Image pickup device having means for correcting the motion of an image

• US 6,501,503 B2
• Filed: 05/28/1997
• Issued: 12/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kudo, Toshimichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilson, Jacqueline
• Application Number:
  US08/864,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20010012059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,043 Days
• Field of Search: 348/208, 348/241, 348/352, 396/52, 396/55, 396/153, 396/208.99, 396/208.1, 396/208.2, 396/208.3, 396/208.4, 396/208.5 A, 396/208.6, 396/208.7, 396/208.8, 396/241, 396/352
• US Class Current: 348/208.99
• 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: 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 23/6812 based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/683 performed by a processor, e.g. controlling the readout of an image memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/686 with a variable apex prism

Abstract

An image pickup device comprises a motion detecting circuit for detecting the motion of the image from an image signal obtained from an image pickup element, a motion sensor for physically detecting the motion of the device, a memory for storing the image signal, a motion correcting circuit for correcting the motion by shifting the image readout position from the memory according to the motion detected by the motion detecting circuit, and a control circuit for controlling the function of the motion correcting circuit according to the output of the motion sensor.

Claims

1. An image pickup device comprising:

image pickup means for taking an image of an object and generating an image signal;

detecting means for detecting vibration of said image pickup means;

filter means with variable filter characteristics, for passing a detection signal of said detecting means;

output control means for controlling the output of said filter means;

blur correcting means for correcting blur of the image taken by said image pickup means, based on the output of said output control means; and

control means for controlling said filter means and said output control means according to the detection signal to elevate a low-region cut-off frequency of said filter means in case a vibration state indicated by the detection signal is stable.

2. An image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein said control means executes control so as not to release the output of said filter means, in case the vibration state indicated by said detection signal is stable.

3. An image pickup device according to claim 2, wherein said control means releases a signal for maintaining said blur correcting means at an optical center, in case the vibration state indicated by said detection signal is stable.

4. An image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein said blur correcting means includes a variable angle prism that transmits the image of the object to said image pickup means, drive means for driving said variable angle prism, angle detecting means for detecting a vertex angle of said variable angle prism, and target value generating means for generating a target value of the vertex angle of said variable angle prism, from detection results of said detecting means and said angle detecting means, and said drive means drives said variable angle prism in a manner so as to reach the target value generated by said target value generating means.

5. An image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means detects vibration in two mutually orthogonal directions.

6. An image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means detects vibration using an angular velocity sensor.

7. An image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein said image pickup means includes a solid-state image pickup element.