Blur correction camera system

• US 7,711,253 B2
• Filed: 12/25/2003
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Kitano, Kenichi, Ono, Yoshiko, Tomita, Hiroyuki, Usui, Kazutoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): MAHONEY, CHRISTOPHER E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Strieb; Michael A
• Application Number:
  US10/540,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20060110147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,322 Days
• Field of Search: 396/55, 396/53, 396/49, 396/75, 396/79, 396/80, 396/82, 396/87, 396/120, 396/128, 396/133, 396/153, 396/323, 396/657, 348/208.5, 348/220.1
• US Class Current: 396/53
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2205/0007 Movement of one or more optical elements for control of motion blur imaging systems in general using optical elements for stabilisation of the position of the image G02B27/64
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/005 Blur detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• 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 23/682 Vibration or motion blur correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/687 by shifting the lens or sensor position

Abstract

A blur correction camera system includes a blur correction lens driven based upon the vibration detection signal detected by an angular velocity sensor, that corrects an image blur, a point-image function computing unit that computes a point spread function, and an image restoration computing unit that corrects an image blur by executing image restoration through image processing on a captured image by using the point spread function. The image blur that cannot be completely corrected by the blur correction lens is further corrected through image restoration so as to obtain a high quality image.

Claims

1. A blur correction camera system, comprising:

a vibration detection unit that detects a vibration;

a blur correction optical system that is driven based upon a detection result of the vibration detection unit to execute a first image blur correction;

an image capturing unit that captures an image formed with a photographic optical system that includes the blur correction optical system; and

an image correction unit that executes a second image blur correction through image processing on an image captured by the image capturing unit, based on the detection result of the vibration detection unit, wherein;

at least one of a time period information relating to a period of time during which a still image is captured by the image capturing unit and a timing information relating to a timing at which the still image is captured by the image capturing unit is inputted to the image correction unit; and

the image correction unit executes the second image blur correction by using at least one of the time period information and the timing information thus inputted.

2. The blur correction camera system according to claim 1, wherein the image correction unit executes the second image blur correction using a point spread function obtained based on the detection result of the vibration detection unit.

3. The blur correction camera system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reference value computing unit that computes a reference value for a vibration detection signal output from the vibration detection unit, wherein;

the image correction unit executes the second image blur correction using a point spread function obtained based on the reference value when the blur correction optical system executes the first image blur correction; and

the image correction unit executes the second image blur correction using a point spread function obtained based on the vibration detection signal outputted from the vibration detection unit when the blur correction optical system does not execute the first image blur correction.

4. The blur correction camera system according to claim 1, wherein image blur corrected through the second image blur correction is a still image blur present in a still image captured by the image capturing unit.

5. The blur correction camera system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reference value computing unit that computes a reference value for a vibration detection signal outputted from the vibration detection unit wherein;

the image correction unit executes the second image blur correction based on at least one of a point spread function obtained by using the reference value and a point spread function obtained based on the vibration detection signal outputted from the vibration detection unit.

6. The blur correction camera system according to claim 5, further comprising a reduction unit that reduces a volume of information relating to at least one of the reference value and the point spread function.

7. The blur correction camera system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a saving unit that saves at least one of parameters used in the second image blur correction and a restored image obtained through the second image blur correction with the image correction unit in correspondence to a raw image on which the second image blur correction is not performed by the image correction unit.

8. The blur correction camera system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control unit that engages the blur correction optical system in the first image blur correction when the image correction unit is to execute the second image blur correction.

9. A blur correction camera system comprising:

a vibration detection unit that detects a vibration;

a blur correction optical system that is driven based upon a detection result of the vibration detection unit to execute a first image blur correction;

an image capturing unit that captures an image formed with a photographic optical system that includes the blur correction optical system;

an image correction unit that executes a second image blur correction through image processing on an image captured by the image capturing unit, based on the detection result of the vibration detection unit;

an image restoration decision unit that makes a decision as to whether or not the second image blur correction is to be executed by the image correction unit, based on at least one of a focal length of the photographic optical system, a period of time during which a still image is captured by the image capturing unit, and a blur component remaining even after the first image blur correction is executed.

10. The blur correction camera system according to claim 9, wherein image blur corrected through the second image blur correction is a still image blur present in a still image captured by the image capturing unit.

11. The blur correction camera system according to claim 9, further comprising:

a reference value computing unit that computes a reference value for a vibration detection signal outputted from the vibration detection unit, wherein;

the image correction unit executes the second image blur correction using a point spread function obtained based on the reference value when the blur correction optical system executes the first image blur correction; and

the image correction unit executes the second image blur correction using a point spread function obtained based on the vibration detection signal outputted from the vibration detection unit when the blur correction optical system does not execute the first image blur correction.

12. The blur correction camera system according to claim 9, further comprising:

a reference value computing unit that computes a reference value for a vibration detection signal outputted from the vibration detection unit, wherein;

the image correction unit executes the second image blur correction based on at least one of a point spread function obtained by using the reference value and a point spread function obtained based on the vibration detection signal outputted from the vibration detection unit.

13. The blur correction camera system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a reduction unit that reduces a volume of information related to at least one of the reference value and the point spread function.

14. The blur correction camera system according to claim 9, further comprising:

saving unit that saves at least one of parameters used in the second image blur correction and a restored image obtained through the second image blur correction with the image correction unit in correspondence to a raw image on which the second image blur correction is not performed by the image correction unit.

15. The blur correction camera system according to claim 9, further comprising:

a control unit that engages the blur correction optical system in the first image blur correction when the image correction unit is to execute the second image blur correction.

16. The blur correction camera system according to claim 9, wherein:

the image correction unit executes the second image blur correction using a point spread function obtained based on the detection result of the vibration detection unit.

17. A blur correction camera system comprising:

a vibration detection unit that detects a vibration;

a blur correction optical system that is driven based upon a detection result of the vibration detection unit to execute a first image blur correction;

an image capturing unit that captures an image formed with a photographic optical system that includes the blur correction optical system; and

an image correction unit that executes a second image blur correction through image processing on an image captured by the image capturing unit, based on the detection result of the vibration detection unit,

wherein;

image blur corrected through the second image blur correction is a blur component remaining after the first image blur correction is executed.

18. The blur correction camera system according to claim 17, further comprising:

a saving unit that saves at least one of parameters used in the second image blur correction and a restored image obtained through the second image blur correction with the image correction unit in correspondence to a raw image on which the second image blur correction is not performed by the image correction unit.

19. The blur correction camera system according to claim 17, further comprising:

a control unit that engages the image blur correction optical system in the first image blur correction when the image correction unit is to execute the second image blur correction.

20. The blur correction camera system according to claim 17, wherein:

image blur corrected through the second image blur correction is a still image blur present in a still image captured by the image capturing unit.

21. The blur correction camera system according to claim 17, wherein:

the image correction unit executes the second image blur correction using a point spread function obtained based on the detection result of the vibration detection unit.

22. A blur correction method, comprising:

detecting a vibration by a sensor;

driving a blur correction optical system for executing a first image blur correction based on a vibration detection result obtained by using the sensor;

capturing an image formed with a photographic optical system that includes the blur correction optical system; and

executing a second image blur correction through image processing on the image thus captured based on the vibration detection results obtained by using the sensor;

outputting a first vibration signal and a second vibration signal which is different from the first vibration signal by using the sensor;

executing the first image blur correction based on the first vibration signal; and

executing the second image blur correction based on the second vibration signal.

23. The blur correction method according to claim 22, wherein a frequency band of the first vibration signal is higher than a frequency band of the second vibration signal.

24. The blur correction method according to claim 22, further comprising outputting the first vibration signal and the second vibration signal by dividing a signal output from the sensor into the first vibration signal and the second vibration signal using a filter.

25. The blur correction method according to claim 22, further comprising:

saving at least one of parameters used in the second image blur correction and a restored image obtained through the second image blur correction in correspondence to a raw image on which the second image blur correction is not performed.

26. The blur correction method according to claim 22, further comprising:

engaging the blur correction optical system in the first image blur correction when the second image blur correction is to be executed.

27. The blur correction method according to claim 22, wherein:

image blur corrected through the second image blur correction is a still image blur present in a captured still image.

28. The blur correction method according to claim 22, wherein:

the second image blur correction is executed by using a point spread function obtained based on the detection result of the sensor.