IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND LENS BARREL

• US 20120236166A1
• Filed: 05/29/2012
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yumiki, Naoto
• Granted Patent: US 8,411,155 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/208.1
• 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. The imaging apparatus includes an imaging optical system that forms an optical image of a photographing object. An imaging sensor receives the optical image and converts the optical image to an electrical image signal. A detector determines, based on the image signal, whether the photographing object is a specific photographing object likely to move while a photograph is being captured that corresponds to information stored in a memory device provided to the imagining apparatus. A control section establishes an operational mode causing the imaging apparatus to continuously take a plurality of photographs of the photographing object when the photographing object is determined to be the specific photographing object that is likely to move.

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 optical image, converts the optical image to an electrical image signal and outputs the electrical image signal;

a detector that determines, based on the image signal, whether the photographing object is a specific photographing object that corresponds to information stored in a memory device provided to the imagining apparatus, the specific photographing object being likely to move while a photograph is being captured; and

a control section that establishes an operational mode causing the imaging apparatus to continuously take a plurality of photographs of the photographing object when the photographing object is determined to be the specific photographing object that is likely to move.

2. The imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control section stores, in the memory device, identifying information corresponding to the photographing object when the photographing object is determined to be the specific photographic object.

3. The imaging apparatus of claim 2, wherein the detector determines whether a subsequent photographing object is the specific photographing object based on the identifying information stored in the memory device by the control section.

4. The imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector comprises a comparison section that determines whether the photographing object is the specific photographing object by comparing information represented by the electrical image signal to identifying information corresponding to the specific photographing object stored in the memory device by the control section in response to formation of a previous optical image.

5. The imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operational mode causes the imaging apparatus to continuously take a plurality of photographs of the photographing object during a single shutter operation.

6. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging optical system that forms an optical image comprising a first photographing object and a second photographing object;

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

a detector that determines, based on the image signal, whether the first and second photographing objects are specific photographing objects that correspond to information stored in a memory device provided to the imagining apparatus, the specific photographing objects being likely to move while a photograph is being captured; and

a control section that (i) establishes an operational mode causing the imaging apparatus to continuously take a plurality of photographs of the first and second photographing objects if the first and second photographing objects are determined to be the specific photographing objects that are likely to move, and (ii) establishes a different operational mode if at least one of the first and second photographing objects is determined not to be the specific photographing object that is likely to move.

7. The imaging apparatus of claim 6, wherein the different operational mode is a single-photograph mode that causes the imaging apparatus to take a single photograph of the first and second photographing objects.

8. The imaging apparatus of claim 6, wherein the control section stores, in the memory device, identifying information corresponding to each of the first and second photographing objects that are determined to be the specific photographing object.

9. The imaging apparatus of claim 6, wherein the detector comprises a comparison section that determines the first photographing object is the specific photographing object by comparing information represented by the electrical image signal to identifying information corresponding to the specific photographing object stored in the memory device by the control section in response to formation of a previous optical image.

10. The imaging apparatus of claim 9, wherein the comparison section of the detector determines whether the second photographing object is another specific photographing object likely to move while the photograph is being captured by comparing the second photographing object to the first photographing object.