# US 2019/0174035 A1 · Camera and camera accessory > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0174035 A1 - Document ID: US20190174035A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/255,252 - Filed: 2019-01-23 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-04-04 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Tatsuyuki Tokunaga; Takashi Hasegawa; Tetsuya Nishio; Yoshihiko Konno; Hiroshi Kikuchi; Azusa Sugawara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190174035A1 ## CPC - G03B 17/565: {Optical accessories, e.g. converters for close-up photography, tele-convertors, wide-angle convertors} - G03B 17/14: interchangeably - H04N 23/663: for controlling interchangeable camera parts based on electronic image sensor signals - G03B 2206/00: Systems for exchange of information between different pieces of apparatus, e.g. for exchanging trimming information, for photo finishing - G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract The present invention provides the following camera. A first camera-side contact pin is a pin corresponding to detection of a signal change caused by coupling of a camera accessory. A second camera-side contact pin is a pin corresponding to supply of power for communication with the coupled camera accessory. A third camera-side contact pin is a pin corresponding to supply of a driving force to an actuator of the camera accessory. The first, second, and third camera-side contact pins are disposed in such a manner that, when a camera-side mount shifts from a first state to a second state, the third camera-side contact pin contacts first and second accessory-side contact surfaces, the second camera-side contact pin contacts the first accessory-side contact surface, and the first camera-side contact pin does not contact the second and third accessory-side contact surfaces. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A camera comprising: a first mount detachably coupled with a second mount of a camera accessory; a plurality of first claws each being configured to engage with a different one of a plurality of second claws of the camera accessory in an optical axis direction of the camera accessory; and a plurality of contact pins disposed in a circumferential direction of the first mount and configured to be used in electrical connection with a plurality of contact surfaces of the camera accessory, wherein the first mount is configured to rotate relative to the second mount in the circumferential direction so that the camera accessory is coupled with the camera, wherein the plurality of contact pins includes a first contact pin for detecting that the camera accessory is coupled with the camera, a second contact pin for enabling the camera to supply electrical power to the coupled camera accessory for communication, and a third contact pin for enabling the camera to supply electrical power to the coupled camera accessory for driving an actuator of the camera accessory, wherein the first, second and third contact pins are disposed in this order in the circumferential direction, with the first and second contact pins being adjacent to each other and the second and third contact pins being adjacent to each other, and wherein, in a case where the camera accessory is shifted from a state of not being coupled with the camera to a state of being coupled with the camera, the third contact pin contacts a total of three contact surfaces of the plurality of contact surfaces, the second contact pin contacts a total of two contact surfaces of the plurality of contact surfaces, and the first contact pin contacts a total of one contact surface of the plurality of contact surfaces. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The camera according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of contact pins are movable in a projecting/retracting direction, which is parallel to the optical axis direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The camera according to claim 1, wherein, in a case where the camera accessory is shifted from the state of not being coupled with the camera to the state of being coupled with the camera, the third contact pin contacts a first contact surface, a second contact surface and a third contact surface of the plurality of contact surfaces, the second contact pin contacts the first contact surface and the second contact surface, and the first contact pin contacts the first contact surface. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The camera according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of contact pins further includes a fourth contact pin disposed adjacent to the third contact pin in the circumferential direction, and wherein the fourth contact pin is for indicating a reference potential level with respect to the third contact pin. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The camera according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of contact pins further includes a plurality of fifth contact pins disposed adjacent to the fourth contact pin in the circumferential direction, and wherein the plurality of fifth contact pins are for communication with the coupled camera accessory. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The camera according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of contact pins further includes a sixth contact pin disposed adjacent to the plurality of fifth contact pins in the circumferential direction, and wherein the sixth contact pin is for indicating a reference potential level with respect to the second contact pin. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The camera according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of contact pins further includes a seventh contact pin disposed adjacent to the sixth contact pin in the circumferential direction, and wherein the seventh contact pin is for detecting a type of the camera accessory coupled with the camera. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The camera according to claim 7, wherein the first contact pin, the second contact pin, the third contact pin, the fourth contact pin, the plurality of fifth contact pins, the sixth contact pin and the seventh contact pin are disposed in this order in the circumferential direction, with the first and second contact pins being adjacent to each other, the second and third contact pins being adjacent to each other, the third and fourth contact pins being adjacent to each other, the fourth and the plurality of fifth contact pins being adjacent to each other, the plurality of fifth and the sixth contact pins being adjacent to each other and the sixth and seventh contact pins being adjacent to each other, wherein a number of contacts of the first contact pin with the plurality of contact surfaces is the smallest in the plurality of contact pins, and wherein a number of contacts of the seventh contact pin with the plurality of contact surfaces is the largest in the plurality of contact pins. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The camera according to claim 1, wherein the first contact pin is a pin corresponding to detection of signal change caused by coupling of the camera accessory. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The camera according to claim 1, wherein, in a state in which the camera accessory is coupled with the camera, each of the plurality of contact pins is in contact with a corresponding one of the plurality of contact surfaces, whereby an electric connection is established between the camera and the camera accessory. ### Claim 11 A camera accessory comprising: a second mount detachably coupled with a first mount of a camera; a plurality of second claws each configured to engage with a different one of a plurality of first claws of the camera in an optical axis direction of the camera accessory; and a plurality of contact surfaces disposed in a circumferential direction of the second mount and configured to be used in electrical connection with a plurality of contact pins of the camera, wherein the second mount is configured to rotate relative to the first mount in the circumferential direction so that the camera accessory is coupled with the camera, wherein the plurality of the contact surfaces includes a first contact surface for detecting that the camera accessory is coupled with to the camera, a second contact surface for supplying electrical power to the camera accessory from the camera for communication, and a third contact surface for supplying electrical power to the camera accessory from the camera for driving an actuator, wherein the first, second and third contact surfaces are disposed in this order in the circumferential direction with the first and second contact surfaces being adjacent to each other and the second and third contact surfaces being adjacent to each other, and wherein, in a case where the camera accessory is shifted from a state of not being coupled with the camera to a state of being coupled with the camera, the first contact surface contacts a first contact pin, a second contact pin and a third contact pin of the plurality of contact pins, the second contact surface contacts the second contact pin and the third contact pin, and the third contact surface contacts the third contact pin. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The camera accessory according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of contact surfaces further includes a fourth contact surface disposed adjacent to the third contact surface in the circumferential direction, and wherein the fourth contact surface indicates a reference potential level with respect to the third contact surface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The camera accessory according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of contact surfaces further includes a plurality of fifth contact surfaces disposed adjacent to the fourth contact surface in the circumferential direction, and wherein the plurality of fifth contact surfaces are configured for communication with the camera coupled with the camera accessory. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The camera accessory according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of contact surfaces further includes a sixth contact surface disposed adjacent to the plurality of fifth contact surfaces in the circumferential direction, and wherein the sixth contact surface indicates a reference potential level with respect to the second contact surface. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The camera accessory according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of contact surfaces further includes a seventh contact surface disposed adjacent to the sixth contact surface in the circumferential direction, and wherein, in a state where the camera accessory is coupled with the camera, the seventh contact surface is configured for detection of a type of the camera accessory coupled with the camera. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The camera accessory according to claim 15, wherein the first contact surface, the second contact surface, the third contact surface, the fourth contact surface, the plurality of fifth contact surfaces, the sixth contact surface and the seventh contact surface are disposed in this order in the circumferential direction, with the first and second contact surfaces pins being adjacent to each other, the second and third contact surfaces being adjacent to each other, the third and fourth contact surfaces being adjacent to each other, the fourth and the plurality of fifth contact surfaces being adjacent to each other, the plurality of fifth and the sixth contact surfaces being adjacent to each other, and the sixth and seventh contact surfaces being adjacent to each other, wherein a number of contacts of the first contact surface with the plurality of contact pins is the largest in the plurality of contact surfaces, and wherein a number of contacts of the seventh contact surface with the plurality of contact pins is the smallest in the plurality of contact surfaces. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The camera accessory according to claim 11, wherein, in a state in which the camera accessory is coupled with the camera, each of the plurality of the contact surfaces is in contact with a corresponding one of the plurality of contact pins, whereby an electric connection is established between the camera accessory and the camera. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The camera accessory according to claim 11, wherein the camera accessory includes the actuator, and wherein the actuator is a member for moving an optical member of the camera accessory.