EP0149365A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Camera apparatus
Assignee: Panasonic Holdings Corp
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Filing: 1984-12-28
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-12-28
Abstract
Abstract A camera apparatus comprising focusing means for optically focusing a beam of light from an object, imaging means for converting an optical image produced by the focusing means into electrical or physicochemical information and issuing or recording the information as an image, means for detecting fluctuations of the apparatus to issue a fluctuation detecting signal, means responsive to the fluctuation detecting signal for issuing an image fluctuation control signal, and means responsive to the image fluctuation control signal for suppressing fluctuations of the image due to the fluctuations of the apparatus.
Inventors
- 👤 Mitsuaki Oshima
- 👤 Masataka Izaki
- 👤 Jirou Kajino
- 👤 Yoshiaki Igarashi
- 👤 Hiroshi Mitani
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 04:59
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N23/00; H04N23/40; H04N23/60; H04N23/68; H04N23/681; H04N23/6815; H04N23/6812; H04N23/682; H04N23/684; H04N23/6842; H04N23/685; H04N23/687; H04N25/00; H04N25/40; H04N25/44; H04N25/443; H04N25/60; H04N25/62; H04N25/626; G; G03; G03B; G03B2217/00; G03B2217/005
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 53
Claim 1
Independent Claim
91 words
A camera apparatus comprising: focusing means for optically focusing a beam of light from an object, imaging means for converting an optical image produced by the focusing means into electrical or physicochemical information and issuing or recording the information as an image, means for detecting fluctuations of the apparatus to issue a fluctuation detecting signal, means responsive to the fluctuation detecting signal for issuing an image fluctuation control signal, and means responsive to the image fluctuation control signal for suppressing fluctuations of the image due to the fluctuations of the apparatus.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
91 words
A camera apparatus comprising: focusing means for optically focusing a beam of light from an object, imaging means for converting an optical image produced by the focusing means into electrical or physicochemical information and issuing or recording the information as an image, means for detecting fluctuations of the apparatus to issue a fluctuation detecting signal, means responsive to the fluctuation detecting signal for issuing an image fluctuation control signal, and means responsive to the image fluctuation control signal for suppressing fluctuations of the image due to the fluctuations of the apparatus.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
61 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means comprises a detector mechanically vibratable at a fluctuation detecting frequency, and a vibrating angular velocity sensor for detecting vibrations of said detector and a Coriolis force generated on the basis of rotational movement of said detecting means with respect to an absolute coordinate system for generating said fluctuation detecting signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said vibrating angular velocity sensor has a plurality of sensors having detecting rotational axes extending substantially perpendicularly to each other.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said plurality of sensors have fluctuation detecting frequencies spaced at least 2f from each other where f is the average detecting frequency band of each said fluctuation detecting signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said plurality of sensors have the same fluctuation detecting frequencies so that respective fluctuation detecting vibrations thereof are synchronized.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
78 words
'The camera apparatus according to claim 1, including an image display unit for optically or electrically producing an image corresponding to said first-mentioned image, said image display unit or a finder including said imaged display unit having in a field of view thereof a control display circuit for displaying detecting information from said detecting means or an indication dependent on an angle formed between a housing of the apparatus and a direction in which the object is imaged.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
66 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said issuing means has a low-cutoff filter therein or between itself and said detecting means for producing an image fluctuation control signal with respect to a high-frequency signal of the fluctuation detecting signal from said detecting means and for failing to produce said image fluctuation control signal with respect to a low-frequency signal of siad fluctuation detecting signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said low-cutoff filter is arranged to pass a wide- frequency-range fluctuation detecting signal having a frequency range of at least 1 Hz and to block a low-frequency fluctuation detecting signal having a frequency range of at most 0.01 Hz.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
34 words
9 . The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said issuing means has a low-cutoff filter for reducing a variation error signal contained in the fluctuation detecting signal issued from said detecting means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
47 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said suppressing means has a fixed suppression control range and is arranged to return with a prescribed time constant toward a substantially central portion of said fixed suppression control range when there is no said image fluctuation control signal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
55 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 1, including a housing having on an outer surface thereof at least a two-step pushbutton or sliding switch, said switch being movable to one step for actuating said issuing means and to another step for starting to record video images in a video recording device connected to the apparatus.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said issuing means has a constant angular-velocity driver circuit for controlling said suppressing means to change a image-taking direction substantially at a constant angular velocity with respect to an absolute coordinate system.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
103 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said constant angular-velocity driver circuit starts operating to change the characteristics of a low-cutoff filter in said issuing means toward a lower cutoff frequency or bypassing said low-cutoff filter for thereby start rotating the image-taking direction to cause a rotational angular velocity of said image-taking direction with respect to the absolute coordinate system to approach rotation at a constant angular velocity, and thereafter to effect the rotation at the constant angular velocity, reducing the angular velocity, and returning the characteristics of said low-cutoff filter gradually to the original characteristics as the rotation is gradually stopped.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
uThe camera apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said constant angular-velocity driver circuit is arranged to change a set constant angular velocity dependent on a zoom ratio of said focusing means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
42 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said constant angular-velocity driver circuit effects the rotation at the constant angular velocity only when an angle between the image-taking direction and a direction of said image pickup device is in a prescribed range.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
91 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 12, including an image display unit for optically or electrically producing an image corresponding to said first-mentioned image, said image display unit or a finder including said imaged display unit having in a field of view thereof a control display circuit for displaying a control interval dependent on an angle formed between a housing of the image pickup device and the image-taking direction, said constant angular-velocity circuit effecting the rotation at the constant angular velocity only when said control interval is in a prescribed range.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
52 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said suppressing means has a reflecting member disposed in said focusing means or on an incident-light side of said focusing means and rotatable in a biaxil direction, said reflecting member being rotatable in the biaxial direction in response to the image fluctuation control signal.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
63 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said said reflecting member has a detecting rotatable shaft rotatable at a transmission ratio of 2 : 1 in coaction with a pitch rotation shaft thereof and having a fluctuation detector, said detecting rotatable shaft being controllable by said issuing means at a constant angle at all times with respect to an absolute coordinate system.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
146 words
19 . The camera apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said pitch rotation shaft of said reflecting member is connected to a coupling rotatable shaft rotatable in an opposite direction by rotation transmission means, said coupling rotatable shaft being directly coupled to a driver drivable by said issuing means, said driver and said pitch rotation shaft having moments of inertia and said rotation transmitting means having a rotation transmission ratio, said moments and said rotation transmission ratio being selected such that a rotative force based on said moment of said pitch rotation shaft and a rotative force based on the moment of said couplig rotatable shaft will be cancelled by each other, and the pitch rotation shaft has an angle of θ/2 with respect to the absolute coordinate system when the image pickup device fluctuates through an angle 6 with respect to the absolute coordinate system.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
51 words
The camera apparatus according to claimm 19, wherein n = m 2 /<2m + 1) is substantially met where m is the rotation transmission ratio of said rotation transmitting means, and n is the ratio bewteen the inertia of said pitch rotation shaft and the inertia of the coupling rotatable shaft.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
57 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said imaging means is coupled to said focusing means, and is controlled about a controlled shaft equal substantially to the center of gravity of a movable portion including said focusing means dependent on information from said detecting means independently of a fixed portion including a housing of the apparatus.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
40 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said movable portion has a balancer mechanically controllable for balancing or electromechanially controllable by a center-of-gravity correcting circuit about said controlled shaft dependent on focusing or movment of optical parts on zooming.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
28 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 22, wherein siad balancer is contollable to move on the shaft equal substantially to the center of gravity of said movable portion.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
52 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said issuing means has variation error correcting means including a pendulum in a pitch or roll direction for correcting a variation error signal contained in the fluctuation detecting signal issued by said detecting means when the apparatus fluctuates in the pitch or roll direction.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
34 words
2 5. The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means has a geomagnetic sensor for correcting the variation error signal contained in the fluctuation detecting signal generated by said detecting means.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
32 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said suppresing means has a geomagnetic sensor for correcting the variation error signal contained in the fluctuation detecting signal generated by said detecting means.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
24 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said issuing means controls said suppressing means dependent on a zoom ratio of said focusing means.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
30 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said imaging means is mechanically controlled to move horizontally or vertically in response to the detecting signal issued by said detecting means.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
51 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said imaging means is controllable to move substantially f x tan θ when the image pickup device fluctuates where 6 is the angle of fluctuation of the apparatus and f is the focal length obtained from a zoom detector in said focusing means.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
59 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said imaging means is arranged to photoelectrically convert the optical image produced by said focusing means into image information, reading out the image information with electric readout means, and issuing an image-dependent electric signal, said electric readout means being controllable by said issuing means dependent on information from said detecting means.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
27 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 30, wherein said electric readout means is controllable by said issuing means dependent on a zoom ratio of said focusing means.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
79 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 30, wherein said electric readout means is controllable by said issuing means dependent on an angle of fluctuation of the apparatus so that the image on an optical focusing suface in said imaging means will be equivalently moved substantially f x tan θ when the apparatus fluctuates where 9 is the angle of fluctuation of the apparatus obtained from said detecting means and f is the focal length obtained of said focusing means.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
54 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said imaging means includes an electron image pickup tube having an electron beam controllable in its horizontal or vertical deflection by said issuing means so that a scanning range of said electron beam will be varied dependent on the fluctuation detecting signal from said detecting means.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
49 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said issuing means has a scanning range varying means for varying a scanning range of the electron beam by controlling the deflection of said electron beam, said scanning range varying means varying the scanning range primarily in a vertical blanking period.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
60 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said issuing means has a horizontal scanning speed increasing means for increasing a horizontal scanning speed by controlling the horizontal deflection of said electron beam during the vertical blanking period, and a vertical scanning amplitude increasing means for increasing a vertical scanning amplitude by controlling the vertical deflection of said electron beam.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
61 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said imaging means has a charge-transfer solid-state image pickup unit having a vertical charge transfer section for vertically transferring charges and a horizontal charge transfer section for horizontally transferring charges, said vertical or horizontal charge transfer section being controllable in charge transfer in response to the fluctuation detecting signal from said detecting means.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
36 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said charge transfer in said vertical charge transfer section is effected in response to the fluctuation detecting signal from said detecting means primarily during a vertical blanking period.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
36 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said charge transfer in said horizontal charge transfer section is effected in response to the fluctuation detecting signal from said detecting means primarily during a horizontal blanking period.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
89 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said charge-transfer solid-state image pickup unit is arranged to apply charges in all pixels in one frame or one field in one vertical transfer direction and in one horizontal transfer direction in response to an external control signal, the charges in all pixels in one frame or one field being transferred by said issuing means in one horizontal transfer direction in response to the fluctuation detecting signal from the detecting means in a yaw direction primarily during the vertical blanking period.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
37 words
40 . The camera apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said charge-transfer solid-state image pickup unit has a horizontal charge transfer unit having output ports selectable in response to the fluctuation detecting signal from said detecting means.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
67 words
- The camera apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said charge-transfer solid-state image pickup unit has a matrix of pixels for transferring charges bidirectionally in the horizontal direction or bidirectionally in the vertical direction in response to an external control signal, the charges being transferrable bidirectionally in the horizontal direction or bidirectionally in the vertical direction in response to the fluctuation detecting signal from said detecting means.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
72 words
The camera apparatus . according to claim 41, wherein said charge-transfer solid-state image pickup unit has a light-detecting section and a storage section, the charge transfer being effected primarily by said light-detecting section bidirectionally in the horizontal direction or bidirectionally in the vertical direction in response to the fluctuation detecting signal from said detecting means, the charges being transferrable from said light-detecting section into said storage section in synchronism with verticall scanning.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
23 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gain of said image fluctuation control signal varies according to said fluctuation detecting signal.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
53 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for detecting an amount of image fluctuation correction and producing a fluctuation correction amount detecting signal, said image fluctuation control signal issuing means being responsive to said fluctuation correction amount detecting signal thereby to vary the gain of said image fluctuation control signal.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
39 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 44, wherein said image fluctuation control signal issuing means has an adder for adding said fluctuation detecting signal and said fluctuation correction amount detecting signal thereby to issue said image fluctuation control signal.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
43 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 44, wherein a gain K of a control loop based on said fluctuation detecting signal and a gain k of a control system based on said fluctuation correction amount detecting signal are generally in the following relation:
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
30 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 44, wherein said fluctuation detecting means comprises an angular rate sensor and said fluctuation correction amount detecting means comprises a rotational angle detecting sensor.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
27 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 44, further comprising a switch mounted on the body of said camera for setting a ratio of addition of said adder.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
31 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 44, wherein said image fluctuation control signal issuing means varies its control characteristic according to a mean value of said fluctuation correction amount detecting signal.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
50 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 49, wherein said image fluctuation control signal issuing means varies a control characteristic in a specific direction and a gain of a control characteristic in a direction opposite to said specific direction according to said mean value of said fluctuation correction amount detecting signal.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
29 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image fluctuation control signal issuing means varies its control characteristic according to a mean value of said fluctuation detecting signal.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
39 words
The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a gain Ka in a pitch direction of said image fluctuation control signal issuing means and a gain Kb in a yaw direction of the same are in the following relation:
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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