Imaging device and imaging method

• US 7,995,852 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2005
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamaru, Fumio
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Vu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Allison; Andrae S
• Application Number:
  US11/285,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20060115297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,085 Days
• Field of Search: 382254-255, 396/153, 348/207.99, 348/208.99
• US Class Current: 382/255
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6811 based on the image signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6812 based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/682 Vibration or motion blur correction

Abstract

An imaging device, comprising:

• • an image pickup device which images a subject; and
  • a motion estimating device which estimates a motion of the subject and a motion of the imaging device based on a dynamic image or a plurality of still images which are imaged to include the subject prior to actual imaging of a still image of the subject by the image pickup device.

Claims

1. An imaging device, comprising:

an image pickup device which images a subject; and

a motion estimating device which estimates an actual motion of the subject and an actual motion of the imaging device based on a through image which includes the subject imaged by the image pickup device prior to the actual imaging of a still image of the subject by the image pickup device,

wherein the motion estimating device determines a subject region and a background region in the through image prior to the actual imaging, obtains a first motion vector indicating a motion in the subject region and a second motion vector indicating a motion in the background region, wherein the motion of the subject is a difference between the first motion vector and the second motion vector and the motion of the imagine device is the second motion vector.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the motion estimating device determines a imaging situation from any one of a first imaging situation where both of the subject and the imaging device are motionless, a second imaging situation where the subject is motionless and the imaging device is moving, a third imaging situation where the subject is moving and the imaging device is motionless, or a fourth imaging situation where both the subject and the imaging device are moving.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the image pickup device performs imaging of the through image prior to the actual imaging of the still image of the subject, and the motion estimating device estimates the motion of the subject and the motion of the imaging device based on a plurality of still images which were extracted at predetermined intervals from the through image.

4. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the image pickup device performs pre-imaging a plurality of times at predetermined intervals prior to actual imaging of the still image of the subject, and the motion estimating device estimates the motion of the subject and the motion of the imaging device based on a plurality of still images which were obtained by the pre-imaging.

5. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the image pickup device performs continuous imaging which images successive still images of the subject at predetermined intervals and, during continuous imaging, the motion estimating device estimates the motion of the subject and the motion of the imaging device at the time of the next imaging of a still image on the basis of a plurality of still images which were already imaged.

6. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising an imaging conditions setting device which sets shutter speed, diaphragm, sensitivity, light emission conditions and other imaging conditions based on the motion of the subject and the motion of the imaging device which were estimated by the motion estimating device.

7. The imaging device according to claim 2, further comprising an imaging conditions setting device which sets shutter speed, diaphragm, sensitivity, light emission conditions and other imaging conditions based on the imaging situation determined by the motion estimating device and on whether it is a continuous imaging.

8. The imaging device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the imaging conditions setting device sets the imaging conditions after assigning weights to a motion vector of the subject and a motion vector of the imaging device, respectively.

9. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising a blur prevention control device which imparts a physical movement to the image pickup device so as to prevent a blur from occurring in the still image that is actually imaged, based on the motion of the subject and the motion of the imaging device which were estimated by the motion estimating device.

10. The imaging device according to claim 2, comprising a blur prevention control device which imparts a physical movement to the image pickup device so as to prevent a blur from occurring in the still image upon actual imaging, based on the imaging situation determined by the motion estimating device and on whether it is a continuous imaging.

11. The imaging device according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the blur prevention control device imparts a physical movement to the image pickup device after assigning weights to a motion vector of the subject and a motion vector of the imaging device, respectively.

12. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising an image correction device which corrects the still image that was actually imaged by the image pickup device, based on the motion of the subject and the motion of the imaging device.

13. The imaging device according to claim 2, further comprising an image correction device which corrects the still image that was actually imaged by the image pickup device, based upon actual imaging in the imaging situation determined by the motion estimating device and on whether it is a continuous imaging.

14. The imaging device according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the image correction device corrects the still image that was actually imaged after assigning weights to a motion vector of the subject and a motion vector of the imaging device, respectively.

15. The imaging device according to claim 12, further comprising a display device that is capable of displaying one or a plurality of still images that were corrected by the image correction device and also displaying a still image in a state before it was corrected by the image correction device.

16. The imaging device according to claim 15, wherein a ratio of the sizes of the still image after correction and the still image before correction, or a ratio of the sizes of two or more of the still images after correction is variable.

17. The imaging device according to claim 15, wherein the screen size of the display device can be changed according to whether or not to display both the still image after correction and the still image before correction simultaneously, or according to the number of the still images after correction that are displayed simultaneously.

18. The imaging device according to claim 15, further comprising an instruction input device which inputs a selection instruction that specifies a still image to be recorded on a predetermined recording medium from among the still image after correction and the still image before correction, or a selection instruction that specifies a still image to be recorded on the recording medium from among a plurality of the still images after correction;

and an image recording control device that records a still image that was selected in accordance with the selection instruction.

19. The imaging device according to claim 18, wherein, when a plurality of still images was selected by the instruction input device, the image recording control device associates the selected still images with one another before conducting the recording.

20. The imaging device according to claim 18, wherein, in a case of continuous imaging the image recording control device records both the still image before correction and the still image after correction without waiting for input of the selection instruction, while in a case of single image imaging the image recording control device waits for input of the selection instruction before conducting the recording.

21. An imaging method that uses an imaging device which images a subject, comprising:

estimating an actual motion of the subject and an actual motion of the imaging device based on a through image which includes the subject imaged by the imaging device, and then performing an actual imaging of a still image of the subject and,

determining a subject region and a background region in the image prior to the actual imaging, obtaining a first motion vector indicating a motion in the subject region and a second motion vector indicating a motion in the background region, wherein the motion of the subject is a difference between the first motion vector and the second motion vector and the motion of the imaging device is the second motion vector.