Video camera having display for displaying movement speed and hand wobble

• US 6,476,861 B1
• Filed: 04/25/1997
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Min, Byung-Seog
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LUONG TRUNG
• Application Number:
  US08/840,624
• Time in Patent Office: 2,020 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.5228, 348/208
• US Class Current: 348/208.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/634 Warning indications

Abstract

A video camera that displays movement speed and hand wobble to allow a photographer to perform a stable photographing operation. The video camera detects up and down movement and left and right movement. The video camera discerns a detection signal as hand wobble when the detection signal is a periodic waveform having a predetermined frequency component, and discerns the detection signal as camera movement when the detection signal is a waveform having a constant amplitude without a frequency component. The video camera discriminates whether the detected hand wobble and movement speed are equal or greater than a reference value and a reference speed, respectively, and displays the hand wobble and movement speed quantitatively on a monitor, such as an electronic viewfinder. The video camera also displays a warning message to make the photographer recognize a current photographing state.

Claims

1. A video camera comprising:

an angular sensor that detects movement of the video camera and outputs a detection signal;

a detector that detects a movement speed and hand wobble of the video camera based on the detection signal output from said sensor;

a discrimination controller, responsive to said detector, that outputs a control signal for displaying the movement speed and the hand wobble; and

a display that displays the movement of speed and the hand wobble in response to the control signal output from said discrimination controller,

wherein said detector discerns whether the movement of the video camera is due to hand wobble or photographing movement in accordance with waveform pattern of the detection signal.

2. The video camera according to claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises a plurality of sensors for detecting up and down movement and left and right movement of the video camera.

3. The video camera according to claim 2, wherein said sensor further comprises an amplifier that amplifies the detection signal by a predetermined amplification factor and outputs an amplified detection signal.

4. The video camera according to claim 1, wherein said detector discerns the detection signal as hand wobble when the detection signal is a periodic waveform having a predetermined frequency component, and said detector discerns the detection signal as photographing movement when the detection signal is a waveform having a substantially constant amplitude without a frequency component.

5. The video camera according to claim 4, wherein said detector comprises:

a hand wobble degree detector that integrates the detection signal discerned as the hand wobble and outputs an integrated result indicating the magnitude of hand wobble; and

a movement speed detector that integrates the detection signal discerned as the photographing movement and outputs an integrated result indicating the movement speed.

6. The video camera according to claim 1, wherein said discrimination controller comprises a comparator which compares the movement speed and the hand wobble with respective reference values.

7. The video camera according to claim 6, wherein said discrimination controller outputs a warning signal to said display when the movement speed and the hand wobble detected by said detector exceed said respective reference values.

8. The video camera according to claim 7, wherein said display comprises a window for displaying said warning signal.

9. The video camera according to claim 1, wherein said display comprises a window for displaying the hand wobble and the movement speed.

10. The video camera according to claim 9, wherein said display displays a magnitude of the hand wobble.

11. The video camera according to claim 9, wherein said display displays the movement speed as a number.

12. The video camera according to claim 11, wherein said display comprises a direction indicator that indicates a movement direction of the video camera.

13. The video camera according to claim 9, wherein said display displays a magnitude and a direction of the hand wobble with a circle of a predetermined radius and indicators having magnitude and direction starting from the origin of the circle.