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US 7,609,294 B2Granted
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
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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.
Claims21
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;
- an image pickup mode setting unit configured to set either a moving image pickup mode for picking up moving images or a still image pickup mode for picking up still images;
- the moving image pickup starting unit configured to start picking up the moving images in a case where the moving image pickup move is set;
- and
- a control unit configured to control the drive unit to drive the mirror unit, wherein the mirror unit is driven to the first state before the image pick-up apparatus is in an image pickup stand-by state, and
- wherein if the first still image pickup starting unit instructs to start picking up the still images while the moving image pickup mode is set, the still images are picked up in the first state without driving the mirror unit, and if the still image pickup starting unit instructs to pickup the still images while the still image pickup mode is set, the still images are picked up after the driving unit drives the mirror unit from the first state to the second state.
5 more elements
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;
- a moving image pickup starting unit configured to instruct to start picking up moving images;
- a still image pickup starting unit configured to instruct to start picking up still images;
- and
- a control unit configured to control the drive unit to drive the mirror unit,
- wherein the mirror unit is driven to the first state before the image pick-up apparatus is in an image pickup stand-by state, and
- wherein if the still image pickup starting unit instructs to start picking up the still images while picking up the moving images, the still images are pickup up in the first state without driving the mirror unit, and if the still image pickup starting unit instructs to pickup the still images while not picking up the moving images, the still image are picked up after drive unit drives the mirror unit from the first state to the second state.
6 more elements
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 automatic focus 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 by the main mirror unit to the automatic focus 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 automatic focus 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;
- a finder mode setting unit configured to set an optical or electrical finder mode using the electronic finder;
- an image pickup mode setting unit configured to set a moving image pickup mode for picking up moving images or a still image pickup mode for a picking up still images;
- a moving image pickup starting unit configured to instruct to start picking up the moving images when the moving pickup mode is set;
- a still image pickup starting unit configured to instruct to start picking up the still images regardless of an image pickup mode set by the image pickup mode setting unit;
- and
- a control unit configured to control the drive unit to drive the main mirror unit and the sub-mirror unit,
- wherein, in a case where the finder mode setting unit sets the electronic finder mode, the main mirror unit and the sub-mirror unit are driven to the first state, then if the still image starting unit instructs to start picking up the still images while the image pickup mode setting unit set the moving image pickup mode, the still images being picked up in the first state without driving the main mirror unit and the sub-mirror unit, and if the still image pickup starting unit instructs to start picking up the still images while the image pickup mode setting unit sets the still image pickup mode, the still images being picked up after driving the main mirror unit and the sub-mirror unit from the first state to the second state, and
- wherein, in a case where the finder mode setting unit sets the optical finder mode, the main mirror unit and the sub-mirror unit are driven to the third state, then if the still image pickup starting unit instructs to start picking up the still images while the image pickup mode setting unit sets the still image pickup mode, the still images being picked up after driving the main mirror unit and the sub-mirror unit from the third state to the second state.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.