IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND LENS BARREL

• US 20080204564A1
• Filed: 02/19/2008
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yumiki, Naoto
• Application Number:
  US12/033,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20080204564A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/208.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• 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 23/684 performed by controlling the image sensor readout, e.g. by controlling the integration time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/687 by shifting the lens or sensor position
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/76 by influencing the image signals

Abstract

An imaging apparatus capable of preventing photographing sensitivity from being increased more than necessary, reducing image quality degradation caused by camera shake or object shake and easily photographing images in good image quality. Digital camera 1 includes image shake correcting selection 16 that corrects shake of an optical image of a photographing object formed by an imaging optical system L, digital signal amplification section 110 that amplifies an image signal with a gain set by digital signal gain setting section 111, and face detection section 120 that detects a face of a photographing object, and microcomputer 3 calculates an object speed based on the detected motion of the face of the photographing object, decides whether or not the object speed is equal to or higher than a threshold A, and operates, when the object speed is lower than the threshold A, image shake correction by controlling image shake correcting section 16 or increases, when the object speed is equal to or higher than the threshold A, the gain of digital signal gain setting section 111, increases ISO sensitivity to increase the shutter speed and shorten the exposure time.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging optical system that forms an optical image of a photographing object;

an imaging sensor that receives the formed optical image, converts the optical image to an electrical image signal and outputs the image signal;

a face detection section that detects a face of the photographing object based on the image signal;

an object speed decision section that measures motion of the optical image of the face of the photographing object in a predetermined time before a photograph is taken, and calculates an object speed of the photographing object; and

a control section that takes, when the calculated object speed is equal to or higher than a threshold, a photograph at a higher amplification factor of the image signal and in a shorter exposure time.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a face selecting section that selects, when the face detection section detects a plurality of faces, a specific face from the plurality of faces.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a camera shake correcting section that corrects shake of the optical image caused by motion of an imaging apparatus body,

wherein, when the object speed is lower than the threshold, the control section causes the camera shake correcting section to carry out camera shake correction and takes a photograph.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, when the calculated object speed is equal to or higher than the threshold, the control section takes a plurality of photographs applying different exposure times.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the calculated object speed is equal to or higher than the threshold, the control section takes a plurality of photographs applying different exposure times or different amplification factors.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control section takes a plurality of photographs while executing at least one of control for shortening the exposure time sequentially for every photograph and control for increasing the amplification factor sequentially for every photograph.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control section predicts an object speed upon photographing based on an amount of change in the object speed in the predetermined time and controls the exposure time or the amplification factor according to the predicted object speed.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a threshold input section that sets the threshold of the control section from outside.

9. An imaging apparatus body used in combination with a lens barrel mounted with a camera shake correcting section that corrects shake of an optical image caused by motion of the imaging apparatus body, the imaging apparatus body comprising:

an imaging sensor that receives a formed optical image, converts the optical image to an electrical image signal and outputs the image signal;

a face detection section that detects a face of a photographing object based on the image signal;

an object speed decision section that measures motion of the optical image of the face of the photographing object in a predetermined time before a photograph is taken, and calculates an object speed of the photographing object; and

a control section that takes, when the calculated object speed is equal to or higher than a threshold, a photograph at a higher amplification factor of the image signal and in a shorter exposure time.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a face selecting section that selects, when the face detection section detects a plurality of faces, a specific face from the plurality of faces.

11. A lens barrel used in combination with an imaging apparatus body, the imaging apparatus body comprising:

an imaging optical system that forms an optical image of a photographing object;

an imaging sensor that receives the formed optical image, converts the optical image to an electrical image signal and outputs the image signal;

a face detection section that detects a face of the photographing object based on the image signal;

an object speed decision section that measures motion of the optical image of the face of the photographing object in a predetermined time before a photograph is taken, and calculates an object speed of the photographing object; and

a control section that takes, when the calculated object speed is equal to or higher than a threshold, a photograph at a higher amplification factor of the image signal and in a shorter exposure time,

the lens barrel comprising;

a camera shake correcting section that corrects shake of the optical image caused by motion of the imaging apparatus body; and

an interface between the camera shake correcting section and the control section of the imaging apparatus body.