and distributed to various outputs, in particular to respective counter-elements intended for connection to a signal transmission element. By providing power supply inputs and / or control signal inputs on each of the signal transmission elements, it can be ensured that such signals can be transmitted to the image sensor when at least one of the plurality of signal transmission elements establishes a connection with a respective counter-element.

[0040] In some embodiments, the connecting device can be designed to connect the sensor module to the camera body exclusively in the first orientation and in the second orientation rotated by the angle of rotation relative to the first orientation. For example, the connecting device can have a mechanical coding that allows only an arrangement of the sensor module in the first orientation and an arrangement of the sensor module after a rotation of the sensor module by the angle of rotation, for example, after a rotation of 90 degrees. Alternatively, it can also be provided that the connecting device is designed to fasten the sensor module to the camera body in possible orientations 360 degrees divided by the angle of rotation (in degrees).

[0041] In some embodiments, the sensor module may include a cooling device for dissipating heat generated at the image sensor.

[0042] For example, in such embodiments, the aforementioned plurality of signal transmission elements can be arranged around the cooling device, which can be provided, in particular, centrally on the sensor module and / or on a side of the sensor module facing the camera body for connecting the sensor module. Furthermore, a signal transmission element provided centrally on the sensor module can be arranged centrally on the cooling device and, for example, in the center of a cooling surface provided for dissipating heat.

[0043] The cooling device can, for example, comprise a cooling surface via which heat generated during operation of the image sensor can be dissipated into the camera body. Alternatively or additionally, the cooling device can, for example, also have a heat sink, which can, for example, be inserted in a substantially cuboid shape into a cooling shaft provided on the camera body in order to be able to dissipate heat via the outer surfaces of the heat sink. Furthermore, it can also be provided that the cooling device comprises so-called heat pipes or cooling pins, which, for example, can be immersed in a spring-loaded heat sink on the camera body during connection of the sensor module to the camera body in order to be able to dissipate heat generated at the image sensor to the heat sink of the camera body.

[0044] In some embodiments, the cooling device can be rotationally symmetrical with respect to the rotation of the sensor module by the angle of rotation. In such embodiments, the cooling device can also be oriented similarly relative to the camera body both in the first orientation of the sensor module and in the second orientation of the sensor module, in order to be able to interact identically with the camera body to dissipate heat in the first orientation of the sensor module and in the second orientation of the sensor module. In particular, in some embodiments, the cooling device can be square in cross-section, in particular in a section in a plane extending parallel to the image sensor, and / or rotationally symmetrical with respect to rotations of 90 degrees.

[0045] In some embodiments, the cooling device can protrude from the thermal module on a rear side and be insertable into a cooling shaft of the camera body of the associated camera. In particular, in such embodiments, the cooling device can be designed as a heat sink protruding from the sensor module.

[0046] In some embodiments, the connecting device can be rotatable and / or pivotable relative to the image sensor by the rotation angle. In such embodiments, for example, connecting elements, in particular the aforementioned signal transmission elements, can be moved relative to the image sensor by rotating the connecting device, so that the sensor module then has to be rotated in the opposite direction to be able to reconnect to the camera body. This also makes it possible to subsequently attach the image sensor to the camera body in the rotated second orientation.

[0047] In some embodiments, the connecting device can also comprise an adapter to enable the sensor module to be attached to the camera body in the second orientation. In particular, the connecting device can have two adapters that can be selectively connected to the sensor module, wherein connecting the first adapter can enable the sensor module to be connected to the camera body in the first orientation, and connecting the second adapter can enable the sensor module to be connected to the camera body in the second orientation. Alternatively, an adapter that can be attached to the sensor module in two orientations can also be provided to enable the sensor module to be attached to the camera body in the first orientation and the second orientation.

[0048] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the sensor module can have a lens mount for attaching a camera lens. Such a lens mount can make it possible to arrange the camera lens in a predetermined position relative to the image sensor by attaching it to the sensor module, so that the relative positioning between the image sensor and the camera lens can be determined independently of whether the sensor module is attached to the camera body. In this respect, the relative positioning between the image sensor and the camera lens in such embodiments does not depend, in particular, on establishing a correct plug connection for connecting the sensor module to the camera body, so that even if the sensor module is frequently detached from the camera body to change the orientation of the sensor module, a correct distance between the camera lens and the image sensor can always be ensured.

[0049] The invention further relates to a camera system comprising a camera body and a sensor module that can be selectively connected to the camera body or detached from the camera body, in particular a sensor module according to one of the embodiments explained above. The sensor module comprises an image sensor, in particular a CMOS image sensor, and a connecting device for connecting the sensor module to the camera body, which is designed to connect the sensor module to the camera body in a first orientation and in a second orientation that differs from the first orientation. The sensor module can be converted from the first orientation to the second orientation by rotation through a predetermined angle of rotation.

[0050] As already explained, such a camera system enables, in particular, recording with different image sensor orientations without having to rotate the camera body. In this respect, the arrangement of control elements on the camera body, usually intended for landscape format recording, can be maintained regardless of the image sensor orientation, for example, to always ensure optimal accessibility of the control elements.

[0051] The camera system can also be understood as a camera comprising the components of the camera system.

[0052] In some embodiments, the connecting device may be rotationally symmetrical with respect to the rotation of the sensor module by the angle of rotation.

[0053] Furthermore, in some embodiments, a counter-connecting device can be provided on the camera body, which is designed to cooperate with the connecting device of the sensor module for connecting the sensor module to the camera body, wherein the counter-connecting device can be designed to be rotationally symmetrical with respect to the rotation about the angle of rotation.

[0054] A rotationally symmetrical design of the connecting device and / or the counter-connecting device can be achieved in particular by arranging the respective connecting elements and / or counter-connecting elements rotationally symmetrically and / or offset relative to one another by the angle of rotation. Since at least one of the connecting device and the counter-connecting device can be rotationally symmetrical with respect to a rotation by the angle of rotation, after a rotation of the sensor module by the angle of rotation, at least one connecting element can be arranged at a position at which the connecting element can be connected to a counter-connecting element.

[0055] In some embodiments, the connecting device can have at least one signal transmission element, and a signal receiving device with at least one counter-element can be arranged on the camera body, wherein the signal receiving device can be designed to establish a signal connection with the at least one signal transmission element, both in the first orientation and in the second orientation of the sensor module, for transmitting signals from the image sensor to a signal processing device arranged in the camera body. In particular, the at least one signal transmission element can form a connecting element, and the at least one counter-element can form a counter-connecting element within the meaning of the preceding paragraph, so that the signal transmission element and the counter-element can also serve to mechanically connect the sensor module to the camera body, in particular by establishing a plug-in connection.

[0056] For example, it can be provided that the signal receiving device has at least two counter-elements offset from one another by the angle of rotation, so that the signal transmission element can interact with a first of the at least two counter-elements in the first orientation of the sensor module and with a second of the at least two counter-elements in the second orientation of the sensor module in order to establish the signal connection. In addition, in some embodiments, the connecting device can also have at least two signal transmission elements that are offset from one another by the angle of rotation, wherein the signal receiving device can have at least one counter-element, so that at least one of the at least two signal transmission elements can interact with the counter-element in the first orientation and in the second orientation of the sensor module.In particular, it can be provided that the signal receiving device has a number of counter-elements equal to 360 degrees divided by the angle of rotation (in degrees), and the connecting device has a corresponding number of signal transmission elements, so that each of the signal transmission elements can be connected to a respective counter-element of the signal receiving device in the first orientation of the sensor module and in the second orientation of the sensor module. However, in such embodiments, an assignment between the signal transmission elements and the counter-elements can change after a rotation of the sensor module by the angle of rotation, since the signal transmission elements can be rotatable together with the sensor module relative to the counter-elements. However, detecting the orientation of the sensor module, for example, can make it possible to process respective signals of the image sensor received at the counter-elements depending on its orientation.

[0057] In some embodiments, the signal transmission element and the counter element can be configured to form a plug-in connection. In such embodiments, the signal transmission element and the counter element can therefore be used directly to attach the sensor module to the camera body. However, it can also be provided that the signal transmission element and the counter element are configured to establish a signal connection via an optical connection and / or a radio connection.

[0058] In some embodiments, the signal transmission element can be arranged centrally on a side of the sensor module facing the camera body and can be rotationally symmetrical with respect to the rotation of the sensor module by the angle of rotation. In such embodiments, the counter element can also be arranged centrally on a side of the camera body facing the sensor module in order to be able to receive the signal transmission element in both the first orientation and the second orientation of the sensor module. Therefore, in such embodiments, the counter element can also be rotationally symmetrical with respect to a rotation by the angle of rotation.

[0059] In some embodiments, the sensor module can have a plurality of signal transmission elements offset from one another by the rotation angle. Furthermore, in such embodiments, the signal receiving device can have a plurality of counter-elements offset from one another by the rotation angle. As already explained, this can, in particular, enable each of the signal transmission elements to interact with a respective counter-element in both the first orientation of the sensor module and the second orientation of the sensor module.

[0060] In some embodiments, a control signal output for transmitting control signals to the image sensor and / or a power supply output for transmitting a power supply signal to the image sensor can be provided on at least two of the plurality of counter-elements, in particular on each of the plurality of counter-elements, wherein a control signal input for receiving the control signals and / or a power supply input for receiving the power supply signal can be formed on at least two of the plurality of signal transmission elements. Such a configuration can, in particular, ensure that low-frequency power supply signals and / or low-frequency control signals can be reliably transmitted to the image sensor both in the first orientation of the sensor module and in the second orientation of the sensor module.

[0061] In some embodiments, the signal processing device can be configured to generate an image data set from received signals from the image sensor, which image data set represents an image generated by the camera system. The signal processing device can further be configured to distinguish between the first orientation and the second orientation of the sensor module and to determine the image data set depending on the orientation of the sensor module. As already explained, this can be achieved, for example, by signal pins arranged on the signal transmission element or elements, via which the signal processing device can be informed, in a sense, whether, for example, a landscape format image or a portrait format image was created.

[0062] In some embodiments, the sensor module can have a cooling device for dissipating heat generated at the image sensor. The cooling device can be inserted into a cooling shaft of the camera body, in particular by connecting the sensor module to the camera body. In particular, the cooling device can have a heat sink extending away from the sensor module. Furthermore, it can be provided, in particular, that several signal transmission elements of the connecting device are arranged around the cooling device and / or that a centrally arranged signal transmission element is arranged centrally on the cooling device, in particular a heat sink.

[0063] In some embodiments, the camera system may include a control unit that can be positioned at a distance from the camera body via a cable connection. The control unit may be configured to receive information concerning the sensor module and / or the cooling device. Furthermore, the control device may be configured to adjust and / or restrict a camera setting depending on the information.

[0064] In principle, such a spaced-apart arrangement of the control unit can make it possible to set commands for the camera, and in particular the image sensor, at a distance from the camera body, in order to start or stop a recording or, for example, to set an exposure time. When recording with such remote control, the positioning of control elements provided on the camera body is therefore ultimately not crucial for the control, since this is carried out at a distance from the camera body anyway. Such embodiments therefore also enable the creation of portrait format images by rotating the camera body without this impairing operability, since the camera is operated at the spaced-apart control unit anyway, to which the camera body can be moved relative.

[0065] In particular, such a control can be provided when only a limited amount of space is available in a recording area in which the image sensor and in particular a camera lens must be positioned, so that a position controlling the camera must be at a distance from it. In such applications, however, it may also be necessary to make the camera body as small as possible, which may, however, be detrimental to the cooling of the image sensor. Since the control unit in such embodiments can be designed to adapt and / or restrict a camera setting depending on the information about the sensor module and in particular its cooling device, it can be achieved, for example, in the case of an image sensor with only limited cooling options, to limit the power and, for example, the image recording frequency in order to prevent the image sensor from overheating.

[0066] The invention therefore also relates, independently of a removable sensor module, to a camera with a control unit that can be positioned at a distance from a camera body of the camera, which control unit is designed to receive information relating to a sensor module connected to the camera body and / or a cooling device of the sensor module and to adapt and / or restrict a setting of the camera depending on the information. In particular, the control device can be designed to transmit control commands in a wired or wireless manner to the camera body and / or to a receiving device arranged on or in the camera body. For example, the control device can be designed to adapt and / or restrict an image recording frequency and / or an exposure time depending on the information.

[0067] The invention is explained below purely by way of example using embodiments with reference to the drawings.

[0068] They show: Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B shows a representation of a camera system comprising a camera with a camera body, a sensor module that can be selectively attached to the camera body or detached from the camera body, and a camera lens that can be selectively attached to the sensor module, as well as a view of a cooling device of the sensor module, via which heat generated by an image sensor of the sensor module can be dissipated, Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B a respective schematic view of a rear side of the sensor module in a first orientation of the sensor module and in a second orientation of the sensor module, Fig. 3 a schematic representation of the image sensor of the sensor module, Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B a respective schematic representation of the camera with the sensor module attached to it, Fig. 5A and Fig. 5B a respective schematic representation of a further embodiment of the sensor module in the first orientation and the second orientation, Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B schematic representations of a further embodiment of the sensor module and a camera body of an associated camera, to which the sensor module can be attached in a first orientation and in a second orientation, and Fig. 7A to 7C show a schematic representation of a further embodiment of the sensor module and a camera body of an associated camera, in which a connecting device for connecting the sensor module to the camera body is designed to be rotatable.

[0069] Fig. 1A shows a camera system 11 comprising a camera 17 with a camera body 13 and a sensor module 15 that can be selectively connected to the camera body. The sensor module 15 has a cooling device 61 with a heat sink 63 projecting from a rear side 33 of the sensor module 15, which heat sink can be inserted into a cooling shaft 65 of the camera body 13 during the connection of the sensor module 15 to the camera body 13. As Fig. 1B, in which the cooling device 61 is shown without a connecting plate 81 of the sensor module 15 connected to the cooling device 61, the cooling device 61 is connected to an image sensor 19 of the sensor module 15 and is intended to dissipate heat generated at the image sensor 19 during operation of the camera 17.

[0070] The connecting plate 81 of the sensor module 15 extends, in the state connected to the camera body 13, along a front side of the camera body 13, wherein a lens connection 67 is formed on a side of the connecting plate 81 opposite the camera body 13 in order to be able to attach a camera lens 69 to the sensor module 15 and thereby align it relative to the image sensor 19.

[0071] Light can be directed through the camera lens 69 onto the image sensor 19, which can have a plurality of pixels 41 arranged in rows 35 and columns 37 with respective light-sensitive detector elements 43 (cf. Fig. 3). The light-sensitive detector elements 43 can generate electrical charge from light incident during an exposure, and a digital pixel signal P can be generated for each pixel 41, which is proportional to the electrical charge generated at the pixel 41. These pixel signals P can then be processed by a signal processing device 71 arranged in the camera body 13 and combined to form an image data set B, which represents an image captured by the camera 17 (see also Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B).

[0072] In order to be able to connect the sensor module 15 to the camera body 13 and also to be able to transmit signals generated by the image sensor 19 to the camera body 13 and in particular to the signal processing device 71, a signal receiving device 27 with, for example, four counter-elements 25 is provided on the camera body 13, which counter-elements are designed to enter into a plug connection with respective signal transmission elements 23 formed on the rear side 33 of the sensor module 15 in order to, on the one hand, fasten the sensor module 15 to the camera body 13 and, on the other hand, to be able to transmit the pixel signals P of the image sensor 19 to the signal processing device 71 (cf. also Fig. 2A). This will be explained in more detail below.

[0073] In particular, the camera 17 can be an electronic motion picture camera, which is designed to generate a motion picture sequence as a series of multiple images. Such motion picture sequences can conventionally be generated in a landscape format and, for example, be intended to be displayed on a television monitor or a cinema screen. In order to be able to start such a motion picture recording, an operating element 79 is provided on the outside of the camera body 13, which, in the orientation of the camera body 13 shown, is, for example, conveniently accessible for operation with the right hand, and the image sensor 19 is in Fig. 1A in a landscape orientation in which one long side of the image sensor is substantially horizontal.

[0074] While moving image recordings in particular are frequently created in the aforementioned landscape format, given the increasing use of social media and mobile phones, there is a need to also be able to create professional moving image recordings in a portrait format. While it is fundamentally possible to rotate the camera body 13 with the sensor module 15 attached by 90 degrees to create such portrait format recordings, this limits, for example, the accessibility of the control element 79 and also other control elements provided on the outer sides of the camera body 13, since such control elements are usually arranged for easy accessibility in a landscape format recording. For example, the control element 79 would be located after a rotation of the camera body 13 by 90 degrees starting from the Fig. 1A on a top side or a bottom side of the camera 17, so that access to the control element 79 may be impaired after such rotation, for example when the camera 17 is mounted on a tripod by a tripod head.

[0075] To counteract this problem, the sensor module 15 has a connecting device 21, which is designed to selectively fasten the sensor module 15 to the camera body 13, but also allows the sensor module 15 to be detached from the camera body 13. In addition, the connecting device 21 is designed to connect the sensor module 15 to the camera body 13 in a first orientation A1 and in a second orientation A2 that differs from the first orientation A1, wherein the sensor module 15 can be transferred from the first orientation A1 to the second orientation A2 by rotating it through a predetermined angle of rotation D. This will be explained below in particular in connection with the Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B is explained in more detail.

[0076] The Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B show a schematic view of the back side 33 of the sensor module 15, which is to be turned towards the camera body 13 for connecting the sensor module 15 to the camera body 13. Fig. 2A shows the sensor module 15 in the first orientation A1, wherein the first orientation A1 corresponds to a landscape orientation of the image sensor 19 and the orientation of the sensor module 15 according to Fig. 1B. To illustrate the alignments A1 and A2, the image sensor 19 arranged on a side of the cooling device 61 opposite the rear side 33 is Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B with dashed lines in a center of the cooling device 61 or the heat sink 63.

[0077] The connecting device 21 has in the embodiment according to Fig. 2A has four signal transmission elements 23 offset by 90 degrees to each other, which are arranged on the connecting plate 81 surrounding the cooling device 61. In the first orientation A1, the sensor module 15 can therefore be Fig. 1A, wherein the signal transmission elements 23 can enter into a plug connection with respective counter-elements 25 of the signal receiving device 27 of the camera body 13 in order, on the one hand, to fasten the sensor module 15 to the camera body 13 and, on the other hand, to enable a signal transmission of signals from the image sensor 19 into the camera body 13 and in particular to the signal processing device 71 (see also Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B).

[0078] Furthermore, each of the counter elements 55 is provided with a control signal output 59 for outputting control signals for the image sensor 19. As a result of the connection of the sensor module 15 to the camera body 13, this control signal output 59 is connected to a control signal input 57 formed on the connected signal transmission element 23, so that control signals for the image sensor 19 can be received and forwarded at each of the signal transmission elements 23. In this respect, such control signals can be transmitted in parallel via the four counter elements 25 and the four signal transmission elements 23 to the image sensor 19. In addition, each of the counter elements 25 is provided with a respective power supply output 55, which, as a result of the connection of the sensor module 15 to the camera body 13, engages with a respective power supply input 53 of a signal transmission element 23 in order to be able to supply the image sensor 19 with power.Since both the control signals for the image sensor 19 and the power supply signal are signals that are transmitted at a lower frequency, the control signals and the power supply signal can be easily transmitted in parallel via the respective counter elements 25 to the signal transmission elements 23.

[0079] In order to provide a simple way of creating recordings, in particular moving image recordings, in a portrait format, the sensor module 15 can be Fig. 2A shown first orientation A1 by a rotation through a rotation angle D, which corresponds to 90 degrees, for example, into the Fig. 2B, wherein the second orientation A2 corresponds to a portrait format orientation of the image sensor 19. By also arranging the four signal transmission elements 23 offset by the angle of rotation D or 90 degrees to one another around the cooling device 61, the connecting device 21 is designed to be rotationally symmetrical with respect to rotations of the sensor module 15 by the angle of rotation D, so that even in the second orientation A2, a respective signal transmission element 23 is located at a position at which the signal transmission element 23 can establish a connection with a respective counter-element 25 of the camera body 13.In this respect, the sensor module 15 can also be plugged onto the camera body 13 in the second orientation A2, wherein the signal transmission elements 23 and the counter elements 25 can again establish a signal connection in order to be able to transmit signals generated by the image sensor 19 to the signal processing device 71.

[0080] In order to be able to detect the orientation A1 or A2 of the sensor module 15, a respective assignment element 29, in particular a signal pin, is provided on each of the signal transmission elements 23, which, as a result of the attachment of the sensor module 15 to the camera body 13, engages in a respective detection input 77 of the counter-element 25 to which the respective signal transmission element 23 is connected. This can enable the signal processing device 71 to obtain information about the orientation A1 or A2 in which the sensor module 15 is attached to the camera body 13 in order to process signals received by the image sensor 19, in particular pixel signals P, depending on the orientation of the sensor module 15.

[0081] Fig. 3 illustrates a square section of the image sensor 19, whereby the image sensor 19 can, however, be formed as a whole in particular rectangular (cf. e.g. Fig. 1B). The readout of the image sensor 19 can, for example, be performed row by row, wherein a row addressing logic 39 is provided to couple the pixels 41 of a row 35 via a row selection line 6 to a respective column line 49, which is assigned to the pixels 41 arranged in a respective column 37.

[0082] At the Fig. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, the pixels 41 are divided into four regions, wherein the signals generated by the pixels 41 in the individual regions are transmitted to a respective column amplifier 49, by means of which the received signals can be amplified. From a respective column amplifier 49, the amplified signals S, in particular respective electrical voltages proportional to the electrical charge generated at a pixel 41, are fed to a respective converter unit 47 of an image converter 45, at which the signals S are digitized—for example, by means of one or more analog-to-digital converters—and a pixel signal P assigned to the respective pixel 41 is generated.Each of the converter units 47 is in turn connected to a respective one of the four signal transmission elements 23, so that the pixel signals P generated during an exposure can be distributed evenly and, to a certain extent, rotationally symmetrically among the four signal transmission elements 23 and transmitted via the four signal transmission elements 23. Since each of the four signal transmission elements 23 interacts with a respective counter-element 25 on the camera body 13 in both the first orientation A1 and the second orientation A2 of the sensor module 15 and, in particular, forms a plug-in connection, this distribution of the pixel signals P avoids having to transmit the high-frequency generated pixel signals P in parallel to multiple signal transmission elements 23.

[0083] Fig. 4A schematically illustrates the camera 17 with the sensor module 15 connected to the camera body 13. In particular, the camera lens 69 is attached to the lens mount 67 and is thereby fixedly positioned relative to the image sensor 19, regardless of any tolerance regarding the attachment of the sensor module 15 to the camera body 13. In addition, Fig. 4A, the image sensor 19 is connected to the two signal transmission elements 23 visible there in order to be able to distribute the pixel signals P between the signal transmission elements 23. Each of the signal transmission elements 23 is connected to a respective counter element 25, via which the pixel signals P can be transmitted to the signal processing device 71. As already explained, the signal processing device 71 can generate, in particular, an image from the pixel signals P as an image data set B, which can be stored, for example, in a memory 72 of the camera 17 and / or output via an interface 74 of the camera 17.

[0084] Furthermore, in Fig. 4A shows that the operating element 79 is connected to a control device 75, which in turn is connected to the two counter elements 25 shown, in order to be able to transmit control commands generated by the operating element 79 for the image sensor 19 and / or the camera lens 69 as control signals to the counter elements 25 and the signal transmission elements 23. For example, it can also be provided that the camera 17 includes a touchscreen for entering control commands. Likewise, an energy source 83 is connected to the counter elements 25 in order to be able to transmit a power supply signal in parallel to the counter elements 25 and via them to the sensor module 15.

[0085] In addition, Fig. 4A shows the immersion of the heat sink 63 of the sensor module 15 into the cooling shaft 65 of the camera body 13. For example, air currents can be generated in the cooling shaft 65 during operation of the camera 17 in order to dissipate heat emitted by the cooling device 61.

[0086] Fig. 4B illustrates a further embodiment of the camera 17, in which a control unit 75 is provided that can be positioned at a distance from the camera body 13 by a cable connection 73. In this embodiment, the operating element 79 is provided on the control unit 75, so that a recording can be started, for example, by actuating the operating element 79 on the control unit 75, without a person operating the control unit 75 having to be directly near the camera body 13. In such an embodiment, for example, a rotation of the camera body 13 may also be possible in order to be able to take a portrait format recording, since the control unit 75, which is already at a distance, with the operating element 79, and possibly also with other operating elements, is not affected by this rotation of the camera body 13.However, the control unit 75 can be configured to adapt and / or restrict a setting of the camera 17 depending on information about the coupled sensor module 15 and / or its cooling device 61, for example, to limit a power or image recording frequency if the respective connected sensor module 15 only has a limited cooling capacity. The information about the sensor module 15 and / or the cooling device 61 can also be transmitted, for example, via the signal transmission elements 23 and the interface 74.

[0087] Fig. 5A and Fig. 5B show a further embodiment of the sensor module 15, in which a signal transmission element 23 is provided, which is arranged centrally on the rear side 33 and in particular centrally on the cooling device 61 and which has a square cross-section and is therefore rotationally symmetrical with respect to rotations around the angle of rotation D of 90 degrees. Fig. 5B, the signal transmission element 23 is aligned in the same way after a movement of the sensor module 15 by the angle of rotation D in order to be able to establish a plug connection with a corresponding counter-element (not shown in the figures), arranged, for example, at a bottom of the cooling shaft 65, when the sensor module 15 is connected to the camera body 13. Furthermore, an assignment element 29 is also provided for this centrally arranged signal transmission element 23 in order to enable detection of the orientation A1 or A2 of the sensor module 15. Such a configuration of the sensor module 15 and / or the connecting device 21 with the centrally arranged signal transmission element 23 can thus also enable a simple conversion of the camera system 11 from landscape format recordings to portrait format recordings - or vice versa.

[0088] In the case of the Fig. 1A to 2B and 5A and 5B, it can be provided in particular that the sensor module 15 can be connected to the camera body 13 in a total of four different orientations, each of which is arranged offset by 90 degrees to one another. Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B, however, illustrate an embodiment in which only a connection of the sensor module 15 in the first orientation A1 and the second orientation A2, into which the sensor module 15 can be transferred from the first orientation A1 by rotation through the angle of rotation D, is possible. Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B, the camera body 13 is schematically illustrated on the left side of the figure and the back 33 of the sensor module 15 is illustrated on the right side, so that the sensor module 15 can be connected to the camera body 13 by folding it along the arrow C.

[0089] In this embodiment, the signal receiving device 27 of the camera body 13 has two counter elements 25 arranged offset from one another by the angle of rotation D, in particular by 90 degrees, whereas the connecting device 21 of the sensor module 15 has only one signal transmission element 23. However, this also makes it possible, as the synopsis of the Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B, the sensor module 15 can be connected to the camera body 13 both in the first orientation A1 and in the second orientation A2 rotated by 90 degrees, wherein the signal transmission element 23 interacts with a respective one of the counter elements 25 depending on the orientation A1 or A2. In such an embodiment, in particular, all pixel signals P of the image sensor 19 can be transmitted to the single signal transmission element 23. In principle, it can also be provided, for example, that more signal transmission elements 23 are formed on the sensor module 15 than counter elements 25 on the camera body 13, for example to enable an arrangement of the sensor module 15 on the camera body 13 exclusively in the first orientation A1 and the second orientation A2, wherein in this case all pixel signals P can be transmitted in parallel to the multiple signal transmission elements 23.

[0090] A further embodiment of the sensor module 15 is shown in the Fig. 7A to 7C, wherein in this embodiment the connecting device 21 is rotatable and in particular rotatable relative to the connecting plate 81. Fig. 7A illustrates the sensor module 15 in the first orientation A1, in which the signal transmission element 23 of the sensor module 15 is oriented such that the signal transmission element 23 can be connected to the counter element 25. As Fig.7B shows, the connecting device 21 and its signal transmission element 23 can be rotated relative to the other components of the sensor module 15 and in particular the connecting plate 81 by the angle of rotation D. In order to be able to connect the sensor module 15 to the camera body 13 after such a rotation of the connecting device 21, the sensor module 15 must be rotated back, so to speak, by the angle of rotation D counter to the rotation of the connecting device 21, so that the sensor module 15 can be transferred from the first orientation A1, in particular a landscape format orientation of the image sensor 19, to the second orientation A2 and in particular a portrait format orientation of the image sensor 19, in order to then be able to be fastened to the camera body 13 again. List of reference symbols 11 Camera system 13 Camera bodies 15 Sensor module 17 Camera 19 image sensor 21 Connecting device 23 Signal transmission element 25 Counter element 27 Signal receiving device 29 Assignment element 33 Back 35 lines 36 line selection line 37 column 39 Line addressing logic 41 pixels 43 Detector element 45 image converters 47 Converter unit 49 column amplifiers 51 column line 53 Power supply input 55 Power supply output 57 Control signal input 59 Control signal output 61 Cooling device 63 heat sinks 65 Cooling shaft 67 lens mount 69 Camera lens 71 Signal processing device 72 storage 73 Cable connection 74 Interface 75 Control unit 77 Recording input 79 Control element 81 Connecting plate 83 Energy source A1 first alignment A2 second alignment B Image dataset C Arrow D angle of rotation P pixel signal S Signal QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 10 2011 120 099 A1

[0003] DE 10 2010 035 811 A1

[0003] DE 10 2020 127 129 A1

[0003]

Claims

[1] Sensor module (15) which can be optionally connected to a camera body (13) of an associated camera (17) or detachable from the camera body (13) of the associated camera (17), comprising an image sensor (19), in particular a CMOS image sensor (19), and a connecting device (21) for connecting the sensor module (15) to the camera body (13), wherein the connecting device (21) is designed to connect the sensor module (15) to the camera body (13) in a first orientation (A1) and in a second orientation (A2) different from the first orientation (A1), wherein the sensor module (15) can be transferred from the first orientation (A1) to the second orientation (A2) by rotation through a predetermined angle of rotation (D). [2] Sensor module (15) according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined angle of rotation (D) is 90 degrees, wherein the first orientation (A1) is a landscape orientation of the image sensor (19) and the second orientation (A2) is a portrait orientation of the image sensor (19). [3] Sensor module (15) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connecting device (21) is rotationally symmetrical with respect to rotations of the sensor module (15) about the angle of rotation (D). [4] Sensor module (15) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the connecting device (21) has at least one signal transmission element (23) which is intended to cooperate with a counter element (25) provided on the camera body (13) for transmitting signals from the image sensor (19). [5] Sensor module (15) according to claim 4, wherein the at least one signal transmission element (23) has an assignment element (29), wherein the first orientation (A1) and the second orientation (A2) can be distinguished from one another by detecting the assignment element (29) when connecting the sensor module (15) to the camera body (13). [6] Sensor module (15) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the at least one signal transmission element (23) is designed as a plug connection element. [7] Sensor module (15) according to one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the at least one signal transmission element (23) is designed to transmit signals from the image sensor (19) via an optical and / or a radio connection. [8] Sensor module (15) according to one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the connecting device (21) has a signal transmission element (23) arranged centrally on a side (33) of the sensor module (15) facing the camera body (13) for connecting the sensor module (15) to the camera body (13), which signal transmission element is designed to be rotationally symmetrical with respect to rotations of the sensor module (15) by the angle of rotation (D), wherein the signal transmission element (23) is designed to be rotationally symmetrical with respect to rotations of the sensor module (15) by 90 degrees and / or is designed to be square in cross section. [9] Sensor module (15) according to one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the connecting device (21) has a plurality of, in particular four, signal transmission elements (23), wherein the signal transmission elements (23) are arranged offset from one another by the angle of rotation (D). [10] Sensor module (15) according to claim 9, wherein the image sensor (19) has a plurality of pixels (41) arranged in rows (35) and columns (37), wherein each pixel (41) has a light-sensitive detector element (43) which is designed to generate electrical charge from light incident during an exposure, and wherein the sensor module (15) comprises an image converter (45) which is designed to generate a pixel signal (P) for each of the pixels (41) as a function of the respective electrical charge generated, and wherein the image converter (45) is designed to distribute the pixel signals (P) of the plurality of pixels (41) to the plurality of signal transmission elements (23), in particular uniformly. [11] Sensor module (15) according to claim 9 or 10, wherein a power supply input (53) for receiving a power supply signal is provided on each of the signal transmission elements (23). [12] Sensor module (15) according to one of claims 9 to 11, wherein at least one control signal input (57) for receiving a control signal for the image sensor (19) is provided on each of the signal transmission elements (23). [13] Sensor module (15) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the connecting device (21) is designed to connect the sensor module (15) to the camera body (13) exclusively in the first orientation (A1) and in the second orientation (A2) rotated by the angle of rotation (D) relative to the first orientation (A1). [14] Sensor module (15) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor module (15) comprises a cooling device (61) for dissipating heat generated at the image sensor (19). [15] Sensor module (15) according to claim 14, wherein the cooling device (61) is rotationally symmetrical with respect to rotations of the sensor module (15) by the angle of rotation (D). [16] Sensor module (15) according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the cooling device (61) projects away from the sensor module (15) at a rear side and can be inserted into a cooling shaft (65) of the camera body (13) of the associated camera (17). [17] Sensor module (15) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the connecting device (21) is rotatable and / or pivotable relative to the image sensor (19) by the angle of rotation (D). [18] Sensor module (15) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor module (15) has a lens connection (67) for attaching a camera lens (69). [19] Camera system (11) comprising a camera body (13) and a sensor module (15) which can be selectively connected to the camera body (13) or detached from the camera body (13), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor module (15) has an image sensor (19), in particular a CMOS image sensor (19), and a connecting device (21) for connecting the sensor module (15) to the camera body (13), which is designed to connect the sensor module (15) to the camera body (13) in a first orientation (A1) and in a second orientation (A2) which differs from the first orientation (A1), wherein the sensor module (15) can be transferred from the first orientation (A1) to the second orientation (A2) by a rotation through a predetermined angle of rotation (D). [20] Camera system (11) according to claim 19, wherein the connecting device (21) is rotationally symmetrical with respect to the rotation of the sensor module (15) by the angle of rotation (D). [21] Camera system (11) according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the connecting device (21) has at least one signal transmission element (23) and wherein a signal receiving device (27) with at least one counter element (25) is arranged on the camera body (13), wherein the signal receiving device (27) is designed to enter into a signal connection with the at least one signal transmission element (23) both in the first orientation (A1) and in the second orientation (A2) of the sensor module (15) for transmitting signals from the image sensor (19) to a signal processing device (71) arranged in the camera body (13). [22] Camera system (11) according to claim 21, wherein the signal transmission element (23) and the counter element (25) are designed to form a plug connection. [23] Camera system (11) according to claim 21 or 22, wherein the signal transmission element (23) is arranged centrally on a side (33) of the sensor module (15) facing the camera body (13) and is rotationally symmetrical with respect to the rotation of the sensor module (15) by the angle of rotation (D). [24] Camera system (11) according to one of claims 21 to 23, wherein the sensor module (15) has a plurality of signal transmission elements (23) offset from one another by the angle of rotation (D) and the signal receiving device (27) has a plurality of counter-elements (25) offset from one another by the angle of rotation (D). [25] Camera system (11) according to claim 24, wherein on at least two of the plurality of counter-elements (25), in particular on each of the plurality of counter-elements (25), a signal output for transmitting control signals to the image sensor (19) and / or a power supply output for transmitting a power supply signal to the image sensor (19) is provided, wherein on at least two of the plurality of signal transmission elements (23) a control signal input (57) for receiving the control signals and / or a power supply input (53) for receiving the power supply signal is formed. [26] Camera system (11) according to one of claims 21 to 25, wherein the signal processing device (71) is designed to generate an image data set (B) from received signals of the image sensor (19), which image data set represents an image generated by the camera system (11), and wherein the signal processing device (71) is designed to differentiate the first orientation (A1) and the second orientation (A2) of the sensor module (15) from one another and to determine the image data set (B) as a function of the orientation of the sensor module (15). [27] Camera system (11) according to one of claims 19 to 26, wherein the sensor module (15) has a cooling device (61) for dissipating heat generated at the image sensor (19), wherein the cooling device (61) can be introduced into a cooling shaft (65) of the camera body (13), in particular by connecting the sensor module (15) to the camera body (13). [28] Camera system (11) according to one of claims 19 to 27, wherein the camera system (11) has a control unit (75) which can be positioned at a distance from the camera body (13) by a cable connection (73), wherein the control unit (75) is designed to receive information relating to the sensor module (15) and / or the cooling device (61), and wherein the control unit (75) is designed to adapt and / or restrict a setting of the camera system (11) depending on the information.

Images