Accessories, Electronic Devices, and Display Systems

Abstract

To provide an accessory capable of easily displaying an accessory setting screen on a display unit provided in an imaging device.SOLUTION: An accessory is attachable to and detachable from an imaging device including a display unit, and includes a communication unit capable of communicating with the imaging device, and an operation unit. The communication unit transmits, to the imaging device, a request to cause the display unit to display a setting screen related to the accessory when the operation unit is operated after transmitting information indicating a type of the accessory to the imaging device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an accessory that is detachable from an electronic device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a method for setting an accessory attached to an imaging device using a display unit provided in the imaging device is known. Patent Document 1 discloses an imaging device having a display control means for controlling the display of a setting screen for setting adjustment values ​​related to functions using the accessory. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-61800 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the imaging device of Patent Document 1, the user must search for a setting screen for each accessory, which takes time and effort from attaching the accessory to changing the settings.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an accessory that can easily display a setting screen for the accessory on a display unit provided in an electronic device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an accessory that is detachable from an electronic device having a display unit, the accessory comprising: Contains multiple terminals The accessory includes a communication unit capable of communicating with the electronic device and an operation unit, and the communication unit transmits information indicating the type of the accessory to the electronic device and then transmits the information to the operation unit. Prescribed If an operation is performed, Transmitting a first signal indicating a communication request to the electronic device via a first terminal among the plurality of terminals, and receiving the first signal according to the signal received after transmitting the first signal. A request to display a setting screen for accessories on the display unit. via a second terminal different from the first terminal among the plurality of terminals,The present invention is characterized in that it transmits information to an electronic device. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an accessory that can easily display a setting screen for the accessory on a display unit provided in an electronic device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram of a camera system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a communication waveform of a SPI communication protocol. [Diagram 3] A diagram showing the operation flow of the second camera control circuit and the accessory control unit in SPI protocol A. [Figure 4] A diagram showing the operation flow of the second camera control circuit and the accessory control unit in SPI protocol B. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of SPI communication content. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an operation sequence of the camera and the accessory. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of accessory information. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of accessory type information. [Figure 9] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an example of a cause of generation of a communication request signal. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of information indicating a communication interval. [Figure 11] 13 is a flowchart showing a process of the first camera control circuit. [Figure 12] 13 is a flowchart showing a process of a second camera control circuit. [Figure 13] 13 is a flowchart showing a process of an accessory. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of setting information of a strobe transmitter. [Figure 15]FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen of the strobe transmitter according to the first embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a custom setting screen of the strobe transmitter of the second embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a hierarchical structure of a custom setting screen of the strobe transmitter according to the second embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a custom setting screen of the strobe transmitter of the third embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a custom setting screen of the strobe transmitter of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an I2C communication waveform. [Figure 21] 11 is a diagram showing the processing performed by the camera control circuit when transmitting N bytes of data from the camera control circuit to the accessory control circuit. [Figure 22] 11 is a diagram showing the processing performed by the camera control circuit when the camera control circuit receives N bytes of data from the accessory control circuit. [Figure 23] 11 is a diagram showing the processing performed by the accessory control circuit when transmitting and receiving N bytes of data between the camera control circuit and the accessory control circuit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to refer to the same components, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0010] 1 is a block diagram of a camera system (display system) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The camera system includes a camera (imaging device) 100 and an accessory 200 that is detachable from the camera 100. A plurality of contacts (terminals) TC01-TC21 of a camera connection section 141 provided on the camera 100 respectively come into contact with a plurality of contacts TA01-TA21 of an accessory connection section (communication section) 211 provided on the accessory 200. This electrically connects the camera 100 and the accessory 200. Note that the accessory 200 does not necessarily have some of the plurality of contacts TA01-TA21.

[0011] The camera 100 is powered by a battery 111 which is removable from the camera 100 .

[0012] The first camera control circuit 101 and the second camera control circuit 102 are microcomputers incorporating a CPU and the like, and control the entire camera 100. The first camera control circuit 101 monitors switches and the like for operating the camera (not shown). The first camera control circuit 101 also operates even when the camera 100 is in a standby state (low power consumption mode), and controls the system power supply and the like in response to user operations. The second camera control circuit 102 controls the image sensor 122, display unit 127, and the like, and stops operating when the camera 100 is in a standby state.

[0013] The system power supply circuit 112 is composed of a DC-DC converter circuit, an LDO (Low Dropout), a charge pump circuit, etc., and generates power to be supplied to each circuit of the camera 100. The first camera control circuit 101 is constantly supplied with a camera microcomputer power supply VMCU_C voltage of 1.8V generated by the system power supply circuit 112. In addition, the second camera control circuit 102 is supplied with several types of power supply voltages generated by the system power supply circuit 112 at any timing as the camera microcomputer power supply VMCU2_C. The first camera control circuit 101 controls the system power supply circuit 112 to perform on / off control of the power supply to each circuit of the camera 100.

[0014] The optical lens 121 is configured to be detachable from the camera 100. Light from a subject incident through the optical lens 121 is imaged on an imaging sensor 122 consisting of a CMOS sensor, a CCD sensor, or the like. The optical lens 121 and the camera 100 may be configured as an integrated unit. The subject image imaged on the imaging sensor 122 is encoded into a digital imaging signal. The image processing circuit 123 performs image processing such as noise reduction processing and white balance processing on the digital imaging signal to generate image data, and converts the image data into an image file in JPEG format or the like to record it in the recording memory 126. The image processing circuit 123 also generates VRAM image data to be displayed on the display unit 127 from the image data.

[0015] The memory control circuit 124 controls the transmission and reception of image data generated by the image processing circuit 123 and other data. The volatile memory 125 is a memory capable of high-speed reading and writing, such as DDR3 SDRAM, and is used as a workspace for image processing performed by the image processing circuit 123. The recording memory 126 is a readable and writable recording medium, such as an SD card or a CFexpress card, which is detachable from the camera 100 via a connecting part (not shown). The display unit 127 is a display provided on the rear surface of the camera 100, and is composed of an LCD panel, an organic EL display panel, or the like. The backlight circuit 128 adjusts the brightness of the display unit 127 by changing the amount of light of the backlight of the display unit 127.

[0016] The first accessory power supply circuit 131 and the second accessory power supply circuit 132 are voltage conversion circuits that convert the voltage of the power supply supplied from the system power supply circuit 112 to a predetermined voltage, and generate an accessory power supply VACC with a voltage of 3.3 V in this embodiment. Note that a configuration for converting to other voltages may also be used. The first accessory power supply circuit 131 is a circuit with low self-consumption power, which is composed of an LDO or the like. The second accessory power supply circuit 132 is a circuit that is composed of a DC / DC converter circuit or the like, and can pass a larger current than the first accessory power supply circuit 131. Note that the self-consumption power of the second accessory power supply circuit 132 is larger than that of the first accessory power supply circuit 131. For this reason, when the load current is small, the first accessory power supply circuit 131 is more efficient than the second accessory power supply circuit 132, and when the load current is large, the second accessory power supply circuit 132 is more efficient than the first accessory power supply circuit 131. The first camera control circuit 101 controls the on / off of the outputs from the first and second accessory power supply circuits 131 and 132 in accordance with the operating state of the accessory 200 .

[0017] The protection circuit 133 is configured with a current fuse element, a polyswitch element, or an electronic fuse circuit combining a resistor, an amplifier, and a switch element. When the current value of the power supplied from the first and second accessory power circuits 131, 132 to the accessory 200 exceeds a predetermined value and becomes excessive (abnormal), the protection circuit 133 outputs an overcurrent detection signal DET_OVC indicating an overcurrent by a Hi level. In this embodiment, the protection circuit 133 is an electronic fuse circuit, and outputs the overcurrent detection signal DET_OVC to the first camera control circuit 101 when a current of 1 A or more flows. Note that the predetermined value may be configured to be different from 1 A.

[0018] The accessory 200 receives power from a battery 205 and also receives power from the camera 100 via the camera connection unit 141 and the accessory connection unit 211 .

[0019] The accessory control circuit 201 is a microcomputer incorporating a CPU and the like, and controls the entire accessory 200 .

[0020] The accessory power supply circuit 202 is composed of a DC-DC converter circuit, an LDO, a charge pump circuit, etc., and generates power to be supplied to each circuit of the accessory 200. The accessory control circuit 201 is constantly supplied with the accessory microcomputer power supply VMCU_A voltage of 1.8V generated by the accessory power supply circuit 202. Note that the voltage generated by the accessory power supply circuit 202 may be a value other than 1.8V. The accessory control circuit 201 controls the accessory power supply circuit 202 to perform on / off control of the power supply to each circuit of the accessory 200.

[0021] The charging circuit 204 charges the battery 205 using power supplied from the camera 100. When the accessory control circuit 201 determines that sufficient power is being supplied from the camera 100 to perform a charging operation, it controls the charging circuit 204 to charge the battery 205. Note that, although the present embodiment describes a case in which the battery 205 is attached to the accessory 200, the accessory 200 may be operated only by power supplied from the camera 100 without the battery 205 being attached. In this case, the charging circuit 204 is not necessary.

[0022] The differential communication circuit 207 performs differential communication with the camera 100, and can transmit and receive data to and from the camera 100. The external communication IF circuit 208 is an IF circuit for performing data communication with an external device (not shown) via Ethernet communication, wireless LAN communication, public network communication, and the like. The accessory control circuit 201 controls the differential communication circuit 207 and the external communication IF circuit 208 to transmit data received from the camera 100 to the external device and transmit data received from the external device to the camera 100.

[0023] The functional circuit 206 is a circuit having different functions depending on the type of the accessory 200. For example, if the accessory 200 is a strobe device, the functional circuit 206 is a light emission circuit, a charging circuit, etc. Also, if the accessory 200 is a microphone device, the functional circuit 206 is an audio codec circuit, a microphone circuit, etc.

[0024] The external connection terminal 209 is a connector terminal for connecting to an external device, and in this embodiment is a USB TYPE-C connector. The connection detection circuit 210 detects that an external device is connected to the external connection terminal 209. The accessory control circuit 201 can detect the connection of an external device to the external connection terminal 209 by receiving an output signal from the connection detection circuit 210.

[0025] The power switch 203 is a switch for turning on and off the operation of the accessory 200. The accessory control circuit 201 can detect the on position or off position by reading out the signal level of the terminal to which the power switch 203 is connected.

[0026] The operation unit 212 is composed of buttons, a cross key, a slide switch, a dial switch, a touch sensor, and the like, and is used to operate the accessory 200. The accessory control circuit 201 can detect an operation on the operation unit 212, and when the operation is detected, executes a predetermined process according to the operation. The operation on the operation unit is, for example, a short press, a long press, a double click, simultaneous pressing of multiple operation units, a dial operation, and a combination of these operations.

[0027] The camera connection unit 141 is a connector for electrically connecting with the accessory 200 via 21 contacts TC01 to TC21 arranged in a row. The contacts TC01 to TC21 are arranged in this order along the direction in which they are arranged.

[0028] The contact TC01 is connected to the ground (GND) and serves not only as a reference potential contact but also as a contact for controlling the wiring impedance of the differential signals D1N and D1P.

[0029] The differential signals D1N and D1P flowing through the signal lines connected to the contacts TC02 and TC03 are data communication signals that perform data communication in pairs. The signal lines connected to the contacts TC02 and TC03 are connected to the second camera control circuit 102.

[0030] The contact TC04 is connected to GND and is a reference potential contact for the camera 100 and the accessory 200.

[0031] The signal line connected to the contact TC05 is connected to the first and second accessory power circuits 131 and 132 via a protection circuit 133.

[0032] An accessory attachment detection signal / ACC_DET that is pulled up to the camera microcomputer power supply VMCU_C via a resistive element Rp134 (e.g., 10 kΩ) flows through a signal line connected to the contact TC06. The first camera control circuit 101 can detect whether the accessory 200 is attached by reading out the signal level (electric potential) of the accessory attachment detection signal / ACC_DET. Specifically, the first camera control circuit 101 detects that the accessory 200 is not attached if the signal level of the accessory attachment detection signal / ACC_DET is Hi level, and detects that the accessory 200 is attached if the signal level is Lo level.

[0033] When the camera 100 is powered on, the signal level (electric potential) of the accessory attachment detection signal / ACC_DET changes from Hi level to Lo level, which serves as a trigger for various communications between the camera 100 and the accessory 200 via the contacts.

[0034] In response to detecting that the accessory 200 is in an attached state, the camera control circuit 101 supplies power to the accessory 200 via TC05, which serves as a power contact.

[0035] Signals SCLK, MOSI, MISO, and CS flow through the signal lines connected to the contacts TC07, TC08, TC09, and TC10, respectively. These signals are signals for performing SPI communication with the second camera control circuit 102 as the communication master. In this embodiment, the communication clock frequency of the SPI communication is 1 MHz, the data length is 8 bits (1 byte), the bit order is MSB first, and the communication method is full-duplex communication.

[0036] In this embodiment, the camera 100 and the accessory 200 are compatible with two types of communication protocols as the SPI communication method.

[0037] The first communication protocol is a method in which the camera 100 does not check whether the accessory 200 is in a communication-enabled state before outputting the signal SCLK, and is called SPI protocol A in this embodiment.

[0038] FIG. 2(a) is a diagram showing an example of a communication waveform of the SPI protocol A. In FIG. 2(a), the signal CS is Lo active. At timing A1, the second camera control circuit 102 changes the signal level of the signal CS to Lo level to request SPI communication from the accessory control circuit 201. At timing A2 after a predetermined time T_CS has elapsed from timing A1, the second camera control circuit 102 starts outputting the signals SCLK and MOSI. When the accessory control circuit 201 detects the falling edge of the signal SCLK, it starts outputting the signal MISO. At timing A3 when the output of one byte of the signal SCLK is completed, the second camera control circuit 102 stops outputting the signal SCLK. At timing A4 after a predetermined time T_INTERVAL has elapsed from timing A3, the second camera control circuit 102 resumes outputting the signal SCLK.

[0039] FIG. 3A is a diagram showing an operation flow of the second camera control circuit 102 in the SPI protocol A.

[0040] In step S101, the second camera control circuit 102 stores the number of bytes to be communicated (number of communication bytes) in an internal variable N. For example, when communicating 3 bytes, 3 is stored.

[0041] In step S102, the second camera control circuit 102 changes the signal level of the signal CS to Lo level to request SPI communication.

[0042] In step S103, the second camera control circuit 102 determines whether a predetermined time T_CS has elapsed since the signal level of the signal CS was changed to the Lo level. If it is determined that the predetermined time T_CS has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S104, and if it is determined that the predetermined time T_CS has not elapsed, the process of this step is repeated.

[0043] In step S104, the second camera control circuit 102 performs 1-byte communication. Specifically, the second camera control circuit 102 controls the output of the signals SCLK and MOSI, and also controls the input of the signal MISO.

[0044] In step S105, the second camera control circuit 102 determines whether the internal variable N indicating the number of communication bytes is 0. If it is determined that the internal variable N is 0, the process proceeds to step S106, and if it is determined that the internal variable N is not 0, the process proceeds to step S107.

[0045] In step S106, the second camera control circuit 102 changes the signal level of the signal CS to Hi level, and ends the SPI communication.

[0046] In step S107, the second camera control circuit 102 subtracts 1 from the internal variable N and stores the result as a new internal variable N.

[0047] In step S108, the second camera control circuit 102 determines whether a predetermined time T_INTERVAL has elapsed since the completion of 1-byte communication. If it is determined that the predetermined time T_INTERVAL has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S104, and if it is determined that the predetermined time T_INTERVAL has not elapsed, the process of this step is repeated.

[0048] FIG. 3B is a diagram showing the operation flow of the accessory control circuit 201 in the SPI protocol A.

[0049] In step S201, the accessory control circuit 201 determines whether the signal level of the signal CS has changed to Lo level. If it is determined that the signal level of the signal CS has changed to Lo level, the process proceeds to step S202, and if it is determined that the signal level of the signal CS has not changed to Lo level, the process of this step is repeated.

[0050] In step S202, the accessory control circuit 201 performs 1-byte communication. Specifically, the accessory control circuit 201 controls the input of the signal MOSI and also controls the output of the signal MISO in response to the input of the signal SCLK.

[0051] In step S203, the accessory control circuit 201 determines whether the signal level of the signal CS has changed to Hi level. If it is determined that the signal level of the signal CS has changed to Hi level, the SPI communication is terminated, and if it is determined that the signal level has not changed to Hi level, the accessory control circuit 201 returns to step S202.

[0052] The second communication protocol is a method in which the camera 100 checks whether the accessory 200 is in a communication-enabled state before outputting the signal SCLK, and is called SPI protocol B in this embodiment.

[0053] FIG. 2B is a diagram showing an example of a communication waveform of the SPI protocol B. At timing B1, the second camera control circuit 102 changes the signal level of the signal CS to Lo level and requests the accessory control circuit 201 to perform SPI communication. The second camera control circuit 102 checks the signal level of the signal MISO together with the request for SPI communication. If the signal level of the signal MISO is Hi level, the second camera control circuit 102 determines that the accessory control circuit 201 is in a communicable state, and if the signal level is Lo level, the second camera control circuit 102 determines that the accessory control circuit 201 is in a communicable state. After detecting the falling edge of the signal CS, the accessory control circuit 201 sets the signal level of the signal MISO to Hi level if the communication is possible, and sets the signal MISO to Lo level if the communication is not possible. In FIG. 2B, at timing B2, the accessory control circuit 201 sets the signal level of the signal MISO to Hi level. When the second camera control circuit 102 confirms that the signal level of the signal MISO is Hi level, it starts outputting the signals SCLK and MOSI at timing B3. When the accessory control circuit 201 detects the falling edge of the signal SCLK, it starts outputting the signal MISO. At timing B4 when the output of one byte of the signal SCLK is completed, the second camera control circuit 102 stops outputting the signal SCLK. After transmitting and receiving one byte of data, the accessory control circuit 201 sets the signal level of the signal MISO to Hi level if SPI communication is possible, and sets the signal level of the signal MISO to Lo level if SPI communication is not possible. In FIG. 2(b), the accessory control circuit 201 sets the signal level of the signal MISO to Lo level at timing B5, and sets the signal level of the signal MISO to Hi level at timing B6. At timing B7, the second camera control circuit 102 checks the signal level of the signal MISO. If the signal level of the signal MISO is Hi level, the second camera control circuit 102 determines that the accessory control circuit 201 is in a communication possible state, and if it is Lo level, determines that the accessory control circuit 201 is in a communication not possible state.

[0054] FIG. 4A is a diagram showing an operation flow of the second camera control circuit 102 in the SPI protocol B.

[0055] In step S111, the second camera control circuit 102 stores the number of bytes to be communicated in an internal variable N.

[0056] In step S112, the second camera control circuit 102 changes the signal level of the signal CS to Lo level to request SPI communication.

[0057] In step S113, the second camera control circuit 102 determines whether the signal level of the signal MISO has changed to Hi level. If it is determined that the signal level of the signal MISO has changed to Hi level, the process proceeds to step S114, and if it is determined that the signal level of the signal MISO has not changed to Hi level, the process of this step is repeated.

[0058] In step S114, the second camera control circuit 102 performs 1-byte communication. Specifically, the second camera control circuit 102 controls the output of the signals SCLK and MOSI, and also controls the input of the signal MISO.

[0059] In step S115, the second camera control circuit 102 determines whether the internal variable N indicating the number of communication bytes is 0. If it is determined that the internal variable N is 0, the process proceeds to step S116, and if it is determined that the internal variable N is not 0, the process proceeds to step S117.

[0060] In step S116, the second camera control circuit 102 changes the signal level of the signal CS to Hi level, and ends the SPI communication.

[0061] In step S117, the second camera control circuit 102 subtracts 1 from the internal variable N and stores the result as a new internal variable N.

[0062] In step S118, the second camera control circuit 102 determines whether the signal level of the signal MISO has changed to Hi level. If it is determined that the signal level of the signal MISO has changed to Hi level, the process returns to step S114, and if it is determined that the signal level of the signal MISO has not changed to Hi level, the process of this step is repeated.

[0063] FIG. 4B is a diagram showing the operation flow of the accessory control circuit 201 in the SPI protocol B.

[0064] In step S211, the accessory control circuit 201 determines whether the signal level of the signal CS has changed to Lo level. If it is determined that the signal level of the signal CS has changed to Lo level, the process proceeds to step S212, and if it is determined that the signal level of the signal CS has not changed to Lo level, the process of this step is repeated.

[0065] In step S212, the accessory control circuit 201 determines whether or not the SPI communication is possible. If it is determined that the SPI communication is possible, the process proceeds to step S213, and if it is determined that the SPI communication is not possible, the process proceeds to step S214.

[0066] In step S213, the accessory control circuit 201 sets the signal level of the signal MISO to the Hi level.

[0067] In step S214, the accessory control circuit 201 sets the signal level of the signal MISO to the Lo level.

[0068] In step S215, the accessory control circuit 201 performs 1-byte communication. Specifically, the accessory control circuit 201 controls the input of the signal MOSI and controls the output of the signal MISO in response to the input of the signal SCLK.

[0069] In step S216, the accessory control circuit 201 determines whether the signal level of the signal CS has changed to Hi level. If it is determined that the signal level of the signal CS has changed to Hi level, the SPI communication ends, and if it is determined that the signal level has not changed to Hi level, the accessory control circuit 201 returns to step S212.

[0070] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of SPI communication when the camera 100 notifies the accessory 200 of an operation execution command.

[0071] In the communication of the first byte, the second camera control circuit 102 transmits a command number CMD as the MOSI data. The accessory control circuit 201 transmits a value of 0xA5 indicating a communication-enabled state as the MISO data. If the accessory control circuit 201 cannot execute the communication process of the first byte, it transmits information other than the value 0xA5 as the MISO data.

[0072] In the communication of the second byte, the second camera control circuit 102 transmits the argument MOSI_DATA1 corresponding to the command number CMD. In the communication of the third byte to the (N-2)th byte and onwards, the second camera control circuit 102 transmits the arguments MOSI_DATA2 to MOSI_DATA[N-3] corresponding to the command number CMD.

[0073] On the other hand, in the second byte of communication, the accessory control circuit 201 transmits the command number CMD received in the first byte of communication as MISO data, which enables the camera control circuit 102 to determine whether the accessory control circuit 201 has correctly received the MOSI data.

[0074] In communication of the third byte, the accessory control circuit 201 transmits the return value MISO_DATA1 corresponding to the command number CMD as MISO data. In communication of the fourth byte to the (N-2)th byte and onwards, the accessory control circuit 201 transmits arguments MISO_DATA2 to MISO_DATA[N-4] corresponding to the command number CMD. Note that the number of arguments and return values ​​is determined in advance for each command number. Also, it is possible that either or both of the arguments and return values ​​are omitted.

[0075] In communication of the (N-1)th byte, the second camera control circuit 102 transmits, as the MOSI data, checksum data CheckSum_C calculated by the following formula:

[0076] CheckSum_C=EXOR(AND(SUM(CMD,MOSI_DATA1,..., MOSI_DATA[N-3]),0xFF),0xFF) On the other hand, in the (N-1)th byte of communication, the accessory control circuit 201 transmits the value 0x00 as the MISO data.

[0077] In the Nth byte of communication, the second camera control circuit 102 transmits the value 0x00 as the MOSI data.

[0078] On the other hand, in the communication of the Nth byte, the accessory control circuit 201 transmits checksum data CheckSum_A as MISO data.

[0079] When the checksum data CheckSum_C received by the second camera control circuit 102 and the checksum data CheckSum_C calculated by the second camera control circuit 102 match, the checksum data CheckSum_A is calculated by the following formula.

[0080] CheckSum_A=EXOR(AND(SUM(0xA5,CMD, MIS0_DATA1,...,MOSI_DATA[N-4]),0xFF),0xFF) When the checksum data CheckSum_C received by the second camera control circuit 102 does not match the checksum data CheckSum_C calculated by the second camera control circuit 102, the checksum data CheckSum_A is calculated by the following formula.

[0081] CheckSum_A=AND(SUM(0xA5,CMD,MIS0_DATA1,...,MOSI_DATA[N-4]),0xFF) A communication request signal / WAKE for requesting communication from the accessory 200 to the first camera control circuit 101 flows through the signal line connected to the contact TC11. The communication request signal / WAKE is pulled up to the camera microcomputer power supply VMCU_C via a resistor. The first camera control circuit 101 can receive a communication request from the accessory 200 by detecting the falling edge of the communication request signal / WAKE.

[0082] Signals SDA and SCL for performing I2C communication with the first camera control circuit 101 as the communication master flow through the signal lines connected to the contacts TC12 and TC13. The I2C communication is an open drain communication pulled up to the camera microcomputer power supply VMCU_C, and the communication frequency is 100 kbps in this embodiment. In the I2C communication, both data transmission from the camera 100 and data transmission from the accessory 200 are performed via the SDA. Comparing SPI communication and I2C communication, the communication speed of I2C communication is slower than that of SPI communication. In addition, since the communication speed of SPI communication is faster than that of I2C communication, it is suitable for communication of information with a large amount of data. Therefore, in the communication between the camera 100 and the accessory 200 in this embodiment, information with a large amount of data is communicated using SPI communication, and information with a small amount of data is communicated using I2C communication. For example, data is first communicated using I2C communication, and when SPI communication can be performed based on this data or when SPI communication needs to be performed, it is possible to control so that SPI communication is further performed.

[0083] Figure 20 shows an example of an I2C communication waveform. Figure 20(a) shows an example of the waveform when the camera transmits N bytes of data (DATA[1] to DATA[N]) to the accessory, and Figure 20(b) shows an example of the waveform when the camera receives N bytes of data (DATA[1] to DATA[N]) from the accessory.

[0084] In both Figures 20(a) and 20(b), the upper waveform is SCL and the lower waveform is SDA.

[0085] Below the SDA waveform are shown the meaning of the signal at each timing, and whether the control circuit that controls the output level of the SDA signal is the camera control circuit A101 or the accessory control circuit 201.

[0086] Also, since the communication data consists of 1 byte of data and 1 bit of information indicating the response, to make the explanation easier to understand, the top of the diagram shows which byte of data is from the start of communication.

[0087] The details of the communication will be explained using the flowcharts of FIGS. 21 to 23, so only an outline will be explained using FIGS. 20(a) and 20(b).

[0088] In FIG. 20(a), in the communication of the first and second bytes, the camera control circuit A101 notifies the accessory control circuit 201 of storage address information of the data to be transmitted.

[0089] In communication from the 3rd byte to the (N+2)th byte, the camera control circuit A101 transmits N bytes of data (DATA[ADDRESS] to DATA[ADDRESS+N]) to the accessory control circuit 201.

[0090] In FIG. 20(b), in the communication of the first and second bytes, the camera control circuit A101 notifies the accessory control circuit 201 of storage address information of the data to be received.

[0091] In communication from the 3rd byte to the (N+3)th byte, the camera control circuit A101 receives N bytes of data (DATA[ADDRESS] to DATA[ADDRESS+N]) from the accessory control circuit 201.

[0092] Next, the flowcharts of FIGS. 21 to 23 will be described.

[0093] The flowchart in FIG. 21 shows the process performed by the camera control circuit A101 when transmitting N bytes of data from the camera control circuit A101 to the accessory control circuit 201.

[0094] In step S3001, the camera control circuit A101 stores a numerical value indicating the number of bytes to be transmitted in the internal variable N. For example, when transmitting 3 bytes, 3 is stored. In this embodiment, 3 is stored.

[0095] In step S3002, the camera control circuit A101 changes SDA to Lo level while SCL is at Hi level (START condition), thereby notifying the accessory control circuit 201 of the start of communication.

[0096] In step S3003, the camera control circuit A101 sets in the upper 7 bits of the transmission data slave address information indicating the slave address of the accessory control circuit 201. In this embodiment, the slave address of the accessory control circuit 201 is assumed to be 1010000 in binary.

[0097] In step S3004, the camera control circuit A101 sets information indicating WRITE communication in the lowest bit of the transmission data. Setting this bit to 0 indicates WRITE communication.

[0098] In step S3005, the camera control circuit A101 transmits to the accessory control circuit 201 the data (10100000 in binary, 0xA0 in hexadecimal) set as the transmission data in steps S3003 and S3004.

[0099] In step S3006, the camera control circuit A101 outputs SCL for one clock after transmitting one byte of data, and checks the signal level of SDA. If the signal level of SDA is Lo, it is determined to be a data reception acknowledgement (ACK) from the accessory control circuit 201, and the process proceeds to step S3007. On the other hand, if the signal level of SDA is Hi, it is determined that the accessory control circuit 201 has not received the data normally, and the process proceeds to step S3014.

[0100] In step S3007, the camera control circuit A101 sets, as transmission data, information on the storage address of the data to be transmitted to the accessory control circuit 201 (start address information). In this embodiment, the size of the start address information is 1 byte, and the value is 0x00.

[0101] In step S3008, the camera control circuit A101 transmits the set 1-byte start address information (value 0x00) to the accessory control circuit 201.

[0102] In step S3009, the camera control circuit A101 outputs SCL for one clock after transmitting one byte of start address information data, and checks the signal level of SDA. If the signal level of SDA is Lo, it is determined to be a data reception acknowledgement (ACK) from the accessory control circuit 201, and the process proceeds to step S3010. On the other hand, if the signal level of SDA is Hi, it is determined that the accessory control circuit 201 has not received the data normally, and the process proceeds to step S3014.

[0103] In step S3010, the camera control circuit A101 stores 1 in the internal variable M. The internal variable M is a variable for counting the number of pieces of transmission data.

[0104] In step S3011, the camera control circuit A101 outputs one byte of SCL and changes SDA to a desired signal level while SCL is Lo, thereby transmitting one byte of data to the accessory control circuit 201. Here, the start address information is 0x00 and the internal variable M is 1, so one byte of data corresponding to the address 0x00 is transmitted.

[0105] In step S3012, the camera control circuit A101 outputs SCL for one clock after transmitting one byte of data, and checks the signal level of SDA. If the signal level of SDA is Lo, it is determined to be a data reception acknowledgement (ACK) from the accessory control circuit 201, and the process proceeds to step S3013. On the other hand, if the signal level of SDA is Hi, it is determined that the accessory control circuit 201 has not received the data normally, and the process proceeds to step S3014.

[0106] In step S3013, the camera control circuit A101 checks whether the internal variable M has the same value as the internal variable N. If the internal variable M has the same value as the internal variable N, it is determined that transmission of all data has been completed, and the process proceeds to step S3014. If the internal variable M does not have the same value as the internal variable N, it is determined that there is still data remaining to be transmitted, and the process proceeds to step S3015.

[0107] In step S3015, the camera control circuit A101 adds 1 to the internal variable M and returns to step S3011.

[0108] In this way, after returning to step S3011, the camera control circuit A101 sequentially increments the address of the data to be transmitted and transmits one byte of data corresponding to each address. In this way, by repeatedly transmitting one byte of data until the internal variable M and the internal variable N have the same value in the process of step S3013, the camera control circuit A101 transmits N bytes of data to the accessory control circuit 201. When the internal variable N is set to 3 as in this embodiment, 3 bytes of data can be transmitted.

[0109] In step S3014, the camera control circuit A101 changes SDA to Hi level while SCL is at Hi level (STOP condition), thereby notifying the accessory control circuit 201 of the end of communication.

[0110] The flowchart in FIG. 22 shows the processing performed by the camera control circuit A101 when the camera control circuit A101 receives N bytes of data from the accessory control circuit 201.

[0111] In step S3101, the camera control circuit A101 stores a numerical value indicating the number of bytes to be received in an internal variable N. For example, when 3 bytes are to be received, 3 is stored. In this embodiment, 3 is stored.

[0112] In steps S3102 to S3106, the camera control circuit A101 performs the same processes as in steps S3002 to S3006, respectively, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0113] In step S3107, the camera control circuit A101 sets, as transmission data, information on the storage address of the data received from the accessory control circuit 201 (start address information). In this embodiment, the size of the start address information is 1 byte, and the value is 0x00.

[0114] In step S3108, the camera control circuit A101 transmits the set 1-byte start address information (value 0x00) to the accessory control circuit 201.

[0115] In step S3109, the camera control circuit A101 outputs SCL for one clock after transmitting one byte of start address information data, and checks the signal level of SDA. If the signal level of SDA is Lo, it is determined to be a data reception acknowledgement (ACK) from the accessory control circuit 201, and proceeds to step S3110. On the other hand, if the signal level of SDA is Hi, it is determined that the accessory control circuit 201 has not received the data normally, and proceeds to step S3122.

[0116] In step S3110, the camera control circuit A101 changes SDA to Lo level while SCL is at Hi level, similarly to step S3102, and notifies the accessory control circuit 201 of a START condition.

[0117] In step S3111, the camera control circuit A101 sets in the upper 7 bits of the transmission data slave address information indicating the slave address of the accessory control circuit 201. In this embodiment, the slave address of the accessory control circuit 201 is assumed to be 1010000 in binary.

[0118] In step S3112, the camera control circuit A101 sets information indicating READ communication in the lowest bit of the transmission data. Setting this bit to 1 indicates READ communication.

[0119] In step S3113, the camera control circuit A101 transmits to the accessory control circuit 201 the data (10100001 in binary, 0xA1 in hexadecimal) set as the transmission data in steps S3003 and S3004.

[0120] In step S3114, the camera control circuit A101 outputs SCL for one clock after transmitting one byte of data, and checks the signal level of SDA. If the signal level of SDA is Lo, it is determined to be a data reception acknowledgement (ACK) from the accessory control circuit 201, and the process proceeds to step S3115. On the other hand, if the signal level of SDA is Hi, it is determined that the accessory control circuit 201 has not received the data normally, and the process proceeds to step S3122.

[0121] In step S3115, the camera control circuit A101 stores 1 in the internal variable M. The internal variable M is a variable for counting the number of pieces of received data.

[0122] In step S3116, the camera control circuit A101 outputs one byte of SCL and reads the signal level of SDA at the timing when SCL changed from Lo to Hi. This makes it possible to receive one byte of data from the accessory control circuit 201. The received one byte of data can be stored in the volatile memory 125 as data corresponding to address 0x00, or can be used for predetermined processing.

[0123] In step S3117, the camera control circuit A101 determines whether one byte of data has been received normally. If it has been received normally, the process proceeds to step S3118. If it has not been received normally, the process proceeds to step S3119.

[0124] In step S3118, the camera control circuit A101 checks whether the internal variable M has the same value as the internal variable N. If the internal variable M has the same value as the internal variable N, it is determined that reception of all data has been completed, and the process proceeds to step S3119. If the internal variable M does not have the same value as the internal variable N, it is determined that there is still received data remaining, and the process proceeds to step S3120.

[0125] In step S3120, the camera control circuit A101 outputs one byte of SCL and controls SDA to the Lo level to notify the accessory control circuit 201 of a data reception acknowledgement (ACK) and to notify that data communication will continue.

[0126] In step S3121, the camera control circuit A101 adds 1 to the internal variable M and returns to step S3116.

[0127] In this way, after returning to step S3116, the camera control circuit A101 sequentially increments the address of the data to be received and receives one byte of data corresponding to each address. In this way, by repeatedly receiving one byte of data until the internal variable M and the internal variable N have the same value in the process of step S3118, the camera control circuit A101 receives N bytes of data from the accessory control circuit 201. When the internal variable N is set to 3 as in this embodiment, 3 bytes of data can be received.

[0128] In step S3119, the camera control circuit A101 outputs one byte of SCL and controls SDA to a Hi level, thereby notifying the accessory control circuit 201 that data communication has been completed (NACK).

[0129] In step S3122, the camera control circuit A101 changes SDA to Hi level while SCL is at Hi level (STOP condition), thereby notifying the accessory control circuit 201 of the end of communication.

[0130] 23 shows the processing performed by the accessory control circuit 201 when transmitting N bytes of data from the camera control circuit A101 to the accessory control circuit 201, and when the camera control circuit A101 receives N bytes of data from the accessory control circuit 201.

[0131] In step S3201, the accessory control circuit 201 waits for SDA to change to Lo level (START condition) while SCL is at Hi level. If the accessory control circuit 201 detects the START condition, it proceeds to step S3202.

[0132] In step S3202, the accessory control circuit 201 stores 0 in the internal variable M. The internal variable M is a variable for counting the number of pieces of transmitted and received data.

[0133] In step S3203, the accessory control circuit 201 receives the 1-byte data transmitted from the camera control circuit A101.

[0134] In step S3204, the accessory control circuit 201 determines whether the upper 7 bits of the 1-byte data received in step S3203 match the slave address of the accessory control circuit 201 (0x50 in this embodiment). If it matches the slave address of the accessory control circuit 201, the process proceeds to step S3205. If it does not match the slave address of the accessory control circuit 201, the process proceeds to step S3221.

[0135] In step S3205, the accessory control circuit 201 controls SDA to a Lo level for the next SCL clock output after receiving one byte, thereby sending a data reception notification (ACK) to the camera control circuit A101.

[0136] In step S3206, the accessory control circuit 201 determines the type of data for the next 1-byte communication based on the lowest 1 bit of the 1-byte data received in step S3203. If the lowest 1 bit of data is 0, it determines that the data for the next 1-byte communication is start address information from the camera control circuit A101 to the accessory control circuit 201, and proceeds to step S3207. If the lowest 1 bit of data is 1, it determines that the data for the next 1-byte communication is transmission data from the accessory control circuit 201 to the camera control circuit A101, and proceeds to step S3209.

[0137] In step S3207, the accessory control circuit 201 receives one byte of data transmitted from the camera control circuit A101. The received one byte of data is information indicating an address where data to be transmitted / received in subsequent communications is stored. In this embodiment, the start address information is 0x00, as described in Figs. 21 and 22.

[0138] On the other hand, in step S3209, the accessory control circuit 201 uses, as the start address information, address information previously stored in the accessory control circuit 201 or address information previously notified from the camera control circuit A101.

[0139] In step S3208, if accessory control circuit 201 determines that one byte of data has been received successfully, it proceeds to step S3210. If it determines that one byte of data has not been received successfully, it proceeds to step S3221.

[0140] In step S3210, the accessory control circuit 201 controls SDA to Lo level for the next SCL clock output after receiving one byte of data, thereby sending a data reception notification (ACK) to the camera control circuit A101.

[0141] In step S3211, the accessory control circuit 201 checks whether SDA has changed to Lo level (START condition) while SCL is at Hi level. If a START condition is detected, the accessory control circuit 201 determines that the next 1-byte of data to be communicated is data to be transmitted from the camera control circuit A101 to the accessory control circuit 201, and is data indicating a slave address and communication type. Then, the process proceeds to step S3212. If a START condition is not detected, the accessory control circuit 201 determines that the next 1-byte of data to be communicated is data information to be received by the accessory control circuit 201 from the camera control circuit A101. Then, the process proceeds to step S3216.

[0142] In step S3212, the accessory control circuit 201 receives the 1-byte data transmitted from the camera control circuit A101.

[0143] In step S3213, the accessory control circuit 201 determines whether the upper 7 bits of the 1-byte data received in step S3212 match the slave address of the accessory control circuit 201 (0x50 in this embodiment). If it matches the slave address of the accessory control circuit 201, the process proceeds to step S3214. If it does not match the slave address of the accessory control circuit 201, the process proceeds to step S3221.

[0144] In step S3214, the accessory control circuit 201 determines the type of data for the next 1-byte communication based on the lowest 1 bit of the 1-byte data received in step S3203. If the lowest 1 bit of data is 0, the process proceeds to step S3221. If the lowest 1 bit of data is 1, the process determines that the data for the next 1-byte communication is transmission data from the accessory control circuit 201 to the camera control circuit A101, and the process proceeds to step S3215.

[0145] In step S3215, the accessory control circuit 201 controls SDA to be at Lo level for the next SCL clock output after receiving one byte, thereby sending a data reception acknowledgement (ACK) to the camera control circuit A101.

[0146] In step S3222, the accessory control circuit 201 transmits to the camera control circuit A101 one byte of data corresponding to the start address information received from the camera control circuit A101 in step S3207 or the start address information determined in step S3209.

[0147] In step S3223, the accessory control circuit 201 adds 1 to the internal variable M and proceeds to step S3224.

[0148] In step S3224, the accessory control circuit 201 checks the signal level of SDA after transmitting one byte of data. If the signal level of SDA is Hi, it is determined that the camera control circuit A101 has notified the completion of receiving all data (NACK), and the process proceeds to step S3225. On the other hand, if the signal level of SDA is Hi, it is determined that the camera control circuit A101 is still requesting data transmission from the accessory control circuit 201, and the process returns to step S3222. In this way, after returning to step S3222, the accessory control circuit 201 sequentially increments the address of the data to be transmitted and transmits one byte of data corresponding to each address. In this way, the accessory control circuit 201 transmits N bytes of data to the camera control circuit A101 by repeatedly transmitting one byte of data until a NACK is notified from the camera control circuit A101 in the process of step S3224.

[0149] In step S3225, the accessory control circuit 201 waits for SDA to change to Hi level (STOP condition) while SCL is at Hi level. When the accessory control circuit 201 detects the STOP condition, it ends communication.

[0150] Meanwhile, in step S3216, the accessory control circuit 201 receives one byte of data. The accessory control circuit 201 stores the one byte of data in a non-volatile memory or the like as data corresponding to the start address information received from the camera control circuit A101 in step S3207, or uses the data for predetermined processing.

[0151] In step S3217, the accessory control circuit 201 adds 1 to the internal variable M and proceeds to step S3218.

[0152] In step S3218, if accessory control circuit 201 determines that one byte of data has been received successfully, it proceeds to step S3219. If it determines that one byte of data has not been received successfully, it proceeds to step S3221.

[0153] In step S3219, the accessory control circuit 201 controls SDA to a Lo level for the next SCL clock output after receiving one byte, thereby sending a data reception notification (ACK) to the camera control circuit A101.

[0154] In step S3230, the accessory control circuit 201 checks whether SDA changes to Hi level (STOP condition) while SCL is at Hi level. If the accessory control circuit 201 detects a STOP condition, it ends communication. On the other hand, if the accessory control circuit 201 does not detect a STOP condition, it determines that the camera control circuit A101 will continue to transmit data to the accessory control circuit 201, and returns to step S3216.

[0155] In this way, after returning to step S3216, the accessory control circuit 201 sequentially increments the address of the data to be received and receives one byte of data corresponding to each address. By repeatedly receiving one byte of data in this way until a STOP condition is notified in step S3220, the accessory control circuit 201 receives N bytes of data from the camera control circuit A101.

[0156] The signal lines connected to the contacts TC14, TC15, TC16, and TC17 carry function signals FNC1, FNC2, FNC3, and FNC4 that can change the function according to the type of accessory 200. For example, if the accessory 200 is a microphone device, the signal communicated through TC15 is an audio data signal, and if the accessory 200 is a lighting device (strobe unit), the signal communicated through TC14 is a signal notifying the timing of light emission.

[0157] Depending on the type of the attached accessory, signals for realizing different functions may be communicated through the same contact. For example, when the accessory 200 is an accessory other than lighting, a synchronization signal for controlling a timing different from the light emission timing may be communicated through TC14. TC14 to TC17 correspond to function signal contacts. Communication using at least one of the function signal contacts is also referred to as function signal communication.

[0158] Function signal communication can be executed in parallel with I2C communication and SPI communication, at a timing independent of I2C communication and SPI communication.

[0159] The accessory types referred to here are the above-mentioned microphone devices, lighting devices, etc. Accessories that realize the same purpose, such as lighting devices with different performance, are the same type of accessory. Accessories that realize different purpose, such as microphone devices and lighting devices, are different types of accessory.

[0160] Functional signal communication is performed based on information obtained by I2C communication or SPI communication.

[0161] The contact TC18 is connected to GND and is a reference potential contact for the camera 100 and the accessory 200.

[0162] Differential signals D2N, D2P flowing through the signal lines connected to the contacts TC19, TC20 are data communication signals that perform data communication in pairs. The signal lines connected to the contacts TC19, TC20 are connected to the second camera control circuit 102. For example, USB communication can be performed via TC19 and TC20.

[0163] Contact TC21 is connected to GND and serves not only as a contact for a reference potential but also as a contact for controlling the wiring impedance of differential signals D2N and D2P. Contacts TC01, TC04, TC06, TC18, and TC21 are connected to, for example, a GND portion of a flexible substrate, and the GND portion of the flexible substrate is fixed with a metal member that serves as the GND level of camera 100 using screws or the like. Examples of the metal member that serves as the GND level include an engagement member that engages with accessory 200 in the accessory shoe portion and a base plate (not shown) inside camera 100.

[0164] In this embodiment, the attachment detection contact TC06 to which the accessory attachment detection signal / ACC_DET is connected is placed next to the contact (first clock contact) TC07 that transmits the clock signal SCLK (first clock signal). Generally, noise (clock noise) associated with potential fluctuations in the clock signal is transmitted to contacts adjacent to the clock signal contact, which can cause malfunction. In particular, in a configuration in which there are many contacts and the distance between the contacts is short, as in this embodiment, the impact is greater. Therefore, by placing the attachment detection contact TC06 next to the SCLK contact TC07, the impact of clock noise can be suppressed.

[0165] The accessory attachment detection signal / ACC_DET is pulled up before the accessory is attached, but is set to GND potential after the accessory is attached. On the other hand, the SCLK contact TC07 that transmits the clock signal does not transmit a clock signal before the accessory is attached, so there is no fluctuation in potential, but the potential fluctuates in order to transmit the clock signal only after the accessory is attached.

[0166] When the SCLK contact TC07 transmits the clock signal, the attachment detection contact TC06 is at GND potential. Therefore, even if the attachment detection contact TC06 receives clock noise, the potential of the control circuits of the camera 100 and the accessory 200 is unlikely to fluctuate, so malfunctions can be prevented. In addition, the clock noise can be prevented from being transmitted to positions farther away than the attachment detection contact TC06. As a result, there is no need to provide a GND terminal, so the effects of clock noise can be suppressed without increasing the number of contacts.

[0167] In addition, SCL (second clock signal) is also transmitted as a clock signal to contact (second clock contact) TC13. However, the SCLK transmitted to SCLK contact TC07 has a higher frequency than SCL, and more clock noise is generated from the SCLK contact TC07 than from the SCL contact TC13. For this reason, locating the attachment detection contact TC06 next to the SCLK contact TC07 rather than next to the SCL contact TC13 is more effective in preventing malfunctions caused by clock noise.

[0168] In addition to the difference in frequency, the SCL transmitted at the SCL contact TC13 is a clock signal conforming to the I2C communication standard, and the voltage fluctuations on the signal line are driven by an open-drain connection. On the other hand, the SCLK transmitted at the SCLK contact TC07 is a clock signal conforming to the SPI communication standard, and the voltage fluctuations on the signal line are driven by a CMOS output. For this reason, the edges of the voltage fluctuations at the SCL contact TC13 tend to be gentler than those at the SCLK contact TC07, making it less likely for clock noise to occur. Therefore, placing the attachment detection contact TC06 next to the SCLK contact TC07 rather than next to the SCL contact TC13 is more effective at preventing malfunctions caused by clock noise.

[0169] In addition, there are cases where a clock signal is transmitted by transmitting differential signals D1N, D1P in pairs to the first and second differential signal contacts TC19, TC20. In this case, a clock signal (third clock signal) having a higher frequency than the SCLK contact TC07 and SCL contact TC13 may be transmitted. However, since the differential signals D1N, D1P are paired signals, they emit less clock noise than the SCLK contact TC07 and SCL contact TC13, which transmit single-ended signals. For this reason, locating the attachment detection contact TC06 next to the SCLK contact TC07, rather than next to the first and second differential signal contacts TC19, TC20, is more effective in preventing malfunctions caused by clock noise.

[0170] Note that the contact (first data contact) TC08, located next to the SCLK contact TC07 on the opposite side from the attachment detection contact TC06, transmits MOSI (first data signal). Since MOSI is a data signal, it appears to be susceptible to the effects of clock noise. However, since MOSI is a data signal that conforms to the same SPI communication standard as the clock signal transmitted by the SCLK contact TC07, the timing of the potential fluctuation is synchronized with the clock signal and it is less susceptible to the effects of clock noise. For this reason, the contact TC08 does not need to be fixed to GND potential and can be used as the MOSI contact.

[0171] The accessory connection unit 211 is a connector for making an electrical connection with the camera 100 via 21 contacts TA01 to TA21 arranged in a row. The contacts TA01 to TA21 are arranged in this order along the direction in which they are arranged.

[0172] The contact TA01 is connected to GND and serves not only as a reference potential contact but also as a contact for controlling the wiring impedance of the differential signals D1N and D1P.

[0173] The differential signals D1N and D1P flowing through the signal lines connected to the contacts TA02 and TA03 are data communication signals that are paired to perform data communication. The signal lines connected to the contacts TA02 and TA03 are connected to a differential communication circuit 207.

[0174] The contact TA04 is connected to GND and is a reference potential contact for the camera 100 and the accessory 200.

[0175] The signal line connected to the contact TA05 is connected to the accessory power supply circuit 202 and the charging circuit 204, and is also connected to the accessory power supply VACC generated by the camera 100.

[0176] The contact TA06 is connected to GND. When the accessory 200 is attached to the camera 100, the signal level of the accessory attachment detection signal / ACC_DET is set to the GND level (ground potential) as the Lo level, so that the camera 100 can detect that the accessory 200 is attached.

[0177] Signals SCLK, MOSI, MISO, and CS flow through signal lines connected to contacts TA07, TA08, TA09, and TA10, respectively. These signals are signals for the accessory control circuit 201 to perform SPI communication as a communication slave.

[0178] A communication request signal / WAKE flows through the signal line connected to the contact TA11, for requesting communication from the accessory control circuit 201 to the camera 100. The accessory control circuit 201 issues a communication request to the camera 100 by setting the signal level of the communication request signal / WAKE to a Lo level.

[0179] In response to detecting that the accessory 200 is in an attached state, power is supplied from the camera control circuit 101 to the accessory 200 via TC5. Thereafter, the accessory control circuit 201 notifies the camera control circuit 101 that it has received power supply by changing the signal level (electric potential) of the communication request signal / WAKE from Hi level to Lo level.

[0180] The accessory control circuit 201 can notify the camera 100 that a cause for the accessory 200 to communicate with the camera 100 has occurred by changing the signal level (electric potential) of the communication request signal / WAKE from Hi level to Lo level even without a request from the camera. With this configuration, the camera control circuit 101 can omit the operation of periodically checking whether a cause for the accessory 200 to communicate has occurred by polling. Furthermore, when a cause for communication has occurred, the accessory 200 can communicate that fact to the camera 100 in real time.

[0181] Signals SDA and SCL for performing I2C communication with the accessory control circuit 201 as a communication slave flow through the signal lines connected to the contacts TA12 and TA13, respectively.

[0182] The signal lines connected to the contacts TA14, TA15, TA16, and TA17 carry function signals FNC1, FNC2, FNC3, and FNC4 that can vary the function according to the type of accessory 200. For example, if the accessory 200 is a microphone device, an audio data signal flows, and if the accessory 200 is a lighting device (strobe unit), a signal notifying the timing of light emission flows.

[0183] The contact TC18 is connected to GND and is a reference potential contact for the camera 100 and the accessory 200.

[0184] The differential signals D2N and D2P flowing through the signal lines connected to the contacts TA19 and TA20 are data communication signals that are paired to perform data communication. The signal lines connected to the contacts TA02 and TA03 are connected to the external connection terminal 209.

[0185] Contact TA21 is connected to GND and serves not only as a contact for a reference potential but also as a terminal for controlling the wiring impedance of differential signals D2N and D2P. Contacts TA01, TA04, TA06, TA18, and TA21 are connected to, for example, a GND portion of a flexible substrate, and the GND portion of the flexible substrate is fixed to a metallic member that serves as the GND level of accessory 200 by screws (not shown) or the like. Examples of the metallic member that serves as the GND level include a shoe mounting leg that engages with an accessory shoe portion of camera 100 and a base plate (not shown) inside accessory 200.

[0186] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an operation sequence of the camera 100 and the accessory 200 when the accessory 200 is attached to the camera 100. As shown in FIG.

[0187] When the accessory 200 is attached to the camera 100, the signal level of the accessory attachment detection signal / ACC_DET becomes the GND level, and the first camera control circuit 101 determines that the accessory 200 is attached.

[0188] When the first camera control circuit 101 determines that the accessory 200 is attached, it sets the signal level of the power supply control signal CNT_VACC1 to Hi level in order to turn on the output of the first accessory power supply circuit 131. When the signal level of the power supply control signal CNT_VACC1 is set to Hi level, the first accessory power supply circuit 131 outputs the voltage of the accessory power supply VACC.

[0189] When the accessory power circuit 202 receives the voltage of the accessory power supply VACC, it generates an accessory microcomputer power supply VMCU_A for the accessory control circuit 201. This starts up the accessory control circuit 201. After starting up, the accessory control circuit 201 initializes each block in the accessory 200. Thereafter, when the accessory 200 is in a state where it can communicate with the camera 100, the accessory control circuit 201 sets the signal level of the communication request signal / WAKE to the Lo level.

[0190] The first camera control circuit 101 detects that the signal level of the communication request signal / WAKE has become the Lo level, and thereby determines that the accessory 200 is in a state in which communication is possible.

[0191] The first camera control circuit 101 requests accessory information via I2C communication. The accessory control circuit 201 transmits the accessory information in response to the accessory information request from the camera 100. After transmitting the accessory information, the accessory control circuit 201 sets the signal level of the communication request signal / WAKE to Hi level.

[0192] The first camera control circuit 101 checks the received accessory information and determines whether the attached accessory 200 can be controlled, etc. The first camera control circuit 101 also turns on the second accessory power supply circuit 132.

[0193] When the first camera control circuit 101 has completed various settings of the camera 100, it notifies the second camera control circuit 102 of accessory information.

[0194] The second camera control circuit 102 notifies the accessory 200 of a control command and controls a function signal through SPI communication based on accessory type information indicating the type of the accessory 200.

[0195] 7 is a diagram showing an example of accessory information stored in a non-volatile memory (storage unit) (not shown) of the accessory 200. The accessory information is mapped in a memory space of addresses 0x00 to 0x0F. In the I2C communication of this embodiment, a checksum value for the read data is added as the final data of the communication.

[0196] The D7-D0 data at address 0x00 is accessory type information indicating the type of accessory 200. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of accessory type information. For example, 0x81 indicates a strobe device, 0x82 indicates an interface conversion adapter device, 0x83 indicates a microphone device, and 0x84 indicates a multi-accessory connection adapter device for mounting multiple accessory devices to the camera 100. Here, the adapter device is an intermediate accessory that is mounted between the camera 100 and an accessory such as a strobe device or a microphone device. The interface conversion adapter device is an adapter device that converts an interface to provide compatibility between the camera 100 and the accessory when the interface of the camera 100 and the interface of the accessory are different. The multi-accessory connection adapter device is an adapter device to which multiple accessories can be mounted.

[0197] The D7-D0 data at address 0x01 is information indicating the model number (identification number) of the accessory 200. Using this information and the above-mentioned accessory type information, it is possible to uniquely determine the accessory model.

[0198] The D7-D0 data at address 0x02 is information indicating the version of the accessory 200's firmware.

[0199] The D7-D6 data at address 0x03 is information indicating whether or not the camera 100 requests a voltage supply from the accessory power supply VACC to the accessory 200 when a power switch (not shown) is turned off. When the information is 0, it indicates that no power supply is required, when the information is 1, it indicates a power supply request from the first accessory power supply circuit 131, and when the information is 2, it indicates a power supply request from the second accessory power supply circuit 132.

[0200] The D5-D4 data at address 0x03 is information indicating whether or not the camera 100, in the power saving mode, requests a voltage supply from the accessory power supply VACC to the accessory 200. When the information is 0, it indicates that no power supply is required, when the information is 1, it indicates a power supply request from the first accessory power supply circuit 131, and when the information is 2, it indicates a power supply request from the second accessory power supply circuit 132.

[0201] The D3-D2 data at address 0x03 is information indicating whether the accessory 200 is equipped with a battery 205. When the information is 0, it indicates that the accessory is not equipped with a battery 205, and when the information is 1, it indicates that the accessory is equipped with a battery 205.

[0202] The D1-D0 data at address 0x03 is information indicating whether or not the accessory 200 has a function for charging the battery 205. When the information is 0, it indicates that the accessory does not have the function, and when the information is 1, it indicates that the accessory has the function.

[0203] The D7-0 data of address 0x04 is information indicating a requested current for the accessory power supply VACC to which the accessory 200 is supplied from the camera 100. For example, a value obtained by multiplying the information by 10 indicates a current value, and when the information indicating the requested power is 10, it indicates a request for 100 mA, and when the information indicating the requested power is 100, it indicates a request for 1 A. In addition, in order to reduce the amount of information, the information indicating the requested power may be information associated with an arbitrary current value. For example, when the information indicating the requested power is 0, 1, 2, or 3, it may indicate requests for 100 mA, 300 mA, 450 mA, or 600 mA, respectively.

[0204] The D7 data at address 0x05 is information indicating whether the accessory 200 is in the firmware update mode. When the information is 0, it indicates that the accessory 200 is not in the firmware update mode, and when the information is 1, it indicates that the accessory 200 is in the firmware update mode.

[0205] The D6 data at address 0x05 is information indicating whether the accessory 200 has a firmware update function. When the information is 0, it indicates that the function is not provided, and when the information is 1, it indicates that the function is provided.

[0206] The D5-D4 data at address 0x05 is information indicating whether or not to permit operation when an intermediate connection accessory is attached to the accessory 200. When the information is 0, it indicates that the operation is not permitted, and when the information is 1, it indicates that the operation is permitted.

[0207] The D3-D2 data at address 0x05 is information indicating whether accessory 200 needs to check the attachment state of the intermediate connection accessory at the start of camera 100. When the information is 0, it indicates that checking is not necessary, and when the information is 1, it indicates that checking is necessary.

[0208] The D1-D0 data at address 0x05 is information indicating whether the accessory 200 supports command notification via I2C communication. When the information is 0, it indicates that the accessory does not support command notification, and when the information is 1, it indicates that the accessory supports command notification.

[0209] The D5-D4 data at address 0x06 is information indicating a communication method capable of notifying the camera 100 of the cause of a communication request after the accessory 200 notifies the camera 100 of a communication request signal / WAKE. When the information is 0, it indicates that I2C communication is supported, when the information is 1, it indicates that SPI communication is supported, and when the information is 2, it indicates that both I2C communication and SPI communication are supported.

[0210] The D3-D0 data at address 0x06 is information indicating whether the accessory 200 has the functions represented by the function signals FNC1, FNC2, FNC3, and FNC4. When each piece of information is 0, it indicates that the function is not provided, and when each piece of information is 1, it indicates that the function is provided.

[0211] The D7 data at address 0x0A is information indicating whether or not to request startup of the camera 100 when the accessory 200 notifies the camera 100 of a communication request signal / WAKE. When the information is 0, it indicates that startup is requested, and when the information is 1, it indicates that startup is not requested.

[0212] The D6-D0 data at address 0x0A is information indicating the cause of the communication request signal / WAKE notified by the accessory 200 to the camera 100. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the cause of the communication request signal / WAKE. FIG. 9 shows an example in which the accessory 200 is a microphone device. For example, cause number 0x00 is a number indicating that the menu call section of the operation section 212 has been operated. Cause number 0x01 is a number indicating that the accessory 200 has completed output control of the audio signal. Cause number 0x02 is a number indicating that the accessory 200 has completed muting the audio signal.

[0213] The D1 data at address 0x0C is information indicating the SPI communication protocol supported by the accessory 200. When the information is 0, it indicates that the accessory is compatible with SPI protocol A, and when the information is 1, it indicates that the accessory is compatible with SPI protocol B.

[0214] The D0 data at address 0x0C is information indicating the control logic of the signal CS of the SPI communication supported by the accessory 200. When the information is 0, it indicates that the signal CS is Lo active logic, and when the information is 1, it indicates that the signal CS is Hi active logic.

[0215] The D7-D0 data at address 0x0D is information indicating the communication interval between bytes when the accessory 200 communicates using the SPI protocol A and when the D7 data at address 0x05 is 0.

[0216] The D7-D0 data at address 0x0E is information indicating the communication interval between bytes when the accessory 200 communicates using the SPI protocol A and when the D7 data at address 0x05 is 1.

[0217] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of information indicating a communication interval, where Fig. 10(a) shows the communication interval for data at address 0x0D, and Fig. 10(b) shows the communication interval for data at address 0x0E.

[0218] The D7-D0 data at address 0x0F is information indicating a checksum.

[0219] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the processing of the first camera control circuit 101 after the accessory 200 is attached to the camera 100 until the functions of the accessory 200 become enabled.

[0220] In step S401, the first camera control circuit 101 determines whether the signal level of the accessory attachment detection signal / ACC_DET is at a low level in order to check whether the accessory 200 is attached. If the signal level is at a low level and it is determined that the accessory 200 is attached, the process proceeds to step S402, and if the signal level is at a high level and it is determined that the accessory 200 is not attached, the process repeats the process of this step.

[0221] In step S402, the first camera control circuit 101 sets the signal level of the power supply control signal CNT_VACC1 to Hi level in order to turn on the output of the first accessory power supply circuit 131. When the signal level of the power supply control signal CNT_VACC1 is set to Hi level, the first accessory power supply circuit 131 outputs the voltage of the accessory power supply VACC.

[0222] In step S403, the first camera control circuit 101 determines whether the signal level of the overcurrent detection signal DET_OVC is at a low level in order to check whether an overcurrent is flowing. If it is determined that the overcurrent signal level is at a low level and no overcurrent is flowing, the process proceeds to step S404, and if it is determined that the signal level is at a high level and an overcurrent is flowing, the process proceeds to step S405.

[0223] In step S404, the first camera control circuit 101 determines whether the signal level of the communication request signal / WAKE from the accessory 200 is at a low level in order to check whether initialization of the accessory 200 is complete. If it is determined that the signal level is at a low level and initialization is complete, the process proceeds to step S406, and if it is determined that the signal level is at a high level and initialization is not complete, the process of this step is repeated.

[0224] In step S405, the first camera control circuit 101 performs error processing.

[0225] In step S406, the first camera control circuit 101 performs I2C communication (initial communication) with the accessory 200, and reads 15 bytes of accessory information.

[0226] In step S407, the first camera control circuit 101 determines, based on the accessory information read in step S406, whether or not the attached accessory 200 is a device compatible with the camera 100. If it is determined that the attached accessory 200 is compatible with the camera 100, the process proceeds to step S408, and if it is determined not to be compatible, the process proceeds to step S409.

[0227] In step S408, the first camera control circuit 101 sets the signal level of the power supply control signal CNT_VACC2 to Hi level in order to turn on the output of the second accessory power supply circuit 132. When the signal level of the power supply control signal CNT_VACC2 is set to Hi, the second accessory power supply circuit 132 outputs the voltage of the accessory power supply VACC. In this embodiment, when the signal levels of both the power supply control signals CNT_VACC1 and CNT_VACC2 are set to Hi level, the second accessory power supply circuit 132 outputs the voltage of the accessory power supply VACC.

[0228] In step S410, the first camera control circuit 101 notifies the second camera control circuit 102 of the accessory information read out in step S406.

[0229] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the processing of the second camera control circuit 102 after the accessory 200 is attached to the camera 100 until the function of the accessory 200 becomes enabled.

[0230] In step S501, the second camera control circuit 102 determines whether or not accessory information has been notified from the first camera control circuit 101. If it is determined that accessory information has been notified, the process proceeds to step S502, and if it is determined that accessory information has not been notified, the process repeats the processing of this step.

[0231] In step S502, the second camera control circuit 102 sets the function signals FNC1 to FNC4 based on the accessory information. For example, when it is notified that the accessory 200 is a microphone device, the function signals FNC1 to FNC3 are set to function as an audio data clock signal BCLK, an audio data channel signal LRCLK, and an audio data signal SDATA, respectively. When it is notified that the accessory 200 is a strobe device, the function FNC4 is set to function as a strobe light emission synchronization signal XOUT. Note that, even for function signals that do not require control for the accessory 200, predetermined settings are made so as not to impede the operations of the camera 100 and the accessory 200.

[0232] In step S503, the second camera control circuit 102 sets the control logic of the signal CS in the SPI communication based on the accessory information.

[0233] In step S504, the second camera control circuit 102 determines whether or not a predetermined event has occurred for the accessory 200. If it is determined that a predetermined event has occurred, the process proceeds to step S505, and if it is determined that a predetermined event has not occurred, the process repeats the process of this step.

[0234] In step S505, the second camera control circuit 102 determines whether the predetermined event for the accessory 200 is an event that requires SPI communication with the accessory 200. If it is determined that the event requires SPI communication, the process proceeds to step S506, and if it is determined that the event does not require SPI communication, the process proceeds to step S507.

[0235] In step S506, the second camera control circuit 102 performs SPI communication with the accessory 200. For example, if the accessory 200 is a microphone device, the SPI communication is instruction communication for turning on the microphone operation, instruction communication for turning off the microphone operation, instruction communication for switching the sound collection directivity of the microphone, instruction communication for switching the equalizer function of the microphone, etc. Also, if the accessory 200 is a strobe device, the SPI communication is communication for reading out setting information of the strobe, communication for notifying the strobe of the setting information, etc. After the processing of this step ends, the process returns to step S504.

[0236] In step S507, the second camera control circuit 102 determines whether the predetermined event for the accessory 200 is an event that performs control using a function signal. If it is determined that the predetermined event is an event that performs control using a function signal, the process proceeds to step S508, and if it is determined that the predetermined event is not an event that performs control using a function signal, the process proceeds to step S509.

[0237] In step S508, the second camera control circuit 102 performs control on the accessory 200 using the function signal. For example, if the accessory 200 is a microphone device, the control using the function signal is to start outputting the audio data clock signal BCLK and the audio data channel signal LRCLK, and to capture the audio data signal SDATA. This allows the camera 100 to acquire audio data from the accessory 200. Also, if the accessory 200 is a strobe device, the control using the function signal is to notify the strobe light emission synchronization signal XOUT at a predetermined timing. This allows the camera 100 to notify the strobe of a light emission instruction. After the processing of this step ends, the process returns to step S504.

[0238] In step S509, the second camera control circuit 102 performs in-camera control in response to a predetermined event for the accessory 200. For example, if the accessory 200 is a microphone device, the in-camera control is control of starting and ending recording of audio data into the recording memory 126, equalizer processing control for the audio data, etc. Also, if the accessory 200 is a strobe device, the in-camera control is photometry control for accumulating and acquiring light emitted by the strobe in the imaging sensor 122, calculation control of the light emission amount indication value of the strobe, etc. After the processing of this step ends, the process returns to step S504.

[0239] As described above, the camera 100 can control the attached accessory 200 in accordance with the flows of FIGS.

[0240] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the processing of the accessory control circuit 201 after the accessory 200 is attached to the camera 100 and before the functions of the accessory 200 start operating.

[0241] In step S601, the accessory control circuit 201 determines whether the accessory power supply VACC is turned on. If it is determined that the accessory power supply VACC is turned on, the process proceeds to step S601, and if it is determined that the accessory power supply VACC is not turned on, the process of this step is repeated. If the accessory 200 does not have a battery 205, the accessory control circuit 201 can determine that the accessory power supply VACC is turned on by starting its own operation. If the accessory 200 has a battery 205, the accessory control circuit 201 can determine whether the accessory power supply VACC is turned on by monitoring the voltage value of the accessory power supply VACC.

[0242] In step S602, the accessory control circuit 201 performs predetermined initial settings, such as setting the operating frequency of the microcomputer, setting the input / output control port of the microcomputer, initializing the timer function of the microcomputer, and initializing the interrupt function of the microcomputer.

[0243] In step S603, the accessory control circuit 201 sets the signal level of the communication request signal / WAKE to the Lo level in order to notify the camera 100 that the initial settings have been completed.

[0244] In step S604, the accessory control circuit 201 responds to the I2C communication from the camera 100 and transmits 15 bytes of accessory information.

[0245] In step S605, the accessory control circuit 201 sets the signal level of the communication request signal / WAKE to Hi level.

[0246] In step S606, the accessory control circuit 201 determines whether or not a predetermined event has occurred for the accessory 200. If it is determined that a predetermined event has occurred, the process proceeds to step S607, and if it is determined that a predetermined event has not occurred, the process repeats the process of this step.

[0247] In step S607, the accessory control circuit 201 determines whether the predetermined event for the accessory 200 is an event that requires SPI communication with the camera 100. If it is determined that the event requires SPI communication, the process proceeds to step S608, and if it is determined that the event does not require SPI communication, the process proceeds to step S609.

[0248] In step S608, the accessory control circuit 201 performs SPI communication with the camera 100. If the signal level of the communication request signal / WAKE is Lo level when the SPI communication is performed, the accessory control circuit 201 sets the signal level of the communication request signal / WAKE to Hi level after the SPI communication. For example, if the accessory 200 is a microphone device, the SPI communication is instruction communication for turning on the microphone operation, instruction communication for turning off the microphone operation, instruction communication for switching the microphone sound collection directivity, instruction communication for switching the microphone equalizer function, etc. Also, if the accessory 200 is a strobe device, the SPI communication is communication for reading out the setting information of the strobe, communication for notifying the strobe of the setting information, etc. After the processing of this step ends, the process returns to step S606.

[0249] In step S609, the accessory control circuit 201 determines whether the predetermined event for the accessory 200 is an event that requires I2C communication with the camera 100. If it is determined that the event requires I2C communication, the process proceeds to step S610, and if it is determined that the event does not require I2C communication, the process proceeds to step S611.

[0250] In step S610, the accessory control circuit 201 performs I2C communication with the camera 100. The I2C communication is, for example, communication to read out the cause of generation of a communication request signal / WAKE from the accessory control circuit 201 to the camera 100. After the processing of this step ends, the process returns to step S606.

[0251] In step S611, the accessory control circuit 201 determines whether or not the predetermined event for the accessory 200 is an event that performs control using a function signal. If it is determined that the predetermined event is an event that performs control using a function signal, the process proceeds to step S612, and if it is determined that the predetermined event is not an event that performs control using a function signal, the process proceeds to step S613.

[0252] In step S612, the accessory control circuit 201 controls the camera 100 using the function signal. For example, if the accessory 200 is a microphone device, the control using the function signal is control of reception of the audio data clock signal BCLK and the audio data channel signal LRCLK, and control of output of the audio data signal SDATA synchronized with these signals. Also, if the accessory 200 is a strobe device, the control using the function signal is control of reception of the strobe light emission synchronization signal XOUT. After the processing of this step ends, the process returns to step S606.

[0253] In step S613, the accessory control circuit 201 determines whether the predetermined event for the accessory 200 is an event for notifying the camera 100 by a communication request signal / WAKE. If it is determined that the predetermined event is an event for notifying the camera 100 by a communication request signal / WAKE, the process proceeds to step S614, and if it is determined that the predetermined event is not an event for notifying the camera 100 by a communication request signal / WAKE, the process proceeds to step S615.

[0254] In step S614, the accessory control circuit 201 first stores the cause number of a communication request signal / WAKE to the camera 100 in response to a predetermined event for the accessory 200 in a volatile memory (not shown) of the accessory 200. Next, the accessory control circuit 201 sets the signal level of the communication request signal / WAKE to the Lo level. After the processing of this step ends, the process returns to step S606.

[0255] In step S615, the accessory control circuit 201 performs in-accessory control in response to a predetermined event for the accessory 200. The in-accessory control is, for example, battery remaining capacity detection control when the accessory 200 has the battery 205, detection control of the operation unit 212, etc. After the processing of this step ends, the process returns to step S606.

[0256] As described above, the accessory 200 can perform its functions after being attached in accordance with the flow of FIG. EXAMPLES

[0257] In this embodiment, a menu calling operation of accessory 200 having a menu calling unit for requesting display of a menu screen for each attached accessory on display unit 127 of camera 200 will be described. In this embodiment, the menu calling unit is a push switch. Note that the menu calling unit may be a physical member, or may be at least a partial area of ​​a display unit (accessory side display unit) (not shown) provided on accessory 200.

[0258] First, a case will be described where accessory 200 is a strobe transmitter that wirelessly controls a strobe by radio waves, as an example of a case where setting information is held on the accessory 200 side. Operation unit 212 is composed only of a menu calling unit.

[0259] The accessory control circuit 201 performs processing according to the flow of FIG. 13 from when the accessory 200 is attached to the camera 100 until the functions of the accessory 200 start operating.

[0260] In step S604, the accessory control circuit 201 responds to the I2C communication from the camera 100 and transmits 15 bytes of accessory information. In this embodiment, since the accessory 200 is a strobe transmitter, the accessory type information is 0x80 in FIG.

[0261] When the menu calling section is operated, the accessory control circuit 201 stores the cause number of the communication request signal / WAKE to the camera 100 (0x00 corresponding to "menu calling section operation" in FIG. 9) in the volatile memory of the accessory 200 in step S614. Thereafter, the accessory control circuit 201 sets the signal level of the communication request signal / WAKE to the Lo level. After the processing of this step ends, the process returns to step S606.

[0262] In steps S606 and S607, the accessory control circuit 201 determines that the predetermined event is an event for reading the settings of the strobe transmitter that requires SPI communication, and performs communication to read the settings of the strobe transmitter. At that time, the accessory 200 transmits the setting information of the strobe transmitter stored in the accessory control circuit 201 to the camera 200.

[0263] The camera 100 uses the received setting information of the strobe transmitter to display a setting screen of the strobe transmitter (setting screen related to the strobe transmitter) on the display unit 127. The setting screen of the strobe transmitter is a screen for setting the main functions of the strobe transmitter. FIG. 14(a) is a diagram showing an example of setting information of the strobe transmitter. Information includes mode, wireless, SYNC, FEB, light emission amount, dimming amount, light emission, CH, RATIO, and Gr. GrA mode, GrA light emission amount / dimming amount, etc. are setting values ​​in mode Gr. In addition to the setting information of the strobe transmitter, custom setting information of the strobe transmitter is stored in address 0x0D. The series information and hierarchical information stored in addresses 0x0E and 0xF will be described in another embodiment.

[0264] 15(a) shows an example of a setting screen for a strobe transmitter. Table 1 shows an example of the hierarchical structure of the setting screen for a strobe transmitter.

[0265] [Table 1]

[0266] Reference numeral 1201 denotes a display frame of the display unit 127. Reference numeral 1202 denotes the title of the screen, indicating that this is a screen for setting the functions of the strobe transmitter. The display area below the title is divided into setting items. The item for which the setting is to be changed can be determined by operating an operation unit (not shown) of the camera 100 to move the cursor and pressing a SET button of the operation unit (not shown) at the desired cursor position. Reference numeral 1203 denotes an area showing the strobe light emission mode, and in FIG. 15(a) it shows ETTL, which is one of the light emission modes. Since the cursor is placed there, the frame line is thicker than the other items. As shown in FIG. 15(b), the light emission modes include manual (M), multiple light emission (MULTI), and group light emission (Gr) in addition to ETTL.

[0267] An area 1204 indicates wireless settings, and is grayed out because the strobe transmitter of this embodiment is only a radio wireless sender and cannot change the settings. An area 1205 indicates a strobe zoom position used by a strobe having a light-emitting unit capable of zoom driving, and is grayed out because the strobe transmitter of this embodiment does not have a light-emitting unit. An area 1206 indicates a sync setting, and indicates front curtain sync, rear curtain sync, high speed sync, etc. An area 1207 indicates the amount of light control. An area 1208 indicates FEB, which changes the amount of light control for each frame. An area 1209 indicates a radio wireless channel setting. An area 1210 indicates a setting for whether or not to emit light from the sender strobe, and is grayed out because the strobe transmitter of this embodiment cannot change the settings. An area 1211 indicates a RATIO setting, and when the mode is ETTL, ALL, A:B, or A:BC can be selected. An area 1212 indicates a radio wireless ID and is used to prevent malfunctions due to interference with other users.

[0268] When the SET button is pressed with the cursor placed in area 1203 as shown in FIG. 15(a), the second hierarchical layer screen for the light emission mode shown in FIG. 15(b) is displayed on the display unit 127. Reference numeral 1214 is the title of the screen, indicating that the light emission mode item is displayed on the screen. Reference numeral 1215 is an area showing the current setting. Reference numerals 1216 to 1219 are areas showing the options. The thick line in area 1216 indicates the cursor position. Area 1216 is black and areas 1217 to 1219 are gray, indicating that the current setting is ETTL.

[0269] When the operation unit of the camera 100 is operated to move the cursor to manual (M) in area 1217 and the SET button is pressed, the camera 100 sends a communication to change the setting to the strobe transmitter. In response, the strobe transmitter sends information on the amount of light emitted, and the camera 100 displays the screen shown in Fig. 15(c) on the display unit 127. On the setting screen of Fig. 15(c), areas 1207 and 1208 of Fig. 15(a) have disappeared. 1223 is an area showing the amount of light emitted. 1224 is a display showing the current setting value.

[0270] Next, a case where the accessory 200 is a microphone will be described as an example in which the accessory 200 does not hold setting information. The operation unit 212 is composed only of a menu calling unit.

[0271] The accessory control circuit 201 performs processing according to the flow of FIG. 13 from when the accessory 200 is attached to the camera 100 until the functions of the accessory 200 start operating.

[0272] In step S604, the accessory control circuit 201 transmits 15 bytes of accessory information in response to the I2C communication from the camera 100. In this embodiment, since the accessory 200 is a microphone, the accessory type information is 0x83 in FIG.

[0273] When the menu calling section is operated, the accessory control circuit 201 stores the cause number of the communication request signal / WAKE to the camera 100 (0x00 corresponding to "menu calling section operation" in FIG. 9) in the volatile memory of the accessory 200 in step S614. Thereafter, the accessory control circuit 201 sets the signal level of the communication request signal / WAKE to the Lo level. After the processing of this step ends, the process returns to step S606.

[0274] Since the microphone settings are held by camera 100, SPI communication is not performed, and camera 100 displays a microphone setting screen on display unit 127.

[0275] As described above, when accessory information is transmitted to the camera and the menu calling section is operated, information indicating that the cause of the communication request signal / WAKE is the operation of the menu calling section is stored on the accessory side. This allows a desired setting screen to be displayed on the display section 127 simply by operating the menu calling section, without operating the camera 100 to search for a setting screen appropriate for the accessory 200. Also, as described above, even if the accessory 200 holds the setting information, a desired setting screen can be easily displayed on the display section 127 by performing SPI communication. EXAMPLES

[0276] In this embodiment, a case where there are multiple screens to display will be described. The strobe transmitter setting screens that can be displayed on the camera 100 are a "strobe transmitter setting screen" and a "strobe transmitter custom setting screen." Since the two setting screens are not connected in a hierarchical structure, it is not possible to go to the "strobe transmitter setting screen" and then move to the "strobe transmitter custom setting screen" to change the settings.

[0277] First, the custom setting screen of the strobe transmitter will be described. Fig. 16(a) shows an example of the custom setting screen of the strobe transmitter. Fig. 17 is a diagram showing an example of the hierarchical structure of the custom setting screen of the strobe transmitter. On the custom setting screen, it is possible to set parts other than the main functions of the strobe transmitter, such as the auto power off setting. In this embodiment, there are only two hierarchical levels, and the setting is limited to two options, 0 and 1.

[0278] Reference numeral 1601 in FIG. 16 is the title of the screen, indicating that this is a screen for setting custom functions for the strobe transmitter. Reference numeral 1602 is a display showing the title of the item where the cursor is currently located, and 1603 is a display showing the current setting, indicating that the current setting is "0: Meter display". Reference numeral 1604 is a display showing the content currently displayed in the display 1303. Reference numeral 1605 is a custom function setting item represented by numbers 0 to 7, and 1606 is the setting value of each custom function setting item. Reference numeral 1608 is a display showing the number of the custom function setting where the cursor is located. Reference numerals 1607 and 1609 are displays for changing the content to be displayed.

[0279] When the SET button on the operation unit of the camera 100 is pressed with the cursor placed on display 1604 as in Fig. 16(a), the second hierarchical level screen for distance display shown in Fig. 16(b) is displayed on the display unit 127. 1610 is a display showing the cursor position, and indicates that the current setting is "0: meters display."

[0280] When the operation unit of the camera 100 is operated to move the cursor to "1: feet display" and the SET button is pressed, the camera 100 sends a communication to change the setting to the strobe transmitter. In response, the strobe transmitter updates the setting. The camera 100 then displays the screen shown in FIG. 16(c) on the display unit 127. Display 1603 becomes "1: meters display." The content of display 1604 has also changed.

[0281] Here, we will explain the series information stored at addresses 0x0E and 0xF in Fig. 14(a). The series information is information that indicates whether the series of the setting screen displayed on display unit 127 as shown in Fig. 14(b) is a strobe transmitter setting screen or a strobe transmitter custom setting screen.

[0282] In response to an operation on operation unit 212 assigned to each series, accessory control circuit 201 updates the series information at address 0x0E, and then makes a communication request to camera 100 and transmits the series information together with a cause to camera 100. This allows display unit 127 to display a setting screen for a desired series.

[0283] If operation unit 212 is configured as a single member from the viewpoint of cost and the size of accessory 200, a setting screen for a desired series may be displayed by having accessory control circuit 201 determine a plurality of operations on operation unit 212. For example, if operation unit 212 is a button, a setting screen for a strobe transmitter may be displayed when the button is pressed for a short time, and a custom setting screen for the strobe transmitter may be displayed when the button is pressed for a long time. Alternatively, a setting screen for a desired series may be displayed on display unit 127 by simply switching the series information at address 0x0E in response to pressing of the button. EXAMPLES

[0284] In this embodiment, a case will be described in which a screen of an arbitrary hierarchy other than the first hierarchy of the setting screen of the accessory 200 is called up using a menu calling section included in the operation section 212. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the accessory 200 is a strobe transmitter.

[0285] The hierarchical information stored at address 0x0E in Fig. 14(a) is information indicating which hierarchical level of the screen is to be called up in camera 100 when the menu call switch is operated as shown in Fig. 14(c). When the hierarchical information is, for example, the second hierarchical level, the data from D3 onwards at address 0x0E is information indicating which item in the second hierarchical level is. When the hierarchical information is the second hierarchical level and the first hierarchical level information in Fig. 14(d) is mode, the hierarchical level of the setting screen displayed on display unit 127 when the menu call unit is operated is the second hierarchical level of mode, and the second hierarchical level screen of the emission mode in Fig. 15(b) is displayed on display unit 127.

[0286] The operation when calling up the screen of the second hierarchical layer will be described below. Fig. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a custom setting screen of the strobe transmitter.

[0287] In this embodiment, "8: Menu call setting" has been added to the custom function setting items, and Fig. 18(a) shows the screen when the current setting is "8: Menu call setting". 1801, 1802, and 1803 respectively represent the sequence, hierarchy, and item to be called up in the menu call section.

[0288] When the SET button of the operation unit (not shown) of the camera 100 is pressed in the state of FIG. 18(a), the screen of FIG. 18(b) is displayed on the display unit 127. The user can select either a series, a hierarchy, or an item using a cursor 1804. When the SET button is pressed in the state of FIG. 18(b), the screen of FIG. 18(c) is displayed on the display unit 127. 1805 is an indication of the cursor position, and indicates that the current series is "Flash function setting". When the SET button is pressed in the state of FIG. 18(c), the screen of FIG. 18(d) is displayed on the display unit 127. When the cursor is operated on the screen of FIG. 18(d) and the SET button is pressed when the cursor position is at the hierarchy, the screen of FIG. 18(e) is displayed on the display unit 127. When the cursor is operated on the screen of FIG. 18(e) and the SET button is pressed when the cursor position is at 2, the screen of FIG. 18(f) is displayed on the display unit 127. The same applies to changing an item, and detailed explanations will be omitted in this embodiment.

[0289] As described above, by changing the series information, hierarchical information, and item information of accessory 200 to the desired settings using operation unit 212, it is possible to display a screen of a different series or a hierarchy deeper than the first hierarchy.

[0290] When resuming use of accessory 200, when the first operation is performed on operation unit 212, the setting screen displayed on display unit 127 may be the setting screen used last time, or the setting screen set by the user. EXAMPLES

[0291] In the first to third embodiments, the accessory 200 has a menu calling unit, but in this embodiment, the accessory 200 does not have a menu calling unit. In this embodiment, the accessory 200 is a strobe transmitter.

[0292] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of a custom setting screen of the strobe transmitter of this embodiment.

[0293] In this embodiment, "9: Call up menu" has been added to the custom function setting items, and Fig. 19(a) shows the screen when the current setting is "9: Call up menu". 1901 and 1902 are displays showing methods for calling up the setting screen and custom setting screen of the strobe transmitter, respectively. In this embodiment, when the SET button of the accessory 200 is pressed and held down, the accessory 200 sends a request to the camera 100 to call up the setting screen of the strobe transmitter. Also, when the SUBMENU button (not shown) of the accessory 200 is pressed and held down, the accessory 200 sends a request to the camera 100 to call up the custom setting screen of the strobe transmitter.

[0294] When the SET button of the operation unit (not shown) of the camera 100 is pressed in the state of FIG. 19(a), the screen of FIG. 19(b) is displayed on the display unit 127. The user can select function setting and custom function setting using a cursor 1902. When the SET button is pressed in the state of FIG. 19(b), the screen of FIG. 19(c) is displayed on the display unit 127. 1903 is an indication showing the cursor position. The user can select whether to change the button setting or the operation setting. When the SET button is pressed in the state of FIG. 19(c), the screen of FIG. 19(d) is displayed on the display unit 127. On the screen of FIG. 19(d), the user can operate the cursor and select which button to assign the menu call of the flash function setting to. Other items can be selected in the same manner.

[0295] After the user completes the settings, the camera 100 transmits the settings to the accessory 200, and the accessory 200 updates the settings. After that, the accessory 200 performs control based on the updated information, so that even an accessory that does not have a menu calling unit can be assigned a menu calling function. When detailed settings such as hierarchical information are required, the method described in this embodiment and the method described in the third embodiment can be combined.

[0296] As described above, even in the case of accessory 200 that does not have a menu calling section, by operating an existing button and assigning a menu calling function, the menu of accessory 200 can be displayed on camera 100. As a result, even when changing settings using display section 127 and an operation section of camera 100, the menu of accessory 200 can be easily displayed.

[0297] If the accessory 200 is provided with a display unit and an operation unit, the menu call operation may be executed when a predetermined screen (for example, a screen in the first hierarchical layer) is displayed on the display unit of the accessory 200. This makes it possible to prevent malfunctions. Also, if the accessory 200 is not attached to the camera 100 and an operation requesting a menu call is performed, information such as "Camera not connected" may be displayed on the display unit of the accessory 200.

[0298] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0299] In the above embodiments, an image pickup device has been described as an example of an electronic device, but the electronic device according to the present invention includes various electronic devices other than an image pickup device.

[0300] In the above embodiment, the accessory 200 is directly attached to the camera 100, but other embodiments may be used. For example, the camera 100 and the main accessory may communicate with each other via a main accessory corresponding to the accessory 200 and an intermediate accessory such as an adapter device to which the camera 100 is attached. In such a case, the intermediate accessory may execute communication control similar to at least a part of the communication control executed by the accessory 200 and the communication control executed by the camera 100 described in the above embodiment. Alternatively, the intermediate accessory may function as an information transmission path, such as outputting information corresponding to information input from the camera 100 to the main accessory and outputting information corresponding to information input from the main accessory to the camera 100. As described above, the accessory in the present invention includes various accessories such as a microphone device, a lighting device, and an adapter device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0301] 100 Camera (imaging device) 127 Display section 200 Accessories 211 Accessory connection section (communication section) 212 Operation section

Claims

1. An accessory that is detachable from an electronic device having a display unit, A communication unit including a plurality of terminals and capable of communicating with the electronic device; An operation unit, An accessory characterized in that, when a predetermined operation is performed on the operation unit after transmitting information indicating the type of the accessory to the electronic device, the communication unit transmits a first signal indicating a communication request to the electronic device via a first terminal among the multiple terminals, and transmits a second signal indicating a request for the display unit to display a setting screen related to the accessory in accordance with the signal received after transmitting the first signal to the electronic device via a second terminal among the multiple terminals different from the first terminal.

2. The accessory according to claim 1 , further comprising a storage unit for storing information indicating a type of the accessory.

3. The accessory described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when the accessory holds information necessary to display the setting screen on the display unit, the communication unit sends a request to display the setting screen on the display unit and also sends the necessary information to the electronic device.

4. The accessory of claim 3 , wherein the necessary information includes configuration information for the accessory.

5. the display unit is capable of displaying, as the setting screen, a first setting screen and a second setting screen that is different from the first setting screen in at least one of a series and a hierarchy, 5. The accessory according to claim 3, wherein the necessary information includes setting information of the accessory, and information related to the first setting screen or the second setting screen.

6. the display unit is capable of displaying, as the setting screen, a first setting screen and a second setting screen that is different from the first setting screen in at least one of a series and a hierarchy, The accessory according to claim 1 , wherein an operation on the operation unit for displaying the first setting screen is different from an operation on the operation unit for displaying the second setting screen.

7. the display unit is capable of displaying, as the setting screen, a first setting screen and a second setting screen that is different from the first setting screen in at least one of a series and a hierarchy, The accessory according to claim 1 , wherein the first setting screen and the second setting screen are switched every time the same operation is performed on the operation unit.

8. 8. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined operation on the operation unit is at least one of a short press, a long press, a double click, simultaneous pressing of a plurality of operation units, a dial operation, and a combination of these operations.

9. the display unit is capable of displaying, as the setting screen, a first setting screen and a second setting screen that is different from the first setting screen in at least one of a series and a hierarchy, An accessory as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that when the first operation is performed on the operation unit after the communication unit transmits information indicating the type of the accessory to the electronic device, the display unit displays a setting screen in the last used state or a setting screen set by the user.

10. The accessory according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the operation unit is a push switch.

11. The accessory further includes an accessory-side display unit, The accessory according to claim 1 , wherein the operation section is at least a partial area of ​​the accessory-side display section.

12. The accessory according to claim 1 , wherein the operation unit is operated to execute a function different from a function of transmitting a request to display the setting screen on the display unit.

13. The accessory according to claim 12 , wherein an operation for executing a function of transmitting a request for displaying the setting screen on the display unit is different from an operation for executing the different function.

14. The accessory further includes an accessory-side display unit, The accessory according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the communication unit transmits a request for causing the display unit to display the setting screen when a predetermined screen is displayed on the accessory-side display unit.

15. The electronic device is an imaging device, The accessory according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the accessory is attached to an accessory shoe portion of the electronic device.

16. An electronic device to which an accessory is detachably attached, A communication unit including a plurality of terminals and capable of communicating with the accessory; a display unit capable of displaying a setting screen relating to the accessory, an electronic device characterized in that after the communication unit receives information indicating the type of the accessory, it receives a first signal indicating a communication request via a first terminal among the multiple terminals, and when it receives a second signal indicating a request for the display unit to display the setting screen via a second terminal among the multiple terminals that is different from the first terminal, the display unit displays the setting screen.

17. 17. The electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the communication unit receives a request for displaying the setting screen on the display unit, and receives setting information required for displaying the setting screen on the display unit.

18. the setting information includes information on a first setting screen or a second setting screen that is different from the first setting screen in at least one of a series and a hierarchy, 18. The electronic device according to claim 17, wherein the display unit displays the first setting screen or the second setting screen as the setting screen in accordance with the setting information.

19. The electronic device is an imaging device, 19. The electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the accessory is attached to an accessory shoe portion of the electronic device.

20. An accessory according to any one of claims 1 to 15; A display system comprising the electronic device according to any one of claims 16 to 19.

Images