Image sensing device

• US 6,639,625 B1
• Filed: 07/13/1998
• Issued: 10/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Ishida, Tokuji, Ueyama, Masayuki, Matsuda, Shinya
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Application Number:
  US09/114,138
• Time in Patent Office: 1,933 Days
• Field of Search: 348/218, 348/219, 348/36, 348/39, 348/218.1, 348/219.1
• US Class Current: 348/218.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0402 Scanning different formats; Scanning with different densities of dots per unit length, e.g. different numbers of dots per inch (dpi); Conversion of scanning standards H04N1/00283 takes precedence; picture signal circuits for modification of image resolution H04N1/3935, H04N1/40068
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0411 in the main scanning direction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0414 in the sub scanning direction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0432 Varying the magnification of a single lens group
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0455 using a single set of scanning elements, e.g. the whole of and a part of an array respectively for different formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/195 the array comprising a two-dimensional array or a combination of two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0426 Scanning an image in a series of contiguous zones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/48 Increasing resolution by shifting the sensor relative to the scene
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2624 for obtaining an image which is composed of whole input images, e.g. splitscreen

Abstract

High resolution composite images and ultra wide composite images are produced in a digital camera which combines a plurality of images to form a composite image on a single sheet. An image sensing unit includes a movable image sensing optical unit having a first and second focal lengths and a two-dimensional image sensing device. The image sensing unit is driven to control the optical axis of the image sensing optical unit so as to capture a plurality of images via the two-dimensional image sensing device. The plurality of images are combined to produce a composite image. An ultra wide composite image at standard resolution is produced by setting the focal length of the image sensing optical unit at a first focal length on the wide angle side, and a high resolution composite image is produced by setting the focal length of the image sensing optical unit at a second focal length on the telephoto side.

Claims

1. An image sensing device comprising:

a two-dimensional image sensor which captures an image projected thereon to generate image data;

an optical unit having at least two focal lengths, said optical unit projecting an image on said image sensor;

a focal length control unit which changes the focal length of said optical unit;

a direction control unit which controls the direction of the optical axis of said optical unit;

an image combining unit which combines a plurality of images captured by said image sensor to form a composite image;

a mode selector which selects either a standard image sensing mode or a high resolution image sensing mode; and

an operation control unit which controls said focal length control unit, said direction control unit, said image sensor, and said image combining unit in accordance with the image sensing mode selected by said mode selector;

wherein, when said standard image sensing mode is selected by said mode selector, said operation control unit controls said focal length control unit to set the focal length of said optical unit at a first focal length, and captures the entire target via said image sensor; and

wherein, when said high resolution mode is selected by said mode selector, said operation control unit controls said focal length control unit to set the focal length of said optical unit at said first focal length and captures a reference image of the entire target, and controls said focal length control unit to set the focal length of said optical unit at a second focal length longer than said first focal length, and controls said direction control unit to sequentially move the direction of the optical axis of said optical unit toward the center of each area of a target image capture range which has been divided into a plurality of areas, and captures the image of each said area via said image sensor, and combines said plurality of captured images with reference to said reference image via said image combining unit to produce a high resolution composite image of the entire target image.

2. The image sensing device claimed in claim 1, wherein said optical unit includes one of a bifocal lens or a zoom lens, and said second focal length is an integer multiple of said first focal length.

3. The image sensing device claimed in claim 1, wherein the image sensing surface area of said image sensor in said high resolution mode is greater than the surface area of the individual images corresponding to said area that are combined by said image combining means.

4. The image sensing device claimed in claim 1, wherein said direction control unit is a movable mirror disposed on the optical axis of said image sensing unit and is driven in a predetermined direction to a predetermined angle.

5. The image sensing device claimed in claim 1, wherein said direction control unit is a drive mechanism which drives a housing containing said optical unit and said image sensor in a predetermined direction to a predetermined angle.

6. An image forming device comprising:

an optical unit;

a two-dimensional image sensor which captures an image projected thereon by said optical unit to generate image data;

a direction control unit comprising a drive mechanism for driving a housing accommodating said optical unit and said two-dimensional image sensor in a predetermined direction to a predetermined angle, to thereby control the direction of the optical axis of said optical unit;

an image combining unit which combines a plurality of images captured by said two-dimensional image sensor to form a composite image of a target image;

an image plane format setting unit which sets the target image sensing range to be captured; and

an operation control unit which calculates the number of images captured by said two-dimensional image sensor and the direction of the optical axis of said optical unit capturing said images from a target image sensing range set by said image plane format setting unit, and controls said direction control unit, said two-dimensional image sensor, and said image combining unit based on said calculation results.

7. The image forming device claimed in claim 6, wherein the image sensing surface area of said two-dimensional image sensor is larger than the surface area of the individual images that are combined by said image combining unit.

8. The image forming device claimed in claim 6, wherein said direction control unit is a movable mirror disposed along the optical axis of said image sensing unit that is in a predetermined direction to a predetermined angle.

9. The image forming device of claim 6, wherein said image plane format setting unit is capable of setting the vertical and horizontal image planes at respectively different optional magnifications for enlargement.

10. An image forming device comprising:

an optical unit;

a two-dimensional image sensor which captures an image projected thereon by said optical unit;

a direction control unit which controls the direction of the optical axis of said optical unit;

an image combining unit which combines a plurality of images captured by said two-dimensional image sensor to form a composite image of a target image; and

an operation control unit which controls said direction control unit, said two-dimensional image sensor, and said image combining unit,

wherein said operation control unit controls said direction control unit to sequentially move the direction of the optical axis of said optical unit toward the center of each area of a target image divided into a plurality of areas, so as to capture the image of each area by said two-dimensional image sensor, and captures an a separate image near the adjacent area of at least two mutually adjacent areas among the areas of said divided target image as a reference image, and combines a plurality of captured images by said image combining unit while referring to said separate reference image to produce a composite image of the entire target image.

11. The image forming device claimed in claim 10, further including a hand vibration detection unit to correct the direction of the optical axis of said optical unit by said direction control unit using a vibration amount detected by said hand vibration detecting unit.

12. The image forming device claimed in claim 10, further including a hand vibration detection unit for detecting vibration during movement of the optical axis of said optical unit, and a vibration amount memory to store said detected vibration amount, and wherein the image sensing surface area of said two-dimensional image sensor is larger than the surface area of each individual image that is combined by said image combining unit, so as to correct mutual dislocation of combined images using the vibration amount detected by said hand vibration detection unit.

13. The image forming device claimed in claim 10, wherein flash illumination is executed when capturing images by said two-dimensional image sensor.

14. The image forming device claimed in claim 10, wherein said direction control unit is a drive mechanism for driving a housing accommodating said optical unit and said two-dimensional image sensor in a predetermined direction to a predetermined angle.

15. The image forming device claimed in claim 10, wherein said direction control unit is a movable mirror disposed along the optical axis of said optical unit and driven in a predetermined direction to a predetermined angle.

16. A method for sensing an image, comprising the steps of:

projecting an image on a two-dimensional image sensing device by means of an optical unit having at least two focal lengths;

selecting either a standard image sensing mode or a high resolution image sensing mode;

setting the focal length of said optical unit at a first focal length, and capturing the entire image via said sensing device when said standard image sensing mode is selected by said mode selector; and

when the high resolution image sensing mode is selected, capturing a reference image of the entire target image sensing range with the focal length of said optical unit set at said first focal length, and setting the focal length of said optical unit at a second focal length longer than said first focal length, sequentially moving the direction of the optical axis of said optical unit toward the center of each area of a target image capture range which has been divided into a plurality of areas, capturing the image of each said area via said sensing device, and combining said plurality of captured images with reference to said reference image to produce a high resolution composite image of the entire target image.

17. The method claimed in claim 16, wherein said second focal length is an integer multiple of said first focal length.

18. The method claimed in claim 16, wherein the image sensing surface area of said image sensing device in said high resolution mode is greater than the surface area of the individual images that are combined by said image combining means.

19. A method for forming an image, comprising the steps of:

capturing an image projected on a two-dimensional image sensing device by an optical unit;

sequentially moving the direction of the optical axis of said optical unit toward the center of each area of a target image divided into a plurality of areas, so as to capture the image of each area by said two-dimensional image sensing device;

capturing a separate image near the adjacent area of at least two mutually adjacent areas among the areas of said divided target image as a reference image; and

combining a plurality of captured images while referring to said separate reference image to produce a composite image of the target image.

20. The method claimed in claim 19, further including the steps of detecting vibration of said optical unit, and correcting the direction of the optical axis of said optical unit using a detected vibration amount.

21. The method claimed in claim 19, further including the steps of detecting vibration during movement of the optical axis of said optical unit, storing said detected vibration amount, and correcting mutual dislocation of combined images using the detected vibration amount.

22. The method claimed in claim 19, further including the steps of providing flash illumination when capturing images by said two-dimensional image sensor.

23. An image forming device comprising:

an optical unit having at least two focal lengths;

a focal length control unit which changes the focal length of said optical unit;

a two-dimensional image sensor which captures an image projected thereon by said optical unit to generate image data;

a direction control unit which controls the direction of the optical axis of said optical unit;

an image combining unit which combines a plurality of images captured by said two-dimensional image sensor to form a composite image of a target image;

an image plane format setting unit which sets the target image sensing range to be captured; and

an operation control unit which controls said focal length control unit, said direction control unit, said two-dimensional image sensor, and said image combining unit based upon a target image capturing range set by said image plane format setting unit to produce an image plane exceeding the image sensing region at a first focal length on the short focal length side.

24. An image forming device claimed in claim 23, wherein said operation control unit sets the number of images captured by said two-dimensional image sensor and the direction of the optical axis of said optical unit in accordance with said first focal length.

25. An image forming device claimed in claim 23, wherein said operation control unit sets the number of images captured by said two-dimensional image sensor and the direction of the optical axis of said optical unit in accordance with a second focal length longer than said first focal length.

26. A method for forming an image, comprising the steps of:

projecting an image on a two-dimensional image sensor by means of an optical unit having at least two focal lengths;

setting a target image sensing range to be captured;

setting the focal length of said optical unit;

controlling the direction of the optical axis of said optical unit based on said target image sensing range;

capturing each of said images in said target image sensing range; and

combining the images captured by said two-dimensional image sensor to produce an image plane exceeding the image sensing region at a first focal length on a short focal length side.

27. The method claimed in claim 26, further comprising the step of:

setting the number of images captured by said two-dimensional image sensor and the direction of the optical axis of said optical unit in accordance with said first focal length.

28. The method claimed in claim 26, further comprising the step of:

setting the number of images captured by said two-dimensional image sensor and the direction of the optical axis of said optical unit in accordance with a second focal length longer than said first focal length.