IMAGE CAPTURE DEVICE

• US 20110234887A1
• Filed: 03/23/2011
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: OGURA, Motonori, SHIMOHATA, Takeshi
• Application Number:
  US13/070,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20110234887A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/353
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/36 Autofocus systems
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 3/10 Power-operated focusing

Abstract

The present invention provides an image capture device that can cut down power dissipation and reduce noise at the same time. The image capture device includes: an imager; at least one lens for producing a subject image on the imager; an actuator for driving the at least one lens in accordance with a control signal; and a driver for outputting the control signal. The driver changes, according to a condition of a subject being shot, the control signals to output from an analog control signal into a digital control signal, or vice versa.

Claims

1. An image capture device comprising:

an imager;

at least one lens for producing a subject image on the imager;

an actuator for driving the at least one lens in accordance with a control signal; and

a driver for outputting the control signal, the driver changing, according to a condition of a subject being shot, the control signals to output from an analog control signal into a digital control signal, or vice versa.

2. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein the subject'"'"'s condition concerns brightness of the image shot, and

wherein the driver outputs the digital control signal if the brightness of the image shot is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and outputs the analog control signal if the brightness is less than the predetermined value.

3. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein the subject'"'"'s condition concerns predefined high-frequency components to the image shot, and

wherein the driver outputs the analog control signal if amount of the predefined high-frequency components to the image shot is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and outputs the digital control signal if the amount of the predefined high-frequency components is less than the predetermined value.

4. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein the subject'"'"'s condition concerns contrast of the image shot, and

wherein the driver outputs the digital control signal if the contrast of the image shot is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and outputs the analog control signal if the contrast is less than the predetermined value.

5. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein the driver includes

a first circuit for outputting a pulse wave signal,

a second circuit for outputting a non-pulse wave signal, and

at least one switch to be turned in order to use either the pulse wave signal or the non-pulse wave signal selectively,

wherein the driver turns the at least one switch according to the condition of the subject being shot, and

wherein if the pulse wave signal supplied from the first circuit is used, the driver generates the digital signal based on the pulse wave signal, and

if the non-pulse wave signal supplied from the second circuit is used, the driver generates the analog signal based on the non-pulse wave signal.

6. The image capture device of claim 5, wherein the second circuit generates the non-pulse wave signal based on the pulse wave signal supplied from the first circuit.

7. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein the at least one lens includes one of a zoom lens for zooming in on, or out, the subject image on the imager, an OIS lens for reducing a blur of the subject image, and a focus lens for controlling the focal length to the subject.

8. The image capture device of claim 2, wherein the driver includes

a first circuit for outputting a pulse wave signal,

a second circuit for outputting a non-pulse wave signal, and

at least one switch to be turned in order to use either the pulse wave signal or the non-pulse wave signal selectively,

wherein the driver turns the at least one switch according to the condition of the subject being shot, and

wherein if the pulse wave signal supplied from the first circuit is used, the driver generates the digital signal based on the pulse wave signal, and

if the non-pulse wave signal supplied from the second circuit is used, the driver generates the analog signal based on the non-pulse wave signal.

9. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein the driver includes

a first circuit for outputting a pulse wave signal,

a second circuit for outputting a non-pulse wave signal, and

at least one switch to be turned in order to use either the pulse wave signal or the non-pulse wave signal selectively,

wherein the driver turns the at least one switch according to the condition of the subject being shot, and

wherein if the pulse wave signal supplied from the first circuit is used, the driver generates the digital signal based on the pulse wave signal, and

if the non-pulse wave signal supplied from the second circuit is used, the driver generates the analog signal based on the non-pulse wave signal.

10. The image capture device of claim 4, wherein the driver includes

a first circuit for outputting a pulse wave signal,

a second circuit for outputting a non-pulse wave signal, and

at least one switch to be turned in order to use either the pulse wave signal or the non-pulse wave signal selectively,

wherein the driver turns the at least one switch according to the condition of the subject being shot, and

wherein if the pulse wave signal supplied from the first circuit is used, the driver generates the digital signal based on the pulse wave signal, and

if the non-pulse wave signal supplied from the second circuit is used, the driver generates the analog signal based on the non-pulse wave signal.