Temperature-dependant, frequency-compensated hand deviation correction device for video camera

A hand deviation correction method for a video camera unit comprising the steps of:

• detecting an oscillation quantity of a picture brought about by wobbling of the video camera unit;
• variably setting compensating frequency characteristics of an oscillation quantity output obtained in said step of detecting an oscillation quantity;
• correcting oscillations in an image detected by the video camera unit based upon an output obtained in said step of setting the compensation frequency characteristics;
• detecting an ambient temperature of the video camera during said step of correcting oscillations;
• and
• calculating a quantity of compensation provided by said characteristics compensation step based upon the ambient temperature detected in said step of detecting an ambient temperature, wherein the step of calculating a quantity of compensation includes generating three multiplier coefficients based on the detected ambient temperature, and said step of variably setting compensating frequency characteristics includes performing compensation using a digital filter having three multipliers receiving the three coefficients generated in the step of calculating.

Apparatus for correcting deviations caused by hand movements in a video camera, comprising:

• detection means for detecting yaw and pitch oscillation movements of the video camera and producing respective yaw and pitch oscillation quantity outputs;
• compensator means for variably setting frequency characteristics of the yaw and pitch oscillation quantity outputs in response to compensation control signals fed thereto, wherein said compensator means comprises a yaw non-linear integrator receiving said yaw oscillation quantity output and a pitch non-linear integrator receiving said pitch oscillation quantity output;
• a correction signal generator receiving outputs from said compensator means and producing image oscillation correction signals, wherein said compensator means comprises a yaw compensator receiving an output signal from said yaw non-linear integrator for producing an output fed to said correction signal generator and a pitch compensator receiving an output signal from said pitch non-linear integrator for producing an output fed to said correction signal generator;
• image oscillation correcting means including an active prism for correcting deviations in an image detected by the video camera in response to said image oscillation correction signals producing by said correction signal generator;
• a temperature detector for detecting an ambient temperature of said image oscillation correction means and producing an ambient temperature signal;
• and
• compensation quantity calculating means receiving said ambient temperature signal and producing said compensation control signals fed to said compensator means, whereby said frequency characteristics of said compensator means are controlled in response to said detected ambient temperature, wherein each of said yaw compensator and said pitch compensator includes a plurality of signal multipliers for multiplying a signal fed thereto by a coefficient from said compensation quantity calculating means.