Still image acquisition device, still image acquisition method, and image fluctuation correction device

A still image acquisition device that corrects fluctuation of images caused by shakes of an imaging device having an image sensor to convert a subject image by incident light through an optical lens to an electrical signal thereby to obtain images and that acquires a still image from corrected hand shake-corrected images, the still image acquisition device comprising:

• a fluctuation detection unit for detecting a horizontal or a vertical fluctuation generated in the imaging device;
• light refraction means arranged on an optical path up to the image sensor, for refracting the light into an arbitrary direction;
• hand shake control means for controlling a refraction direction of the light by the light refraction means so as to cancel the fluctuation detected by the fluctuation detection unit;
• control amount detection means for detecting control amounts of the light refraction means controlled by the hand shake control means;
• hand shake angle calculation means for calculating a band shake angle in either a horizontal direction or a vertical direction from the control amounts detected by the control amount detection means;
• storing means for storing:
• a plurality of hand shake-corrected images read out by the image sensor immediately after the hand shake angle of the horizontal direction or the vertical direction calculated by the hand shake angle calculation means is zero;
• and
• information specifying respective imaging times of the plurality of hand shake-corrected images
• in a storage unit, in coordination with each other;
• acquisition reference time decision means that decides an acquisition reference time when receiving a command signal requiring an acquisition of the still image, the still image according to:
• a first time when the absolute value of the hand shake angle of the horizontal direction or the vertical direction calculated by the hand shake angle calculation means is zero or a minimum value,
• or a second time when the hand shake angle in either the horizontal direction or the vertical direction stored in the storage unit is zero;
• and
• in case of deciding the second time as the acquisition reference time, a still image processing unit that acquires, as the still images the hand shake-corrected image read out by the image sensor immediately after the acquisition reference time decided by the acquisition reference time decision means, the hand shake-corrected image being stored in the storage unit.

A still image acquisition method of correcting fluctuation of images caused by shakes of an imaging device having an image sensor to convert a subject image by incident light through an optical lens to an electrical signal thereby acquiring a still image from corrected hand shake-corrected images, the still image acquisition method comprising:

• a fluctuation detection step of detecting a horizontal or a vertical fluctuation generated in the imaging device;
• a hand shake control step of controlling a refraction direction of the light by light refraction means arranged on an optical path up to the image sensor so as to cancel the fluctuation detected by the fluctuation detection step;
• a control amount detection step of detecting control amounts of the light refraction means controlled by the hand shake control step;
• a hand shake angle calculation step of calculating a hand shake angle, in either a horizontal direction or a vertical direction from the control amounts detected by the control amount detection step;
• a storing step of storing:
• a plurality of hand shake-corrected images read out by the image sensor within a predetermined period;
• information specifying respective imaging times of the plurality of hand shake-corrected images;
• and
• the hand shake angle in either the horizontal direction or the vertical direction calculated by the hand shake angle calculation step
• in a storage unit, in coordination with each other;
• an acquisition reference time decision steps of deciding an acquisition reference time when receiving a command signal requiring an acquisition of the still image, the still image according to:
• a first time when the absolute value of the hand shake angle of the horizontal direction or the vertical direction calculated by the hand shake angle calculation step is zero or a minimum value, or
• a second time when the absolute value of the hand shake angle in either the horizontal direction or the vertical direction stored in the storage unit is zero or a minimum value;
• and
• in case of deciding the second time as the acquisition reference time, a still image processing step of acquiring, as the still image, the hand shake-corrected image read out by the image sensor immediately after or before the acquisition reference time decided by the acquisition reference time decision step, the hand shake-corrected image being stored in the storage unit.

A still image acquisition method of acquiring a still image from corrected hand shake-corrected images which are obtained by correcting fluctuation of images due to shakes of an imaging device having an image sensor to convert a subject image by incident light through an optical lens to an electrical signal, the still image acquisition method comprising:

• a fluctuation detection step of detecting a horizontal or a vertical fluctuation generated in the imaging device;
• a hand shake control step of controlling a refraction direction of the light by light refraction means arranged on an optical path up to the image sensor so as to cancel the fluctuation detected by the fluctuation detection step;
• a control amount detection step of detecting control amounts of the light refraction means controlled by the hand shake control step;
• a hand shake angle calculation step of calculating a hand shake angle in either a horizontal direction or a vertical direction from the control amounts detected by the control amount detection step;
• a storing step of storing:
• a plurality of hand shake-corrected images read out by the image sensor immediately after the hand shake angle of the horizontal direction or the vertical direction calculated by the hand shake angle calculation means is zero;
• and
• information specifying respective imaging times of the plurality of hand shake-corrected images
• in a storage unit, in coordination with each other;
• an acquisition reference time decision step of deciding an acquisition reference time when receiving a command signal requiring an, acquisition of the still image, the still image according to:
• a first time when the absolute value of the hand shake angle of the horizontal direction or the vertical direction calculated by the hand shake angle calculation step is zero or a minimum value,
• or a second time when the hand shake angle in either the horizontal direction or the vertical direction stored in the storage unit is zero;
• and
• in case of deciding the second time as the acquisition reference time, a still image processing step of acquiring, as the still image, the hand shake-corrected image read out by the image sensor immediately after the acquisition reference time decided by the acquisition reference time decision step, the hand shake-corrected image being stored in the storage unit.