Anti-shake apparatus

• US 20060002693A1
• Filed: 06/28/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PENTAX RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD.
• Original Assignee: Pentax Corporation (Hoya Corporation)
• Inventors: Ogawa, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,305,179 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/54
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/687 by shifting the lens or sensor position

Abstract

An anti-shake apparatus of a photographing apparatus comprises a movable unit, and a control apparatus. The movable unit has an imaging device, and can be moved in first and second directions. The control apparatus moves the movable unit to first, second, third, and fourth positions, and performs first, second, third, and fourth imaging operations, and a combination operation for obtaining an anti-shake image signal in which lag from hand-shake is corrected. In the first imaging operation, a first imaging position of a first photography frame in which lag corresponding to a first hand-shake quantity is corrected, is calculated, and a first image signal which is imaged at an overlapping area between an imaging field of the imaging device at the first position and the first photography frame, is obtained. In the combination operation, the anti-shake image signal is obtained by combining the first, second, third, and fourth image signals.

Claims

1. An anti-shake apparatus of a photographing apparatus, comprising:

a hand-shake quantity detecting unit that detects first, second, third, and fourth information regarding hand-shake of said photographing apparatus;

a movable unit that has an imaging device which can be moved in first and second directions, said first direction being perpendicular to an optical axis of a photographing optical system of said photographing apparatus, and said second direction being perpendicular to said first direction and said optical axis;

a fixed unit that slidably supports said movable unit in said first and second directions; and

a control apparatus that moves said movable unit to first, second, third, and fourth positions in said movable unit'"'"'s movement range, and that performs a first imaging operation for obtaining a first image signal, a second imaging operation for obtaining a second image signal, a third imaging operation for obtaining a third image signal, and a fourth imaging operation for obtaining a fourth image signal, and a combination operation for obtaining an anti-shake image signal in which lag from hand-shake is corrected;

in said first imaging operation, said first information being detected and input to said control apparatus, a first hand-shake quantity being calculated from said first information, a first imaging position of a first photography frame in which lag corresponding to said first hand-shake quantity is corrected, being calculated on the basis of said first hand-shake quantity, and said first image signal which is imaged at an overlapping area between an imaging field of said imaging device at said first position and said first photography frame, being obtained;

in said second imaging operation, said second information being detected and input to said control apparatus, a second hand-shake quantity being calculated from said second information, a second imaging position of a second photography frame in which lag corresponding to said second hand-shake quantity is corrected, being calculated on the basis of said second hand-shake quantity, and said second image signal which is imaged at an overlapping area between said imaging field at said second position and said second photography frame, being obtained;

in said third imaging operation, said third information being detected and input to said control apparatus, a third hand-shake quantity being calculated from said third information, a third imaging position of a third photography frame in which lag corresponding to said third hand-shake quantity is corrected, being calculated on the basis of said third hand-shake quantity, and said third image signal which is imaged at an overlapping area between said imaging field at said third position and said third photography frame, being obtained;

in said fourth imaging operation, said fourth information being detected and input to said control apparatus, a fourth hand-shake quantity being calculated from said fourth information, a fourth imaging position of a fourth photography frame in which lag corresponding to said fourth hand-shake quantity is corrected, being calculated on the basis of said fourth hand-shake quantity, and said fourth image signal which is imaged at an overlapping area between said imaging field at said fourth position and said fourth photography frame, being obtained; and

in said combination operation, said anti-shake image signal being obtained by combining said first, second, third, and fourth image signals.

2. The anti-shake apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first position is where said movable unit contacts a first corner edge point which is one of two corner edge points of said movable unit'"'"'s movement range in said first direction, and is one of two corner edge points of said movable unit'"'"'s movement range in said second direction;

said second position is where said movable unit contacts a second corner edge point which is another of two corner edge points of said movable unit'"'"'s movement range in said first direction, and is one of two corner edge points of said movable unit'"'"'s movement range in said second direction;

said third position is where said movable unit contacts a third corner edge point which is another of two corner edge points of said movable unit'"'"'s movement range in said first direction, and is another of two corner edge points of said movable unit'"'"'s movement range in said second direction; and

said fourth position is where said movable unit contacts a fourth corner edge point which is one of two corner edge points of said movable unit'"'"'s movement range in said first direction, and is another of two corner edge points of said movable unit'"'"'s movement range in said second direction.

3. The anti-shake apparatus according to claim 2, wherein an order of said movable unit'"'"'s movement to said first, second, third, and fourth positions is right-handed or left-handed viewed from a third direction which is parallel to said optical axis.

4. The anti-shake apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of said movable unit and said fixed unit has a first coil which is used for moving said movable unit in said first direction, and has a second coil which is used for moving said movable unit in said second direction;

and

another of said movable unit and said fixed unit has a first magnet which is used for moving said movable unit in said first direction, and has a second magnet which is used for moving said movable unit in said second direction.

5. The anti-shake apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said imaging device can partly read out an accumulated electric charge, and said first, second, third, and fourth image signals are obtained on the basis of the accumulated electric charge which is read out for the part of the imaging field which is needed for the combination.

6. The anti-shake apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a movement range of said imaging field is inside an image circle which is equal to an imaging range of the light through said photographing optical system.

7. The anti-shake apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first imaging position of said first photography frame is calculated before said movable unit is moved to said first position;

said second imaging position of said second photography frame is calculated before said movable unit is moved to said second position;

said third imaging position of said third photography frame is calculated before said movable unit is moved to said third position; and

said fourth imaging position of said fourth photography frame is calculated before said movable unit is moved to said fourth position.

8. An anti-shake apparatus of a photographing apparatus, comprising:

a movable unit that has an imaging device, and that can be moved in first and second directions, said first direction being perpendicular to an optical axis of a photographing optical system of said photographing apparatus, and said second direction being perpendicular to said first direction and said optical axis;

a fixed unit that slidably supports said movable unit in said first and second directions; and

a control apparatus that moves said movable unit to first, second, third, and fourth positions, and that performs first, second, third, and fourth imaging operations, and a combination operation;

in said first imaging operation, a first imaging position of a first photography frame in which lag corresponding to a first hand-shake quantity is corrected, being calculated, and a first image signal which is imaged at an overlapping area between an imaging field of said imaging device at said first position and said first photography frame, being obtained;

in said second imaging operation, a second imaging position of a second photography frame in which lag corresponding to a second hand-shake quantity is corrected, being calculated, and a second image signal which is imaged at an overlapping area between said imaging field at said second position and said second photography frame, being obtained;

in said third imaging operation, a third imaging position of a third photography frame in which lag corresponding to a third hand-shake quantity is corrected, being calculated, and a third image signal which is imaged at an overlapping area between said imaging field at said third position and said third photography frame, being obtained;

in said fourth imaging operation, a fourth imaging position of a fourth photography frame in which lag corresponding to a fourth hand-shake quantity is corrected, being calculated, and a fourth image signal which is imaged at an overlapping area between said imaging field at said fourth position and said fourth photography frame, being obtained; and

in said combination operation, an anti-shake image signal being obtained by combining said first, second, third, and fourth image signals.