Imaging apparatus and imaging method

• US 20070009245A1
• Filed: 07/05/2006
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ito, Takehiko
• Application Number:
  US11/480,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20070009245A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/55
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/634 Warning indications
• 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 23/73 by influencing the exposure time

Abstract

An imaging apparatus includes the functions of conducting automatic exposure control and of conducting shake correction with respect to digital image data acquired by an image pickup unit. The imaging apparatus includes: a determining unit that determines whether or not the shake correction is being implemented; and a switching unit which, when it has been determined by the determining unit that the shake correction is being implemented, switches the shutter speed such that the shutter speed is raised in comparison to when it has been determined by the determining unit that the shake correction is not being implemented. An imaging method determines whether or not the shake correction is being implemented, and when it has been determined that the shake correction is being implemented, switches the shutter speed such that the shutter speed is raised in comparison to when it has been determined that the shake correction is not being implemented.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus including the function of conducting automatic exposure control and the function of conducting shake correction with respect to digital image data acquired by an image pickup unit, the imaging apparatus comprising:

a determining unit that determines whether or not the shake correction is being implemented; and

a switching unit which, when it has been determined by the determining unit that the shake correction is being implemented, switches the shutter speed such that the shutter speed is raised in comparison to when it has been determined by the determining unit that the shake correction is not being implemented.

2. The imaging apparatus of claim 1, further comprising

an adjusting unit that adjusts the sensitivity of the image pickup unit, and

a changing unit which, when it has been determined by the determining unit that the shake correction is being implemented, changes the sensitivity of the image pickup unit such that the sensitivity is raised in comparison to when it has been determined by the determining unit that the shake correction is not being implemented.

3. The imaging apparatus of claim 1, further comprising

a shutter speed detecting unit that detects the shutter speed, and

a limiting unit that limits the shutter speed such that the shutter speed detected by the shutter speed detecting unit becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined speed when it has been determined by the determining unit that the shake correction is being implemented.

4. The imaging apparatus of claim 2, further comprising

a shutter speed detecting unit that detects the shutter speed, and

a limiting unit that limits the shutter speed such that the shutter speed detected by the shutter speed detecting unit becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined speed when it has been determined by the determining unit that the shake correction is being implemented.

5. The imaging apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a warning unit that issues a warning when a shutter speed less than the predetermined speed has been detected by the shutter speed detecting unit.

6. The imaging apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a warning unit that issues a warning when a shutter speed less than the predetermined speed has been detected by the shutter speed detecting unit.

7. An imaging apparatus including the function of conducting automatic exposure control and the function of conducting shake correction with respect to digital image data acquired by an image pickup unit, the imaging apparatus comprising:

a determining unit that determines whether or not the shake correction is being implemented;

a switching unit which, when it has been determined by the determining unit that the shake correction is being implemented, switches the shutter speed such that the shutter speed is raised in comparison to when it has been determined by the determining unit that the shake correction is not being implemented;

an adjusting unit that adjusts the sensitivity of the image pickup unit;

a changing unit which, when it has been determined by the determining unit that the shake correction is being implemented, changes the sensitivity of the image pickup unit such that the sensitivity is raised in comparison to when it has been determined by the determining unit that the shake correction is not being implemented;

a shutter speed detecting unit that detects the shutter speed;

a limiting unit that limits the shutter speed such that the shutter speed detected by the shutter speed detecting unit becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined speed when it has been determined by the determining unit that the shake correction is being implemented; and

a warning unit that issues a warning when a shutter speed less than the predetermined speed has been detected by the shutter speed detecting unit.

8. An imaging method including the function of conducting automatic exposure control and the function of conducting shake correction with respect to digital image data acquired by an image pickup unit, the imaging method comprising:

determining whether or not the shake correction is being implemented; and

when it has been determined that the shake correction is being implemented, switching the shutter speed such that the shutter speed is raised in comparison to when it has been determined that the shake correction is not being implemented.