Image stabilizing apparatus

• US 5,581,404 A
• Filed: 11/03/1994
• Issued: 12/03/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Onuki, Ichiro, Misaka, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): KWON, JOHN
• Application Number:
  US08/336,229
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 359/557, 359/813, 359/814, 359/738, 359/739, 359/823
• US Class Current: 359/557
• 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

Abstract

Disclosed is an image stabilizing apparatus for correcting image blur by driving at least one of a plurality of lens units constituting an objective lens such that the lens unit is decentered from an optical axis. To prevent incidence of light on an image surface from a space formed when the lens unit is driven, a light-shielding member is provided in this space.

Claims

1. An image stabilizing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of lens units for forming an image;

holding means for holding said lens units;

supporting means;

driving means for driving said holding means with respect to said supporting means such that at least one lens unit is decentered from an optical axis; and

light-shielding means for shielding light passing through a space formed when said holding means for holding said lens unit is driven by said driving means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light-shielding means is provided on said supporting means.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said lens unit to be driven is moved along the optical axis to perform zooming.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light-shielding means has a predetermined aperture diameter.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said light-shielding means regulates light beams incident on or emerging from said lens unit to be driven.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light-shielding means is stationary in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis.

7. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said light-shielding means moves with movement of said lens unit.

8. An image stabilizing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of lens units for forming an image;

driving means for driving at least one lens unit to be decentered from an optical axis in order to stabilize an image; and

light-shielding means with a fixed aperture diameter, arranged adjacent to said lens unit to be driven, and stationary in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said lens unit to be driven and said light-shielding means move along the optical axis in order to perform zooming.

10. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said light-shielding means regulates light beams incident on or emerging from said lens unit to be driven.

11. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said light-shielding means is stationary in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis.

12. An image stabilizing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of lens units for forming an image;

driving means for driving at least one lens unit to be decentered from an optical axis in order to stabilize an image; and

light-shielding means having a predetermined shaped aperture and stationary in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis in order to reduce alternation of peripheral light generated by driving said lens unit to be decentered.

13. An image stabilizing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said lens unit to be driven and said light-shielding means move along the optical axis in order to perform zooming.

14. An image stabilizing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said light-shielding means regulates light beams incident on or emerging from said lens unit to be driven.

15. An image stabilizing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein a size of said light-shielding means is smaller than a size of said lens unit to be decentered.

16. An image stabilizing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of lens units for forming an image;

driving means for driving at least one lens unit to be decentered from an optical axis in order to stabilize an image; and

light-shielding means for shielding light passing through a space formed when said lens unit is driven by said driving means.

17. An image stabilizing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said lens unit to be driven is moved along the optical axis to perform zooming.

18. An image stabilizing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said light-shielding means has a predetermined aperture diameter.

19. An image stabilizing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein a size of said light-shielding means regulates light beams incident on or emerging from said lens unit to be driven.

20. An image stabilizing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said light-shielding means is stationary in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis.

21. An image stabilizing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said light-shielding means moves with movement of said lens unit.