Television – Camera – system and detail – Optics
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-24
2004-04-06
Vu, Ngoc-Yen (Department: 2612)
Television
Camera, system and detail
Optics
C348S347000, C348S375000, C396S530000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06717618
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical interface between a television camera and television lens.
2. Related Background Art
Electrical interfaces between the television camera and television lens are mainly classified into a 36-pin parallel (analog) interface using a 36-pin connector for a high-performance, multifunctional, expensive large television camera and large television lens and a 12-pin parallel (analog) interface using a 12-pin connector for compact, lightweight, low-cost portable television camera and television lens. One function is assigned to each pin of each of these electrical interfaces. For example, an iris control signal for controlling the iris of the television lens from the television camera is assigned to the fifth pin of the 12-pin parallel interface for the portable television camera and to the 17th pin of the 36-pin parallel interface for the large television camera.
FIG. 4
is a block diagram of a 12-pin parallel interface between the conventional portable television camera and portable television lens. The electrical interface between a portable television camera
200
and portable television lens
700
has a 12-pin connector
500
(only the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th pins are illustrated, and an illustration of other pins is omitted). In the direction from the portable television camera
200
to the portable television lens
700
, the electrical interface sends a switch input signal mainly having a function of switching the iris automatically or manually and an analog input signal represented by the iris control signal. In the direction from the portable television lens
700
to the portable television camera
200
, the electrical interface sends a switch output signal mainly having a function of ON/OFF-switching VTR recording and an analog output signal represented by an iris position signal.
The internal arrangement of the portable television lens
700
will be described below.
The switch input signal is input to an analog control signal calculation portion
115
to make the portable television lens
700
function in accordance with the contents of the switch input signal. The analog input signal is sequentially supplied to the analog control calculation portion
115
, a driver circuit
111
for driving a motor, and a motor
110
for operating an optical system (not shown) such as a focus lens group, zoom lens group, iris blades, and extender lens group. A position detector
108
for detecting the state of the optical system in cooperation with the motor
110
is attached to the optical system. A signal from the position detector
108
is output as an analog output signal to the portable television camera
200
via an analog position signal calculation portion
109
. Information from a switch
119
in the portable television lens
700
is also output as a switch output signal to the portable television camera
200
.
In recent years, along with the improvement in performance of portable television cameras, a large television lens is often used for a portable television camera. In this case, a 36-pin/12-pin interface conversion adapter is generally used between the portable television camera and large television lens.
To implement higher performance to cope with a virtual studio, a 12-pin parallel interface and 36-pin parallel interface as an electrical interface between a television camera and television lens, and a 12-pin serial interface and 36-pin serial interface assigned with a function of two-way serial communication from a television camera to television lens and from a television lens to television camera are used more often because further expansion and higher precision are difficult with state-of-the-art electrical interfaces for television camera lenses. With reference to the presence/absence of serial communication, the interface of a television lens having such a serial communication function is automatically switched to a serial interface when a television camera to which the television lens is attached has a serial communication function or to a parallel interface when a television camera to which the television lens is attached does not have a serial communication function.
Serial communication functions are assigned to parallel interfaces as follows. In the 12-pin parallel interface, the serial communication function is assigned to the 11th pin as a focus position signal pin which is rarely used and the 12th pin as an unused pin.
In the 36-pin parallel interface, the serial communication function is assigned to the extender position signal pin and iris mode changeover signal since no unused pin is available. The function of serial communication from the television lens to television camera is assigned to the 11th pin in the 12-pin serial interface and the 8th pin in the 36-pin serial interface. In use of a large television lens having a serial communication function in a portable television camera having a serial communication function, conversion must be performed by a 36-pin/12-pin interface conversion adapter so as to connect the 8th pin of the 36-pin connector to the 11th pin of the 12-pin connector. Since the focus position signal and extender position signal are respectively assigned to the 11th pin of the 12-pin parallel interface and the 8th pin of the 36-pin parallel interface, the following problem is posed in the parallel interface mode. That is, in use of a large television lens having a serial communication function in a portable television camera having no serial communication function, i.e., a parallel interface, when the 36-pin/12-pin interface conversion adapter is used, the portable television camera erroneously detects the extender position signal from the large television lens as a focus position signal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One aspect of the application is to provide a system, adapter, and lens to cope with parallel and serial communications between a camera and lens having different numbers of pins.
One aspect of the application is to provide a photographic system for connecting a camera and a second lens unit via an adapter device, the camera having a plurality of terminals compatible with a first lens unit having a plurality of terminals and having parallel and serial communication functions with the first lens unit via the pluralities of terminals, the second lens unit having a terminal arrangement different from that of the first lens unit, and the adapter device connecting a first terminal of the camera, which is used as a terminal for first information in parallel communication and a terminal for serial communication in communicating information serially, to a first terminal of the second lens unit, which is used as a terminal for transmitting the first information in the parallel communication, and connecting a second terminal of the camera, which is used as a terminal of the camera for second information in the parallel communication, to a second terminal of the second lens unit, which is used as a terminal of the camera for the second information in the parallel communication and a terminal for serial communication in communicating information serially, and the photographic system allowing compatible connection between the camera and second lens unit in parallel communication, comprising a changeover switch which connects the first terminal of the camera and the second terminal of the second lens unit, thereby eliminating the conventional drawback described above.
One aspect of the application is to provide an adapter device for connecting a camera and a second lens unit, the camera having a plurality of terminals compatible with a first lens unit having a plurality of terminals and having parallel and serial communication functions with the first lens unit via the pluralities of terminals, the second lens unit having a terminal arrangement different from that of the first lens unit, and the adapter device connecting a first terminal of the camera, which is used as a terminal for first information in parallel communication and a
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