Television camera acceleration compensation apparatus

• US 4,864,409 A
• Filed: 01/20/1988
• Issued: 09/05/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Deutsche Thhomson-Brandt GmbH D-7730 Villingen-Schwenningen
• Original Assignee: Deutsche Thomson-Brandt Gmbh (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Haupt, Dieter, Keesen, Heinz-Werner, Schutze, Herbert, Platte, Hans-Joachim, Plantholt, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRINICH, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US07/146,189
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 358/222, 358/105
• US Class Current: 348/208.6
• 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 23/682 Vibration or motion blur correction

Abstract

A television camera includes an acceleration correction device for correcting for sudden movements of the camera, to prevent blurring of the resulting television picture. The correction device changes the starting point on an image target depending upon the amount and direction of the acceleration. This correction does not occur until the acceleration exceeds a threshold value.

Claims

1. In a television camera including a target on which a desired image field is projected by means of an optical system and which is scanned from a starting point on the target along a raster in order to produce a video signal, the improvement comprising:

a target which is larger than the field, and

means for producing a correcting variable representing acceleration of the camera and for causing shifting of the starting point of the scanning raster on the target when the acceleration exceeds a predetermined value.

2. Camera according to claim 1, wherein said means for producing a correcting variable further comprises two acceleration sensors mounted on the camera for detecting acceleration in two orthogonal directions in the target plane, said two acceleration sensors producing respective output voltages, and two integrators which respectively receive the output voltages of said two accelerators, said two integrators having respective output signals which represent velocities, said output signals of said two comparators being used to obtain the correcting variable.

3. Camera according to claim 1, further comprising two integrators which produce corresponding output signals, and a threshold circuit which receives said output signals of said two integrators for preventing shifting of the starting point when said output signals of said two integrators is below said predetermined value.

4. Camera according to claim 1, further comprising means for providing a signal from a preceding frame in response to occurrence of said correcting variable, whereby the signal of the frame just being scanned is not used and is replaced by the signal of the preceding frame.

5. Camera according to claim 4, wherein said means for providing a signal from a preceding frame further comprises a memory means for storing frame signals from the camera, whereby a frame is read out and used only if no sudden movement was recorded during scanning of the frame, otherwise the frame is replaced by the preceding frame.

6. Camera according to claim 1, further comprising means for comparing signals of successive frames or frame portions and generates the correcting variable if the difference between the signals of the successive frames lies above said predetermine value.

7. Camera according to claim 1, wherein said means for producing a correcting variable includes a plurality of acceleration sensors to detect acceleration of the camera and which produce an output signal which is used to determine the correcting variable.