Dynamic amount detector, dynamic amount detecting method, and camera with dynamic amount detector

• US 5,686,665 A
• Filed: 05/09/1996
• Issued: 11/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Hara, Shinya, Okazaki, Mitsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Chilcot, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Noori, Max H.
• Application Number:
  US08/647,003
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 73/491, 73/488, 73/492, 73/495, 73/496, 73/504.03
• US Class Current: 73/495
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/56 Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses, e.g. vibratory angular rate sensors based on Coriolis forces
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 21/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus or devices covered by the preceding groups
• 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 2217/005 Blur detection
• 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

Abstract

A dynamic amount detector generates correction information according to a predetermined relational expression, based on directions and magnitudes of dynamic amounts which are opposite to each other and imparted to one of directions of a plurality of detection axes, directions and magnitudes of dynamic amounts imparted to respective directions of the remaining detection axes, and detection values in a dynamic amount detecting means obtained when these dynamic amounts are respectively imparted. By means of this correction information, the output value detected by the dynamic amount detecting means is corrected. While a high detection accuracy is attained, the correction information concerning detection accuracy can be determined simply.

Claims

1. A dynamic amount detector comprising:

a dynamic amount detecting means having a plurality of detection axes for detecting one kind of dynamic amount selected from the group consisting of acceleration, angular velocity, angular acceleration, and force;

a correction information generating means for generating correction information, according to a predetermined relational expression, based on directions, which are opposite to each other, and magnitudes of dynamic amounts which are imparted in one of the directions of said plurality of detection axes, and directions and magnitudes of dynamic amounts which are imparted to respective directions of the remaining detection axes, and detection values in said dynamic amount detecting means obtained when said dynamic amounts are respectively imparted;

a storage means for storing said correction information; and

a correcting means for correcting an output detected dynamic value detected and output by said dynamic amount detecting means by using the correction information stored in said storage means, when said dynamic amount detector detects dynamic values.

2. A dynamic amount detector according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of detection axes are two or three axes which are orthogonal to each other.

3. A dynamic amount detector according to claim 1, wherein said dynamic amount detector is attached to an object to be detected.

4. A dynamic amount detector according to claim 3, wherein said object to be detected is a main body or lens barrel of a camera.

5. A camera comprising:

a dynamic amount detector comprising a dynamic amount detecting means having a plurality of detection axes for detecting one kind of dynamic amount selected from the group consisting of acceleration, angular velocity, angular acceleration, and force;

a correction information generating means for generating correction information, according to a predetermined relational expression, based on directions, which are opposite to each other, and magnitudes of dynamic amounts which are imparted in one of the directions of said plurality of detection axes, and directions and magnitudes of dynamic amounts which are imparted to respective directions of the remaining detection axes, and detection values in said dynamic amount detector obtained when said dynamic amounts are respectively imparted;

a storage means for storing said correction information; and

a correcting means for correcting an output value detected and output by said dynamic amount detecting means by using the correction information stored in said storage means, when said dynamic amount detector detects dynamic amounts;

a manual-blurring correcting means for correcting manual blurring based on a result of detection corrected by said dynamic amount detector; and

a driving means for driving said manual-blurring correcting means.

6. A camera according to claim 5, wherein said plurality of detection axes are two or three axes which are orthogonal to each other.

7. A dynamic amount detecting method comprising the steps of:

changing, at least four times, a position of an object to be detected, which is equipped with a dynamic amount detecting means which has three substantially orthogonal detection axes and detects one kind of dynamic amount selected from the group consisting of acceleration, angular velocity, angular acceleration, and force;

independently imparting dynamic amounts, which are opposed in direction in each one of said three detection axes, while imparting dynamic amounts with arbitrary directions to respective directions of the remaining detection axes, so as to generate correction information, according to a predetermined relational expression, based on directions and magnitudes of the respective imparted dynamic amounts and detection values in said dynamic amount detecting means obtained when said dynamic amounts are respectively imparted;

storing thus generated correction information; and

then

using thus stored correction information to correct an output value detected by said dynamic amount detecting means, when detecting dynamic amounts.

8. A dynamic amount detector comprising:

a dynamic amount detecting means having a plurality of detection axes for detecting one kind of dynamic amount selected from the group consisting of acceleration, angular velocity, angular acceleration, and force;

a correction information generating means for generating correction information, wherein said correction information generation comprises detecting sensitivity coefficients and DC component values, according to a predetermined relational expression, based on directions, which are opposed to each other, and magnitudes of dynamic amounts imparted in one of directions of said plurality of detection axes, and directions and magnitudes of dynamic amounts imparted in respective directions of the remaining detection axes, and detection values in said dynamic amount detecting means obtained when said dynamic amounts are respectively imparted;

a storage means for storing said correction information; and

a correcting means for correcting an output of said dynamic amount detecting means by using the correction information stored in said storage means, when detecting said detector detects dynamic amounts, and outputting therefrom a corrected dynamic amount.

11. A dynamic amount detector according to claim 8, wherein said plurality of detection axes are two or three axes which are orthogonal to each other.

12. A dynamic amount detector according to 8, wherein said dynamic amount detecting means is attached to an object to be detected.

13. A dynamic amount detector according to claim 12, wherein said object to be detected is a main body or lens barrel of a camera.

9. A camera comprising:

a dynamic amount detector comprising a dynamic amount detecting means having a plurality of detection axes for detecting one kind of dynamic amount selected from the group consisting of acceleration, angular velocity, angular acceleration, and force;

a correction information generating means, for generating correction information, wherein said correction information generation comprises detecting sensitivity coefficients and DC component values, according to a predetermined relational expression, based on directions, which are opposed to each other, and magnitudes of dynamic amounts imparted in one of directions of said plurality of detection axes, and directions and magnitudes of dynamic amounts imparted in respective directions of the remaining detection axes, and detection values in said dynamic amount detector obtained when said dynamic amounts are respectively imparted;

a storage means for storing said correction information; and

a correcting means for correcting an output of said dynamic amount detector by using the correction information stored in said storage means, when said detector detects dynamic amounts;

a manual-blurring correction means for correcting manual blurring based on a result of detection corrected by said dynamic amount detector; and

a driving means for driving said manual-blurring correcting means.

10. A dynamic amount detecting method comprising the steps of:

changing, at least four times, a position of an object to be detected, which is equipped with a dynamic amount detecting means which has three detection axes and detects one kind of dynamic amount selected from the group consisting of acceleration, angular velocity, angular acceleration, and force, before detecting output values by said dynamic amount detecting means;

independently imparting dynamic amounts, which are opposite in direction to each other, along each of said three detection axes, while imparting dynamic amounts arbitrarily along respective directions of the remaining detection axes, so as to generate correction information, said correction information comprising detecting sensitivity coefficients and DC component values, according to a predetermined relational expression, based on directions and magnitudes of the respective dynamic amounts and detection values in said dynamic amount detecting means obtained when said dynamic amounts are respectively imparted;

storing thus generated correction information; and

then

using thus stored correction information to correct a value of dynamic amounts detected and output by said dynamic amount detecting means, when detecting said dynamic amounts.