Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Minoru Uchiyama

Toru Ohara

Yoshihiko Aihara

Keisuke Kudo

Tomoaki Yamanaka

The lens apparatus according to the present invention includes an optical system including a plurality of lens units configured to move in adjusting an in-focus state of a subject image, a detection unit configured to detect respective positions of the plurality of lens units, an acquisition unit configured to acquire position information regarding a single position representing the respective positions of the plurality of lens units corresponding to a current subject distance, based on the respective positions of the plurality of lens units and relational information indicating a relation between a subject distance and the respective positions of the plurality of lens units, and a control unit configured to control the respective positions of the plurality of lens units based on the position information acquired by the acquisition unit.

Lens apparatus, camera, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium

An interchangeable lens is connected to a camera body through an adapter apparatus. The adapter apparatus can communicate with the interchangeable lens through a plurality of communication methods and includes a communication unit configured to control the communication with the lens apparatus, and a setting unit configured to switch a communication setting in the adapter apparatus between a first setting and a second setting. The first setting is compliant with a first communication method as a communication method in an initial communication to be performed at a start-up of the interchangeable lens, and the second setting is compliant with a second communication method different from the first communication method. When the second setting is set as the communication setting, the adapter apparatus sets the first setting as the communication setting and transmits a signal for switching a power state to the interchangeable lens through the first communication method.

Adapter apparatus, camera system, control method, and storage medium

A controller controls a focus lens driver so as to maintain an in-focus state associated with a magnification variation, based on information on a tracking curve that represents a position of the focus lens corresponding to an object distance and a focal length of an image-pickup optical system. The controller controls the focus lens driver so as to prevent the focus lens from being moved for focusing based on a difference between an actual position of the focus lens and the position of the focus lens indicated by the tracking curve in a case the focus lens driver is driving the focus lens based on information on the tracking curve.

Optical apparatus and drive controlling method

An imaging apparatus to which an accessory is detachably attached includes an imaging unit configured to convert an object image into an electrical signal, a signal generation unit configured to generate a vertical synchronizing signal that is synchronized with a timing of exposure of the imaging unit and output the generated vertical synchronizing signal, a control unit configured to control communication with the accessory based on the vertical synchronizing signal, a first terminal configured to send a clock signal generated by the control unit to the accessory, and a second terminal configured to communicate data with the accessory based on the clock signal, in which the control unit controls a signal level at the first terminal to a predetermined level when the communication of the data ends, and then changes the signal level in synchronization with the output of the vertical synchronizing signal.

Imaging apparatus and accessory, and method and system of the same, and medium

A lens apparatus detachably attachable to an image pickup apparatus, the lens apparatus includes a variable magnification lens arranged to move along an optical axis when changing magnification, a focus lens () arranged to move along the optical axis so as to perform focusing, position detection means for detecting a position of the focus lens, lens control means for acquiring normalized position information of the focus lens based on position information of the focus lens, and a memory arranged to store electronic cam data representing a position relation of the variable magnification lens and the focus lens corresponding to a plurality of object distances and, and a sensitivity of the focus lens calculated based on the normalized position information of the focus lens.

Lens apparatus and a camera system

The interchangeable lens includes a focus actuator to move a focus lens, a memory storing speed control data for the focus actuator and end position data showing infinity side and close side end positions of a movable range of the focus lens, a lens controller to control the drive speed of the focus actuator by using the speed control data. The lens controller receives, from an image pickup apparatus, timing information showing a timing relating to acquisition of focus information, performs an end reachability determination for predictively determining, by using the timing information, the speed control data and the end position data, whether or not the focus lens reaches the infinity side or close side end position by a scheduled focus information acquisition timing, and sends information showing a result of the end reachability determination to the image pickup apparatus.

Interchangeable lens attachable to image pickup apparatus that provide contrast AF, control method therefor, image pickup apparatus and control method therefor

An interchangeable lens detachable from a camera includes a variator lens configured to change a focal length by moving in an optical axis direction, a focus lens configured to change a focusing state of an object image by moving in the optical axis direction, a diaphragm configured to adjust an amount of light, an acquisition unit configured to acquire an amount of change in image magnification corresponding to information about a position of the variator lens, a position of the focus lens, and an aperture value of the diaphragm, and a lens control unit configured to transmit the amount of change in image magnification to the camera.

Interchangeable lens, camera, and camera system

An imaging apparatus to which an accessory is detachably attached, said accessory including an optical member, includes a signal generation unit configured to generate a vertical synchronizing signal and output the generated vertical synchronizing signal, an imaging unit configured to accumulate charges in synchronization with the vertical synchronizing signal and output an imaging signal, a control unit configured to generate a clock signal and control data communication with the accessory based on the clock signal, a first terminal for sending the clock signal to the accessory, and a second terminal for communicating data with the accessory, in which the control unit, after the data communication via the second terminal, notifies timing at which the vertical synchronizing signal is output using the clock signal via the first terminal by changing a signal level of the first terminal after a lapse of a predetermined time while the signal level is kept at a predetermined level, and controls the accessory to drive the optical member based on the timing.

A lens apparatus detachable from an image pickup apparatus includes a focus lens, a driver configured to drive the focus lens, a first position detector configured to detect a position of the focus lens, and a controller configured to correct the position of the focus lens detected by the first position detector to a position of the focus lens in a predetermined optical characteristic, to transmit a corrected position of the focus lens to the image pickup apparatus, to correct driving information of the focus lens in the predetermined characteristic received from the image pickup apparatus to driving information of the focus lens in a current optical characteristic, and to instruct the driver to drive the focus lens in accordance with the position of the focus lens detected by the first position detector and corrected driving information of the focus lens.

Lens apparatus and image pickup system

The image pickup system includes a camera and an interchangeable lens having an image-taking optical system. The camera includes an image sensor to photoelectrically convert an object image formed by the image-taking optical system and to be moved in an optical axis direction, and a camera controller configured to control movement of the image sensor such that focus variation caused due to variation of magnification of the interchangeable lens is reduced. The camera controller is configured to acquire image sensor moving data corresponding to the interchangeable lens attached to the camera, and controls the movement of the image sensor by using the image sensor moving data.

Image pickup system, camera and interchangeable lens

A control apparatus is configured to control an actuator, which moves one driven member by a plurality of vibrators, by supplying two alternating-current signals to each vibrator of the actuator. The control apparatus includes a controller configured to acquire a speed characteristic of the driven member corresponding to the frequency of the alternating-current signal with respect to the vibrator(s) based on the acquired speed and the frequency of the alternating-current signal supplied to the vibrator(s) at the time of the acquisition of the speed, and reduce a difference in the characteristic among the plurality of vibrators by adjusting at least one of an amplitude of an alternating-current signal to be supplied to the vibrator, a frequency of an alternating-current signal to be supplied to the vibrator, and a phase difference between two alternating-current signals to be supplied to the vibrator, based on the acquired characteristic.

Control apparatus and adjustment method for vibratory actuator using a plurality of vibrators, vibratory actuator, and lens unit and optical apparatus using the vibratory actuator

A lens apparatus is disclosed which is capable of picking (taking) moving images and picking still images by using a mechanical shutter without a detector to detect the state of the mechanical shutter. The lens apparatus comprises an aperture stop, a mechanical shutter, and a lens controller which sends first information used for an electronic shutter control of the image-pickup element to an image-pickup apparatus. The first information relates to time or speed, determined according to an opening state of the aperture stop, from the start of image-pickup with the image-pickup element to the completion of closing operation of the mechanical shutter.

Lens apparatus and image-pickup apparatus

The light-amount adjusting system includes a light-amount adjusting unit that changes a size of an aperture through which light passes, an actuator that drives the light-amount adjusting unit, and a detector that detects an aperture state of the light-amount adjusting unit. The system further includes a deviation signal generator that generates a signal corresponding to a deviation between a target aperture state of the light-amount adjusting unit and an aperture state thereof detected by the detector, a driving signal generator that provides an offset to the signal corresponding to the deviation to generate a driving signal for driving the actuator, and a filter which perform a low-pass-filter processing on the driving signal. An output from the filter is used as the offset. The system can control the light-amount adjusting unit with high stability and accuracy at any position and in any driving direction thereof.

Light-amount adjusting system and optical apparatus

When a difference between a diaphragm target position and a detected state of a diaphragm is less than a neutral zone width, a driving control operation of the diaphragm is prohibited. The neutral zone width can be changed depending on the state of the diaphragm.

Growing community of inventors

Utsunomiya, Japan

Minoru Uchiyama