Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a shake detector configures to detect a shake applied to the imaging apparatus, a first calculation unit configured to calculate a first shake correction amount based on an output of the shake detector, a vector detector configured to detect a motion vector on an imaging surface, a first integration unit configured to integrate an output of the vector detector, a second calculation unit configured to calculate a second shake correction amount based on the output of the vector detector, a shake correction unit configured to correct an image-shake based of the first shake correction amount and the second shake correction amount; and an angle-of-view change determination unit configured to detect an angle-of-view changing operation of the imaging apparatus, wherein the angle-of-view change determination unit determines the start of the angle-of-view changing operation when a signal obtained based on the output of the shake detector is greater than a predetermined value or an output

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a shake detector configured to detect a shake applied to the imaging apparatus, a first calculation unit configured to calculate a first shake correction amount based on an output of the shake detector, a vector detector configured to detect a motion vector on an imaging surface, a first integration unit configured to integrate an output of the vector detector, a second calculation unit configured to calculate a second shake correction amount based on the output of the vector detector, a shake correction unit configured to correct an image-shake based of the first shake correction amount and the second shake correction amount; and an angle-of-view change determination unit configured to detect an angle-of-view changing operation of the imaging apparatus, wherein the angle-of-view change determination unit determines the start of the angle-of-view changing operation when a signal obtained based on the output of the shake detector is greater than a predetermined value or an output

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus comprises: an image sensing unit arranged to sense an object image; a vibration detection unit arranged to detect a vibration applied to the image capturing apparatus; a vector detection unit arranged to detect a motion vector from an image sensed by the image sensing unit; a first calculation unit arranged to calculate a first correction amount from a signal obtained based on an output from the vibration detection unit and a signal based on the motion vector; a second calculation unit arranged to calculate a second correction amount based on the motion vector; a first correction unit arranged to optically correct the vibration based on the first correction amount; and a second correction unit arranged to correct the vibration by changing an image read region based on the second correction amount, wherein vibration correction is performed using both the first and second correction units.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus comprises: at least one vibration detection unit configured to detect a vibration applied to the image capturing apparatus and outputting a vibration signal; a calculation unit configured to calculate, based on the vibration signal output from the vibration detection unit, respective vibration correction signals for a plurality of correction units for performing a plurality of different correction processes, respectively; the correction units configured to correct the vibration based on the respective vibration correction signals calculated by the calculation unit; and a control unit configured to, when stopping the plurality of correction processes based on the vibration correction signals, shift the correction units to initial states serving as states of the correction units obtained when the vibration is not detected, wherein the control unit controls to simultaneously start moving the correction units to the initial states, and simultaneously stop moving the correction units.

Abstract: Upon detecting the start of a panning operation, an adder-subtracter applies an offset from an offset change circuit to the output of an HPF (High-Pass Filter) representing the shake amount of an image capturing apparatus to decrease the shake amount. The offset value is set to be larger as the value of shake correction data output from a focal length calculation circuit is closer to the correction limit of a blur correction circuit. Upon detecting the end of the panning operation, the offset value is returned to zero. This invention provides a blur correction apparatus capable of suppressing degradation of a blur correction effect even when in a panning state.

Abstract: There is provided a shake correction apparatus having an image pickup optical system that includes a correction lens capable of moving in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis. The shake correction apparatus comprises: a detection unit that detects shake applied to the shake correction apparatus; a determination unit that determines a reference position of the correction lens; and a drive unit that drives the correction lens with the reference position serving as a center position, so as to correct the shake detected by the detection unit. The determination unit determines the reference position, in a range where a condition that a Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) of the image pickup optical system when the correction lens is positioned at the determined reference position is equal to or larger than a threshold is satisfied.

Abstract: A frame is divided into blocks each having a predetermined size, and motion vectors are calculated for respective blocks. The blocks are classified into an object group including an object image and a background group as a background image based on the calculated motion vectors, and representative motion vectors of the respective groups are calculated. The number of blocks included in the object group is compared with a threshold. When the number of blocks is larger than the threshold, the representative motion vector of the object group is selected as a motion vector for the entire frame. On the other hand, when the number of blocks included in the object group is smaller than the threshold, the representative motion vector of the background group is selected as the motion vector for the entire frame.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a shake detector configured to detect a shake applied to the imaging apparatus, a first calculation unit configured to calculate a first shake correction amount based on an output of the shake detector, a vector detector configured to detect a motion vector on an imaging surface, a first integration unit configured to integrate an output of the vector detector, a second calculation unit configured to calculate a second shake correction amount based on the output of the vector detector, a shake correction unit configured to correct an image-shake based of the first shake correction amount and the second shake correction amount; and an angle-of-view change determination unit configured to detect an angle-of-view changing operation of the imaging apparatus, wherein the angle-of-view change determination unit determines the start of the angle-of-view changing operation when a signal obtained based on the output of the shake detector is greater than a predetermined value or an output

Abstract: A position detecting circuit provided in an imaging apparatus having an optical system that images a subject image, an imaging element that performs photoelectric conversion of the subject image, and a release switch capable of setting states of two stages includes: a plurality of magnetic field change detecting elements that detect the intensity of a magnetic field formed by a magnetic field generating body attached to either the optical system or the imaging element and that are provided so as to be separated from each other; a position detecting portion that detects the position of the magnetic field generating body on the basis of outputs from the plurality of magnetic field change detecting elements; and a standby portion that stops a function of at least one of the position detecting portion and the plurality of magnetic field change detecting elements until a first stage of the release switch is set.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a motion vector detecting unit configured to detect, for each field of a signal, a motion vector in each of a plurality of vector detection areas within the field, a determining unit configured to determine, for each field, a group area obtained by grouping the motion vector detection areas based on the motion vector detected by the motion vector detecting unit, a geometric center calculation unit configured to obtain, for each field, a geometric center of the group area, a determination unit configured to determine group areas that correspond to each other in fields that are in consecutive relation in terms of time by comparing the geometric centers of the group areas obtained for each field in consecutive relation.

Abstract: In an imaging apparatus with the capability of calculating a reference value for shake compensation from a shake detecting signal, the calculation for the reference value is changed under certain conditions. To be more specific, for example, the imaging apparatus, which has a shake detection portion for detecting a shake of the imaging apparatus about two different axes perpendicular to an imaging optical axis, includes a first reference value calculation portion for calculating a first reference value using a shake detecting signal from the shake detection portion, and a second reference value calculation portion for calculating a second reference value for the shake detecting signal different from that calculated by the first reference value calculation portion. In the imaging apparatus, the second reference value calculation portion changes the calculation of the second reference value based on a value related to the first reference value.

Abstract: A position detecting circuit provided in an imaging apparatus having an optical system that images a subject image, an imaging element that performs photoelectric conversion of the subject image, and a release switch capable of setting states of two stages includes: a plurality of magnetic field change detecting elements that detect the intensity of a magnetic field formed by a magnetic field generating body attached to either the optical system or the imaging element and that are provided so as to be separated from each other; a position detecting portion that detects the position of the magnetic field generating body on the basis of outputs from the plurality of magnetic field change detecting elements; and a standby portion that stops a function of at least one of the position detecting portion and the plurality of magnetic field change detecting elements until a first stage of the release switch is set.

Abstract: In an imaging apparatus with the capability of calculating a reference value for shake compensation from a shake detecting signal, the calculation for the reference value is changed under certain conditions. To be more specific, for example, the imaging apparatus, which has a shake detection portion for detecting a shake of the imaging apparatus about two different axes perpendicular to an imaging optical axis, includes a first reference value calculation portion for calculating a first reference value using a shake detecting signal from the shake detection portion, and a second reference value calculation portion for calculating a second reference value for the shake detecting signal different from that calculated by the first reference value calculation portion. In the imaging apparatus, the second reference value calculation portion changes the calculation of the second reference value based on a value related to the first reference value.