Interchangeable Lens Communication Control for Camera Display
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional imaging systems face challenges in appropriately displaying information from interchangeable lenses on camera displays, particularly due to differences in specifications between lenses and cameras, leading to issues with index positioning and communication breakdowns.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a communication control method that allows the camera and interchangeable lens to switch between different communication modes based on compatibility, using clock synchronization and asynchronous methods, and adding or omitting a busy signal to optimize data transmission, ensuring effective communication and display of focus distance, zoom position, and camera shake information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the lens barrel does not include a display member, then the lens becomes smaller and lighter, but the focus distance information and scale cannot be displayed according to differences in specs between interchangeable lenses and cameras
Solution Approach 1:
The display function is extracted from the lens barrel and relocated to the camera body's display unit. The lens communicates focus position data to the camera, which then displays the information on its display unit, eliminating the need for a display member in the lens barrel while preserving information display capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera's display unit is designed to universally display focus distance information for multiple types of interchangeable lenses with different specifications. The system adapts the display scale and indices based on the specific lens attached, allowing one display unit to serve multiple lens types effectively.
2Device complexity
If the camera displays focus distance information without considering differences in lens and camera specs, then the display is simple, but the indices of distance information cannot be displayed according to differences in specs between interchangeable lenses and cameras
Solution Approach 1:
The camera and lens exchange specification data (such as focal length, closest focusing distance, and display unit characteristics) during the attachment phase or initialization. This preliminary information exchange allows the system to pre-calculate appropriate display parameters, ensuring accurate distance information display without adding complexity during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The display parameters (such as scale, indices, and range) are dynamically changed based on the specific lens attached. The system adjusts these parameters according to the lens's specifications and the camera's display unit characteristics, ensuring accurate and appropriate display of focus distance information for each lens-camera combination.
3Device complexity
If the camera and lens use a fixed communication mode, then the communication protocol is simple, but communication breakdowns occur due to incompatibility between different lens and camera combinations
Solution Approach 1:
The communication system dynamically selects the appropriate communication mode (synchronous or asynchronous) based on the specific lens-camera combination. During initialization, the camera and lens negotiate and determine the compatible communication mode, allowing the system to adapt to different hardware capabilities and ensure reliable communication without requiring a overly complex universal protocol.
4Measurement precision
If the system uses synchronous communication with clock signals, then data transmission is precise, but communication speed is limited by clock signal requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between synchronous communication mode (using clock signals for precise data transmission) and asynchronous communication mode (for faster data transfer). The camera and lens negotiate the appropriate mode based on the specific data being transmitted and the capabilities of the connected devices, optimizing both precision and speed for different communication scenarios.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
A communication control unit of an interchangeable lens 100 transmits information regarding distance information corresponding to the focus lens position to a camera main body 200 to which the interchangeable lens unit is attached. The camera main body 200 include a display unit, and perform display at the display unit 206 based on the information received from the interchangeable lens 100.