Apparatus for correction based upon detecting a camera shaking

• US 7,324,134 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2004
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Kitaguchi, Takashi, Sato, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Ngoc-Yen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cutler; Albert H
• Application Number:
  US10/909,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20050001906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 348/208.99, 348/208.1, 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
• US Class Current: 348/208.2
• 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

An apparatus for detecting a deviation of a camera as a result of a shaking. The apparatus includes a shaking detector which detects a deviation of the camera from shaking based upon an output of at least two pairs of acceleration sensors which are located on different axes of the camera coordinates. A calculator calculates tilt angles of each of the axes from outputs of the pairs of the acceleration sensors.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a deviation of a camera including a lens from shaking, comprising:

detecting a shaking of the camera based upon an output from at least two pairs of acceleration sensors located on camera coordinate axes; and

calculating tilt angles of each of said axes based on the output of the at least two pairs of acceleration sensors, and wherein an amount of the deviation AY of the camera is calculated based on

Δ

Y=(1+β

)²·

θ

x·

f

in which β

=f/L and L is a distance from a focus point of the lens and a point of an object being imaged, θ

x is a rotation of the camera, and f is a focus distance of the lens.

2. A method for detecting a deviation of a camera from shaking according to claim 1, further comprising:

rejecting a frequency band over 20 Hz from the output of the at least two pairs of acceleration sensors.

3. A method for detecting a deviation of a camera from shaking according to claim 2, wherein one of the axes of the camera coordinates is an optical axis of the camera.

4. A method for detecting a deviation of a camera from shaking according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the at least two pairs of acceleration sensors is located on the optical axis of the camera.

5. A method for detecting a deviation of a camera from shaking according to claim 3, further comprising:

rejecting a frequency band over 20 Hz from the output of the at least two pairs of acceleration sensors.

6. A method for detecting a deviation of a camera from shaking according to claim 4, wherein at least two pairs of the at least two pairs of acceleration sensors are located on a horizontal axis of the camera.

7. A method for detecting a deviation of a camera from shaking according to claim 6, wherein a first pair of the at least two pairs of acceleration sensors is located on the optical axis of the camera to detect deviation in a vertical direction, and a second of the at least two pairs of acceleration sensors detects deviation in a horizontal direction.

8. A method for detecting a deviation of a camera from shaking according to claim 1, further comprising:

correcting the shaking of the camera based on the calculated tilt angles.

9. A method for detecting a deviation of a camera from shaking according to claim 8, wherein the correcting adjusts a position of a lens in an optical system of the camera based on the calculated tilt angles.

10. A method for detecting a deviation of a camera from shaking according to claim 8, wherein the correcting adjusts a Vari-angle of a Vari-angle prism means located on an optical axis of the camera based upon the calculated tilt angles.

11. A method for detecting a deviation of a camera from shaking according to claim 8, wherein the correcting means adjusts a position of an imaging sensor of the camera based on the calculated tilt angles.