Lens Mount Communication Method Switching for Optical Design Freedom
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Solution Overview
Problem
Interchangeable lenses for mirrorless cameras, particularly macro and ultrawide-angle lenses, do not require high autofocus speed or dynamic object followability, leading to unnecessary increased communication performance demands, which limits optical design freedom due to larger semiconductor chips needed for higher communication speeds.
Innovation Solution
A lens apparatus with a mount system that allows for different communication methods based on lens type, using a first-shaped mount for direct attachment and a second-shaped mount for attachment via an intermediate adapter, enabling clock synchronous communication for lenses that do not require asynchronous communication, thus optimizing communication performance and optical design freedom.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a new type communication method with higher communication speed is adopted to improve autofocus speed and dynamic object followability, then communication performance is improved, but semiconductor chip footprint increases and optical design freedom is narrowed
Solution Approach 1:
The lens apparatus dynamically switches between two communication methods (first and second communication methods) depending on the operational requirements. The control unit selects the appropriate communication method based on whether high-speed autofocus is needed, allowing the system to adapt its communication performance to match the actual imaging needs, thereby avoiding the permanent commitment to a larger chip footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the communication parameters by switching between two distinct communication methods. The first communication method uses a higher communication speed when fast autofocus is required, while the second communication method uses a lower communication speed when such performance is not needed, allowing optimization of the semiconductor chip size based on actual requirements.
2Power
If a new type communication method is adopted to improve communication performance, then autofocus speed and followability are improved, but device complexity increases due to larger semiconductor chips
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit dynamically selects between two communication methods based on the imaging task at hand. When high communication performance is needed for sports photography or wildlife imaging, the first communication method is activated. For static subjects or scenarios where speed is not critical, the second communication method suffices, reducing the required chip complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes communication parameters by switching between two communication methods with different performance levels. This allows the lens apparatus to achieve high communication performance only when necessary, rather than maintaining it continuously, thereby reducing the semiconductor chip footprint and overall device complexity.
3Speed
If a new type communication method is adopted to improve autofocus performance, then communication speed is improved, but optical design freedom is narrowed due to larger component footprint
Solution Approach 1:
The lens apparatus dynamically adapts its communication speed based on the optical design requirements and imaging scenarios. By switching between two communication methods, the system allows optical designers greater freedom to choose lens configurations without being constrained by the requirement for always-high communication speed, thus improving optical design freedom while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the communication speed parameter by selecting between two communication methods. This flexibility allows optical designers to optimize the optical system for specific applications (such as ultrawide-angle or macro lenses) without being forced to accommodate high-speed communication requirements that would increase component footprint and reduce design freedom.
Data Source
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Figure 2A~2D
Figure 3
AI summary
A lens apparatus (600) is attachable to and detachable from an image pickup apparatus (100). The lens apparatus comprises an imaging optical system (680), a first-shaped mount part (650) engageable with a mount part (150) of the image pickup apparatus and including a plurality of electrical contacts (6001-6012), and a communicator (600) communicable with the image pickup apparatus, wherein a predetermined electrical contact (6003) among the plurality of electrical contacts is not used to supply power from the image pickup apparatus or to communicate with the image pickup apparatus, and is grounded via a resistor (622). The communicator is communicable with the image pickup apparatus using a second communication method different from a first communication method, and uncommunicable with the image pickup apparatus using the first communication method. The resistor grounding the predetermined electrical contact has a resistance value according to the type of the lens apparatus being a type which communicates with the image pickup apparatus at a first voltage using the second communication method.