IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE

• US 20010012059A1
• Filed: 05/28/1997
• Published: 08/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: KUDO, TOSHIMICHI
• Granted Patent: US 6,501,503 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/208.99
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/646 compensating for small deviations, e.g. due to vibration or shake movement of one or more optical elements for control of motion blur in cameras, projectors or printers G03B2205/0007; image stabilisation in cameras peculiar to the presence or use of an electronic image sensor H04N23/68
• 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 23/683 performed by a processor, e.g. controlling the readout of an image memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/686 with a variable apex prism

Abstract

There is disclosed an image pickup device comprising a motion detecting circuit for detecting the motion of the image, from an image signal obtained from an image pickup element, a motion sensor for physically detecting the motion of the device, a memory for storing the image signal, a motion correcting circuit for correcting the motion by shifting the image readout position from the memory according to the motion detected by the motion detecting circuit, and a control circuit for controlling the function of the motion correcting circuit according to the output of the motion sensor.

Claims

1. An image pickup device comprising:

image pickup means for taking the image of an object and generating an image signal;

memory means for storing the image signal obtained by said image pickup means;

motion detecting means for detecting the motion of the image, from the image signal obtained from said image pickup means;

readout control means for reading the image signal from said memory means by controlling the readout address according to the result of detection by said motion detecting means; and

blur detecting means for detecting the vibration of said image pickup means and controlling the function of said readout control means according to the result of said detection.

2. An image pickup device according to

claim 1

, wherein said readout control means is adapted to execute said control of the readout address, in case said blur detecting means detects said vibration.

3. An image pickup device according to

claim 1

, further comprising optical blur correcting means for optically correcting the image blur based on the result of detection by said blur detecting means.

9. An image pickup device according to

claim 1

, wherein said blur detecting means is adapted to detect the vibration in mutually orthogonal two directions.

11. An image pickup device according to

claim 1

, wherein said blur detecting means is adapted to detect the vibration by an angular velocity sensor.

13. An image pickup device according to

claim 1

, wherein said image pickup device includes a solid-state image pickup element.

15. An image pickup device according to

claim 3

, wherein said optical blur correcting means includes a variable angle prism for transmitting said image of the object to said image pickup means, drive means for driving said variable angle prism, angle detecting means for detecting the vertex angle of said variable angle prism, and target value generating means for generating a target value of the vertex angle of said variable angle prism, from the results of detection by said blur detecting means and said angle detecting means, and

said drive means is adapted to drive said variable angle prism in such a manner that the target value generated by said target value generating means is reached.

4. An image pickup device comprising:

image pickup means for taking the image of an object and generating an image signal;

blur detecting means for detecting the vibration of said image pickup means;

filter means with variable filter characteristics, for passing a detection signal of said blur detecting means;

output control means for controlling the output of said filter means;

control means for controlling said filter means and said output control means according to said detection signal; and

optical blur correcting means for optically correcting the blur of the image taken by said image pickup means, based on the output of said output control means.

5. An image pickup device according to

claim 4

, wherein said control means is adapted to so execute control as to elevate the low-region cut-off frequency of said filter means in case the vibration state indicated by said detection signal is stable.

6. An image pickup device according to

claim 4

, wherein said control means is adapted to so execute control as not to release the output of said filter means, in case the vibration state indicated by said detection signal is stable.

7. An image pickup device according to

claim 6

, wherein said control means is adapted to release a signal for maintaining said optical blur correcting means at the optical center, in case the vibration state indicated by said detection signal is stable.

8. An image pickup device according to

claim 4

, wherein said optical blur correcting means includes a variable angle prism for transmitting said image of the object to said image pickup means, drive means for driving said variable angle prism, angle detecting means for detecting the vertex angle of said variable angle prism, and target value generating means for generating a target value of the vertex angle of said variable angle prism, from the results of detection by said blur detecting means and said angle detecting means, and

said drive means is adapted to drive said variable angle prism in such a manner that the target value generated by said target value generating means is reached.

10. An image pickup device according to

claim 4

, wherein said blur detecting means is adapted to detect the vibration in mutually orthogonal two directions.

12. An image pickup device according to

claim 4

, wherein said blur detecting means is adapted to detect the vibration by an angular velocity sensor.

14. An image pickup device according to

claim 4

, wherein said image pickup device includes a solid-state image pickup element.