Camera Accessory Terminal Arrangement for Noise Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing camera accessories lack efficient and reliable methods for removably attaching to a camera body while ensuring stable power supply and communication, leading to potential noise interference and wear issues during attachment and detachment.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates a plurality of terminals on the accessory and camera body for detection, power supply, communication, and clock signals, with specific terminal arrangements to minimize noise and wear, including a detection terminal, power supply terminals, ground terminals, and clock/data terminals, and optional voltage conversion circuits to manage power distribution and communication.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If multiple terminals are arranged closely together for compact design, then device complexity is reduced, but noise interference between terminals increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveterminal arrangement complexityVSAvoidnoise interference
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by assigning different ground terminals (first ground terminal and second ground terminal) to different functional groups of terminals. The first ground terminal serves power supply terminals and first clock terminal, while the second ground terminal serves second clock terminal and data terminals. This localized grounding approach minimizes noise interference by creating electrically distinct zones while maintaining overall system compactness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If terminals are arranged to minimize noise interference, then reliability improves, but the attachment and detachment process causes more wear on terminals

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication stabilityVSAvoidterminal service life
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the ground terminals into at least two separate ground terminals, where each ground terminal is associated with specific functional terminals. This segmentation reduces the wear on individual terminal contacts during attachment and detachment by distributing mechanical stress across multiple contact points, while also improving communication stability through reduced electrical interference.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Manufacturing precision

If power supply terminals are positioned close to clock terminals for compact layout, then manufacturing precision requirements are reduced, but noise from power supply affects clock signals

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveterminal positioning toleranceVSAvoidpower supply noise
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces ground terminals as intermediary elements between power supply terminals and clock terminals. The first ground terminal is connected to the first power supply terminal and the first clock terminal, while the second ground terminal connects to the second power supply terminal and second clock terminal. These ground intermediaries provide electrical isolation and noise filtering, protecting sensitive clock signals from power supply noise while allowing compact terminal layout.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3598221B1Camera accessory
Publication Date: 2024.11.27 NIKON CORP
  • EP3598221B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3598221B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3598221B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An accessory includes: a detection terminal; a first power supply terminal through which a first power supply voltage is supplied; a second power supply terminal through which a second power supply voltage is supplied; a ground terminal; a ready terminal; a first clock terminal; a first data terminal; a second data terminal; a second clock terminal; a third data terminal; a first circuit to which the first power supply voltage is supplied through the first power supply terminal; and a second circuit to which the second power supply voltage is supplied through the second power supply terminal, wherein: the ground terminal is used as a ground potential for the first circuit and the second circuit; and a distance between the second clock terminal and the first power supply terminal is longer than a distance between the first clock terminal and the first power supply terminal.