Electronic picture stabilizer with movable detection areas and video camera utilizing the same

• US 6,144,405 A
• Filed: 12/15/1995
• Issued: 11/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xacti Corporation (Office Support KK)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Toba, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Ngoc-Yen, VU, NGOC YEN T
• Application Number:
  US08/573,382
• Time in Patent Office: 1,789 Days
• Field of Search: 348/135, 348/142, 348/155, 348/169, 348/208, 348/699, 348/700, 348/701, 396/52, 396/55
• US Class Current: 348/208.4
• 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 23/683 performed by a processor, e.g. controlling the readout of an image memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/145 Movement estimation for video coding H04N19/51

Abstract

An electronic picture stabilizer includes a microcomputer which determines whether or not each of detection areas is a valid area or invalid area. If the detection areas adjacent in a vertical direction are invalid areas, the detection areas are moved so as to maximize a distance between the detection areas adjacent in the vertical direction, and if the detection areas adjacent in a horizontal direction are invalid areas, the detection areas are moved in a manner that a distance between the detection areas adjacent in the horizontal direction becomes maximum. If the number of the invalid areas is a predetermined value, the detection areas are moved at four (4) corners of an image field. By moving the detection areas, the invalid areas become valid areas. If all the detection areas continuously become the valid areas during a predetermined number of fields, the detection areas are returned to their initial positions.

Claims

1. An electronic picture stabilizer, comprising:

a means for detecting a portion motion vector for each of a plurality of detection areas arranged within an image field;

a means for evaluating a whole motion vector on the basis of the portion motion vectors of the detection areas; and

a relative position changing means for moving at least one predetermined detection area out of a plurality of detection areas with respect to remaining detection areas so as to change relative positions between the plurality of detection areas.

2. An electronic picture stabilizer according to claim 1, further comprising an area determination means for determining whether each of the detection areas is a valid area or invalid area, wherein

when it is determined by said area determination means that there is an invalid detection, the detection areas are moved by said relative position changing means in a predetermined manner.

3. An electronic picture stabilizer according to claim 2, wherein the detection areas are moved by said moving means in manners different from each other in accordance with a position of said invalid detection area.

4. An electronic picture stabilizer according to claim 3, wherein the detection areas are moved by said moving means in a manner that a distance between the detection areas adjacent in a vertical direction becomes maximum at a time that it is determined by said area determination means that the detection areas adjacent in the vertical direction are invalid areas.

5. An electronic picture stabilizer according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the detection areas are moved by said moving means in a manner that a distance between the detection areas adjacent in a horizontal direction becomes maximum at a time that it is determined by said area determination means that the detection areas adjacent in the vertical direction are invalid areas.

6. An electronic picture stabilizer according to one of claims 3 or 4, further comprising a counting means for counting the number of the invalid detection areas, wherein

the detection areas are moved by said moving means in manners different from each other in accordance with the number of the invalid detection areas.

7. An electronic picture stabilizer according to claim 6, wherein the detection areas are moved by said moving means in a manner that a distance between the detection areas adjacent in a horizontal direction becomes maximum and a distance between the detection areas adjacent in a vertical direction becomes maximum at a time that it is determined by said counting means that the number of the invalid detection areas is other than a predetermined value.

8. An electronic picture stabilizer according to one of claims 2 to 4, further comprising a means for returning the detection areas back to their initial positions at a time that all the detection areas become valid detection areas.

9. An electronic picture stabilizer according to claim 8, wherein the detection areas are returned-back to the initial positions at a time that all the detection areas are continuously become valid detection areas during a predetermined number of fields.

14. An electronic picture stabilizer according to claim 5, further comprising a counting means for counting the number of the invalid detection areas, wherein

the detection areas are moved by said moving means in manners different from each other in accordance with the number of the invalid detection areas.

15. An electronic picture stabilizer according to claim 5, further comprising a means for returning the detection areas back to their initial positions at a time that all the detection areas become valid detection areas.

16. An electronic picture stabilizer according to claim 6, further comprising a means for returning the detection areas back to their initial positions at a time that all the detection areas become valid detection areas.

17. An electronic picture stabilizer according to claim 7, further comprising a means for returning the detection areas back to their initial positions at a time that all the detection areas become valid detection areas.

18. An electronic picture stabilizer according to claim 15, wherein the detection areas are returned-back to the initial positions at a time that all the detection areas are continuously become valid detection areas during a predetermined number of fields.

19. An electronic picture stabilizer according to claim 16, wherein the detection areas are returned-back to the initial positions at a time that all the detection areas are continuously become valid detection areas during a predetermined number of fields.

20. An electronic picture stabilizer according to claim 17, wherein the detection areas are returned-back to the initial positions at a time that all the detection areas are continuously become valid detection areas during a predetermined number of fields.

10. A video camera, comprising:

a means for detecting a portion motion vector for each of a plurality of detection areas arranged within an image field;

a means for evaluating a whole motion vector on the basis of the portion motion vectors of the detection areas;

a means for correcting an intentional motion of said video camera on the basis of the whole motion vector; and

a relative position changing means for moving at least one predetermined detection area out of a plurality of detection areas with respect to remaining detection areas so as to change relative positions between the plurality of detection areas.

11. A video camera according to claim 10, further comprising an area determination means for determining whether each of the detection area is a valid area or invalid area, wherein

when it is determined by said area determination means that there is an invalid detection, the detection areas are moved by said relative position changing means in a predetermined manner.

12. A video camera according to claim 11, wherein the detection areas are moved by said moving means in manners different from each other in accordance with a position of said invalid detection area.

13. A video camera according to one of claims 10 to 12, further comprising a counting means for counting the number of the invalid detection areas, wherein

the detection areas are moved by said moving means in manners different from each other in accordance with the number of the invalid detection areas.

21. A video camera comprising:

an image sensor, having an optical signal as an input signal and a converted electrical signal as an output; and

a camera circuit,

wherein said camera circuit comprises;

a sample and hold circuit having an input of said converted electrical signal, and having an output of held samples of said converted electrical signals;

an analog to digital converter having an input of said held samples and having an output of digital values of said held samples;

a motion detecting circuit having an input of said digital values and having an output of correlation data associated with at least two detection areas of said image sensor; and

a microcomputer having an input of said correlation data, and having a first output to said motion detecting circuit,

wherein said motion detecting circuit is responsive to said first output of said microcomputer to move at least one detection area of said at least two detection areas so as to change relative positions between the at least two detection areas to perform picture stabilization.

22. An electronic picture stabilizing method, comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting a portion motion vector for each of a plurality of detection areas arranged within an image field;

(b) evaluating a whole motion vector on the basis of the portion motion vectors detected in step (a); and

(c) moving at least one predetermined detection area of said plurality of detection areas with respect to remaining detection areas so as to change relative positions between the plurality of detection areas.

23. An electronic picture stabilizing method, comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting a portion motion vector for each of a plurality of detection areas arranged within an image field;

(b) evaluating a whole motion vector on the basis of the portion motion vectors of the detection areas detected in step (a);

(c) correcting a motion of a video camera on the basis of the whole motion vector evaluated in step (b); and

(d) moving at least one predetermined detection area out of the plurality of detection areas with respect to remaining detection areas so as to change relative positions between the plurality of detection areas.