Electronic devices and accessories

Abstract

This reduces the occurrence of communication errors caused by non-contact of some terminals when an accessory is attached. [Solution] An electronic device (100) has an accessory (200) detachably attached thereto, and has a plurality of contacts (TC01-TC21) arranged in a row to be electrically connected to the accessory. The plurality of contacts includes an attachment detection contact (TC06) used to detect attachment of the accessory to the electronic device, and a communication request contact (TC11) used to request communication from the accessory to the electronic device. The attachment detection contact and the communication request contact are arranged between the contact closest to one end and the contact closest to the other end in the arrangement direction of the plurality of contacts, and the attachment detection contact is arranged between the communication request contact and the contact closest to the one end. In the arrangement direction of the contacts, the distance between the attachment detection contact and the communication request contact is shorter than the distance between the communication request contact and the contact closest to the other end.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device and an accessory having contacts used for communication, wearing detection, etc.

Background Art

[0002] An accessory such as a lighting device is attached to an accessory shoe provided on an electronic device such as a camera. As disclosed in Patent Document 1, the accessory shoe is provided with a plurality of contacts (terminals) for detecting the attachment of the accessory to the camera and for communicating between the camera and the accessory.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, if the contact of these contacts is separated during the operation of the electronic device and the accessory, it may cause malfunction. In particular, if the contact of the communication contact between the electronic device and the accessory remains separated even though the contact for detecting the attachment of the accessory to the electronic device is in contact, a communication error will occur.

[0005] The present invention provides an electronic device and an accessory capable of reducing the occurrence of communication errors caused by some terminals becoming non-contact when the accessory is attached.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An electronic device according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that an accessory is detachably attached. An electronic device having an accessory attachment portion, wherein the accessory attachment portion has a plurality of contacts arranged in a first direction orthogonal to the direction in which the accessory is attached, and a pair of engaging portions spaced apart in the first direction. The plurality of contacts include communication request contacts used for a communication request from the accessory to the electronic device, and the communication request contacts are closer to the middle of the pair of engaging portions than any of the plurality of contacts in the first direction. This is the feature.

[0007] Also, an accessory as one aspect of the present invention is detachably attached to an electronic device An accessory having an attachment portion, the attachment portion having a plurality of contacts arranged in a first direction orthogonal to the direction of attachment to the electronic device, the plurality of contacts including a first contact connected to a reference potential, and a second contact that starts communication with the electronic device by changing the potential to a lower level when the first contact is connected to the electronic device and does not change the potential to a lower level when the first contact is not connected to the electronic device, and the second contact is closer to the center of the attachment portion than any of the plurality of contacts in the first direction. and is characterized by this. Note that a system including the above-described electronic device and the above-described accessory also constitutes another aspect of the present invention.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of communication errors due to some terminals becoming non-contact when an accessory is attached to an electronic device.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] FIG. 1 shows the electrical configuration of a camera 100 as an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention and an accessory 200 detachably attached thereto. The camera 100 and the accessory 200 are electrically connected by a one-to-one contact between a plurality of contacts (terminals) TC01 to TC21 of a camera connection portion 141 provided in the camera 100 and a plurality of contacts TA01 to TA21 of an accessory connection portion 211 provided in the accessory 200.

[0012] The camera 100 is supplied with power from a battery 111. The battery 111 is detachable from the camera 100. The camera control circuit 101 as a control means of the camera 100 is a circuit that controls the entire camera 100 and is constituted by a microcomputer incorporating a CPU or the like.

[0013] The system power supply circuit 112 is a circuit that generates a power supply for each circuit of the camera 100 and is constituted by a DC-DC converter circuit, an LDO (Low Drop Out), a charge pump circuit, and the like. A voltage of 1.8 V generated by the system power supply circuit 112 is constantly supplied as the camera microcomputer power supply VMCU_C from the battery 111 to the camera control circuit 101. The 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 detachable from the camera 100. The light from the subject incident through the optical lens 121 is imaged on an imaging sensor 122 composed of a CMOS sensor, a CCD sensor, or the like. 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 a JPEG format or the like in order to record the image data in the recording memory 126. Further, the image processing circuit 123 generates VRAM image data for display on the display circuit 127 from the image data.

[0015] The memory control circuit 124 controls the transmission and reception of image data and other data generated by the image processing circuit 123 and the like. The volatile memory 125 is a memory capable of high-speed reading and writing such as DDR3 SDRAM, and is used for the workspace of image processing performed by the image processing circuit 123 and the like. The recording memory 126 is a recordable medium such as an SD card or a CFexpress card that can be attached to and detached from the camera 100 via a connection portion (not shown). The display circuit 127 is a display arranged on the back 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 circuit 127 by changing the light amount of the backlight of the display circuit 127.

[0016] The accessory power supply circuit A131 and the accessory power supply circuit B132 as power supply means are each voltage conversion circuits that convert the voltage supplied from the system power supply circuit 112 into a predetermined voltage. In this embodiment, 3.3V is generated as the accessory power supply VACC.

[0017] The accessory power supply circuit A131 is a power supply circuit with low self-consumption power composed of an LDO or the like. The accessory power supply circuit B132 is composed of a DC / DC converter circuit or the like and is a circuit that can pass a larger current than the accessory power supply circuit A131. Note that the self-consumption power of the accessory power supply circuit B132 is larger than that of the accessory power supply circuit A131. For this reason, when the load current is small, the accessory power supply circuit A131 is more efficient than the accessory power supply circuit B132, and when the load current is large, the accessory power supply circuit B132 is more efficient than the accessory power supply circuit A131. The camera control circuit 101 controls the on / off of the voltage output of the accessory power supply circuit A131 and the accessory power supply circuit B132 according to the operating state of the accessory 200.

[0018] The protection circuit 133 as a protection means is composed of a current fuse element, a polyswitch element, or an electronic fuse circuit formed by combining a resistor, an amplifier, and a switch element. When the power supply current value supplied from the accessory power supply circuit A131 and the accessory power supply circuit B132 to the accessory 200 exceeds a predetermined value and becomes excessive (abnormal), an overcurrent detection signal DET_OVC is output. In this embodiment, the protection circuit 133 is an electronic fuse circuit, and when a current of 1 A or more flows, a notification is made to the camera control circuit 101 with the overcurrent detection signal DET_OVC. The overcurrent detection signal DET_OVC indicates an overcurrent by a Hi level.

[0019] The camera connection part 141 is a connector for making an electrical connection with the accessory 200 via 21 contacts TC01 to TC21 arranged in a row. The contacts TC01 to TC21 are arranged in this order from one end to the other end in the arrangement direction.

[0020] TC01 is connected to the ground (GND), and serves not only as a contact of the reference potential (GND potential) but also as a contact for controlling the wiring impedance of the differential signal D1N and the differential signal D1P described below. TC01 corresponds to the third ground contact.

[0021] The differential signal D1N connected to TC02 and the differential signal D1P connected to TC03 are differential data communication signals that perform data communication in pairs and are connected to the camera control circuit 101. TC02, TC03, TC07 to TC17, TC19, and TC20 described below are communication contacts.

[0022] TC04 as the first ground contact is connected to GND and becomes a contact of the reference potential between the camera 100 and the accessory 200. TC04 is arranged outside in the contact arrangement direction compared to TC05 described below.

[0023] The accessory power supply VACC generated by the accessory power supply circuits A131 and B132 is connected to TC05 as a power supply contact via the protection circuit 133.

[0024] The accessory attachment detection signal / ACC_DET is connected to TC06 as an attachment detection contact. The accessory attachment detection signal / ACC_DET is pulled up to the camera microcomputer power supply VMCU_C via the resistance element Rp134 (10 kΩ). The camera control circuit 101 can detect the presence or absence of the accessory 200 by reading the signal level of the accessory attachment detection signal / ACC_DET. If the signal level (potential) of the accessory attachment detection signal / ACC_DET is at the Hi level (predetermined potential), it is detected that the accessory 200 is not attached, and if it is at the Lo level (GND potential as described later), it is detected that the accessory 200 is in the attached state.

[0025] When the power of the camera 100 is turned on, the change of the signal level (potential) of the accessory attachment detection signal / ACC_DET from the Hi level to the Lo level serves as a trigger, and various transmissions via contacts are performed between the camera 100 and the accessory 200.

[0026] In response to detecting that the accessory 200 is in the attached state, the camera control circuit 101 supplies power to the accessory 200 via TC05 as a power supply contact.

[0027] SCLK connected to TC07, MOSI connected to TC08, MISO connected to TC09, and CS connected to TC10 are signals for the camera control circuit 101 to perform SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) communication as a communication master. In this embodiment, the communication clock frequency of the SPI communication is set to 1 MHz.

[0028] TC11 is connected to a communication request signal / WAKE for requesting communication from the accessory 200 to the camera control circuit 101. The communication request signal / WAKE is pulled up to the camera microcomputer power supply VMCU_C via a resistor. The camera control circuit 101 can receive a communication request from the accessory 200 by detecting the falling edge of the communication request signal / WAKE.

[0029] SDA connected to TC12 and SCL connected to TC13 are signals for the camera control circuit 101 to perform I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) communication as a communication master. SDA and SCL are signals for open-drain communication (hereinafter referred to as open-drain communication) pulled up to the camera microcomputer power supply VMCU_C. In this embodiment, the communication frequency is set to 100 kbps.

[0030] In I2C communication, data transmission from the camera 100 and data transmission from the accessory 200 are both performed via SDA. Comparing SPI communication and I2C communication, I2C communication has a lower communication speed than SPI communication and can perform communication with low power consumption. Also, since SPI communication has a higher communication speed than I2C communication, it is suitable for communicating 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, first, data is communicated using I2C communication, and when SPI communication can be executed or needs to be executed based on this data, further control can be performed to execute SPI communication.

[0031] The FNC1 signal connected to TC14 (synchronous contact), the FNC2 signal connected to TC15, the FNC3 signal connected to TC16, and the FNC4 signal connected to TC17 are signals whose functions can be changed according to the type of the attached accessory 200. For example, when the accessory 200 is a microphone device, the signal communicated via TC15 becomes an audio data signal. Also, when the accessory 200 is an illumination (strobe or flash) device, the signal communicated via TC14 becomes a signal for controlling the light emission timing. Note that depending on the type of the attached accessory, signals that realize different functions may be communicated via the same contact. For example, when the accessory 200 is an accessory other than an illumination device, a synchronization signal for controlling a timing different from the light emission timing may be communicated via TC14. TC14 to TC17 correspond to function signal contacts. Communication using at least any one of the function signal contacts is also referred to as function signal communication.

[0032] Function signal communication can execute communication at a timing independent of I2C communication and SPI communication, in parallel with I2C communication and SPI communication.

[0033] The type of accessory here refers to the above-mentioned microphone device, illumination device, etc. Accessories that realize the same-purpose functions, such as illuminations with different performances, are of the same type of accessory. Accessories that realize different-purpose functions, such as a microphone device and an illumination device, are of different types of accessories.

[0034] Function signal communication is executed based on information acquired by I2C communication or SPI communication.

[0035] TC18 as the second ground contact (reference potential contact) is also connected to GND, and like TC04, it is a contact that becomes the reference potential of the camera 100 and the accessory 200.

[0036] The differential signal D2N connected to TC19 (the first differential signal contact) and the differential signal D2P connected to TC20 (the second differential signal contact) are data communication signals that perform data communication in pairs and are connected to the camera control circuit 101. It is possible to perform, for example, USB communication via TC19 and TC20.

[0037] TC21 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 signal D2N and the differential signal D2P. TC21 corresponds to the fourth ground contact. The contacts TC01, TC04, TC06, TC18, and TC21 are connected to, for example, the GND portion of the flexible substrate 158 shown in FIG. 17 described later, and the GND portion of the flexible substrate 158 is fixed with a metallic member having the GND level of the camera 100 and a screw 157 or the like. The metallic member having the GND level includes, for example, an engagement member 151 and a base plate (not shown) inside the camera 100.

[0038] In this embodiment, a mounting detection contact TC06 to which an accessory mounting detection signal / ACC_DET is connected is arranged adjacent to a contact (the first clock contact) TC07 that transmits the clock signal SCLK (the first clock signal). Generally, noise (clock noise) associated with the potential fluctuation of the clock signal is transmitted to a contact adjacent to the contact of the clock signal, which may cause malfunction. In particular, in a configuration with a large number of contacts and a short distance between contacts as in this embodiment, the influence becomes greater. Therefore, by arranging the mounting detection contact TC06 adjacent to the SCLK contact TC07, the influence of the clock noise can be suppressed.

[0039] The accessory mounting detection signal / ACC_DET is pulled up before the accessory is mounted, but is set to the GND potential after the accessory is mounted. On the other hand, the SCLK contact TC07 that transmits the clock signal does not transmit the clock signal before the accessory is mounted, so there is no potential fluctuation, and the potential fluctuates only after the accessory is mounted in order to transmit the clock signal.

[0040] When the SCLK contact TC07 transmits a clock signal, the mounting detection contact TC06 is at the GND potential. Therefore, even if the mounting detection contact TC06 receives clock noise, the potential of the control circuits of the camera 100 and the accessory 200 is less likely to fluctuate, so malfunction can be prevented. Also, it is possible to suppress the transmission of clock noise to a position farther from the mounting detection contact TC06. As a result, it is not necessary to arrange a GND terminal, so the influence of clock noise can be suppressed without increasing the number of contacts.

[0041] Also, an SCL (second clock signal) as a clock signal is transmitted to the contact (second clock contact) TC13. However, the SCLK transmitted to the SCLK contact TC07 has a higher frequency than the SCL, and more clock noise is generated from the SCLK contact TC07 than from the SCL contact TC13. For this reason, it is more effective in preventing malfunction due to clock noise to arrange the mounting detection contact TC06 next to the SCLK contact TC07 rather than next to the SCL contact TC13.

[0042] Furthermore, not only is there a difference in frequency, but the SCL transmitted at the SCL contact TC13 is a clock signal of the I2C communication standard, and the voltage fluctuation of the signal line is driven by an open drain connection. On the other hand, the SCLK transmitted at the SCLK contact TC07 is a clock signal of the SPI communication standard, and the voltage fluctuation of the signal line is driven by a CMOS output. For this reason, the edge of the voltage fluctuation is more likely to be gentle at the SCL contact TC13 than at the SCLK contact TC07, and clock noise is less likely to occur. Therefore, it is more effective in preventing malfunction due to clock noise to arrange the mounting detection contact TC06 next to the SCLK contact TC07 rather than next to the SCL contact TC13.

[0043] Also, differential signals D1N and D1P may be transmitted in pairs to the first and second differential signal contacts TC19 and TC20, and a clock signal may be transmitted. In that case, a clock signal (third clock signal) with a higher frequency than the SCLK contact TC07 or the SCL contact TC13 may be transmitted. However, since the differential signals D1N and D1P are paired signals, the radiation of clock noise is less than that of the SCLK contact TC07 or the SCL contact TC13 that transmits single-ended signals. Therefore, it is more effective to prevent malfunction due to clock noise by arranging the mounting detection contact TC06 next to the SCLK contact TC07 instead of next to the first and second differential signal contacts TC19 and TC20.

[0044] Note that a contact (first data contact) TC08 arranged next to the SCLK contact TC07 on the side opposite to the mounting detection contact TC06 transmits MOSI (first data signal). Since MOSI is a data signal, it seems to be easily affected by clock noise. However, since MOSI is a data signal of the same SPI communication standard as the clock signal transmitted at the SCLK contact TC07, the potential fluctuation timing is synchronized with the clock signal and is not easily affected by clock noise. Therefore, the contact TC08 does not need to be fixed to the GND potential and can be used as a MOSI contact.

[0045] The accessory 200 has a battery 205, receives power supply from the battery 205, and also receives power supply from the camera 100 via the camera connection portion 141 and the accessory connection portion 211. The accessory control circuit 201 as the control means of the accessory 200 is a circuit that controls the entire accessory 200 and is a microcomputer incorporating a CPU or the like.

[0046] The accessory power circuit 202 is a circuit that generates power for each circuit of the accessory 200, and is composed of a DCDC converter circuit, an LDO, a charge pump circuit, etc. The accessory control circuit 201 is constantly supplied with the voltage of 1.8V generated by the accessory power circuit 202 as the accessory microcomputer power supply VMCU_A. By controlling the accessory power circuit 202, on / off control of the power supply to each circuit of the accessory 200 is performed.

[0047] The charging circuit 204 is a circuit for charging the battery 205 using the power supplied from the camera 100. When the accessory control circuit 201 can determine that sufficient power is supplied from the camera 100 to perform the charging operation, it controls the charging circuit 204 to charge the battery 205. In this embodiment, the case where the battery 205 is attached to the accessory 200 is described, but the accessory 200 may operate only with power supply from the camera 100 without the battery 205 being attached. In this case, the charging circuit 204 becomes unnecessary.

[0048] The differential communication circuit 207 is a circuit for performing differential communication with the camera 100, and can transmit and receive data with the camera 100. The external communication IF circuit 208 is an IF circuit for performing data communication with an external device (not shown), and includes an Ethernet communication IF, a wireless LAN communication IF, a public network communication IF, etc.

[0049] The accessory control circuit 201 can transmit the data received from the camera 100 to an external device or transmit the data received from the external device to the camera 100 by controlling the differential communication circuit 207 and the external communication IF circuit 208. The functional circuit 206 is a circuit having different functions according to the type of the accessory 200. A configuration example of the functional circuit 206 will be described later.

[0050] The external connection terminal 209 is a connector terminal for connecting to an external device, and in this embodiment, it is a USB TYPE-C connector. The connection detection circuit 210 is a circuit for detecting 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 the output signal of the connection detection circuit 210.

[0051] 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 and the off position by reading the signal level of the terminal to which the power switch 203 is connected.

[0052] The accessory connection part 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 from one end to the other end in the arrangement direction thereof.

[0053] TA01 is connected to GND, and it not only serves as a reference potential contact but also serves as a contact for controlling the wiring impedance of the differential signal D1N and the differential signal D1P. TA01 corresponds to the third ground contact.

[0054] The differential signal D1N connected to TA02 and the differential signal D1P connected to TA03 are data communication signals that perform data communication in a pair, and are connected to the differential communication circuit 207. TA02, TA03, TA07 to TA17, TA19, and TA20 described later are communication contacts.

[0055] TA04 as the first ground contact is connected to GND and becomes the reference potential contact between the camera 100 and the accessory 200. TA04 is arranged outside in the contact arrangement direction compared to TA05 described next.

[0056] An accessory power circuit 202 and a charging circuit 204 are connected to TA05 as a power contact, and an accessory power VACC supplied from the camera 100 is connected.

[0057] TA06 as a mounting detection contact is directly connected to GND, and when the accessory 200 is mounted on the camera 100, the above-mentioned accessory mounting detection signal / ACC_DET is set to the GND level as the Lo level. Thereby, it becomes a contact for detecting the mounting of the accessory 200 on the camera 100.

[0058] SCLK connected to TA07, MOSI connected to TA08, MISO connected to TA09, and CS connected to TA10 are signals for the accessory control circuit 201 to perform SPI communication as a communication slave.

[0059] A communication request signal / WAKE for the accessory control circuit 201 to request communication with the camera 100 is connected to TA11. When the accessory control circuit 201 determines that communication with the camera 100 is necessary, it outputs the communication request signal / WAKE at Lo level to make a communication request to the camera 100.

[0060] When the camera control circuit 101 supplies power to the accessory 200 via TC5 in response to detecting that the accessory 200 is in a mounted state, the accessory control circuit 201 notifies the camera control circuit 101 that it has received power supply by changing the signal level (potential) of the communication request signal / WAKE from Hi level to Lo level.

[0061] Even when there is no request from the camera, the accessory control circuit 201 can notify that a factor for the accessory 200 to communicate with the camera 100 has occurred by changing the signal level (potential) of the communication request signal / WAKE from the Hi level to the Lo level. With this configuration, the camera control circuit 101 can omit the operation of periodically checking whether a factor for communicating with the accessory 200 has occurred by polling. Also, when a factor for communication occurs, the accessory 200 can communicate that fact to the camera 100 in real time.

[0062] SDA connected to TA12 and SCL connected to TA13 are signals for the accessory control circuit 201 to function as a communication slave and perform I2C communication.

[0063] The FNC1 signal connected to TA14 (synchronous contact), the FNC2 signal connected to TA15, the FNC3 signal connected to TA16, and the FNC4 signal connected to TA17 are signals whose functions can be changed according to the type of the accessory 200. For example, when the accessory 200 is a microphone device, it becomes an audio data signal, and when the accessory 200 is a strobe device, it becomes a signal for controlling the light emission timing. TA14 to TA17 correspond to function signal contacts.

[0064] TA18 as the second ground contact (reference potential contact) is also connected to GND and serves as the reference potential contact between the camera 100 and the accessory 200, similar to TA04.

[0065] The differential signal D2N connected to TA19 (the first differential signal contact) and the differential signal D2P connected to TA20 (the second differential signal contact) are data communication signals that perform data communication as a pair and are connected to the external connection terminal 209.

[0066] TA21 is connected to GND and serves not only as a reference potential contact but also as a terminal for controlling the wiring impedance of differential signals D2N and D2P. TA21 corresponds to the fourth ground contact.

[0067] Contacts TA01, TA04, TA06, TA18, and TA21 are connected to the GND portion of the flexible substrate 259 shown in FIG. 19 described later, for example, and the GND portion of the flexible substrate 259 is fixed to a metallic member at the GND level of the accessory 200 and a screw (not shown) or the like with a screw or the like. Examples of the metallic member at the GND level include the shoe mounting leg 251 and a base plate (not shown) inside the accessory 200.

[0068] FIG. 2(a) shows a state in which an accessory connection portion 211 disposed on a shoe provided at the lower part of an accessory (strobe device) 200 is connected to a camera connection portion 141 disposed on a shoe provided at the upper part of the camera 100. FIG. 2(b) shows an arrangement example of 21 contacts TC01 to TC21 in the camera connection portion 141. TC01 is disposed at the right end as viewed from the subject side, and 21 contacts up to TC21 are arranged in a row. With respect to the accessory shoe having this camera connection portion 141, the accessory shoe is slid and mounted from the upper side to the lower side in FIG. 2(b).

[0069] FIG. 2(c) shows an arrangement example of 21 contacts TA01 to TA21 in the accessory connection portion 211. Similar to the camera connection portion 141, TA01 is disposed at the right end as viewed from the subject side, and 21 contacts up to TA21 are arranged in a row. Normally, contacts TA01 to TA21 and corresponding contacts TC01 to TC21 contact each other. However, when excessive static pressure or impact is applied to the accessory 200, the contact between the contacts may be separated. In particular, when a rotational force acts on the accessory 200 in the direction in which the contacts are arranged, contact separation is likely to occur at the end contacts.

[0070] Fig. 3(a) exaggeratedly shows a state where excessive static pressure is applied to the accessory 200 from the left as viewed from the subject side. At this time, a force acts in a direction to separate the contacts TC21, TA21 of the camera connection portion 141 and the accessory connection portion 211 and the contacts in their vicinity, making it easy for a contact failure to occur. On the other hand, a force acts in a direction to contact more compared to the normal state on the contacts TC01, TA01 and the contacts in their vicinity.

[0071] Fig. 3(b) exaggeratedly shows a state where excessive static pressure is applied to the accessory 200 from the right as viewed from the subject side. At this time, a force acts in a direction to separate the contacts TC01, TA01 of the camera connection portion 141 and the accessory connection portion 211 and the contacts in their vicinity, making it easy for a contact failure to occur. On the other hand, a force acts in a direction to contact more compared to the normal state on the contacts TC21, TA21 and the contacts in their vicinity.

[0072] In this embodiment, the contacts TC01, TA01 and TC21, TA21 at both ends of the camera connection portion 141 and the accessory connection portion 211 are connected to GND. Thereby, even when a contact failure occurs temporarily at the contacts at one end due to excessive static pressure, a GND connection can be ensured at the contacts at the other end. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the risk that the reference potential of the accessory 200 becomes unstable due to a GND connection failure, and as a result, each circuit and electrical element is damaged.

[0073] Also, when an accessory 200 without some GND contacts is attached due to a defect failure or the like of the accessory connection portion 211, the camera control circuit 101 cannot detect that some GND contacts are missing. In such a case, the operating current concentrates on the remaining GND contacts, and in some cases, there is a concern that the accessory 200 may malfunction.

[0074] Fig. 4A is an example of a configuration for enabling the camera 100 to detect the connection state of the GND contacts of the accessory 200, and shows an excerpt of the portion related to the ground contacts from the configuration shown in Fig. 1.

[0075] TC01, TC04, TC18, and TC21 are respectively connected to the input terminals P1, P2, P3, and P4 of the camera control circuit 101, and are pulled up to the camera microcomputer power supply VM CU_C via resistors 1011Rp_g1, 1021Rp_g2, 1031Rp_g3, and 1041Rp_g4. Also, SW circuit 1 (1012), SW circuit 2 (1022), SW circuit 3 (1032), and SW circuit 4 (1042) are respectively connected to TC01, TC04, TC18, and TC21.

[0076] SW circuit 1 is a switch circuit driven by the control signal of the camera control circuit 101. When it is turned on by the control signal, TC01 is connected to GND. SW circuit 1 is preferably composed of, for example, an FET, and a circuit with the impedance as small as possible when operating on and as large as possible when operating off is desirable. SW circuits 2, 3, and 4 also have the same configuration as SW circuit 1 as shown in Fig. 4A.

[0077] The flowchart of Fig. 4B shows the sequence for determining the connection state of the ground terminal in the configuration shown in Fig. 4A. The camera control circuit 101 executes this process and other processes described later according to a computer program. S means step.

[0078] In S1001, the camera control circuit 101 monitors the signal level of the accessory attachment detection signal / ACC_DET and determines whether the accessory 200 is attached. If the signal level is Hi, the camera control circuit 101 returns to S1001 and detects again, assuming that the accessory 200 is not attached. If the signal level is Lo, it proceeds to S1002, assuming that the accessory 200 is attached.

[0079] In S1002, the camera control circuit 101 controls to turn on SW circuit 1 and turn off SW circuits 2, 3, and 4 respectively.

[0080] In S1003, the camera control circuit 101 checks the voltage level of the input terminal P1. If it is at the Lo level, it determines that TC01 is connected to the ground contact; if it is at the Hi level, it determines that it is not connected to the ground contact.

[0081] Next, in S1004, the camera control circuit 101 controls to turn on the SW circuit 2 and turn off the SW circuits 1, 3, and 4 respectively.

[0082] In S1005, the camera control circuit 101 checks the voltage level of the input terminal P2. If it is at the Lo level, it determines that TC04 is connected to the ground contact; if it is at the Hi level, it determines that it is not connected to the ground contact.

[0083] Next, in S1006, the camera control circuit 101 controls to turn on the SW circuit 3 and turn off the SW circuits 1, 2, and 4 respectively.

[0084] In S1007, the camera control circuit 101 checks the voltage level of the input terminal P3. If it is at the Lo level, it determines that TC18 is connected to the ground contact; if it is at the Hi level, it determines that it is not connected to the ground contact.

[0085] Next, in S1008, the camera control circuit 101 controls to turn on the SW circuit 4 and turn off the SW circuits 1, 2, and 3 respectively.

[0086] In S1009, the camera control circuit 101 checks the voltage level of the input terminal P4. If it is at the Lo level, it determines that TC18 is connected to the ground contact; if it is at the Hi level, it determines that it is not connected to the ground contact.

[0087] In S1010, the camera control circuit 101 controls to turn on the SW circuits 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively.

[0088] By performing such control, it becomes possible to check the mounting state of the ground contact with the accessory 200 on which the camera control circuit 101 is mounted, and based on the ground connection state, it is possible to make a determination as to whether power can be supplied to the accessory power supply circuit 202 and so on.

[0089] Incidentally, when the accessory 200 is mounted on the camera 100 and the accessory 200 is tilted with respect to the camera 100 or the like, only some of the plurality of contacts TC01 to TC21 and TA01 to TA21 may be in a contact state. As shown in FIG. 16, when the mounting direction of the accessory 200 with respect to the camera 100 is the Z direction, the direction in which the plurality of contacts TC01 to TC21 and TA01 to TA21 are arranged is the X direction, and the direction orthogonal to the X direction and the Z direction is the Y direction, there is a possibility that a situation where only some of the contacts are in contact may occur in the following cases.

[0090] First, as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), when the accessory 200 is tilted about an axis parallel to the Z direction with respect to the camera 100, the contacts on the side where the camera 100 and the accessory 200 are approaching among the plurality of contacts come into contact, but the contacts on the side where the camera 100 and the accessory 200 are separated do not come into contact. Also, although not shown, when the accessory 200 is tilted (twisted) about an axis parallel to the Y direction with respect to the camera 100, the contacts on the side opposite to the side where the contacts have come into contact among the plurality of contacts are separated.

[0091] Although it will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 5, in the camera 100 and the accessory 200 of this embodiment, a mounting detection process is executed prior to various communications in a state where the accessory 200 is mounted on the camera 100. At this time, if the mounting detection contacts TC06 and TA06 are in contact, the mounting detection process can be executed. After the mounting detection process via the contacts TC06 and TA06 is executed, a communication request signal / WAKE is output from the accessory 200 to the camera 100 via the contacts (hereinafter also referred to as communication request contacts) TC11 and TA11. The camera 100 determines that the accessory 200 is in a communicable state by detecting this communication request signal / WAKE and performs various communications. However, if the camera 100 cannot detect the communication request signal / WAKE even though the mounting of the accessory 200 on the camera 100 is detected, the camera 100 determines that a communication error has occurred with the accessory 200. If the accessory 200 tilts or twists during the mounting of the accessory 200 on the camera 100, and as a result, only some of the plurality of contacts are temporarily in contact, and it is determined that a communication error has occurred, and error processing such as a warning is performed, the user may misunderstand that the accessory 200 is malfunctioning.

[0092] Therefore, in this embodiment, an arrangement of contacts is adopted that can reduce the occurrence of a situation where the camera 100 cannot detect the communication request signal / WAKE even though the mounting of the accessory 200 on the camera 100 is detected.

[0093] As described above, when the accessory 200 tilts around an axis parallel to the Z direction with respect to the camera 100, as shown in FIG. 3(a), the contacts TC01, TA01 and the contacts in the vicinity thereof are in contact and the contacts TC21, TA21 and the contacts in the vicinity thereof are not in contact, or as shown in FIG. 3(b), the contacts TC21, TA21 and the contacts in the vicinity thereof are in contact and the contacts TC01, TA01 and the contacts in the vicinity thereof are not in contact.

[0094] In this embodiment, the contacts TC06 and TA06 are used to detect the attachment of the accessory 200 to the camera 100. As shown in Fig. 3(a), when the contacts TC01 and TA01 are in contact, the contacts TC06 and TA06 arranged in the vicinity thereof often come into contact as well. At this time, if they are arranged near the contacts TC21 and TA21 where the communication request contacts TC11 and TA11 are separated, the camera 100 is likely to be in a state where it cannot detect the communication request signal / WAKE even though the attachment of the accessory 200 to the camera 100 has been detected.

[0095] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 3(b), when the contacts TC06 and TA06 are also in contact in a state where the contacts TC21 and TA21 are in contact, if the contacts TC11 and TA11 are arranged on the side of the contacts TC01 and TA01 that are farther away from the contacts TC06 and TA06, the camera 100 is likely to be in a state where it cannot detect the communication request signal / WAKE even though the attachment of the accessory 200 to the camera 100 has been detected.

[0096] In contrast, in this embodiment, the following contact arrangement is adopted. As shown in Fig. 1, the attachment detection contacts TC06 and TA06 and the communication request contacts TC11 and TA11 are arranged between the contacts TC01 and TA01 at the most one end side and the contacts TC21 and TA21 at the most other end side in the direction in which a plurality of contacts TC01 to TC21 and TA01 to TA21 are arranged (hereinafter referred to as the contact arrangement direction). This arrangement relationship is defined as the first arrangement relationship. Also, the attachment detection contacts TC06 and TA06 are arranged between the communication request contacts TC11 and TA11 and the contacts TC01 and TA01. This arrangement relationship is defined as the second arrangement relationship. And in the contact arrangement direction, the distance between the attachment detection contacts TC06 and TA06 and the communication request contacts TC11 and TA11 is made shorter than the distance between the communication request contacts TC11 and TA11 and the contacts TC21 and TA21. This arrangement relationship is defined as the third arrangement relationship. In this embodiment, since the contacts TC01 to TC21 and TA01 to TA21 are arranged at equal pitches, the distance between the contacts referred to here can also be described as the number of other contacts arranged between the contacts. That is, a short (long) distance can be rephrased as a small (large) number of other contacts.

[0097] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in the contact array direction, the distance between the communication request contacts TC11 and TA11 and the contacts TC01 and TA01 is set to be equal to or less than the distance between the communication request contacts TC11 and TA11 and the contacts TC21 and TA21. This arrangement relationship is defined as the fourth arrangement relationship. In particular, in this embodiment, the communication request contacts TC11 and TA11 are arranged at the center of the contacts TC01 to TC21 and TA01 to TA21, so that the distance between the communication request contacts TC11 and TA11 and the contacts TC01 and TA01 is equal to the distance between the communication request contacts TC11 and TA11 and the contacts TC21 and TA21. Note that the communication request contacts TC11 and TA11 do not necessarily have to be arranged at the center of the contacts TC01 to TC21 and TA01 to TA21, but it is preferable to arrange them near the center.

[0098] In addition, in this embodiment, in the contact array direction, the distance between the mounting detection contacts TC06 and TA06 and the contacts TC01 and TA01 is set to be equal to or greater than the distance between the mounting detection contacts TC06 and TA06 and the communication request contacts TC11 and TA11. This arrangement relationship is defined as the fifth arrangement relationship. In particular, in this embodiment, the mounting detection contacts TC06 and TA06 are arranged at the center between the communication request contacts TC11 and TA11 and the contacts TC01 and TA01, so that the distance between the mounting detection contacts TC06 and TA06 and the contacts TC01 and TA01 is equal to the distance between the mounting detection contacts TC06 and TA06 and the communication request contacts TC11 and TA11. Note that the mounting detection contacts TC06 and TA06 do not necessarily have to be arranged at the center between the communication request contacts TC11 and TA11 and the contacts TC01 and TA01, but it is preferable to arrange them near the center.

[0099] With the contact arrangement as described above, if the mounting detection contacts TC06 and TA06 come into contact in the inclined state shown in Fig. 3(a), the communication request contacts TC11 and TA11 are highly likely to come into contact as well. In the inclined state shown in Fig. 3(b), even if the communication request contacts TC11 and TA11 come into contact, the mounting detection contacts TC06 and TA06 are highly likely not to come into contact. As a result, regardless of the inclination state, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of a situation where the camera 100 cannot detect the communication request signal / WAKE even though the attachment of the accessory 200 to the camera 100 has been detected.

[0100] Here, as a comparative example, the case where the positions of the contacts TC06, TA06 and the contacts TC11, TA11 are swapped will be described. That is, the case where the contacts TC11, TA11 are used for mounting detection and the contacts TC06, TA06 are used for detecting the communication request signal / WAKE will be described. In this configuration, when the accessory 200 is tilted with respect to the camera 100 and the contacts TC01, TA01 and the contacts in their vicinity do not come into contact, the mounting detection contacts TC11, TA11 may come into contact, but the communication request signal / WAKE contacts TC06, TA06 may not come into contact, resulting in a communication error.

[0101] Therefore, in order to avoid communication errors, it is preferable to arrange the mounting detection contacts on one end side in the contact array direction rather than the communication request signal / WAKE contacts, as in this embodiment.

[0102] As shown in Figs. 20(a) to (c) and Fig. 23 to be described later, in a configuration where the accessory 200 holds a plurality of contacts with a connection plug 256 as a holding member made of a non-conductive material such as a resin material, the connection plug 256 may have a convex shape toward the lower side in the figure (the contact direction to the camera connection portion 141). In such a case, among the plurality of contacts, the contacts on one end side in the contact array direction are more likely to come into contact, while the contacts on the other end side are more likely not to come into contact. However, by adopting the contact arrangement as in this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of communication errors even if some contacts do not come into contact when the accessory 200 is attached to the camera 100.

[0103] Furthermore, as described above, when the accessory 200 is twisted around an axis parallel to the Y direction with respect to the camera 100, among the plurality of contacts, the contacts on one end side in the contact array direction may come into contact, while the contacts on the other end side may not come into contact. If such a state occurs during the process of attaching the accessory 200 to the camera 100, a shift occurs in the contact timing of the plurality of contacts. If the shift in the contact timing is large, the time lag from the detection of the attachment of the accessory 200 to the camera 100 to the detection of WAKE becomes long, and as a result, there is a possibility of being determined as a communication error. At this time, depending on the direction of the twist of the accessory 200, the contacts on the TC01 and TA01 sides start to come into contact first, or the contacts on the TC21 and TA21 sides start to come into contact first.

[0104] When starting to contact from the contacts on the TC01 and TA01 sides, the closer the communication request contacts TC11 and TA11 are to the contacts TC21 and TA21, the longer the time lag from the detection of the attachment of the accessory 200 to the detection of the communication request signal / WAKE becomes. The longer the time lag, the easier it is to be determined as a communication error. On the other hand, when starting to contact from the contacts on the TC21 and TA21 sides, if the communication request contacts TC11 and TA11 are arranged closer to the contacts on the TC01 and TA01 sides than the attachment detection contacts TC06 and TA06, a time lag occurs from the detection of the attachment of the accessory 200 to the detection of the communication request signal / WAKE.

[0105] In contrast, in this embodiment, by adopting the above-described contact arrangement, the time lag from the detection of the attachment of the accessory 200 to the detection of the communication request signal / WAKE can be shortened regardless of which end side contacts start from.

[0106] Furthermore, in this embodiment, contacts TC07, TA07 to TC10, TA10 used for SPI communication (communication in the second communication method) between the camera 100 and the accessory 200 are arranged at positions between the mounting detection contacts TC06, TA06 and the communication request contacts TC11, TA11. Also, contacts TC12, TA12, TC13, TA13 used for I2C communication (communication in the first communication method) between the camera 100 and the accessory 200 are arranged at positions close to the communication request contacts TC11, TA11 on the side opposite to the mounting detection contacts TC06, TA06.

[0107] Communication between the camera 100 and the accessory 200 is executed after the camera 100 detects a communication request signal / WAKE. Therefore, until communication is executed between the camera 100 and the accessory 200, contact of the contacts used for the communication is not confirmed. In contrast, in this embodiment, if the mounting detection contacts TC06, TA06 and the communication request contacts TC11, TA11 are in contact respectively, it can be regarded that the communication contacts TC07, TA07 to TC10, TA10, TC12, TA12, TC13, TA13 arranged therebetween and in the vicinity are also in contact.

[0108] Note that since it can be regarded that the position between the mounting detection contacts TC06, TA06 and the communication request contacts TC11, TA11 is in more reliable contact, it is preferable to arrange the contacts used for SPI communication, which is executed after I2C communication, at the position between the mounting detection contacts TC06, TA06 and the communication request contacts TC11, TA11.

[0109] Also, as shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 12, and FIG. 20 used for later explanation, a configuration with fewer contact points than the camera 100 can be considered as the configuration of the accessory 200. Even in such a configuration, the mounting detection contacts and the communication request contacts are necessary contacts, and it is preferable to arrange the mounting detection contacts and the communication request contacts with the same idea as the configuration with the same number of contact points as the camera 100. However, it is not necessary to satisfy some of the above-described first to fifth arrangement relationships.

[0110] For example, in a configuration without the contact TA21 as shown in FIG. 4, in the contact array direction, the distance between the communication request contact TA11 and the contact TA01 is longer than the distance between the communication request contact TA11 and the contact TA20. That is, it does not satisfy the fourth arrangement relationship described above. Further, for example, in a configuration without the contacts TA01 to TA03 and TA19 to 21 as shown in FIG. 12, in the contact array direction, the distance between the mounting detection contact TA06 and the contact TA04 is shorter than the distance between the mounting detection contact TA06 and the communication request contact TA11. That is, it does not satisfy the fifth arrangement relationship described above.

[0111] As described above, in a configuration where the positions of the contacts at the ends of the accessory 200 are different from the positions of the contacts at the ends of the camera 100, there may be a case where some of the first to fifth arrangement relationships described above are not satisfied. In such a case, the mounting detection contacts and the communication request contacts may be arranged so as to satisfy the first to fifth arrangement relationships described above, assuming the position facing the contact at the end of the camera 100 in the mounted state as the position of the contact at the end of the accessory 200. Alternatively, like the protrusion 256a shown in FIG. 20, instead of the distance from the contact at the end, the mounting detection contacts and the communication request contacts may be arranged so as to satisfy the first to fifth arrangement relationships described above in consideration of the distance from the protrusion 256a. The flowchart of FIG. 5(a) shows the processing executed by the camera control circuit 101 when the accessory 200 is mounted on the camera 100.

[0112] In S401, the camera control circuit 101 as the mounting detection means monitors the signal level of the accessory mounting detection signal / ACC_DET and determines whether the accessory 200 is mounted. If the signal level is Hi, the camera control circuit 101 returns to S401 assuming that the accessory 200 is not mounted and performs detection again. If the signal level is Lo, the camera control circuit 101 proceeds to S402 assuming that the accessory 200 is mounted.

[0113] In S402, the camera control circuit 101 sets the power control signal CNT_VACC1 to the Hi level to turn on the output of the accessory power supply circuit A131, and proceeds to S403. The accessory power supply circuit A131 outputs the accessory power VACC in response to the power control signal CNT_VACC1 becoming Hi.

[0114] In S403, the camera control circuit 101 monitors the signal level of the overcurrent detection signal DET_OVC to determine whether an overcurrent is flowing. If the signal level is Lo, the camera control circuit 101 proceeds to S404 assuming that no overcurrent is flowing. If the signal level is Hi, the camera control circuit 101 proceeds to S405 to perform error processing assuming that an overcurrent has flowed.

[0115] Figure 6(a) schematically shows the change of the above signals when the process in Figure 5(a) proceeds to S404. IACC is the current of the accessory power VACC. Since the accessory power VACC has risen normally after the power control signal CNT_VACC1 was set to Hi in S402, the overcurrent detection signal DET_OVC remains at the Lo level.

[0116] Figure 6(b) schematically shows the change of the above signals when the process in Figure 5(a) proceeds to S405. Since an overcurrent has flowed through IACC after the power control signal CNT_VACC1 was set to Hi in S402, the overcurrent detection signal DET_OVC changes to the Hi level and notifies the camera control circuit 101. When receiving the notification of the overcurrent detection signal DET_OVC, the camera control circuit 101 turns off the outputs of the accessory power supply circuits A131 and B132 as error processing to stop the power supply to the accessory 200. In this way, even when an overcurrent flows through the accessory power VACC, the camera control circuit 101 can detect the overcurrent and safely stop the system.

[0117] Normally, in a case where an abnormal current flows through the accessory power supply VACC, failures of the camera 100 and the accessory 200 are assumed. However, since the camera connection part 141 and the accessory connection part 211 are exposed to the outside, there is a possibility that foreign matters such as metal pieces adhere and the adjacent contacts are short-circuited.

[0118] In this embodiment, while the accessory power supply VACC is at a voltage of 3.3V, the camera microcomputer power supply VMCU_C and the accessory microcomputer power supply VMCU_A are at a voltage of 1.8V. Therefore, if a voltage of 3.3V is applied to an electrical element operating at a voltage of 1.8V, there is a concern that the electrical element may be damaged. Also, since the behavior after the short circuit depends on the characteristics of the electrical element, the camera control circuit 101 may not necessarily be able to detect a short circuit between the terminals. For example, since the I2C communication signal is at a Hi level in the communication standby state, even if it is short-circuited with a 3.3V voltage of 1.8V or higher, depending on the characteristics of the connected electrical element, an abnormality may not be detected.

[0119] On the other hand, in this embodiment, the GND contacts TC04, TA04 are arranged on one side of both adjacent sides of the contacts TC05, TA05 of the accessory power supply VACC, and the contacts TC06, TA06 of the accessory mounting detection signal / ACC_DET are arranged on the other side. As described above, the accessory mounting detection signal / ACC_DET is connected to GND within the accessory 200. Therefore, even when a short circuit occurs between the contacts, 3.3V is not applied to the element operating at 1.8V, and an overcurrent can be detected to safely stop the system.

[0120] Also, as described above, when the accessory power supply VACC is supplied in a state where the GND contact is not connected, the reference potential of the accessory 200 becomes unstable, and as a result, each circuit and electrical element may be damaged. In terms of device operation, an external force may be applied such that the contact of the connector terminal becomes unstable. On the other hand, by adjacently arranging the accessory power supply VACC contact and the GND contact as in this embodiment, it is possible to make it less likely that only the accessory power supply VACC contact is connected relative to arranging the accessory power supply VACC contact and the GND contact at separated terminals.

[0121] In this embodiment, the accessory mounting detection signal / ACC_DET is connected to GND inside the accessory 200, but it may be configured to be connected to GND via a resistance element Rd231 as in the accessory 200 shown in FIG. 9. By connecting to GND via the resistance Rd231, the short-circuit current can be reduced.

[0122] In this case, it is necessary to select a resistance element Rd231 having a resistance value such that the voltage ((Rd / (Rp+Rd))×1.8V) obtained by dividing the voltage 1.8V of the camera microcomputer power supply VMCU_C by the resistance element Rp134 and the resistance element Rd231 satisfies the Lo level threshold value (Vil) of the camera control circuit 101. For example, when the Low level detection threshold value (Vil) of the camera control circuit 101 is 0.33 times the power supply voltage, the resistance value of the resistance element Rd231 needs to be 1 / 2 or less of the resistance element Rp134 (10 kΩ). In the example of FIG. 9, the resistance value of the resistance element Rd231 is set to 5 kΩ.

[0123] FIG. 5(b) shows the processing executed by the camera control circuit 101 when the accessory 200 having the configuration shown in FIG. 9 is attached to the camera 100. Since S411 to S413 are the same as S401 to S403 shown in FIG. 5(a), the description thereof is omitted.

[0124] In S414 after S413, the camera control circuit 101 monitors the signal level of the accessory attachment detection signal / ACC_DET, and determines whether the contacts TC06 and TA06 of the accessory attachment detection signal / ACC_DET are shorted to the contacts TC05 and TA05 of the accessory power supply VACC. If the signal level is Lo, the camera control circuit 101 proceeds to S415 assuming no short circuit, and if the signal level is Hi, it proceeds to S416 assuming a short circuit and performs error processing.

[0125] Figure 6(c) schematically shows the state of the above signals when the accessory power supply VACC and the accessory attachment detection signal / ACC_DET are shorted in the accessory 200 having the configuration of FIG. 9 with the addition of the resistance element Rd231 (5 kΩ). After the power control signal CNT_VACC1 is set to Hi in S402, no overcurrent flows through IACC because the current is limited by the resistance element Rd231.

[0126] On the other hand, the voltage of the accessory power supply VACC is applied to the accessory attachment detection signal / ACC_DET. As soon as the signal level of the accessory attachment detection signal / ACC_DET becomes Hi by means of interrupt processing or the like, the camera control circuit 101 sets the power control signal CNT_VACC1 to Lo as error processing and stops the output of the accessory power supply VACC (power supply to the accessory 200). Thereby, the system can be safely stopped without continuously applying 3.3V to the terminals of the elements operating at 1.8V.

[0127] Also, as shown in FIG. 10, the accessory 200 may be configured such that the accessory attachment detection signal / ACC_DET is controlled by the accessory control circuit 201 to be at the Lo level (GND potential) via the NPN-type transistor 212 as switching means. In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the camera control circuit 101 can always detect the accessory 200 when the accessory 200 is attached to the camera 100, but in the configuration of FIG. 10, the accessory control circuit 201 can notify the attachment of the accessory 200 to the camera 100 at an arbitrary timing.

[0128] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11, the accessory 200 may be configured such that a resistor element Rd231 is connected in series with an NPN transistor 212. In this case, similar to the configuration of FIG. 1, the resistance value needs to be 1 / 2 or less of that of the resistor element Rp134 (10 kΩ).

[0129] As described above, according to the present embodiment, even if the power supply contact and the contact adjacent thereto are short-circuited, the safety of the system including the camera 100 and the accessory 200 can be maintained and damage to them can be suppressed.

[0130] FIG. 7 shows examples of the functions of the FNC1 to FNC4 signals as functional signals connected to the contacts TC14 to TC17 and the contacts TA14 to TA17 for each type of the accessory 200 (here, a microphone device and a strobe device).

[0131] In the microphone device, the FNC2 to FNC4 signals are used as a digital audio (I2S: Inter-IC Sound standard) data bus to transfer audio data. FIG. 8(a) shows a configuration example of the functional circuit 206 when the accessory 200 is a microphone device.

[0132] The audio processing circuit 206A1 in the functional circuit 206 is a codec circuit that converts the audio signal input from the microphone 206A2 into a digital audio (I2S) data format and is controlled by the accessory control circuit 201. The accessory control circuit 201 can set the sampling frequency and resolution by controlling the audio processing circuit 206A1. In the present embodiment, the sampling frequency is 48 kHz and the resolution is 32 bits. The microphone 206A2 is, for example, a MEMS-IC microphone or an electret condenser microphone.

[0133] TA14 is not used as the I2S data bus with the FNC1 signal and is connected to GND. In this embodiment, unused function signals are connected to GND, but it is not limited to this. It may also be connected to a reference potential that is a stable potential other than the GND potential (0V), such as a power supply potential, or the L level (low potential) or H level (high potential) of the signal.

[0134] The FNC2 signal connected to TA15 (DATA contact) is an audio data signal (DATA) and is a signal output from the accessory 200 to the camera 100.

[0135] The FNC3 signal connected to TA16 (LRCLK contact) is an audio channel clock signal (LRCLK) and is a signal output from the accessory 200 to the camera 100.

[0136] The FNC4 signal connected to TA17 (BCLK contact) is an audio bit clock signal (BCLK) and is a signal output from the camera 100 to the accessory 200.

[0137] In this embodiment, as described above, since the sampling frequency is 48 kHz and the resolution is 32 bits, the frequency of LRCLK is 48 kHz and the frequency of BCLK is 3.072 MHz. DATA is 1 / 2 cycle of CLK, and the maximum frequency is 1.536 MHz.

[0138] In the contact arrangement of this embodiment, reference potential contacts TA18 and TC18 connected to the GND potential, which is the reference potential, are arranged adjacent to contacts TA17 and TC17 to which the FNC4 signal (BCLK), which has the highest frequency among the functional signal contacts to which the functional signals are connected, is connected. For the signal wiring to the access interface, a configuration using a flexible printed circuit board is common. Also, in order to reduce the product cost, the flexible printed circuit board may be of a single-sided specification, and the board wiring is performed in the same arrangement as the contact arrangement. In this embodiment, a GND contact, which is a reference potential contact, is arranged adjacent to the functional signal contact to which the signal with the highest frequency among the functional signals is connected. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the radiated noise (EMI) from the functional signal contact, the interference with the signals connected to other contacts, and the crosstalk with the signals other than the I2S data bus.

[0139] Note that in this embodiment, contacts TA18 and TC18 adjacent to contacts TA17 and TC17 to which the FNC4 signal (BCLK) with the highest frequency is connected are connected to the GND potential, which is the reference potential. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the same effect can be obtained even if the connection is to a stable reference potential other than the GND potential.

[0140] FIG. 8(b) is an example showing a configuration when increasing the audio data with respect to FIG. 8(a). The purpose of increasing the audio data is to increase the number of channels and the resolution.

[0141] The FNC4 signal connected to TA17 is an audio bit clock signal (BCLK), which is the same as in FIG. 8(a).

[0142] On the other hand, the FNC3 signal connected to TA14 is an audio channel clock signal (LRCLK), which is a signal output from the accessory 200 to the camera 100.

[0143] The FNC2 signal connected to TA15 is an audio data signal (DATA2), which is a signal output from the accessory 200 to the camera 100.

[0144] The FNC1 signal connected to TA16 operates as a signal output from the accessory 200 to the camera 100 as an audio data signal (DATA2).

[0145] In this way, when adding an audio data signal to increase the amount of audio data and using two signals, by arranging them in order from the signal with the higher frequency near the GND terminal, a configuration with a relatively high effect of preventing crosstalk can be achieved.

[0146] Figure 8(c) shows a configuration example of the functional circuit 206 when the accessory 200 is a strobe device. The light emission circuit 206B1 in the functional circuit 206 is a strobe light emission circuit composed of an IGBT, a trigger coil, etc., and controls the light emission of the light emission unit 206B2. The light emission unit 206B2 is composed of a xenon tube or the like and emits illumination light irradiated onto the subject. The charging circuit 206B3 is composed of a transformer, a switching FET, a capacitor, etc., and accumulates charges for causing the light emission unit 206B2 to emit light.

[0147] The FNC1 signal connected to TA14 is a light emission synchronization signal (STARTX) for controlling the light emission timing of the light emission unit 206B2, and is a signal output from the camera 100 to the accessory 200. The FNC2 signal to FNC4 signals are not used in the strobe device, and no signals are connected to these contacts.

[0148] In this embodiment, the unused functional signal contacts are left unconnected (OPEN), but not limited to this. Depending on the contacts TC15 to TC17 which are the connection destinations of the contacts TA15 to TA17, it may be connected to a stable reference potential such as the power supply potential or the L level or H level of the signal.

[0149] In the strobe device, only the FNC1 signal is used among the functional signals. Also, although the light emission synchronization signal (STARTX) is not a periodically generated signal, when the microphone device is connected, the camera 100 can assign GND to the FNC1 signal so that the configuration of the camera control circuit 101 does not become complicated.

[0150] The following describes further features of the contact arrangement of this embodiment. The SDA (first signal) connected to the contacts TC12 and TA12 as the first signal contacts and the SCL (second signal) connected to the contacts TC13 and TA13 as the second signal contacts are both signals for I2C communication. These signals are transmitted by open-drain communication. Since both SDA and SCL are pulled up to the camera microcomputer power supply VMCU_C, they are signals with relatively high impedance during communication standby and are susceptible to crosstalk.

[0151] Therefore, in this embodiment, a communication request signal (fourth signal) / WAKE is assigned to the contacts TC11 and TA11 as the fourth signal contacts adjacent to the SDA contacts TC12 and TA12. As described above, the communication request signal / WAKE is a signal for making a communication request from the accessory 200 to the camera 100.

[0152] FIG. 15(a) shows the timing for making a communication request from the accessory 200 to the camera 100 and performing I2C communication. As shown in FIG. 15(a), the communication request signal / WAKE Before the I2C communication by SCL and SDA, the signal level changes from the Hi level to the Lo level. This is because the I2C communication is performed in response to this change. Therefore, by arranging the contacts TC11 and TA11 of the communication request signal / WAKE adjacent to the SDA contacts and SDA contacts for I2C communication, crosstalk of the communication request signal / WAKE to SDA can be prevented.

[0153] Also, as shown in FIG. 15(a), by controlling the signal level of the communication request signal / WAKE to change from the Lo level to the Hi level after the I2C communication, crosstalk of the communication request signal / WAKE to SDA can be prevented.

[0154] Also, the contacts TC14 and TA14 as the third signal contacts adjacent to the SCL contacts TC13 and TA13 are assigned the FNC1 signal. As described above, since GND is assigned to the FNC1 signal in the microphone device, crosstalk with respect to SCL can be prevented from occurring.

[0155] Furthermore, in the strobe device, the light emission synchronization signal (STARTX: the third signal) as the FNC1 signal is assigned to the contacts TC14 and TA14 adjacent to the SCL contacts TC13 and TA13. FIG. 15(b) shows the timing of making a communication request from the accessory 200 to the camera 100 and performing I2C communication and strobe light emission. As shown in FIG. 15(b), during the timing (period) when the light emission synchronization signal is output, I2C communication is not performed between the camera 100 and the accessory 200 in order to prioritize the control of the strobe light emission. In other words, the light emission synchronization signal is a signal whose signal level changes before (or after) the I2C communication but does not change during the I2C communication. Thereby, crosstalk of the light emission synchronization signal with respect to SCL can be prevented from occurring.

[0156] In this way, in the present embodiment, by arranging the STARTX contact on one side and the / WAKE contact on the other side among both sides adjacent to the SDA contact and the SCL contact, good I2C communication is enabled.

[0157] Also, in the present embodiment, the communication request signal / WAKE connected to the contacts TC11 and TA11 adjacent to the SDA contacts TC12 and TA12 is an open-drain type signal similar to SDA. Compared with the case where the communication request signal / WAKE is a push-pull type, crosstalk with respect to SDA when the signal level of the communication request signal / WAKE changes can be suppressed.

[0158] The SCLK connected to the SCLK contacts TC07 and TA07 is the clock signal for SPI communication and operates at a driving frequency of 1 MHz in this embodiment. In this embodiment, the mounting detection contacts TC06 and TA06 adjacent to the SCLK contacts TC07 and TA07 are used to transmit the accessory mounting detection signal / ACC_DET. As described above, the accessory mounting detection signal / ACC_DET is a signal that becomes a potential equivalent to GND when the accessory 200 is mounted on the camera 100. Therefore, by arranging the contacts in this way, crosstalk between the SCLK and signals other than the SPI bus can be prevented.

[0159] The MOSI connected to the contacts TC08 and TA08 adjacent to the other side of the SCLK contacts TC07 and TA07 is the data signal transmitted from the camera control circuit 101 to the accessory control circuit 201 by SPI communication. Generally, the timing at which the output level of MOSI in SPI communication changes is synchronized with the timing at which the output level of SCLK changes. Therefore, by arranging the MOSI contacts TC08 and TA08 adjacent to the SCLK contacts TC07 and TA07, crosstalk between the SCLK and MOSI can be suppressed.

[0160] The MISO connected to the contacts TC09 and TA09 adjacent to the other side of the MOSI contacts TC08 and TA08 is the data signal transmitted from the accessory control circuit 201 to the camera control circuit 101 in SPI communication. Generally, the timing at which the output level of MISO in SPI communication changes is synchronized with the timing at which the output level of SCLK changes, similar to MOSI. Therefore, by arranging the MISO contacts TC09 and TA09 adjacent to the MOSI contacts TC08 and TA08, crosstalk between the MOSI and MISO can be suppressed.

[0161] CS connected to the contacts TC10 and TA10 next to the other of the MISO contacts TC09 and TA09 is a communication request signal transmitted from the camera control circuit 101 to the accessory control circuit 201 in SPI communication. Generally, CS in SPI communication holds a constant output level from when the communication request is made until the communication is completed. Therefore, by arranging the CS contacts TC10 and TA10 next to the MISO contacts TC09 and TA09, crosstalk to MISO can be suppressed.

[0162] The communication request signal / WAKE connected to the contacts TC11 and TA11 next to the other of the CS contacts TC10 and TA10 is a signal for making a communication request from the accessory control circuit 201 to the camera control circuit 101. As described above, since the communication request signal / WAKE is an open-drain type signal, it is a signal that is relatively easily affected by crosstalk. Therefore, in this embodiment, by adjacently arranging the CS contacts TC10 and TA10 with a relatively low frequency of signal level change to the contacts TC11 and TA11 of the communication request signal / WAKE, crosstalk to the communication request signal / WAKE can be suppressed.

[0163] Also, differential signals that require impedance control are connected to the contacts TC01 to TC03, TA01 to TA03 and the contacts TC19 to TC21, TA19 to TA21 located at both ends and in the vicinity (hereinafter collectively referred to as both end sides) of both ends of the camera connection part 141 and the accessory connection part 211. A configuration using a flexible substrate is common for signal wiring to the axu interface. In order to achieve a desired wiring impedance with a flexible substrate, it is necessary to keep the distance between the lines of the differential signal and the GND running in parallel constant. Also, in a double-sided substrate, it is common to form a mesh-shaped GND wiring on the back side of the differential signal. Signal wiring that requires impedance control in this way has relatively greater constraints in wiring design compared to general single-ended signals.

[0164] In contrast, in this embodiment, by connecting the differential signal that requires impedance control to the contacts located on both ends of the camera connection unit 141 and the accessory connection unit 211, the interaction with other signals is made relatively low, increasing the degree of freedom in wiring design.

[0165] Also, the differential signal enables high-speed transfer of about several 100 Mpbs to several Gbps, such as USB or PCIe, and is suitable for transferring large-capacity data between devices. On the other hand, depending on the type of accessory 200, the differential signal may not be used. In such an accessory that does not use the differential signal, since the contacts assigned to the differential signal are unnecessary, removing the contacts can reduce the cost of the accessory.

[0166] FIG. 12 shows an example in which the configuration of the accessory 200 shown in FIG. 1 is changed. Specifically, it has a configuration in which the contacts TA01 to TA03, TA19 to TA21 and the signals and circuits connected thereto are omitted. That is, the accessory 200 in FIG. 12 has 15 contacts. In the configuration of FIG. 12, the differential signal is assigned to the contacts TC01 to TC03 and TC19 to TC21 located on both ends of the camera connection unit 141. On the other hand, in the accessory 200 that does not require the differential signal, the contacts for the differential signal in the accessory connection unit 211 are eliminated, and a contact arrangement including only the contacts necessary for the accessory 200 is adopted.

[0167] Also, in the accessory 200 of FIG. 12, the contacts TC04, TA04 and the contacts TC18, TA18 close to both ends in the camera connection unit 141 and the accessory connection unit 211 are used as GND contacts. By adopting such a contact arrangement, even in the accessory 200 connected to a part of the contacts of the camera connection unit 141, the both-end contacts of the accessory connection unit 211 can be made GND contacts. This can prevent the contact of the GND contacts from being separated even when an excessive static pressure or impact is applied to the accessory 200.

[0168] So far, the case where the accessory 200 is directly attached to the camera 100 has been described. Next, with reference to FIG. 13, the case where an intermediate accessory 400 is attached between the camera 100 and the accessory 200 to will be described. The configurations of the camera 100 and the accessory 200 are as described above. As the intermediate accessory 400 , there are an extension cable for extending the distance between the camera 100 and the accessory 200, an adapter for simultaneously attaching a plurality of accessories to the camera 100, and the like. In this embodiment, the case where the intermediate accessory 400 is an extension cable will be described. In the configuration of FIG. 13, the intermediate accessory 400 corresponds to the accessory, and the accessory 200 corresponds to another accessory.

[0169] The intermediate accessory 400 has a camera shoe and an accessory shoe that can be attached to the camera 100 and the accessory 200, respectively, and a camera-side intermediate connection portion 311 and an accessory-side intermediate connection portion 312 are provided therein. The camera-side intermediate connection portion 311 has 21 contacts TM01 to TM21 arranged in a row and is a connector for making an electrical connection with the camera 100. The contacts TM01 to TM21 are in one-to-one contact with the contacts TC01 to TC21 at the camera connection portion 141, respectively.

[0170] On the other hand, the accessory-side intermediate connection portion 312 has 21 contacts TN01 to TN21 arranged in a row and is a connector for making an electrical connection with the accessory 200. The contacts TN01 to TN21 are in one-to-one contact with the contacts TA01 to TA21 at the accessory connection portion 211, respectively.

[0171] By arranging such contacts in the intermediate accessory 400 , the same power supply and communication as in the case where the accessory 200 is directly attached to the camera 100 can be performed. At this time, the intermediate accessory 400It may receive power supply from the camera 100, or the power supply from the camera 100 may be directly transmitted to the accessory 200. The power supply in this embodiment is such that the power supply from the camera 100 is directly transmitted to the accessory 200, middle accessory 400 also includes the case where no power supply is provided.

[0172] In addition, in FIG. 13, the number of contact points of the camera-side intermediate connection part 311 is the same as the number of contact points of the camera connection part 141, and the number of contact points of the accessory-side intermediate connection part 312 is the same as the number of contact points of the accessory connection part 211, but it is not necessarily required that the numbers of both be the same.

[0173] FIG. 14 shows an example in which the configuration of the accessory 200 and the intermediate accessory 400 is changed from the configuration of FIG. 13. Differential signals are connected to the contact points TC01 to TC03 and TC19 to TC21 on both ends of the camera connection part 141, but depending on the function of the accessory 200, differential signals may not be required. In the configuration of FIG. 14, the contact points to which differential signals are connected are eliminated from the camera-side intermediate connection part 311, the accessory-side intermediate connection part 312, and the accessory connection part 211. That is, the intermediate accessory 400 and the accessory 200 each have 15 contact points. As a result, a contact arrangement including only the necessary contact points for the intermediate accessory 400 and the accessory 200 is adopted.

[0174] Subsequently, the connection structure between the camera 100 and an external flash unit 120, which is an example of the accessory 200, will be described in detail.

[0175] FIG. 16(a) shows the camera 100 viewed from the obliquely rear side. FIG. 16(b) shows the method of attaching the external flash unit 120 to the accessory shoe 1123 of the camera 100. FIG. 16(c) shows the state in which the external flash unit 120 is attached to the camera 100 as viewed from the obliquely rear side.

[0176] The imaging optical system is provided on the front side (object side) of the camera 100, and the image display unit 107 is provided on the back side of the camera 100. A top cover 150 as an exterior member is provided on the upper surface portion of the camera 100, and an accessory socket 1123 is disposed with respect to the top cover 150. On the other hand, in the external flash unit 120, the camera connection portion 216 is provided at the bottom of the external flash unit 120.

[0177] As shown in FIG. 16(b), the external flash unit 120 is slid parallel to the front side in the Z direction (the mounting side in the first direction) with respect to the camera 100 so that the camera connection portion 216 and the accessory socket 1123 are engaged with each other. Thereby, the external flash unit 120 can be attached to the camera 100. The front side in the Z direction is the direction from the back side to the front side of the camera 100, that is, the direction from the side of the image display unit 107 toward the imaging optical system side system. Note that the X direction (the second direction), the Y direction (the third direction), and the Z direction (the front-rear direction) shown in the drawings after FIG. 16 are common. The X direction is the direction orthogonal to the Z direction in the horizontal plane when the Z direction is parallel to the horizontal direction, and is the width direction of the camera 100. The Y direction is the direction orthogonal to the Z direction and the X direction, and is the height direction of the camera 100.

[0178] Next, the accessory socket 1123 of the camera 100 will be described in detail. FIG. 17(a) shows the accessory socket 1123 disassembled from the top cover 150. FIG. 17(b) shows the assembled accessory socket 1123. The assembling direction of the accessory socket 1123 with respect to the top cover 150 is the Y direction.

[0179] The accessory shoe 1123 has an engaging member 151, a connection terminal connector 152, a shoe stage 153, and an accessory shoe spring 154. The engaging member 151 is a member for holding the external flash unit 120 by engaging with the external flash unit 120. The connection terminal connector 152 includes a plurality of connection terminals 152a arranged at equal pitches in the X direction on a connector base member 152e as a holding member formed of a resin material or the like and held by the connector base member 152e. Note that the connection terminals 152a correspond to the contacts TC01 to TC21 of the camera connection portion 141 shown in FIG. 1.

[0180] In the connection terminal connector 152, the connection terminals 152a are arranged in the front in the Z direction (the front side of the camera 100), which is the mounting direction of the external flash unit 120, as shown in FIG. 17(b). An engaging hole portion 156 that engages with the lock pin 252 of the external flash unit 120 shown in FIG. 19(a) is provided behind the connection terminal connector 152 in the Z direction (the back side of the digital camera 100).

[0181] When the external flash unit 120 is mounted on the accessory shoe 1123, the connection terminals 152a are electrically connected to the external flash unit 120. Further, the plurality of connection terminals 152a are each electrically connected to a flexible substrate 158 arranged on the lower side in the Y direction of the top cover 150. The flexible substrate 158 is connected to a main substrate (not shown) of the camera 100. Therefore, when the external flash unit 120 is mounted on the accessory shoe 1123, communication between the external flash unit 120 and the camera 100 becomes possible.

[0182] The shoe stage 153 is a housing member that surrounds the engagement member 151 and the connection terminal connector 152. The accessory shoe holding member 155 is a structural housing that holds the engagement member 151. As shown in Fig. 17(a), the accessory shoe holding member 155, the flexible printed circuit board 158, the top cover 150, the shoe stage 153, and the connection terminal connector 152 are fastened to the engagement member 151 by four screws 157 that pass through them. As a result, these members are positioned and fixed relative to each other. By arranging the four screws 157 one by one in four regions equally divided in the X direction and the Z direction, the above members can be joined in a well-balanced manner.

[0183] Fig. 18(a) shows the structure on the upper surface side of the engagement member 151, and Fig. 18(b) shows the structure on the lower surface side of the engagement member 151. Fig. 18(c) shows the structure on the upper surface side of the connection terminal connector 152. Fig. 24 shows the accessory shoe 1123 as viewed from the insertion direction of the external flash unit 120.

[0184] The engagement member 151 is formed by bending a metal plate into a loop shape so that the end faces of the bent both ends face each other and abut at the joint 151a. The engagement member 151 has a pair of engagement portions 151b and a connecting portion 151c that connects the pair of engagement portions 151b to each other. In the engagement member 151, a pair of first screw hole portions 151d used for fastening the screw 157 and a pair of second screw hole portions 151e are formed. Further, an engagement hole portion 156 that engages with the lock pin 252 of the external flash unit 120 is formed in the engagement member 151.

[0185] As shown in FIGS. 18(a) and 12, a pair of engaging portions 151b are separated from each other by a first width (hereinafter referred to as an engaging portion interval) 151aa in the X direction. A holding member 254 of an external flash unit 120, which will be described later and is shown in FIG. 19(b), is inserted within the engaging portion interval 151aa. A pair of first screw hole portions 151d are provided at a predetermined interval in the X direction and function as a pair of first fastening hole portions that are separated from each other in the X direction at the rear (back side) in the Z direction. A pair of second screw hole portions 151e are provided at a predetermined interval in the X direction and function as a pair of second fastening hole portions that are separated from each other in the X direction at the front in the Z direction. An engaging hole portion 156 is formed at a position where it can engage with a lock pin 252 of the external flash unit 120 in a region sandwiched between the pair of first screw hole portions 151d.

[0186] In the connection terminal connector 152, as shown in FIGS. 17(b) and 18(c), a plurality of connection terminals 152a are exposed. In the pitch direction (X direction) in which the plurality of connection terminals 152a are arranged, the position of the camera connection portion 216 is determined by the engaging portion interval 151aa of the engaging member 151. For this reason, the holding member 254 of the external flash unit 120 is positioned with respect to the connection terminal connector 152 by the engaging member 151.

[0187] Furthermore, on both sides of a plurality of connection terminals 152a in the X direction on the front side in the Z direction of a connection terminal connector 152 (connector base member 152e), which is an example of the camera connection part 141 shown in FIG. 1, a contact surface and a groove part shown in FIG. 24 are formed. That is, a contact surface 152b that comes into contact with the accessory screw 1123 in the Z direction and positions it when the external flash unit 120 is attached, and a groove part 152c into which the accessory screw 1123 is inserted are formed. Each groove part 152c is formed so as to extend forward in the Z direction (the attachment side) from the contact surface 152b, and is provided with an inclined surface part 152d formed so as to face the inner side and the obliquely upper side (so as to have an inclination with respect to the X direction). Note that the upper part of the groove part 152c above the inclined surface part 152d extends outward in the X direction from the position of the upper end of the inclined surface part 152d. This is to prevent a depression (sink mark) from occurring in the inclined surface part 152d during resin molding when the inclined surface part 152d is formed up to the upper end of the groove part 152c.

[0188] As shown in FIG. 24, the outermost inner surface 152ccc of the groove part 152c in the connector base member 152e of the accessory screw 1123 in the X direction is provided outside the inner end surfaces (engagement part interval 151aa) of the pair of engagement parts 151b of the engagement member 151 and inside the outermost inner surface 151bb of the engagement member 151.

[0189] The slope start position 152cc, which is the end (lower end) of the inclined surface part 152d on the bottom surface side of the groove part 152c, is provided inside the engagement part interval 151aa. Thereby, a region for providing the contact surface 152b that comes into contact with the contact part 251b, which will be described later, of the camera connection part and positions it in the Z direction can be secured. Furthermore, by providing a slope shape starting from the slope start position 152cc, the space into which the screw device (the camera connection part, which will be described later) of the external flash unit 120 is inserted can be widened, and the degree of freedom in the shape of the screw device can also be secured. As a result, a shape that sufficiently protects the connection terminals of the screw device of the external flash unit 120 can be formed. 216 216

[0190] Next, the external flash unit 120 will be described. FIG. 19(a) shows the external flash unit 120 as viewed from the camera connection part 216 side (lower side in the Y direction). FIG. 19(b) shows the cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 19(a) and shows the internal structure of the camera connection part 216 . FIG. 20(a) shows the camera connection part 216 . However, the illustration of the base part 250 and the lock lever 253, which will be described later, is omitted. FIG. 20(b) shows the camera connection part 216 as viewed from the front in the Z direction.

[0191] The camera connection part 216 is provided on the lower side in the Y direction (upper side in FIG. 19(a)) of the base part 250 of the external flash unit 120 as shown in FIG. 19(b) when mounted on the accessory shoe 1123 of the camera 100. The camera connection part 216 has a shoe mounting leg (engagement member, shoe plate) 251, a lock pin 252, a lock lever 253, a holding member 254, a connection plug 256, and a Y-direction holding member 258.

[0192] The shoe mounting leg 251 is an engagement member for engaging and holding the external flash unit 120 with the accessory shoe 1123 of the camera 100. That is, the shoe mounting leg 251 is an engagement member on the side of the external flash unit 120 that is detachable with respect to the engagement member 151 of the accessory shoe 1123.

[0193] A large stress caused by the pressure for maintaining the mounted state and an external force (such as impact) acting on the external flash unit 120 is applied to the accessory shoe 1123 and the camera connection part 216 . The shoe mounting leg 251 is manufactured by processing a metal plate (sheet metal) in order to ensure high mechanical strength against such a large stress.

[0194] The lock pin 252 is the camera connection part 216A member for preventing the external flash unit 120 from falling off when the shoe mounting leg 251 is attached to the accessory shoe 1123, and is held by the shoe mounting leg 251 so as to be movable in the Y direction. Specifically, the lock pin 252 is slidably held in the Y direction by the Y-direction holding member 258. The lock lever 253 and the Y-direction holding member 258 are held by the holding member 254.

[0195] When the external flash unit 120 is attached to the accessory shoe 1123 and the lock lever 253 is rotated, the Y-direction holding member 258 moves downward in the Y direction in Fig. 19(b) by a cam portion (not shown). At this time, the lock pin 252 also moves downward in the Y direction in Fig. 19(b) together with the Y-direction holding member 258. As a result, the lock pin 252 protrudes from the shoe mounting leg 251 and engages with an engagement hole portion 156 provided in the engagement member 151 of the accessory shoe 1123. The lock pin 252 and the engagement hole portion 156 function as positioning members in the Z direction for ensuring the electrical connection between the external flash unit 120 and the camera 100.

[0196] A connection plug 256, which is an example of the accessory connection portion 211 shown in Fig. 1, is provided on the front side in the Z direction of the camera connection portion 216 and is formed of a non-conductive material (dielectric material) such as a resin material and is integrated with the holding member 254. The outermost width T of the connection plug 256 in the X direction is narrower than the width W of the shoe mounting leg 251 in the X direction. Thereby, a region for providing the contact portion 251b on the shoe mounting leg 251 is secured. The connection plug 256 has a plurality of connection terminals 257 for making contact with a plurality of connection terminals 152a of the accessory shoe 1123 shown in Fig. 18(c) to perform communication. Note that the connection terminals 257 correspond to the contacts TA01 to TA21 of the accessory connection portion 211 shown in Fig. 1.

[0197] The plurality of connection terminals 257 are provided to correspond one-to-one with the plurality of connection terminals 152a, and are held by the holding member 254 so as to extend in the Z direction and be arranged in the X direction. Each connection terminal 257 has a tip portion 257a that contacts the corresponding connection terminal 152a. Further, each connection terminal 257 has a shape extending rearward in the Z direction from the tip portion 257a, and has an extension portion 257b that elastically deforms to displace the tip portion 257a upward in the Y direction in FIG. 19(b) when the tip portion 257a abuts against the connection terminal 152a. At the rear end in the Z direction of the extension portion 257b, a straightening portion 257c extending upward in the Y direction is formed. At the upper end of the straightening portion 257c, a flexible substrate connection portion 257d is provided, which is connected to a main substrate (not shown) of the external flash unit 120 and is connected to a flexible substrate 259 inserted into the holding member 254 from above in the Y direction.

[0198] Note that a stepped portion 257e having a step in the Y direction is formed in the middle of the extension portion 257b in the Z direction. As described above, the extension portion 257b can elastically deform in the Y direction. However, when the distance L in the Z direction of the extension portion 257b is short, a sufficient amount of deformation cannot be obtained, resulting in a decrease in durability. As a result, when the attachment and detachment between the connection terminal 152a and the tip portion 257a are repeated, the extension portion 257b is likely to be damaged. Therefore, by providing the stepped portion 257e in the extension portion 257b, a sufficient distance L is ensured without interfering with the extension portion 257b by the shoe mounting leg 251.

[0199] As shown in FIGS. 20(a) and (b), at both ends of the connection plug 256 in the X direction, a pair of protrusions 256a protruding downward in the Y direction (third direction) so as to sandwich the plurality of connection terminals 257 are provided. As shown in FIG. 20(b), the lower tip portion 256d of each protrusion 256a protrudes below the line connecting the lower ends of the tip portions 257a of the connection terminals 257 in order to protect the connection terminals 257 from external forces such as pressure and impact. That is, the tip portion 257a of the connection terminal 257 is provided above (inside) the line connecting the lower tip portions 256d of the pair of protrusions 256a.

[0200] Furthermore, on the outer side (outer surface) of each protrusion 256a in the X direction, a slope portion 256b is provided as an outer surface that extends obliquely upward from the lower tip portion 256d and faces obliquely downward, that is, has an inclination with respect to the X direction. By having each protrusion 256a have such a shape, it is possible to insert the connection plug 256 into the groove portion 152c having the slope portion 152d in the connection terminal connector 152.

[0201] The slope portion 256b has a role of releasing external forces such as pressure and impact on the connection plug 256 so that the connection plug is not damaged. For example, FIG. 20(c) shows a case where an external force is applied to the connection plug 256 in the X direction. FIG. 20(c) shows the connection plug 256 viewed from the front in the Z direction.

[0202] Define the external force from the X direction as F1 as a vector. When decomposing the external force F1 acting on the slope portion 256b according to the addition rule in the vector space, it is decomposed into a component force F2 in the direction along the slope portion 256b and a component force F3 in the direction perpendicular to the slope portion 256b. Let the angle formed by the external force F1 and the slope portion 256b be θ, then the component force F2 and the component force F3 can be obtained by the following formula (1). F2 = F1cosθ F3 = F1sinθ (1) When providing the slope portion 256b, θ satisfies 0° < θ < 90°. In this range, F2 < F1 F3 < F1(2) Since the component force F2 escapes in the direction along the slope portion 256b, the force affecting the connection plug 256 is only the component force F3. As described above, the component force F3 is external force smaller than F1 maximum Therefore, even if a relatively large external force is applied, the connection plug 256 can be prevented from being damaged.

[0203] By forming the slope portions 256b on both sides in the X direction so that the width in the X direction becomes narrower toward the lower side in the Y direction, it is possible to similarly release a part of the external force not only for the external force from the X direction but also for the external force from the lower side in the Y direction.

[0204] FIG. 25 shows an enlarged view of a part of the connection plug 256 as seen from the Z direction. In the Y direction, let the height from the lower tip 256d of the protrusion 256a to the upper surface of the connection plug 256 (the height of the connection plug including the protrusion) be B, and let the height of the inclined surface portion 256b from the lower tip 256d (the inclined surface start position 256c) to the upper end of the inclined surface portion 256b be A. At this time, it is preferable that A is 1 / 5 or more of B, more preferably 1 / 4 or more, 1 / 3 or more, or as shown in FIG. 13, half or more. That is, the inclined surface portion 256b is formed to have a significant dimension for the function of releasing the external force from the X direction, and is different from the chamfered shape generally provided at the corner of the protrusion. Also, the inclination angle θ of the inclined surface portion 256b with respect to the X direction is preferably set in the range of 45° ± 20° for the function of releasing the above-described external force.

[0205] In the shoe mounting leg 251 with respect to the contact surface 152b of the accessory shoe 1123 which is the positioning portion in the Z direction, in order to sufficiently secure the region of the contact portion 251b, it is desirable to provide the width in the X direction between the inclined surface start positions 256c at the lower tip 256d of the inclined surface portions 256b on both sides as short as possible. In this embodiment, by providing the width in the X direction between the inclined surface start positions 256c inside the width V in the X direction of the holding member 254, the region of the contact portion 251b is sufficiently secured.

[0206] Camera connection part 216 has a structure in which the shoe mounting leg 251 and the holding member 254 are fastened. Details of this fastening structure will be described later.

[0207] The holding member 254 is insertable into the engagement portion interval 151aa of the engagement member 151 of the accessory shoe 1123 shown in Fig. 18(a), and has a connecting portion 254a with a width V that is shorter than the width W of the shoe mounting leg 251 in the X direction. The width W and the width V are defined in dimensions by Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) B7101-1975, "Accessory Mounting Bases and Mounting Legs for Cameras". When the connecting portion 254a fits with the engagement member 151, the position of the external flash unit 120 in the X direction with respect to the camera 100 is determined. Further, the shoe mounting leg 251 is biased upward in the Y direction by contacting the elastic deformation portion 154a of the accessory shoe spring 154 as the biasing member shown in Figs. 17(a) and 17(b). As a result, the upper surface of the shoe fitting portion 251a contacts (press-contacts) the lower surface of the engagement member 151, and the position of the external flash unit 120 in the Y direction with respect to the camera 100 is determined.

[0208] Furthermore, when the contact portion 251b of the shoe mounting leg 251 contacts the contact surface 152b on the front side in the Z direction of the connection terminal connector 152, the position of the external flash unit 120 in the Z direction with respect to the camera 100 is determined.

[0209] Note that the holding member 254 is also a structure for connecting the shoe mounting leg 251 and the base portion 250, and the lock pin 252 and the connection terminal 257 are disposed inside the connecting portion 254a.

[0210] Next, the fastening structure between the holding member 254 and the shoe mounting leg 251 will be described. Fig. 21(a) shows the camera connection portion viewed from the upper side in the Y direction. 216 Fig. 21(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Fig. 21(a).

[0211] A pair of first screws 260a and a pair of second screws 260b, which are fastening members for fastening the shoe mounting leg 251 to the holding member 254, penetrate the holding member 254 and are fastened to the shoe mounting leg 251. At this time, by arranging one screw in each of the four regions approximately equally divided in the X direction and the Z direction in a well-balanced manner, the shoe mounting leg 251 is stably held by the holding member 254. Also, as described above, the shoe mounting leg 251 is a component on which a large stress acts. For this reason, by fastening the metal shoe mounting leg 251 to the holding member 254 with the pair of first screws 260a and the pair of second screws 260b arranged in a well-balanced manner, it is possible to ensure the required mechanical strength.

[0212] In addition, as shown in Fig. 21(b), a plurality of connection terminals 257 are arranged in a region S sandwiched between the pair of first screws 260a and the pair of second screws 260b. Also, the width between the pair of first screws 260a and the pair of second screws 260b is narrower than the width between the lower tip portions 256d of the protrusions 256a of the connection plug 256, the width V of the holding member 254, the outermost width T of the connection plug 256, and the width W of the shoe mounting leg 251.

[0213] Fig. 26 shows a cross-section viewed from the Z direction of the state in which the camera connection part 216 is attached to the accessory shoe 1123. This figure shows the dimensions T, V of the above-described camera connection part 216 and the positional relationship between each part of the camera connection part 216 and each part of the accessory shoe 1123.

[0214] In Fig. 26, as described above, the upper surface of the shoe fitting part 251a of the camera connection part 216 abuts against the lower surface (ceiling surface) of the engaging member 151 of the accessory shoe 1123 for positioning in the Y direction.

[0215] On the other hand, the camera connection part 216The lower tip 256d and the inclined surface 256b of the protrusion 256a of the connection plug 256 in [description context] do not contact the bottom surface and the inclined surface 152d of the groove 152c of the accessory shoe 1123, respectively. The gap between the lower tip 256d of the protrusion 256a and the bottom surface of the groove 152c of the accessory shoe 1123 is set to be as small as possible. Thereby, when an external force in the X direction is applied to the external flash unit 120, the lower tip 256d of the protrusion 256a can contact the bottom surface of the groove 152c of the accessory shoe 1123, and the floating of the connection plug 256 (tilt with respect to the accessory shoe 1123) can be reduced.

[0216] Also, the gaps between the inclined surfaces 256b and 152d and between the inner end surface 152ccc of the groove 152c and the outer end surface of the connection plug 256 are set to be relatively large, respectively. Thereby, when an external force in the X direction is applied to the external flash unit 120, the connection terminals 257 and 152a can be prevented from being loaded.

[0217] In the groove 152c of the accessory shoe 1123, the relationship between the height of the groove 152c in the Y direction (the height from the bottom surface of the groove 152c to the ceiling surface of the engaging member 151) and the height of the inclined surface 152d in the Y direction is 216 the same as the relationship between the height B of the connection plug 256 and the height A of the inclined surface 256b in the camera connection part. Also, the inclination angle of the inclined surface 256b with respect to the X direction is preferably set in the range of 45° ± 20°, similar to the inclination angle θ of the inclined surface 256b in the camera connection part. 216

[0218] In the above embodiments, the case where the surface shape of the inclined surface 256b provided on the protrusion 256a is a flat surface has been described, but the inclined surface 256b may be a curved surface having a curvature. That is, the inclined surface 256b may be a surface having an inclination with respect to the X direction.

[0219] According to the above embodiment, the small camera connection part 216 ​In the accessory shoe 1123, it is possible to secure a region for providing a larger number of connection terminals and a region for protecting them, and a region for positioning between components as before.

[0220] Next, a modified example of the external flash unit 120 will be described. FIG. 22(a) shows the external flash unit 120 as viewed from the camera connection part 216 side (lower side in the Y direction). FIG. 22(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 22(a) and shows the internal structure of the camera connection part 216 FIG. 23(a) shows the camera connection part 216 However, the illustration of the base part 250 and the lock lever 253 is omitted. FIG. 23(b) shows the camera connection part 216 as viewed from the front in the Z direction.

[0221] The camera connection part 216 is provided on the lower side in the Y direction (upper side in FIG. 22(a)) of the base part 250 of the external flash unit 120 as shown in FIG. 22(b) when mounted on the accessory shoe 1123 of the camera 100. The camera connection part 216 has a shoe mounting leg 300a, a lock pin 252, a lock lever 253, a holding member 300, a connection plug 300b, a Y-direction holding member 258, and a shoe cover 301.

[0222] The shoe mounting leg 300a is an engaging member for engaging the external flash unit 120 with the accessory shoe 1123 of the camera 100, similar to the shoe mounting leg 251 of the embodiment described above. That is, the shoe mounting leg 300a is an engaging member on the external flash unit 120 side that is detachable with respect to the engaging member 151 of the accessory shoe 1123.

[0223] In the embodiment described above, the shoe mounting leg 251, which is a metal shoe plate prioritizing mechanical strength, and the resin holding member 254 are formed as separate members. In contrast, in the modified example, the shoe mounting leg 300a and the holding member 300 are formed as an integral member from a resin material (non-conductive material). As a result, the pair of first screws 260a and the pair of second screws 260b in the previous embodiment become unnecessary, and the space for arranging the connection terminals 257 becomes wider, so that a larger number of connection terminals 257 can be arranged. As a result, the external flash unit 120 can communicate more information with the camera 100 via the camera connection portion 216 and the accessory shoe 1123.

[0224] The connection plug 300b is provided on the front side in the Z direction in the camera connection portion 216 and is formed as a member integral with the holding member 300 formed of a non-conductive resin material in this embodiment. Similar to the embodiment described above, by making the outermost width T of the connection plug 300b in the X direction narrower than the width W of the shoe mounting leg 300a in the X direction, a region for providing the contact portion 300e in the shoe mounting leg 300a is secured. The connection plug 300b has a plurality of connection terminals 257 for making contact with and communicating with the plurality of connection terminals 152a of the accessory shoe 1123 shown in FIG. 18(c). The shoe cover 301 is an enclosure attached to the holding member 300 and is a member that protects the plurality of connection terminals 257. The shape of the connection terminals 257 is the same as that in the previous embodiment, and a step portion 257e is provided to ensure a sufficient distance L in the Z direction of the extension portion 257b without interfering with the shoe cover 301.

[0225] The shape of the connection plug 300b is also the same as that of the connection plug 256 in the previous embodiment. At both ends of the connection plug 300b in the X direction, a pair of protrusions 300c protruding downward in the Y direction are provided so as to sandwich a plurality of connection terminals 257. As shown in Fig. 23(b), the lower tip portion 300k of each protrusion 300c protrudes below the line connecting the lower ends of the tip portions 257a of the connection terminals 257 in order to protect the connection terminals 257 from external forces such as pressure and impact. That is, the tip portion 257a of the connection terminal 257 is provided above (inside) the line connecting the lower tip portions 300k of the pair of protrusions 300c .

[0226] Also in this embodiment, on the outer side of each protrusion 300c in the X direction, a slope surface 300f extending obliquely upward from the lower tip portion 300k and facing obliquely downward is provided. By each protrusion 300c having such a shape, it is possible to insert the connection plug 300b into the groove portion 152c having the slope surface 152d in the connection terminal connector 152 described in the previous embodiment. As also described in the previous embodiment, the slope surface 300f has a role of releasing external forces such as pressure and impact on the connection plug 300b so that the connection plug is not damaged.

[0227] Furthermore, similar to the previous embodiment, it is desirable to provide the distance in the X direction between the slope start positions 300g at the lower tip portion 300k of the slope surfaces on both sides as short as possible. For this reason, the slope start positions 300g on both sides are provided inside the width V of the holding member 254 in the X direction, and a sufficient area of the contact portion 300e of the screw mounting leg 300a is ensured. 300f

[0228] ​The holding member 300 is formed so as to be insertable into and engageable with the engaging portion interval 151aa of the engaging member 151 shown in Fig. 18(a), and has a connecting portion 300h having a width V shorter than the width W of the shoe mounting leg 300a in the X direction. The width W and the width V are dimensioned in accordance with Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) B7101-1975, "Camera accessory mounting seats and mounting legs", as in the previous embodiment. When the connecting portion 300h is fitted with the engaging member 151, the position of the external flash unit 120 in the X direction with respect to the camera 100 is determined. Further, the shoe mounting leg 300a is biased upward in the Y direction by contacting the elastic deformation portion 154a of the accessory shoe spring 154 shown in Figs. 17(a) and (b), whereby the upper surface of the shoe fitting portion 300d contacts the lower surface of the engaging member 151. Thereby, the position of the external flash unit 120 in the Y direction with respect to the camera 100 is determined.

[0229] Furthermore, when the contact portion 300e of the shoe mounting leg 300a contacts the contact surface 152b on the front side in the Z direction of the connection terminal connector 152, the position of the external flash unit 120 in the Z direction with respect to the camera 100 is determined. Note that the holding member 300 is also a structure for connecting the shoe mounting leg 300a and the base portion 250, and the lock pin 252 and the connection terminal 257 are disposed inside the connecting portion 300h.

[0230] In this embodiment, the case where the camera 100, the accessory 200, and the intermediate accessory 400 have 21 or 15 contacts has been described, but the number of contacts may be other numbers.

[0231] Also, in this embodiment, the accessory 200 has been described as a microphone device or a strobe device. However, the accessories referred to in the present invention include various devices other than microphone devices and strobe devices such as an electronic viewfinder unit. Further, in this embodiment, the electronic device has been described as a camera. However, the electronic devices referred to in the present invention include various electronic devices other than cameras. (Other embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or apparatus via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in a computer of the system or apparatus read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0232] Each of the embodiments described above is merely a representative example, and various modifications and changes can be made to each embodiment when implementing the present invention.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0233] 100 Camera 101 Camera control circuit 131, 132 Accessory power supply circuit 141 Camera connection part 200 Accessory 211 Accessory connection part TC01~TC21, TA01~TA21 Contacts

Claims

1. An electronic device having an accessory attachment portion to which an accessory is detachably attached, The accessory attachment portion, A plurality of contacts arranged in a first direction orthogonal to the direction in which the accessory is attached, And a pair of engaging portions spaced apart in the first direction, The plurality of contacts include communication request contacts used for a communication request from the accessory to the electronic device, The communication request contacts are closer to the middle of the pair of engaging portions than any of the plurality of contacts in the first direction. An electronic device characterized by this.

2. The plurality of contacts include attachment detection contacts used for detecting the attachment of the accessory to the electronic device and communication contacts used for communication between the electronic device and the accessory, The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the communication contacts are arranged between the attachment detection contacts and the communication request contacts and on the side opposite to the attachment detection contacts with respect to the communication request contacts.

3. The electronic device can communicate with the accessory in a first communication method and in a second communication method different from the first communication method, Communication contacts used for communication in the first communication method are arranged on the side opposite to the attachment detection contacts with respect to the communication request contacts, The electronic device according to claim 2, characterized in that communication contacts used for communication in the second communication method are arranged between the communication request contacts and the attachment detection contacts.

4. An electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, And an accessory detachably attached to the electronic device. A system characterized by this.

5. An accessory having an attachment portion detachably attached to an electronic device, It is provided on the shoe part and has a plurality of contacts arranged in a first direction orthogonal to the direction of attachment to the electronic device. The plurality of contacts include a first contact connected to a reference potential, and a second contact that starts communication with the electronic device by changing the potential low when the first contact is connected to the electronic device, and does not change the potential low when the first contact is not connected to the electronic device. The second contact is closer to the center of the shoe part than any of the plurality of contacts in the first direction. The accessory is characterized by this.

6. Communication contacts used for communication between the electronic device and the accessory are arranged between the first contact and the second contact and on the side opposite to the first contact with respect to the second contact, respectively. The accessory according to claim 5, characterized by this.

7. The accessory can communicate with the electronic device in a first communication method and in a second communication method different from the first communication method. Contacts used for communication in the first communication method are arranged on the side opposite to the first contact with respect to the second contact. Contacts used for communication in the second communication method are arranged between the second contact and the first contact. The accessory according to claim 6, characterized by this.

8. An electronic device A system comprising the accessory according to any one of claims 5 to 7 detachably attached to the electronic device.

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