Unintentional hand movement canceling device

• US 20060044403A1
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xacti Corporation (Office Support KK)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hatanaka, Haruo, Chiba, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 7,502,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/208.400
• 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 23/6815 by distinguishing pan or tilt from motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/682 Vibration or motion blur correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming

Abstract

Provided is an unintentional hand movement canceling device including: a zoom detection means detecting a value corresponding to a zoom magnification; a swing detection means detecting a swing of an image; and a correction quantity generating means generating a correction quantity to correct the swing of an image based on a swing quantity detected by the swing detection means and a value corresponding to a zoom magnification detected by the zoom detection means, the correction quantity having a variable characteristic of a non-corrected residue percent at a frequency of the swing, wherein the correction quantity generating means varies a characteristic of the non-corrected residue percent at the frequency of the swing depending on a value corresponding to a zoom magnification detected by the zoom detection means.

Claims

1. An unintentional hand movement canceling device comprising:

a zoom detection means detecting a value corresponding to a zoom magnification;

a swing detection means detecting a swing of an image; and

a correction quantity generating means generating a correction quantity to correct the swing of an image based on a swing quantity detected by the swing detection means and a value corresponding to a zoom magnification detected by the zoom detection means, the correction quantity having a variable characteristic of a non-corrected residue percent at a frequency of the swing,

wherein the correction quantity generating means varies a characteristic of the non-corrected residue percent at the frequency of the swing depending on the value corresponding to a zoom magnification detected by the zoom detection means.

2. The unintentional hand movement canceling device according to claim 1, wherein the correction quantity generating means varies a characteristic of a non-corrected residue percent at a frequency of the swing so that, with a larger zoom magnification, a correction level gets stronger in a low frequency band of the swing.

3. An unintentional hand movement canceling device comprising;

a zoom detection means detecting a value corresponding to a zoom magnification;

a swing detection means detecting a swing of an image;

a state discriminating means discriminating a swing state due to an intentional camera motion by a cameraman or a camerawoman from an unintentional hand movement state;

a first correction quantity generating means generating a correction quantity to correct the swing of an image based on a swing quantity detected by the swing detection means and a value corresponding to a zoom magnification detected by the zoom detection means when it is determined by the state discriminating means that a current state is an unintentional hand movement, the correction quantity having a variable characteristic of a non-corrected residue percent at a frequency of the swing; and

a second correction quantity generating means adopting a correction quantity of the immediately proceeding frame as a correction quantity for correcting the swing of the image when it is determined by the state discriminating means that a current state is a swing state due to an intentional camera motion by a cameraman or a camerawoman,

wherein the first correction quantity generating means varies a characteristic of the non-corrected residue percent at the frequency of the swing depending on a value corresponding to a zoom magnification detected by the zoom detection means.

4. The unintentional hand movement canceling device according to claim 3, wherein the first correction quantity generating means varies a characteristic of non-corrected residue percent at the frequency of the swing so that with a larger zoom magnification, a correction level is stronger in a low frequency band of the swing.

5. The unintentional hand movement canceling device according to claim 3, wherein the state discriminating means determines that a swing is in a swing state caused by an intentional camera movement of a cameraman or a camerawoman if one of the following conditions (a), (b) and (c) is satisfied:

(a) Frames having the same direction of the swing detected by the swing detecting means continuously occur and the number of the frames in continuation is a first threshold value or more;

(b) Frames having correction quantity of a upper limit value or more of a correction range generated by the first correction quantity generating means continuously occur and the number of the frames in continuation is a second threshold value or more; and

(c) Frames having the same direction of the swing detected by the swing detecting means continuously occur and an integral value of the swing in the frames that continuously occur in the same direction is a third threshold value or more of an image angle.

6. The unintentional hand movement canceling device according to claim 5, wherein the state discriminating means includes threshold value control means controlling the first threshold value, the second threshold value and the third threshold value so as to be adapted for a value corresponding to a zoom magnification detected by the zoom detection means.

7. The unintentional hand movement canceling device according to claim 6, wherein the threshold value control means controls the first threshold value, the second threshold value and the third threshold value so that with a smaller zoom magnification, the first threshold value, the second threshold value and the third threshold value are decreased.