Television – Camera – system and detail – Camera image stabilization
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-22
2001-04-03
Ho, Tuan (Department: 2612)
Television
Camera, system and detail
Camera image stabilization
Reexamination Certificate
active
06211910
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus using a solid-state image pickup element, such as a CCD.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, solid-state image pickup elements, such as CCDs, are presently used as light receiving elements of image pickup apparatuses. In the field of HDTV (High Density Television) or the like, it has been required to improve the image quality of such a solid-state image pickup element to meet a demand for increasing the resolution of TV signals, and there have been attempts to improve the image quality by increasing the number of pixels of the solid-state image pickup element. Although such an attempt needs a further improvement of manufacturing techniques, it is impossible to improve them to an unlimited extent.
In such a situation, it has recently been proposed to provide a system for improving the resolution of an image by swinging a solid-state image pickup element to temporarily vary a relative positional relation between an incident optical image and individual pixels and increasing a spatial sampling ratio (the Journal of the Institute of Television Engineers of Japan, Vol. 41, No. 11 (1987)).
Various methods for producing a panoramic video image have heretofore been known, and one proposed method is described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Sho 54-3526. This method includes the steps of photographing a subject about the optical axis of a photographic lens of a camera by means of a rotating mirror disposed on a subject side of the camera coaxially to the photographic lens with its reflecting surface opposed to the camera, processing the exposed film to form an intermediate image representative of a panoramic subject image which is recorded in compressed form, loading the film which carries the obtained intermediate image into an enlarger, and projecting the intermediate image on an enlarged scale onto a photosensitive member formed cylindrically around a rotating mirror, by means of the rotating mirror which is disposed coaxially to the enlarging lens and is of the same kind as the aforesaid rotating mirror, thereby producing a panoramic subject image.
However, there are a number of problems in the above-described system for improving the resolution of an image, which adopts an arrangement in which the solid-state image pickup element is made to vibrate periodically by a small amount by a piezoelectric element. For example, highly accurate positioning is needed to incorporate such an arrangement into an optical system, but this positioning is difficult to conduct and is disadvantageous in terms of productivity. In addition, a package having a special structure which involves a great increase in cost is needed to mount the solid-state image pickup element.
The above-described conventional method for producing a panoramic video image has the problem that it is necessary to incorporate a complicated mechanism in the camera since photography is performed by means of the rotating mirror disposed coaxially to the photographic lens on the subject side thereof. In addition, if a panoramic video image is to be actually produced, it is necessary to modify an existing enlarger.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first object of the present invention which has been made in light of the above-described problems is, therefore, to provide an image pickup apparatus capable of producing a high-resolution image or a panoramic image by means of a simple arrangement.
To achieve the above object, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image pickup apparatus which comprises image pickup means for photoelectrically converting an optical image formed in an image pickup plane via an image pickup optical system and outputting a picked-up image signal, a variable optical system for varying an image forming position in the image pickup plane of the optical image made incident on the image pickup means, A/D converting means for converting the picked-up image signal outputted from the image pickup means into a digital picked-up image signal, memory means for storing the digital picked-up image signal outputted from the A/D converting means, and signal processing means for combining picked-up image signals corresponding to a plurality of optical images stored in the memory means, the plurality of optical images being formed in the image forming plane by the variable optical system and being different from each other in their respective image forming positions.
A second object of the present invention is to provide an image pickup apparatus capable of picking up an image of greater size than the image pickup plane of image pickup means.
To achieve the above object, in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image pickup apparatus which comprises image pickup means for photoelectrically converting an optical image formed in an image pickup plane via an image pickup optical system and outputting a picked-up image signal, vibrating means for vibrating an optical axis of the image pickup optical system at intervals of a predetermined period to vary the optical image formed in the image pickup plane, at intervals of the predetermined period, memory means for storing a plurality of optical images which are made incident on the image pickup means and different from each other by the vibrating means, and signal processing means for combining the plurality of optical images stored in the memory means and outputting a resultant image.
A third object of the present invention is to expand the range of photography by using an image-motion correcting optical system.
To achieve the above object, in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image pickup apparatus which comprises image pickup means for photoelectrically converting an optical image formed in an image pickup plane via an image pickup optical system and outputting a picked-up image signal, a memory for storing the picked-up image signal outputted from the image pickup means, a correcting optical system for correcting a motion of an image due to a relative movement between the image pickup means and a subject by varying an optical axis of the image pickup optical system, memory controlling means for driving the correcting optical system in a predetermined direction as well as storing in the memory a plurality of picked-up image signals which are respectively obtained when the correcting optical system is moved to a plurality of different operating positions, and signal processing means for combining the plurality of picked-up image signals stored in the memory means and outputting a resultant image.
A fourth embodiment of the present invention is to provide an image pickup apparatus capable of producing a wide image or a high-quality image by using a variable angle prism.
To achieve the above object, there is provided an image pickup apparatus which is arranged to make an optical image of a subject incident on a solid-state image pickup element via an image pickup optical system, cause the solid-state image pickup element to photoelectrically convert the optical image into an analog image signal, digitize the analog image signal, and perform image processing of the digitized image signal. The image pickup apparatus includes a variable angle prism disposed closer to a subject side than the solid-state image pickup element and made up of two parallel plates held by an elastic member and an enclosed transparent liquid, driving means for relatively tilting the two parallel plates of the variable angle prism to sequentially move an image forming position of the optical image on the solid-state image pickup element, and combining means for combining individual digitized image signals which are obtained when the image forming position of the optical image on the solid-state image pickup element is sequentially moved by the driving means.
In the above-described arrangement, the image forming position of the optical image is made to move by a s
Kaneda Naoya
Kino Yoshiki
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Ho Tuan
Robin Blecker & Daley
LandOfFree
Image pickup apparatus with image shake correction and... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Image pickup apparatus with image shake correction and..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Image pickup apparatus with image shake correction and... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2491934