Camera and program

• US 20040145673A1
• Filed: 01/13/2004
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Washisu, Koichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,295,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/364
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• 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 23/684 performed by controlling the image sensor readout, e.g. by controlling the integration time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/70 Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/741 by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors

Abstract

A camera which can obtain an image without image blur is disclosed. The camera which obtains a synthesized image whose exposure has been corrected by synthesizing a plurality of images obtained through successive image-taking, comprising: a detection unit which detects, with respect to a reference image, amounts of displacement on other images; a coordinate conversion unit which applies coordinate conversion to the other images based on the results of detection of the detection unit; and a synthesis unit which synthesizes the other images subjected to coordinate conversion and the reference image.

Claims

1. A camera which obtains a synthesized image whose exposure has been corrected by synthesizing a plurality of images obtained through successive image-taking, comprising:

a detection unit which detects, with respect to a reference image, amounts of displacement on other images;

a coordinate conversion unit which applies coordinate conversion to the other images based on the results of detection of the detection unit; and

a synthesis unit which synthesizes the other images subjected to coordinate conversion and the reference image.

2. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit divides the reference image into at least two regions and detects the amounts of displacement based on a specific point included in one of the regions.

3. The camera according to claim 1, wherein

the coordinate conversion unit applies coordinate conversion to the other images after image-taking of all the plurality of images is finished.

5. The camera according to claim 1, wherein

the synthesis unit synthesizes the other images subjected to coordinate conversion and the reference image after image-taking of all the plurality of images is finished.

6. The camera according to claim 2, wherein

one of the regions is a region other than a central region in the reference image.

7. The camera according to claim 2, wherein

one of the regions is a region other than a focused region in the reference image.

8. The camera according to claim 2, wherein

one of the regions is a region other than a region corresponding to a focus detection region provided within the image-taking plane.

4. The camera according to Clam 1, wherein

the detection unit detects, with respect to a reference image, amounts of displacement on other images after image-taking of all the plurality of images is finished.

9. A camera which obtains a synthesized image whose exposure has been corrected by synthesizing a plurality of images obtained through successive image-taking, comprising:

a detection unit which detects, with respect to a reference image, amounts of displacement on other images;

an image selection unit which selects images suitable for synthesis among the other images based on the results of detection of the detection unit; and

a synthesis unit which synthesizes the images selected by the image selection unit and the reference image.

10. The camera according to claim 9, further comprising:

a coordinate conversion unit which applies coordinate conversion to the images selected by the image selection unit based on the results of detection of the detection unit, wherein

the synthesis unit synthesizes the images subjected to coordinate conversion by the coordinate conversion unit and the reference image.

11. The camera according to claim 9, wherein

the image selection unit judges whether or not the amounts of displacement based on the results of detection of the detection unit are equal to or less than a reference amount, and selects images whose amounts of displacement are equal to or less than the reference amount.

12. The camera according to claim 11, further comprising:

a selection control unit which controls the selection operation of the image selection unit and can change the reference amount.

13. The camera according to claim 12, wherein

the selection control unit changes the reference amount according to image-taking conditions.

14. The camera according to claim 9, wherein

the detection unit divides the reference image into at least two regions, and detects the amounts of displacement based on a specific point included in one of the regions.

15. The camera according to claim 14, wherein

the detection unit also detects the amounts of displacement based on a specific point included in the other region of at least the two regions.

16. The camera according to claim 15, wherein

the other region corresponds to a focus detection region provided within the image-taking plane in the reference image.

17. A program for obtaining a synthesized image whose exposure has been corrected by synthesizing a plurality of images obtained through successive image-taking, comprising:

a detection step in which, with respect to a reference image, amounts of displacement on other images are detected;

a coordinate conversion step in which coordinate conversion is carried out for the other images based on the results of detection of the detection step; and

a synthesis step in which the other images subjected to coordinate conversion in the coordinate conversion step and the reference image are synthesized.

18. The program according to claim 17, wherein

in the detection step, the reference image is divided into at least two regions, and based on a specific point included in one of the regions, the amounts of displacement are detected.

19. The program according to claim 17, wherein

in the coordinate conversion step, coordinate conversion for the other images is carried out after image-taking of all the plurality of images is finished.

20. The program according to claim 17, wherein

in the detection step, with respect to a reference image, amounts of displacement on other images are detected after image-taking of all the plurality of images is finished.

21. The program according to claim 17, wherein

in the synthesis step, after image-taking of all the plurality of images is finished, the other images subjected to coordinate conversion and the reference image are synthesized.

22. A program for obtaining a synthesized image whose exposure has been corrected by synthesizing a plurality of images obtained through successive image-taking, comprising:

a detection step in which, with respect to a reference image, amounts of displacement on other images are detected;

an image selection step in which images suitable for synthesis are selected among the other images based on the results of detection of the detection step; and

a synthesis step in which the images selected in the image selection step and the reference image are synthesized.

23. The program according to claim 22, further comprising:

a coordinate conversion step in which coordinate conversion is carried out for the images selected in the image selection step based on the results of detection of the detection step, wherein

in the synthesis step, the images subjected to coordinate conversion in the coordinate conversion step and the reference image are synthesized.

24. The program according to claim 22, wherein

in the image selection step, it is judged whether or not the amounts of displacement based on the results of detection of the detection step are equal to or less than a reference amount, and images whose amounts of displacement are equal to or less than the reference amount are selected.

25. The program according to claim 24, further comprising:

a selection control step in which the selection operation of the image selection step is controlled and the reference amount can be changed.

26. The program according to claim 25, wherein

in the selection control step, the reference amount is changed according to image-taking conditions.

27. The program according to claim 22, wherein

in the detection step, the reference image is divided into at least two regions, and the amounts of displacement are detected based on a specific point included in one of the regions.

28. The program according to claim 27, wherein

in the detection step, the amounts of displacement are also detected based on a specific point included in the other region of at least the two regions.

29. A camera which can carry out image-taking in a first image-taking mode in which a synthesized image whose exposure has been corrected is obtained by synthesizing a plurality of images obtained through successive image-taking, and in a second image-taking mode in which an image correspond to the synthesized image is obtained through one time of image-taking, comprising:

an image pickup device which photoelectrically converts an object image into an electric signal,

a control unit which can be set into either image-taking mode of the first image-taking mode or the second image-taking mode according to image-taking conditions.

30. A camera according to claim 29, further comprising:

a display unit which displays information on image-taking;

wherein the control unit controls driving of the display unit,

and makes the display unit display information on the set image-taking mode.

31. A camera according to claim 29, wherein

in the first image-taking mode, the control unit changes an image-taking period of each image according to image-taking conditions.

32. A camera according to claim 29, wherein

in the first image-taking mode, the control unit changes the number of times of image-taking according to image-taking conditions.

33. The camera according to claim 29, further comprising:

a detection unit which detects, with respect to a reference image, amounts of displacement on plurality of other images,

a coordinate conversion unit which applies coordinate conversion to the other images based on the results of detection of the detection unit; and

a synthesis unit which synthesizes the other images subjected to coordinate conversion and the reference image.

34. A camera which can carry out image-taking in a first image-taking mode in which a synthesized image whose exposure has been corrected is obtained by synthesizing a plurality of images obtained through successive image-taking, and in a second image-taking mode in which an image correspond to the synthesized image is obtained through one time of image-taking, comprising:

an image pickup device which photoelectrically converts an object image into an electric signal;

a sound production unit which makes sounds; and

a control unit which controls driving of the sound production unit, wherein

the control unit drives the sound production unit in timing with the first image-taking and the last image taking during image-taking in the first image-taking mode, and in timing with image-taking start and image-taking completion during image-taking in the second image-taking mode.

35. A camera which obtains a synthesized image whose exposure has been corrected by synthesizing a plurality of images obtained through successive image-taking, comprising:

a first detection unit which detects, with respect to a reference image, amounts of displacement on other images;

a coordinate conversion unit which applies coordinate conversion to the other images based on the results of detection of the first detection unit;

a synthesis unit which synthesizes the other images subjected to coordinate conversion and the reference image;

a second detection unit which detects vibration applied to the main body; and

a control unit which controls the camera operation, wherein

the control unit temporarily ends image-taking and restarts it according to the results of detection of the second detection unit and image-taking conditions.

36. A program which enables image-taking in a first image-taking mode in which a synthesized image whose exposure has been corrected is obtained by synthesizing a plurality of images obtained through successive image-taking, and in a second image-taking mode in which an image correspond to the synthesized image is obtained through one time of image-taking, comprising:

a control step in which either image-taking mode of the first image-taking mode or the second image-taking mode can be set according to image-taking conditions.

37. A program according to claim 36, further comprising:

a display step in which information on image-taking mode set in the control step is displayed.

38. A program according to claim 36, wherein

in the control step, when the first image-taking mode is set, an image-taking period for each image is changed according to image-taking conditions.

39. A program according to claim 36, wherein

in the control step, when the first image-taking mode is set, the number of times of image-taking is changed according to image-taking conditions.

40. The program according to claim 36, further comprising:

a detection step in which, with respect to a reference image, amounts of displacement on other images are detected;

a coordinate conversion step in which coordinate conversion is carried out for the other images based on the results of detection of the detection step; and

a synthesis step in which the other images subjected to coordinate conversion in the coordinate conversion step and the reference image.

41. A program which enables image-taking in a first image-taking mode in which a synthesized image whose exposure has been corrected is obtained by synthesizing a plurality of images obtained through successive image-taking, and in a second image-taking mode in which an image correspond to the synthesized image is obtained through one time of image-taking, comprising:

a sound production step in which sounds are made, wherein

in the sound production step, sounds are made in timing with the first image-taking and the last image-taking during image-taking in the first image-taking mode, and sounds are made in timing with image-taking start and image-taking completion during image-taking in the second image-taking mode.

42. A program for obtaining a synthesized image whose exposure has been corrected by synthesizing a plurality of images obtained through successive image-taking, comprising:

a first detection step in which, with respect to a reference image, amounts of displacement on other images are detected;

a coordinate conversion step in which coordinate conversion is carried out for the other images based on the results of detection of the first detection step;

a synthesis step in which the other images subjected to coordinate conversion in the coordinate conversion step and the reference image are synthesized;

a second detection step in which vibration applied to the main body is detected; and

a control step in which the camera operation is controlled, wherein

in the control step, image-taking is temporarily ended and image-taking is restarted according to the results of detection of the second detection step and image-taking conditions.