Optical image stabilizer using gimballed prism

Abstract

An optical image stabilizer is used to compensate for an unwanted movement of an imaging system, such as a camera. The camera has a folded optics system using a triangular prism to fold the optical axis. Two actuators are used to rotate the prism around two axes in order to compensate for the yaw motion and pitch motion of the camera. The prism can be mounted on a gimballed system or joint and two actuators are operatively connected to the gimballed system in order to rotate the prism. Alternatively, the folded optics system uses a mirror to fold the optical axis, and two motors are used to rotate the prism.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates generally to an imaging system, and more particularly to an optical image stabilizer for use in an imaging system. Background technique [0002] The problem of image stabilization dates back to the beginnings of photography, and the problem involves the fact that image sensors need enough exposure time to form a reasonably good image. Any movement of the camera during the exposure time will cause a shift in the image projected on the image sensor, resulting in a degradation of the quality of the formed image. The quality degradation associated with motion is called motion blur. Holding the camera with one or two hands while taking pictures, it is almost impossible to avoid undesired camera motion during relatively long exposure times. Motion blur is especially prone to occur when the camera is set to a high zoom ratio, where even small movements can significantly degrade the quality of the resulting image. [0003] Opti...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Actuator mechanisms are often complex, which means they are expensive and large in size

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