Zoom switch assembly, image photographing apparatus having the same, and method of controlling zoom lens

A zoom switch assembly for an image photographing apparatus, comprising:

• a supporting member including a flat unit;
• a shaft rotatably mounted on the flat unit to extend perpendicularly from the flat unit;
• a knob to rotate integrally with the shaft and to rotate with respect to the supporting member;
• a position detection pattern formed on the flat unit of the supporting member, and comprises at least two grounds and a plurality of position detection points, wherein the grounds are formed in a circular arc shape to surround the shaft, and the plurality of position detection points are formed apart from the grounds in the radial direction of the shaft, and are formed apart from each other in the circumferential direction of a circle having the shaft as a center;
• and
• a rotating wing to rotate integrally with the shaft and including an electric conductivity unit to electrically connect at least one of the grounds with at least one of the plurality of position detection points of the position detection pattern,
• wherein if the knob rotates, the electric conductivity unit rotates, and thus changes, among the plurality of position detection points, the position detection point which is connected to the ground.

An image photographing apparatus, comprising:

• a body of the image photographing apparatus;
• a zoom lens assembly mounted on the body;
• a zoom motor mounted on the body to drive the zoom lens assembly;
• a zoom switch assembly mounted on the body,
• wherein the zoom switch assembly comprises:
• a fixing member which includes a flat unit which extends substantially perpendicularly from the fixing member;
• a rotating member rotatably mounted with respect to the fixing member;
• an electric conductivity unit mounted on the rotating member to rotate opposite the flat unit;
• and
• a position detection pattern located on the flat unit of the fixing member along a rotation trace of the electric conductivity unit, and on which electricity flows selectively according to a rotation angle of the electric conductivity unit;
• and
• a control unit mounted on the body to detect the position of the electric conductivity unit of the zoom switch assembly, and to control the zoom motor according to the position of the electric conductivity unit.

A method of controlling a zoom lens of an image photographing apparatus, the method comprising:

• causing a rotating member of a zoom switch assembly to rotate;
• determining through which position detection point, among a plurality of position detection points of a fixing member of the zoom switch assembly that includes a flat unit which extends substantially perpendicularly from the fixing member, the plurality of position detection points formed apart from each other in a circumferential direction of a circle on the flat unit of the fixing member, electricity flows;
• and
• controlling a zoom motor according to the position detection point through which electricity flows.

An image zoom switch of an image capture apparatus, comprising:

• a base mounted to the image capture apparatus;
• a first surface that is fixed with respect to the image capture apparatus and is a substantially flat surface that extends substantially perpendicularly from the base;
• and
• a second surface opposite the first surface to rotate with respect to the first surface;
• and
• wherein one of the first and second surfaces includes a position detection pattern including a plurality of position detection points and at least one ground pad, and the position detection pattern is located on the first surface and the at least one electrically conductive unit is located on the second surface, and
• the other of the first and second surfaces includes at least one electrically conductive unit to connect the detection points to the at least one ground pad, respectively, such that a different detection point is connected to the at least one ground pad when the second surface is at a different rotation angle with respect to the first surface.

An image capture apparatus, comprising:

• an image signal processing unit to receive light and to output an image signal corresponding to the received light;
• a zoom lens unit to pass the received light from outside the image capture apparatus to the image signal processing unit via at least one lens;
• a zoom switch unit to adjust a zoom of the zoom lens unit;
• and
• a controller to receive a zoom input from the zoom switch unit and to control the zoom of the zoom lens according to the received zoom input,
• wherein the zoom switch unit comprises:
• a first surface that is fixed with respect to the image capture apparatus;
• and
• a second surface opposite the first surface to rotate with respect to the first surface,
• one of the first and second surfaces includes a position detection pattern including a plurality of position detection points and at least one ground pad, the one of the first and second surfaces including a flat unit that extends substantially perpendicularly from the one of the first and second surfaces, and
• the other of the first and second surfaces includes at least one electrically conductive unit to connect the detection points to the at least one ground pad, respectively, where the detection points are formed apart from the at least one ground pad on the flat unit and are formed apart from each other in a circumferential direction of a circle, such that a different detection point is connected to the at least one ground pad when the second surface is at a different rotation angle with respect to the first surface.