Camera driving circuit

A device for driving a camera, comprising:

• a plurality of signal sources (37 to 44, 120 to 126) for outputting signals representing an operation status and a setting status of various parts of the camera, the signal sources being arranged into groups, each of said groups having a given number of signal sources;
• an interface (101) including means (305 to 312) for selectively receiving output signals from one of a plurality of groups of said signal sources and means (271) for generating a serial sequence of digital data bits based on the received signals, the number of said bits being equal to the number of the signals sources included in one group;
• and
• a central processing unit ("CPU") (100) for receiving the serial sequence of digital data bits and generating various instructions to various actuators of the camera in accordance with programmed instructions and the received signal, the CPU causing said interface to communicate with one of said groups of signal sources in accordance with the programmed instructions.

A device for driving a camera, comprising:

• a plurality of controlled objects which actuate mechanisms of the camera;
• a central processing unit ("CPU") including means for generating a serial sequence of digital data bits of a predetermined number, each of said bits being designated for one of said controlled objects, and means for outputting each of said groups in a data communication period;
• an interface, including memory means for receiving said bits and having a plurality of memory locations at least equal in number to the number of bits of said serial sequence of digital data bits, each of said plurality of controlled objects being coupled to at least one of said memory locations, wherein said memory means stored the bits of the serial sequence of digital bits in a predetermined manner such that, at the end of said data communication period, the received bits of the serial sequence of digital bits are all stored, respectively, in memory locations coupled to controlled objects for which such bits have been respectively designated;
• and
• means for simultaneously supplying the bits stored in said memory means to the coupled objects to which said memory locations are respectively coupled.

A device for driving a camera, comprising:

• a plurality of signal sources (37 to 44, 120 to 126) for outputting signals representing an operation status and a setting status of various parts of the camera;
• an interface (101) including means (305 to 312) for receiving output signals from said signal sources and means (271) for generating a serial sequence of digital data bits based on the received signals, the number of said bits being equal to the number of the signal sources;
• and
• a central processing unit ("CPU") (100) for receiving the serial sequence of digital data bits and generating various instructions to various actuators of the camera in accordance with programmed instructions and the received signal.

A device for driving a camera, comprising:

• a plurality of controlled objects which actuate mechanisms of the camera;
• a central processing unit ("CPU") including means for generating digital data bits arranged into groups, each of said groups having a given number of said bits each of which is designated for one of said controlled objects, and means for outputting each of said groups in a data communication period;
• an interface including memory means for receiving said bits and having a plurality of memory locations at least equal in number to the number of bits in one of said groups of bits, each of said plurality of controlled objects being coupled to at least one of said memory locations, wherein said memory means stores the bits belonging to each one of said groups of bits in a predetermined manner such that, at the end of said data communication period, the received bits of one said group are all stored, respectively, in memory locations coupled to controlled objects for which such bits have been respectively designated;
• and
• means for simultaneously providing the bits stored in said memory means to the controlled objects to which said memory locations are respectively coupled.

A device for driving a camera, comprising:

• a plurality of signal sources (37 to 44, 120 to 126) for outputting signals representing an operation status and a setting status of various parts of the camera, the signal sources being arranged into groups, each of said groups having a given number of signal sources;
• an interface (101) including means (305 to 312) for selectively receiving output signals from one of a plurality of groups of said signal sources and means (271) for generating digital data bits based on the received signals, the number of said bits being equal to the number of the signal sources included in one group;
• and
• a central processing unit ("CPU") (100) for receiving the serial sequence of digital data bits and generating various instructions to various actuators of the camera in accordance with programmed instructions and the received signal, the CPU causing said interface to communicate with one of said groups of signal sources in accordance with the programmed instructions.

A device for driving a camera, comprising:

• a plurality of controlled objects which actuate mechanisms of the camera;
• a central processing unit including means for generating a serial sequence of digital data bits arranged into groups (A, B), means for generating an identification signal (A/B) for identifying one of said groups, and means for outputting each of said groups in a data communication period;
• an interface including means for receiving said group of the serial sequence of the digital data bits and said identification signal and memory means for storing said group into a memory location according to the identification signal, which is connected to a specified controlled object at the end of said data communication period;
• and
• means for simultaneously supplying the bits of the groups stored in said memory means to the controlled objects to which said memory locations are respectively coupled.