Image pickup apparatus

• US 20040051791A1
• Filed: 09/12/2003
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Seiji
• Granted Patent: US 7,411,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/226.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/145 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/70 Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/72 Combination of two or more compensation controls
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/745 Detection of flicker frequency or suppression of flicker wherein the flicker is caused by illumination, e.g. due to fluorescent tube illumination or pulsed LED illumination

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus comprises an image pickup unit including a plurality of photoelectric conversion units for picking up an image of an object; and a filter, arranged on the image pickup unit, for reducing a light amount that causes a flicker.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

an image pickup unit for picking up an image of an object;

a detection circuit for detecting a flicker; and

a correction circuit for adjusting an image pickup condition of said image pickup unit in accordance with a detection result of said detection circuit.

2. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image pickup condition is a condition for driving said image pickup unit.

3. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, during a period other than a period during which the amount of light that causes the flicker is a predetermined value or smaller, said correction circuit permits said image pickup unit to accumulate photoelectric charges.

4. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a light source for emitting light,

wherein the image pickup condition is a light emission timing of said light source.

5. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, during the period during which the amount of light that causes the flicker is the predetermined value or smaller, said correction circuit permits said light source to emit light.

6. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, during the period during which the amount of light that causes the flicker is said predetermined value or smaller, said correction circuit increases the amount of light emitted by said light source.

7. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said correction circuit makes a period of the flicker and the period during which said image pickup unit accumulates photoelectric charges, substantially equal to each other.

8. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

an image pickup unit including a plurality of photoelectric conversion units for picking up an image of an object; and

a filter, arranged on said image pickup unit, for reducing a light amount that causes a flicker.

9. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

an image pickup unit including a plurality of photoelectric conversion units for picking up an image of an object; and

a silicon member, arranged on said image pickup unit, that has a thickness of 50 to 100 μ

m.

10. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

an image pickup unit for picking up an image of an object;

a light source, arranged on a side face of said image pickup unit;

a light shielding unit, arranged on said side face of said image pickup unit, for shielding light emitted by said light source; and

a light guiding member, arranged on said side face of said image pickup unit, for guiding said light emitted by said light source.