Image taking device with bent optical system

• US 7,286,163 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2003
• Issued: 10/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Kosaka, Akira, Matsui, Kazuaki, Hara, Yoshihiro, Iwasawa, Yoshito, Yokota, Satoshi, Ueda, Sadanobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Ometz; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Tuan
• Application Number:
  US10/449,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20040141065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,604 Days
• Field of Search: 3482081-20816, 348/218.1, 348/219
• US Class Current: 348/208.11
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/17 with reflectors arranged in beam forming the photographic image, e.g. for reducing dimensions of camera
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2205/0023 by tilting or inclining one or more optical elements with respect to the optical axis
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• 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 23/687 by shifting the lens or sensor position

Abstract

A digital camera having an image shake correction apparatus and a method of preventing the image shake of an image taken by the digital camera. The digital camera includes optical elements arranged along a bent line for focusing an object image upon a light receiving plane in which the elements include at least one mirror which reflects a light from an object toward the light receiving plane, a driver for moving the mirror so as to turn its light axis having been bent by the mirror, a vibration sensor for sensing a vibration of a camera body, and a processor for making the driver move the mirror based on the sensed vibration. The mirror turns so as to cancel the vibration of the object image focussed on the light receiving plane.

Claims

1. An image taking device for taking an image of an object, comprising:

a bending optical system for forming the image thereof on a light receiving surface, in which the bending optical system includes at least one optical bending member which generally perpendicularly bends an optical axis of the bending optical system from the object to the light receiving surface;

a driving mechanism for driving the at least one optical bending member so as to change an angle of the optical axis having been bent by the at least one optical bending member;

a shake detector for detecting a shake of a body of the image taking device; and

a controller for controlling the driving mechanism on a basis of the shake of the body of the image taking device detected by the shake detector, so that the at least one optical bending member is driven by the driving mechanism so as to cancel the shake of the image of the object formed on the light receiving surface;

wherein the at least one optical bending member driven by the driving mechanism and the driving mechanism are mounted on a moving unit, and

wherein the moving unit is movably mounted by a position adjuster which is located behind the moving unit.