Patent ID: 9237265
Filing Date: 2016-01-12
CPC Classification: G03B,H04N

Claim Text:
1. An interchangeable lens attachably and detachably mounted on a camera body, comprising: a lens firmware storage device which stores lens firmware for operating the interchangeable lens, the lens firmware of present version and one or plurality of old versions older than the present version; and a compatibility processing control device which performs processing relating to confirmation processing of compatibility between body firmware for the camera body and the lens firmware, the confirmation processing of compatibility performed by the camera body, wherein when powered up with the interchangeable lens mounted on the camera body or when the interchangeable lens is mounted on the camera body as the camera body is being powered up, the compatibility processing control device transmits information of the present version of the lens firmware to the camera body in response to lens information obtainment command received from the camera body, when the interchangeable lens receives firmware switching command for switching to a version of the lens firmware compatible with a version of the body firmware for the camera body, the compatibility processing control device reads out the compatible version of the lens firmware from among the lens firmware of the present version and the one or plurality of old versions stored in the lens firmware storage device, switches the lens firmware for operating the interchangeable lens to the read-out lens firmware, and controls the interchangeable lens to operate by the read out version of the lens firmware, and when the interchangeable lens does not receive the firmware switching command, the compatibility processing control device controls the interchangeable lens to operate by the present version of the lens firmware, the lens firmware storage device stores the one or plurality of old versions of the lens firmware and the present version of the lens firmware, and the present version of the lens firmware and the one or plurality of old versions of the lens firmware are mutually switchable.