Image sensing apparatus

• US 6,734,903 B1
• Filed: 02/27/1995
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takeda, Nobuhiro, Fujiwara, Akihiro, Ogura, Shigeo, Wada, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): ONUAKU, CHRISTOPHER O
• Application Number:
  US08/391,388
• Time in Patent Office: 3,361 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.5232, 348/218, 348/222, 348/208, 348/219, 348/220, 348/221, 348/64, 348/169, 348/233, 348/376, 348/208.1, 348/218.1, 348/219.1, 348/220.1, 348/221.1, 348/222.1
• US Class Current: 348/219.1
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2205/003 by a prism with variable angle or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/005 Blur detection
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 5/00 Adjustment of optical system relative to image or object surface other than for focusing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/673 based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/48 Increasing resolution by shifting the sensor relative to the scene

Abstract

In an image sensing apparatus of this embodiment, a variable angle prism for preventing a camera shake is used to attain a pixel shift. Consequently, low resolution images free from a blur and high-resolution images obtained by the pixel shift can be selectively obtained with an extremely simple arrangement. Whether a resolution increasing function is to be executed is properly determined in accordance with photographing conditions. Therefore, the resolution increasing function has no adverse effect on other functions. In addition, a power-saving effect can be enhanced since an unnecessary resolution increasing function is not performed. Since the resolution can be further increased by using a conventional camera shake preventing device, a larger amount of a high-frequency component can be detected. Consequently, focus detection can be performed accurately.

Claims

1. An image sensing apparatus comprising:

image forming means for forming an image of an object to be photographed;

image sensing means for photographing the image of the object formed by said image forming means;

displacing means for displacing the image of the object formed by said image forming means and said image sensing means relative to each other; and

control means for performing switching between a first image sensing mode in which said displacing means performs a vibration correction to yield a low resolution image and a second image sensing mode in which said displacing means performs a pixel shift to yield a high-resolution image.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image sensing means includes a plurality of image sensors each corresponding to one pixel, and

in the second image sensing mode the image of the object is shifted by 1/N (N is a natural number of not less than 2) of a pixel pitch of said image sensing means by said displacing means, and resulting N images of the object are photographed and synethesized to yield a high-resolution image.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a memory for synthesizing the N images of the object obtained in the second image sensing mode.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising vibration detecting means for detecting a vibration of said image sensing apparatus,

wherein in the first image sensing mode said displacing means is controlled in accordance with an amount of the vibration detected by said vibration detecting means.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising motion detecting means for detecting a motion vector of the object,

wherein said control means performs switching between the first and second image sensing modes in accordance with information on the motion vector of the object detected by said motion detecting means.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said displacing means includes a variable angle prism and an actuator for controlling a vertical angle of said variable angle prism.

7. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said image sensor is a CCD.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said displacing means changes an argument of a mirror surface reflecting plate.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said displacing means rotates a prism.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said displacing means changes relative positions of a plurality of prisms.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said displacing means changes a position of a lens group with respect to an optical axis.

12. An image sensing apparatus comprising:

image forming means for forming an image of an object to be photographed;

image sensing means for photographing the image of the object formed by said image forming means;

displacing means for displacing the image of the object formed by said image forming means and said image sensing means relative to each other;

synthesizing means for obtaining a high-resolution image by synthesizing a plurality of images of the object obtained by performing a pixel shift by said displacing means;

control means for performing switching between a first image sensing mode in which said displacing means performs a vibration correction to yield a low resolution image and a second image sensing mode in which said displacing means performs a pixel shift to yield a high-resolution image; and

vibration correcting means for selectively performing a vibration correction by using said displacing means.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

said image sensing means includes a plurality of image sensors each corresponding to one pixel,

said displacing means displaces the image of the object by 1/N (N is a natural number of not less than 2) of a pixel pitch of said image sensing means, and

said synthesizing means synthesizes resulting N images of the object to yield a high-resolution image.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

said image forming means separates the image of the object to form a plurality of images,

the same number of said image sensing means as the number of the images formed by said image forming means are provided, and

in at least two of said plurality of image sensing means arrangements of image sensors are pixel-shifted from each other.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

said image forming means forms at least two secondary images of the object,

said displacing means displaces the at least two secondary images relative to each other, and

said image sensing means photographs the at least two secondary images.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said displacing means includes a variable angle prism and an actuator for controlling a vertical angle of said variable angle prism.

17. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said displacing means changes an argument of a mirror surface reflecting plate.

18. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said displacing means rotates a prism.

19. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said displacing means changes relative positions of a plurality of prisms.

20. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said displacing means changes a position of a lens group with respect to an optical axis.

21. An image sensing apparatus comprising:

an image forming device which forms an image of an object;

an image sensing device which senses the image formed by said image forming device;

an adjusting circuit which adjusts a sensing condition;

a displacing circuit which displaces said image sensing device and the image formed by said image forming device relative to each other;

a synthesizing circuit which obtains an image by synthesizing a plurality of images of the object sensed by said image sensing device based on the displacing by said displacing circuit;

a determination circuit which determines whether or not said adjusting circuit has adjusted the sensing condition; and

a control circuit which starts the displacing by said displacing circuit after said determination circuit determined that said adjusting unit has adjusted the sensing condition.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21,

wherein said synthesizing circuit synthesizes said plurality of images to yield a high-resolution image.

23. An image sensing apparatus comprising:

an image forming device which forms an image of an object;

an image sensing device which senses the image formed by said image forming device;

a displacing circuit which displaces said image sensing device and the image formed by said image forming device relative to each other;

a synthesizing circuit which obtains an image by synthesizing a plurality of images of the object sensed by said image sensing device based on the displacing by said displacing circuit;

a lens, wherein the image of the object is input to the image sensing device through the lens;

an adjusting circuit which adjusts a position of the lens to obtain an optimum focus state;

a determination circuit which determines whether or not said adjusting circuit has adjusted the position of the lens; and

a control circuit which starts the displacing by said displacing circuit after said determination circuit determined that said adjusting circuit has adjusted the position of the lens.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23,

wherein said synthesizing circuit synthesizes said plurality of images to yield a high-resolution image.

25. An image sensing apparatus comprising:

an image forming device which forms an image of an object;

an image sensing device which senses the image formed by said image forming device;

a displacing circuit which displaces said image sensing device and the image formed by said image forming device relative to each other;

a synthesizing circuit which obtains an image by synthesizing a plurality of images of the object sensed by said image sensing device based on the displacing by said displacing circuit;

an aperture stop, wherein the image of the object is input to the image sensing device through the aperture stop;

an adjusting circuit which adjusts an aperture position of the aperture stop to obtain an optimum exposure;

a determination circuit which determines whether or not said adjusting circuit has adjusted the aperture position; and

a control circuit which starts the displacing by said displacing circuit after said determination circuit determined that said adjusting circuit has adjusted the aperture position.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25,

wherein said synthesizing circuit synthesizes said plurality of images to yield a high-resolution image.

27. An image sensing apparatus comprising:

an image forming device which forms an image of an object;

an image sensing device which senses the image formed by said image forming device;

a displacing circuit which displaces said image sensing device and the image formed by said image forming device relative to each other;

a synthesizing circuit which obtains an image by synthesizing a plurality of images of the object sensed by said image sensing device based on the displacing by said displacing circuit;

a lens, wherein the image of the object is input to the image sensing device through the lens;

an adjusting circuit which adjusts a position of the lens to control a photographing magnification of the image of the object;

a determination circuit which determines whether or not said adjusting circuit is in action; and

a control circuit which starts the displacing by said displacing circuit after said determination circuit determined that said adjusting circuit is not working.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27,

wherein said synthesizing circuit synthesizes said plurality of images to yield a high-resolution image.