IMAGING APPARATUS, IMAGING METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20100141799A1
• Filed: 12/04/2009
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamashita, Noriyuki, Fujita, Toshifumi
• Granted Patent: US 8,310,563 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/239
• 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 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

An imaging apparatus includes: an optical system having an optical axis changing element; an imaging device that images an object image through the optical system; an image signal processing section having a function of combining a plurality of imaged images into a combined image piece, the imaged images being obtained while the imaging apparatus is moved; and a controller that controls the optical axis changing element so that the optical axis is changed in a direction for negating the movement of the imaging apparatus, at least during periods when an electronic shutter of the imaging device is open, and that the optical axis returns to the vicinity of approximately the center of the movement of the imaging apparatus during periods when the electronic shutter is closed, wherein the controller performs the control of the optical axis with respect to a partial line in the central direction of the imaging device.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an optical system having an optical axis changing element that is capable of changing an optical axis thereof;

an imaging device that images an object image through the optical system;

an image signal processing section having a function of combining a plurality of imaged images into a combined image piece, the imaged images being obtained while the imaging apparatus is moved; and

a controller that controls the optical axis changing element so that the optical axis is changed in a direction for negating the movement of the imaging apparatus, at least during periods when an electronic shutter of the imaging device is open, and that the optical axis returns to the vicinity of approximately the center of the movement of the imaging apparatus during periods when the electronic shutter is closed,

wherein the controller performs the control of the optical axis of the optical axis changing element with respect to a partial line in the central direction of the imaging device.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a shooting direction is perpendicular to the line of the imaging device.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the controller performs the optical axis control during a period which corresponds to the sum of an exposure period and a readout period of the partial line and performs the control for returning the optical axis to the vicinity of the center during periods other than the corresponding period.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the controller segments a portion of the imaging device into a strip shape and performs the optical axis control with respect to the strip-shaped portions;

the imaging device performs a charge readout process with respect to all the strip-shaped portions, where a charge readout is performed in the line subsequently to exposure and a charge readout of a subsequent line is performed after the readout of the line is completed; and

the controller performs the optical axis control during periods when the charge readout process is performed with respect to all the strip-shaped portions.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an angular velocity sensor,

wherein the controller integrates a detection signal to calculate a rotation angle of the imaging apparatus and controls an amount of change in the optical axis of the optical axis changing element in accordance with the calculated rotation angle.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the image signal processing section extracts a certain parameter by performing block matching processes at boundaries of a plurality of selected images to perform combining processes with respect to the boundaries so that the boundaries of the selected images are disposed in an overlapping relationship;

performs the block matching processes with respect to all boundaries to be combined based on the parameter;

evaluates the results of the block matching processes with respect to all the boundaries in a simultaneous and parallel manner; and

performs the combining processes to reduce errors by updating an optical axis direction so as to reduce errors in all the boundaries.

7. An imaging method comprising the steps of:

imaging an object image using an imaging device through an optical system having an optical axis changing element that is capable of changing an optical axis thereof while moving the imaging apparatus;

controlling the optical axis changing element so that the optical axis is changed in a direction for negating the movement of the imaging apparatus at least during periods when an electronic shutter of the imaging apparatus is open; and

controlling the optical axis changing element so that the optical axis returns to the vicinity of approximately the center of the movement of the imaging apparatus during periods when the electronic shutter is closed,

wherein the control of the optical axis of the optical axis changing element is performed with respect to a partial line in the central direction of the imaging device.

8. The imaging method according to claim 7, wherein a shooting direction is perpendicular to the line of the imaging device.

9. The imaging method according to claim 7, wherein the optical axis control is performed during a period which corresponds to the sum of an exposure period and a readout period of the partial line, and the control for returning the optical axis to the vicinity of the center during periods other than the corresponding period.

10. A program for performing an imaging process, the program causing a computer to execute the processes of:

imaging an object image using an imaging device through an optical system having an optical axis changing element that is capable of changing an optical axis thereof while moving the imaging apparatus;

controlling the optical axis changing element so that the optical axis is changed in a direction for negating the movement of the imaging apparatus at least during periods when an electronic shutter of the imaging apparatus is open; and

controlling the optical axis changing element so that the optical axis returns to the vicinity of approximately the center of the movement of the imaging apparatus during periods when the electronic shutter is closed,

wherein the control of the optical axis of the optical axis changing element is performed with respect to a partial line in the central direction of the imaging device.