Apparatus capable of shake estimation

• US 20030197787A1
• Filed: 06/06/2003
• Published: 10/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Yoneyama, Masatoshi, Yukawa, Kazuhiko, Hara, Yoshihiro, Hamamura, Toshihiro, Satoh, Tomonori, Tamai, Keiji
• Granted Patent: US 7,218,341 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/208.1
• 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 23/687 by shifting the lens or sensor position

Abstract

A camera is provided with: a detector for detecting a shake amount of the apparatus with respect to an object at an interval; a calculator for calculating a shake speed and a shake acceleration rate based on detected shake amounts, and calculates an estimative shake amount based on a calculated shake speed, a calculated shake acceleration rate, and a coefficient k (0<k<1) on an assumption that a shake is uniformly accelerated motion, the coefficient k being a multiplier for the calculated shake acceleration rate; and a corrector for executing a shake correction in accordance with a calculated estimative shake amount.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a detector which detects a shake amount of the apparatus with respect to an object at an interval;

a calculator which calculates a shake speed and a shake acceleration rate based on detected shake amounts, and calculates an estimative shake amount based on a calculated shake speed, a calculated shake acceleration rate, and a coefficient k (0<

k<

1) on an assumption that a shake is uniformly accelerated motion, the coefficient k being a multiplier for the calculated shake acceleration rate; and

a corrector which executes a shake correction in accordance with a calculated estimative shake amount.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the coefficient is 0.5.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detector includes:

an image pickup device which has a two dimensional array of photoelectric conversion elements to pick up a light image of an object to generate an electrical signal concerning the light image; and

an electric circuit which detects, based on generated electrical signals, a shift of one light image against another light image on the two dimensional array, and detects a shake amount based on a detected shift.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, which is a camera.

5. An apparatus comprising:

a detector which detects a shake amount of the apparatus with respect to an object at an interval;

a selector which selects, in accordance with a predetermined reference time space before a particular detection time point, a plurality of shake amounts among shake amounts detected by the detector; and

a calculator which executes calculation on a shake of the apparatus based on detected shake amounts selected by the selector.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the selector selects a shake amount detected at a detection time point which is prior to the predetermined reference time space before the particular detection time point, and is closest to the particular detection time point.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the selector selects a shake amount detected at a detection time point which is within the predetermined reference time space before the particular detection time point, and is most farther from the particular detection time point.

8. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the selector selects a shake amount detected at a detection time point which is closest to the predetermined reference time space before the particular detection time point.

9. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the calculator calculates an estimative shake amount based on detected shake amounts selected by the selector.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the calculator calculates a shake speed based on detected shake amounts selected by the selector, and calculates an estimative shake amount based on a calculated shake speed.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a corrector which executes a shake correction in accordance with a calculated estimative shake amount.

12. An apparatus according to claim 5, which is a camera.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a detector which detects a shake amount of the apparatus with respect to an object at an interval; and

a calculator which calculates an average shake amount of a plurality of shake amounts continuously detected by the detector.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the calculator further calculates an estimative shake amount based on a calculated average shake amount.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the calculator further calculates an estimative shake amount based on a calculated average shake amount and a latest detected shake amount.

16. An apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a corrector which executes a shake correction in accordance with a calculated estimative shake amount.

17. An apparatus according to claim 13, which is a camera.