JP2008139458A - Device and method for preventing dropping impact of camera shake correction optical device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the damage of a correction lens caused by dropping impact. <P>SOLUTION: The camera shake correction optical mechanism 57 is constituted of two voice coil motors (VCM) 88 and 90 and Hall sensors 92 and 94. Camera shake is corrected by moving a camera shake correction lens 56 in a horizontal (H) direction and a vertical (V) direction by the camera shake correction mechanism 57. Based on detection signals from a yaw direction angular velocity sensor 82 and a pitch direction angular velocity sensor 84, the dropping of a digital camera 10 is detected by a dropping state detection part 98. By detecting the dropping, the respective VCMs 88 and 90 are driven to position and hold the center of the camera shake correction lens 56 on an optical axis OA (center axis of a lens barrel). Even when receiving the dropping impact, the camera shake correction lens 56 does not move, and is prevented from being damaged because the collision with the lens barrel is avoided. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for preventing a drop impact of a camera shake correction optical apparatus that performs camera shake correction.

  2. Description of the Related Art A digital camera is known as an imaging device that records image data captured by a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD image sensor (hereinafter referred to as a CCD) on a memory card or the like. This digital camera has a problem in that, for example, when a camera shake occurs due to a pressing operation of a release button, a photographed image is shaken and image quality is deteriorated. Therefore, in order to prevent the shake of the captured image, digital cameras with a camera shake prevention function are rapidly spreading.

  A digital camera with a camera shake prevention function includes a lens unit that includes a photographing optical system in a lens barrel, an angular velocity sensor that detects the angular velocity of camera shake, a camera shake correction lens that forms part of the photographing optical system, and the camera shake correction lens. And a camera shake correction mechanism that moves the lens in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. Then, the angular velocity of the camera shake is detected by the angular velocity sensor, the camera shake angle is detected based on this angular velocity, and the camera shake correction lens is moved by the camera shake correction mechanism, thereby deflecting the optical path of the photographing optical system, Apparently it can be made to stand still.

If such a digital camera with a camera shake prevention function is inadvertently dropped by the user, the main mechanism of the camera such as the lens unit may be damaged. For this reason, when the impact of a drop collision is detected in the digital camera, various damage protection measures such as retracting the lens barrel into the camera body are taken (see Patent Documents 1 to 4).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-319000 JP-A-6-194727 JP 2001-83398 A JP 2005-234165 A

  By the way, in the digital camera with a camera shake prevention function, the position holding force of the camera shake correction lens by the camera shake correction mechanism is not strong, and the camera shake correction lens may collide with the inner surface of the lens barrel due to a drop impact. In order to prevent this, even if the lens barrel is retracted after detecting a drop impact as described in Patent Document 2, for example, when the drop impact is actually generated, the lens barrel is retracted in time. Sometimes not. For this reason, it is difficult to prevent the camera shake correction lens from being damaged due to a drop impact. Further, even in a digital camera that performs camera shake correction by moving the CCD instead of the camera shake correction lens, the CCD may be damaged due to a drop impact.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a fall impact prevention apparatus and method for a shake correction optical apparatus that prevents damage to a shake correction lens and the like due to drop impact.

  The present invention includes a camera shake correction member, and a camera shake correction member driving unit that moves the camera shake correction member in a direction that eliminates the effect of camera shake, and the camera shake correction optical apparatus performs the camera shake correction optical apparatus according to the above-described camera shake correction optical apparatus. A fall state detection unit for detecting a fall state of the correction optical device, and the camera shake correction member drive unit before the shake correction optical device receives a drop impact when the fall state is detected by the fall state detection unit. And a drop impact prevention control unit for holding the correction member in the impact impact reduction region.

  The camera shake correction member is a camera shake correction lens that constitutes a part of a photographing lens, and the camera shake correction member driving unit is a voice that moves the camera shake correction lens in a direction substantially orthogonal to the optical axis of the camera shake correction optical device. A coil motor is preferred.

  The camera shake correction member is an image sensor on which a subject image is formed by a photographic lens, and the camera shake correction member driving unit is a voice that moves the image sensor in a direction substantially orthogonal to the optical axis of the camera shake correction optical device. A coil motor is preferred.

  The impact influence reduction region is preferably a region where the center of the camera shake correction member is positioned on the optical axis of the camera shake correction optical device. And a drop direction detection unit that detects a drop direction of the camera shake correction optical device, wherein the impact impact reduction region is the drop direction by the drop direction detection unit with respect to the optical axis of the camera shake correction optical device. Is preferably a region where the center of the camera shake correction member is located at a position eccentric to the opposite side.

  Preferably, the fall state detection unit uses an angular velocity sensor for detecting a shake angle of the shake correction optical apparatus in order to perform the shake correction, and determines that the fall state is detected when movement for a predetermined time is detected.

  It is preferable to have a fall state determination change unit that changes a fall state determination reference value in the fall state detection unit. Moreover, it is preferable that the said fall state determination change part changes the said fall state determination reference value based on either the information regarding a user's height, or the information regarding a user's age.

  It is preferable that an energization regulating unit that regulates or stops energization excluding the fall state detection unit, the camera shake correction member driving unit, and the drop impact prevention control unit based on a fall state detection signal from the fall state detection unit.

  A storage unit that stores an average holding height of the camera shake correction optical device by a user, and based on the average holding height of the storage unit, the remaining time from when the falling state is detected by the falling state detection unit until receiving an impact due to falling It is preferable to predict the time, determine the priority processing order of the drop impact prevention control unit and the energization restriction unit according to the predicted remaining time, and perform processing based on this priority processing order.

  When the power supply to the drop state detection unit is always allowed and the camera shake correction optical device is in a power switch OFF state, at least the camera shake correction member drive unit and the camera unit based on a drop state detection signal from the drop state detection unit It is preferable to have an energization permission unit that also allows energization of the drop impact prevention control unit.

  The present invention also includes a camera shake correction member, and a camera shake correction member driving unit that moves the camera shake correction member in a direction that eliminates the effect of camera shake, and a method for preventing a drop impact of a camera shake correction optical device that performs camera shake correction. The camera shake correction member is driven before the camera shake correction optical apparatus receives a drop impact when the camera shake correction optical apparatus detects a fall state by detecting a fall state of the camera shake correction optical apparatus. The camera shake correction member is held in the impact influence reduction region by the portion.

  In the present invention, when detecting the fall state of the camera shake correction optical device, the camera shake correction member drive unit holds the camera shake correction member in the impact impact reduction area before the camera shake correction optical device receives a drop impact. Therefore, even if the user accidentally drops the camera shake correction optical device, the camera shake correction member (correction lens, image sensor, etc.) is prevented from colliding with the inner surface of the lens barrel due to the drop impact and being damaged. Is done.

  Since a voice coil motor having high-speed response is used as the camera shake correction member driving unit, the camera shake correction member can be held in the impact influence reduced region before the camera shake correction optical apparatus receives a drop impact.

  Since the center of the camera shake correction member is positioned on the optical axis of the camera shake correction optical device when the fall state of the camera shake correction optical device is detected, even if the camera shake correction member moves slightly in the drop direction due to the drop impact, This hand shake correction member can be prevented from being damaged.

  When detecting the fall state of the camera shake correction optical device, because the center of the camera shake correction member is located at a position decentered to the opposite side of the falling direction with respect to the optical axis of the camera shake correction optical device, Even if the camera shake correction member moves slightly in the dropping direction due to a drop impact, the camera shake correction member can be prevented from being damaged. Furthermore, in this case, a larger space can be secured on the side of the direction of dropping of the camera shake correction member than when the center of the camera shake correction member is positioned on the optical axis of the camera shake correction optical device. Damage can be reliably prevented.

  Since the fall state of the camera shake correction optical device is detected using the angular velocity sensor, it is not necessary to provide a new sensor for detecting the fall state. As a result, the manufacturing cost of the camera shake correction optical device can be suppressed.

  Since the fall state determination reference value in the fall state detection unit can be changed based on either the user's height information or the user's age information, image stabilization optics, especially when the user is a short child, etc. It is possible to set a short time required until the fall state is actually detected by the fall state detection unit after the device is dropped. As a result, even when the height of the user is low, the camera shake correction member can be held in the impact influence reduced region before the camera shake correction optical device receives a drop impact.

  Based on the fall state detection signal, the energization except for the fall state detection unit, the camera shake correction member drive unit, and the drop impact prevention control unit is regulated or stopped. In addition, the image file obtained by photographing with the camera shake correction optical device (imaging device) can be prevented from being damaged.

  Based on the average holding height of the hand shake correction optical device by the user, the priority processing order of the drop impact prevention control unit and the energization regulation unit is determined from the result of predicting the remaining time from the detection of the fall state until receiving an impact due to the fall. Therefore, for example, even when the user is a child with a short height and the remaining time is short, the process can be executed with priority from the minimum necessary processing.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a lens unit including a lens barrel 16 in which a photographing lens 14 is incorporated on the front surface of a camera body 12 of a digital camera 10 (camera shake correcting optical device) according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 17, a strobe light emitting unit 18, and an objective finder window 20 are provided.

  The lens barrel 16 is movable between a protruding position (see FIG. 1) protruding from the camera body 12 when in use and a storage position (not shown) stored in the camera body 12 when not in use. The strobe light emitting unit 18 emits strobe light in accordance with subject brightness when performing shooting. The objective-side finder window 20 constitutes an optical finder.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a liquid crystal monitor (LCD) 24, a finder eyepiece window 26 constituting an optical finder, and an operation unit 28 including a plurality of operation members are provided on the back surface of the camera body 12. The LCD 24 displays a through image, a reproduction image, various setting images, and the like.

  The operation unit 28 includes a zoom operation button 30, a menu button 32, a display switch button 34, a cross key 36, a mode switch 38, and the like. The zoom operation button 30 is operated when zooming the zoom lens of the imaging lens 14 from the wide side to the tele side. The menu button 32 is operated when a menu screen is displayed on the LCD 24 or when a selection content is determined. The display switching button 34 is operated when switching display items on the menu screen. The cross key 36 moves the cursor in the menu screen.

  The mode switch 38 is operated when switching the operation mode of the digital camera 10. As the operation mode, for example, there are a photographing mode for photographing a still image, a reproduction mode for reproducing and displaying an image on the LCD 24, and the like.

  A release button 40 and a power switch 42 are provided on the upper surface of the camera body 12. The release button 40 is a two-stage push switch. Various shooting preparation processes are executed when the release button 40 is half-pressed, and the shooting process is executed when the release button 40 is fully pressed in this state. The power switch 42 is operated when the power of the digital camera 10 is switched on / off.

  A card loading lid 44 that can be freely opened and closed and a speaker 46 are provided on the side surface of the camera body 12. When the card loading lid 44 is opened, the memory card slot 50 into which the memory card 48 (recording medium) is detachably loaded is exposed. The speaker 46 outputs a shutter sound when the release button 40 is fully pressed, for example.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the photographic lens 14 includes a zoom lens 52, a focus lens 54, and a camera shake correction lens 56 (camera shake correction member). The zoom lens 52 is stepped to the wide side or the tele side by a zoom mechanism (not shown) in conjunction with the operation of the zoom operation button 30 (see FIG. 2). The focus lens 54 is moved to and stopped at the in-focus position by a focus mechanism (not shown) in accordance with zooming of the zoom lens 52 and half-pressing operation of the release button 40.

  The camera shake correction lens 56 is movably held in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis OA of the photographic lens 14 by a camera shake correction mechanism 57, which will be described in detail later, and is used to prevent shake (blurring) of a photographed image due to camera shake. . Driving of these zoom mechanism, focus mechanism, and camera shake correction mechanism 57 is controlled by the CPU 58.

  Behind the imaging lens 14 is a CCD 60 that captures a subject image. A CCD driver 62 controlled by the CPU 58 is connected to the CCD 60. The CCD driver 62 outputs to the CCD 60 a timing signal (clock pulse) for controlling the charge accumulation time of the CCD 60 and the charge discharge timing.

  The imaging signal output from the CCD 60 is input to the analog signal processing circuit 64. The analog signal processing circuit 64 performs correlated double sampling on the imaging signal, and outputs R, G, and B image signals that accurately correspond to the accumulated charge amount of each cell of the CCD 60. Then, the image signal is amplified with a predetermined amplification factor and input to an A / D converter (A / D) 66.

  The A / D 66 A / D converts the image signal and outputs digital image data (hereinafter referred to as CCD-RAW data). The CCD-RAW data output from the A / D 66 is temporarily stored in the SDRAM 70 via the data bus 68. The analog signal processing circuit 64 and the A / D 66 are synchronously driven according to a timing signal input from a timing generator (not shown), and output CCD-RAW data at a constant frame rate.

  The digital signal processing circuit 72 reads out the CCD-RAW data from the SDRAM 70 and performs various correction processes such as white balance correction and gamma correction. The main image data subjected to various correction processes by the digital signal processing circuit 72 is stored in the SDRAM 70 again.

  The compression / decompression processing circuit 74 compresses the main image data read from the SDRAM 70 into a predetermined file format (for example, JPEG format). The image file compressed by the compression / decompression processing circuit 74 is stored again in the SDRAM 70. The compression / decompression processing circuit 74 performs decompression processing of the compressed image file in the playback mode or the like. The media controller 76 controls recording and reading of image data (image file) with respect to the memory card 48.

  Connected to the LCD driver 78 is a VRAM (not shown) in which CCD-RAW data for two frames read from the SDRAM 70 is stored. In the VRAM, writing and reading of CCD-RAW data are performed in parallel. The LCD driver 78 converts the CCD-RAW data read from the VRAM into an analog composite signal and displays it on the LCD 24 as a through image. The LCD driver 78 displays the image data expanded by the compression / expansion processing unit 76 on the LCD 24 as a reproduced image.

  The CPU 58 transmits a control signal to each unit of the digital camera 10 and receives a response signal from each unit, and comprehensively controls the operation of the digital camera 10. Then, the CPU 58 receives an operation input signal from the release button 40 and causes each part to execute processing associated with half-pressing and full-pressing of the release button 40. Further, the CPU 58 operates each unit according to an operation input signal input from the operation unit 28.

  As described above, the photographing process is executed when the release button 40 is fully pressed. If hand shake occurs during the photographing, the image of the subject moves on the light receiving surface of the CCD 60 within one frame. An image pickup signal of a shaken image is output. In order to correct the camera shake, a camera shake correction mechanism 57, a yaw direction angular velocity sensor 82, a pitch direction angular velocity sensor 84, and a camera shake correction circuit 86 are connected to the CPU 58.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the camera shake correction mechanism 57 (camera shake correction member driving unit) is roughly divided into an H (horizontal) direction VCM (voice coil motor) 88, a V (vertical) direction VCM 90, and an H direction hall sensor 92. , And a V direction hall sensor 94. Here, in FIG. 4, in order to prevent complication of the drawing, illustration of each member and each circuit is omitted as appropriate (FIGS. 8, 12, 14, 16, and 16 described later). 20 is the same).

  The VCMs 88 and 90 are actuators that are driven in accordance with excitation signals input to their drive coils (not shown). The H direction VCM 88 moves the camera shake correction lens 56 in the H direction, and the V direction VCM 90 moves the camera shake correction lens 56 in the V direction. That is, the camera shake correction lens 56 is held by the VCMs 88 and 90 so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis OA.

  The H direction hall sensor 92 detects the position of the camera shake correction lens 56 in the H direction. The V direction hall sensor 94 detects the position of the camera shake correction lens 56 in the V direction. Based on the position detection results of both Hall sensors 92 and 94, the position of the camera shake correction lens 56 in the lens barrel 16 (see FIG. 6) can be detected.

  The yaw direction and pitch direction angular velocity sensors (gyro sensors) 82 and 84 are, for example, fixed at arbitrary positions in the camera body 12. The yaw direction angular velocity sensor 82 inputs an angular velocity signal obtained by detecting the angular velocity of the shake of the digital camera 10 in the yaw direction to the CPU 58. Similarly, the pitch direction angular velocity sensor 84 inputs an angular velocity signal obtained by detecting the angular velocity of the shake in the pitch direction of the digital camera 10 to the CPU 58.

  The camera shake correction circuit 86 performs A / D conversion processing, integration processing, and the like on the angular velocity signal of the both angular velocity sensor 82 input via the CPU 58, and the shake angle in the yaw direction and the shake in the pitch direction of the digital camera 10 are processed. Calculate the angle. Next, the camera shake correction circuit 86 prevents shake of the photographed image based on the shake angle data of the camera body 12 in the yaw direction and the pitch direction and the position data of the camera shake correction lens 56 detected by the two hall sensors 92 and 94. As described above, the shake correction movement amount for moving the camera shake correction lens 56 in the H and V directions is determined.

  At this time, the angular velocity sensors 82 and 84 and the hall sensors 92 and 94 are driven at a frequency of, for example, about 10 to 20 Hz, and the camera shake correction circuit 86 is newly set by the sensors 82, 84, 92 and 94. Based on the detected shake angle data and position data, new shake correction movement amount data is determined as needed. The determined shake correction movement amount data in both directions is input to the CPU 58.

  The motor control unit 96 of the CPU 58 controls the operation of the H and V direction VCMs 88 and 90. The motor control unit 96 inputs the excitation current to both the VCMs 88 and 90 based on the shake correction movement amount data in the H and V directions. Thereby, the camera shake correction lens 56 is moved in the H direction and the V direction by the determined amount of shake correction movement in both directions, respectively, and the shake of the captured image is prevented.

  As described above, the shake correction lens 56 can be prevented from moving by moving the camera shake correction lens 56 in the H direction and the V direction VCMs 88 and 90, but the position holding force of the camera shake correction lens 56 by both the VCMs 88 and 90 is not strong. Therefore, as described above, when the digital camera 10 is dropped by carelessness of the user, the camera shake correction lens 56 may collide with the inner surface of the lens barrel 16 due to a drop impact and may be damaged. In order to prevent this, in the present embodiment, when the fall of the digital camera 10 is detected, the camera shake correction lens 56 is held in a lens barrel center region (see FIG. 6), which will be described in detail later, so as not to move even with a drop impact. Thus, both VCMs 88 and 90 are driven.

  In the present embodiment, the falling of the digital camera 10 is detected based on the angular velocity signals output from the yaw and pitch direction angular velocity sensors 82 and 84. As shown in FIG. 5A, the angular velocity signal output from each angular velocity sensor 82 due to camera shake is output with a time width within a certain range in accordance with the period of camera shake.

  On the other hand, as shown in (B), at the moment when the digital camera 10 starts to fall due to carelessness of the user, the angular velocity signals output from the two angular velocity sensors 82 and 84 are held in a state where they swing in one direction. Is done. In (B), it is dropping until about 400 msec, and after that, it corresponds to collision and rebound. Therefore, the falling of the digital camera 10 can be detected when the angular velocity signals from both the angular velocity sensors 82 and 84 exceed a predetermined upper limit value and lower limit value for a certain time (msec). The parameters required for drop detection such as the upper limit value, the lower limit value, and the time are determined by conducting an experiment in advance. When the drop detection is performed based on the angular velocity signal as described above, there is a possibility that the fall is erroneously detected when the user intentionally shakes the digital camera 10 intentionally. However, in this state, shooting is performed. Absent. Therefore, there is no problem even if the camera shake correction lens 56 is held (fixed) due to erroneous detection of falling.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the fall state detection unit 98 of the CPU 58 constitutes the fall state detection unit of the present invention together with the above-described angular velocity sensors 82 and 84. As described above, the falling state detection unit 98 detects the falling state of the digital camera 10 when the angular velocity signals output from the both angular velocity sensors 82 and 84 exceed a predetermined upper limit value and lower limit value for a certain period of time. Next, the fall state detection unit 98 inputs a fall detection signal to the motor control unit 96 (drop impact prevention control unit).

  When the drop detection signal is input, the motor control unit 96 stops driving the VCMs 88 and 90 based on the above-described shake correction movement amount data. At the same time, as shown in FIG. 6, the motor control unit 96 has a lens barrel central region in which the center C2 of the camera shake correction lens 56 is located on the optical axis OA (the center axis C1 of the lens barrel 16). A strong excitation signal (hereinafter referred to as a lens fixing excitation signal) is continuously sent to each of the VCMs 88 and 90 so as to be held (fixed) without moving even with a drop impact. Thereby, even if a drop impact occurs, the camera shake correction lens 56 is fixed to the central region of the lens barrel. In this way, by fixing the camera shake correction lens 56 at the center position of the lens barrel, even if the camera shake correction lens 56 slightly moves in the dropping direction due to a drop impact, the camera shake correction lens 56 collides with the lens barrel 16. There is no risk of damage. That is, the lens barrel central region is an impact-affected region in which the influence due to the drop impact is suppressed.

  It should be noted that the time from when the digital camera 10 is dropped until it collides with the ground or the floor (fall time) is very short. For this reason, it is preferable that the time required from the fall detection by the fall state detection unit 98 to the stabilization of the camera shake correction lens 56 (hereinafter simply referred to as a lens fixing process) is shorter. Since the VCM used as the camera shake correction mechanism 57 has high-speed response, in this embodiment, the time required for the lens fixing process is about 200 msec. The fall time is about 450 msec when dropped from a height of 1.0 m, for example. For this reason, the lens fixing process can be completed before the drop impact occurs.

  The stabilization of the camera shake correction lens 56 is continued until the digital camera 10 comes to rest after colliding with the ground or the like. Whether or not the digital camera 10 is in a stationary state can be determined based on angular velocity signals output from both angular velocity sensors 82 and 84. For example, if the outputs from the angular velocity sensors 88 and 90 remain zero for a certain time, it is determined that the digital camera 10 is in a stationary state. When the motor control unit 96 detects that the digital camera 10 is in a stationary state, the motor control unit 96 stops inputting lens fixing excitation signals to the VCMs 88 and 90. Moreover, it is good also as a structure which hold | maintains, for example about 5 seconds after dropping, with a simple timer circuit.

  Next, the lens fixing process of the camera shake correction lens 56 at the time of detecting the drop of the digital camera 10 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. At the time of shooting, the shake correction movement amount in the H and V directions is determined by the camera shake correction circuit 86 based on the angular velocity signals detected by the yaw direction and pitch direction angular velocity sensors 82 and 84. Based on the shake correction movement amount data, the motor control unit 96 of the CPU 58 drives the H and V direction VCMs 88 and 90 to move the camera shake correction lens 56, thereby performing camera shake correction.

  When the digital camera 10 falls due to carelessness of the user or the like, the angular velocity signals output from the angular velocity sensors 82 and 84 at the moment when the digital camera 10 starts to fall increase in one direction for a certain time. The falling state detecting unit 98 of the CPU 58 detects the falling state of the digital camera 10 when the angular velocity signals from the angular velocity sensors 82 and 84 exceed a predetermined upper limit value and lower limit value for a certain time, and sends them to the motor control unit 96. Input the fall detection signal.

  When the drop detection signal is input, the motor control unit 96 continues to send lens fixing excitation signals to the VCMs 88 and 90 so that the camera shake correction lens 56 is fixed to the central region of the lens barrel. As a result, the camera shake correction lens 56 is fixed to the central region of the lens barrel before the drop impact occurs.

  Subsequently, based on the angular velocity signals output from the both angular velocity sensors 82 and 84, the motor controller 96 sends lens fixing excitation signals to the VCMs 88 and 90 until the digital camera 10 collides with the ground or the like and stops. to continue. When it is determined that the digital camera 10 is in a stationary state, the motor control unit 96 stops transmitting lens fixing excitation signals to the VCMs 88 and 90.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, by detecting the fall of the digital camera 10 and fixing the camera shake correction lens 56 in the central region of the lens barrel, even if the user accidentally drops the digital camera 10, the fall The camera shake correction lens 56 is prevented from colliding with the inner surface of the lens barrel 16 and being damaged by the impact. In particular, by fixing the camera shake correction lens 56 to the central region of the lens barrel, even if the camera shake correction lens 56 moves slightly when a drop impact occurs, the camera shake correction lens 56 collides with the inner surface of the lens barrel 16. It is prevented.

  Further, by using a VCM having high-speed response as the camera shake correction mechanism 57, it becomes possible to complete the lens fixing process before the drop impact occurs.

  Further, since the digital camera 10 detects whether or not the digital camera 10 is in a fall state based on the angular velocity signals output from the yaw and pitch direction angular velocity sensors 82 and 84 used for camera shake correction, There is no need to provide a sensor. As a result, the manufacturing cost of the digital camera 10 can be suppressed.

  Next, the digital camera 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the same members as those described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted (hereinafter, the same applies to the third and subsequent embodiments). In the first embodiment, when the fall of the digital camera 10 is detected, the center of the camera shake correction lens 56 is fixed to the central region of the lens barrel. However, in the digital camera 100, the center of the camera shake correction lens 56 is mirrored. It is held (fixed) in an eccentric region (see FIGS. 9 and 10) that is eccentric from the tube center region in the direction opposite to the dropping direction.

  The falling direction of the digital camera 100, that is, in which direction the digital camera 100 falls can be detected from the yaw and pitch direction shake angles of the digital camera 100 obtained by the above-described camera shake correction circuit 86. For this reason, the CPU 58 of the digital camera 100 is separately provided with a drop direction detection unit 102. The drop direction detection unit 102 detects the camera drop direction based on the yaw and pitch direction shake angles of the digital camera 100 and inputs a drop direction detection signal to the motor control unit 96. The detection of the drop direction is not limited to the drop direction detection unit 102 and may be performed by the camera shake correction circuit 86.

  The motor control unit 96 transmits a lens fixing excitation signal to each of the VCMs 88 and 90 based on the drop detection signal from the drop state detection unit 98 and the drop direction detection signal from the drop direction detection unit 102. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, the eccentric region (where the center C2 of the correction lens 56 is located at a position deviated from the center axis C1 (optical axis OA) of the lens barrel 16 in the direction opposite to the dropping direction). In the impact impact reduction area), the camera shake correction lens 56 is held (fixed) so as not to move even when dropped. If the direction of the digital camera 100 changes during the fall, the eccentric area is also changed according to the change in the drop direction.

  In the present embodiment, a space of a distance L1 is ensured between the lens barrel 16 and the end portion on the eccentric direction side of the camera shake correction lens 56 fixed in the eccentric region, and the end portion on the drop direction side and the lens. A space of a distance L2 is secured between the lens barrel 16 and the lens barrel 16. Thus, by fixing the camera shake correction lens 56 in the eccentric region, the space of the above-described distance L2 can be increased as compared with the case where it is fixed in the lens barrel central region. Thus, if a large space of the distance L2 is secured, the camera shake correction lens 56 is prevented from colliding with the lens barrel 16 even if the camera shake correction lens 56 moves slightly in the drop direction due to a drop impact. .

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the position where the end of the camera shake correction lens 56 on the eccentric direction side contacts the inner surface of the lens barrel 16 may be set as an eccentric area (impact influence reduction area). In this case, it is possible to secure a maximum distance L3 between the end of the camera shake correction lens 56 on the dropping direction side and the lens barrel 16. This reliably prevents the camera shake correction lens 56 from colliding with the lens barrel 16.

  Next, the lens fixing process of the digital camera 100 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. When the digital camera 100 falls, the fall state detection unit 98 of the CPU 58 detects the fall of the digital camera 100 as described in the first embodiment, and the fall direction detection unit 102 further detects the fall direction of the digital camera 100. Is determined.

  When the drop detection signal and the drop direction detection signal are input, the motor control unit 96 continues to send lens fixing excitation signals to the VCMs 88 and 90 so that the camera shake correction lens 56 is fixed in the eccentric region. As a result, the camera shake correction lens 56 is fixed in the eccentric region before the drop impact occurs. The eccentric region may be at any of the positions shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 described above. As described above, the lens fixing excitation signal is transmitted until it is determined that the digital camera 10 is in a stationary state.

  As described above, also in the digital camera 100 of the second embodiment, by fixing the camera shake correction lens 56 so as not to move due to a drop impact, the same effect as that described in the first embodiment can be obtained. Furthermore, since the camera shake correction lens 56 is fixed in the eccentric area, a larger space is secured on the dropping direction side as compared with the case where the camera shake correction lens 56 is fixed in the lens barrel central area (see FIG. 6) as in the first embodiment. be able to. As a result, collision / breakage of the camera shake correction lens 56 due to a drop impact can be more reliably prevented.

  In the second embodiment, for example, when the digital camera 110 is dropped while being inclined, the camera shake correction lens 56 is decentered in the direction farthest from the ground in the H direction and the V direction.

  Next, a digital camera 106 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the first and second embodiments described above, the method for preventing the camera shake correction lens 56 from being damaged by a drop impact has been described. However, if the digital camera is dropped during shooting, the digital camera's There is a possibility that the circuit is short-circuited and the image file recorded on the electric circuit or the memory card 48 is damaged. Further, even if a drop impact occurs while an image file (data) obtained by shooting is being recorded on the memory card 48, the recorded image file may be similarly damaged.

  Therefore, in the digital camera 100, in order to prevent damage to the electric circuit due to the drop impact and damage to the image file recorded on the memory card 48, when the fall is detected, the camera shake correction lens 56 is moved to the impact impact reduction area (mirror). And at least the photographing function related to photographing and the recording function for recording the image file on the memory card 48 are stopped. For this reason, the energization restricting unit 108 is separately provided in the CPU 58 of the digital camera 106.

  The energization regulating unit 108 regulates or stops energization by the power supply unit 109 that energizes each unit of the digital camera 110. When the drop detection signal is input from the drop state detection unit 98 in the shooting mode (shooting state / recording state), the energization restriction unit 108 restricts energization to each part of the camera except the camera shake correction mechanism 57 and the CPU 58. Stop. Thereby, the photographing function and the recording function of the digital camera 106 are stopped. Here, the stop of the photographing function is, for example, stop driving of the CCD 60 and each signal processing circuit 64, 72, 74 (see FIG. 3), or stop charging when the strobe light emitting unit 18 is being charged. That is. The digital camera 106 has a moving image shooting mode for moving image shooting, and the shooting / recording function is similarly stopped when a drop detection signal is input in the moving image shooting mode.

  Next, the function stop process and lens fixing process of the digital camera 106 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. When the digital camera 106 falls, the fall state detection unit 98 of the CPU 58 detects the fall of the digital camera 106 as described in the first embodiment, and the energization regulation unit 108 and the motor control unit are detected from the fall state detection unit 98. 96, a drop detection signal is input.

  When the operation of the digital camera 106 is in the shooting mode, the energization regulating unit 108 regulates or stops energization of each part of the camera except the camera shake correction mechanism 57 and the CPU 58, and the CCD 60, each signal processing circuit 64, 72, The drive of 74 etc. is stopped, and the recording of the image file to the memory card 48 is stopped. Thereby, photographing / recording by the digital camera 106 is stopped. The energization restricting unit 108 stops charging when the strobe light emitting unit 18 is being charged.

  As described in the first and second embodiments, the motor control unit 96 transmits a lens fixing excitation signal to each of the VCMs 88 and 90 so that the correction lens 56 does not move even by a drop impact. Fix in the impact-reducing area. Transmission of the lens fixing excitation signal by the motor control unit 96 is continued until it is determined that the digital camera 10 is in a stationary state, as described above.

  As described above, in the digital camera 106 according to the third embodiment, the photographing / recording function of the camera is stopped at the same time when the digital camera 106 is detected to be dropped. Damage or damage to the image file recorded on the memory card 48 is prevented. In addition, since the correction lens 56 is fixed to the impact impact reduction area so that it does not move even with a drop impact at the same time as the fall detection, the same effects as those described in the first and second embodiments can be obtained. .

  In the third embodiment, the case where the shooting / recording function is stopped when the digital camera 106 in the shooting mode is dropped has been described as an example. Even when the mode is switched to another mode such as the playback mode, the function corresponding to the current mode is similarly stopped.

  Next, a digital camera 110 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the first to third embodiments, the case where the digital camera in the power-on state is dropped is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, even when a digital camera in a power-off state placed on a table or shelf falls for some reason, the camera shake correction lens 56 may collide with the inner surface of the lens barrel 16 and be damaged.

  Therefore, the digital camera 110 always detects whether or not the camera is in a fall state even when the power is off. When the fall of the digital camera 110 is detected, the camera is turned on and the camera shake correction lens 56 is fixed to the impact impact reduction area (lens barrel center area, eccentric area), and the digital camera is directed to the user. The user is notified that 110 (camera body 12) has dropped. For this reason, the CPU 58 of the digital camera 110 is provided with an energization permission unit 112 and a notification control unit 114.

  The energization permission unit 112 permits energization of each unit of the digital camera 110 by the power supply unit 109 described above. The energization permission unit 112 always permits energization to the yaw and pitch direction angular velocity sensors 82 and 84 and the CPU 58 (falling state detection unit 98). Thereby, even when the power switch 42 of the digital camera 110 is turned off, the energization to the yaw and pitch direction angular velocity sensors 82 and 84 and the CPU 58 is always performed.

  The energization permission unit 112 permits energization to the camera shake correction mechanism 57, the strobe light emitting unit 18, and the speaker 46 when the falling state detection unit 98 detects the fall of the digital camera 110. That is, energization is performed for each part of the camera related to fixing of the camera shake correction lens 56 and notification of camera fall to the user described later. Thereby, as described above, the lens fixing excitation signal is input from the motor control unit 96 to the H and V directions VCM 88 and 90, and the camera shake correction lens 56 is fixed to the impact influence reduction region.

  The notification control unit 114 controls the strobe light emitting unit 18 to emit or flash strobe light when the fall of the digital camera 110 is detected by the fall state detecting unit 98 and energization to the strobe light emitting unit 18 and the speaker 46 is permitted. Let At the same time, the notification control unit 114 controls the speaker 46 to sound a BEEP sound. The notification by the strobe light or BEEP sound may be continued until the user operates the operation unit 28 or the like, or may be continued until it is determined that the digital camera 110 is in a stationary state.

  Next, the lens fixing process of the digital camera 110 in the power-off state will be described using the flowchart of FIG. If the power of the digital camera 110 is turned on when the digital camera 116 is detected to be dropped by the yaw and pitch direction angular velocity sensors 82 and 84 and the drop state detecting unit 98 that are always energized, the above third As described in the above embodiment and the like, the shooting / recording function is stopped by the energization restriction unit 108, and the camera shake correction lens 56 is fixed to the impact impact reduction region by the motor control unit 96 and the camera shake correction mechanism 57.

  When the power of the digital camera 110 is OFF, the energization permission unit 112 receives at least the fall detection signal from the fall state detection unit 98, and at least fixes the camera shake correction lens 56 and notifies the user. Allow energization of each part of the camera involved. As a result, power is supplied to the camera shake correction mechanism 57, the strobe light emitting unit 18, and the speaker 46. Next, the motor control unit 96 transmits the lens fixing excitation signal to each of the VCMs 88 and 90 as described above, and fixes the correction lens 56 in the impact influence decreasing region.

  Further, the notification control unit 114 controls the strobe light emitting unit 18 to emit or blink strobe light, and controls the speaker 46 to sound a BEEP sound. This notifies the user that the digital camera 110 has dropped.

  As described above, the transmission of the lens fixing excitation signal by the motor control unit 96 is continued until it is determined that the digital camera 10 is in a stationary state. Further, the notification by the strobe light or the BEEP sound is continued until the user operates the operation unit 28 or the like, for example.

  As described above, in the digital camera 110 according to the fourth embodiment, even when the power is off, the falling of the digital camera 110 is detected and energization is performed to the necessary parts at the same time. Fixed to the area. Thereby, even when the digital camera 110 is in the power-off state, the same effects as those described in the first and second embodiments can be obtained.

  In addition, when the digital camera 110 is detected to be dropped, the user is notified that the digital camera 110 has been dropped using a strobe light or a BEEP sound. Can easily be noticed. As a method for notifying that the digital camera 110 has dropped, an LED (not shown) provided on the camera body 12 may be blinked instead of emitting strobe light. Further, various warning sounds may be sounded instead of sounding the BEEP sound.

  Next, a digital camera 120 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the third embodiment, when the digital camera is dropped, various functions such as photographing, recording, and charging of the strobe light emitting unit 18 are stopped, and the camera shake correction lens 56 is set in the impact influence reducing region (the lens barrel central region). , To be fixed to the eccentric region). At this time, for example, when the height of a user such as a child is small, the fall distance is short, so that the digital camera may collide with the ground before all the processes are completed.

  Therefore, in the digital camera 120, when the user's height is small, when performing the stop processing of various functions of the camera and the lens fixing processing of the camera shake correction lens 56, the digital camera 120 is preferentially executed from the minimum necessary processing. Let For this reason, the CPU 58 of the digital camera 120 is provided with a height information storage unit 121 (storage unit), a fall state determination change unit 122, and a priority order determination unit 124. The height information storage unit 121 stores user height information input via the operation unit 28 or the like. This height information is used as average holding height information of the digital camera 120 by the user.

  Based on the user height information stored in the height information storage unit 121, the fall state determination changing unit 122 is a drop state determination reference value (threshold for the digital camera 120 to detect a drop state based on the drop state detection unit 98. Value) for each user. As described above, the fall state detection unit 98 detects the fall of the digital camera 120 when the angular velocity signals from the yaw and pitch direction angular velocity sensors 82 and 84 exceed a predetermined upper limit value and lower limit value for a certain time (msec). is doing. That is, these upper limit value, lower limit value, and time become the fall state determination reference value.

  The fall state determination changing unit 122 is provided with a data table in which, for example, the user's height is associated with the fall state determination reference values (upper limit value, lower limit value, and time), and the user table stored in the height information storage unit 121 is provided. Based on the height information, a fall state determination reference value is determined. The fall state determination changing unit 122 sets the fall state determination reference value to be small, for example, as the user's height decreases. Specifically, the upper limit value and the lower limit value are reduced and the time is shortened. In this case, although there is a high possibility of erroneous detection of the falling of the digital camera 120, it is preferable to give priority to preventing the failure of the digital camera 120.

The priority order determination unit 124 performs various functions of the camera by the energization restriction unit 108 based on the height information of the user stored in the height information storage unit 121 and the fall state determination reference value set by the fall state determination change unit 122. The priority order is determined in the order of executing the stop process and the fixing process of the camera shake correction lens 56 by the motor control unit 96. More specifically, when the fall distance (height) of the digital camera 120 is h (m), the fall time is t (sec), and the gravitational acceleration is g, these are represented by h = (gt ² ) / 2. Can do. Accordingly, when the digital camera 120 drops from a height of 1.8 m, the drop time is about 600 msec, and when the digital camera 120 drops from a height of 1.0 m, the drop time is about 450 msec.

  On the other hand, the photographing / recording stop processing of the digital camera 120, that is, the drive stop processing of the CCD 60, each signal processing circuit 64, 72, 74, etc., and the recording stop processing of the image file to the memory card 48 by the media controller 76 are performed. Takes about 200 msec. The charging stop process of the strobe light emitting unit 18 takes about 100 msec. In addition, the lens fixing process for fixing the camera shake correction lens 56 in the impact impact reduction area requires a time of about 200 msec. Therefore, it takes about 500 msec to complete all these processes.

  For this reason, the priority order determination unit 124 assumes that the digital camera 120 is dropped from the height of the chest, for example, if the height of the user is 1.8 m, and sets a predetermined correction coefficient (× 0. The fall distance is obtained by applying (75 to x0.85). Note that various methods may be used to calculate the fall distance. For example, the fall distance may be calculated assuming that the camera is dropped from the height of the user's waist.

  Further, based on the fall state determination reference value, the time required for the fall state detection unit 98 to detect the fall after the digital camera 120 actually falls is obtained. Accordingly, the priority order determination unit 124 predicts the remaining time from the detection of the drop of the digital camera 120 to the drop collision based on the drop distance and the required time.

  Next, when the estimated remaining time is, for example, 550 msec or more, all of the photographing / recording stop processing, charging stop processing, and lens fixing processing can be executed. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 17, the priority order determination unit 124 assigns priorities to the order in which the processes are executed as usual (see FIG. 13 of the third embodiment). Specifically, the shooting / recording stop process has a priority “1”, the charge stop process has a priority “2”, and the lens fixing process has a priority “3”.

  Further, when the estimated remaining time is, for example, not less than 450 msec and less than 550 msec, it is impossible to execute all the processes described above. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 18, the priority order determination unit 124 preferentially executes the processes from the minimum necessary processing. Specifically, the shooting / recording stop process has the priority “1”, the lens fixing process has the priority “2”, and the charge stop process has the priority “3”.

  Furthermore, when the estimated remaining time is less than 450 msec, for example, only one process may be executed among all the processes described above. In this case, although not shown, the priority order determination unit 124 determines the priority order of the lens fixing process to “1”.

  As illustrated in FIG. 16, the priority order determination result determined by the priority order determination unit 124 is input to the motor control unit 96 and the energization restriction unit 108. Then, the motor control unit 96 and the energization restriction unit 108 sequentially execute each process of the photographing / recording stop process, the charge stop process, and the lens fixing process in accordance with the priority order determination result.

  Next, the function stop process and lens fixing process of the digital camera 120 using the flowchart of FIG. 19 will be described. The user inputs his / her height information using the operation unit 28 or the like before using the digital camera 120 (before photographing). The input user height information is stored in the height information storage unit 121 of the CPU 58. The fall state determination changing unit 122 sets a fall state determination reference value for the digital camera 120 to detect a fall state based on the stored height information of the user.

  The priority order determination unit 124 detects the falling collision of the digital camera 120 based on the fall state determination reference value set by the fall state determination change unit 122 based on the fall distance of the digital camera 120 obtained from the user's height information. Estimate the remaining time until. Next, the priority order determination unit 124 determines the normal priority order based on the expected remaining time if all of the shooting / recording stop process, the charge stop process, and the lens fixing process can be performed ( FIG. 17).

  In addition, when only two of the above-described processes can be reliably executed, the priority order determination unit 124 preferentially executes the shooting / recording stop process and the lens fixing process. The priority order is determined (see FIG. 18). The priority determination result determined by the priority determination unit 124 is input to the motor control unit 96 and the energization restriction unit 108, respectively.

  When the digital camera 120 falls due to carelessness of the user or the like, the fall state detection unit 98 detects when the angular velocity signals from the angular velocity sensors 82 and 84 exceed the set fall state determination reference value. The fall detection signal is input to the motor control unit 96 and the energization regulating unit 108.

  If the fall detection signal is input, the motor control unit 96 and the energization regulation unit 108 shoot and record if all processes can be executed based on the priority order determination result determined by the priority order determination unit 124 described above. The stop process, the charge stop process, and the lens fixing process are sequentially executed. Further, when the remaining time until the drop collision is short and only two processes can be reliably executed, the motor control unit 96 and the energization regulating unit 108 preferentially execute the photographing / recording stop process and the lens fixing process. .

  As described above, the stabilization of the camera shake correction lens 56, that is, the transmission of the lens fixing excitation signal by the motor control unit 96 is continued until it is determined that the digital camera 120 is in a stationary state.

  As described above, in the digital camera 120 according to the fifth embodiment, the remaining time until the drop collision obtained from the height information of the user or the like when executing the stop process and the lens fixing process of the various functions of the camera when the drop is detected. Can be preferentially executed from the minimum necessary processing based on the prediction result. As a result, even when the user is a short child and the remaining time until the drop collision is short, the failure of the digital camera 120 can be expanded by preferentially executing shooting / recording stop processing, lens fixing processing, etc. Can be prevented.

  In the fifth embodiment, the user inputs the height information before using the digital camera 120 (before shooting), but the present invention is not limited to this, for example, the height Height information of a plurality of users is stored in the information storage unit 121 in advance, and by selecting a user name at the time of use, the height information corresponding to the user name is read, and the above-described fall state determination reference value and priority are determined. You may make it do.

  In the fifth embodiment, the user's height information is used as the average holding height information of the digital camera 120 by the user. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the user's height can be inferred. Information, for example, information related to age, may be used as the average holding height information of the digital camera 120. That is, you may make it determine the above-mentioned fall state determination reference value and average holding height according to a user's age.

  In the fifth embodiment, the remaining time from the drop detection of the digital camera 120 to the drop collision is predicted based on the drop distance and the time required for the drop state detection unit 98 to detect a drop. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Since the above-described necessary time is very short, the camera drop distance from when the digital camera 120 actually falls to when the fall is detected by the fall state detection unit 98 is extremely short. For this reason, you may make it estimate the above-mentioned remaining time based only on fall distance.

  In the fifth embodiment, the user inputs the height information before using the digital camera 120 (before photographing), but this input operation is troublesome. For this reason, the above-mentioned fall state determination reference value and priority may be determined by creating a plurality of groups divided according to height and selecting the corresponding group by the user.

  In the fifth embodiment, when the remaining time until the predicted drop collision is within 200 msec, for example, the camera shake correction lens 56 is moved to the lens barrel central region (see FIG. 6) or the eccentric region (FIG. 9). And you may make it fix in the present position, without moving to (refer FIG. 10). When the remaining time is short, the drop distance is also short, so the drop impact is also small. For this reason, the camera shake correction lens 56 is not moved by a drop impact, and the camera shake correction lens 56 is prevented from being damaged.

  In each of the first to fifth embodiments, the H and V direction VCMs 88 and 90 are used as the camera shake correction mechanism 57. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various actuators can be used. The camera shake correction mechanism 57 may be used.

  In the first to fifth embodiments, the digital camera that prevents the shake of the captured image by moving the camera shake correction lens 56 in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis OA by the camera shake correction mechanism 57 is taken as an example. Although described, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as in the digital camera 130 shown in FIG. 20, the present invention can also be applied to a digital camera including a camera shake correction mechanism 132 that moves the CCD 60 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis OA.

  The camera shake correction mechanism 132 has substantially the same configuration as the camera shake correction mechanism 57 described above. The camera shake correction mechanism 132 detects the positions of the CCD 60 in the H direction and the V direction, and the H and V direction VCMs 134 and 136 that move the CCD 60 in the H and V directions. And V direction hall sensors 138 and 140.

  The camera shake correction circuit 86 moves the CCD 60 in the H and V directions based on the shake angle of the digital camera 130 (camera body 12) obtained based on the detection signal of the both angular velocity sensor 82 and the detection results of both hall sensors 138 and 140. The shake correction movement amount to be moved to is determined. Then, the motor control unit 96 inputs an excitation current to each of the VCMs 134 and 136 based on the determined shake correction movement amount data, so that the CCD 60 moves in the H direction and the V direction by the determined shake correction movement amount, respectively. The movement of the captured image is prevented.

  Also in this case, when the fall state detection unit 98 detects the fall of the digital camera 130 based on the detection result of the angular velocity sensor 82, the motor control unit 96 does not move the CCD 60 due to the drop impact, or the central region of the lens barrel or the eccentricity. The CCD fixing excitation signal is continuously transmitted to the VCMs 134 and 136 so as to be fixed to the area. Thus, even if the user accidentally drops the digital camera 130, the CCD 60 is prevented from colliding with the inner surface of the lens barrel 16 and being damaged due to the drop impact.

  In the first to fifth embodiments, the description has been given by taking the digital unit of the type in which the lens unit 17 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) is not exchangeable as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied to a digital camera in which the lens unit can be replaced according to the user's preference. Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to a lens unit having a CCD mounted on the lens unit side.

  In the first to fifth embodiments, the yaw and pitch direction angular velocity sensors 82 and 84 are provided in the camera body 12, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, yaw and pitch direction angular velocity sensors may be provided on the inner surface or outer surface of the lens barrel 16 to detect the shake or fall of the lens unit, that is, the digital camera.

  In the first to fifth embodiments, the digital camera has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to the digital camera, and a camera shake correction lens or CCD is attached to the optical axis OA. The present invention can be applied to various imaging devices (camera correction optical devices) such as a mobile phone with a camera and a digital video camera that can be moved in a vertical direction to prevent shake of a captured image (subject image). Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied to various optical devices such as telescopes and binoculars having a camera shake correction function.

1 is a front perspective view of a digital camera according to a first embodiment. It is a back perspective view of the digital camera of a 1st embodiment. It is a block which shows the electrical constitution of a digital camera. It is the schematic of a camera-shake correction mechanism. It is the graph which showed an example of the angular velocity signal output from an angular velocity sensor, (A) is an angular velocity signal output at the time of a normal camera shake, (B) is a camera fall. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the state which fixed the camera shake correction lens to the lens-barrel center area | region at the time of camera fall detection. 6 is a flowchart of lens fixing processing of a camera shake correction lens in the digital camera of the first embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of the digital camera of 2nd Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the state which fixed the camera-shake correction lens to the eccentric area | region where a space is formed between lens barrels at the time of camera fall detection. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the state which fixed the camera-shake correction lens to the eccentric area | region contact | abutted to the inner surface of a lens barrel at the time of camera fall detection. It is a flowchart of the lens fixing process of the camera shake correction lens in the digital camera of the second embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of the digital camera of 3rd Embodiment. 10 is a flowchart of each stop process of various functions and a lens fixing process of a camera shake correction lens in the digital camera of the third embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of the digital camera of 4th Embodiment. It is a flowchart of the lens fixing process of the camera shake correction lens in the digital camera of the fourth embodiment in a power OFF state. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of the digital camera of 5th Embodiment. It is the graph which showed an example of the execution order of each process in case all processes, such as each stop process of each function of a camera, and a lens fixing process, can be performed by the camera fall collision. It is the graph which showed an example of the execution order of each process in case all processes, such as each stop process of each function of a camera, and a lens fixing process, are not executable before a camera fall collision. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of processing for stopping various functions and lens fixing processing for a camera shake correction lens in a digital camera according to a fifth embodiment. It is the schematic of the camera-shake correction mechanism of the digital camera of other embodiment which can move CCD in the direction perpendicular | vertical with respect to an optical axis, and can prevent the shake of a picked-up image.

Explanation of symbols

10, 100, 106, 110, 120, 130 Digital camera 14 Shooting lens 16 Lens barrel 17 Lens unit 18 Strobe light emitting unit 46 Speaker 56 Camera shake correction lens 57, 132 Camera shake correction mechanism 58 CPU
60 CCD
82 Yaw direction angular velocity sensor 84 Pitch direction angular velocity sensor 86 Camera shake correction circuit 88, 134 H direction VCM (voice coil motor)
90,136 V direction VCM
96 Motor control unit 98 Drop state detection unit 102 Drop direction detection unit 108 Energization restriction unit 112 Energization permission unit 114 Notification control unit 116 Power supply unit 122 Drop state determination change unit 124 Priority order determination unit

Claims (12)

In the fall impact prevention device of the camera shake correction optical apparatus that has the camera shake correction member and the camera shake correction member driving unit that moves the camera shake correction member in a direction that eliminates the influence of the camera shake,
A fall state detection unit for detecting a fall state of the image stabilization optical device;
Drop impact prevention control for holding the camera shake correction member in the impact impact reduction region by the camera shake correction member driving unit before the camera shake correction optical device receives a drop impact when the fall state detection unit detects a fall state. A drop impact prevention device for a camera shake correction optical device. The camera shake correction member is a camera shake correction lens constituting a part of the photographing lens,
2. The camera shake correction optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the camera shake correction member driving unit is a voice coil motor that moves the camera shake correction lens in a direction substantially orthogonal to an optical axis of the camera shake correction optical apparatus. Impact prevention device. The camera shake correction member is an image sensor on which a subject image is formed by a photographic lens,
The drop impact of the camera shake correction optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the camera shake correction member driving unit is a voice coil motor that moves the image sensor in a direction substantially orthogonal to the optical axis of the camera shake correction optical apparatus. Prevention device.   4. The camera shake correction optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the impact influence reduction area is an area in which a center of the camera shake correction member is positioned on an optical axis of the camera shake correction optical apparatus. Drop impact prevention device. A drop direction detection unit for detecting a drop direction of the image stabilization optical device;
The impact influence reduction region is a region in which the center of the camera shake correction member is located at a position deviated from the optical axis of the camera shake correction optical device to the side opposite to the drop direction by the drop direction detection unit. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a drop impact prevention device for a camera shake correction optical apparatus.   The fall state detection unit uses an angular velocity sensor for detecting a shake angle of the shake correction optical device to perform the shake correction, and determines that the fall state is detected when movement for a predetermined time is detected. 6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a drop impact prevention device for the image stabilization optical apparatus.   7. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a fall state determination change unit that changes a fall state determination reference value in the fall state detection unit.   8. The fall of the image stabilization optical apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the fall state determination change unit changes the fall state determination reference value based on either the information about the height of the user or the information about the age of the user. Impact prevention device.   Based on a fall state detection signal from the fall state detection unit, an energization regulation unit that regulates or stops energization excluding the fall state detection unit, the camera shake correction member driving unit, and the drop impact prevention control unit, 9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: A storage unit that stores an average holding height of the camera shake correction optical device by a user;
Based on the average holding height of the storage unit, predict the remaining time from the fall state detection by the fall state detection unit until receiving an impact by the fall, and according to the predicted remaining time, the drop impact prevention control unit and 10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a priority processing order of the energization regulating unit is determined and processing is performed based on the priority processing order.   When the camera shake correction optical device is in a power switch OFF state at all times, the camera shake correction member driving unit and the camera shake correction member drive unit 11. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an energization permission unit that permits energization of the drop impact prevention control unit. In the method for preventing a drop impact of a camera shake correction optical apparatus that has a camera shake correction member and a camera shake correction member driving unit that moves the camera shake correction member in a direction that eliminates the influence of camera shake,
Detected by a fall state detector that detects a fall state of the image stabilization optical device,
The camera shake correction member drive unit holds the camera shake correction member in the impact impact reduction area before the camera shake correction optical device receives a drop impact when the fall state detection unit detects a fall state. A method for preventing a drop impact of an image stabilization optical device.

Images