Camera Accessory Controller Error Recovery Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing camera systems face challenges in rapidly restarting communication and image capturing after a communication error occurs due to the need for initializing operations and buffer clearing, which prolongs the restart time and disrupts continuous data transmission.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a method where the camera and interchangeable lens microcomputers share communication error information by inverting specific bits in the data signals, allowing for immediate clearing of transmission buffers and swift restart of communication, enabling rapid re-establishment of data transfer.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If initializing operation and buffer clearing are performed when communication error occurs, then communication error can be recovered, but restart time increases and continuous operation is disrupted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication error recoveryVSAvoidrestart time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by having the lens controller proactively monitor and detect communication errors in data received from the camera controller, and immediately notify the camera controller of detected errors. This allows for rapid error handling without waiting for normal communication cycles to complete, thereby reducing restart time while maintaining reliable error recovery.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the lens controller continuously monitors incoming data for errors and provides immediate feedback to the camera controller. When communication errors are detected, the lens controller sends error notification signals back to the camera controller, enabling real-time error recovery without disrupting continuous operation. This feedback loop ensures reliable error handling while minimizing downtime.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Speed

If high communication rate is used to achieve high-speed data communication, then data transmission speed increases, but noise influence increases and communication errors occur more frequently

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata communication rateVSAvoidcommunication error incidence
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs feedback by implementing continuous error monitoring at the lens controller and immediately notifying the camera controller of detected communication errors. This allows the system to detect and handle errors rapidly even when operating at high communication rates, thereby maintaining reliability despite the increased noise influence inherent in high-speed communication.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The lens controller performs self-service by autonomously monitoring incoming data for communication errors and managing error detection independently. This self-monitoring capability enables the system to maintain high communication rates while the lens controller independently handles error detection and notification, preventing errors from accumulating and compromising overall system reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3229461B1Accessory apparatus, image-capturing apparatus, image-capturing system, control method and control program
Publication Date: 2020.05.06 CANON KK
  • EP3229461B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3229461B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3229461B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The accessory apparatus (100) includes an accessory communicator (112) providing a notification channel (RTS), a first data communication channel (DCL) and a second data communication channel (DCL). The accessory controller (111) transmits, in response to receiving a transmission request from an image-capturing apparatus (200) through the notification channel, accessory data to the image-capturing apparatus through the first data communication channel and receives camera data transmitted from the image-capturing apparatus through the second data communication channel. The accessory controller has a function of detecting a camera communication error in the camera data and is configured to, when detecting the camera communication error, transmit accessory error information to the image-capturing apparatus and erase the accessory data stored in an accessory data buffer.