Image sensing method and apparatus capable of performing vibration correction when sensing a moving image

• US 6,963,361 B1
• Filed: 02/22/1999
• Issued: 11/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kawahara, Hideo, Yasuda, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hannett, James M.
• Application Number:
  US09/255,549
• Time in Patent Office: 2,451 Days
• Field of Search: 348/208.99, 348/208.1, 348/208.2, 348/208.4, 348/208.5, 348/208.6, 348/208.13, 348/208.16
• US Class Current: 348/208.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• 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 23/6815 by distinguishing pan or tilt from motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6842 by controlling the scanning position, e.g. windowing

Abstract

A correction variable is calculated based on vibration data of an image sensing apparatus. Based on the calculation result, timing of reading image signals from an image sensing device is controlled. The read image signals are delayed by predetermined time, the read image signals and the delayed image signals are added at a predetermined addition ratio based on the calculation result of the correction variable calculator. In still image sensing, the above addition operation is not performed.

Claims

1. An image sensing method comprising:

a vibration detecting step of detecting vibration of an image sensing apparatus main body;

a calculating step of calculating a correction variable based on vibration data indicative of the vibration of the image sensing apparatus main body detected in said vibration detecting step;

a control step of controlling a timing of reading an image signal from an image sensing device based on a calculating result of said calculating step;

a delaying step of delaying the read image signal by a predetermined time;

an adding step of adding first pixel data in the read image signal to second pixel data neighboring said first pixel data in the delayed image signal, delayed in said delaying step, in accordance with a predetermined addition ratio based on the calculating result of said calculating step in a moving image recording mode; and

an addition control step of prohibiting addition of said adding step in a still image recording mode;

a recording mode switching step of switching between the moving image recording mode and the still image recording mode;

a moving image recording step of recording the moving image when said recording mode switching step switches to the moving image recording mode, and said adding step adds the read image signal to the delayed image signal delayed in said delaying step in accordance with a predetermined addition ratio based on the calculating result of said calculating step; and

a still image recording step of recording the still image based on the read image signal when said recording mode switching step switches to the still image recording mode, and said adding step does not add the read image signal to the delayed image signal delayed in said delaying step.

2. An image sensing method comprising:

a vibration detecting step of detecting vibration of an image sensing apparatus main body;

a calculating step of calculating a correction variable based on vibration data indicative of the vibration of the image sensing apparatus main body detected in said vibration detecting step;

a control step of controlling a timing of reading an image signal from an image sensing device based on a calculating result of said calculating step;

a delaying step of delaying the read image signal by a predetermined time;

an adding step of adding first pixel data in the read image signal to second pixel data neighboring said first pixel data in the delayed image signal, delayed in said delaying step, in accordance with a predetermined addition ratio based on the calculating result of said calculating step in a moving image recording mode;

an addition control step of controlling the addition ratio, used in said adding step, to 1;

0, in a still image recording mode;

a recording mode switching step of switching between the moving image recording mode and the still image recording mode;

a moving image recording step of recording the moving image when said recording mode switching step switches to the moving image recording mode, and said adding step adds the read image signal to the delayed image signal delayed in said delaying step in accordance with a predetermined addition ratio based on the calculating result of said calculating step; and

a still image recording step of recording the still image based on the read image signal when said recording mode switching step switches to the still image recording mode, and said adding step does not add the read image signal to the delayed image signal delayed in said delaying step.

3. An image sensing apparatus comprising;

vibration detecting means for detecting vibration of the image sensing apparatus main body;

calculating means for calculating a correction variable based on vibration data indicative of the vibration of the image sensing apparatus main body detected by said vibration detecting means;

control means for controlling a timing of reading an image signal from an image sensing device based on a calculating result of said calculating means;

delaying means for delaying the read image signal by a predetermined time;

adding means of adding first pixel data in the read image signal to second pixel data neighboring said first pixel data in the delayed image signal, detected by said delaying means, in accordance with a predetermined addition ratio based on the calculating result of said calculating means in a moving image recording mode;

addition control means for prohibiting addition of said adding means in a still image mode recording mode;

recording mode switching means for switching between the moving image recording mode and the still image recording mode;

moving image recording means for recording the moving image when said recording mode switching means switches to the moving image recording mode, and said adding means adds the read image signal to the delayed image signal delayed by said delaying means in accordance with a predetermined addition ratio based on the calculating result of said calculating means; and

still image recording means for recording the still image based on the read image signal when said recording mode switching means switches to the still image recording mode, and said adding means does not add the read image signal to the delayed image signal delayed by the delaying means.

4. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said vibration detecting means is an angular velocity sensor.

5. An image sensing apparatus comprising;

vibration detecting means for detecting vibration of the image sensing apparatus main body;

calculating means for calculating a correction variable based on vibration data indicative of the vibration of the image sensing apparatus main body detected by said vibration detecting means;

control means for controlling a timing of reading an image signal from an image sensing device based on a calculating result of said calculating means;

delaying means for delaying the read image signal by a predetermined time;

adding means of adding first pixel data in the read image signal to second pixel data neighboring said first pixel data in the delayed image signal, detected by said delaying means, in accordance with a predetermined addition ratio based on the calculating result of said calculating means in a moving image recording mode;

addition ratio control means for controlling the addition ratio, used by said adding means, to 1;

0, in a still image recording mode;

recording mode switching means for switching between the moving image recording mode and the still image recording mode;

moving image recording means for recording the moving image when said recording mode switching means switches to the moving image recording mode, and said adding means adds the read image signal to the delayed image signal delayed by said delaying means in accordance with a predetermined addition ratio based on the calculating result of said calculating means; and

still image recording means for recording the still image based on the read image signal when said recording mode switching means switches to the still image recording mode, and said adding means does not add the read image signal to the delayed image signal delayed by the delaying means.

6. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said vibration detecting means is an angular velocity sensor.

7. A storage medium storing a control program for controlling an image sensing apparatus, said control program having control modules comprising the steps of:

detecting vibration of an image sensing apparatus main body;

calculating a correction variable based on vibration data indicative of the vibration of the image sensing apparatus main body detected in said vibration detecting step;

controlling a timing of reading an image signal from an image sensing device based on a calculating result of said calculating step;

delaying the read image signal by a predetermined time;

adding first pixel data in the read image signal to second pixel data neighboring said first pixel data in the delayed image signal, delayed in said delaying step, in accordance with a predetermined addition ratio based on the calculating result of said calculating step in a moving image recording mode;

controlling to prohibit the adding step in a still image recording mode;

switching between the moving image recording mode and the still image recording mode;

recording the moving image when said recording mode switching step switches to the moving image recording mode, and said adding step adds the read image signal to the delayed image signal delayed in said delaying step in accordance with a predetermined addition ratio based on the calculating result of said calculating step; and

recording the still image based on the read image signal when said recording mode switching step switches to the still image recording mode, and said adding step does not add the read image signal to the delayed image signal delayed in said delaying step.

8. A storage medium storing a control program for controlling an image sensing apparatus, said control program having control modules comprising the steps of:

detecting vibration of an image sensing apparatus main body;

calculating a correction variable based on vibration data indicative of the vibration of the image sensing apparatus main body detected in said vibration detecting step;

controlling a timing of reading an image signal from an image sensing device based on a calculating result of said calculating step;

delaying the read image signal by a predetermined time;

adding first pixel data in the read image signal to second pixel data neighboring said first pixel data in the delayed image signal, delayed in said delaying step, in accordance with a predetermined addition ratio based on the calculating result of said calculating step in a moving image recording mode;

controlling an addition ratio to 1;

0 in a still image recording mode;

switching between the moving image recording mode and the still image recording mode;

recording the moving image when said recording mode switching step switches to the moving image recording mode, and said adding step adds the read image signal to the delayed image signal delayed in said delaying step in accordance with a predetermined addition ratio based on the calculating result of said calculating step; and

recording the still image based on the read image signal when said recording mode switching step switches to the still image recording mode, and said adding step does not add the read image signal to the delayed image signal delayed in said delaying step.