Image-sensing apparatus for selecting optical blur correction or electronic blur correction

• US 6,900,831 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2001
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nishiwaki, Kenya
• Primary Examiner(s): Moe, Aung
• Assistant Examiner(s): MISLEH, JUSTIN P
• Application Number:
  US09/766,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20010022619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 Days
• Field of Search: 348/208.99, 348/208.1, 348/208.2, 348/208.3, 348/208.4, 348/208.5, 348/208.6, 348/208.7, 348/208.8, 348/208.11, 348/208.12, 348/208.13, 348/208.14, 348/208.15, 348/208.16, 348/699, 348/700, 348/701, 348/702, 376/52, 376/53, 376/54, 376/55
• US Class Current: 348/208.5
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6812 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 23/687 by shifting the lens or sensor position

Abstract

When an object image is to be recorded, a blur of the object image is optically corrected. When an object image is to be displayed without being recorded, a blur of the object image is corrected not optically but by image signal processing.

Claims

1. An image-sensing apparatus comprising:

a recorder recording an object image;

a display displaying an object image;

a first blur correction unit optically correcting a blur of an object image to be recorded by said recorder;

a second blur correction unit correcting a blur of an object image to be displayed by said display by image signal processing; and

a controller arranged to operate said second correction unit without operating said first correction unit when said display displays an object image while said recorder does not record an object image, and to operate said first correction unit when said recorder records an object image.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises an image-sensing device receiving an object image and converting the object image into an image signal, and said recorder records the object image on the basis of the image signal obtained by said image-sensing device.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said display displays the object image on the basis of the image signal obtained by said image-sensing device.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises an image-sensing device receiving an object image and converting the object image into an image signal, and said display displays the object image on the basis of the image signal obtained by said image-sensing device.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said recorder records the object image, said controller operates said first correction unit while stopping the operation of said second correction unit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an image-sensing optical system forming an object image on said image-sensing device.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

an image-sensing instruction unit arranged to instruct image-sensing preparations; and

an image-sensing start instruction unit arranged to instruct the start of image sensing, and

said controller starts the operation of said first correction unit in accordance with the image-sensing preparation instruction from said image-sensing preparation instruction unit, and operates said recorder in accordance with the image-sensing start instruction from said image-sensing start instruction unit.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said controller stops the operation of said second correction unit in accordance with the image-sensing preparation instruction from said image-sensing preparation instruction unit.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

an image-sensing preparation instruction unit arranged to instruct image-sensing preparations;

an image-sensing start instruction unit arranged to instruct the start of image sensing; and

a blur detector detecting a blurred state of an object image, and

said controller starts the operation of said blur detector in accordance with the image-sensing preparation instruction from said image-sensing preparation instruction unit, and causes said first correction unit to start an operation corresponding to the detection result from said blur detector and operates said recorder in accordance with the image-sensing start instruction from said image-sensing start instruction unit.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said controller stops the operation of said second correction unit in accordance with the image-sensing start instruction from said image-sensing start instruction unit.

11. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said image-sensing preparation instruction unit designates one of photometry and auto-focusing as the image-sensing preparation instruction.

12. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising an operating member arranged to operate said image-sensing preparation instruction unit in accordance with a first operation of a series of operations, and to operate said image-sensing start instruction unit in accordance with a second operation of the series of operations.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said operating member comprises a shutter release member.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a display instruction unit arranged to instruct display start for causing said display to start displaying the object image, and said second correction unit starts operating in accordance with the display start instruction from said display instruction unit.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a battery checker detecting the level of a power-supply battery for driving said first correction unit;

an image-sensing preparation instruction unit arranged to instruct image-sensing preparations; and

an image-sensing start instruction unit arranged to instruct the start of image sensing, and

when the detection result from said battery checker is not less than a first level, said controller starts the operation of said first correction unit in accordance with the image-sensing preparation instruction from said image-sensing preparation instruction unit, and operates said recorder in accordance with the image-sensing start instruction from said image-sensing start instruction unit.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein when the detection result from said battery checker is less than the first level and not less than a second level, said controller starts the operation of said blur detector in accordance with the image-sensing preparation instruction from said image-sensing preparation instruction unit, and causes said first correction unit to start an operation corresponding to the detection result from said blur detector and operates said recorder in accordance with the image-sensing start instruction from said image-sensing start instruction unit.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein when the detection result from said battery checker is less than the second level, said controller operates said recorder without starting the operation of said first correction unit in accordance with the image-sensing start instruction from said image-sensing start instruction unit.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein when the detection result from said battery checker is less than the second level, said-controller operates said recorder while operating said second correction unit without starting the operation of said first correction unit in accordance with the image-sensing start instruction from said image-sensing start instruction unit.

19. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein when the detection result from said battery checker is smaller than the first level and not less than a second level, said controller starts the operation of said first correction unit and operates said recorder in accordance with the image-sensing start instruction from said image-sensing start instruction unit.

20. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a battery checker detecting the level of a power-supply battery for driving said first correction unit;

an image-sensing preparation instruction unit arranged to instruct image-sensing preparations;

an image-sensing start instruction unit arranged to instruct the start of image sensing; and

a blur detector detecting a blurred state of an object image, and

when the detection result from said battery checker is less than a first level and not less than a second level, said controller starts the operation of said blur detector in accordance with the image-sensing preparation instruction from said image-sensing preparation instruction unit, and causes said first correction unit to start an operation corresponding to the detection result from said blur detector and operates said recorder in accordance with the image-sensing start instruction from said image-sensing start instruction unit.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein when the detection result from said battery checker is less than the second level, said controller operates said recorder without starting the operation of said first correction unit in accordance with the image-sensing start instruction from said image-sensing start instruction unit.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein when the detection result from said battery checker is less than the second level, said controller operates said recorder while operating said second correction unit without starting the operation of said first correction unit in accordance with the image-sensing start instruction from said image-sensing start instruction unit.

23. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a battery checker detecting the level of a power-supply battery for driving said first correction unit; and

an image-sensing start instruction unit arranged to instruct the start of image sensing, and

when the detection result from said battery checker is less than a first level and not less than a second level, said controller starts the operation of said first correction unit and operates said recorder in accordance with the image-sensing start instruction from said image-sensing start instruction unit.

24. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a battery checker detecting the level of a power-supply battery for driving said first correction unit; and

an image-sensing start instruction unit arranged to instruct the start of image sensing, and

when the detection result from said battery checker is less than a predetermined level, said controller operates said recorder without starting the operation of said first correction unit in accordance with the image-sensing start instruction from said image-sensing start instruction unit.

25. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a battery checker detecting the level of a power-supply battery for driving said first correction unit; and

an image-sensing start instruction unit arranged to instruct the start of image sensing, and

when the detection result from said battery checker is less than a predetermined level, said controller operates said recorder while operating said second correction unit without starting the operation of said first correction unit in accordance with the image-sensing start instruction from said image-sensing start instruction unit.

26. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image-sensing field angle adjuster arranged to adjust an image-sensing field angle of an image-sensing optical system from a first field angle to a second field angle as a wide angle when said second correction unit operates, and to return the image-sensing field angle from the second field angle to the first field angle when said second correction unit terminates the operation.

27. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display displays a central portion, a blur of which is corrected by said second correction unit, of an object image in a central portion of a display region, and displays a peripheral portion, a blur of which is uncorrected, of the object image in a peripheral portion of the display region.

28. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display displays a portion, a blur of which is corrected by said second correction unit, of an object image in an entire display region, and displays, in a reduced scale, an object image whose blur is not corrected by said second correction unit in a portion of the display region.

29. An image-sensing apparatus comprising:

a recorder recording an object image;

a display displaying an object image;

a first blur correction unit optically correcting a blur of the object image to be recorded by said recorder;

a second blur correction unit correcting a blur of the object image to be displayed by said display by image signal processing; and

a controller arranged to operate said second correction unit without operating said first correction unit in a display mode in which said display displays the object image while said recorder does not record the object image, and to operate said first correction unit in response to switching to a recording mode in which said recorder records the object image.

30. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the apparatus further comprises an image-sensing device receiving an object image and converting the object image into an image signal, and

said recorder records the object image on the basis of the image signal obtained by said image-sensing device.

31. The apparatus according to claim 30, wherein said display displays the object image on the basis of the image signal obtained by said image-sensing device.

32. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the apparatus further comprises an image-sensing device receiving an object image and converting the object image into an image signal, and

said display displays the object image on the basis of the image signal obtained by said image-sensing device.

33. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein in response to switching from the display mode to the recording mode, said controller stops the operation of said second correction unit and starts the operation of said first correction unit.

34. An image-sensing apparatus capable of optically correcting a blur of an object image to be recorded by using a first correction unit, comprising:

a recorder recording an object image;

a display displaying an object image;

a second blur correction unit correcting a blur of an object image to be displayed by said display by image signal processing; and

a controller arranged to operate said second correction unit without operating said first correction unit when said display displays the object image while said recorder does not record the object image, and to operate said first correction unit when said recorder records the object image.

35. A method of controlling an image-sensing apparatus comprising a recorder for recording an object image and a display for displaying an object image, comprising the steps of:

operating a second correction unit for correcting a blur of an object image to be displayed by said display by image signal processing without operating a first correction unit for optically correcting a blur of an object image to be recorded by said recorder, when said display displays an object image while said recorder does not record the object image; and

operating said first correction unit when said recorder records the object image.

36. A method of controlling an image-sensing apparatus comprising a recorder for recording an object image and a display for displaying an object image, comprising the steps of:

operating a second correction unit for correcting a blur of an object image to be displayed by said display by image signal processing without operating a first correction unit for optically correcting a blur of an object image to be recorded by said recorder, in a display mode in which said display displays an object image while said recorder does not record the object image; and

operating said first correction unit in response to switching to a recording mode in which said recorder records the object image.

37. A computer program product providing a control program of an image-sensing apparatus comprising a recorder for recording an object image and a display for displaying an object image, said control program comprising the steps of:

operating a second correction unit for correcting a blur of an object image to be displayed by said display by image signal processing without operating a first correction unit for optically correcting a blur of an object image to be recorded by said recorder, when said display displays an object image while said recorder does not record the object image; and

operating said first correction unit when said recorder records the object image.

38. A computer program product providing a control program of an image-sensing apparatus comprising a recorder for recording an object image and a display for displaying an object image, said control program comprising the steps of:

operating a second correction unit for correcting a blur of an object image to be displayed by said display by image signal processing without operating a first correction unit for optically correcting a blur of an object image to be recorded by said recorder, in a display mode in which said display displays an object image while said recorder does not record the object image; and

operating said first correction unit in response to switching to a recording mode in which said recorder records the object image.