JP5014661B2 - Imaging device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus, and more particularly to an imaging apparatus that performs sleep mode switching control.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an imaging apparatus having a sleep mode function that pauses operations other than a control unit such as a display unit when an operation is not performed for a certain period of time in an imaging apparatus such as a camera has been proposed.

Patent Document 1 discloses a camera that stops the operation of a means for detecting whether or not the grip of the camera is held when eyepiece detection is not performed for a certain period of time as a sleep mode function.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 04-295835

  However, in the apparatus of Patent Document 1, if the user holds the camera body and waits for a photo opportunity without performing eyepiece detection, such as when the user does not look into the viewfinder, the apparatus switches to the sleep mode. Therefore, it may happen that a photo opportunity is missed before the sleep mode is canceled and shooting is performed.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an imaging apparatus capable of switching control of a sleep mode in consideration of a photo opportunity.

  The imaging apparatus according to the present invention performs sleep mode switching control based on a switch, a camera shake sensor for detecting a camera shake amount, an output value from the camera shake sensor for detecting the camera shake amount, and whether or not a switch is operated. And a control unit for performing.

  Preferably, the camera shake sensor includes a first camera shake sensor that detects a yawing angular velocity and a second camera shake sensor that detects a pitching angular velocity, and an output value from the camera shake sensor is a first shake sensor from the first and second camera shake sensors. 1 and the second output value.

  More preferably, during the first time, the control unit sets the sleep mode when the first and second output values are less than a certain value and the switch is not operated.

  More preferably, the control unit determines whether the first or second camera shake sensor is in a case where the first and second output values are less than a certain numerical value and there is no switch operation for a certain time shorter than the first time. Stop one of the detection operations.

  Preferably, when the control unit is in the sleep mode, the control unit cancels the sleep mode when at least one of the first and second output values becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value or when a switch is operated.

  Preferably, the control unit sets the sleep mode when the output value from the camera shake sensor is less than a certain value and the switch is not operated during the first time.

  In addition, an imaging apparatus according to the present invention includes a camera shake sensor that detects the amount of camera shake, and a control unit that performs sleep mode switching control based on an output value from the camera shake sensor for detecting the camera shake amount.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an imaging apparatus capable of switching control of a sleep mode in consideration of a photo opportunity.

  Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The camera body 1 will be described as a digital camera. In order to describe the direction, in the camera body 1, the horizontal direction perpendicular to the optical axis O of the photographing lens (not shown) housed in the photographing lens 2 is perpendicular to the first direction x and the optical axis O. The vertical direction is described as the second direction y, and the horizontal direction parallel to the optical axis O is described as the third direction z.

  The camera body 1 includes a photographing lens 2, a camera shake correction device 10, a CCD drive circuit 11, a timing generator 12, a control circuit 13, a correlated double sampling circuit (CDS) 14, an ADC (Analogue Digital Converter) 15, and a signal. Processing circuit 16, buffer memory 17, memory card controller 18, card slot 19, memory card 20, video encoder 21, LCD drive circuit 22, image LCD 23, backlight drive circuit 24, backlight 25, power supply unit 26, and switch 27 (See FIGS. 1 and 2).

  The subject image is picked up as an optical image through the photographing lens 2 by the CCD 10e driven by the CCD driving circuit 11. After correlated double sampling processing in the CDS 14 and A / D conversion in the ADC 15, image processing is performed in the signal processing circuit 16. The operations of the CCD drive circuit 11 and the ADC 15 are performed according to clock pulses output to the timing generator 12.

  The control circuit (microcomputer) 13 controls each part based on the operation of the switch 27 and the like. The control circuit 13 has a timer function, and when the camera body 1 is in a state of using the sleep mode, the output values from the first and second camera shake sensors 10a and 10b are continuously less than a certain value, In addition, the time t when the switch 27 is not operated is measured. In the present embodiment, the constant numerical value is assumed to be zero, but other numerical values may be used.

  When the output value from the first and second camera shake sensors 10a and 10b is less than a certain value and the switch 27 is not operated during the first time t1, the control circuit 13 (t ≧ t1) The camera body 1 is set to a sleep mode (a sleep state). Further, when the camera body 1 is in the sleep mode, the control circuit 13 determines whether the output value from at least one of the first and second camera shake sensors 10a and 10b is equal to or greater than a certain value or the switch 27 When the switch is operated, the sleep mode is canceled (the sleep state is canceled).

  In the sleep mode, the control circuit 13 stops the power supply to each part except the first and second camera shake sensors 10 a and 10 b, the control circuit 13, and the switch 27. In the sleep mode, the control circuit 13 moves a camera shake correction unit 10d described later to the center of the movement range (the optical axis O passes through the center of the CCD 10e).

  Whether or not the camera body 1 is in a state of using the sleep mode is set by the user operating the switch 27. When the sleep mode is not used, the sleep mode is not set regardless of the outputs of the first and second camera shake sensors 10a and 10b and the operation state of the switch 27.

  Temporary storage of data during image processing is performed in the buffer memory 17. The image processed image data is recorded on the memory card 20 inserted in the card slot 19 under the control of the memory card controller 18. However, the RAW format file is recorded on the memory card 20 without image processing. Image-processed image data is output as a signal to an external device via a video encoder 21 and displayed on an image LCD (display unit) 23 driven by an LCD drive circuit 22. The backlight 25 of the image LCD 23 is driven by the backlight driving circuit 24 and adjusts the brightness of the display state of the image LCD 23.

  The power supply unit 26 supplies power to each unit.

  The camera shake correction apparatus 10 includes a first camera shake sensor (yaw) 10a, a second camera shake sensor (pitch) 10b, a camera shake correction unit drive circuit 10c, a camera shake correction unit 10d, and a CCD 10e.

  The camera shake correction apparatus 10 moves the camera shake correction unit 10d including the CCD 10e on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis O (hereinafter referred to as the xy plane) in accordance with the amount of camera shake, thereby causing a subject image generated by the camera shake. This is a device that corrects image blur by eliminating the deviation of the optical axis O on the imaging plane and keeping the subject image and the imaging plane position constant.

  The amount of camera shake is detected by the first and second camera shake sensors 10a and 10b. The first camera shake sensor 10 a detects the angular velocity of the rotational movement (yawing) around the y-axis in the second direction of the camera body 1. The second camera shake sensor 10b detects the angular velocity of the rotational movement (pitching) around the first direction x-axis of the camera body 1. The angular velocity detection of the first and second camera shake sensors 10a and 10b is performed every second time t2, which is shorter than the first time t1.

  The first time t1 has a length of 1 minute or more, and the second time t2 has a length of about 1 ms. However, the second time t2 is shorter than the first time t1, and other lengths may be used depending on the user. It may be set.

  When the user holds the camera body 1 by hand, the first and second camera shake sensors 10a and 10b detect the shaking in the holding state, so that the output value from these is a certain numerical value or more. Therefore, during this time, even if the switch 27 is not operated for the first time t1, the camera body 1 is not set to the sleep mode.

  In the mode in which the on / off state of the sleep mode is switched only by detecting the presence / absence of the operation of the switch 27 (or the eyepiece detection state) during the first time t1, the shutter is held while the user holds the camera body 1. While waiting for a chance, it is possible for the user to unintentionally switch to sleep mode. In this case, a photo opportunity may be missed before the sleep mode is canceled and shooting is performed. In the present embodiment, even when the switch 27 is not operated, the mode is not switched to the sleep mode if at least one of the output values from the first and second camera shake sensors 10a and 10b is equal to or greater than a certain value (the sleep mode is not active). Therefore, even if there is no switch operation, the user does not intend to switch to the sleep mode and the possibility of missing a photo opportunity is reduced.

  In an imaging apparatus having a function for detecting the amount of camera shake, such as a camera shake correction function, since the amount of camera shake is detected every second time t2, it is possible to perform sleep mode switching control without increasing the number of new circuits. .

  On the other hand, when the camera body 1 is placed on a non-moving object such as a desk, the first and second camera shake sensors 10a and 10b do not detect shaking, and the output values from these are less than a certain value. Become. Therefore, during this time, when the operation of the switch 27 is not performed during the first time t1 (t ≧ t1), the camera body 1 is set to the sleep mode.

  Under the control of the control circuit 13, the camera shake correction unit drive circuit 10c moves the camera shake correction unit 10d on the xy plane based on signals (output values) relating to the angular velocities detected by the first and second camera shake sensors 10a and 10b. The amount to be calculated is calculated.

  Next, the flow of control for switching to the sleep mode will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In step S1, the timer of the control circuit 13 is reset. In step S2, it is determined whether the camera body 1 is in a state of using the sleep mode. If the sleep mode is not used, the flow ends. If the sleep mode is used, the output from the first and second camera shake sensors 10a and 10b is performed in step S3. It is determined whether the value is less than a certain value.

  If the output value from at least one of the first and second camera shake sensors 10a and 10b is greater than or equal to a certain value, the process returns to step S1. If both output values are less than a certain value, it is determined in step S4 whether or not an input operation has been performed by any one of the switches 27.

  If an input operation is performed with any one of the switches 27, the process returns to step S1. If not, it is determined in step S5 whether or not the elapsed time (time value counted by the timer) t after the timer reset has exceeded the first time t1. If exceeded (t ≧ t1), the camera body 1 is put into a sleep mode (sleep state) in step S6. If not exceeded (t <t1), the value of the time counted by the timer is increased by a certain amount in step S7, and then returned to step S2.

  Note that if the determination in step S3 and step S4 returns to step S1 and the camera body 1 is in the sleep mode, the sleep mode is canceled.

  In addition, when it is determined in step S5 that the elapsed time t is shorter than the first time t1 and longer than an arbitrary third time t3 longer than the second time t2 (t ≧ t3), the first and second A step of stopping the detection operation of any one of the two camera shake sensors 10a and 10b may be provided. Thereby, the effect of suppressing power consumption can be obtained.

  In this embodiment, the camera shake correction unit 10d including the CCD 10e has been described as moving on the xy plane. However, the CCD 10e is fixed, and an image blur correction lens (not shown) is arranged and moved in the camera shake correction unit 10d. The same effect can be obtained if the camera is provided with a shake sensor. In this case, the camera body 1 may be a film camera instead of a digital camera. Further, the CCD 10e may be another image sensor such as a CMOS.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the camera main body in this embodiment. It is a circuit block diagram of a camera main body. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure which switches to sleep mode.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Camera body 2 Shooting lens 10 Camera shake correction apparatus 10a, 10b 1st, 2nd camera shake sensor 10c Camera shake correction unit drive circuit 10d Camera shake correction unit 10e CCD
11 CCD drive circuit 12 Timing generator 13 Control circuit (microcomputer)
14 CDS
15 ADC
16 Signal Processing Circuit 17 Buffer Memory 18 Memory Card Controller 19 Card Slot 20 Memory Card 21 Video Encoder 22 LCD Drive Circuit 23 Image LCD
24 Backlight Drive Circuit 25 Backlight 26 Power Supply Unit 27 Switch

Claims (4)

A switch,
A shake sensor for detecting the shake amount;
An output value from the camera shake sensor for detecting the amount of camera shake, and a control unit that performs sleep mode switching control by detecting whether or not the switch is operated for a first time,
The camera shake sensor includes a first camera shake sensor that detects a yawing angular velocity, and a second camera shake sensor that detects a pitching angular velocity. An output value from the camera shake sensor is a first shake sensor from the first and second camera shake sensors. 1 and the second output value,
When the first and second output values are less than a certain numerical value and there is no operation of the switch for a certain time shorter than the first time, the control unit performs the operation of the first and second camera shake sensors. An imaging apparatus characterized by stopping any one of the detection operations.   2. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit sets the sleep mode when the first and second output values are less than a predetermined value and the switch is not operated during the first time. The imaging device described.   The control unit cancels the sleep mode when at least one of the first and second output values becomes equal to or higher than a certain value or when the switch is operated when in the sleep mode. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1.   2. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is set to the sleep mode when an output value from the camera shake sensor is less than a certain value during the first time and the switch is not operated. Imaging device.

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