Device and method for correcting an unstable image of a camcorder by detecting a motion vector

Claim 3

A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said vertical image pick-up means comprises: two right-angled prisms, the hypotenuses of which are joined to each other to form a reflection surface so that the reflection surface horizontally reflects a two-dimensional image inputted from a camera lens; a plano convex lens, of which the flat surface faces the reflection surface of said two right-angled prisms, which horizontally condenses the two-dimensional image reflected by the reflection surface into a one-dimensional image to be outputted; and a line CCD which converts the one-dimensional image outputted from said plano convex lens into a one-dimensional electrical signal.

Claim 4

A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said horizontal image pick-up means comprises: two right-angled prisms, the hypotenuses of which are joined to each other to form a reflection surface so that the reflection s surface vertically reflects a two-dimensional image inputted from a camera lens; a piano convex lens, of which the flat surface faces the reflection surface of said two right-angled prisms, which vertically condenses the two-dimensional image reflected by the reflection surface into a one-dimensional image to be outputted; and a line CCD which converts the one-dimensional image outputted from said plano convex lens into a one-dimensional electrical signal.

Claim 7

A method as stated in claim 4, characterized in that data in said line memory are replaced by data in a delay register, and that the replaced data are used as old image data in the correlation calculation of a next field.

Claim 8

An image pick-up device comprising: two right-angled prisms, the hypotenuses of which are joined to each other to form a reflection surface so that the reflection surface may reflect a two-dimensional image; a plano convex lens, of which the flat surface faces the reflection surface of said two right-angled prisms, which condenses a two-dimensional image reflected by the reflection surface into a one-dimensional image to be outputted; and a line CCD which converts the one-dimensional image outputted from said plano convex lens into a one-dimensional electrical signal.

Claim 9

An image pick-up device comprising: two right-angled prisms, the hypotenuses of which are joined to each other to form a reflection surface so that the reflection surface may reflect a two-dimensional image; a plano convex lens, of which the flat surface faces the reflection surface of said two right-angled prisms, which condenses a two-dimensional image reflected by the reflection surface into a one-dimensional image to be outputted; and a line CCD which converts the one-dimensional image outputted from said plano convex lens into a one-dimensional electrical signal.

Claim 10

An image correction system of a camcorder, comprising: a solid state image pick-up means for picking up an inputted image in a solid state device through an optical system, scanning the image electronically within the solid state device, and converting the image into an analog signal to be outputted; an A/D converter which converts the analog signal outputted from said solid state pick-up device into a digital signal to be outputted; a camera signal processing means for converting the digital signal outputted from said A/D converter into a color and brightness signal to be outputted; a motion vector detecting means for receiving the same image that is inputted to said solid state image pick-up means through separate image pick-up means, condensing the same image that is inputted to said solid state image pick-up means to a horizontally condensed image and to a vertically condensed image, detecting a motion vector caused by unstable hands based on said horizontally condensed image and said vertically condensed image, and outputting the motion vector; a memory control means for receiving the motion vector outputted from said motion vector detecting means to control a location of an area to be corrected; a field memory which holds one of a field unit and a frame unit of image data outputted from said camera signal processing means and, according to image correction control by said memory control means, outputs a stabilized digital image signal; and a D/A converter which converts the stabilized digital image signal output from said field memory into an analog image signal to be outputted.

Claim 11

An image correction system of a camcorder, comprising: a solid state image pick-up means for picking up an inputted image in a solid state device through an optical system, scanning the image electronically within the solid state device, and converting the image into an analog signal to be outputted; an A/D converter which converts the analog signal outputted from said solid state pick-up device into a digital signal to be outputted; a camera signal processing means for converting the digital signal outputted from said A/D converter into a color and brightness signal to be outputted; a motion vector detecting means for receiving the same image that is inputted to said solid state image pick-up means through separate image pick-up means, condensing the same image that is inputted to said solid state image pick-up means to a horizontally condensed image and to a vertically condensed image, detecting a motion vector caused by unstable hands based on said horizontally condensed image and said vertically condensed image, and outputting the motion vector; a memory control means for receiving the motion vector outputted from said motion vector detecting means to control a location of an area to be corrected; a field memory which holds one of a field unit and a frame unit of image data outputted from said camera signal processing means and, according to image correction control by said memory control means, outputs a stabilized digital image signal; and a D/A converter which converts the stabilized digital image signal output from said field memory into an analog image signal to be outputted.

Claim 12

An image correction system of a camcorder, comprising: a motion vector detecting means for receiving an image through an image pick-up means, condensing the received image to a horizontally condensed image and to a vertically condensed image, detecting a motion vector caused by unstable hands based on said horizontally condensed image and said vertically condensed image, and outputting the motion vector; a CCD control means for receiving the motion vector outputted from said motion vector detecting means to output a signal for controlling a location of an area to be corrected; a solid state image pick-up means for receiving the same image that is inputted to said motion vector detecting means through an optical system, and converting the image into an electrical signal to output a corrected analog image signal according to a control signal outputted from said CCD control means; an A/D converter which converts the corrected analog image signal outputted from said solid state image pick-up means into a digital signal to be outputted; a camera signal processing means for converting the digital signal outputted from said A/D converter into a color and brightness signal to be outputted; and a D/A converter which converts the color and brightness signal outputted from said camera signal processing means into an analog image signal to be outputted.

Claim 13

An image correction system of a camcorder, comprising: a motion vector detecting means for receiving an image through an image pick-up means, condensing the received image to a horizontally condensed image and to a vertically condensed image, detecting a motion vector caused by unstable hands based on said horizontally condensed image and said vertically condensed image, and outputting the motion vector; a CCD control means for receiving the motion vector outputted from said motion vector detecting means to output a signal for controlling a location of an area to be corrected; a solid state image pick-up means for receiving the same image that is inputted to said motion vector detecting means through an optical system, and converting the image into an electrical signal to output a corrected analog image signal according to a control signal outputted from said CCD control means; an A/D converter which converts the corrected analog image signal outputted from said solid state image pick-up means into a digital signal to be outputted; a camera signal processing means for converting the digital signal outputted from said A/D converter into a color and brightness signal to be outputted; and a D/A converter which converts the color and brightness signal outputted from said camera signal processing means into an analog image signal to be outputted.

Claim 14

A system as set forth in claim 7, wherein said motion vector detecting means comprises: a vertical image pick-up means for horizontally condensing the same image that is inputted to said solid state image pick-up means to the horizontally condensed image, and converting the horizontally condensed image into an analog signal to be outputted; a vertical A/D converter which converts the analog signal outputted from said vertical image pick-up means into a vertical digital signal to be outputted; a vertical delay register which holds the vertical digital signal outputted from said vertical A/D converter for a time during which pixels corresponding to half of a searching area are processed, and then outputs the held vertical digital signal; a vertical line memory which stores the held vertical digital signal outputted from said vertical delay register; a vertical correlation arithmetic unit for receiving the vertical digital signal outputted from said vertical A/D converter and a signal from said vertical line memory, and calculating correlation values between the vertical digital signal and the signal from said vertical A/D converter to output a vertical motion vector; a horizontal image pick-up means for vertically condensing the same image that is inputted to said solid state image pick-up means to the vertically condensed image, and converting the vertically condensed image into an analog signal to be outputted; a horizontal A/D converter which converts the analog signal outputted from said horizontal image pick-up means into a horizontal digital signal to be outputted; a horizontal delay register which holds the horizontal digital signal outputted from said horizontal A/D converter for a time during which pixels corresponding to half of a searching area are processed, then outputs the held horizontal digital signal; a horizontal line memory which stores the held horizontal digital signal outputted from said horizontal delay register; and a horizontal correlation arithmetic unit for receiving the horizontal digital signal outputted from said horizontal A/D converter and a signal from said horizontal line memory, and calculating correlation values between the horizontal digital signal and the signal from said horizontal line memory to output a horizontal motion vector.

Claim 15

A system as set forth in claim 9, wherein said vertical image pick-up means comprises: two right-angled prisms, the hypotenuses of which are joined to each other to form a reflection surface so that the reflection surface horizontally reflects a two-dimensional image inputted from a camera lens; a plano convex lens, the flat surface of which faces the reflection surface of said two right-angled prisms, which horizontally condenses the two-dimensional image reflected by the reflection surface into a one-dimensional image to be outputted; and a line CCD which converts the one-dimensional image outputted from said plano convex lens into a one-dimensional electrical signal.

Claim 16

A system as set forth in claim 9, wherein said horizontal image pick-up means comprises: two right-angled prisms, the hypotenuses of which are joined to each other to form a reflection surface so that the reflection surface vertically reflects a two-dimensional image inputted from a camera lens; a plano convex lens, the flat surface of which faces the reflection surface of said two right-angled prisms, which vertically condenses the two-dimensional image reflected by the reflection surface into a one-dimensional image to be outputted; and a line CCD which converts the one-dimensional image outputted from said plano convex lens into a one-dimensional electrical signal.

Claim 17

A system as set forth in claim 8, wherein said motion vector detecting means comprises: a vertical image pick-up means for horizontally condensing the received image to the horizontally condensed image, and converting the horizontally condensed image into an analog signal to be outputted; a vertical A/D converter which converts the analog signal outputted from said vertical image pick-up means into a vertical digital signal to be outputted; a vertical delay register which holds the vertical digital signal outputted from said vertical A/D converter for a time during which pixels corresponding to half of a searching area are processed, and then outputs the held vertical digital signal; a vertical line memory which stores the held vertical digital signal outputted from said vertical delay register; a vertical correlation arithmetic unit for receiving the vertical digital signal outputted from said vertical A/D converter and a signal from said vertical line memory, and calculating correlation values between the vertical digital signal and the signal from said vertical A/D converter to output a vertical motion vector; a horizontal image pick-up means for vertically condensing the received image to the vertically condensed image, and converting the vertically condensed image into an analog signal to be outputted; a horizontal A/D converter which converts the analog signal outputted from said horizontal image pick-up means into a horizontal digital signal to be outputted; a horizontal delay register which holds the horizontal digital signal outputted from said horizontal A/D converter for a time during which pixels corresponding to half of a searching area are processed, then outputs the held horizontal digital signal; a horizontal line memory which stores the held horizontal digital signal outputted from said horizontal delay register; and a horizontal correlation arithmetic unit for receiving the horizontal digital signal outputted from said horizontal A/D converter and a signal from said horizontal line memory, and calculating correlation values between the horizontal digital signal and the signal from said horizontal line memory to output a horizontal motion vector.

Claim 18

A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said vertical image pick-up means comprises: two right-angled prisms, the hypotenuses of which are joined to each other to form a reflection surface so that the reflection surface horizontally reflects a two-dimensional image inputted from a camera lens; a plano convex lens, the flat surface of which faces the reflection surface of said two right-angled prisms, which horizontally condenses the two-dimensional image reflected by the reflection surface into a one-dimensional image to be outputted; and a line CCD which converts the one-dimensional image outputted from said piano convex lens into a one-dimensional electrical signal.

Claim 19

A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said horizontal image pick-up means comprises: two right-angled prisms, the hypotenuses of which are joined to each other to form a reflection surface so that the reflection surface vertically reflects a two-dimensional image inputted from a camera lens; a plano convex lens, the flat surface of which faces the reflection surface of said two right-angled prisms, which vertically condenses the two-dimensional image reflected by the reflection surface into a one-dimensional image to be outputted; and a line CCD which converts the one-dimensional image outputted from said plano convex lens into a one-dimensional electrical signal.