Image pick-up apparatus capable of taking moving images and still images and image picking-up method
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorAtsushi Sugawara
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an apparatus where a still image can be picked up during the recording of moving images, where still images are picked-up in a first state, in which part of a luminous flux is transmitted through a mirror unit to an image-capturing device, or a second state, where the entire luminous flux is introduced to the image-capturing device.
Claims35
An image pick-up apparatus comprising:
- an image-capturing device configured to convert an object image photo-electrically, formed by a luminous flux from a taking lens;
- a mirror unit including a half mirror occupying at least part of the region of the mirror unit;
- a drive unit configured to drive the mirror unit between a first state where part of the luminous flux is transmitted through the mirror unit to the image-capturing device while the residual luminous flux is reflected to a predetermined unit and a second state where the entire luminous flux is introduced to the image-capturing device without being reflected by and transmitted through the mirror unit, where the apparatus can be configured to include two operational modes, a moving image pick up mode and a still image pick up mode, where in
- the moving image pick-up mode the apparatus is configured to pick up moving images and where in the still image pick up mode the apparatus is configured to pick up still images;
- and
- a control unit configured to pick up still images in the first state when picking-up still images is directed during the pick-up of moving images in the moving image pick-up mode, and also configured to pick up still images after the mirror unit is driven by the drive unit from the first state to the second state when picking-up still images is directed in the still image pick-up mode.
An image pick-up apparatus comprising:
- an image-capturing device configured to convert an object image photo-electrically, formed by a luminous flux from a taking lens;
- a mirror unit including a half mirror occupying at least part of the region of the mirror unit;
- a drive unit configured to drive the mirror unit between a first state where part of the luminous flux is transmitted through the mirror unit to the image-capturing device while the residual luminous flux is reflected to a predetermined unit and a second state where the entire luminous flux is directed to the image-capturing device without being reflected by and transmitted through the mirror unit;
- and
- a control unit configured to pick up still images in the first state during picking up moving images, and also configured to pick up still images after the mirror unit is driven by the drive unit from the first state to the second state when picking up still images is directed and the moving images are not picked up.
An image pick-up apparatus comprising:
- an image-capturing device configured to convert an object image photo-electrically, formed by a luminous flux from a taking lens;
- a main mirror unit including a half mirror occupying at least part of the region of the mirror unit;
- a sub-mirror unit including a total reflection mirror;
- an optical finder configured to observe the object image;
- an AF unit configured to detect the focusing state of the taking lens with a phase-difference system;
- a drive unit configured to switch the main mirror unit and the sub-mirror unit among a first state where part of the luminous flux is reflected to the AF unit while the residual luminous flux is directed to the image-capturing device by evacuating the sub-mirror unit from the luminous flux, a second state where the entire luminous flux is directed to the image-capturing device without being reflected by and transmitted through the main mirror unit and the sub-mirror unit, and a third state where part of the luminous flux is reflected by the main mirror unit to the optical finder while the transmitted residual luminous flux is introduced to the AF unit by reflecting it at the sub-mirror unit;
- an electronic finder configured to display an object signal electronically, where the electronic finder is formed, in the first state, on the image-capturing device on a display unit;
- where the apparatus is configured to include a moving image pick-up mode configured to pick up moving images and a still image pick-up mode configured to pick up still images;
- and
- a control unit configured to pick up still images in the first state during picking up moving images in the moving image pick-up mode in the first state, and also for picking up still images after the main mirror unit is driven by the drive unit from the first state or the third state to the second state when picking up still images is directed in the still image pick-up mode.
An image picking-up method for an image pick-up apparatus comprising an image-capturing device configured to photo-electrically convert an object image, formed by a luminous flux from a taking lens and a mirror unit including a half mirror occupying at least part of the region of the mirror unit, the method comprising the steps of:
- setting a mode to be either a moving image pick-up mode or a still image pick-up mode;
- picking up a first still image in a first state where the moving image pick-up mode is set by the setting step and if picking up still images is directed during picking up moving images after the moving image pick up is started, where part of the luminous flux is transmitted through the mirror unit to the image-capturing device while the residual luminous flux is reflected to a predetermined unit;
- and
- picking up a second still image after the mirror unit is driven to a second state where the moving image pick-up mode is set by the setting step and if picking up still images is directed, and where the entire luminous flux is directed to the image-capturing device without being reflected by and transmitted through the mirror unit.
An image picking-up method for an image pick-up apparatus comprising an image-capturing device for photo-electrically converting an object image formed by a luminous flux from a taking lens and a mirror unit including a half mirror occupying at least part of the region of the mirror unit, the method comprising the steps of:
- picking up a first still image in a first state when the apparatus is directed to pick up still images after the moving image pick up is started, and where part of the luminous flux is transmitted through the mirror unit to the image-capturing device while the residual luminous flux is reflected to a predetermined unit;
- and
- picking up a second still image after the mirror unit is driven to a second state when the apparatus is directed to pick up still images when the moving images are not picked up, and where the entire luminous flux is directed to the image-capturing device without being reflected by and transmitted through the mirror unit.
An image picking-up method for an image pick-up apparatus comprising an image-capturing device for photo-electrically converting an object image formed by a luminous flux from a taking lens, where the apparatus includes a main mirror unit including a half mirror occupying at least part of the region of the main mirror unit and a sub-mirror unit including a total reflection mirror, where the apparatus includes an optical finder for observing the object image and where the apparatus includes an AF unit configured to detect the focusing state of the taking lens with a phase-difference system, the method comprising the steps of:
- setting a mode to a moving image pick-up mode or a still image pick-up mode;
- picking up a first still image in a first state where part of the luminous flux is reflected by the main mirror unit to the AF unit while the residual luminous flux is directed to the image-capturing device, and where the step of picking up a first still image occurs when the moving image pick-up mode is set by the setting step and if picking up still images is directed during picking up moving images after the moving image pick up is started;
- and
- picking up a second still image after the mirror unit is driven from the first state or a third state, where part of the luminous flux is reflected by the main mirror unit to the optical finder while the transmitted residual luminous flux is reflected by the sub-mirror unit to the AF unit, to a second state where the entire luminous flux is directed to the image-capturing device without being reflected by and transmitted through the main mirror unit and the sub-mirror unit, and where the step of picking up a second still image occurs when the moving image pick-up mode is set by the setting step and if picking up still images is directed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.