Television – Camera – system and detail – Swing driven
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-29
2003-12-30
Christensen, Andrew (Department: 2615)
Television
Camera, system and detail
Swing driven
C348S374000, C396S341000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06670986
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority from Israeli Patent Application No. 126165, entitled “Apparatus For The Orthoganol Movement of a CCD Sensor” filed on Sep. 10, 1998, incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to digital cameras in general and in particular to the movement of CCD sensors within digital cameras.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
One of the main problems associated with digital cameras is obtaining a sufficiently high resolution. This problem is amplified with color cameras, having color CCD sensors, such as the Leaf Catchlight digital camera, manufactured by Scitex Corp., Herzlia, Israel. The benefit of using a color CCD, is the option of taking one-shot pictures, such that a moving object might be photographed too.
FIG. 1
schematically illustrates the pixel arrangement of a color CCD sensor. In the color CCD sensor, one third of the pixels are green (referenced G), one third are blue (referenced B) and one third are red (referenced R), thus the total resolution is one third.
Various methods for increasing the resolution have been developed over the past few years. One method is based on a filter-wheel, which is placed in front of the CCD sensor and requires three shots for each picture; one shot for each base-color. An example of such a device is the Leaf DCB-2 digital camera, manufactured by Scitex Corp., Herzlia, Israel.
Another method consists of three CCDs with dichroitic mirrors in front. All three CCDs view the same picture, thus increasing the resolution by factor of three. An example of such a device is the Smart Scanner head, manufactured by Scitex Corp., Herzlia, Israel.
A third method is based on a color CCD sensor, as described in
FIG. 1
, which is placed on an X-Y piezoelectric driven stage. Reference is now made to
FIG. 2
, which schematically illustrates the use of an X-Y stage. Generally, a pixel, for example pixel “A”, of an object
1
, when viewed via the camera lens
2
, is inverted by the lens
2
and is sensed by CCD sensor
3
in the position
7
indicated by B (blue) sensing pixel of sensor
3
. The X-Y stage of the piezoelectric driver is schematically shown by elements
4
and
5
respectively. When the piezoelectric driver
5
, for example, moves the sensor one pixel in the Y direction, pixel “A” will ‘fall’ on pixel G (green) of the sensor
3
, indicated
8
, instead of pixel B (blue). Thus, the color of pixel “A” is sensed by a sensor pixel having another color (say green). Similarly, when driver
4
moves the sensor in the X direction, the viewed pixel “A”‘falls’ on a pixel of another color R (red) indicated
9
. Thus, by taking three shots of each pixel, each pixel is photographed in its three basic colors (R, G and B). An example of such a device is the Carnival digital camera, manufactured by Scanview of Denmark.
EP Patent 0396687 to Lenz, describes the use of separate piezo-actuators for shifting an image in the X and Y directions between individual frame pickups, relative to a CCD junction detector, so that at least three color separations are positioned in succession at the same picture position.
Unfortunately, all the above methods are either expensive and/or complicated to manufacture.
Present day still cameras utilize a fixed CCD sensor. For example, the Ftf 3020 color camera, manufactured by Philips of the Netherlands, which uses a rectangular CCD having 2000 pixels in height×3000 pixels in width. Cameras having such rectangular CCD have a major disadvantage when photographing a vertical picture. Since the orientation of the picture and the sensor are perpendicular to each other, there is loss of information. This is illustrated in
FIG. 3
, to which reference is now made.
A horizontal object
1
viewed by a camera lens
2
, ‘falls’ completely on the CCD sensor
3
. However, when a vertical object, referenced
10
, is viewed, only part of the object
10
‘falls’ on the CCD sensor
3
, while other parts of the object, indicated by dashed lines
12
, are ‘lost’.
To overcome this problem, the camera is usually rotated 90, by rotating the base (seating the camera on a conventional tripod, for example). However, rotating the camera base causes misalignment of the camera vis-a-vis the picture being viewed. Usually, the misalignment is corrected by re-adjusting the stand. This procedure is time-consuming and inconvenient.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides apparatus for moving a CCD sensor in the X-Y direction, which overcomes the limitations and disadvantages of the prior art.
The present invention further provides orthogonal X-Y movement apparatus, which allows high-resolution color photography in both the X and Y directions, by micro-movement of the CCD sensor.
The present invention further uses a specific arrangement of the three colors on the CCD sensor, thus providing, in conjunction with the suggested micro-movement of the CCD sensor, a sampling sequence that is optimal for use in a digital camera that may alternately serve as one-shot or three-shot camera.
The present invention in addition provides a rotatable mount for rotating a CCD sensor within a pre-determined degree of limitation from a first position to a second position, such as 90 degrees from portrait mode to landscape mode, without needing to rotate the camera base and consequent misalignment of the camera. The rotatable mount can be used together with the orthogonal X-Y apparatus.
There is thus provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, apparatus for the orthogonal (X,Y) movement of a CCD sensor within a digital camera body which includes a CCD plate to which the CCD sensor is connected, a linear actuator for providing movement in orthogonal X,Y directions to the CCD plate, the linear actuator having a first axis disposed at 45 degrees to the X and Y directions, and means for transferring movement between the linear actuator and the CCD plate.
Furthermore, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the resent invention, the apparatus further includes a base plate connected to the camera body and wire springs connecting the base plate to the CCD plate.
Furthermore, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the means for transferring movement includes a movable member attached to the linear actuator, the actuation of the linear actuator causing the movable member to move either backwards or forwards along the first axis.
In addition, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the means for transferring movement further includes first and second rotatable eccentric arms supported by corresponding first and second support rods, respectively, the first and second rotatable eccentric arms being in contact with the CCD plate; and first and second rods, each of the first and second rods having a proximate and a distal end, wherein the distal end of each of the first and second rods is attached to the first and second eccentric arms, respectively, wherein the proximal end of each of the first and second rods is in contact with the movable member, and wherein the proximal end of each of the first and second rods is slidably retained by the base plate.
The transferring movement means also includes rotatable annuluses fitted to the first and second eccentric arms; and rotating bearings attached to the CCD plate, the rotating bearings in contiguous contact with the rotatable annuluses to reduce friction between the first and second eccentric arms and the CCD plate.
Furthermore, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first and second rods are in contiguous contact with opposite ends of the movable member; the first rod being positioned behind the movable member proximate to one end of the movable member, and the second rod being positioned in front of the movable member proximate to the other end of the movable member.
Furthermore, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus further includes first and second
Barkan Stanley
Ben Shoshan Joseph
Wiersch Marcelo
Yannai Moshe
Christensen Andrew
Creo Il. Ltd.
Eitan, Pearl, Latzer & Cohen Zedek LLP
Tran Nhan
LandOfFree
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