Controller, photographing equipment, control method of photographing equipment, and control program

• US 7,664,381 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2006
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Interconnect Systems Limited (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Nomura, Kazuo, Hosoda, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Koval; Melissa J
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARKER, AUTUMN H
• Application Number:
  US11/564,008
• Publication Number:
  US 20070122130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 396 52- 55, 348/208.99, 3482081-2085
• US Class Current: 396/55
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/00 Details of cameras or camera bodies; Accessories therefor lens hoods or caps G03B11/04
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/005 Blur detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations

Abstract

A controller is provided which includes a photographing control unit controlling an image pickup unit to take a photograph and a shake detecting unit detecting an amount of shake even time the image pickup unit takes a photograph. Here, the photographing control unit allows the image pickup unit to consecutively take a photograph and ends the photographing operation of the image pickup unit when the amount of shake detected by the shake detecting unit at the time of the photographing operation of the image pickup unit is larger than the amount of shake detected at the time of the previous photographing operation.

Claims

1. A controller comprising:

a photographing control unit controlling an image pickup unit to take a photograph; and

a shake detecting unit detecting an amount of shake every time the image pickup unit takes a photograph,

wherein the photographing control unit allows the image pickup unit to consecutively take a photograph during a consecutive photographing operation and ends the consecutive photographing operation of the image pickup unit when the amount of shake detected by the shake detecting unit at the time of a current photographing operation of the image pickup unit is larger than the amount of shake detected at the time of a previous photographing operation of the consecutive photographing operation.

2. The controller according to claim 1, further comprising an image storing unit storing an image taken by the image pickup unit,

wherein the image storing unit updates a previously stored image to a latest taken image every time the image pickup unit takes a photograph.

3. The controller according to claim 2, wherein the image storing unit does not update a previously stored image when the photographing control unit ends the consecutive photographing operation.

4. A photographing equipment comprising:

an image pickup unit;

a photographing control unit controlling the image pickup unit to take a photograph; and

a shake detecting unit detecting an amount of shake every time the image pickup unit takes a photograph,

wherein the photographing control unit allows the image pickup unit to consecutively take a photograph during a consecutive photographing operation and ends the consecutive photographing operation of the image pickup unit when the amount of shake detected by the shake detecting unit at the time of a current photographing operation of the image pickup unit is larger than the amount of shake detected at the time of a previous photographing operation of the consecutive photographing operation.