CAMERA WITH SHAKE DETECTING FUNCTION

• US 20080117303A1
• Filed: 11/21/2007
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pentax Corporation (Hoya Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pentax Corporation (Hoya Corporation)
• Inventors: FURUMOCHI, Hiroyuki
• Application Number:
  US11/943,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20080117303A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/208.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/01 Measuring or predicting earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/646 compensating for small deviations, e.g. due to vibration or shake movement of one or more optical elements for control of motion blur in cameras, projectors or printers G03B2205/0007; image stabilisation in cameras peculiar to the presence or use of an electronic image sensor H04N23/68
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A camera has a shake detector, a main power source controller, and a photograph controller. The shake detector is capable of detecting a shake while a main power source is in the OFF state. The main power source controller turns the main power source on when a shake is detected while tho main power source is in the OFF state. Then, the photograph controller carries out a photographing process when the main power source is turned on by the detection of the shake.

Claims

1. A camera comprising:

a shake detector configured to be capable of detecting a shake while a main power source is in the OFF state;

a main power-source controller that turns the main power source from OFF to ON when a shake is detected while the main power source is in the OFF state; and

a photograph controller configured to carry out a photographing process when the main power source is turned on by the detection of the shake.

2. The camera of claim 1, wherein the shake detector comprises a hand-shake detector that detects a movement of the camera due to an operator'"'"'s hand shake.

3. The camera of claim 1, further comprising an emergency photograph setting member that is operated to carry out the photographing process in the main power source OFF state, said electric power controller supplying electric power to said shake detector during the main power source OFF state when the emergency photograph setting member is operated.

4. The camera of claim 1, wherein said electric power controller turns the main power source off when the photographing process based on the detection of the shake is terminated.

5. The camera of claim 1, wherein said photograph controller comprises a first determiner that determines whether the shake is larger than a standard shake, said photograph controller carrying out the photographing process when the shake is larger than the standard shake.

6. The camera of claim 1, wherein said photograph controller records a still image first, and then records a moving image.

7. The camera of claim 6, wherein said photograph controller records a still image after recording a moving image.

8. The camera or claim 1, further comprising a second determiner that determines whether the shake has converged, said photograph controller terminating the photographing process when the shake has converged.

9. The camera of claim 1r further comprising an image-blur compensating device configured to prevent an image-blur due to the shake, said photograph controller being capable of controlling the operation of said image-blur compensating device when carrying out the photographing process.

10. The camera of claim 9, wherein said photograph controller records a moving image without the use of said image-blur compensating device.

11. The camera of claim 9, further comprising a third determiner that determines whether the shake exceeds a threshold shake, said photograph controller recording a still image while operating said image-blur compensating device when the shake exceeds the threshold shake.

12. The camera of claim 11, wherein said photograph controlled records only a moving image when the camera shake does not exceed the threshold shake.

13. The camera of claim 1, further comprising a shake period detector that detects the duration of the camera-shake.

14. The camera of claim 1, further comprising a shake degree detector that detects the degree of the shake.

15. An apparatus for photographing a subject comprising:

a shake detector configured to detect a shake while a photographing process is not carried out; and

a photograph controller configured to carry out a photographing process for recording at least one of a still image and a moving image when a shake is detected.

16. A computer-readable medium that stores a program for photographing a subject, comprising:

a shake-detection code segment that detects whether a shake occurs while a photographing process is not carried out; and

a photograph control code segment that carries out a photographing process for recording at least one of a still image and a moving image when a shake is detected.

17. A method for photographing a subject comprising;

detecting whether a shake occurs while a photographing process is not carried out; and

carrying out a photographing process for recording at least one of a still image and a moving image when a shake is detected.