IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS FOR STORING READING OUT AND PROCESSING A SIGNAL DURING PREDETERMINED TIME PERIODS

• US 20030035053A1
• Filed: 11/13/1997
• Published: 02/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: KUDO, TOSHIMICHI, KYUMA, KENJI
• Granted Patent: US 6,573,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/208.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6811 based on the image signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6812 based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/683 performed by a processor, e.g. controlling the readout of an image memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/686 with a variable apex prism

Abstract

In a vibration correction apparatus for attaining vibration correction on the basis of motion information obtained by adding vibrations detected by an angular velocity sensor and vibrations detected from an image signal, the motion correction period based on the vibration information detected from the image signal is set to be shorter than the vibration detection period.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

vibration detection means for detecting vibration of a device;

motion detection means for detecting image motion from an image signal;

vibration correction means for correcting vibration of an image in accordance with one or both of output signals from said vibration detection means and said motion detection means;

signal processing means for calculating a correction target value to be supplied to said vibration correction means on the basis of a motion vector signal detected by said motion detection means; and

sampling period varying means for setting a sampling period of the correction target value calculated by said signal processing means to be shorter than a sampling period of the motion vector signal.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said vibration detection means comprises angular velocity detection means and second signal processing means for converting an angular velocity signal into an angular displacement signal.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said vibration correction means comprises optical vibration correction means for optically correcting the vibration of the image or a variable angle prism.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said vibration detection means detects the vibration of the device based on components in two orthogonal directions.

10. A storage medium that stores a program for operating a computer as the respective means of any one of claims 1 to 7.

4. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

vibration detection means for detecting vibration of a device;

motion detection means for detecting image motion from an image signal;

vibration correction means for correcting vibration of an image in accordance with one or both of output signals from said vibration detection means and said motion detection means;

signal processing means for calculating a correction target value for said vibration correction means on the basis of a motion vector signal detected by said motion detection means; and

sampling period varying means for setting a sampling period of the correction target value calculated by said signal processing means to be shorter than a sampling period of the motion vector signal,

wherein a lens unit including said vibration correction means is exchangeably detachable from a camera body.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said vibration detection means comprises angular velocity detection means and second signal processing means for converting an angular velocity signal into an angular displacement signal.

6. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said vibration correction means comprises optical vibration correction means for optically correcting the vibration of the image or a variable angle prism.

7. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said sampling period varying means for setting the sampling period of the correction target value calculated by said signal processing means to be shorter than the sampling period of the motion vector signal is arranged in said lens unit.

9. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said vibration detection means detects the vibration of the device based on components in two orthogonal directions.

11. A lens unit detachable from an image pickup apparatus, comprising:

vibration detection means for detecting vibration of said image pickup apparatus;

vibration correction means for correcting vibration of an image on the basis of one or both of a motion vector component in an image signal detected on the side of said image pickup apparatus, and an output signal from said vibration detection means;

signal processing means for calculating a correction target value of said vibration correction means on the basis of the motion vector; and

sampling period varying means for setting a sampling period of the correction target value calculated by said signal processing means to be shorter than a sampling period of the motion vector.

12. A unit according to claim 11, wherein said vibration detection means comprises an angular velocity sensor, and said vibration correction means comprises an optical vibration correction apparatus for optically correcting motion of an image.

13. A vibration correction apparatus comprising:

motion vector detection means for detecting a motion vector component in an image signal;

vibration correction means for correcting vibration of an image;

signal processing means for calculating a correction target value for said vibration correction means on the basis of an output from said motion vector detection means; and

sampling period varying means for setting a sampling period of the correction target value output from said signal processing means to be shorter than a sampling period of the motion vector.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said vibration correction means comprises an optical vibration correction apparatus for optically correcting motion of an image.

15. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said sampling period varying means sets a control period of said vibration correction means to be shorter than the motion vector detection period by interpolating an output from said signal processing means.

16. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

an image pickup element;

rewritable storage means;

first signal processing means for processing a video signal from said image pickup element, and writing the processed video signal in said storage means at a first rate;

second signal processing means for reading out the video signal from said storage means at a second rate; and

function control means for controlling a function associated with imaging on the basis of a signal from said first signal processing means,

wherein the first rate is set to be higher than the second rate.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said function control means comprises vibration correction means for an image picked up by said image pickup element.

18. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said function control means comprises automatic exposure correction means for said image pickup element.

19. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said function control means comprises automatic focus correction means in the image pickup element.

20. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said function correction means comprises automatic white balance correction means for the video signal from said image pickup element.

21. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the first rate is set to be not less than twice higher than the second rate.

22. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

an image pickup element;

rewritable storage means;

means for simultaneously reading out video signal components for two or more lines from said image pickup element;

first signal processing means for processing the simultaneously readout video signal components for two lines, and writing the processed video signal components in said storage means;

second signal processing means for reading out the video signal from said storage means; and

function control means for controlling a function associated with imaging on the basis of a signal from said first signal processing means.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said function control means comprises vibration correction means for an image picked up by said image pickup element.

24. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said function control means comprises automatic exposure correction means for said image pickup element.

25. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said function control means comprises automatic focus correction means in the image pickup element.

26. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said function correction means comprises automatic white balance correction means for the video signal from said image pickup element.

27. A camera comprising:

optical motion correction means for optically correcting motion of an image;

electronic motion correction means for electronically correcting the motion of the image;

electronic zoom means for electronically enlarging the image; and

control means for, when said electronic zoom means is inactive, controlling to selectively operate said optical motion correction means and said electronic motion correction means, and for, when said electronic zoom means is active, controlling to operate both said optical motion correction means and said electronic motion correction means.

28. A camera according to claim 27, further comprising a physical sensor for physically detecting vibration, and a motion detection circuit for detecting motion of an image between fields or frames from an image signal.

29. A camera according to claim 27, wherein said electronic motion correction means comprises a memory for storing an input image, and corrects the motion of the image by varying a read location of the image from said memory.

30. A vibration correction apparatus comprising:

vibration detection means for detecting vibration of a device as components in two orthogonal directions;

optical vibration correction means for optically correcting vibration of an image in accordance with an output signal from said vibration detection means;

a storage circuit for storing an image input from a solid-state image pickup element;

image motion detection means for detecting motion of an image between fields or frames of the image input from the solid-state image pickup element; and

storage circuit control means for controlling said storage circuit to attain electronic zooming in accordance with a command from system control means, and controlling reading of an image from said storage circuit in accordance with motion detected by said image motion detection means,

wherein both electronic and optical vibration corrections are used during only electronic zooming.