OPTICAL APPARATUS INCLUDING IMAGE BLUR CORRECTION DEVICE

• US 20090097833A1
• Filed: 10/08/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Imada, Shinji
• Granted Patent: US 8,027,578 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/55
• 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: G03B 2205/0007 Movement of one or more optical elements for control of motion blur
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2205/0053 Driving means for the movement of one or more optical element
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/005 Blur detection
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 5/00 Adjustment of optical system relative to image or object surface other than for focusing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/663 for controlling interchangeable camera parts based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6812 based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/687 by shifting the lens or sensor position

Abstract

An optical apparatus includes a shake detection unit to detect shaking applied to a camera; an image blur correction driving unit for driving a lens and correcting image blur caused by the shaking; and a selection unit configured to select whether correction of image blur is to be permitted or inhibited. If image blur correction is permitted, the image blur correction driving unit operates in accordance with a first driving characteristic. If image blur correction is inhibited, the image blur correction driving unit holds the lens near an optical axis in accordance with a second driving characteristic.

Claims

1. An optical apparatus comprising:

a shake detection unit configured to detect shaking of the optical apparatus;

an image blur correction lens;

a correction unit configured to drive the image blur correction lens on the basis of a result of the detection performed by the shake detection unit and configured to correct image blur caused by the shaking;

a position detection unit configured to detect a position of the image blur correction lens; and

a selection unit configured to allow selection of whether performance of image blur correction by the correction unit is to be permitted or inhibited,

wherein the optical apparatus includes a camera capable of capturing an object image, and

wherein if image blur correction is permitted, the correction unit drives the image blur correction lens on the basis of an output from the shake detection unit, in accordance with a first driving characteristic which exhibits a first frequency characteristic, and if image blur correction is inhibited, the correction unit holds the image blur correction lens at a position aligned with an optical axis of the optical apparatus on the basis of an output from the position detection unit, in accordance with a second driving characteristic, which exhibits a second frequency characteristic that is different from the first frequency characteristic.

2. The optical apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein if image blur correction is inhibited, the correction unit holds the image blur correction lens at the position aligned with the optical axis of the optical apparatus in accordance with the second driving characteristic during an exposure operation of the camera.

3. The optical apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein if image blur correction is inhibited, the correction unit holds the image blur correction lens at the position aligned with the optical axis of the optical apparatus in accordance with the second driving characteristic when a shutter speed of the camera is equal to or faster than a predetermined shutter speed.

4. The optical apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the image blur correction lens is supported by resilient members.

5. The optical apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the second driving characteristic is a characteristic in which a resonance amplitude, which is based on an elastic constant of the resilient members in a case where a shock is applied to the optical apparatus, is reduced.