TV lens system and apparatus and method for zoom control Number:7,092,027 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) owispatent A CPU of a lens system obtains contents of a speed control and a position control as a controller signal from a zoom controller. The speed control is based on an operation of a thumb ring which is instructed in a zoom controller, and the position control is based on a shot function or a limit function. These controls and a control based on a view angle correction function are executed by a process of the CPU, which follows a pre-set determination process; whereby, for example, an angle correction that was impossible to perform in a conventional art can be done after moving a zoom lens to a shot position based on the shot function. In a case that a rate control signal of the zoom lens that is provided from the zoom controller indicates stopping, the CPU fixes a position signal of the zoom lens that is outputted to the zoom controller to a position signal indicating a stopping position. In a case that a focus lens is moved by a focus controller, the zoom lens is moved to a position to prevent change of the view angle. Therefore, even if the zoom lens is stopped at the shot position, the zoom lens can be controlled based on the view angle correction function. Moreover, a limit position is detected in a predetermined direction and the view angle is corrected in consideration of the limit position; thus the zoom lens can be prevented from moving to the outside of the limit position by the view angle correction.<H apparatus, control, TV, lens, system, , 7092027.html, Patent, pto, 7092027

Title: TV lens system and apparatus and method for zoom control

Abstract: A CPU of a lens system obtains contents of a speed control and a position control as a controller signal from a zoom controller. The speed control is based on an operation of a thumb ring which is instructed in a zoom controller, and the position control is based on a shot function or a limit function. These controls and a control based on a view angle correction function are executed by a process of the CPU, which follows a pre-set determination process; whereby, for example, an angle correction that was impossible to perform in a conventional art can be done after moving a zoom lens to a shot position based on the shot function. In a case that a rate control signal of the zoom lens that is provided from the zoom controller indicates stopping, the CPU fixes a position signal of the zoom lens that is outputted to the zoom controller to a position signal indicating a stopping position. In a case that a focus lens is moved by a focus controller, the zoom lens is moved to a position to prevent change of the view angle. Therefore, even if the zoom lens is stopped at the shot position, the zoom lens can be controlled based on the view angle correction function. Moreover, a limit position is detected in a predetermined direction and the view angle is corrected in consideration of the limit position; thus the zoom lens can be prevented from moving to the outside of the limit position by the view angle correction.

Patent Number: 7,092,027 Issued on 08/15/2006 to Mizumura

Inventors: Mizumura; Hiroshi (Omiya, JP)
Assignee: Fujinon Corporation (Saitama, JP)

Appl. No.: 09/630,390

Filed: August 1, 2000

Foreign Application Priority Data


Aug 02, 1999 [JP]			11-218809
Aug 06, 1999 [JP]			11-224222
Aug 06, 1999 [JP]			11-224223

Current U.S. Class: 348/345 ; 396/77

Current International Class: H04N 5/232 (20060101); G03B 13/00 (20060101)

Field of Search: 348/345,347,229,211,143 396/77

References Cited [Referenced By]

U.S. Patent Documents


5113214	May 1992	Nagata et al.
5434621	July 1995	Yu
5634142	May 1997	Imafuji et al.
5771410	June 1998	Sato et al.
5815748	September 1998	Hamamura et al.
5838368	November 1998	Masunaga et al.
5929904	July 1999	Uchida
6134390	October 2000	Kasuya

Foreign Patent Documents


0 869 381	Oct., 1998	EP
0 869 669	Oct., 1998	EP
08 334674	Dec., 1996	JP
08334674	Dec., 1996	JP
10 039193	Feb., 1998	JP
10039193	Feb., 1998	JP
10282396	Oct., 1998	JP

Primary Examiner: Ho; Tuan
Assistant Examiner: Selby; Gevell
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Birch, Stewart, Kolasch & Birch, LLP

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A lens system, comprising: a lens apparatus including a movable lens and a motor, one of a position and a moving rate of the movable lens being controlled with the motor; a controller connected with the lens apparatus; and a control part mounted in one of the lens apparatus and the controller, wherein the lens system executes a control of the movable lens based on one of a control function provided in the lens apparatus and a control function provided in the controller, wherein the control part obtains contents of a control of the movable lens based on the one of the control functions, and the control part executes the control of the movable lens based on the obtained contents of the control, wherein the control function provided in the lens apparatus includes a view angle correction function which is an operation of moving a zoom lens to prevent a change of a view angle due to moving of a focus lens, wherein the control function provided in the controller includes at least one of a shot function and a limit function, wherein the shot function is an operation of controlling the zoom from a current zoom setting to a preset zoom setting, wherein the limit function is an operation of controlling zoom to restrict the zoom settings to a preset range, wherein the preset range is less than a maximum range of the zoom settings, wherein the control of the movable lens includes a control of a zoom lens, wherein when the zoom lens moves to and stops at a shot position by the control based on the shot function, the control part validates the control based on the view angle correction function, and wherein when the controls to be executed in the control part are overlapped at the same time, the control part selects one of the controls to execute in accordance with a predetermined selection process.

2. A lens system, comprising: a lens apparatus including a movable lens and a motor, one of a position and a moving rate of the movable lens being controlled with the motor; a controller connected with the lens apparatus; and a control part mounted in one of the lens apparatus and the controller, wherein the lens system executes a control of the movable lens based on one of a control function provided in the lens apparatus and a control function provided in the controller, wherein the control part obtains contents of a control of the movable lens based on the one of the control functions, and the control part executes the control of the movable lens based on the obtained contents of the control, wherein the control function provided in the lens apparatus includes a view angle correction function which is an operation of moving a zoom lens to prevent a change of a view angle due to moving of a focus lens, wherein the control function provided in the controller includes at least one of a shot function and a limit function, wherein the shot function is an operation of controlling the zoom from a current zoom setting to a preset zoom setting wherein the preset range is less than a maximum range of the zoom settings, wherein the limit function is an operation of controlling zoom to restrict the zoom settings to a preset range, and wherein the control part executes the control based on the limit function prior to the view angle correction function in a case where the zoom lens moves to an outside of a limit position based on the limit function by executing the control based on the view angle correction function.

3. A lens apparatus, comprising: a focus lens; a zoom lens; a controller; and a control part which executes a control for moving the zoom lens based on a control signal provided from the controller and executes a control based on a view angle correction function for moving the zoom lens to a position to prevent changing of a view angle due to moving of the focus lens, wherein the controller obtains, from the control part, a position signal representing a position of the zoom lens, wherein the control part obtains, from the controller, a control signal for moving the zoom lens to a target position set by the controller according to the position signal, wherein the target position is set when executing a shot function, wherein the shot function is an operation of controlling the zoom from a current zoom setting to a preset zoom setting, and wherein the control part comprises a position signal fixing device which fixes, when executing the control based on the view angle correction function, a value of the position signal outputted from the control part to the controller to a value representing a position of the zoom lens before executing the control based on the view angle correction function.

4. The lens apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the position of the zoom lens before executing the control based on the view angle correction function is a position where the zoom lens is stopped by the control based on the control signal provided from the controller.

5. A lens apparatus, comprising: a focus lens; a zoom lens; a controller; and a control part which executes a control for moving the zoom lens based on a control signal provided from the controller and executes a control based on a view angle correction function for moving the zoom lens to a position to prevent changing of a view angle due to moving of the focus lens, wherein the controller has a limit function for obtaining, from the control part, a position signal representing a position of the zoom lens and for restricting a moving range of the zoom lens so that the zoom lens does not move to an outside of a predetermined limit position based on the position signal, and wherein the predetermined limit position is within a range of movement of the zoom lens that is less than a maximum range of movement of the zoom lens, wherein the control part comprises: a limit position determining device which determines the limit position by changing a value of the position signal being outputted from the control part to the controller from a value representing an actual position of the zoom lens and detecting a change of the control signal outputted from the controller with respect to the changed value of the position signal; and a restricting device which restricts a moving range of the zoom lens so that the zoom lens does not move to an outside of the limit position determined by the limit position determining device.

6. A lens apparatus, comprising: a focus lens; a zoom lens; a controller; and a control part which executes a control for moving the zoom lens based on a control signal provided from the controller and executes a control based on a view angle correction function for moving the zoom lens to a position to prevent changing of a view angle due to moving of the focus lens, wherein the controller has a limit function for obtaining, from the control part, a position signal representing a position of the zoom lens and for restricting a moving range of the zoom lens so that the zoom lens does not move to an outside of a predetermined limit position based on the position signal, and the controller has a shot function for stopping the zoom lens at a predetermined shot position based on the position signal, and wherein the predetermined limit position is within a range of movement of the zoom lens that is less than a maximum range of movement of the zoom lens, wherein the control part comprises: a position signal fixing device which fixes, when executing the control based on the view angle correction function by the control part, a value of the position signal outputted from the control part to the controller to a value representing a position of the zoom lens before executing the control based on the view angle correction function; a limit position determining device which determines the limit position by changing a value of the position signal being outputted from the control part to the controller from a value representing an actual position of the zoom lens and detecting a change of the control signal outputted from the controller with respect to the changed value of the position signal; and a restricting device which restricts a moving range of the zoom lens so that the zoom lens does not move to an outside of the limit position determined by the limit position determining device.

7. The lens apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein when the control signal provided from the controller changes by at least a predetermined value in a case where the position signal fixing device fixes the position signal, the control part executes a control for moving the zoom lens based on the control signal and the position signal fixing device returns the position signal to a value indicating an actual position of the zoom lens.

8. A lens control system, comprising: a zoom lens; and a controller configured to control a movement of the zoom lens according to a priority of performing a view angle correction function and at least one of a limit function and a shot function, wherein the view angle correction function is an operation of moving the zoom lens to prevent a change of a view angle due to moving of a focus lens, wherein the shot function is an operation of controlling the movement of the zoom lens from a current position to a preset position, wherein the limit function is an operation of restricting the movement of the zoom lens to a preset range, wherein the preset range is less than a maximum range of movement of the zoom lens, wherein the controller is configured to perform the shot function prior to performing the view angle correction function when the shot function is activated, and wherein the view angle correction function is performed based on the image of the object after performing the shot function.

9. The lens control system of claim 8, further comprising: a zoom lens movement rate limit setting device configured to set a zoom lens movement rate limit, wherein the controller is configured to control a zoom lens movement rate based on a difference between the preset position and the current position, wherein the controller is configured to control the zoom lens movement rate also based on the zoom lens movement rate limit, and wherein the zoom lens moving rate of the zoom lens decreases at a proximity of a limit position.

10. The lens control system of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to restrict the movement of the zoom lens to the preset range when performing the view angle correction function when the limit function is activated.

11. A method to control a lens control system, comprising: controlling a movement of a zoom lens according to a priority of performing a view angle correction function and at least one of a limit function and a shot function; determining whether the shot function is activated; performing the shot function when the shot function is activated; and performing the view angle correction function based on the image of the object after performing the shot function, wherein the view angle correction function is an operation of moving the zoom lens to prevent a change of a view angle due to moving of a focus lens, wherein the shot function is an operation of controlling the movement of the zoom lens from a current position to a preset position, and wherein the limit function is an operation of restricting the movement of the zoom lens to a preset range, and wherein the preset range is less than a maximum range of movement of the zoom lens.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: controlling a zoom lens movement rate based on a difference between the preset position and the current position; determining a zoom lens movement rate limit; and controlling the zoom lens movement rate also based on the zoom lens movement rate limit, wherein the zoom lens movement rate decreases at a proximity of a limit position.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising: determining whether the limit function is activated; and restricting the movement of the zoom lens to the preset range when performing the view angle correction function when the limit function is activated.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a lens system and apparatus, particularly to a lens system in which zoom and focus of a lens apparatus that is mounted on a TV camera are controlled by a controller connected with the lens apparatus, and a lens apparatus having a view angle correction function to correct, by means of a zoom lens, change of a view angle at the time of focusing.

2. Description of Related Art

A lens apparatus to be mounted on a TV camera is connected with an external controller via a cable, and each optical member such as a zoom lens and a focus lens, which are arranged in the lens apparatus, is driven by a motor. In a lens system in which the lens apparatus is controlled with the external controller, the zoom lens is controlled in general by a rate control signal, which instructs a moving rate of the zoom lens. For example, a controller (a zoom controller) used for controlling the zoom lens is provided with a rotatable operation member called a thumb ring, and when the operator rotates the thumb ring, a rate control signal for instructing a zoom rate corresponding with an operation amount is transmitted to a control part of the lens apparatus, and the control part of the lens apparatus drives the zoom lens with the motor at the zoom rate that is instructed with the rate control signal.

A lens system is conventionally known that can control positions based on a shot function, a limit function or a view angle correction function, in addition to a function in a manual control in accordance with an operation of the operation member by the operator.

In the shot function, when a shot switch, which is provided to the zoom controller, is turned ON, the zoom lens moves to a shot position that is designated by a shot position adjusting knob. The shot function is conventionally controlled in the zoom controller (e.g. Japanese patent application Laid-open No. 8-334674). The zoom controller having the shot function is called a shot box. As the shot switch is turned ON, the zoom controller obtains a current position of the zoom lens from the lens apparatus, and transmits to the control part of the lens apparatus the rate control signal for instructing a moving rate in a moving direction so that a difference between the current position of the zoom lens and the designated shot position approaches zero, the moving rate corresponding with the difference. Thus, the control part of the lens apparatus drives the zoom lens in accordance with the rate control signal, and the zoom lens thereby moves to the shot position.

In the limit function, when a limit switch, which is provided to a controller, is turned ON, a moving range of the zoom lens is restricted within a range of a limit position. The limit function is conventionally controlled in the controller like the shot function (e.g. Japanese patent application Laid-open No. 10-39193). The current position of the zoom lens is obtained from the lens apparatus in the controller while the operation member of the controller is being operated, and when the current position of the zoom lens moves in a direction to approach the limit position, the rate control signal transmitted from the controller to the control part of the lens apparatus is restricted at a rate corresponding with the difference between the current position of the zoom lens and the limit position. If the current position of the zoom lens exceeds the limit position, the rate control signal for returning the zoom lens to the limit position is transmitted to the control part of the lens apparatus. Therefore, the control part of the lens apparatus restricts the moving range of the zoom lens to be within the limit position by driving the zoom lens in accordance with the rate control signal provided from the controller, without recognizing the limit position.

In the view angle correction function, the change of the view angle due to the moving of the focus lens is prevented by moving the zoom lens. The view angle correction function is conventionally controlled in the lens apparatus (e.g. Japanese patent application Laid-open No. 10-282396). The control part of the lens apparatus moves the zoom lens by its control at a position where the view angle is constant when moving the focus lens. When the focus lens moves in accordance with the control signal from the controller, the control part of the lens apparatus simultaneously drives the zoom lens and the focus lens so that the current position of the zoom lens and the zoom position which makes the view angle constant correspond with each other; thereby the change of the view angle at the focus adjustment is prevented.

In the conventional art, however, the lens apparatus cannot activate the view angle correction function in a case where the shot function and/or the limit function are executed. That is, when the control part of the lens apparatus moves the zoom lens by the control based on the view angle correction function while the zoom lens moves to and stops at the shot position or the limit position by the control based on the shot function or the limit function of the controller, the controller recognizes that the position of the zoom lens is displaced from the shot position, or, in some cases, recognized that the position of the zoom lens exceeded the limit position. Then, the controller transmits the rate control signal for returning the position of the zoom lens at the shot position or the limit position to the control part of the lens apparatus. The thus transmitted rate control signal cannot be determined by the control part of the lens apparatus whether the signal is based on the shot function or the limit function, or the operation of the operation member; moreover, the zoom lens must be controlled in accordance with the rate control signal because the control based on the operation of the operating member should take the first priority; thus the zoom lens is returned at the shot position after all, and the view angle correction function does not effectively function.

Similar problems occurs not only at the time of the shot function or the limit function, but also in a state where the zoom lens moves to and stops at a target position in the position control by some function of the position control in the controller.

In the limit function, it is usually not desired to perform the view angle correction up to the level where the zoom lens exceeds the limit position; however, in the shot function, it is more often desired to perform the view angle correction function first so as to correct the view angle from the shot position also, in a case where the zoom lens moves to and stops at the shot position.

In consideration of the above-described necessity, a method has been suggested in which the control signal provided from the zoom controller is invalidated while executing the view angle correction. Yet, this method also invalidates the restriction of the limit position originally provided from the zoom controller, and thus the zoom lens can move to the outside of the limit position by the view angle correction.

Further, even though it is considered preferable to prioritize the shot function or the limit function over the view angle correction function, the zoom lens does not move effectively at the proximity of the shot position or the limit position because of a control problem under a state where the plurality of controls based on the plurality of functions are simultaneously performed.

In the conventional art, the problem presented above occurs due to the fact that plural controls based on the shot function, the limit function, view angle correction function, and so forth, are executed by the control part of the lens apparatus and by the controller that are completely independent of each other.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Although the plurality of controls cannot be simultaneously executed when these controls are executed by one control part, at least a preferred control can be prioritized.

The present invention has been developed in view of the above-described circumstances, and has as its object the provision of a lens system which can prioritize a preferred control depending on a need when the controls based on the functions which are installed in the lens apparatus or the controller are instructed at the same time.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a lens system in which a zoom lens moves to a target position by a position control by a controller, and which can control the zoom lens based on a view angle correction function even if the zoom lens has stopped.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a lens system that can perform the view angle correction even if the zoom lens is stopped at a shot position by the control based on the shot function, and at the same time can prevent the zoom lens from moving to the outside of a limit position by the view angle correction when the limit function is being validated by the controller, and thus further can move the zoom lens in a preferred manner.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention is directed to a lens system, comprising: a lens apparatus including a movable lens and a motor, one of a position and a moving rate of the movable lens being controlled with the motor; a controller connected with the lens apparatus; and a control part mounted in one of the lens apparatus and the controller, wherein the lens system executes a control of the movable lens based on one of a control function provided in the lens apparatus and a control function provided in the controller, wherein the control part obtains contents of a control of the movable lens based on the one of the control functions, and the control part executes the control of the movable lens based on the obtained contents of the control.

According to the present invention, the control function which the lens apparatus previously has or the control based on the function which is installed in the controller is executed by one control part. Thus, when plural controls are instructed simultaneously, a preferred control can be prioritized and executed depending on a need. In particular, the present invention easily overcomes the conventional problem occurred in controlling the zoom lens that the view angle correction cannot be performed because the zoom lens stops at the shot position when the zoom lens is moved to the shot position.

In a case where the zoom lens is at the shot position or the limit position after moving the zoom lens to the shot position by the control based on the shot function or after the moving the zoom lens to the limit position by the control based on the limit function, the control of the lens apparatus is the same as the control of the conventional lens apparatus. Unlike the conventional art, in the present invention, the control based on the shot function or the limit function and the control based on the view angle correction function are not simultaneously executed. The control based on the view angle correction is not executed while the control based on the shot function or the limit function is executed, hence the present invention also solves the problem that the zoom lens does not effectively move to the proximity of the shot position and the limit position.

Further, in order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention is directed to a lens apparatus, comprising: a focus lens; a zoom lens; a controller; and a control part which executes a control for moving the zoom lens based on a control signal provided from the controller and executes a control based on a view angle correction function for moving the zoom lens to a position to prevent changing of a view angle due to moving of the focus lens, wherein the controller obtains, from the control part, a position signal representing a position of the zoom lens, wherein the control part obtains, from the controller, a control signal for moving the zoom lens to a target position set by the controller according to the position signal, wherein the control part comprises a position signal fixing device which fixes, when executing the control based on the view angle correction function, a value of the position signal outputted from the control part to the controller to a value representing a position of the zoom lens before executing the control based on the view angle correction function.

According to the present invention, the value of the position signal of the zoom lens provided to the controller from the lens apparatus is fixed at a value indicating the target value for the zoom lens which stops at the predetermined target position by the position control of the controller even in a case where the control based on the view angle correction function is executed in the lens apparatus. Thus a state does not occur in which the control signal for instructing moving the zoom lens (the control signal for instructing returning to the target position) is provided from the controller to the lens apparatus due to moving of the zoom lens by the view angle correction function. Therefore, the control part of the lens apparatus can correct the view angle even if the zoom lens is stopped at the target position by the position control by the controller.

Furthermore, in order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention is directed to a lens apparatus, comprising: a focus lens; a zoom lens; a controller; and a control part which executes a control for moving the zoom lens based on a control signal provided from the controller and executes a control based on a view angle correction function for moving the zoom lens to a position to prevent changing of a view angle due to moving of the focus lens, wherein the controller has a limit function for obtaining, from the control part, a position signal representing a position of the zoom lens and for restricting a moving range of the zoom lens so that the zoom lens does not move to an outside of a predetermined limit position based on the position signal, wherein the control part comprises: a limit position determining device which determines the limit position by changing a value of the position signal being outputted from the control part to the controller from a value representing an actual position of the zoom lens and detecting a change of the control signal outputted from the controller with respect to the changed value of the position signal; and a restricting device which restricts a moving range of the zoom lens so that the zoom lens does not move to an outside of the limit position determined by the limit position determining device.

According to the present invention, the value of the position signal outputted from the lens apparatus to the controller is fixed, whereby the view angle can be corrected with respect to the zoom lens which is stopped at the shot position by the control of the shot function. By fixing the value of the position signal as described above, the zoom lens might move over the limit position by the view angle correction; however, the limit position is detected by a predetermined means and the zoom lens is controlled at the lens apparatus side so as not to exceed the limit position, whereby the zoom lens is prevented from moving to the outside of the limit position.

Furthermore, the present invention also overcome the problem in the conventional art in that because the position signal is fixed and the shot function and the limit function are substantially invalidated, the shot function or the limit function and the view angle correction function are simultaneously performed in a case where a control based on the view angle correction function is executed with respect to the zoom lens which is stopped at the shot position or the limit position by the shot function or the limit function, respectively. Therefore, the present invention can move the zoom lens effectively even at the proximity of the shot position or the limit position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The nature of this invention, as well as other objects and advantages thereof, will be explained in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the TV camera to which a lens system of an embodiment of the present invention is used;

FIG. 2 is a view showing a construction of an operation member which is arranged on a switch panel of a zoom controller;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the lens system of the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure related to a control of a zoom in the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the lens system of the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a view showing an inner construction of a zoom controller in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a process of a CPU in the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a view showing the inner construction of the zoom controller in the third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a procedure related to the zoom of the third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure of shot operation detection of the third embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a procedure of limit detection of the third embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Hereunder preferred embodiments of a lens system of the present invention will be described in detail in accordance with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a TV camera to which a lens system according to embodiments of the present invention is used. As shown in FIG. 1, a TV camera 10 is constructed of a lens apparatus 12 and a camera body 14, on which a viewfinder 30 for checking a picture during shooting. The TV camera 10 is supported on a pedestaldolly 16 through a pan head 18, to which two operation rods 22 and 23 are provided. A zoom controller 26 for operating a zoom rate and the like and a focus controller 28 for focus operation are attached to the ends of the operation rods 22 and 23, respectively.

The zoom controller 26 is also called as a shot box and is provided with a thumb ring 26A and a switch panel 26B. The thumb ring 26A can be rotated in both directions from a reference position (a neutral position). The operator rotates the thumb ring 26A with his/her left hand's thumb so as to adjust a rotation amount and a rotation direction whereby a moving rate and a moving direction of a zoom lens mounted in the lens apparatus 12 can be operated. A rate control signal and the like corresponding with the rotation amount and the rotation direction of the thumb ring 26A is outputted from the zoom controller 26 to the lens apparatus 12.

The switch panel 26B is provided to execute a shot function and a limit function. The shot function automatically moves the zoom lens to a desired position (shot position) by pressing the switch down, and the limit function restricts a moving range of the zoom lens within a desired position at a widephoto side and a telephoto side. As shown in FIG. 2, the switch panel 26B is provided, in relation to the shot function, with shot switches 32A, 32B, 32C and 32D for instructing shot execution by the press-down operation of the operator. Corresponding with the switches 32A 32D, shot position adjustment knobs 34A, 34B, 34C and 34D are provided for setting shot positions, respectively. A rate adjustment knob 36 is also provided for setting a moving rate of the zoom lens toward the shot position at the shot execution.

In relation to the limit function, the switch panel 26B is provided with limit switches 38A and 38B for switching validation and invalidation of the limit function with respect to each of the widephoto side and the telephoto side by the press-down operation of the operator. Corresponding with the limit switches 38A and 38B, limit position adjustment knobs 40A and 40B are provided for setting the limit positions of the widephoto side and the telephoto side, respectively. The control of the zoom based on these functions will be described later.

A rotatable focus ring 28A is provided to the focus controller 28 in FIG. 1. The operator rotates the focus ring 28A with his/her right hand so as to adjust the rotation position, whereby the position of the focus lens mounted in the lens apparatus 12 can be operated. The focus controller 28 transmits a position control signal and the like to the lens apparatus 12 corresponding with the rotation position of the focus ring 28A.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the construction of the lens system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the lens apparatus 12 has a CPU 50 for processing all sorts of controls with respect to a zoom lens 60, a focus lens 80 and an iris 100. When the zoom controller 26 and the focus controller 28 are connected with predetermined connectors of the lens apparatus 12, the CPU 50 obtains from controllers 26 and 28 respective types of information (controller information) through a serial communication via an RS485 interface 86, and controls the zoom lens 60, the focus lens 80 and the iris 100 based on the controller information and so forth.

The control of the zoom lens 60 will be described. Controls of the zoom lens 60 are a rate control based on an operation of the thumb ring 26A of the zoom controller 26 (a control based on a manual control function), a position control based on the shot function or the limit function, which are instructed on the switch panel 26B of the zoom controller 26, or a position control based on the view angle correction function, which is provided in the lens apparatus 12.

The rate control based on the operation of the thumb ring 26A of the zoom controller 26 is performed by moving the zoom lens 60 at a rate corresponding with the operation amount when the operator operates the thumb ring 26A of the zoom controller 26. As shown in FIG. 3, the operation amount of the thumb ring 26A is determined by the CPU 27 in the zoom controller 26, and the rate control signal for instructing the moving rate (zoom rate) of the zoom lens 60 corresponding with the determined operation amount is transmitted from the CPU 27 to the CPU 50 via the RS485 interface 86. The rate control signal may be transmitted continuously, or may be transmitted only when the amount of the operation of the thumb ring 26A changes.

When the CPU 50 obtains the rate control signal from the zoom controller 26, the CPU 50 outputs the control signal for instructing a rotation speed (the moving rate of the zoom lens 60) of a zoom drive motor 56 in accordance with the rate control signal to a zoom control circuit 54 through a D/A converter 52 converting the control signal into an analog signal.

As the control signal is provided from the CPU 50 to the zoom control circuit 54 as described above, the zoom control circuit 54 obtains an actual rotation speed of the zoom drive motor 56 from a tachogenerator 58. The zoom control circuit 54 then applies voltage to the zoom drive motor 56 so that a difference between the rotation speed of the zoom drive motor 56 that is instructed by the control signal from the CPU 50 and the actual rotation speed of the zoom drive motor 56 is zero. Thereby, the zoom drive motor 56 rotates in the rotation speed that is instructed from the CPU 50, and the zoom lens 60 moves at the rate that is instructed through the thumb ring 26A of the zoom controller 26.

If the operation of the thumb ring 26A is not at the neutral position (central position), that is, if the thumb ring 26A is being operated, the CPU 50 prioritize the rate control in accordance with the operation of the thumb ring 26A with respect to the shot function and the view angle correction function, but not with respect to the limit function. Thus, if the limit function is being validated, moving of the zoom lens 60 to exceed the limit position is prevented regardless of the operation of the thumb ring 26A.

In the position control based on the shot function, which is instructed in the switch panel 26B of the zoom controller 26 in FIG. 2, when one of the shot switches 32A 32D arranged on the switch panel 26B of the zoom controller 26 is pressed down, the zoom lens 60 is moved to and stopped at the shot position that is set by one of the shot position adjustment knobs 34A 34D corresponding with the pressed one of the shot switches 32A 32D. A speed of the zoom lens 60 when moving to the shot position is set by the rate adjustment knob 36 provided on the switch panel 26B. States of the shot switches 32A 32D, the shot position adjustment knobs 34A 34D and the speed adjustment knob 36 are determined by the CPU 27 of the zoom controller 26, and the states are transmitted to the CPU 50 as switch information, shot position information and speed information, respectively, via the RS485 interface 86. In short, the contents of the controls based on the shot function are transmitted to the CPU 50 as the switch information, the shot information and the speed information. The information may be transmitted only when at least one of the states changes, or may be transmitted continuously.

When determining, with the switch information obtained as described above, that one of the shot switches 32A 32D is pressed, the CPU 50 obtains a set position of one of the shot position adjustment knobs 34A 34D corresponding with the pressed shot switch from the shot position information, and sets a target position to move the zoom lens 60 based on the set position. The CPU 50 obtains a current position of the zoom lens 60 from a potentiometer 62 via an A/D converter 64, and finds the difference between the target position and the current position of the zoom lens 60, then outputs to the D/A converter 52 the control signal for instructing the rate in a direction so that the difference approaches zero, the rate corresponding with the difference, and after that provides the control signal to the zoom control circuit 54 through he D/A converter 52 converting the control signal to the analog signal.

In a case to instruct the rate to the zoom control circuit 54 by the control signal, the CPU 50 determines the rate that is set by the speed adjustment knob 36 of the switch panel 26B in accordance with the speed information obtained from the zoom controller 26, and restricts the rate to be instructed to the zoom control circuit 54 not to exceed the rate that is set by the speed adjustment knob 36.

Thus, by a process similar with the process of the zoom control circuit 54, the zoom lens moves to and stops at the shot position.

When the thumb ring 26A of the zoom controller 26 is at the neutral position, the CPU 50 prioritizes the position control based on the shot function with respect to the control based on the operation of the thumb ring 26A. The CPU 50 basically prioritizes the position control based on the shot function with respect to the control based on the view angle correction function; however, the control based on the view angle correcting function is prioritized in a state where the zoom lens is moved to and stopped at the shot position. More specifically, when moving the focus lens 80 by the instruction of the focus controller 28 where the zoom lens 60 is stopped at the shot position by the shot execution, the zoom lens is moved by the control based on the view angle correction function at a position to make the view angle constant. This feature for correcting the view angle while the zoom lens is stopped at the shot position is a control that was not possible by a conventional lens system.

On the other hand, the control based on the shot function is not prioritized with respect to the control based on the limit function. When the shot position is at the outside of the limit position, the zoom lens 60 is stopped at the limit position.

In a case of the position control based on the limit function, which is instructed in the switch panel 26B of the zoom controller 26 shown in FIG. 2, when the limit switch 38A and the limit switch 38B, which are provided on the switch panel 26B of the zoom controller 26, are turned ON, the limit function with respect to the widephoto side and the telephoto side becomes validated, and the limit positions of the widephoto side and the telephoto side are set by the limit position adjustment knob 40A and the limit position adjustment knob 40B, which are provided corresponding with the limit switch 38A and the limit switch 38B, respectively. The states of the limit switches 38A and 38B and the limit position adjustment knobs 40A and 40B are determined by the CPU 27 of the zoom controller 26, and are transmitted to the CPU 50 via the RS485 interface 85 as the switch information and the limit position information, respectively. In short, the contents of the control based on the limit function are transmitted to the CPU 50 as the switch information and the limit position information. The information may be transmitted only when at least one of the states change, or may be transmitted continuously.

When determining, with the switch information, that at least one of the limit switches 38A and 38B is turned ON, the CPU 50 obtains a setting position of one of the limit position adjustment knobs 40A and 40B corresponding with the limit switch that is turned ON, and sets the limit position of the corresponding one of the widephoto side and the telephoto side. If at least one of the limit switches 38A and 38B is turned OFF, the limit position of the side that is OFF is set at the corresponding one of the widephoto end and the telephoto end (the widephoto end and the telephoto end are mechanical ends). The CPU 50 then determines the limit position in the moving direction as a target position while the zoom lens 60 is being moved based on the operation of the thumb ring 26A, the shot function, or the view angle correction function. After the target position is thus determined, the CPU 50 obtains the current position of the zoom lens 60, which is being moved by the control based on the operations such as of the thumb ring 26A, from the potentiometer 62 via the A/D converter 64, and finds the difference between the target position, which is determined as described above, and the current position. Then, when the difference is smaller than a predetermined value (that is, when the position of the zoom lens approaches the limit position within a predetermined distance), the CPU 50 reduces an instructing speed of the control signal provided to the zoom control circuit 54 so that the speed corresponds with the difference. Thereby, the moving rate of the zoom lens 60 decreases at the proximity of the limit position regardless of the operation of the thumb ring 26, and the zoom lens 60 is stopped at a position within the limit position. In the same manner as the position control based on the shot function, the CPU 50 executes a control for moving the zoom lens 60 at the limit position when the zoom lens 60 is at the outside of the limit position (i.e., the zoom lens 60 is at a more widephoto side than the limit position of the widephoto side, or at a more telephoto side than the limit position of the telephoto side).

The CPU 50 prioritizes position controls based on the limit function with respect to all other controls while the limit function is being validated. More specifically, the zoom lens 60 never exists at a position over the limit position, and the zoom lens 60 moves to and stops at the limit position if the zoom lens exists at the outside of the limit position when the limit function becomes validated.

The position control based on the view angle correction function is, for example, a control that is switched between valid and invalid by a predetermined switch, which is provided to the lens apparatus 12 and so forth; if the view angle correction function is validated, the CPU 50 executes the position control. At this moment, the CPU 50 obtains the positions of the zoom lens 60 and the focus lens 80 from the potentiometers 62 and 82 via the A/D converters 64 and 84. When the focus lens 80 is moved in accordance with the instruction from the focus controller 28, which will be described later, the CPU 50 determines, as the target position, a position of the zoom lens 60 that makes the photographing view angle constant with respect to the moved position of the focus lens 80. The position of the zoom lens 60 that makes the photographing view angle constant is stored beforehand in a predetermined memory as numerical data in order to be found, or is stored as a numerical formula to be calculated, with respect to the positions of the focus lens 80 before and after moving and the position of the zoom lens 60 before moving. As the target position is determined as described above, the CPU 50 finds the difference between the target position and the current position of the zoom lens 60, and outputs the control signal for instructing a rate corresponding with the difference in a direction so that the difference approaches zero, to the zoom control circuit 54 through the D/A converter 52 converting the control signal in the analog signal. Thus, the zoom lens 60 is moved by the control of the zoom control circuit 54 to the position for preventing the change of the view angle due to moving of the focus lens 80.

When the zoom lens 60 is stopping such as in a case where the zoom lens 60 moves to the shot position after the shot execution, or when the thumb ring 26A of the zoom controller 26 is at the neutral position, the CPU 50 basically prioritizes the position control based on the view angle correction function with respect to the other controls. The CPU 50, however, does not control the view angle correction for moving the zoom lens 60 over the limit position.

When executing the position control based on the view angle correction function, the position signal that is outputted from the CPU 50 to the zoom controller 26 to indicate the position of the zoom lens 60 is fixed at the position of the zoom lens 60 before the position control based on the view angle correction function is executed. By this process, the view angle correction function is effectively executed in which no rate control signal is provided from the zoom controller 26 to the CPU 50 for returning the zoom lens 60 to the shot position even though the zoom lens 60 is moved with the view angle correction function by the CPU 50 in the state where the zoom controller 26 stops the zoom lens 60 at the shot position by the position control based on the shot function.

The control on the focus will be described. The focus is controlled in accordance with the operations of the focus ring 28A of the focus controller 28 in FIG. 1. The operation of the focus ring 28A is detected by the CPU 29 of the focus controller 28, and the position control signal for instructing moving the focus lens 80 to the focus position corresponding with the operation position is transmitted from the CPU 29 to the CPU 50 via the RS485 interface 86.

When obtaining the position control signal from the focus controller 28, the CPU 50 determines the focus position which is instructed by the position control signal as the target position. The CPU 50 also obtains the current position of the focus lens 80 from the potentiometer 82 via the A/D converter 84. Then, the CPU 50 outputs the control signal for instructing a rate in the direction so that the difference between the target position and the current position of the focus lens 80 approaches zero, the rate corresponding with the difference, to a focus control circuit 74 through a D/A converter 72 converting the control signal into an analog.

When obtaining the control signal outputted from the CPU 50 as described above, the focus control circuit 74 obtains the actual rotation speed of a focus drive motor 76 from a tachogenerator 78. The focus control circuit 74 then applies voltage to the focus drive motor 76 so that the difference between the rotation speed of the focus drive motor 76 that is instructed by the control signal from the CPU 50 and the actual rotation rate of the focus drive motor 76 approaches zero. Thereby, the focus drive motor 76 rotates in the rotation speed that is instructed from the CPU 50, and the focus lens 80 moves to the focus position that is instructed by the focus controller 28.

The control of the iris is hereunder described. When the CPU 50 receives the position control signal indicating the position of the iris 100 (a diameter of the iris) from the camera body 14 (the position control signal of the iris 100 is sometimes provided from a controller such as the zoom controller 26 and the focus controller 28), the CPU 50 determines the position indicated by the position control signal as the target position, and obtains the current position of the iris 100 (the diameter of the iris) from a potentiometer 102 via an A/D converter 104. The CPU 50 then finds a difference between the target position and the current position of the iris 100, and outputs a control signal for instructing a rate corresponding with the difference in a direction so that the difference approaches zero, to an iris control circuit 94 through a D/A converter 92 converting the control signal into an analog signal.

When the iris control circuit 94 obtains the control signal that is outputted from the CPU 50 as described above, the iris control circuit 94 obtains an actual rotation speed of an iris drive motor 96 from a tachogenerator 98. The iris control circuit 94 then applies voltage to the iris drive motor 96 so that the difference between the rotation speed of the iris drive motor 96 that is instructed by the control signal from the CPU 50 and the actual rotation speed of the iris drive motor 96 approaches zero. Thereby, the iris drive motor 96 rotates in the rotation speed that is instructed from the CPU 50, and the diameter of the iris 100 is changed.

A procedure related to the control of the zoom in the CPU 50 is described referring to a flowchart in FIG. 4. The CPU 50 first determines whether the zoom controller 26 is in the digital form or analog form (step S10). As shown in FIG. 3, a digital zoom controller transmits respective types of information such as the rate control signal to the CPU 50 by serial communication of the digital signal. On the other hand, an analog zoom controller sends an instruction such as the zoom rate by a voltage value of an analog voltage signal. The CPU 50 transmits a predetermined command to the zoom controller 26, and determines the zoom controller as the analog zoom controller if a response is received, and determines the zoom controller as the digital zoom controller if no response is received. When the CPU 50 detects the analog controller, it performs a process for the analog zoom controller (step S12), which is not described here.

On the other hand, if the CPU 50 detects the digital zoom controller, the CPU 50 reads controller information from the zoom controller 26 by a communication (step S14). As mentioned before, the controller information comprises the rate control signal (rate control signal information) based on the thumb ring 26A, the switch information indicating a state of the shot switches 32A 32D and the limit switches 38A and 38B on the switch panel 26B, the shot position information indicating a set position of the shot position adjustment knobs 34A 34D, the limit position information indicating a set position of the limit position adjustment knobs 40A and 40B, and the speed information indicating a set position of the speed adjustment knob 36.

After the reading, the CPU 50 determines whether or not the thumb ring 26A is at the neutral position (the central position) from the rate control signal which is obtained by the controller information (step S16). At this point, if the CPU 50 determines the answer NO, that is, the thumb ring 26A is determined to be operated, the CPU 50 controls the rate of the zoom lens 60 based on the operation of the thumb ring 26A by considering the limit position (step S18). In other words, when the limit function is determined to be valid from the switch information, the CPU 50 sets the limit position by the limit position information; when the limit function is determined to be invalid from the switch information, the CPU sets a mechanical end at the limit position, and moves the zoom lens 60 in accordance with the operation of the thumb ring 26A so that the zoom lens 60 does not exceed the limit position.

On the other hand, if the thumb ring 26A is determined to be at the center at step S16, the CPU 50 next determines whether or not the position of the zoom lens 60 is at the inside (step S20). If the determination is NO, the limit process is performed (step S22). In other words, if the zoom lens 60 is at the outside of the limit position, the zoom lens 60 is moved to and stopped at the limit position.

If the determination at step S20 is YES, that is, if the zoom lens 60 is determined to be at the inside of the limit position, the CPU 50 determines whether or not the zoom lens 60 is in a shot period (step S24). The shot period is while the zoom lens 60 moves to and stops at the shot position after one of the shot switches 32A 32D is turned ON. If the determination is NO, it means that the zoom lens 60 is stopping; thus the CPU 50 performs the view angle correction process by considering the limit position when the focus lens 80 is moved (step S26). In other words, the zoom lens 60 is moved to a position to make the photographing view angle constant within a range where the zoom lens 60 does not exceed the limit position (step S24).

If the determination at step S24 is YES, a shot process is performed by considering the limit position (step S28). That is, the zoom lens 60 is moved to the shot position within the range where the zoom lens does not exceed the limit position.

According to the above-described process, the control based on the limit function is firstly prioritized; if the thumb ring 26A is operated, the control in accordance with the thumb ring 26A is prioritized with respect to the shot function and the view angle correction function. In a case where the thumb ring 26A is not operated, the shot function is basically prioritized with respect to the view angle correction function; if the zoom lens 60 moves to and stops at the shot position by the shot function, the control based on the view angle correction function is accepted.

In the above-described process, the control based on the view angle correction function is accepted when the zoom lens 60 moves to and stops at the shot position by the shot function; however, the control based on the view angle correction function can be prohibited while the zoom lens 60 moves to and stops at the shot position. In other words, the control based on the shot function may always be prioritized with respect to the control based on the view angle correction function, and the zoom lens 60 may be set not to move from the shot position while the zoom lens 60 is stopping at the shot position by the shot function although the view angle is changed by moving the focus lens 80.

Since the lens apparatus 12 processes the control based on the respective function loaded in the lens apparatus 12 or the zoom controller 26 in the CPU 50 of the lens apparatus 12, the order of priority of the respective controls is not limited to the one presented at the above process; the respective controls may easily be performed by any other orders of priority.

In the first embodiment of the present invention, the CPU 50 in the lens apparatus 12 obtains by the controller information the contents of the operation of the thumb ring 26A which is instructed in the zoom controller 26, and the contents of the control based on the shot function and the limit function, and executes an appropriate control in accordance with the determination process in FIG. 4 if those controls and the control based on the view angle correction function are instructed at the same time. However, the same process as the CPU may be performed by the CPU 27 in the zoom controller 26. In such case, the CPU 27 obtains the contents of the control based on the view angle correction function from the lens apparatus 12.

Moreover, in the first embodiment, the case is described in which one controller (the zoom controller 26) is connected with the lens apparatus 12 in relation to the control of the zoom; however, similar with the first embodiment, when the plural controllers are connected in relation to the control of the zoom, a single control part (CPU) which is installed in the lens apparatus or in one of the controllers obtains the contents of the control based on the respective function installed in the lens apparatus or in one of the controllers and executes the control based on the