JP2011118011A - Imaging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging apparatus that corrects image blur, and also determines posture of the imaging apparatus more accurately. <P>SOLUTION: The imaging apparatus includes an acceleration detector for detecting acceleration of an image blur correction movable part 402. The image blur correction movable part 402 moves by gravity when driving control is stopped. After the driving control of the image blur correction movable part 402 is performed so that an acceleration value of the image blur correction movable part 402 output from the acceleration detector and a speed value obtained by integrating the acceleration value may be within a prescribed range, the driving control of the image blur correction movable part 402 is stopped, thereby the image blur correction movable part 402 is moved by gravity, and the posture of the imaging apparatus 1 is determined from position information before and after the driving control of the image blur correction movable part 402 is stopped, which is output by a Hall element. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus, and more particularly to a technique for calculating the attitude of an imaging apparatus using image blur correction means.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, an image pickup apparatus has been widely used in which incident light from a lens is picked up using an image pickup device such as a charge coupled device (hereinafter abbreviated as CCD), converted into an electric signal, and then taken out as an image. Yes. In addition, with the demand for miniaturization and high performance of portable devices such as interchangeable lens DSC (Digital Still Camera) and fixed lens DSC, the lens barrel, which is the main part of the imaging device, has become smaller and lighter. There is a further demand for thinning.

  Conventionally, during shooting, the camera may shake with respect to the subject due to camera shake during exposure. In such a case, an optical image formed on an imaging surface constituted by an imaging element such as a photographing film or a CCD moves with respect to the imaging surface. As a result, the captured image is shaken, resulting in an image that is out of focus.

  Therefore, in accordance with camera shake due to camera shake or the like, an optical type that allows a part of the lenses of the plurality of lens groups constituting the imaging lens to move in a direction orthogonal to the photographing optical axis or in a rotating direction. An imaging apparatus provided with an image shake correction apparatus has been proposed. Thereby, the shake (movement) of the optical system at the time of imaging can be suppressed, and the captured image can be prevented from shaking.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228688 provides detection means for extracting a gravity direction signal from a drive means in the image stabilization system and detecting the direction of gravity, and a part of the components of the image detection system and the image stabilization system (image stabilization optical mechanism). In addition, there is disclosed an image pickup apparatus that constitutes a gravitational direction detection unit of a camera by also using a driving unit).

  Patent Document 2 discloses a vibration motor as a correction optical unit that corrects an image shifted and shaken with respect to the optical axis of the lens unit by moving and rotating the imaging element in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis. (A position detection sensor) that includes an (ultrasonic transducer and a moving body) and detects the amount of movement of the image sensor in the direction of gravity in a state in which the vibration motor does not have a moving force. Is provided. And the imaging device which detects the attitude | position of an imaging device from the movement amount of the image pick-up element detected by the movement amount detection means is disclosed.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-215992 JP 2009-31353 A

  In recent years, digital single-lens cameras have been improved in performance, and the use in various environments such as shooting at various angles has been increasing. In such a situation, it is a requirement for obtaining a product superiority in the market not only to enhance the function of image blur correction but also to have a function of detecting and correcting the attitude of the imaging apparatus itself.

  However, in the imaging apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the attitude of the imaging apparatus is detected by the current value supplied to the driving unit, the imaging apparatus is greatly influenced by parameters such as the lens weight and the thrust for moving the lens. It was. For this reason, there has been a problem that variation in posture detection accuracy of the imaging apparatus is large.

  In the imaging device disclosed in Patent Document 2, when acceleration occurs in a direction other than the gravitational direction in the imaging element, the imaging device simply does not move in the gravitational direction. Therefore, there has been a problem that the attitude determination accuracy of the imaging apparatus is deteriorated.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides an imaging apparatus capable of determining not only image blur correction but also the attitude of the imaging apparatus with higher accuracy.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention includes a plurality of lens groups arranged along the imaging optical axis, an imaging element that converts an image formed by the lens group into an electrical signal, and an orthogonal to the imaging optical axis. An image blur correction movable unit having at least one image blur correction lens that corrects image blur by moving on the surface to be moved and a position detection unit, an image blur correction support unit that supports the image blur correction movable unit, and an image An image pickup apparatus including an image shake correction unit having a drive unit that drives and controls the shake correction movable unit. The image pickup apparatus includes an acceleration detection unit that detects an acceleration of the image shake correction movable unit, and performs image shake correction. When the drive control is stopped, the movable part moves due to gravity so that the velocity value obtained by integrating the acceleration value and the acceleration value of the image blur correction movable part output from the acceleration detecting means is within a predetermined range. Image blur correction possible After the drive control of the image pickup unit, the image shake correction movable unit is moved by gravity by stopping the drive control of the image shake correction movable unit, and before and after the drive control of the image shake correction movable unit output by the position detection unit is stopped. It is an imaging device that determines the attitude of the imaging device from position information.

  The present invention also includes a plurality of lens groups arranged along the imaging optical axis, an imaging element that converts an image formed by the lens group into an electrical signal, and a surface that is orthogonal to the imaging optical axis. The image blur correction movable unit having at least one image blur correction lens that corrects the image blur and the position detection unit, the image blur correction support unit that supports the image blur correction movable unit, and the drive control of the image blur correction movable unit. The image pickup apparatus includes an image shake correction unit having a drive unit that performs speed detection means for detecting a speed of the image shake correction movable unit, and the image shake correction movable unit stops drive control. When the image is moved by gravity, the image blur correction movable part is driven and controlled so that the acceleration value obtained by differentiating the speed value and the speed value of the image blur correction movable part output from the speed detection means is within a predetermined range. Image blur correction after By moving the image shake correction movable part by gravity by stopping the drive control of the image pickup unit, and determining the posture of the imaging device from the position information before and after the drive control stop of the image shake correction movable part output by the position detection unit Device.

  The present invention also includes a plurality of lens groups arranged along the imaging optical axis, an imaging element that converts an image formed by the lens group into an electrical signal, and a surface that is orthogonal to the imaging optical axis. The image blur correction movable unit having at least one image blur correction lens that corrects the image blur and the position detection unit, the image blur correction support unit that supports the image blur correction movable unit, and the drive control of the image blur correction movable unit. In the image pickup apparatus including the image blur correction unit having the driving unit that performs the above operation, the image pickup device includes an acceleration detection unit that detects the acceleration of the image blur correction movable unit, and a speed detection unit that detects the speed of the image blur correction movable unit. The image blur correction movable part moves by gravity when the drive control is stopped, and the image blur correction movable part acceleration value output from the acceleration detection means and the image blur correction output from the speed detection means Of moving parts After driving and controlling the image blur correction movable part so that the degree value falls within a predetermined range, by stopping the drive control of the image blur correction movable part, the image blur correction movable part is moved by gravity, and the position detection unit This is an image pickup apparatus that determines the posture of the image pickup apparatus from position information before and after stopping the drive control of the image blur correction movable portion that is output.

  According to such a configuration, when the drive control of the image blur correction movable portion is stopped, the image blur correction movable portion can be moved almost only by gravity. Further, the position information of the image blur correction movable unit before and after the stop of the drive control is changed only by gravity. That is, when the drive control of the image blur correction movable part is stopped, the image blur correction movable part moves by gravity almost depending on the posture of the imaging apparatus.

  Therefore, it is possible to provide an imaging apparatus that can determine not only image blur correction but also the attitude of the imaging apparatus with higher accuracy.

  According to the imaging apparatus of the present invention, not only image blur correction but also the attitude of the imaging apparatus can be determined with higher accuracy.

The perspective view which shows the external appearance of the imaging device in this Embodiment The perspective view which shows the external appearance of the imaging device Front perspective view of the imaging device Bottom perspective view of the imaging device Rear perspective view of the imaging device Perspective view of the imaging unit The perspective view seen from the image sensor side of the image pickup unit Exploded perspective view of the imaging unit Disassembled perspective view of image blur correction means Front view of image blur correction means Top view showing the outline of the drive means Top view showing the outline of the drive means Block diagram of the imaging device Operation flowchart of the imaging apparatus Schematic showing the operation of the image blur correction movable part Schematic showing the operation of the image blur correction movable part Schematic showing the operation of the image blur correction movable part

(Example)
[1. Configuration of imaging device]
[1-1. Specific Configuration of Imaging Device]
As shown in FIG. 1, the imaging device 1 includes an imaging unit 2 and a main body unit 3. The imaging unit 2 includes an optical system that guides a light beam incident along the optical axis A to the imaging element with a fixed magnification or variable magnification. The main body unit 3 stores the imaging unit 2 and controls the imaging unit 2.

  First, before describing the detailed configuration of the imaging unit 2, the configuration of the main body unit 3 will be described.

  In the following description, six surfaces of the imaging device 1 are defined as follows.

  First, the “front surface” is a surface that faces the subject side when photographing by the imaging apparatus 1. The “rear surface” is a surface opposite to the front surface. The “upper surface” is a vertical image of the subject and a rectangular image captured by the imaging device 1 (generally, the aspect ratio (ratio of long side to short side) is 3: 2, 4: 3, 16: 9, etc.) This is a surface facing upward in the vertical direction when shooting in a posture in which the upper and lower sides in the short side direction coincide with each other. The “bottom surface” is a surface opposite to the top surface. The “left side” is a plane located on the left side when viewed from the subject side when shooting in a posture in which the vertical direction of the subject and the short side direction of the rectangular image captured by the imaging device 1 are aligned. is there. The “right side surface” is a surface opposite to the left side surface. Note that the above definition does not limit the usage posture of the imaging apparatus 1.

  According to the above definition, FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a front surface, a top surface, and a left side surface.

  In addition, not only the six surfaces of the imaging device 1 but also the six surfaces of the respective components arranged in the imaging device 1 are defined in the same manner. In other words, the above definition is applied to six surfaces of each component member arranged in the imaging device 1.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, with respect to the Y axis parallel to the optical axis A as the imaging optical axis and the normal posture of the imaging apparatus 1, the horizontal direction is the X axis and the vertical direction is the Z axis. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the direction from the back side to the front side along the optical axis A is the Y axis positive direction, and the direction from the right side surface to the left side surface of the imaging device 1 is the X axis positive direction. The direction from the bottom surface side to the top surface side of the imaging device 1 along the orthogonal axis orthogonal to the X axis and the Y axis is the positive Z axis direction.

  Hereinafter, in each drawing, it demonstrates on the basis of this XYZ coordinate system. That is, the X-axis positive direction, the Y-axis positive direction, and the Z-axis positive direction in each drawing indicate the same direction.

[1-2. Configuration of main unit)
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3C, the main body 3 includes an exterior part 11, a grip part 12, a strobe 15, a shutter button 16, an operation dial 17, an image display part 18, a main capacitor 20, a sub board 21, a battery 22, A main board 23 is provided. The exterior portion 11 and the grip portion 12 constitute a housing that houses the imaging unit 2. The strobe 15, the shutter button 16, the operation dial 17, and the image display unit 18 are disposed on the surface of the exterior unit 11. The main capacitor 20, the sub-board 21, the battery 22, and the main board 23 are disposed inside a housing that includes the exterior portion 11 and the grip portion 12. In addition, the main body 3 is detachable from the memory card 24. The storage medium such as the memory card 24 is not limited to a configuration that can be attached to and detached from the main body 3, and may be fixed inside the main body 3.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the exterior part 11 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing. On the positive side in the X-axis direction of the exterior part 11, a grip part 12 for a photographer to hold at the time of photographing is arranged so as to protrude from the exterior part 11 in the Y-axis direction. Thereby, the exterior part 11 and the grip part 12 comprise the substantially L-shaped hollow housing | casing. Further, a strobe 15 is disposed on the front surface of the exterior portion 11. The strobe 15 flashes as necessary to irradiate the subject and assists exposure when the subject is dark. Further, a shutter button 16 and an operation dial 17 are disposed on the grip portion 12 side on the upper surface of the exterior portion 11. The shutter button 16 receives a pressing operation to the negative side in the Z-axis direction by the user. The operation dial 17 can perform various settings such as a shooting operation setting.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, an image display unit 18 (viewing unit) that allows a photographer to visually recognize an image captured by the imaging unit 2 is provided on the back surface of the exterior unit 11. The image display unit 18 has, for example, a rectangular outer shape whose aspect ratio (ratio of long side to short side) is 3: 2, 4: 3, 16: 9, or the like.

  In FIGS. 1 and 2, only main members arranged on the surface of the exterior portion 11 are drawn for clarity of illustration. Therefore, in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, members other than the members described may be provided.

  Next, the internal configuration of the main body 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A to 3C.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the imaging unit 2 holds a lens group G1 facing the subject.

  Further, a strobe 15, a main capacitor 20, and a sub board 21 are arranged on the positive side in the Z-axis direction of the imaging unit 2. The main capacitor 20 gives flash energy to the strobe 15 by charging from a battery 22 described later. The sub board | substrate 21 transforms the electric power from the battery 22 mentioned later as needed. In addition, the strobe 15 is controlled. Further, on the positive side in the Y-axis direction inside the grip portion 12, a battery 22 is disposed as a power source for operating the imaging device 1.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C, the main substrate 23 is disposed on the Y axis direction negative side of the imaging unit 2. On the main board 23, an image processing circuit for processing an image signal from the imaging unit 2, a control circuit for controlling the imaging unit 2, and the like are mounted. Further, a memory card 24 mounted in a memory card slot is disposed on the negative side in the Y-axis direction of the battery 22. The memory card 24 records the image signal from the imaging unit 2.

  As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the imaging unit 2 is formed such that the Z-axis direction width (Wz) is larger than the Y-axis direction width (Wy).

[1-3. Specific configuration of imaging unit]
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the imaging unit 2 includes a lens barrel 31, a motor unit 32, and a master flange 33. The lens barrel 31 has an optical system. The motor unit 32 has a zoom motor 36 that drives the lens barrel 31. The master flange 33 includes a CCD 37 that is an image sensor that receives the light beam that has passed through the lens barrel 31.

  The motor unit 32 includes, for example, a zoom motor 36 such as a DC motor, an FPC (flexible printed circuit board) 39, and a photo sensor (not shown). The FPC 39 can electrically connect the zoom motor 36 to a main board (not shown). The photo sensor can measure the position of the lens barrel 31 from the origin of the lens through measurement of the motor rotation speed of the zoom motor 36. The zoom motor 36 drives the lens barrel 31 and moves the optical system between the wide-angle end and the telephoto end. Accordingly, the optical system provided in the lens barrel 31 operates as a zoom lens system that changes the imaging magnification of the light beam in the CCD 37.

  The master flange 33 includes a CCD 37, a CCD sheet metal 38, and an FPC 39. The CCD 37 can receive the light beam that has passed through the lens barrel 31 and convert it into an electrical signal. The CCD sheet metal 38 can fix the CCD 37 to the lens barrel 31. The FPC 39 can electrically connect the CCD 37 to a main board (not shown).

[2. Lens barrel configuration)
[2-1. Specific configuration of lens barrel]
As shown in FIG. 6, the lens barrel 31 includes a first group frame unit 41, a second group frame unit 42, an intermediate frame 43, a third group frame unit 44, and a fourth group frame unit 45. The first group frame unit 41 holds the first lens group G1. The second group frame unit 42 holds the second lens group G2. The third group frame unit 44 holds a third lens group G3, an exposure adjustment member, a shutter, and an image blur correction unit 400 described later. The fourth group frame unit 45 holds the fourth lens group G4. The first group frame unit 41, the second group frame unit 42, the middle frame 43, the third group frame unit 44, and the fourth group frame unit 45 are connected to the focus motor 35 and the master flange 33 provided on the middle frame 43. By the operation of the provided zoom motor 36, the zooming and focusing operations can be performed by the cooperative operation of the cam grooves provided in the middle frame 43 and the cam frame 46.

[2-2. Configuration of image blur correction unit]
As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the image shake correction unit 400 includes an image shake correction movable unit 402 and a holding member 408 as an image shake correction support unit. The image blur correction movable unit 402 includes a correction lens holding member 405 and an electric substrate 406. The correction lens holding member 405 holds the image blur correction lens 404. The electric board 406 is fixed to the correction lens holding member 405. The holding member 408 supports the correction lens holding member 405 so that it can be linearly driven in the yawing direction (X-axis direction). The holding member 408 supports the correction lens holding member 405 so that it can be linearly driven in the pitching direction (Z-axis direction). Accordingly, the image blur correction movable unit 402 moves on a plane orthogonal to the optical axis A.

  Further, the electromagnetic actuator 413 as a drive means in the yawing direction is composed of a yoke 462d made of a magnetic material, a magnet 462c, a coil 406a, and a counter yoke 462g made of a magnetic material. Here, the opposing yoke 462g is disposed at a position facing the coil 406a. The yoke 462d is fixed to the holding member 408. The magnet 462c is fixed to the yoke 462d and is two-pole magnetized in the X-axis direction. The coil 406a is fixed to the magnet 462c and the correction lens holding member 405. By energizing the coil 406a, an electromagnetic force in the yawing direction is generated.

  The electromagnetic actuator 412 as a driving means in the pitching direction includes a yoke 462f made of a magnetic material, a magnet 462e, a coil 406b, and an opposing yoke 462h made of a magnetic material. Here, the opposing yoke 462h is disposed at a position facing the coil 406b. The yoke 462f is fixed to the holding member 408. The magnet 462e is fixed to the yoke 462f and is two-pole magnetized in the Z-axis direction. The coil 406b is fixed to the correction lens holding member 405. By energizing the coil 406b, an electromagnetic force in the pitching direction is generated.

  On the positive side in the X-axis direction of the coil 406b, a Hall element 406d is disposed as a Z-axis direction position detecting unit for detecting the magnetic flux of the magnet 462e and moving the image blur correction movable unit 402. The hall element 406d shares the magnet 462e with the electromagnetic actuator 412.

  Similarly, on the positive side in the Z-axis direction of the coil 406a, a Hall element 406c is disposed as a means for detecting the position of the image blur correction movable unit 402 in the X-axis direction by detecting the magnetic flux of the magnet 462c. The hall element 406c shares the magnet 462c with the electromagnetic actuator 413.

[2-3. Operation principle of image blur correction means]
The operation principle of the image blur correction unit 400 will be described with reference to a top view of a part (the electromagnetic actuator 413) of the image blur correction unit 400 in FIGS. 8A and 8B.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, when a clockwise current (black arrow) is applied to the coil 406a (the correction lens holding member 405, the electric substrate 406, and the opposing yoke 462g are not shown), the coil 406a, That is, the image blur correction movable unit 402 is driven in the right direction on the paper surface. Of course, the driving force varies depending on the magnitude of the current.

  As shown in FIG. 8B, when a counterclockwise current is passed through the coil 406a, the coil 406a, that is, the camera shake correction means, is driven in the left direction of the drawing. In this way, by changing the direction and magnitude of the current flowing through the coil 406a, the image blur correction movable unit 402 can be driven to a desired position.

[3. Regarding the operation of the imaging device)
[3-1. (Block diagram of imaging device)
An outline of the operation of the imaging apparatus 1 will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. The description of the same components as those in FIGS. 1 to 8B will be omitted as appropriate. First, an operation of the imaging apparatus 1 is started by sending a predetermined signal to the CPU 514 from the operation unit 516 having the shutter button 16 (see FIG. 1).

  At the time of imaging, the light beam that has passed through the lens unit 500 and the image blur correction unit 400 is imaged on the CCD 37. The light beam incident on the CCD 37 is converted into an electrical signal and sent to the signal processing unit 506. A signal sent from the signal processing unit 506 to the encoder 508 is converted into a video signal by the encoder 508. The converted video signal is sent to a display unit 510 such as a liquid crystal panel, and a captured image is displayed. The signal output from the position detection unit 502 of the image blur correction unit 400 is sent to the CPU 514, and the CPU 514 calculates position information of the image blur correction movable unit 402 (see FIGS. 7A and 7B). The position information is sent from the CPU 514 to the driver 512 as a control signal. Further, a control signal is sent from the driver 512 to the driving unit 504 of the image blur correcting unit 400. When the image blur has occurred, the image blur correction movable unit 402 (see FIGS. 7A and 7B) is driven to a predetermined position by the driving unit 504 to correct the image blur.

[3-2. (Operation flowchart of imaging apparatus)
The operation of the imaging apparatus will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 10 and FIGS. 1, 7A, 7B, and 9.

  In S101, as preparation for imaging, settings such as zoom, focus, exposure, shutter speed, and image blur correction are performed automatically or manually. In general, the zoom setting is performed manually. The focus, exposure, and shutter speed are set automatically or manually. Note that image blur correction is generally performed automatically.

  In S102, when the user presses the shutter button 16 of the imaging apparatus 1, the CPU 514 in the imaging apparatus 1 determines that imaging is started, and the process proceeds to S103.

  In S103, an image is formed on the image sensor based on the zoom, focus, exposure, shutter speed, and image blur correction conditions set in S101. Subsequently, the image is converted into an electric signal by the image sensor.

  In step S <b> 104, after the image is captured, the captured image is previewed on the display unit 510. Further, as preparation for posture detection, position information of the image blur correction movable unit 402 is detected. Further, the CPU 514 calculates the driving speed and acceleration of the image blur correction movable unit 402.

  In order to detect the position information of the image blur correction movable unit 402, there are a method using position detecting means 502 such as Hall elements 406c and 406d, a method of integrating the output using a speed sensor, and the like. For calculating the velocity information of the image blur correction movable unit 402, a method using a velocity sensor, a method for differentiating the output of position detection elements such as the Hall elements 406c and 406d, a method for integrating the output of the acceleration sensor, etc. There is. Furthermore, the calculation of the acceleration information of the image blur correction unit 400 includes a method using an acceleration sensor and a method for differentiating the speed sensor output.

  In this embodiment, the position information is detected by the Hall elements 406c and 406d. Further, the acceleration is calculated from the fluctuation of the voltage applied to the electromagnetic actuators 412 and 413, and the speed is calculated by a method of integrating the acceleration.

  Note that in S104, instead of the captured image, an image at the moment when the user presses the shutter button 16 (image immediately before imaging) or the like may be displayed as a preview.

  In S105, it is determined whether or not the speed and acceleration of the image blur correction movable unit 402 are within a predetermined range. The definition within the predetermined range will be described later. If the speed and acceleration of the image blur correction movable unit 402 are within the predetermined range, the process proceeds to S107, and if not, the process proceeds to S106.

  In S106, the image blur correction movable unit 402 is driven and controlled so that the speed and acceleration of the image blur correction movable unit 402 are within a predetermined range. Further, the process returns to S105 while the drive control of the image blur correction movable unit 402 is continued.

  In S107, voltage application to the image blur correction unit 400 is turned off. Here, since the speed and acceleration of the image blur correction movable unit 402 are within a predetermined range, the image blur correction movable unit 402 is in a state of being movable only by gravity.

  In S <b> 108, the image blur correction movable unit 402 moves by gravity in a certain direction determined by the direction of gravity and the configuration of the image blur correction unit 400. In addition, while the image blur correction movable unit 402 is moving, a preview image is displayed on the display unit 510.

  In the imaging apparatus 1 in which the optical axis of the entire imaging apparatus 1 and the optical axis of the image shake correction unit 400 are in the same direction, the user places the imaging apparatus 1 in a direction perpendicular to the gravity direction of the imaging apparatus 1. When used, the image blur correction movable unit 402 moves in the direction of gravity. On the other hand, when the user uses the imaging apparatus 1 in a direction other than the direction orthogonal to the gravity direction of the optical axis of the imaging apparatus 1 and is not the same as the gravity direction, the image blur correction movable unit 402 is The direction acceleration vector is moved in the direction projected on the motion plane of the image blur correction movable unit 402. Further, when the user uses the optical axis of the imaging device 1 in the same direction as the direction of gravity, the image blur correction movable unit 402 does not move.

  In S109, the moving direction of the image blur correction movable unit 402 is calculated. From the difference between the position of the image blur correction movable unit 402 when the voltage application to the image blur correction unit 400 is turned off and the position of the image blur correction movable unit 402 after being moved by gravity, the image blur correction movable unit 402. The movement direction of is calculated. After the calculation is completed, the process proceeds to S110 and S112.

  In S110, drive control is performed so that the image blur correction movable unit 402 returns within a predetermined range.

  In S111, it is determined whether the position of the image blur correction movable unit 402 is within a predetermined range. If it is within the predetermined range, the process proceeds to S114, and if not, the process returns to S110.

  In S112, the attitude of the imaging apparatus 1 is determined from the calculation result in S109.

  In S113, the orientation information of the imaging device 1 determined in S112 is output to a recording area in the imaging device 1. The output posture information is added to the captured image information and recorded. Here, the captured image may be rotated and recorded in accordance with the posture information.

  In S114, after confirming that the position of the image blur correction movable unit 402 is within a predetermined range and that the processing in S113 is completed, the preview image display on the display unit 510 is canceled and the normal imaging screen is restored. .

[3-3. Outline of image blur correction unit operation)
An outline of the operation of the image blur correction movable unit 402 will be described with reference to FIGS. 11A to 11C.

  FIG. 11A shows the moment when the user presses the shutter button 16 (see FIG. 1). At the moment when the user presses the shutter button 16 (see FIG. 1), the image blur correction movable unit 402 exists at any position in the drive control range with a speed s0 and an acceleration a0 for image blur correction.

  FIG. 11B shows an example of controlling the image blur correction movable unit 402 so that the speed s1 and the acceleration a1 of the image blur correction movable unit 402 are within a predetermined range.

  Here, the necessity of controlling the speed and acceleration of the image blur correction movable unit 402 will be described.

  The speed of the image blur correction movable unit 402 is controlled within a predetermined range. This is because, at the moment when the voltage application to the image blur correction unit 400 is turned off, the image blur correction movable unit 402 moves in a direction different from the direction in which the image blur correction movable unit 402 should originally move due to gravity due to the speed s0 remaining in the image blur correction movable unit 402. This is to prevent this from happening.

  The term “within a predetermined range” means that the amount of movement of the image blur correction movable unit 402 at the speed s1 is within a negligible range compared to the amount of movement due to gravity, although it varies depending on the setting of the imaging apparatus 1. More preferably, the speed s1 is controlled to be substantially zero.

  The acceleration of the image blur correction movable unit 402 is controlled within a predetermined range. This is because, at the moment when the voltage application to the image blur correction unit 400 is turned off, the image blur correction movable unit 402 moves in a direction different from the direction in which the image blur correction movable unit 402 should originally move due to gravity due to the acceleration a0 remaining in the image blur correction movable unit 402. This is to prevent this from happening.

  The term “within a predetermined range” means that the acceleration a1 is within a range that can be ignored as compared with the gravitational acceleration, although it varies depending on the setting of the imaging device 1. More preferably, the acceleration a1 is controlled to be substantially zero.

  FIG. 11C shows an example in which the image blur correction movable unit 402 is moved by gravity. The posture of the imaging apparatus 1 can be detected by calculating the moving direction of the image blur correction movable unit 402 indicated by the white arrow in the drawing.

  Note that by calculating the movement amount in addition to the movement direction of the image blur correction movable unit 402, the posture of the imaging device 1 can be detected with higher accuracy. Further, when the speed s0 and the acceleration a0 during preparation for posture detection of the image blur correction movable unit 402 are sufficiently small and within a predetermined range, the operation of FIG. 11B can be omitted.

[4. (Summary)
The imaging apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment uses, as electrical signals, images formed by a plurality of lens groups G1, G2, G3, and G4 arranged along the imaging optical axis and the lens groups G1, G2, G3, and G4. An image blur correction movable unit including a CCD 37 to be converted, at least one image blur correction lens 404 that corrects image blur by moving on a plane orthogonal to the optical axis A as an imaging optical axis, and Hall elements 406c and 406d. In the imaging apparatus 1, the image capturing apparatus 1 includes an image blur correction unit 400 including a magnetic disk 402, a holding member 408 that supports the image blur correction movable unit 402, and electromagnetic actuators 412 and 413 that drive and control the image blur correction movable unit 402. The apparatus 1 includes an acceleration detection unit that detects the acceleration of the image blur correction movable unit 402. The image blur correction movable unit 402 is moved by gravity when the drive control is stopped. Then, the image blur correction movable unit 402 is driven and controlled so that the acceleration value of the image blur correction movable unit 402 output from the acceleration detection unit and the velocity value obtained by integrating the acceleration values are within a predetermined range. By stopping the drive control of the shake correction movable unit 402, the image shake correction movable unit 402 is moved by gravity, and the position information before and after the drive control of the image shake correction movable unit 402 is output by the Hall elements 406c and 406d. The imaging device 1 determines the posture of the imaging device 1.

  According to such a configuration, when the drive control of the image blur correction movable unit 402 is stopped, the image blur correction movable unit 402 can be moved almost only by gravity. Further, the position information of the image shake correction movable unit 402 before and after the stop of the drive control is changed almost only by gravity. That is, when the drive control of the image blur correction movable unit 402 is stopped, the image blur correction movable unit 402 moves due to gravity almost depending on the posture of the imaging apparatus 1.

  Therefore, it is possible to detect not only image blur correction but also the posture of the imaging apparatus 1 with higher accuracy.

[5. Other Embodiments]
One embodiment has been described as an embodiment of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Therefore, another embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In addition, this invention is not limited to these, It is applicable also to other embodiment modified suitably.

  In the present embodiment, the velocity is calculated by integrating the acceleration output from the acceleration detecting means of the image blur correction movable unit 402, but the present invention is not limited to this.

  It is also possible to calculate acceleration by arranging speed detection means such as a speed sensor in the imaging apparatus 1 and differentiating the speed detected by the speed detection means.

  Further, the image sensing apparatus 1 may be provided with acceleration detecting means such as an acceleration sensor and speed detecting means such as a speed sensor, and the acceleration and speed may be detected respectively. According to this configuration, the acceleration and speed of the image blur correction movable unit 402 can be detected with higher accuracy. Therefore, it is possible to further stabilize the state of the image blur correction movable unit 402 before stopping the drive control. Therefore, it is possible to determine the posture of the imaging apparatus 1 with higher accuracy.

  In this embodiment, the speed and acceleration are controlled to be within a predetermined range before the drive control of the image blur correction movable unit 402 is stopped, but the present invention is not limited to this. Furthermore, the position of the image blur correction movable unit 402 may be driven and controlled in the vicinity of the center of the drive control range that is in the vicinity of the origin. According to this configuration, it is possible to secure a sufficient amount of movement of the image blur correction movable unit 402 due to gravity. Therefore, it is possible to determine the posture of the imaging apparatus 1 with higher accuracy.

  In the present embodiment, the description has been given of the optical system that enters the CCD 37 in a straight line without bending the optical axis, but the optical system may be a bending optical system. That is, when the optical axis of the image shake correction unit 400 is configured in a direction different from the optical axis of the image pickup apparatus 1, the calculation formula of the moving direction of the image shake correction movable unit 402 is corrected in advance, thereby capturing an image. The posture of the device 1 can be determined.

  In this embodiment, the electromagnetic actuator is used as the actuator. However, the configuration of the actuator is not limited to the electromagnetic actuator, and includes an actuator using vibration of a piezoelectric element, a motor such as a stepping motor, and the like. can do.

  According to the imaging apparatus of the present invention, not only image blur correction but also the attitude of the imaging apparatus can be determined with higher accuracy. Therefore, it is widely useful for digital still cameras and the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Imaging device 2 Imaging part 3 Main body part 11 Exterior part 12 Grip part 15 Strobe 16 Shutter button 17 Operation dial 18 Image display part 20 Main capacitor 21 Sub board 22 Battery 23 Main board 24 Memory card 31 Lens barrel 32 Motor unit 33 Master Flange 35 Focus motor 36 Zoom motor 37 CCD
38 CCD sheet metal 39 FPC
41 1st group frame unit 42 2nd group frame unit 43 Middle frame 44 3rd group frame unit 45 4th group frame unit 46 Cam frame 400 Image blur correction means 402 Image blur correction movable portion 404 Image blur correction lens 405 Correction lens holding member 406 Electric substrate 406a, 406b Coil 406c, 406d Hall element 408 Holding member 412, 413 Electromagnetic actuator 462c, 462e Magnet 462d, 462f Yoke 462g, 462h Opposing yoke 500 Lens unit 502 Position detection unit 504 Drive unit 506 Signal processing unit 508 Encoder 510 Display unit 5 Driver 514 CPU
516 Operation unit

Claims (4)

A plurality of lens groups arranged along the imaging optical axis;
An image sensor that converts an image formed by the lens group into an electrical signal;
An image blur correction movable unit having at least one image blur correction lens that corrects image blur by moving on a plane orthogonal to the imaging optical axis and a position detection unit, and an image that supports the image blur correction movable unit In an imaging apparatus including a shake correction support unit and an image shake correction unit having a drive unit that drives and controls the image shake correction movable unit,
The imaging apparatus includes an acceleration detection unit that detects acceleration of the image shake correction movable unit,
The image blur correction movable unit moves by gravity when driving control is stopped,
The image blur correction movable unit is driven and controlled so that the velocity value obtained by integrating the acceleration value and the acceleration value of the image blur correction movable unit output from the acceleration detection unit is within a predetermined range, and then the image By stopping the drive control of the shake correction movable part, the image shake correction movable part is moved by gravity, and the imaging is performed from the position information before and after the drive control stop of the image shake correction movable part output by the position detection unit. An imaging device that determines the attitude of the device. A plurality of lens groups arranged along the imaging optical axis;
An image sensor that converts an image formed by the lens group into an electrical signal;
An image blur correction movable unit having at least one image blur correction lens that corrects image blur by moving on a plane orthogonal to the imaging optical axis and a position detection unit, and an image that supports the image blur correction movable unit In an imaging apparatus including a shake correction support unit and an image shake correction unit having a drive unit that drives and controls the image shake correction movable unit,
The imaging apparatus has speed detection means for detecting the speed of the image shake correction movable unit,
The image blur correction movable unit moves by gravity when driving control is stopped,
After driving and controlling the image blur correction movable unit so that an acceleration value obtained by differentiating the speed value and the speed value of the image blur correction movable unit output from the speed detection unit is within a predetermined range, the image By stopping the drive control of the shake correction movable part, the image shake correction movable part is moved by gravity, and the imaging is performed from the position information before and after the drive control stop of the image shake correction movable part output by the position detection unit. An imaging device that determines the attitude of the device. A plurality of lens groups arranged along the imaging optical axis;
An image sensor that converts an image formed by the lens group into an electrical signal;
An image blur correction movable unit having at least one image blur correction lens that corrects image blur by moving on a plane orthogonal to the imaging optical axis and a position detection unit, and an image that supports the image blur correction movable unit In an imaging apparatus including a shake correction support unit and an image shake correction unit having a drive unit that drives and controls the image shake correction movable unit,
The imaging apparatus includes acceleration detection means for detecting an acceleration of the image shake correction movable unit,
Speed detecting means for detecting the speed of the image blur correction movable part,
The image blur correction movable unit moves by gravity when driving control is stopped,
The image blur correction movable portion is adjusted so that the acceleration value of the image blur correction movable portion output from the acceleration detection means and the velocity value of the image blur correction movable portion output from the speed detection means are within a predetermined range. After the drive control, by stopping the drive control of the image shake correction movable part, the image shake correction movable part is moved by gravity, and the drive control stop of the image shake correction movable part output by the position detecting means is stopped. An imaging apparatus that determines an attitude of the imaging apparatus from front and rear position information. The imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the position of the image shake correction movable unit is further driven and controlled in the vicinity of the origin before the drive control of the image shake correction movable unit is stopped.

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