Patent ID: 7454135
Filing Date: 2008-11-18
Classification: G02B,G03B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A camera system incorporating a seamless lens-drive switching mechanism, comprising: a lens drive ring which moves a movable lens group forward and rearward in an optical axis direction by rotating about an axis of said lens drive ring; a manual operation ring which is manually rotated to rotate said lens drive ring; an electric motor for rotating said lens drive ring; a first one-way rotational transfer mechanism which prevents said manual operation ring and said lens drive ring from being connected with each other in a first neutral state in an electric rotation operation, which connects said manual operation ring with said lens drive ring so that a rotation of said manual operation ring is transferred to said lens drive ring when said manual operation ring rotates in either direction from said first neutral state in a manual rotation operation, and which maintains said first neutral state even when said lens drive ring is rotated by said electric motor in said first neutral state in the electric rotation operation; a second one-way rotational transfer mechanism which prevents said electric motor and said lens drive ring from being connected with each other in a second neutral state in the manual rotation operation, which connects said electric motor with said lens drive ring so that a rotation of said electric motor is transferred to said lens drive ring when said electric motor rotates in either direction from said second neutral state in the electric rotation operation, which is brought into the second neutral state after said electric motor is reversely rotated by a predetermined amount after rotation of said electric motor is stopped in the electric rotation operation, and which maintains said second neutral state even when said lens drive ring is rotated by said manual operation ring in said second neutral state in the manual rotation operation; and a controller which makes said electric motor stop rotating and subsequently makes said electric motor rotate in a reverse direction by a predetermined amount of rotation to bring said second one-way rotational transfer mechanism into said second neutral state after said electric motor rotates so as to rotate said lens drive ring, and which controls said lens drive ring to transfer rotation of said manual operation ring in the manual rotation operation and which controls said lens drive ring to transfer rotation of said electric motor in the electric rotation operation; wherein upon said manual operation ring being manually rotated, said lens drive ring is rotated via said first one-way rotational transfer mechanism.