Image stabilizing device for camera

• US 5,734,932 A
• Filed: 10/07/1994
• Issued: 03/31/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Washisu, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): ADAMS JR, RUSSELL E
• Application Number:
  US08/320,834
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 354/70, 354/430, 354/222, 354/441, 396/52, 396/55
• US Class Current: 396/55
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/00 Details of cameras or camera bodies; Accessories therefor lens hoods or caps G03B11/04
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2207/005 involving control of motion blur
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/005 Blur detection

Abstract

A camera image stabilizing apparatus includes a blur detecting device for detecting blur in an image; a blur compensating device for compensating blur in the image; a control device for controlling the blur compensating device, in response to an output from the blur detecting device; and a varying device for changing in accordance with shutter speed, at least one of an integration time constant of the control device, that of a high-pass filter, or the gain of a control loop.

Claims

1. An image stabilizing apparatus for a camera, comprising:

(A) blur detecting means for detecting image blur;

(B) blur compensating means for compensating for image blur;

(C) control means for controlling said blur compensating means in response to an output from said blur detecting means; and

(D) varying means capable of changing in accordance with shutter speed, at least one of an integration time constant of said control means, an integration time constant of a high-pass filter, or the gain of a control loop.

2. An image stabilizing apparatus for a camera according to claim 1, wherein said varying means comprises means for reducing, in accordance with a rise in shutter speed, at least one of the integration time constant of said control means, the integration time constant of a high-pass filter, or the gain of a control loop.

3. An image stabilizing apparatus for a camera according to claim 1, wherein said varying means comprises means for enlarging, in accordance with a reduction in shutter speed, at least one of the integration time constant of said control means, the integration time constant of a high-pass filter, or the gain of a control loop.

4. An image stabilizing apparatus for a camera according to claim 1, wherein said varying means comprises means for changing the gain of a speed control loop.

5. An image stabilizing apparatus for a camera according to claim 1, wherein said varying means comprises means for changing the gain of a position control loop.

6. An image stabilizing apparatus for a camera according to claim 1, wherein said blur detecting means comprises means for detecting an angular velocity of an imaging optical system.

7. An image stabilizing apparatus for a camera according to claim 1, wherein said blur compensating means comprises a compensating optical means.

8. A camera comprising:

(A) blur detecting means for detecting image blur;

(B) blur compensating means for compensating image blur;

(C) control means for controlling said blur compensating means in response to an output from said blur detecting means; and

(D) varying means for changing, in accordance with shutter speed, at least one of an integration time constant of said control means, an integration time constant of a high-pass filter, or the gain of a control loop.

9. A camera according to claim 8, wherein said varying means comprises means for reducing, in accordance with rise in shutter speed, at least one of the integration time constant of said control means, the integration time constant of a high-pass filter, or the gain of a control loop.

10. A camera according to claim 8, wherein said varying means includes means for enlarging, in accordance with reduction in shutter speed, at least one of the integration time constant of said control means, the integration time constant of a high-pass filter, or the gain or a control loop.

11. A camera according to claim 8, wherein said varying means comprises means for changing the gain of a speed control loop.

12. A camera according to claim 8, wherein said varying means comprises means for changing the gain of a position control loop.

13. A camera according to claim 8, wherein said blur detecting means comprises means for detecting an angular velocity of an imaging optical system.

14. A camera according to claim 8, wherein said blur compensating means comprises a compensating optical means.

15. An optical apparatus, comprising:

(a) vibration detecting means;

(b) vibration compensating means;

(c) control means for controlling an operation of said vibration compensating means in accordance with an output of said vibration detection means; and

(d) varying means for changing a vibration compensation characteristic of said vibration compensating means in accordance with shutter speed.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said varying means changes a frequency range in which vibration is compensated for by said vibration compensating means.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said varying means increases a lower limit of said frequency range in accordance with an increase in shutter speed.

18. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said varying means decreases the lower limit of said frequency range in accordance with a decrease in shutter speed.

19. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said optical apparatus performs a photographing function.

20. An image blur prevention apparatus adapted to a camera including a setting portion for setting a shutter speed, said apparatus comprising:

an image blur prevention device that compensates for image blur; and

a varying device that varies an operation characteristic of said image blur prevention device in accordance with a shutter speed set by said setting portion.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said varying device includes means for varying a frequency characteristic of said image blur prevention device.

22. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said image blur prevention device includes an image blur compensating device that compensates for an image blur, and said varying means changes a frequency range in which vibration is compensated for by said vibration compensating device.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said varying means increases a lower limit of said frequency range in accordance with an increase in shutter speed.

24. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said varying means decreases the lower limit of said frequency range in accordance with a decrease in shutter speed.

25. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said image blur prevention device includes means for performing an image blur prevention operation in accordance with a signal corresponding to a state of image blur and said varying device includes means for varying a response characteristic of said image blur prevention device according to a signal corresponding to the state of image blur.

26. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said image blur prevention device includes means for performing an image blur compensation operation in accordance with a signal corresponding to a fluctuation state of a device for which said image blur prevention device performs the image blur compensation operation.

27. An apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising:

a signal processing circuit that performs a predetermined signal processing in accordance with a signal corresponding to the image blur, wherein said image blur prevention device includes means for performing the image blur prevention operation in accordance with a signal derived from said predetermined signal processing circuit, and said varying device includes means for varying a signal processing characteristic of said signal processing circuit.

28. An apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said signal processing circuit includes a high-pass filter, and said varying means includes means for varying a time constant of said high-pass filter.

29. An apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising:

a control circuit that controls said image blur prevention device in accordance with the signal corresponding to the image blur, and wherein said varying device includes means for varying a control loop gain of a control loop of said control circuit.

30. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said image blur prevention device includes means for optically compensating for image blur.

31. An apparatus according to claim 30, wherein said image blur prevention device includes means for deflecting a light beam.

32. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said image blur prevention device includes means for performing an image blur prevention operation by moving a compensating optical member in an optical path.

33. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said image blur prevention device includes means for preventing image blur for a photographic image of the camera.

34. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said varying device includes means for reducing said frequency range in accordance with an increase in the shutter speed.

35. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said varying device includes means for decreasing said time constant in accordance with an increase in the shutter speed.

36. An apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said signal processing circuit includes an integrating circuit and said varying device includes means for varying an integration time constant of said integrating circuit in accordance with the shutter speed.

37. An apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said varying device includes means for decreasing the integration time constant in accordance with an increase in the shutter speed.

38. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the camera includes a photometric device, and said setting portion includes means for determining the shutter speed in accordance with a result of photometry by said photometric device.

39. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said setting portion includes means for enabling a user to arbitrarily set the shutter speed.

40. An apparatus for use with an image blur prevention device adapted to a camera including a setting portion for setting a shutter speed, said apparatus comprising:

an input portion that inputs shutter speed information indicated by said setting portion of the camera, and

a varying device that varies an operation characteristic of said image blur prevention device in accordance with the shutter speed information input to said input portion.

41. An optical apparatus adapted for use with a camera including a setting portion for setting a shutter speed, said apparatus comprising:

an image blur prevention device that compensates for image blur; and

a varying device that varies an operation characteristic of said image blur prevention device in accordance with a shutter speed set by said setting portion.

42. A camera including a setting portion for setting a shutter speed, said camera comprising:

an image blur prevention device that compensates for image blur;

an input portion that inputs shutter speed information indicated by said setting portion of said camera; and

a varying device that varies an operation characteristic of said image blur prevention device in accordance with the shutter speed information input to said input portion.