JP2008104071A - Imaging apparatus, control method of imaging apparatus and battery pack - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a digital camera capable of accurately notifying a user of the number of photographable pictures with remaining power of a battery by eliminating the influence of power consumption caused by standby current. <P>SOLUTION: In the digital camera 100, a battery pack 200 is mounted. The digital camera 100 can transmit and receive prescribed information including battery information to/from the battery pack 200 and consumes standby current in a standby state. The digital camera 100 is provided with a control means 101 for calculating the number of photographable pictures on the basis of the battery remaining power acquired from the battery pack 200, active usage power obtained by excluding usage power during standby from usage power and the number of photographing times. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus, an image pickup apparatus control method, and a battery pack. The image pickup apparatus and the image pickup apparatus are configured to notify by calculating the remaining operable time, the recordable time or the number of recordable images from the remaining capacity of the battery pack as a power source. The present invention relates to a control method and a battery pack.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a battery pack has been known which has a function of providing a circuit for detecting charge / discharge current to obtain accurate remaining battery capacity information and communicating the remaining capacity information to battery-powered devices such as a digital camera and a video camera. . There is also known a digital camera that calculates and notifies the remaining number of shootable images based on the remaining capacity information acquired from the battery pack.

  For example, in a video camera equipped with a battery pack capable of transmitting remaining battery capacity information, charge / discharge current detection information, and battery cell voltage information, a means for calculating an operable time based on each information transmitted from the battery pack There has been proposed (Patent Document 1).

Further, a digital camera equipped with a battery pack capable of transmitting remaining battery capacity information has been proposed which has a function of displaying the number of images that can be captured for each imaging function condition based on the remaining battery capacity information (Patent Document). 2).
JP-A-9-297166 JP 2004-336337 A

  By the way, even if a general digital camera is in a state where a power switch is turned off or in a power off state, it is about 10 to 10 for detecting an operation switch, holding the contents of a memory in a microcomputer, or maintaining a clock function. A small standby current of the 100 μA level is consumed. Therefore, if a battery pack is attached to the digital camera and the camera is left for a long time with the power switch turned off or in the power off state, the remaining battery capacity will be greatly reduced even if the actual operating time of the camera and the number of shots are small. Sometimes.

  FIG. 12 shows an example in which the remaining battery capacity of the battery pack and the number of shots are displayed on the display device of the digital camera to which the battery pack capable of transmitting the remaining battery capacity information is mounted.

  In the example shown in the figure, although the number of shots is as small as 20, even though the power switch is turned off or in a power-off state for a long time, 33% of the capacity is consumed mainly due to consumption due to the standby current. The remaining battery capacity is 67%.

  In this case, if it is considered that 33% of the battery capacity is used for shooting 20 images, the average battery capacity for shooting 1 image is 1.65%. According to this calculation, it is possible to shoot with a remaining 67% of the battery capacity even though it is possible to shoot a larger number of images if it is taken at an appropriate time interval without leaving the digital camera for a long time after that. The possible number of sheets is calculated as about 40 sheets.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an imaging apparatus, an imaging apparatus control method, and a battery pack capable of notifying the user of the exact number of images that can be taken and the available shooting time without the influence of power consumption due to standby current. To do.

  In order to achieve the above object, an imaging apparatus of the present invention is an imaging apparatus driven by a battery, wherein the imaging apparatus is configured to determine whether the imaging apparatus is in an operating state, and the determination means. A first power consumption calculating means for calculating an operating power consumption when it is determined to be in an operating state; a counting means for counting the number of shootings with the imaging device using the battery as a power source; and the operating consumption And a second power consumption calculating unit that calculates the power consumption per shooting based on the amount of power and the number of shootings counted by the counting unit.

  An imaging apparatus according to the present invention is an imaging apparatus driven by a battery, wherein a determination unit that determines whether the imaging apparatus is in an operating state and a determination unit that determines that the imaging apparatus is in an operating state First power consumption calculating means for calculating the operating power consumption at the time, time measuring means for measuring the time taken by the imaging device using the battery as a power source, the operating power consumption and the time measuring means And a second power consumption calculating means for calculating the power consumption per unit shooting time based on the shooting time counted in step (b).

  An imaging device control method according to the present invention is a battery-powered imaging device control method, wherein a determination step for determining whether or not the imaging device is in an operating state, and the imaging device is in an operating state by the determination step A first power consumption amount calculating step for calculating an operating power consumption amount, a counting step for counting the number of times of photographing with the imaging device using the battery as a power source, and the operating power consumption amount And a second power consumption calculating step for calculating a power consumption per shooting based on the amount and the number of shootings counted by the counting means.

  An imaging device control method according to the present invention is a battery-powered imaging device control method, wherein a determination step for determining whether or not the imaging device is in an operating state, and the imaging device is in an operating state by the determination step A first power consumption amount calculating step for calculating an operating power consumption amount, a time counting step for measuring the time taken by the imaging device using the battery as a power source, and the operating time And a second power consumption calculating step of calculating a power consumption per unit shooting time based on the power consumption and the shooting time measured in the time measuring step.

  The battery pack according to the present invention has a determination unit that determines whether or not the imaging apparatus is in an operating state, and calculates the power consumption per shooting based on the power consumption during operation obtained from the attached battery pack. A battery pack connected to the imaging device that receives the determination result of the determination unit from the imaging device, and when the determination unit determines that the imaging device is in an operating state A power consumption calculating means for calculating a power consumption amount, and an output means for outputting the power consumption amount during operation calculated by the power consumption amount calculating means to the imaging apparatus.

  The battery pack of the present invention has a determination unit that determines whether the imaging device is in an operating state, and calculates the power consumption per unit shooting time based on the power consumption during operation obtained from the attached battery pack. A battery pack connected to the imaging device to be calculated, the receiving unit receiving the determination result of the determination unit from the imaging device, and the operation when the determination unit determines that the imaging device is in an operating state A power consumption calculating means for calculating an hourly power consumption; and an output means for outputting to the imaging apparatus the operating power consumption calculated by the power consumption calculating means.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain the power consumption amount per photographing or unit photographing time based on the actually operated power consumption amount. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the influence of the power consumption due to the standby current, and it is possible to accurately notify the user of the number of shootable images and the shootable time with the remaining battery capacity.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an electric circuit of a digital camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention and a battery pack attached to the digital camera, and FIG. 2 is a digital diagram according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart figure for demonstrating the operation example of the control means of a camera. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the operation of the CPU of the battery pack attached to the digital camera according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 shows the digital camera according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the battery information of the battery pack with which it is mounted | worn. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of battery information displayed on the display device of the digital camera according to the first to third embodiments of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a digital camera 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a control unit 101, a photometry (AE) sensor 102, a distance measurement (AF) sensor 103, a lens control unit 104, and a mechanism control unit 105. , And a real-time lock IC 106. The digital camera 100 includes a flash 107, an image sensor 108, an AD converter 109, an image processing circuit 110, an image monitor 111, a RAM 112, a memory card 113, a display device 114, an operation member 115, a power supply circuit 116, and a nonvolatile memory. 117.

  The control means 101 is composed of a one-chip microcomputer or the like, and controls the entire camera. The control means 101 includes circuit functions such as ALU, ROM, RAM, timer circuit, AD conversion circuit, and serial communication circuit.

  The photometric sensor 102 includes a photoelectric conversion element such as a photodiode and its signal processing circuit, and outputs a signal related to the luminance of the subject. The output signal is input to the AD conversion circuit of the control means 101. The distance measuring sensor 103 includes a photoelectric conversion element such as a photodiode and its signal processing circuit, and outputs a signal related to the distance to the subject or the defocus amount. The output signal is input to the AD conversion circuit of the control means 101. The

  The lens control unit 104 is for performing focus position control and aperture control of the photographing lens, and is connected to the control unit 101 via a serial communication signal line to transmit a control amount of the focus position, an aperture control amount, and the like. .

  The mechanism control means 105 is for driving and controlling a camera mechanism such as a mechanical shutter (not shown), and controls the mechanism by driving an actuator such as a motor according to the port output of the control means 101.

  The real-time clock IC 106 automatically counts calendar / clock information such as year / month / day / hour / day by an oscillation circuit and a counter circuit. The real-time clock IC 106 is connected to the control unit 101 through a serial communication signal line, and can transmit timing information to the control unit 101.

  The flash 107 is a flash unit composed of a light emission source such as a booster circuit and an Xe tube, and emits light as an auxiliary light source during photographing when the luminance of the subject is insufficient under the control of the control unit 101.

  The imaging element 108 is a semiconductor area photoelectric conversion element such as a CCD or a CMOS, and converts a subject image into an electrical signal. The AD converter 109 converts the analog signal output from the image sensor 108 into a digital signal.

  The image processing circuit 110 performs optimal correction processing and complement processing on the digital signal input from the AD converter 109. For example, image data development processing function, image data color adjustment function, contrast adjustment, edge enhancement (contour enhancement), and other image processing functions, image data size adjustment, file conversion processing, compression or expansion processing, etc. Has functions etc.

  The image monitor 111 is composed of a TFT liquid crystal, an organic EL, or the like, and displays an image taken according to the signal output of the image processing circuit 110. The RAM 112 is used for work when the image processing circuit 110 performs various types of image processing or for temporarily storing digital data output from the AD converter 109. The memory card 113 includes a non-volatile memory such as a FLASH memory, and is connected to the image processing circuit 110 and can store captured image data as a file.

  The display device (display means) 114 is composed of a monochrome segment liquid crystal display or the like, and is connected to the control means 101 by a serial communication signal to display various kinds of information for photographing in the digital camera.

  The operation member 115 includes various switches and buttons such as a release switch and a power switch for performing photographing, and is connected to an input port of the control unit 101.

  The power supply circuit 116 has a positive electrode terminal CP and a negative electrode terminal CM connected to the battery pack 200, and uses each voltage in the digital camera 100 as an input power supply with a voltage applied between the positive electrode terminal CP and the negative electrode terminal CM. Generates a regulated power supply necessary for the circuit to operate. The operation of the power supply circuit 116 is controlled by the control output of the control means 101. In a standby state where power is supplied only to the control means 101 and the real-time clock IC 106 with a minimum bias current, power is supplied to other parts as well. The active state is switched.

  The nonvolatile memory 117 is an EEPROM or the like, and is connected to the control unit 101 by a serial communication signal. The non-volatile memory 117 stores state control information that needs to be stored even when the battery pack 200 is removed from the digital camera, adjustment data at the time of manufacture, and the like.

  CC is a contact on the digital camera side for information communication between the control means 101 and the battery pack 200 and is connected to the serial communication port of the control means 101.

  Next, the battery pack 200 attached to the digital camera 100 will be described.

  The battery pack 200 includes a battery cell 201, a charge / discharge current detection circuit 202, and a CPU 203. Further, the battery pack 200 is provided with a positive electrode terminal BP and a negative electrode terminal BM. When the battery pack 200 is attached to the digital camera 100, the positive terminal BP contacts the positive terminal CP of the power circuit 116 and the negative terminal BM contacts the negative terminal CM of the power circuit 116 to enable power supply.

  The battery cell 201 is a rechargeable secondary battery cell such as a nickel metal hydride battery cell or a lithium ion battery cell, and the negative electrode of the battery cell 201 is connected to the negative electrode terminal BM. The charge / discharge current detection circuit 202 includes a low resistance connected in series between the positive electrode of the battery cell 201 and the positive electrode terminal BP of the battery pack 200.

  The CPU (arithmetic unit) 203 is constituted by a one-chip microcomputer or the like, and includes circuit functions such as an ALU, ROM, RAM, timer circuit, AD conversion circuit, and serial communication circuit. The positive electrode of the battery cell 201 is connected to the AD conversion circuit of the CPU 203 so that the voltage of the battery cell 201 can be detected. A charge / discharge current detection circuit 202 is connected to the AD conversion circuit of the CPU 203 so that the charge / discharge current of the battery cell 201 can be detected. Further, various battery information described later is stored in a RAM built in the CPU 203.

  BC is a contact on the battery pack 200 side for performing information communication with the digital camera 100 and is connected to the serial communication circuit of the CPU 203.

  Next, an operation example of the control unit 101 on the digital camera 100 side will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, when the battery pack 200 is attached to the digital camera 100, the power supply circuit 116 supplies power to the control means 101 in a standby state.

  The control means 101 that has been supplied with power and started operating checks whether or not predetermined information communication is possible with the CPU 203 in the battery pack 200 through the contact CC in step S101, and if information communication is possible, proceeds to step S102. .

  In step S102, information communication is performed with the CPU 203 to obtain battery information.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the battery information communicated between the control unit 101 and the CPU 203 is eight types of information of number 1 to number 8 shown in FIG.

  The total battery capacity of No. 1 represents the total capacity when the battery cell 201 is fully charged, information is managed on the CPU 203 side, and is transmitted to the control means 101.

  The remaining battery capacity of No. 2 represents the remaining capacity of the battery cell 201 at that time, information is managed on the CPU 203 side, and is transmitted to the control means 101.

  The operating capacity of No. 3 represents the battery capacity used by the actual operating current consumption of the digital camera 100 after the battery cell 201 is charged. Information is managed on the CPU 203 side and transmitted to the control means 101.

  The standby usage capacity of No. 4 represents the battery capacity used by the standby current of the digital camera 100 after the battery cell 201 is charged. Information is managed on the CPU 203 side and transmitted to the control means 101.

  The STB flag of No. 5 is a flag indicating whether the digital camera 100 is on standby or in actual operation, and is controlled as information necessary for the CPU 203 to calculate the No. 3 operating capacity and No. 4 standby capacity. The information is transmitted from the means 101 to the CPU 203. When the STB flag is 1, it indicates that the digital camera 100 is on standby, and when the STB flag is 0, it indicates that the digital camera 100 is operating. The calculation of the STB flag, the operating capacity and the standby capacity will be described later.

  The release counter of number 6 represents the number of times the digital camera 100 has taken an image using the battery after the battery cell 201 is charged. The number of times of photographing is managed on the CPU 203 side according to a count-up instruction transmitted from the control means 101 to the CPU 203, and information can be output to the control means 101.

  The battery ID information of number 7 is individual identification information of the battery pack 200, is managed on the CPU 203 side, and is transmitted to the control means 101.

  The master-side ID information of number 8 is information for informing the CPU 203 what device the battery pack 200 is attached to, and information from the control means 100 to the CPU 203 as information informing that the device is attached to the digital camera 100. Is sent.

  In addition to the digital camera 100, there is a charger (not shown) as a device to which the battery pack 200 is attached and can communicate information with the CPU 203. The CPU 203 can determine from this information whether the wearer is a digital camera or a charger. In this step, six types of battery information excluding the number 5 STB flag and number 8 master side ID information are acquired from the CPU 203.

  Next, in step S103, it is checked whether or not the remaining battery capacity of number 2 is sufficient in the acquired battery information. If the remaining battery capacity is insufficient, the process proceeds to step S104, and the remaining battery capacity is sufficient. In this case, the process proceeds to step S105.

  In step S <b> 104, the display device 114 is controlled to perform a display for prompting the user to replace or recharge the battery pack. As a result, a segment indicating a defective battery is lit on the display device 114. Note that if predetermined information communication cannot be performed with the CPU 203 in the battery pack 200 in step S101 described above, the process proceeds to step S104, and similar processing is performed. After proceeding to step S104, the digital camera is prohibited from operating and waits for the battery pack to be replaced.

  Next, in step S105, it is checked whether or not the power switch of the operation member 115 is turned on. If the power switch is turned on, the process proceeds to step S106. If the power switch is not turned on, the process proceeds to step S115. Transition.

  In step S106, it is checked whether or not the power-off function is continued. If the power-off function is continued, the flow returns to step S101 to repeat the above flow. If the power-off function is not continued, the process proceeds to step S107.

  Here, the power-off function is a function in which the digital camera is automatically powered off to save power when a certain time elapses when the operation member 115 is not operated at all even when the power switch of the digital camera is on. Say. In the power off state, the power switch shifts to a standby state in a low power consumption state that is substantially equivalent to the off state.

  In step S107, the power supply circuit 116 is activated. As a result, power is supplied to each circuit of the digital camera 100. Moreover, the time-measurement of the power-off timer for measuring the time when the operation member 115 is not operated at all is started. Thereafter, this timer is reset every time the operation member 115 is operated. In this step, if the power supply circuit 116 has already been activated and the power-off timer has been started, that state is maintained.

  Next, in step S108, the STB flag is transmitted as 0 to transmit to the CPU 203 in the battery pack 200 that the digital camera 100 is operating, and the process proceeds to step S109.

  In step S109, based on the battery information acquired in step S102 described above, the number of shootable images is calculated using the following equation (1).

Number of storable pictures = remaining battery capacity / (operating capacity / release counter) (1)
That is, by dividing the battery usage capacity when the digital camera 100 is in the operating state, not in the standby state, by the number of shots in between, the required capacity per shot number is calculated, and the remaining battery capacity is divided by that value to calculate the remaining capacity. Calculate the number of possible shots.

  For example, it is assumed that the battery information acquired in step S102 is the following value.

1: Total battery capacity = 1500 mAh
2: Remaining battery capacity = 1000 mAh
3: Capacity used during operation = 60 mAh
4: Used capacity at standby = 440 mAh
6: Release counter = 20 sheets When these pieces of battery information are put into the above equation (1), the number of shootable images is calculated to be 333 sheets.

  Next, in step S110, the display device 114 is controlled to display the battery information acquired in step S102 and the shootable number information calculated in step SS109. As a result, as shown in FIG. 11, the display device 114 displays the capacity information and the number of shots regarding the battery pack 200. In the display example of FIG. 11, the remaining battery capacity, the operating capacity, and the standby capacity are displayed in% relative to the total battery capacity of No. 1, but may be displayed as absolute values as in the battery information described above. . In addition, since the segment type display device 114 may have a limited display capability, a similar display may be displayed on the image monitor 111. In this case, display control of the image monitor 111 is performed via the image processing unit 110 so as to display the battery information acquired in step S102 and the shootable number information calculated in step S109.

  Next, in step S111, it is checked whether or not the release switch of the operation member 115 is turned on. If it is turned on, the process proceeds to step S112, and if not, the process proceeds to step S114.

  In step S112, the lens control unit 104 is controlled to execute a known autofocus operation for driving the photographing lens to the in-focus position based on the signal output of the distance measuring sensor 103. Further, the mechanism control unit 105 is configured to calculate a shutter speed and an aperture value based on the signal output of the photometric sensor 102, transmit the aperture value to the lens control unit 104, and execute a known automatic exposure control operation for performing shutter control. Control. Further, the subject image signal captured by the image sensor 108 is converted into a digital signal by the AD converter 109, image processing is performed by the image processing circuit 110, and each unit is controlled to execute an operation of recording the photographed image file on the memory card 113. .

  Next, in step S113, information is transmitted to the CPU 203 in the battery pack 200 so that the release counter value of number 6 in the battery information is incremented by 1, and the process returns to step S101.

  On the other hand, in step S114, it is checked whether or not the power-off timer started in step S107 has counted a predetermined time. If the power-off timer has not timed the predetermined time, the process returns to step S101, and if the predetermined time has been timed, that is, if the time during which the operation member 115 has not been operated has elapsed for a predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S115. Note that the process also proceeds to step S115 if the power switch is off in step S105.

  In step S115, the power supply circuit 116 is controlled to a standby state. As a result, the digital camera 100 shifts to a standby state in which power is supplied only to the control means 101 and the real-time clock IC 106 with a minimum bias current. In step S115, the timing operation of the power-off timer started in step S107 is also terminated.

  Next, in step S116, the STB flag is transmitted as 1 to notify the CPU 203 in the battery pack 200 that the digital camera 100 is in a standby state, and the process returns to step S101.

  Next, an operation example of the CPU 203 on the battery pack 200 side will be described with reference to FIG.

  Since the CPU 203 on the battery pack 200 side operates by receiving power supply from the battery cell 201, the CPU 203 becomes operable when the charging voltage of the battery cell 201 exceeds the operable voltage of the CPU 203.

  When the CPU 203 becomes operable, it is checked in step S151 whether there is any serial communication with the CPU 203 through the contact BC. If there is no communication, the battery pack 200 determines that the battery pack 200 is not attached to the digital camera 100 or a charger (not shown), and waits for the next communication. If there is communication, the process proceeds to step S152.

  In step S152, the master ID information of communication data number 8 is checked to determine whether the battery pack 200 is attached to the digital camera 100 or the charger. When the battery pack 200 is attached to the digital camera 100, the process proceeds to step S157, and when the battery pack 200 is attached to the charger, the process proceeds to step S153.

  In step S153, the output corresponding to the charging current value detected by the charging / discharging current detection circuit 202 is AD-converted at a predetermined time interval, and the converted digital data is time-integrated to calculate the charging capacity.

  Next, in step S154, the charging capacity calculated in step S153 is added to the remaining battery capacity data of number 2, and the remaining battery capacity data charged in the battery cell 201 is updated.

  Next, in step S155, it is determined whether or not charging is completed. The condition for completing the charging is when the battery cell 201 is determined to be fully charged because the updated remaining battery capacity matches the total battery capacity. Also, the condition for terminating the charge is that the battery pack 200 is removed from the charger when serial communication through the contact BC is disabled or when the charge current value detected by the charge / discharge current detection circuit 202 becomes zero. This is a case where it is determined that When charging is continued, the flow returns to step S153 to repeat the flow. If the charging is finished, the process proceeds to step S156.

  In step S156, the operating capacity of No. 3 is initialized to 0%, the standby operating capacity of No. 4 is initialized to 0%, and the release counter of No. 6 is initialized to 0 in the battery information for information communication. As a result, the flow relating to charging ends, and the CPU 203 enters a standby state.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S152 that the battery pack 200 is attached to the digital camera 100, the process proceeds to step S157.

  In step S157, it is checked whether the STB flag of number 5 transmitted from the control means 101 of the digital camera 100 is 1 or 0. If it is 0, the process proceeds to step S158, and if it is 1, the process proceeds to step S161.

  In step S158, the output corresponding to the discharge current value detected by the charge / discharge current detection circuit 202 is AD converted at a predetermined time interval, and the converted digital data is time integrated to calculate the discharge capacity.

  Next, in step S159, the discharge capacity calculated in step S158 is added to the operating capacity data for operation No. 3, and the operating capacity data is updated.

  Next, in step S160, the discharge capacity calculated in step S158 is subtracted from the remaining battery capacity data of number 2, and the remaining battery capacity data is updated.

  On the other hand, in step S161, the output corresponding to the discharge current value detected by the charge / discharge current detection circuit 202 is AD-converted at a predetermined time interval, and the converted digital data is time-integrated to calculate the discharge capacity.

  Next, in step S162, the discharge capacity calculated in step S161 is added to the standby use capacity data of No. 4, and the standby use capacity data is updated.

  Next, in step S163, the discharge capacity calculated in step S161 is subtracted from the remaining battery capacity data of number 2, and the remaining battery capacity data is updated. Then, when the processes of step S160 and step S163 are completed, the process proceeds to step S164.

  In step S164, it is checked whether information for incrementing the value of the release counter information of number 6 by 1 is received from the control means 101 of the digital camera 100. If the information for incrementing the release counter value is received, the process proceeds to step S165. If the information for incrementing the release counter value is not received, the process proceeds to step S166.

  In step S165, the value of the release counter information of number 6 is updated by counting up from the current stored value. In step S166, according to the battery information transmission request of the control means 101, various battery information shown in FIG. 4 is transmitted by serial communication. When the process of step S165 or step S166 ends, the process returns to step S151, and the above flow is repeated.

  In this embodiment, the power consumption per image is obtained by dividing the operating capacity by the count value of the release counter, but the standby state is determined from the remaining battery capacity when the battery pack 200 is attached to the digital camera 100. The capacity obtained by subtracting the hourly use capacity may be divided by the count value of the release counter.

  Further, in the present embodiment, an example of still image shooting has been described. However, in the case of moving image shooting, instead of a release counter, a recording counter that measures recording time is provided, and power consumption per unit time can be obtained. Good.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the user can appropriately set the number of storable images when the digital camera 100 is operated at an appropriate time interval without removing the influence of battery consumption due to standby current and without leaving the digital camera 100 for a long time. It is possible to notify.

  Next, a digital camera and a battery pack attached to the digital camera according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining an operation example of the control means of the digital camera according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a battery pack attached to the digital camera according to the second embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart figure for demonstrating the operation example of no CPU. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of battery information of a battery pack attached to the digital camera according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In addition, since the structural example of the electric circuit of the digital camera 100 and the battery pack 200 is the same as that of the said 1st Embodiment, it diverts and demonstrates a code | symbol.

  As described above, the current consumption during standby of the digital camera 100 is often about 10 to 100 μA. Even if such a relatively small current is detected by the voltage value of the low resistance charge / discharge current detection circuit connected in series between the positive electrode of the battery cell 201 and the positive electrode terminal BP of the battery pack 200, it is actually detected. There may be cases where accuracy is difficult. Therefore, in this embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, a digital camera capable of improving the accuracy of detecting current consumption during standby of the digital camera 100 and a battery attached to the digital camera. Provide pack.

  First, with reference to FIG. 5, an operation example of the control means of the digital camera according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  When the battery pack 200 is attached to the digital camera 100, the power supply circuit 116 supplies power to the control means 101 in a standby state.

  The control means 101 that has been supplied with power and started operating checks whether or not predetermined information communication is possible with the CPU 203 in the battery pack 200 through the contact CC in step S201. If information communication is possible, the control means 101 proceeds to step S202. .

  In step S202, information communication is performed with the CPU 203 to obtain battery information.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the battery information communicated between the control unit 101 and the CPU 203 is nine types of information of number 1 to number 9 shown in FIG.

  The total battery capacity of No. 1 represents the total capacity when the battery cell 201 is fully charged, information is managed on the CPU 203 side, and is transmitted to the control means 101.

  The remaining battery capacity of No. 2 represents the remaining capacity of the battery cell 201 at that time, information is managed on the CPU 203 side, and is transmitted to the control means 101.

  The operating capacity of No. 3 represents the battery capacity used by the actual operating current consumption of the digital camera 100 after the battery cell 201 is charged. Information is managed on the CPU 203 side and transmitted to the control means 101.

  The standby usage capacity of No. 4 represents the battery capacity used by the standby current of the digital camera 100 after the battery cell 201 is charged. Information is managed on the CPU 203 side and transmitted to the control means 101.

  The STB flag of No. 5 is a flag indicating whether the digital camera 100 is in standby or in actual operation, and is controlled as information necessary for the CPU 203 to calculate the No. 3 operating capacity and No. 4 standby capacity. The information is transmitted from the means 101 to the CPU 203. When the STB flag is 1, it indicates that the digital camera 100 is on standby, and when the STB flag is 0, it indicates that the digital camera 100 is operating. The calculation of the STB flag, the operating capacity and the standby capacity will be described later.

  Istb of No. 6 is a current consumption scheduled value when the digital camera 100 is in a standby state, and is managed by the control unit 101. The control unit is information necessary for the CPU 203 to calculate the standby use capacity. 101 is transmitted to the CPU 203.

  The release counter of number 7 represents the number of times the digital camera 100 has taken an image using the battery after the battery cell 201 is charged. The number of times of photographing is managed on the CPU 203 side according to a count-up instruction transmitted from the control means 101 to the CPU 203, and information can be output to the control means 101.

  The battery ID information of number 8 is individual identification information of the battery pack 200, is managed on the CPU 203 side, and is transmitted to the control means 101.

  The master-side ID information of number 9 is information for informing the CPU 203 what device the battery pack 200 is attached to, and information from the control means 100 to the CPU 203 as information informing that the device is attached to the digital camera 100. Is sent.

  In addition to the digital camera 100, there is a charger (not shown) as a device to which the battery pack 200 is attached and can communicate information with the CPU 203. The CPU 203 can determine from this information whether the wearer is a digital camera or a charger. In this step, seven types of battery information excluding the number 5 STB flag and the number 9 master side ID information are acquired from the CPU 203.

  Next, in step S203, it is checked whether or not the remaining battery capacity of number 2 is sufficient in the acquired battery information. If the remaining battery capacity is insufficient, the process proceeds to step S204, where the remaining battery capacity is sufficient. In this case, the process proceeds to step S205.

  In step S <b> 204, the display device 114 is controlled so as to perform display for prompting the user to replace or recharge the battery pack. As a result, a segment indicating a defective battery is lit on the display device 114. Note that if predetermined information communication cannot be performed with the CPU 203 in the battery pack 200 in step S201 described above, the process proceeds to step S204, and similar processing is performed. After proceeding to step S204, the digital camera is disabled and waits for the battery pack to be replaced.

  Next, in step S205, it is checked whether or not the power switch of the operation member 115 is turned on. If the power switch is turned on, the process proceeds to step S206. If the power switch is not turned on, the process proceeds to step S215. Transition.

  In step S206, it is checked whether or not the power-off function is continuing. If the power-off function is continuing, the process returns to step S201 to repeat the above flow. If the power-off function is not continuing, the process proceeds to step S207.

  Here, the power-off function is a function in which the digital camera is automatically powered off to save power when a certain period of time has elapsed when the operation member 115 is not operated at all even when the power switch of the digital camera is on. Say. In the power off state, the power switch shifts to a standby state in a low power consumption state that is substantially equivalent to the off state.

  In step S207, the power supply circuit 116 is activated. As a result, power is supplied to each circuit of the digital camera 100. Moreover, the time-measurement of the power-off timer for measuring the time when the operation member 115 is not operated at all is started. Thereafter, this timer is reset every time the operation member 115 is operated. In this step, if the power supply circuit 116 is already in the active state and the power-off timer has been started, that state is maintained.

  Next, in step S208, the STB flag is transmitted as 0 to transmit to the CPU 203 in the battery pack 200 that the digital camera 100 is operating, and the process proceeds to step S209.

  In step S209, the number of shootable images is calculated using the following equation (2) based on the battery information acquired in step S202 described above.

Number of storable pictures = remaining battery capacity / (operating capacity / release counter) (2)
That is, by dividing the battery usage capacity when the digital camera 100 is in the operating state, not in the standby state, by the number of shots in between, the required capacity per shot number is calculated, and the remaining battery capacity is divided by that value to calculate the remaining capacity. Calculate the number of possible shots.

  For example, it is assumed that the battery information acquired in step S202 is the following value.

1: Total battery capacity = 1500 mAh
2: Remaining battery capacity = 1000 mAh
3: Capacity used during operation = 60 mAh
4: Used capacity at standby = 440 mAh
7: Release counter = 20 sheets When these pieces of battery information are put into the above equation (2), the number of shootable images is calculated as 333 sheets.

  Next, in step S210, the display device (display unit) 114 is controlled to display the battery information acquired in step S202 and the shootable number information calculated in step SS209. As a result, as shown in FIG. 11, the display device 114 displays the capacity information and the number of shots regarding the battery pack 200. In the display example of FIG. 11, the remaining battery capacity, the operating usage capacity, and the standby usage capacity are displayed as percentages with respect to the total battery capacity of No. 1, but may be displayed as absolute values as in the battery information described above. good. In addition, since the segment type display device 114 may have a limited display capability, a similar display may be displayed on the image monitor 111. In this case, display control of the image monitor 111 is performed via the image processing unit 110 so as to display the battery information acquired in step S202 and the number of shootable images calculated in step S209.

  Next, in step S211, it is checked whether or not the release switch of the operation member 115 is turned on. If it is turned on, the process proceeds to step S212, and if not, the process proceeds to step S214.

  In step S212, the lens control unit 104 is controlled to execute a well-known autofocus operation for driving the photographic lens to the in-focus position based on the signal output of the distance measuring sensor 103. Further, the mechanism control unit 105 is configured to calculate a shutter speed and an aperture value based on the signal output of the photometric sensor 102, transmit the aperture value to the lens control unit 104, and execute a known automatic exposure control operation for performing shutter control. Control. Further, the subject image signal captured by the image sensor 108 is converted into a digital signal by the AD converter 109, image processing is performed by the image processing circuit 110, and each unit is controlled to execute an operation of recording the captured image file on the memory card 113. .

  Next, in step S213, information is transmitted to the CPU 203 in the battery pack 200 so that the release counter value of number 7 in the battery information is incremented by 1, and the process returns to step S201.

  On the other hand, in step S214, it is checked whether or not the power-off timer started in step S207 has counted a predetermined time. If the power-off timer has not timed the predetermined time, the process returns to step S201, and if the predetermined time has been timed, that is, if the time during which the operation member 115 has not been operated has elapsed for a predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S215. Note that the process also proceeds to step S215 if the power switch is off in step S205.

  In step S215, the power supply circuit 116 is controlled to a standby state. As a result, the digital camera 100 shifts to a standby state in which power is supplied only to the control means 101 and the real-time clock IC 106 with a minimum bias current. In step S215, the timing operation of the power-off timer started in step S207 is also terminated.

  Next, in step S216, the STB flag is transmitted as 1 to notify the CPU 203 in the battery pack 200 that the digital camera 100 is in a standby state. In step S217, the scheduled current consumption value Istb when the digital camera 100 is in the standby state is transmitted to the CPU 203 in the battery pack 200, and the process returns to step S201.

  Next, an operation example of the CPU 203 on the battery pack 200 side will be described with reference to FIG.

  Since the CPU 203 on the battery pack 200 side operates by receiving power supply from the battery cell 201, the CPU 203 becomes operable when the charging voltage of the battery cell 201 exceeds the operable voltage of the CPU 203.

  When the CPU 203 becomes operable, it is checked in step S251 whether there is any serial communication with the CPU 203 through the contact BC. If there is no communication, the battery pack 200 determines that the battery pack 200 is not attached to the digital camera 100 or a charger (not shown), and waits for the next communication. If there is communication, the process proceeds to step S252.

  In step S252, the master side ID information of communication data number 9 is checked to determine whether the battery pack 200 is attached to the digital camera 100 or the charger. When the battery pack 200 is attached to the digital camera 100, the process proceeds to step S257, and when the battery pack 200 is attached to the charger, the process proceeds to step S253.

  In step S253, the output corresponding to the charging current value detected by the charging / discharging current detection circuit 202 is AD-converted at a predetermined time interval, and the converted digital data is time-integrated to calculate the charging capacity.

  Next, in step S254, the charge capacity calculated in step S253 is added to the remaining battery capacity data of number 2, and the remaining battery capacity data charged in the battery cell 201 is updated.

  Next, in step S255, it is determined whether or not charging is completed. The condition for completing the charging is when the battery cell 201 is determined to be fully charged because the updated remaining battery capacity matches the total battery capacity. Also, the condition for terminating the charge is that the battery pack 200 is removed from the charger when serial communication through the contact BC is disabled or when the charge current value detected by the charge / discharge current detection circuit 202 becomes zero. This is a case where it is determined that When charging is continued, the flow returns to step S253 to repeat the flow. If the charging is finished, the process proceeds to step S256.

  In step S256, the operating capacity of No. 3 is initialized to 0%, the standby usage capacity of No. 4 is set to 0%, and the release counter of No. 7 is initialized to 0 in the battery information for information communication. As a result, the flow relating to charging ends, and the CPU 203 enters a standby state.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S252 that the battery pack 200 is attached to the digital camera 100, the process proceeds to step S257.

  In step S257, it is checked whether the STB flag of number 5 transmitted from the control means 101 of the digital camera 100 is 1 or 0. If it is 0, the process proceeds to step S258, and if it is 1, the process proceeds to step S261.

  In step S258, the output corresponding to the discharge current value detected by the charge / discharge current detection circuit 202 is AD-converted at predetermined time intervals, and the converted digital data is time-integrated to calculate the discharge capacity.

  Next, in step S259, the discharge capacity calculated in step S258 is added to the operating capacity data for operation No. 3, and the operating capacity data is updated.

  Next, in step S260, the discharge capacity calculated in step S258 is subtracted from the remaining battery capacity data of number 2 to update the remaining battery capacity data.

  On the other hand, in step S261, the control unit 101 waits for reception of the scheduled standby current consumption Istb of number 6 transmitted following transmission of the STB flag = 1 indicating that the digital camera 100 is in the standby state. When the Istb data is received, the process proceeds to step S262.

  In step S262, the standby total consumption current Istb ′ is calculated by adding the self-discharge current value Ilk of the battery pack 200 to the standby standby consumption current Istb received in step S261. The self-discharge current value Ilk of the battery pack 200 is obtained by adding the self-discharge current value due to the leakage of the battery cell 201 and the current consumption value of the electric circuit (CPU 203 or the like) in the battery pack 200. When the self-discharge current value of the battery pack 200 cannot be ignored as compared with the standby current consumption value of the digital camera 100, it is preferable to calculate the standby use capacity by adding the self-discharge current value Ilk.

  Next, in step S263, the timer function built in the CPU 203 is used to count the duration of the standby state after receiving the STB flag = 1 from the control means 101.

  Next, in step S264, a standby discharge capacity is calculated from the product of the standby total consumption current Istb 'and the standby state duration, and the calculated discharge capacity is added to the standby use capacity data of No. 4. , The standby capacity data is updated.

  Next, in step S265, the discharge capacity calculated in step S264 is subtracted from the remaining battery capacity data of number 2, and the remaining battery capacity data is updated. Then, when the processes of step S260 and step S265 are completed, the process proceeds to step S266.

  In step S266, it is checked whether information for incrementing the value of the release counter information of number 7 by 1 is received from the control means 101 of the digital camera 100. If the information for incrementing the release counter value is received, the process proceeds to step S267. If the information for incrementing the release counter value is not received, the process proceeds to step S268.

  In step S267, the value of the release counter information of number 7 is updated by counting up from the current stored value. In step S268, according to the battery information transmission request of the control means 101, various battery information shown in FIG. 7 is transmitted by serial communication. When the process of step S267 or step S268 ends, the process returns to step S251, and the above flow is repeated.

  In this embodiment, the power consumption per image is obtained by dividing the operating capacity by the count value of the release counter, but the standby state is determined from the remaining battery capacity when the battery pack 200 is attached to the digital camera 100. The capacity obtained by subtracting the hourly use capacity may be divided by the count value of the release counter.

  Further, in the present embodiment, an example of still image shooting has been described. However, in the case of moving image shooting, instead of a release counter, a recording counter that measures recording time is provided, and power consumption per unit time can be obtained. Good.

  Next, a digital camera which is a third embodiment of the present invention and a battery pack attached to the digital camera will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining an operation example of the control means of the digital camera according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a battery pack attached to the digital camera according to the third embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart figure for demonstrating the operation example of no CPU. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of battery information of a battery pack attached to the digital camera according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In addition, since the structural example of the electric circuit of the digital camera 100 and the battery pack 200 is the same as that of the said 1st Embodiment, it diverts and demonstrates a code | symbol.

  In the first and second embodiments, the example in which the CPU 203 on the battery pack 200 side calculates the battery usage capacities of the digital camera 100 during standby and during operation is shown. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the CPU 203 on the battery pack 200 side calculates the battery usage capacity regardless of whether the digital camera 100 is on standby or in operation, and the control unit 101 on the digital camera 100 side waits for the digital camera 100. Calculate the hourly usage capacity.

  First, with reference to FIG. 8, an operation example of the control means of the digital camera according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  When the battery pack 200 is attached to the digital camera 100, the power supply circuit 116 supplies power to the control means 101 in a standby state.

  The control unit 101 that has been supplied with power and started operating checks whether or not predetermined information communication is possible with the CPU 203 in the battery pack 200 through the contact CC in step S301. If information communication is possible, the process proceeds to step S302. .

  In step S302, information communication is performed with the CPU 203 to obtain battery information.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the battery information communicated between the control unit 101 and the CPU 203 is five types of information of number 1 to number 5 shown in FIG.

  The battery total capacity of No. 1 represents the total capacity when the battery cell 201 is fully charged. Information is managed on the CPU 203 side and transmitted to the control means 101.

  The remaining battery capacity of No. 2 represents the remaining capacity of the battery cell 201 at that time, information is managed on the CPU 203 side, and is transmitted to the control means 101.

  The release counter of number 3 represents the number of times the digital camera 100 has taken an image using the battery after the battery cell 201 is charged, and the CPU 203 side according to the count-up instruction transmitted from the control means 101 to the CPU 203. Information is managed and information can be output to the control means 101.

  The battery ID information of number 4 is individual identification information of the battery pack 200, is managed on the CPU 203 side, and is transmitted to the control means 101.

  The master-side ID information of No. 5 is information for informing the CPU 203 what device the battery pack 200 is attached to, and information from the control means 100 to the CPU 203 as information informing that the device is attached to the digital camera 100. Is sent.

  In addition to the digital camera 100, there is a charger (not shown) as a device to which the battery pack 200 is attached and can communicate information with the CPU 203. The CPU 203 can determine from this information whether the wearer is a digital camera or a charger. In this step, four types of battery information excluding the master side ID information of number 5 are acquired from the CPU 203.

  Next, in step S303, it is checked whether or not the remaining battery capacity of number 2 is sufficient in the battery information acquired in step S302. If the remaining battery capacity is insufficient, the process proceeds to step S304, where the remaining battery capacity is determined. If the capacity is sufficient, the process proceeds to step S305.

  In step S <b> 304, the display device 114 is controlled so as to perform display for prompting the user to replace or recharge the battery pack. As a result, a segment indicating a defective battery is lit on the display device 114. Note that if predetermined information communication cannot be performed with the CPU 203 in the battery pack 200 in S301 described above, the process proceeds to S304, and the same processing is performed. After proceeding to S304, the digital camera is disabled and waits for the battery pack to be replaced.

  On the other hand, in step SS305, it is checked whether or not the power switch of the operation member 115 is turned on. If the power switch is turned on, the process proceeds to step S306. If the power switch is not turned on, the process proceeds to step S307. To do.

  In step S306, it is checked whether or not the power-off function is continuing. If the power-off function is continuing, the process proceeds to step S307, and if not, the process proceeds to step S310.

  Here, the power-off function is a function in which the digital camera is automatically powered off to save power when a certain time elapses when the operation member 115 is not operated at all even when the power switch of the digital camera is on. Say. In the power off state, the power switch shifts to a standby state in a low power consumption state that is substantially equivalent to the off state.

  In step S307, the power supply circuit 116 is controlled to a standby state. As a result, the digital camera 100 shifts to a standby state in which power is supplied only to the control means 101 and the real-time clock IC 106 with a minimum bias current. In step S307, the timing operation of the power-off timer started in step S310 described later is also ended. Note that there are cases where the power supply circuit 116 is already in a standby state and the timing operation of the power-off timer is stopped, and the process proceeds to this step. In this case, no particular processing is performed.

  Next, in step S308, the timer function built in the control means 101 is used to measure the duration of the standby state after the power switch is turned off or after shifting to the power off state by the power off function. . Since the standby state may last for a long time, the year / month / day / hour / minute clock function of the real-time clock IC 106 may be used instead of the timer function built in the control means 101. good.

  Next, in step S309, the standby state is calculated from the product of the standby state duration time measured in step S308 and the standby current consumption value of the digital camera 101 previously stored in the built-in ROM of the control means 101 or the nonvolatile memory 117. Calculate the battery capacity value. In general, the current consumption in a standby state of a device such as a digital camera is relatively small in fluctuation and variation, so that even if it is calculated by such a method, accuracy is not greatly impaired. When this step ends, the process returns to step S301.

  On the other hand, in step S310, the power supply circuit 116 is activated. As a result, power is supplied to each part of the electric circuit of the digital camera 100. In step S310, a timer for timing the time during which the operation member 115 for the power-off function is not operated is started. Thereafter, this timer is reset every time the operation member 115 is operated. In this step, if the power supply circuit 116 is already in the active state and the power-off timer has been started, that state is maintained.

  Next, in step S311, based on the battery information acquired in step S302 and the standby battery usage capacity value calculated in step S309, the number of shootable images is calculated using the following equations (3) and (4). .

Operating capacity = total battery capacity-remaining battery capacity-standby capacity (3)
Number of storable pictures = remaining battery capacity / (operating capacity / release counter) (4)
That is, first, the battery usage capacity when the digital camera 100 is in the operating state, not the standby state, is calculated by the equation (3). Next, calculate the required capacity per number of shots by dividing the operating capacity used in the equation (4) by the number of shots in between, and divide the remaining battery capacity by that value to calculate the remaining number of shots that can be taken. calculate.

  For example, assume that the battery information acquired in step S302 has the following values.

1: Total battery capacity = 1500 mAh
2: Remaining battery capacity = 1000 mAh
3: Release counter = 20 sheets Assume that the standby battery use capacity value calculated in step S309 is 440 mAh. If these pieces of information are put into the equations (3) and (4), the number of shootable images is calculated as 333.

  Next, in step S312, the battery information acquired in step S302, the standby battery usage capacity value calculated in step S309, and the operating usage capacity and shootable number information calculated in step S311 are displayed. The apparatus (display means) 114 is controlled. As a result, as shown in FIG. 11, the display device 114 displays the capacity information regarding the battery and the number of shots. In the display example of FIG. 11, the remaining battery capacity, the operating usage capacity, and the standby usage capacity are displayed as percentages with respect to the total battery capacity of No. 1, but may be displayed as absolute values as in the battery information described above. good. In addition, since the segment type display device 114 may have a limited display capability, a similar display may be displayed on the image monitor 111.

  Next, in step S313, it is checked whether or not the release switch of the operation member 115 is turned on. If the release switch is turned on, the process proceeds to step S315. If the release switch is not turned on, The process proceeds to S314.

  In step S314, it is checked whether or not the power-off timer started in step S310 has counted a predetermined time. If the power-off timer has not timed the predetermined time, the process returns to step S301. If the power-off timer has timed the predetermined time, that is, if the time during which the operation member 115 is not operated has elapsed for a predetermined time, step S307 is performed. The process described above is performed.

  On the other hand, in step S315, the lens control unit 104 is controlled to execute a known autofocus operation for driving the photographing lens to the in-focus position based on the signal output of the distance measuring sensor 103. Further, the mechanism control unit 105 is configured to calculate a shutter speed and an aperture value based on the signal output of the photometric sensor 102, transmit the aperture value to the lens control unit 104, and execute a known automatic exposure control operation for performing shutter control. Control. Further, the subject image signal captured by the image sensor 108 is converted into a digital signal by the AD converter 109, image processing is performed by the image processing circuit 110, and each unit is controlled to execute an operation of recording the photographed image file on the memory card 113. .

  Next, in step S316, information that increments the release counter value of number 4 by 1 is transmitted to the CPU 203 on the battery pack 200 side, and the process returns to step S301.

  Next, an operation example of the CPU 203 on the battery pack 200 side will be described with reference to FIG.

  Since the CPU 203 on the battery pack 200 side operates by receiving power supply from the battery cell 201, the CPU 203 becomes operable when the charging voltage of the battery cell 201 exceeds the operable voltage of the CPU 203.

  When the CPU 203 becomes operable, it is checked in step S351 whether there is any serial communication with the CPU 203 through the contact BC. If there is no communication, the battery pack 200 determines that the battery pack 200 is not attached to the digital camera 100 or a charger (not shown), and waits for the next communication. If there is communication, the process proceeds to step S352.

  In step S352, the master ID information of battery information number 5 is checked to determine whether the battery pack 200 is attached to the digital camera 100 or the charger. When the battery pack 200 is attached to the digital camera 100, the process proceeds to step S357, and when the battery pack 200 is attached to the charger, the process proceeds to step S353.

  In step S353, the output corresponding to the charging current value detected by the charging / discharging current detection circuit 202 is AD-converted at a predetermined time interval, and the converted digital data is integrated while integrating over time to calculate the charging capacity.

  Next, in step S354, the charge capacity calculated in step S353 is added to the remaining battery capacity data of number 2, and the remaining battery capacity data charged in the battery cell 201 is updated.

  Next, in step S355, it is determined whether or not charging is finished. The condition for completing the charging is when the battery cell 201 is determined to be fully charged because the updated remaining battery capacity matches the total battery capacity. Also, the condition for terminating the charge is that the battery pack 200 is removed from the charger when serial communication through the contact BC is disabled or when the charge current value detected by the charge / discharge current detection circuit 202 becomes zero. This is a case where it is determined that If the charging is continued, the process returns to step S353 and the above flow is repeated. If the charging is finished, the process proceeds to step S356.

  In step S356, the release counter of number 3 in the battery information for information communication is initialized to zero. As a result, the flow relating to charging ends, and the CPU 203 enters a standby state.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S352 that the battery pack 200 is attached to the digital camera 100, the process proceeds to step S357.

  In step S357, the output corresponding to the discharge current value detected by the charge / discharge current detection circuit 202 is AD-converted at a predetermined time interval, and the converted digital data is time-integrated to calculate the discharge capacity.

  Next, in step S358, the discharge capacity calculated in step S357 is subtracted from the remaining battery capacity data of number 2 to update the remaining battery capacity data.

  Next, in step S359, it is checked whether information for incrementing the release counter value of number 3 transmitted from the control means 101 of the digital camera 100 has been received. If the information for incrementing the release counter value is received, the process proceeds to step S360. If the information for incrementing the release counter value is not received, the process proceeds to step S361.

  In step S360, the value of the release counter information of number 3 is updated by counting up from the current stored value. On the other hand, in step S361, according to the battery information transmission request of the control means 101, various battery information shown in FIG. 10 is transmitted by serial communication. When the process of step S360 or step S361 ends, the process returns to step S351, and the above flow is repeated.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to what was illustrated to the said embodiment, In the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention, it can change suitably.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a digital camera is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a video camera or other electronic device or a film camera that operates using a battery that has a predetermined standby current consumption when the power switch is turned off and that can detect accurate remaining capacity information by providing a circuit that detects charge / discharge current. The present invention can also be applied to the above. In this case, for a video camera or other electronic device, the shootable time or operable time is calculated instead of the shootable number.

  The object of the present invention is achieved by executing the following processing. That is, a storage medium that records a program code of software that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or apparatus, and a computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or apparatus is stored in the storage medium. This is the process of reading the code.

  In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the program code and the storage medium storing the program code constitute the present invention.

  Moreover, the following can be used as a storage medium for supplying the program code. For example, floppy (registered trademark) disk, hard disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD + RW, magnetic tape, nonvolatile memory card, ROM or the like. Alternatively, the program code may be downloaded via a network.

  Further, the present invention includes a case where the function of the above-described embodiment is realized by executing the program code read by the computer. In addition, an OS (operating system) running on the computer performs part or all of the actual processing based on an instruction of the program code, and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing. Is also included.

  Furthermore, a case where the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized by the following processing is also included in the present invention. That is, the program code read from the storage medium is written in a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer. Thereafter, based on the instruction of the program code, the CPU or the like provided in the function expansion board or function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of an electric circuit of a digital camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention and a battery pack attached to the digital camera. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the operation example of the control means of the digital camera which is the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart figure for demonstrating the operation example of CPU of the battery pack with which the digital camera which is the 1st Embodiment of this invention is mounted | worn. It is a figure which shows an example of the battery information of the battery pack with which the digital camera which is the 1st Embodiment of this invention is mounted | worn. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the operation example of the control means of the digital camera which is the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart figure for demonstrating the operation example of CPU of the battery pack with which the digital camera which is the 2nd Embodiment of this invention is mounted | worn. It is a figure which shows an example of the battery information of the battery pack with which the digital camera which is the 2nd Embodiment of this invention is mounted | worn. It is a flowchart figure for demonstrating the operation example of the control means of the digital camera which is the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart figure for demonstrating the operation example of CPU of the battery pack with which the digital camera which is the 3rd Embodiment of this invention is mounted | worn. It is a figure which shows an example of the battery information of the battery pack with which the digital camera which is the 3rd Embodiment of this invention is mounted | worn. It is a figure which shows an example of the battery information displayed on the display apparatus of the digital camera which is the 1st-3rd embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the battery information displayed on the display apparatus of the conventional digital camera.

Explanation of symbols

100 Digital Camera 101 Digital Camera Control Unit 106 Real Time Clock IC
110 Image processing circuit 111 Image monitor 114 Display device (display means)
116 Power supply circuit 117 Non-volatile memory 200 Battery pack 201 Battery cell 202 Charge / discharge current detection circuit 203 Battery pack side CPU (calculation means)

Claims (9)

An imaging device driven by a battery,
Discriminating means for discriminating whether or not the imaging device is in an operating state;
First power consumption calculating means for calculating power consumption during operation when the image pickup apparatus is determined to be in an operating state by the determining means;
Counting means for counting the number of times of photographing with the imaging device using the battery as a power source;
An image pickup apparatus comprising: a second power consumption calculating unit that calculates a power consumption per shooting based on the power consumption during operation and the number of shootings counted by the counting unit. An imaging device driven by a battery,
Discriminating means for discriminating whether or not the imaging device is in an operating state;
First power consumption calculating means for calculating power consumption during operation when the image pickup apparatus is determined to be in an operating state by the determining means;
Clocking means for timing the time taken by the imaging device using the battery as a power source;
An image pickup apparatus comprising: a second power consumption amount calculating unit that calculates a power consumption amount per unit shooting time based on the power consumption amount during operation and the shooting time counted by the time counting unit.   When it is determined by the determination means that the imaging device is in an operating state, the image pickup apparatus has discharge current detection means for detecting a discharge current of the battery, and the first power consumption amount calculation means includes the discharge current detection The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power consumption during operation is calculated from a discharge current detected by the means.   Charge amount detection means for detecting a charge amount when the use of the battery is started, and discharge current detection for detecting the discharge current of the battery when the image pickup apparatus is determined to be in a standby state by the determination means. The first power consumption calculating means calculates a standby power consumption from the discharge current detected by the discharge current detecting means, and the charge amount detected by the charge amount detecting means The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power consumption during operation is calculated by subtracting the power consumption during standby.   A charge amount detecting means for detecting a charge amount when the use of the battery is started, and a waiting time measuring means for measuring a waiting time when the determining means determines that the imaging device is in a standby state. The first power consumption calculating means calculates a standby power consumption from the standby time counted by the standby time counting means, and calculates the standby consumption from the charge amount detected by the charge amount detection means. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power consumption during operation is calculated by subtracting the power amount. A method for controlling an imaging apparatus driven by a battery,
A determination step of determining whether the imaging device is in an operating state;
A first power consumption calculating step of calculating an operating power consumption when it is determined by the determining step that the imaging apparatus is in an operating state;
A counting step of counting the number of times of photographing with the imaging device using the battery as a power source;
A control method for an imaging apparatus, comprising: a second power consumption calculating step for calculating a power consumption per shooting based on the power consumption during operation and the number of shootings counted by the counting means. . A method for controlling an imaging apparatus driven by a battery,
A determination step of determining whether the imaging device is in an operating state;
A first power consumption calculating step of calculating an operating power consumption when it is determined by the determining step that the imaging apparatus is in an operating state;
A time measuring step of measuring time taken by the imaging device using the battery as a power source;
A second power consumption calculation step for calculating a power consumption per unit shooting time based on the power consumption during operation and the shooting time measured in the time measuring step; Method. It has a discriminating means for discriminating whether or not the imaging device is in an operating state, and is connected to an imaging device that calculates the power consumption per shooting based on the operating power consumption obtained from the attached battery pack. A battery pack,
Receiving means for receiving the discrimination result of the discrimination means from the imaging device;
A power consumption calculating means for calculating a power consumption during operation when the image pickup apparatus is determined to be in an operating state by the determining means;
A battery pack comprising output means for outputting the power consumption during operation calculated by the power consumption calculation means to the imaging device. It has a discriminating means for discriminating whether or not the imaging device is in an operating state, and is connected to the imaging device that calculates the power consumption per unit shooting time based on the power consumption during operation obtained from the attached battery pack. Battery pack
Receiving means for receiving the discrimination result of the discrimination means from the imaging device;
A power consumption calculating means for calculating a power consumption during operation when the image pickup apparatus is determined to be in an operating state by the determining means;
A battery pack comprising output means for outputting the power consumption during operation calculated by the power consumption calculation means to the imaging device.

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