Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support – Computer power control – Power conservation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-11
2002-06-25
Ray, Gopal C. (Department: 2181)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support
Computer power control
Power conservation
C382S312000, C713S320000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06412076
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an image sensing apparatus such as a combination camera-VTR (camcorder) equipped with an interface for outputting a signal to external equipment, or to a signal processing apparatus which includes such an apparatus.
In a camcorder, which is one example of an image sensing apparatus in the prior art, it is necessary to avoid wear of the recording tape due to contact with a recording head in a situation where the recording head is standing by tracing the same path on the recording tape, as when the camcorder is in the recording standby mode. Further, there is need to minimize consumption of the battery employed as the power supply. For these reasons, the system architecture of such an apparatus is designed to realize conservation of power and prevention of tape wear.
FIG. 23
is a block diagram illustrating the principal components of a system for controlling a camcorder according to the prior art.
As shown in
FIG. 23
, the system includes a recording start key
1
provided so that the operator may select the start of recording; a camera controller
2
for capturing image information by controlling a lens unit (not shown); a signal processor
3
for encoding the image information, which has been received from the camera controller
2
, as digital image data; a recorder controller
4
for controlling a drum motor
5
, capstan motor
6
and recording head
7
to record the digital image data, which has been obtained by the encoding processing of signal processor
3
, on magnetic recording tape (not shown) serving as a recording medium; and a digital interface
8
for outputting the digital image data, which has been obtained by the encoding processing of signal processor
3
, to an external device. The digital interface
8
has a connection terminal
8
a.
The system further includes a power supply unit
9
for supplying peripheral blocks with electric power, and a system controller
10
for controlling the camera controller
2
in conformity with operating-mode selection information obtained from the recording start key
1
, which is part of an input unit, the signal processor
3
, the recorder controller
4
, the digital interface
8
and the power supply unit
9
.
FIG. 24
is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the system controller
10
in a case where transition to a recording standby mode has been selected in response to the operator pressing a key. The control operation of the system controller
10
in the recording standby mode will be described with reference to FIG.
24
. The recording standby mode refers to a mode in which the camera controller
2
and signal processor
3
are in a state identical with that which prevailed in the recording mode, while the recorder controller
4
places only the drum motor
5
in a state the same as that which prevailed in the recording mode (i.e., controls the drum motor
5
so that it rotates at the same rpm as that in the recording mode) and places the capstan motor
6
and recording head
7
in the OFF state.
When the transition to the recording standby mode is selected in response to the operator pressing a key, the system controller
10
enables a timer interrupt at step S
01
in order to measure recording standby time.
The timer interrupt results in the generation of an interrupt at any set time period. A shutdown timer is incremented at step S
31
, which is within the interrupt, as shown in FIG.
25
.
Next, the system controller
10
monitors the recording start key at step S
02
and, if an input from this key is sensed at step S
03
, shifts the mode from the recording standby mode to the recording mode at step S
24
. By controlling the recorder controller in the recording mode, the capstan roller is driven into rotation and photographic image data is recorded on the magnetic recording tape via the recording head.
The timer interrupt is disabled and the shutdown timer is cleared at step S
06
. If a key input is not sensed at step S
03
, the shutdown timer is monitored at step S
04
. If it is determined that the value measured by the shutdown timer is less than 5 minutes, control returns to step S
02
. On the other hand, if it is determined that the recording standby mode has continued for five minutes or more, a transition from the recording standby mode to a power shutdown mode is made at step S
05
. By controlling the power supply unit
9
in the power shutdown mode, the supply of power to the camera controller
2
, signal processor
3
, recorder controller
4
and digital interface
8
is turned off. Next, at step S
06
, the timer interrupt is disabled and the shutdown timer is cleared. This series of processing steps completes the operation for conserving power and preventing tape wear.
Many camcorders are equipped with a serial bus in compliance with IEEE 1394-1995 as a digital interface for outputting digital image data to an external device. (This IEEE standard shall be referred to simply as “IEEE 1394” below.) A cable in compliance with IEEE 1394 is composed of two twisted-pair signal lines (to which it is possible to add a power-supply line). In order that the devices in a communications system can recognize one another, a unique ID is set for each device. Furthermore, in order for communication to be controlled over a network, ID information referred to as a node ID (physical address) is set for each device.
If the bus constructing the network undergoes a bus reset, the node IDs are set again. That is, a processing operation for automatically recognizing the make-up of a network becomes necessary when power is introduced or in response to detection of addition/deletion of a network device or of a reset command from an individual device. The ID of each device is set again in such case. Reconfiguration of the network is carried out by this resetting of the network device IDs.
Thus, the digital interface
8
, which is a structural component in the prior-art arrangement described above, is in compliance with IEEE 1394. Assume that the digital interface
8
has been connected to an external device. If, under these conditions, the camcorder is forcibly shut down while in the recording standby state, a problem which arises is that in interface networking, a bus reset is generated in order to reconfigure the network and, as a result, processing for interfacing all devices present on the network is suspended.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a signal processing apparatus and an image sensing apparatus in which it is possible to obtain a favorable system construction in a case where the main unit of the apparatus and an external device have been connected via a digital interface in the recording standby mode.
According to the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing a signal processing apparatus capable of constructing a network by being connected to a plurality of external devices, wherein in a case where at least connection to an external device has been sensed when the apparatus is in an operation standby state, power shutdown is restricted to thereby curtail bus reset of the network.
Further, according to the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing an image sensing apparatus comprising: image signal processing means for generating and processing image information; interface means for outputting a signal, which is output by the image signal processing means, to an external device; and sensing means for sensing connection of the interface means to an external device, wherein depending upon status of a connection to an external device, a transition is made from a first operating mode, in which the apparatus stands by for operation of the image signal processing means, to a second operating mode in which the image signal processing means is partially shut down or to a third operating mode in which power to the apparatus is cut off.
The present invention further provides a method of controlling a signal processing apparatus that is capable of constructing a network by
Honda Hirofumi
Sato Keiji
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Morgan & Finnegan , LLP
Ray Gopal C.
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