JPH07209687A - Image stabilization camera - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] In a shake correction camera with a continuous self-timer function, the shake correction function is activated while saving the current consumption. [Structure] In order to correct the shake generated by vibration,
Shake correction means (CPU 1, camera shake detection circuits 3 and 4, for moving the shake correction lens 11 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis direction).
Motor drive circuits 5 and 6, motors 7 and 8, lens position detection circuits 13 and 14), and a continuous time delay mode in which a plurality of shutter opening and closing operations are performed with a predetermined time interval after a predetermined time has elapsed from the release operation. When the delay mode setting means (CPU 1, self-switch 18) and the delay mode setting means are set to the continuous time delay mode, the shake correction means is controlled not to operate when at least one frame is photographed. Control means (CPU1) for

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camera shake correction camera for correcting camera shake and the like generated during photographing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a shake correction camera having a shake correction function has been proposed in order to correct camera shake during shooting. This is a correction provided in a part of the photographic lens system so as to cancel the shake based on the output of the shake detection sensor while the shutter is open when the shake detection sensor provided in the camera detects the shake. The lens is moved in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis direction to correct the shake. On the other hand, conventionally, as one of the auxiliary functions of the camera,
A continuous self-timer function is known in which self-timer shooting is continuously performed after a predetermined time has elapsed from the release operation.

[0003]

However, the conventional shake correction camera described above has the following problems when it is provided with the continuous self-timer function. First, since the shake detection sensor is activated at the start of shooting processing, in shooting in the continuous self-timer mode, the circuit of the shake detection sensor remains energized between the release operation and the execution of shooting, and the current consumption of the camera is reduced. There is a problem in that Second, at the time of shooting in the continuous self-timer mode, if the shake correction function is not activated at all even when the time interval between shooting one frame and the next frame is short and the current consumption is not affected so much, the shake correction function There is a problem that it cannot fully utilize. Third, even when using a tripod or the like when shooting in the continuous self-timer mode, when using a telephoto lens or when affected by cross wind, the current consumption of the camera should be within a range that does not increase. There is a request to activate the shake correction function.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and in a shake correction camera having a continuous self-timer function, the shake correction function is operated while saving the current consumption of the camera. The purpose is to let.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the first solution means of the shake correction camera according to the present invention is as follows.
In order to correct shake generated by vibration, shake correction means for moving the shake correction lens in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis direction, and shutter opening and closing a plurality of times at predetermined time intervals after a predetermined time has elapsed from the release operation A delay mode setting means for setting a continuous time delay mode for performing an operation, and when the delay mode setting means is set to the continuous time delay mode, the shake correction means is not operated when at least one frame is photographed. And a control means for controlling.

A second solving means is the same as the first solving means, wherein the control means controls the shake correcting means so as not to operate at the time of photographing the first frame, and the shake at the time of photographing the second frame. It is characterized in that the correction means is controlled to operate. A third solving means is the first or second solving means, wherein the control means controls the first frame so that the shake correcting means is not operated.

[0007]

According to the means for solving the problems of the present invention, the shake correcting means does not operate at the time of photographing at least one frame during photographing in the continuous time delay mode. Therefore, the current consumption by the shake correction means in the continuous time delay mode is reduced. Further, in the second and third solving means, during shooting in the continuous time delay mode, shooting in which the shake correcting means operates and shooting in which the shake correcting means does not operate are executed. Therefore,
The shake correction means can be operated within a range in which the current consumption does not increase in accordance with the standby time or the like until the shooting is executed.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the shake correction camera according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of a shake correction camera according to the present invention. The taking lens system consists of four lenses 9, 10,
It is composed of 11 and 12. During focusing, the four lenses 9, 10, 11, 12 are collectively driven in the optical axis direction. In addition, at the time of shake correction, the lens 11
Only (hereinafter referred to as "correction lens 11") is driven in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis direction (X-axis (horizontal) direction and Y-axis (vertical) direction).

The CPU 1 is a one-chip microcomputer and controls the entire sequence of the camera. CPU
Reference numeral 1 has a counter function, a timer function for measuring time, an A / D conversion function, and the like. The CPU 1 includes a main switch 15, a half-press switch 16, a release switch 17, a self switch 18, a distance measuring circuit 2,
The photometric circuit 19 is electrically connected.

The main switch 15 is a switch for starting the operation of the camera and has an on position and an off position,
Once set to the on position, the state of the on position is maintained until it is returned to the off position again. Half-push switch 16
Is a switch that is turned on by pressing the release button halfway. The release switch 17 is a switch that is turned on by fully pressing the release button. The self-switch 18 is a normal shooting mode that does not perform self-timer shooting, a single self-timer mode that performs one frame of self-timer shooting (hereinafter referred to as “self mode”), or a double self-timer that performs continuous self-timer shooting of two frames. This is a switch for selecting a mode (hereinafter, referred to as “W self mode”). Here, whether or not the self mode or the W self mode is selected is displayed on a display unit (not shown) such as an LCD. The distance measuring circuit 2 is a circuit for performing distance measuring processing. The photometric circuit 19 is a circuit for performing photometric processing.

Further, the CPU 1 has a camera shake detection circuit 3,
4, motor drive circuits 5 and 6, and lens position detection circuit 1
3 and 14 are electrically connected. Further, motors 7 and 8 are connected to the motor drive circuits 5 and 6, respectively. The camera shake detection circuits 3 and 4 are sensors that detect the angular velocities in the X-axis and Y-axis directions generated by camera shake, respectively, and output values according to the magnitude of the angular velocities. The CPU 1 A / D-converts this output value, X-axis, Y-axis
Detects the amount of camera shake in the axial direction.

The CPU 1 transmits a drive direction signal to instruct the drive direction, and further transmits a drive duty signal to instruct the drive speed. The motor drive circuits 5 and 6 duty-drive the motors 7 and 8 in accordance with these signals. The rotations of the motors 7 and 8 are converted into linear motions by a drive mechanical system (not shown), and the correction lens 11 is moved in the X-axis and Y-axis directions so as to cancel the camera shake.

The lens position detection circuits 13 and 14 detect the position (movement amount) of the correction lens 11 in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, and depending on the movement amount of the correction lens 11 in the X-axis and Y-axis directions. Output pulse signal. The CPU 1 reads the position and movement amount of the correction lens 11 in the X-axis and Y-axis directions by counting the number of pulses of this pulse signal. Further, the moving speeds in the X-axis and Y-axis directions are calculated from the moving amount per fixed time.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing an embodiment of the operation of the shake correction camera according to the present invention. This flowchart is executed by a program built in the CPU 1. Power is turned on, main switch 15
When is turned on, the process is started in step 200.
First, in step 201, the inside of the CPU 1 is initialized. Next, the process goes through the loop of steps 202, 203 and 204, and waits for the half-push switch 16 to be turned on, the self switch 18 to be turned on, or the main switch 15 to be turned off. Half-press switch 16 in step 202
When is on, the process proceeds to step 205 and the photographing process is started. When the self switch 18 is turned on in step 203, the process proceeds to step 206 and the self setting process is started. Main switch 1 in step 204
When 5 is turned off, the process proceeds to step 207, and the process ends.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing an example of the self-setting process of step 206 of FIG. When the self-setting process is started in step 400, first, in step 401, it is determined whether or not the W self-mode is already set. If already set, the process proceeds to step 403, the W self mode is cleared (released), the normal mode is set at the next step 404, and the process proceeds to step 409.

On the other hand, when the W self mode is cleared at step 401, the routine proceeds to step 402, where it is judged if the self mode is set or not. When it is set, the routine proceeds to step 407, where the self mode is cleared, at the next step 408 the W self mode is set, and the routine proceeds to step 409. When the self mode is cleared in step 402, the process proceeds to step 405, the normal mode is cleared, the self mode is set in the next step 406, and the process proceeds to step 409. That is, each time the self switch 18 is turned on, the switching loop of the normal mode → self mode → W self mode → normal mode is repeated. When it is confirmed in step 409 that the self-switch 18 is turned off, the process returns from step 410 to the flowchart of FIG.

3 and 4 are flow charts showing an embodiment of the photographing process of step 205 of FIG. First, when the photographing process is started in step 300, step 30
In step 1, it is determined whether or not the normal mode is set. When the normal mode is set, the routine proceeds to step 302, where the camera shake detection circuits 3 and 4 are activated. Here, the camera-shake detection circuits 3 and 4 are not activated immediately before the camera-shake correction process (step 313) but are activated at this stage in order to stabilize the camera-shake detection circuits 3 and 4 by activating them early. is there. Also, step 3
When the normal mode is cleared at 01, that is, when the self mode or the W self mode is set, the process skips step 302 and proceeds to step 303. As described above, the reason why the camera shake detection circuits 3 and 4 are not activated in the self mode or the W self mode is that the camera shake correction processing is not performed in the self mode or in the first frame of the W self mode. This is because current consumption due to the operation of the detection circuits 3 and 4 is eliminated.

In the next step 303, the distance measuring circuit 2 executes the distance measuring process, and in the next step 304, the light measuring circuit 19 executes the light measuring process. Then, in step 305, the taking lens systems 9 to 12 are driven to predetermined focus positions based on the distance measurement result of step 303.

Next, in step 306, it is determined whether the release switch 17 is on or off. If it is off, the process proceeds to step 307 to determine whether the half-push switch 16 is on or off. Step 30 if on
Returning to step 6, when it is off, the process proceeds to the next step 308, the operations of the camera shake detection circuits 3 and 4 are stopped, and in step 309 the taking lens systems 9 to 12 are returned to the initial positions,
In the next step 310, the process returns to the flowchart of FIG. 2 (no shooting is performed).

When it is determined in step 306 that the release switch 17 is on, the routine proceeds to step 311 in FIG. 4 and it is determined whether or not the normal mode is set. When the release switch 17 is turned on and the normal mode is set, step 312
Then, the normal shooting is performed.

In step 312, centering processing of the correction lens 11 is executed. That is, the correction lens 11
Is driven to the reference position at the center of the optical axis. Correction lens 11
Are arranged at positions (ends) deviated from the center of the optical axis in the initial state. This is because 1) the stroke amount when driving the correction lens 11 is secured, 2) the lens position detection circuits 13 and 14 detect only the movement amount of the correction lens 11, and 3) the correction lens 11 is at the end. It is based on the reason such as contacting and keeping it stable.

Then, in the next step 313, the camera shake correction process is started. That is, based on the output results of the camera shake detection circuits 3 and 4, the correction lens 11 is moved in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis direction so as to cancel the shake, and the shake is corrected. When the camera shake correction process is started, the shutter opening / closing operation is performed. In step 314, the shutter is opened, and in the next step 315, the exposure is waited for a predetermined exposure time based on the photometric result of step 304.
The shutter is closed at 6. Then step 317
The camera shake correction process is stopped by. Next, in step 318, the operations of the camera shake detection circuits 3 and 4 are stopped, and step 31
Proceed to 9.

On the other hand, in step 311, when the release switch 17 is turned on and the normal mode is cleared (when the self mode or the W self mode is set), the routine proceeds to step 326. Alternatively, the photographing of the first frame in the W self mode is executed. In step 326, a 10 second wait is performed. Here, 10 is set by the timer function of the CPU 1.
Seconds are timed. When this time measurement ends, the process proceeds to step 327, and the centering process of the correction lens 11 is executed similarly to the process of step 312. The centering process of the correction lens 11 is performed even in the self mode in which the camera shake correction process is not performed or when the first frame is captured in the W self mode because the initial position of the correction lens 11 is deviated from the optical axis center as described above. Therefore, it is because the photographing is performed after driving to the reference position at the center of the optical axis. Therefore,
By this centering process, a good shooting result can be obtained even in the first frame in the self mode or the W self mode.

Next, in steps 328 to 330, the shutter opening / closing operation is performed similarly to steps 314 to 316. When the shutter is closed in step 330,
Proceed to next step 319.

In step 319, the taking lens systems 9-1 are used.
2 is returned to the initial position on the optical axis (return processing), and the correction lens 11 is returned to the initial position in which it abuts on the end portion.
In the next step 320, the film is wound up by one frame. Next, in step 321, the current shooting is W
It is determined whether or not the first frame is shot in the self mode. If it is the first frame in the W self mode, the process proceeds to step 324, and the camera shake detection circuits 3 and 4 are activated. The camera shake detection circuits 3 and 4 are activated after the first frame has been shot in this way in order to minimize the current consumption of the camera shake detection circuits 3 and 4.

Then, in the next step 325, a standby for 2 seconds is performed. Here, as in step 326, C
The time counting function of PU1 measures the time for 2 seconds. When this timing ends, the process returns to step 312 and 1
The second frame is photographed in the same manner as the frame is photographed. In addition,
The hand-shake detection circuits 3 and 4 can be stabilized by utilizing the waiting time of 2 seconds described above.

When it is determined in step 321 that the first frame in the W self mode is not set, that is, in the normal mode, the self mode, or the second frame in the W self mode, the process proceeds to step 322, and the half-push switch 16 is pressed. If it is confirmed to be off, the process proceeds to step 323 and returns to the flowchart of FIG.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment,
Various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the embodiment, the example in which the double self-timer photographing of two frames is performed has been shown, but the invention is not limited to two frames and can be similarly applied to the case of performing continuous self-timer photographing of a plurality of frames. Here, for example, when performing continuous self-timer shooting for three frames, the shake correction process is not executed for the first frame, and
The shake correction processing may be executed for the third frame and the third frame. Alternatively, the shake correction process may not be executed for the first frame and the second frame, and the shake correction process may be executed for the third frame. This may be determined according to the length of the waiting time for shooting the pieces. Further, the standby time in the self mode or the W self mode in the embodiment is set to 10 seconds and 2 seconds, but it is not limited to this value.

[0029]

According to the shake correction camera of the present invention,
In the shooting in the continuous time delay mode, the operation of the shake correcting unit is controlled according to the waiting time until the shooting is executed, so that the shake correcting unit can be operated while saving the power consumption. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of a shake correction camera according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of the operation of the shake correction camera according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of a photographing process in step 205 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart following FIG.

5 is a flowchart showing an example of the self-setting process in step 206 of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 CPU 2 Distance measuring circuit 3,4 Camera shake detection circuit (X axis, Y axis) 5,6 Motor drive circuit (X axis, Y axis) 7,8 Motor (X axis, Y axis) 9, 10, 11, 12 Shooting lens system (11 correction lens) 13,14 Lens position detection circuit (X axis, Y axis) 15 Main switch 16 Half-press switch 17 Release switch 18 Self switch 19 Photometric circuit

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A shake correction means for moving a shake correction lens in a direction substantially perpendicular to an optical axis direction to correct shake generated by vibration, and a predetermined time interval after a predetermined time has elapsed from a release operation. Delay mode setting means for setting a continuous time delay mode for performing a plurality of shutter opening / closing operations; and when the delay mode setting means is set to the continuous time delay mode, the shake correction is performed when at least one frame is photographed. A shake correction camera, comprising: a control unit that controls the unit not to operate. 2. The control means according to claim 1, wherein the shake correction means is controlled so as not to operate when the first frame is photographed, and the shake correction means is operated when the second frame is photographed. An image stabilization camera that is controlled. 3. The shake correction camera according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the first frame so that the shake correction unit is not activated.