Abstract:
Provided are: a determiner which determines whether or not a power-source connecting operation for transitioning to a connected state between a power source and a apparatus main body is performed; a start-up acceptor which accepts a manipulation for executing a start-up process for transitioning the apparatus main body from a non-activated state to an activated state; a non-volatile memory which holds start-up information necessary for executing the start-up process to the apparatus main body; a volatile memory; a transferer which executes a transfer operation for transferring the start-up information from the non-volatile memory to the volatile memory; a start-up processor which executes the start-up process to the apparatus main body by using the start-up information transferred, according to the start-up manipulation by the transferer, to the volatile memory; and a controller which executes the transfer operation when it is determined by the determiner that the battery mounting operation is performed.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE OF RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-288996, which was filed on Nov. 11, 2008, is incorporated herein by reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus, and relates to an electronic apparatus in which power from a power source is supplied to an apparatus main body, thereby realizing shortening a start-up time period at a time of starting up. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Conventionally, in an electronic apparatus such as a digital camera, for example, when a power-source off state (when a main switch is turned off) that no power is supplied to a whole apparatus except for some functions is changed to a power-source on state that the power is supplied to the whole apparatus by turning on the main switch, it requires a constant time period until a state capable of actually photographing is established. Reasons for requiring a constant time period in this manner include that which after transition from the power-source off state to the power-source on state, there is a need of executing a process for loading (developing) information, accommodated in a non-volatile memory, necessary for starting-up the apparatus main body (in this case, that information includes setting information necessary for a photographing process) into a volatile memory such as an SDRAM, and other similar processes. 
         [0006]    When a user uses such an electronic apparatus, the shorter the time period since the transition from the power-source off state of the apparatus main body to the power-source on state thereof until the apparatus main body is actually started-up, the more convenient the usability becomes. Thus, it is demanded to shorten the time period since the transition from the power-source off state to the power-source on state until the start-up. 
         [0007]    The conventional digital camera is capable of developing the information necessary for the photographing process into a storer such as an SDRAM so as to allow a state that a system start-up process is completed to continue even to a state that the power source is turned off. Thus, also when the user inputs the power source in order to start photographing, the user is capable of promptly starting photographing. 
         [0008]    Then, there is a case in the digital camera that after a main switch is turned off, a user removes a primary battery or a secondary battery from a casing and mounts that battery again in a state that a voltage of the battery is secured. In this case, since the battery is removed, the conventional digital camera is not capable of allowing the storer to maintain the information necessary for starting-up the digital camera main body (system start-up process, which includes the photographing process). Therefore, when the user mounts the battery, the photographing process becomes enabled only after the following operations: the main switch is firstly turned on, the information necessary for the system start-up process is developed into an SDRAM, and thereafter, the system start-up process is completed. Generally, when the user acts to mount the battery, the user is probably in a state of mind wishing to photograph immediately. Thus, a time period taken for the system start-up process executed after turning on the main switch is very troublesome for the user. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    An electronic apparatus according to the present invention, comprises: a power-source connecting portion which connects a power source with an apparatus main body; a determiner which determines whether or not a power-source connecting operation for transitioning from a non-connected state between the power source and the apparatus main body to a connected state is performed; a start-up acceptor which accepts a manipulation for executing a start-up process for transitioning the apparatus main body from a non-activated state to an activated state; a non-volatile memory which holds start-up information necessary for executing the start-up process to the apparatus main body; a volatile memory; a transferer which executes a transfer operation for transferring the start-up information from the non-volatile memory to the volatile memory; a start-up processor which executes the start-up process to the apparatus main body by using the start-up information transferred, according to the start-up manipulation by the transferer, to the volatile memory; and a controller which executes the transfer operation when it is determined by the determiner that the battery mounting operation is performed. 
         [0010]    Preferably, further comprised is a power supplier which supplies the non-volatile memory with power allowing the start-up information transferred by the transferer to be held for a predetermined time period. 
         [0011]    Preferably, an imaging apparatus, comprising an imaging function as an electronic apparatus, wherein the start-up information is software used for starting up the imaging apparatus. 
         [0012]    The above described features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a digital camera according to this embodiment; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart showing one portion of operations of a sub-microcomputer and a CPU applied to this embodiment; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart showing another portion of the operations of the sub-microcomputer and the CPU applied to this embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0016]    Hereinafter, as one embodiment of an electronic apparatus of the present invention, an embodiment carried out for a digital camera  10  will be described along with the drawings.  FIG. 1  shows a block diagram of the digital camera  10 . 
         [0017]    The digital camera  10  includes an optical lens  16  and an aperture not shown. An optical image of a subject is fetched into a CMOS imager unit  18  through the optical lens  16  and the aperture controlled by a motor driving portion not shown by an instruction of a CPU  22 . Then, by a fetching pulse applied by a timing generator (not shown) connected to the CPU  22 , one frame of digital imaging signal is outputted from the CMOS imager unit  18 . Herein, in the CMOS imager unit  18 , electric charges accumulated in each pixel are amplified and read out as a signal from each pixel by using a wiring. Then, the signal is subjected to a correlated double sampling process, a gain adjustment, a clamping process, and an A/D converting process. The resultant digital imaging signal has a color signal (either one of R, G, or B) for each pixel, and by control of the CPU  22 , is once accommodated in an SDRAM  32  via a bus  40 . 
         [0018]    The digital imaging signal once accommodated in the SDRAM  32  is inputted into a signal processing circuit  20  by control of the CPU  22 . In the signal processing circuit  20 , a color separation process is performed on the inputted digital imaging signal, and furthermore, by a YUV conversion, the resultant signal is converted into Y, U, and V signals. Then, the digital image signal converted by the signal processing circuit  20  is accommodated in the SDRAM  32  again via the bus  40 . In this embodiment, a process performed from the digital imaging signal outputted from the above-described CMOS imager unit  18  is subjected to a converting process into the digital image signal by the signal processing circuit  20  until the resultant signal is accommodated in the SDRAM  32  is defined as a photographing process. 
         [0019]    Moreover, the digital image signal accommodated in the SDRAM  32  is outputted by control of the CPU  22  to an LCD  38 . The LCD  38  includes an LCD driver not shown. The LCD driver converts the Y, U, and V signals into an RGB signal, and causes the LCD  38  to display an image signal that is based on the digital image signal. 
         [0020]    By the way, a manipulating portion  36  is provided with a main switch which switches on/off operations (transitions a current state from an on state to an off state or from the off state to the on state) of a power supply from a power source to a main body of the digital camera  10 . It is noted that in this embodiment, a source of the power supplied to one portion or a whole of the digital camera  10  is a battery. Then, when the on/off operation of the power source of the main switch is manipulated by a user, the power supply from the power source is transitioned from the on state to the off state or the power supply from the power source is transitioned from the off state to the on state. The manipulating portion  36  is connected to a sub microcomputer  34  and the CPU  22 , and when the manipulating portion  36  is manipulated, a manipulation signal including a signal corresponding to the on/off manipulation of the power source of the main switch is inputted into the CPU  22  or the sub microcomputer  34 . 
         [0021]    Furthermore, in this embodiment, a state that the power is supplied from the power source to the sub microcomputer  34  only is defined as a sub-power-source supplied state; a state that the power is supplied from the power source to the whole digital camera  10  is defined as a main-power-source supplied state; and a state that the power is not supplied from the power source to the sub microcomputer  34  and the whole digital camera  10  is defined as a power-source-supply stopped state. The power-source-supply stopped state corresponds to a state that the battery is removed from the digital camera  10 , i.e., a non-battery-mounted state. 
         [0022]    The sub microcomputer  34  is connected to a power-source supplying portion  28  and the CPU  22 , and when the power-source on manipulation of the main switch of the manipulating portion  36  is performed, controls the power-source supplying portion  28  so as to supply the power from the power source to the whole digital camera  10 , resulting in transition of a current state to the main-power-source supplied state. Moreover, inside the sub microcomputer  34 , a timer  34   a  is accommodated, and when the timer  34   a  counts a predetermined time period, the tinier  34   a  outputs a time-up signal, and the sub microcomputer  34  raises a time-up flag (F=1) accommodated in a register (not shown) within the sub microcomputer  34 . 
         [0023]    Furthermore, in the digital camera  10 , in a state that the battery is not mounted, the power-source-supply stopped state is established, and in a state that the battery is mounted and the power-source off manipulation of the main switch is performed, the sub microcomputer  34  controls the power-source supplying portion  28  so that the sub-power-source supplied state is established. 
         [0024]    In a state that the battery is mounted and the power-source on manipulation of the main switch is performed, the sub microcomputer  34  controls the power-source supplying portion  28  so that the main-power-source supplied state is established. 
         [0025]    Hereinafter, a transition of a state of the power supply from the power source will be described in detail. 
         [0026]    In the power-source-supply stopped state, i.e., the non-battery mounted state, when the battery is mounted, the sub microcomputer  34  is supplied with the power. As a result, the sub-power-source supplied state is established. In this sub-power-source supplied state, when the power-source on manipulation of the main switch of the manipulating portion  36  is performed, the sub microcomputer  34  controls the power-source supplying portion  28  so as to supply the power to the whole digital camera  10 , resulting in transition of the current state to the main-power-source supplied state. Along with the transition to the main-power-source supplied state, the CPU  22  is also supplied with the power. Then, the CPU  22  causes a firmware accommodated in a non-volatile memory  26  to develop into a volatile memory  24 . The firmware is software, i.e., a program, necessary for starting-up the main body of the digital camera  10  (system start-up process, which includes the above-described photographing process). 
         [0027]    Moreover, the sub microcomputer  34  controls the power-source supplying portion  28  so that the current state is transitioned to the sub-power-source supplied state, and also, supplies the power to the volatile memory  24  so that the developed firmware is held therein for a predetermined time period. This state is defined as a sub-power-source/firmware held state. 
         [0028]    In the sub-power-source/firmware held state, when the power-source on manipulation of the main switch of the manipulating portion  36  is performed by the user, the CPU  22  performs the system start-up process by executing the firmware developed in the volatile memory  24 . Thus, in the sub-power-source/firmware held state, since the firmware is held in a state of being developed in the volatile memory  24 , when the power-source on manipulation of the main switch is performed, a process for developing the firmware accommodated in the non-volatile memory  26  into the volatile memory  24  is omitted. That is, a required time period from a time point at which the battery is mounted in the digital camera  10  and the power-source on manipulation is performed by the user until the system start-up process is executed is omitted. 
         [0029]    Generally, an action for a user to mount a battery is often linked to a state of mind that the user wishes to immediately manipulate the digital camera  10 . Therefore, because the system start-up process of the digital camera  10  is executed immediately after the power-source on manipulation of the main switch is performed, it is possible to relieve a stress that the user is not capable of immediately manipulating the digital camera  10 . 
         [0030]    Moreover, inside the sub microcomputer  34 , the timer  34   a  is installed. When the power-source on manipulation of the main switch of the manipulating portion  36  is performed, counting of the timer  34   a  is started at a timing at which the current state is transitioned from the sub-power-source supplied state to the main-power-source supplied state. 
         [0031]    Then, after an elapse of a predetermined time period, e.g., five minutes, the time-up flag is raised (F=1). When the sub microcomputer  34  senses that the time-up flag is raised (F=1), the power-supply supplying portion  28  is controlled so that supplying of the power to the volatile memory  24  is stopped, resulting in transition of the current state to the sub-power-source supplied state. As a result, the volatile memory  24  becomes unable to hold the firmware. Therefore, in the sub-power-source supplied state, when the power-source on manipulation of the main switch is performed by the user, the sub microcomputer  34  controls the power-supply supplying portion  28  so that the power is supplied to the whole digital camera  10 , resulting in transition of the current state to the main-power-source supplied state. Thereafter, along with transition to the main-power-source supplied state, the CPU  22  also is supplied with the power. The CPU  22  develops the firmware accommodated in the non-volatile memory  26 , into the volatile memory  24 . Then, the CPU  22  executes the system start-up process by executing the developed firmware. 
         [0032]    Thus, in a case that the power-source on manipulation by the user is not performed during a predetermined time period from a time point at which the battery is mounted by the user, it is possible to prevent unnecessary power consumption by stopping supplying of the power to the volatile memory  24 . 
         [0033]    Subsequently, a procedure for the process for developing, along with mounting the battery, the firmware accommodated in the non-volatile memory  26 , into the volatile memory  24  in the above-described sub microcomputer  34  and CPU  22  will be described with reference to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 . 
         [0034]    In a step S 1 , the sub microcomputer  34  determines whether or not the battery is transitioned from a non-mounted state to a mounted state. In other words, whether or not the sub microcomputer  34  is supplied with the power from the power source (battery) is determined. When YES is determined in the step S 1 , the process advances to a step S 3  so as to control the power-supply supplying portion  28  so that the current state is transitioned to the main-power-source supplied state. Then, the process advances to a step S 5  in which the CPU  22  loads, i.e., develops, the firmware accommodated in the non-volatile memory  26 , into the volatile memory  24 . 
         [0035]    Subsequently, the process advances to a step S 7  in which the sub microcomputer  34  controls the power-supply supplying portion  28  so that the current state is transitioned to the sub-power-source/firmware held state, and also, starts counting the predetermined time period in the timer  34   a  within the sub microcomputer  34 . Then, the process advances to a step S 9  in which the sub microcomputer  34  determines whether or not the timer  34   a  has counted the predetermined time period, i.e., whether or not the time-up flag is raised (whether or not F=1 is established). 
         [0036]    When the sub microcomputer  34  determines YES in the step S 9 , the process advances to a step S 11  so as to control the power-supply supplying portion  28  so that supplying the power to the volatile memory  24  is stopped. That is, the digital camera  10  is transitioned from the sub-power-source/firmware held state to the sub-power-source supplied state, and then, the process advances to a step S 15 . 
         [0037]    In the step S 15 , the sub microcomputer  34  determines whether or not the power-source on manipulation of the main switch by the user is performed, and when YES is determined, the process advances to a step S 17 . In the step S 17 , the CPU  22  loads, i.e., develops, the firmware accommodated in the non-volatile memory  26 , into the volatile memory  24 . Then, the process advances to a step S 21 . 
         [0038]    When the sub microcomputer  34  determines NO in the step S 9 , the process advances to a step S 13  so as to determine whether or not there is the power-source on manipulation of the main switch of the manipulating portion  36 . When NO is determined, the process returns to the step S 9  and when YES is determined, the process advances to a step S 19 . 
         [0039]    In the step S 19 , the sub microcomputer  34  resets (F=0) the time-up flag and controls the power-supply supplying portion  28  so that the digital camera  10  is transitioned to the main-power-source supplied state. Then, the process advances to the step S 21  in which the CPU  22  executes the firmware developed into the volatile memory, i.e., executes the system start-up process. Thus, the procedure is ended. 
         [0040]    As described above, according to this embodiment, when the user mounts the battery onto the digital camera  10 , the firmware is automatically developed from the non-volatile memory  26  into the volatile memory  24 , and also, the firmware developed into the volatile memory  24  is held for a predetermined time period. Thereby, it becomes possible to immediately execute the firmware, i.e., execute the system start-up process, when the power-source on manipulation performed by the user is performed. Therefore, when the battery is mounted by the user and the power-source on manipulation is continuously performed, it is possible to execute the system start-up process in a short time period. 
         [0041]    It is noted that the source of the power, i.e., the power source, supplied to the digital camera  10  in this embodiment is the battery. However, the source may be optionally selected from power sources such as an AC adaptor. 
         [0042]    Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, the spirit and scope of the present invention being limited only by the terms of the appended claims.