Image processing apparatus for correcting image vibration

• US 6,130,709 A
• Filed: 01/23/1995
• Issued: 10/10/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kondo, Toshiaki, Sekine, Masayoshi, Tokumitsu, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Ngoc-Yen, VU, NGOC YEN T
• Application Number:
  US08/376,305
• Time in Patent Office: 2,087 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207, 348/208, 348/699, 348/700, 348/143, 348/154, 348/155, 348/169, 348/240, 354/402, 354/406, 354/430, 359/196, 359/554, 359/555, 359/556, 359/557
• US Class Current: 348/208.8
• 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 23/686 with a variable apex prism

Abstract

An image processing apparatus comprising a signal conversion circuit for changing input/output characteristics in accordance with a shift position of an image is arranged between a detection circuit for detecting a relative movement between a camera and an object to be photographed and an image shift circuit for shifting the image in accordance with a detection result of the detection circuit.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus including:

A) means for detecting a movement of an image;

B) means for correcting the movement of the image on the basis of an output from said detecting means; and

C) control means for adaptively changing a unit movement correction amount of said movement correcting means to the movement detected by said detection means, according to a correcting position of said correcting means relative to an end of a movement correction range of said correcting means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means detects a movement vector of the image from an image pick-up signal output from an image pick-up means.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said correcting means comprises a variable vertex angle prism driven in accordance with the output from said detecting means.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said correcting means corrects the movement by shifting the image according to the output of the detecting means.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means non-linearly controls a relationship between an image movement amount detected by said detecting means and the correction amount of said correcting means.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said control means non-linearly compresses the correction amount for the image movement amount when an operation amount of said correcting means is increased.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said control means includes a plurality of ideal diodes and voltage regulating means.

8. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said control means is constituted by microcomputer software.

9. An image vibration detecting apparatus including:

A) image pick-up means;

B) movement detecting means for detecting a movement of an image from an image pick-up signal output from said image pick-up means;

C) means for correcting the movement of the image on the basis of an output from said movement detecting means;

D) first control means arranged between said detecting means and said correcting means for controlling a correction amount of said correcting means in accordance with an operating state of said correcting means; and

E) second control means for controlling an operation of said first control means in accordance with a frequency of the movement of the image.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said movement detecting means detects a movement vector in accordance with a change in the image.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said correcting means electronically cancels the movement of the image by shifting the image to cancel the movement vector.

12. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said correcting means optically cancels the movement of the image on the basis of the movement vector.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said second control means detects a movement amount in a specific frequency range of the image and supplies the detected movement amount to said first control means.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said second control means includes a low-pass filter for extracting a frequency component corresponding to a camera vibration.

15. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said first control means non-linearly controls a relationship between an image movement amount detected by said detecting means and the correction amount of said correcting means in accordance with a driving state of the correction amount.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said correcting means is a variable vertex angle prism.

17. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said correcting means corrects the movement by shifting the image according to the output of said movement detecting means.

18. A video camera apparatus including:

A) image pickup means;

B) means for detecting a movement of an image received into said image pickup means;

C) means for correcting the movement of the image; and

D) control means for adaptively changing a unit correction amount of said correcting means to the image movement detected by said detection means, according to a correcting position of said correcting means relative to an end of a movement correction range of said correcting means.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said control means non-linearly controls driving characteristics of said correcting means on the basis of an operating state of said correcting means.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said control means has non-linear characteristics to reduce the correction amount when said correcting means is closer to a movement correctable range limit thereof.

21. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said correcting means is a variable vertex angle prism.

22. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said correcting means corrects the movement by shifting the image according to an output of the detecting means.

23. A camera apparatus including:

A) means for detecting a movement between an object and a camera body;

B) means for correcting the movement on the basis of an output from said detecting means; and

C) control means for restraining a unit correction amount of said correcting means to the movement detected by said detection means, according to a correcting position of said correcting means relative to an end of a movement correction range of said correcting means on the basis of a predetermined non-linear characteristic.

24. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said control means non-linearily controls a relationship between an image movement amount detected by said detecting means and the correction amount of said correcting means.

25. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said control means reduces movement correction amount operated, based on the output of said detecting means, when said correcting means approaches the end of the correction range thereof.

26. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said correcting means is means for performing optical correction.

27. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said correcting means performs correction using image processing.

31. An apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said control means performs non-linear control so as to reduce correction amount when said correcting means is near to the end of a correction range thereof.

28. A video camera apparatus including:

A) image input means;

B) means for detecting a movement of an image received into said image input means;

C) means for correcting the movement of the image; and

D) control means for adaptively restraining a unit movement correction amount of said movement correcting means to the movement detected by said detection means, according to a correcting position of said correcting means relative to an end of a movement correction range of said correcting means.

29. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said correcting means is a variable vertex angle prism whose optical axis can be changed to correct vibration.

30. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said correcting means corrects the movement by shifting the image according to an output of the detecting means.