Imaging apparatus, and method and device for shake correction in imaging apparatus

A shake correction method in an imaging apparatus which comprises:

• an imaging optical system;
• an image pickup unit which receives an object image passing through said imaging optical system and converts it to image information;
• a shake detection unit which detects a shake of said imaging apparatus;
• and a shake correction unit which corrects image blurring on said image pickup unit based on the shake detection information detected by said shake detection unit, said shake correction method comprising the steps of:
• calculating predictive shake information based on the shake detection information;
• determining a position as a start position of correcting operation of said shake correction unit and at which predictive shake will be canceled out based on the predictive shake information;
• and
• correcting the image blurring by controlling driving of said shake correction unit at the correcting-operation start position.

A shake correction device in an imaging apparatus which has an imaging optical system or an image pickup surface, said shake correction device comprising:

• an electromechanical transducer which produces displacement by an electric signal;
• and
• a displacement enlarging mechanism which has two elastic plates fixed to both sides of said mechanism opposite to each other and perpendicular to a displacement direction of said electromechanical transducer and whose opposed surfaces are curved inwardly, and in which a width between said two elastic plates is enlarged or reduced according to the displacement of said electromechanical transducer, and one of said two elastic plates is fixed to said imaging optical system or said image pickup surface, wherein
• the displacement due to said electromechanical transducer is enlarged by said displacement enlarging mechanism, the enlargement moves said imaging optical system or said image pickup surface to move an incident position of an incident light to said image pickup surface, and shake is corrected.

A shake correction device in an imaging apparatus which has a variable apex angle prism, said shake correction device comprising:

• an electromechanical transducer which produces displacement by an electric signal;
• and
• a displacement enlarging mechanism which has two elastic plates fixed to both sides of said mechanism opposite to each other and perpendicular to a displacement direction of said electromechanical transducer and whose opposed surfaces are curved inwardly, and in which a width between said two elastic plates is enlarged or reduced according to the displacement of said electromechanical transducer, and one of said two elastic plates is fixed to said variable apex angle prism, wherein
• the displacement due to said electromechanical transducer is enlarged by said displacement enlarging mechanism, said enlargement varies the apex angle of said variable apex angle prism to move an incident position of an incident light to said image pickup surface, and shake is corrected.

A shake correction device in an imaging apparatus which comprises an imaging optical system;

• and an image pickup unit that receives an object image passing through said imaging optical system and converts it to image information, said shake correction device comprising:
• a shake-correction use supporting unit which supports said image pickup unit so as to be capable of vibrating in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis of said imaging optical system;
• a shake-correction use driving unit which vibrates said image pickup unit in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis in order to cancel out the shake of said imaging apparatus;
• a pixel-shifting use supporting unit which supports said image pickup unit, said shake-correction use supporting unit, and said shake-correction use driving unit movably in the pixel shifting direction perpendicular to the optical axis;
• and
• a pixel-shifting use driving unit which moves said image pickup unit, said shake-correction use supporting unit, and said shake-correction use driving unit in the pixel shifting direction by a specified quantity.

A shake correction device in an imaging apparatus which comprises an imaging optical system;

• and an image pickup unit that receives an object image passing through said imaging optical system and converts it to image information, said shake correction device comprising:
• shake-correction use supporting units which support said image pickup unit so as to be capable of vibrating in the X direction and the Y direction perpendicular to the optical axis of said imaging optical system and orthogonal to each other;
• and
• shake-correction use driving units which vibrate said image pickup unit in the X and Y directions in order to cancel out the shake of said imaging apparatus,
• wherein said shake-correction use supporting unit comprises a first flat spring body that displaces substantially in the Y direction;
• a second flat spring body that displaces substantially in the X direction;
• a first support plate to which one end of said first flat spring body is fixed and which is perpendicular to the optical axis;
• a second support plate to which one end of said second flat spring body is fixed and which is perpendicular to the optical axis;
• and a third support plate to which the other ends of said first flat spring body and said second flat spring body are fixed and which is perpendicular to the optical axis,
• said image pickup unit is disposed between said first support plate, said second support plate, and said third support plate, and is supported by either said first support plate or said second support plate, and
• said shake-correction use driving units are disposed between said first support plate and said second support plate.

A shake correction device in an imaging apparatus which comprises an imaging optical system;

• and an image pickup unit that receives an object image passing through said imaging optical system and converts it to image information, said shake correction device comprising:
• shake-correction use supporting units which support said image pickup unit so as to be capable of vibrating in the X direction and the Y direction perpendicular to the optical axis of said imaging optical system, and orthogonal to each other;
• and
• shake-correction use driving units which vibrate said image pickup unit in the X and Y directions in order to cancel out the shake of said imaging apparatus,
• wherein said shake-correction use supporting unit comprises a movable-side support part that supports said image pickup unit;
• and a fixed-side support part that supports said movable-side support part so as to be capable of vibrating said movable-side support part in the X and Y directions,
• said shake-correction use driving unit is formed with a multilayer piezoelectric element with an enlarging mechanism having a displacement part that enlarges in a direction perpendicular to the displacement direction of said multilayer piezoelectric element that displaces through application of a voltage,
• said multilayer piezoelectric element with an enlarging mechanism has a multilayer piezoelectric element with the X-direction enlarging mechanism disposed so that the displacement direction of said displacement part coincides with the X direction;
• and a multilayer piezoelectric element with a Y-direction enlarging mechanism disposed so that the displacement direction of said displacement part coincides with the Y direction, and
• said displacement part of said multilayer piezoelectric element with the X-direction enlarging mechanism and said displacement part of said multilayer piezoelectric element with the Y-direction enlarging mechanism are disposed between said movable-side support part and said fixed-side support part, respectively.

An imaging apparatus comprising:

• said shake correction device in the imaging apparatus which a shake correction device in an imaging apparatus which comprises an imaging optical system;
• and an image pickup unit that receives an object image passing through said imaging optical system and converts it to image information, said shake correction device comprising:
• a shake-correction use supporting unit which supports said image pickup unit so as to be capable of vibrating in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis of said imaging optical system;
• a shake-correction use driving unit which vibrates said image pickup unit in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis in order to cancel out the shake of said imaging apparatus;
• a pixel-shifting use supporting unit which supports said image pickup unit, said shake-correction use supporting unit, and said shake-correction use driving unit movably in the pixel shifting direction perpendicular to the optical axis;
• and
• a pixel-shifting use driving unit which moves said image pickup unit, said shake-correction use supporting unit, and said shake-correction use driving unit in the pixel shifting direction by a specified quantity;
• a shake correction control unit which controls driving of said shake-correction use driving unit;
• and
• a pixel shifting control unit which controls driving of said pixel-shifting use driving unit.

A imaging apparatus comprising:

• said shake correction device in the imaging apparatus which a shake correction device in a imaging apparatus which comprises a imaging optical system;
• and an image pickup unit that receives an object image passing through said imaging optical system and converts it to image information, said shake correction device comprising:
• shake-correction use supporting units which support said image pickup unit so as to be capable of vibrating in the X direction and the Y direction perpendicular to the optical axis of said imaging optical system and orthogonal to each other;
• and
• shake-correction use driving units which vibrate said image pickup unit in the X and Y directions in order to cancel out the shake of said imaging apparatus,
• wherein said shake-correction use supporting unit comprises a first flat spring body that displaces substantially in the Y direction;
• a second flat spring body that displaces substantially in the X direction;
• a first support plate to which one end of said first flat spring body is fixed and which is perpendicular to the optical axis;
• a second support plate to which one end of said second flat spring body is fixed and which is perpendicular to the optical axis;
• and a third support plate to which the other ends of said first flat spring body and said second flat spring body are fixed and which is perpendicular to the optical axis,
• said image pickup unit is disposed between said first support plate, said second support plate, and said third support plate, and is supported by either said first support plate or said second support plate, and
• said shake-correction use driving units are disposed between said first support plate and said second support plate;
• and
• a shake correction control unit which controls driving of said shake-correction use driving unit.

A imaging apparatus comprising:

• said shake correction device in the imaging apparatus which a shake correction device in a imaging apparatus which comprises a imaging optical system;
• and an image pickup unit that receives an object image passing through said imaging optical system and converts it to image information, said shake correction device comprising:
• shake-correction use supporting units which support said image pickup unit so as to be capable of vibrating in the X direction and the Y direction perpendicular to the optical axis of said imaging optical system, and orthogonal to each other;
• and
• shake-correction use driving units which vibrate said image pickup unit in the X and Y directions in order to cancel out the shake of said imaging apparatus,
• wherein said shake-correction use supporting unit comprises a movable-side support part that supports said image pickup unit;
• and a fixed-side support part that supports said movable-side support part so as to be capable of vibrating said movable-side support part in the X and Y directions,
• said shake-correction use driving unit is formed with a multilayer piezoelectric element with an enlarging mechanism having a displacement part that enlarges in a direction perpendicular to the displacement direction of said multilayer piezoelectric element that displaces through application of a voltage,
• said multilayer piezoelectric element with an enlarging mechanism has a multilayer piezoelectric element with the X-direction enlarging mechanism disposed so that the displacement direction of said displacement part coincides with the X direction;
• and a multilayer piezoelectric element with a Y-direction enlarging mechanism disposed so that the displacement direction of said displacement part coincides with the Y direction, and
• said displacement part of said multilayer piezoelectric element with the X-direction enlarging mechanism and said displacement part of said multilayer piezoelectric element with the Y-direction enlarging mechanism are disposed between said movable-side support part and said fixed-side support part, respectively;
• and
• a shake correction control unit which controls driving of said shake-correction use driving unit.