JPH06303492A - Camera equipped with vibration proof device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To prevent an unnatural image from being output or recorded while the power is turned on or the image stabilization operation is started and the correction optical system is being reset. [Configuration] When the power is turned on or the image stabilization operation is started, the correction optical system such as the variable apex angle prism is driven to the reference position to perform the reset operation, and the output of the captured image is prohibited during the reset operation. A camera with anti-vibration device that prohibits recording operation.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement of a photographing device such as a video camera equipped with a shake prevention device using a correction optical system such as a variable apex angle prism.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, automation of photographing devices such as still cameras and video cameras has progressed, and those equipped with automatic exposure and automatic focus adjustment mechanisms have been widely put into practical use. Furthermore, recently, various image pickup apparatuses having a function of correcting image shake due to camera shake, that is, an image stabilization function have been proposed, and some of them have been put into practical use.

This type of shake prevention apparatus includes a shake detection sensor for detecting vibration caused by camera shake applied to a photographing apparatus, a correction optical system for correcting image shake, an actuator for driving the correction optical system, and It is composed of a control unit such as a microcomputer that calculates the drive amount of the correction optical system based on a signal from the shake detection sensor and controls the actuator based on the calculated drive amount to perform image shake correction.

An angular acceleration sensor or an angular velocity sensor is used as the shake detecting sensor, and a variable apex prism made of a sealed liquid having a high refractive index is used as the correction optical system.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a variable apex angle prism VAP which is the above-mentioned correction optical system. In the figure, 1 and 2 are flat glass made of a transparent material, 3 is a bellows portion made of an elastic member, 5 and 6 are holding members for the flat glasses 1 and 2, 4 is the flat glasses 1 and 2, and a holding member 5. , 6 and the space formed by the bellows portion 3 is a high-refractive-index liquid which is sealed after being sealed. 7, the flat glass 1 is yawed (Ya
w) direction-the rotation axis when tilting in the direction of the arrow Y- in the figure, and similarly, 8 is the rotation axis when the flat glass 2 tilts in the direction of the pitch (Picth) -direction of the arrow P- in the figure. Also, 11
Is an image pickup optical system.

An actuator (not shown) causes the operating member 9 attached to the holding member 5 to reciprocate in the direction of the arrow in the figure, whereby the flat glass 1 is tilted in the yaw direction to correct the image shake in the horizontal direction of the screen. Similarly, the operating member 10 attached to the holding member 6 is reciprocally moved in the direction of the arrow in the drawing by an actuator (not shown) to tilt the flat glass 2 in the pitch direction and to move in the vertical direction of the screen. Image shake correction can be performed.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a camera with an anti-vibration device using the above-described variable apex angle prism. In FIG. 4, the same parts as those in FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and 12 is an image pickup optical system 11. CC for converting the image formed by
An image pickup device such as D, 13 is a rack connected to the operation member 10 attached to the holding member 6, and 14 is a rack 13.
1 is a stepping motor for rotating the feed screw 14.
5, the flat glass 2 can be tilted in the pitch direction by driving the stepping motor 15. Reference numeral 16 is a motor driver for driving the stepping motor 15, 17 is a photo interrupter for detecting a reference position when the flat glass 2 is tilted in the pitch direction, and 18 is a light shielding plate attached to the rack 13.
The position of the flat glass 2 when the light shielding plate 18 shields the photo interrupter 17 from light is used as the reference position. 1
Reference numeral 9 denotes an angular velocity sensor for detecting shake in the pitch direction (vertical direction) applied to the image pickup apparatus. Although not shown, the respective parts 13 to 19 are also provided for the flat glass 1 which is driven to correct the shake in the yaw direction of the screen. As described above, 20 calculates the drive amount (absolute position) of the flat glass 1, 2 from the reference position from the output signals of the two angular velocity sensors, and counts the number of drive pulses of the stepping motor from the reference position. It is a microcomputer which detects by doing and performs image shake correction. Reference numeral 21 is a switch for selecting whether or not to start image stabilization.

With the above configuration, the image shake-corrected image is photoelectrically converted by the image pickup device 11 and output as a video signal to the camera signal processing circuit 22. In the camera signal processing circuit 22, processing such as γ (gamma) conversion is performed, and the color signal C and the luminance signal Y are extracted as video signals and output to the outside in the form of composite video signals. Reference numeral 23 is a processing circuit for recording the output signal of the camera signal processing circuit 22 on a magnetic tape or the like.

[0009]

However, in a photographing device such as a camera equipped with the image stabilizing device having the above-described structure, the driving amount of the variable apex angle prism for image blur correction is used as a reference, for example. In order to detect the amount of movement of the variable apex prism from the reference position, that is, the number of drive pulses of the stepping motor for driving, immediately after turning on the power or just after starting the image stabilization operation, be sure to first change the apex angle It is necessary to drive the prism and detect its arrival at the reference position. Therefore, during this reference position detection operation, the variable apex angle prism is driven regardless of the presence or absence of vibration applied to the image capturing apparatus. During this period, the image captured is not only not shake-corrected, but in some cases However, there is a problem in that the image blur is larger, and at this time, if the operation is in the recording mode, these images are recorded as they are.

[0010]

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is characterized in that a shake detecting means for detecting a vibration applied to a photographing device,
Correction optical system for correcting image shake, driving means for driving the correction optical system, position detecting means for detecting the position of the correction optical system, and driving of the correction optical system based on a signal from the shake detecting means In a camera with an image stabilization device that includes a correction unit that calculates an amount and controls the drive unit to perform image shake correction, during a reset operation for setting the correction optical system to the reference position, a captured image It is in a camera with an anti-vibration device equipped with means for prohibiting output.

[0011]

As a result, during the reset operation of the correction optical system such as the variable apex angle prism immediately after the power is turned on or after the image stabilization is started, the output of the projected image is prohibited and the captured image is not displayed. Instead, another image is output and recording is also prohibited. Therefore, an image that has not been subjected to image blur correction during the reset operation is not output, and erroneous recording can be prevented.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below based on the illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the structure of a camera with a vibration isolation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as those in FIG. 4 are designated by the same reference numerals. After the power is turned on or the image stabilization is started, the output 24 of the image captured at that time is output to the camera signal processing circuit 22 during the reset operation of driving the variable apex angle prism VAP to its reference position under the control of the microcomputer 20. This is a video output prohibition circuit that is prohibited.

Reference numeral 25 denotes a video output prohibiting circuit 24 during a reset operation in which the variable apex angle prism is moved to the ground based on the reference.
When the output of the video being shot is prohibited by,
Instead, it is a warning image output means for outputting another video, for example, a warning display video as shown in FIG.

Similarly, reference numeral 26 designates a recorder circuit 23 when the output of the video image taken by the video output inhibition circuit 24 is inhibited during the reset operation in which the variable apex angle prism VAP is driven to its reference position. It is a recording prohibition circuit that prohibits recording on.

The operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to the flow chart of the control program stored in the microcomputer 20 of FIG.

When the power of the camera is turned on and the system is activated, control is started from step 201, and first,
In step 202, it is determined whether or not the image stabilization start switch 21 is turned on. If the image stabilization start switch 21 is ON, that is, if it is selected to perform image stabilization, the process proceeds to step 203. If it remains OFF, the image stabilization start switch 21 is operated. Waits until.

In step 203, the video output inhibition circuit 2
In step 4, the output of the image currently shot is prohibited, and the process proceeds to step 204. In step 204, the warning screen output circuit 25 outputs the image such as the prohibition display as shown in FIG. 5 as described above. Next, in step 205, the recording prohibition circuit 26 prohibits the start of recording.

After the processing of steps 203 to 205 is completed, the following processing for the reference position detecting operation of the variable apex angle prism VAP is started. First, in step 206, whether or not the photo interrupter 17 is currently turned on, that is, the photo interrupter 17 is moved by the light shielding plate 18 that moves along with the flat glass 2 driven to correct the shake in the pitch direction by the variable apex angle prism. It is determined whether or not 17 is shielded from light. If the photo interrupter 17 is ON (when it is not shielded), it proceeds to step 207, and if it is OFF (when it is shielded), it proceeds to step 209. In step 207, the light blocking plate 18 (the position of the flat glass 2 of the variable apex angle prism VAP) is turned off in the direction in which the photo interrupter 17 is turned off.
The stepping motor 15 is driven so that C moves.
On the contrary, in step 209, the photo interrupter 17
In the direction of turning on the light shield plate 18 (variable apex angle prism VAP
The step motor 15 is driven so that the position of the flat glass 2) moves. Then, in step 208 and step 210, the change of the state of the photo interrupter 17 is monitored. In step 208, the state changes from ON to OFF, and in step 210, when the state changes from OFF to ON, the process proceeds to step 211 to stop driving the stepping motor. Let Then, the position where the state of the photo interrupter 17 is changed is set as a reference position when the flat glass 2 of the variable apex angle prism is driven, and in the next step 212, the value of the position detection counter in the microcomputer 20 is reset, The reset operation of moving the variable apex angle prism VAP to the reference position ends. After this, the variable apex angle prism V
The position of the flat glass 2 of the AP can be detected by counting the driving pulse number of the stepping motor 15 from this reference position by the microcomputer 20. The above processing from step 206 to step 212 is performed for the flat glass 1 and 2 which are driven for the shake correction of the variable apex angle prism VAP.

After the completion of the reset operation for detecting the reference position, the process proceeds to step 213, the screen output in step 204 is stopped, and then in step 214, the output of the current captured image prohibited in step 203. Is permitted, and in step 215, the recording prohibited in step 205 is permitted.

After the above processing is completed, the processing moves to an image stabilization processing routine (not shown) to perform processing for shake correction.

Therefore, after the image stabilization is started, the image that has not been shake-corrected is not output, and good photographing can be performed from the beginning.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention,
For cameras with anti-vibration devices that detect the drive amount of the variable apex prism for image shake correction from the drive amount of the actuator that drives it from a certain reference position, immediately after turning on the power or after starting image stabilization. During the reset operation for detecting the reference position, a means for prohibiting the output of the captured video, a means for outputting another video in place of the captured video, and a means for prohibiting the recording during this period. By having the above, it is possible to prevent the video which is not subjected to the image blur correction during the reference position detecting operation from being output, and to prevent the video from being erroneously recorded. Therefore, the image with the image shake corrected is output from the beginning after the image stabilization is started, and the good shooting can be performed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a camera with a vibration isolation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a variable apex angle prism that constitutes the vibration control device of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional camera with a vibration isolation device.

5 shows an example of an output image during the operation of FIG.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A shake detecting means for detecting a vibration applied to an image pickup apparatus, a correction optical system for correcting an image shake, a driving means for driving the correction optical system, and a position detecting means for detecting a position of the correction optical system. And a correction unit that calculates a drive amount of the correction optical system based on a signal from the shake detection unit and controls the drive unit to perform image shake correction, A camera with a vibration isolation device comprising means for prohibiting output of a captured image during a reset operation for setting the optical system to the reference position. 2. The image stabilization device according to claim 1, further comprising means for outputting a predetermined image or a prohibited display image while the output of the captured image is prohibited during the reset operation. Camera with device. 3. The camera with a vibration isolation device according to claim 1, further comprising means for prohibiting recording while the output of the photographed image is prohibited during the reset operation.