Image pickup apparatus, image pickup method and program

• US 20070206935A1
• Filed: 02/12/2007
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ono, Toshiki
• Granted Patent: US 7,944,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/55
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2205/0007 Movement of one or more optical elements for control of motion blur
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/005 Blur detection
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/093 for control of exposure time
• 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 23/684 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 image pickup apparatus which includes a camera shake correction mechanism and determines exposure conditions including at least a shutter speed in response to brightness of an image pickup object, including acquisition means, decision means, and setting means. The acquisition means is configured to acquire a focal distance of a lens for converging an optical image of the image pickup object. The decision means is configured to decide a camera shake limit shutter speed corresponding to the acquired focal distance. The setting means is configured to set, where the camera shake correction mechanism is valid, a shutter speed lower than the camera shake limit shutter speed by an amount corresponding to a predetermined difference in exposure value to one end of a setting range of the shutter speed of the exposure condition.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus which includes a camera shake correction mechanism and determines exposure conditions including at least a shutter speed in response to brightness of an image pickup object, comprising:

acquisition means configured to acquire a focal distance of a lens for converging an optical image of the image pickup object;

decision means configured to decide a camera shake limit shutter speed corresponding to the acquired focal distance; and

setting means configured to set, where said camera shake correction mechanism is valid, a shutter speed lower than the camera shake limit shutter speed by an amount corresponding to a predetermined difference in exposure value to one end of a setting range of the shutter speed of the exposure condition.

2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said decision means decides the camera shake limit shutter speed corresponding to the acquired focal distance based on a table retained in advance and indicating a coordination relationship between the focal distance and camera shake limit shutter speed.

3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined difference in exposure value is determined in advance in response to a correction capacity of said camera shake correction mechanism.

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

detection means configured to detect a light value which indicates the brightness of the image pickup object;

assumption means configured to assume a reference shutter speed corresponding to the detected light value;

comparison means configured to compare the assumed reference shutter speed with the camera shake limit shutter speed; and

camera shake correction control means configured to control setting of validity or invalidity of said camera shake correction mechanism in response to a result of the comparison by said comparison means.

5. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said camera shake correction control means invalidates said camera shake correction mechanism where the assumed reference shutter speed is higher than the camera shake limit shutter speed.

6. An image pickup method for an image pickup apparatus which includes a camera shake correction mechanism and determines exposure conditions including at least a shutter speed in response to brightness of an image pickup object, comprising the steps of:

acquiring a focal distance of a lens for converging an optical image of the image pickup object;

deciding a camera shake limit shutter speed corresponding to the acquired focal distance; and

setting, where the camera shake correction mechanism is valid, a shutter speed lower than the camera shake limit shutter speed by an amount corresponding to a predetermined difference in exposure value to one end of a setting range of the shutter speed of the exposure condition.

7. A program for controlling an image pickup apparatus which includes a camera shake correction mechanism and determines exposure conditions including at least a shutter speed in response to brightness of an image pickup object, the program causing a computer to execute a process which comprises the steps of:

acquiring a focal distance of a lens for converging an optical image of the image pickup object;

deciding a camera shake limit shutter speed corresponding to the acquired focal distance; and

setting, where the camera shake correction mechanism is valid, a shutter speed lower than the camera shake limit shutter speed by an amount corresponding to a predetermined difference in exposure value to one end of a setting range of the shutter speed of the exposure condition.

8. An image pickup apparatus which includes a camera shake correction mechanism and determines exposure conditions including at least a shutter speed in response to brightness of an image pickup object, comprising:

an acquisition section configured to acquire a focal distance of a lens for converging an optical image of the image pickup object;

a decision section configured to decide a camera shake limit shutter speed corresponding to the acquired focal distance; and

a setting section configured to set, where said camera shake correction mechanism is valid, a shutter speed lower than the camera shake limit shutter speed by an amount corresponding to a predetermined difference in exposure value to one end of a setting range of the shutter speed of the exposure condition.