Blur correction device, operation method of blur correction device, operation program of blur correction device, and imaging apparatus

Abstract

To provide a blur correction device, an operation method of the blur correction device, an operation program of the blur correction device, and an imaging apparatus, capable of performing a previous operation for reducing a risk of generating an operation failure of blur correction caused by a position in a storage part of a ball held between a fixed member and a movable member with an impact smaller than the conventional one.SOLUTION: The blur correction device includes a fixed member fixed to a camera body of a digital camera, a movable member, a storage part, and a blur correction control part. An imaging element is attached to the movable member and the movable member is arranged to face the fixed member across a ball. The movable member moves with respect to the fixed member according to the rolling of the ball, to perform blur correction. The storage part is provided in the movable member and stores the ball in a rollable way. The blur correction control part performs an operation for moving the movable member along a set orbit which is a noncircular orbit by at least one period as the previous operation of the blur correction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology of the present disclosure relates to a blur correction device, a method for operating a blur correction device, an operating program for a blur correction device, and an imaging device.

[0002] The image stabilization device described in Patent Document 1 includes a movable member that is movable relative to a fixed member, a motion compensation member that is attached to the movable member and compensates for blur in an image formed by an optical system, and multiple drive members that move the movable member along their respective drive axes on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical system. In the image stabilization device described in Patent Document 1, the multiple drive members are arranged so that the perpendicular angle between the drive axes of the drive members and the lines connecting the centers of the drive members and the centers of the motion compensation members is 10 degrees or more.

[0003] The image blur correction device described in Patent Document 2 rotatably holds a lens or lens group constituting a part of an imaging optical system and rotates or swings the lens or lens group about the optical axis of the imaging optical system according to a rotational swing target value for image blur correction. The image blur correction device described in Patent Document 2 includes a lens holding member, a support unit, a drive unit, a detection sensor, and a drive control unit. The lens holding member has a spherical portion with a constant radius of curvature that shares a common center, and the lens holding member holds the lens or lens group so that its optical axis coincides with the central axis of the spherical portion. The support unit positions the center of the spherical portion of the lens holding member on the optical axis of the imaging optical system and supports the lens holding member so that it can rotate or swing about the center of the spherical portion. The drive unit generates a magnetic attraction force between the lens holding member and the support unit in a direction along the optical axis of the imaging optical system, thereby driving the lens holding member in two axial directions perpendicular to the optical axis of the imaging optical system. The detection sensor detects the amount of movement of the lens holding member from the optical axis of the imaging optical system in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the imaging optical system. The drive control section controls the drive section in accordance with the detection output of the detection sensor to drive the lens holding member to the position of the rotational swing target value.

[0004] The blur correction unit described in Patent Document 3 is a blur correction unit built into the body of an imaging device. The blur correction unit described in Patent Document 3 includes an imaging element having an imaging surface for capturing an image of a subject and a back surface opposite the imaging surface, a circuit board attached to the back surface and having an opening that exposes part of the back surface, and a first thermally conductive member and a second thermally conductive member through which heat generated by driving the imaging element is conducted. The first thermally conductive member is connected to the second thermally conductive member and has higher elasticity than the second thermally conductive member. The second thermally conductive member is connected to the back surface via the opening. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-227944 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-025481 [Patent Document 3] International Publication No. 2022-180976 Summary of the Invention

[0006] One embodiment of the technology disclosed herein provides a blur correction device, a method for operating the blur correction device, an operating program for the blur correction device, and an imaging device that can perform a pre-operation with less impact than conventional methods to reduce the risk of blur correction malfunctions due to the position of the ball sandwiched between a fixed member and a movable member within a housing section. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The blur correction device disclosed herein comprises a fixed member fixed to the body of an imaging device, a movable member having an imaging element attached thereto and arranged facing the fixed member with a ball sandwiched between the fixed member and the movable member, the movable member performing blur correction by moving relative to the fixed member in accordance with the rolling of the ball, a storage section provided on at least one of the fixed member and the movable member for storing the ball so that it can roll, and a processor, and as a preliminary operation for blur correction, the processor performs an operation of moving the movable member along a set orbit that is a non-circular orbit for at least one period.

[0008] It is preferable that the set orbit is an orbit other than a circular orbit centered on the origin of movement of the movable member, that reaches the circular orbit in the shortest distance from the origin of movement, and that the amount of angular change is smaller than when the movable member is moved along the circular orbit.

[0009] Preferably, the movable member performs shake correction by moving relative to the fixed member in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction in response to the rolling of the ball, and the processor performs, as a preliminary operation, an operation of moving the movable member in the first direction in accordance with a first drive waveform and moving the movable member in the second direction in accordance with a second drive waveform corresponding to the first drive waveform.

[0010] The set trajectory is preferably a diagonal linear trajectory that is inclined with respect to the first direction and the second direction.

[0011] The set trajectory is preferably a trajectory that passes through the origin of movement.

[0012] It is preferable that the container has a rectangular shape in plan view with two orthogonal sides aligned with the first and second directions, and the set track is an oblique linear track aligned with a diagonal line of the rectangular container.

[0013] When viewed in a plane, the storage section has a square shape with two perpendicular sides of the same length that run along the first and second directions, and it is preferable that the set trajectory is an oblique straight trajectory that runs along the diagonal of the square storage section and is inclined at 45 degrees with respect to the first and second directions.

[0014] The set orbit is preferably an oblique elliptical orbit inclined with respect to the first direction and the second direction.

[0015] The amplitudes of the first and second drive waveforms are preferably set according to the range over which the movable member is movable under the control of a processor.

[0016] The amplitudes of the first drive waveform and the second drive waveform are preferably set according to the results of a sensory test on the impact caused by the pre-action.

[0017] The frequencies of the first drive waveform and the second drive waveform are preferably set in accordance with the results of a sensory test on the time required for the pre-operation.

[0018] The frequencies of the first drive waveform and the second drive waveform are preferably set in accordance with the results of a sensory test on the impact caused by the pre-action.

[0019] The first and second drive waveforms are preferably sinusoidal waves.

[0020] It is preferable that the processor performs the pre-operation when the imaging device is turned on, when an impact equal to or greater than a set value is detected, when the live view image is no longer displayed on the monitor of the imaging device, when the shooting mode is switched in the imaging device, when the image stabilization function in the imaging device is turned on and / or off, when the user instructs the pre-operation to be performed, and at least one of the times at each set interval.

[0021] The origin of movement of the movable member is preferably at least one of the center of the range in which the movable member can move under the control of the processor, the optical center of the lens of the imaging device, and the center of the mount to which the lens is attached.

[0022] The movable member can be moved by a voice coil motor, and the origin of movement of the movable member is preferably the magnetic origin, which is a position where the influence of the magnetic field of the voice coil motor is relatively small.

[0023] The imaging device has a special imaging mode in which a movable member is moved slightly to multiple positions by pixel-unit movement amounts of the imaging element, images are taken at the multiple positions, and a high-resolution image is generated from the multiple images obtained, and it is preferable that the processor sets the movement origin to the magnetic origin when the imaging mode in the imaging device is switched to the special imaging mode.

[0024] A method for operating a blur correction device comprising: a fixed member fixed to the body of an imaging device; a movable member having an imaging element attached thereto and disposed opposite the fixed member with a ball sandwiched between the fixed member and the movable member, the movable member performing blur correction by moving relative to the fixed member in response to the rolling of the ball; and a housing portion provided on at least one of the fixed member and the movable member for housing the ball so that it can roll, the method including, as a preliminary operation for blur correction, performing an operation of moving the movable member along a set orbit that is a non-circular orbit for at least one period.

[0025] An operating program for a blur correction device comprising: a fixed member fixed to the body of an imaging device; a movable member having an imaging element attached thereto and arranged facing the fixed member with a ball sandwiched between the fixed member and the movable member, the movable member performing blur correction by moving relative to the fixed member in accordance with the rolling of the ball; and a storage section provided on at least one of the fixed member and the movable member for storing the ball so that it can roll, the operating program causes a computer to perform processing including, as a preliminary operation for blur correction, performing an operation of moving the movable member along a set orbit that is a non-circular orbit for at least one period.

[0026] An imaging device according to the present disclosure includes the above-described image blur correction device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a digital camera and a shake correction unit. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded front perspective view of the image blur correction unit. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded rear perspective view of the image blur correction unit. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the digital camera. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of a control unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a processing unit of a CPU. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a state in which the ball contacts the wall surface of the accommodation portion, and the position of the movable member defined by a control signal given to the shake correction driver in this state, and the actual position thereof. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a first drive waveform and a second drive waveform in a conventional example. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a set trajectory in a conventional example. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the position of the ball at each point on the set trajectory in the conventional example. [Figure 12] 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating a first drive waveform and a second drive waveform in this example. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a set trajectory of this example. [Figure 14] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the position of the ball at each point on the set trajectory in this example. [Figure 15] 6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating minimum values of the amplitude of a first drive waveform and a second drive waveform. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the minimum values of the frequencies of the first drive waveform and the second drive waveform. [Figure 17] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating maximum values of the amplitude and frequency of a first drive waveform and a second drive waveform. [Figure 18] 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the digital camera. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a rectangular storage section with an aspect ratio of 3:4. [Figure 20]20 is a diagram showing a first drive waveform and a second drive waveform in the case of the container shown in FIG. 19. FIG. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing trajectories set by the first drive waveform and the second drive waveform shown in FIG. 20. [Figure 22] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating modified examples of the first drive waveform and the second drive waveform. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing a set trajectory according to the first drive waveform and the second drive waveform shown in FIG. 22. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the timing for performing the pre-action. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the timing for performing the pre-action. [Figure 26] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the timing for performing the pre-action. [Figure 27] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the timing for performing the pre-action. [Figure 28] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the timing for performing the pre-action. [Figure 29] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the timing for performing the pre-action. [Figure 30] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the timing for performing the pre-action. [Figure 31] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a special photography mode. [Figure 32] 10 is a diagram showing a mode in which the movement origin of the movable member is set to the magnetic origin when switched to the special photography mode. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the technology of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0029] As an example, as shown in FIG. 1, a digital camera 2 includes a camera body 10. A mount unit 11 is provided on the front of the camera body 10. The mount unit 11 has a circular imaging opening 12. An interchangeable lens 100 (see FIG. 5) is detachably attached to the mount unit 11. The digital camera 2 is an example of an "imaging device" according to the technology of the present disclosure. The camera body 10 is also an example of a "body" according to the technology of the present disclosure.

[0030] The camera body 10 has a built-in image blur correction unit 15. The image blur correction unit 15 is equipped with an image sensor 16. The image sensor 16 is, for example, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor. The image sensor 16 has a rectangular image sensor surface 17 that captures an image of a subject. The image sensor surface 17 receives subject light that represents the subject. As is well known, the image sensor surface 17 has a two-dimensional array of pixels that photoelectrically convert the received subject light and output an electrical signal. The entire image sensor surface 17 is exposed to the outside through the image sensor opening 12.

[0031] A control unit 18 is connected to the blur correction unit 15. The control unit 18 controls the operation of the blur correction unit 15. The blur correction unit 15 and the control unit 18 constitute a blur correction device 19.

[0032] The shake correction device 19 performs a shake correction function. The shake correction function is a function for suppressing positional deviation caused by vibrations applied to the camera body 10, i.e., relative positional deviation between the subject light incident on the imaging surface 17 and the digital camera 2. Vibrations applied to the camera body 10 include hand shake caused by the user holding the camera body 10 to photograph a subject.

[0033] Under the control of the control unit 18, the image sensor 16 is moved by the image blur correction function in a direction that cancels out the positional shift and by an amount that cancels out the positional shift. More specifically, the image sensor 16 is moved by the image blur correction function in the X-axis direction parallel to the long side 20 of the imaging surface 17 of the image sensor 16 and / or in the Y-axis direction parallel to the short side 21 that is perpendicular to the long side 20, i.e., intersects the long side 20 at a 90° angle. The X-axis direction is the horizontal direction when the bottom surface of the camera body 10 is placed on a horizontal surface, and is also the width direction of the camera body 10. The X-axis direction is an example of a "first direction" according to the technology of the present disclosure. The Y-axis direction is the vertical direction when the bottom surface of the camera body 10 is placed on a horizontal surface, and is also the height direction of the camera body 10. The Y-axis direction is an example of a "second direction" according to the technology of the present disclosure. Note that terms related to angles such as "orthogonal" and "90°" not only mean perfectly perpendicular and 90°, but also mean approximately perpendicular and approximately 90°, which include tolerances in design and manufacturing, such as an error of about ±10% of the design value. Similarly, the term "parallel" also means approximately parallel, which includes tolerances in design and manufacturing, such as an error of about ±10% of the design value, in addition to perfectly parallel. Hereinafter, the side of the long side 20 will be referred to as "bottom," and the side opposite the long side 20 in the Y-axis direction will be referred to as "top." Furthermore, the side of the short side 21 will be referred to as "left," and the side opposite the short side 21 in the X-axis direction will be referred to as "right."

[0034] Here, in this specification, the "positional deviation" of the positional deviation caused by vibrations applied to the camera body 10 refers to a phenomenon that occurs when the optical axis OA (see FIG. 2) moves relative to the subject due to the vibrations. The "optical axis OA" refers to the optical axis of subject light that enters the imaging surface 17 through the lens 100. The movement of the optical axis OA means that the optical axis OA is tilted due to the positional deviation with respect to a reference axis (for example, the optical axis OA before the positional deviation occurs). Note that in this specification, "countering the positional deviation" not only means eliminating the positional deviation, but also includes the meaning of reducing the positional deviation.

[0035] The center CL of the lens 100, through which the optical axis OA passes, is an example of the "optical center of the lens" according to the technology of the present disclosure. In the digital camera 2, the center CL of the lens 100 coincides with the center CM of the mount unit 11. The center CL of the lens 100 also coincides with the center CCM of the range CMR within which the image sensor 16 can move in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction under the control of the control unit 18 (hereinafter referred to as the "controllable movement range"). In summary, in the digital camera 2, the center CL of the lens 100, the center CM of the mount unit 11, and the center CCM of the controllable movement range CMR of the image sensor 16 coincide with each other. The movement origin MO of the image sensor 16, which is the initial position of the image sensor 16 when there is no positional displacement and the image blur correction function is not operating, coincides with the center CL of the lens 100, the center CM of the mount unit 11, and the center CCM of the controllable movement range CMR of the image sensor 16. The term "match" not only means "completely matched," but also means "approximately matched" with an allowable tolerance in design and manufacturing, for example, an error of about ±10% of the design value. Similarly, the term "same" not only means "completely matched," but also means "approximately the same" with an allowable tolerance in design and manufacturing, for example, an error of about ±10% of the design value.

[0036] The controllable movement range CMR can also be said to be the range in which the image sensor 16 can move in the XY plane under the control of the control unit 18. The controllable movement range CMR is the same as or slightly smaller than the range in which the image sensor 16 can mechanically move in the X-axis and Y-axis directions. In this example, the controllable movement range CMR is a square with two orthogonal sides of equal length that are aligned with the X-axis and Y-axis directions. Note that the term "along" not only means "completely aligned" but also means "approximately aligned" that includes tolerances allowed in design and manufacturing, such as an error of about ±10% of the design value.

[0037] As an example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the shake correction unit 15 includes a fixed member 30, a movable member 31, and a yoke 32. The fixed member 30 is disposed on the rear side of the camera body 10, and the yoke 32 is disposed on the front side of the camera body 10. The fixed member 30 is fixed to the camera body 10. In other words, the fixed member 30 is fixed in a fixed position within the camera body 10. The fixed member 30 and the yoke 32 are fixed at an interval in the Z-axis direction, which is perpendicular to the X-axis and Y-axis and parallel to the optical axis OA. The movable member 31 is disposed between the fixed member 30 and the yoke 32 via three balls 35A, 35B, and 35C of the same size. The balls 35A to 35C enable the movable member 31 to move in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction (rotate around the Z-axis) relative to the fixed member 30 and the yoke 32. The shake correction function is realized by the fixed member 30, the movable member 31, and the balls 35A to 35C. In the following description, unless there is a particular need to distinguish between them, balls 35A to 35C may be collectively referred to as ball 35. Note that, like the X-axis direction, the Z-axis direction is the horizontal direction when the bottom surface of camera body 10 is placed on a horizontal surface. The Z-axis direction is also the depth direction of camera body 10.

[0038] The fixed member 30 holds magnets 40, 41, and 42. Magnets 40 to 42 are attached to the front of the fixed member 30 facing the movable member 31. Each of the magnets 40 to 42 is a pair of a flat magnet with its north pole facing the movable member 31 and a flat magnet with its south pole facing the movable member 31. Magnet 40 is arranged in the center of the lower part of the fixed member 30 with its long side aligned along the X-axis direction. Magnets 41 and 42 are aligned along the Y-axis direction. Magnet 41 is arranged in the upper left corner of the fixed member 30 with its long side aligned along the Y-axis direction. Magnet 42 is arranged in the lower left corner of the fixed member 30 with its long side aligned along the Y-axis direction.

[0039] In addition to magnets 40 to 42, plates 45A, 45B, and 45C are attached to the front of fixing member 30. Plate 45A is located at the lower right corner of fixing member 30, above magnet 40. Plate 45B is located on the left side of fixing member 30, between magnets 41 and 42. Plate 45C is located at the upper right corner of fixing member 30. Plate 45A supports ball 35A in a rollable manner, plate 45B supports ball 35B in a rollable manner, and plate 45C supports ball 35C in a rollable manner. In the following description, plates 45A to 45C may be collectively referred to as plate 45 unless a distinction is particularly needed.

[0040] The fixed member 30 is formed with square-shaped restriction openings 50 and 51 that restrict the mechanical movement range of the movable member 31 in the XY plane, and therefore of the image sensor 16. The restriction openings 50 and 51 have the same size when viewed from the Z-axis direction. The restriction opening 50 is formed in the lower left corner of the fixed member 30, between the magnet 42 and the plate 45A. The restriction opening 51 is formed in the upper right corner of the fixed member 30, immediately to the left of the plate 45C. In other words, the restriction openings 50 and 51 are disposed at approximately diagonal positions on the fixed member 30.

[0041] The fixing member 30 is provided with female screws 55, 56, 57, and 58 via spacers. The female screw 55 is provided in the lower right corner of the fixing member 30. The female screw 56 is provided in the upper left corner of the fixing member 30. The female screw 57 is provided in the lower left corner of the fixing member 30. The female screw 58 is provided in the upper right corner of the fixing member 30.

[0042] A relatively large rectangular access opening 59 is formed in the center of the fixed member 30. The access opening 59 is provided to allow access to the rear surface of the movable member 31 from the rear surface of the fixed member 30.

[0043] The movable member 31 holds the imaging element 16. The imaging element 16 is attached to the center of the movable member 31. For this reason, expressions such as "moving the imaging element 16," "the imaging element 16 moves," and "the movement origin of the imaging element 16" are synonymous with expressions such as "moving the movable member 31," "the movable member 31 moves," and "the movement origin of the movable member 31."

[0044] The movable member 31 also holds coils 60, 61, and 62. Coil 60 is disposed at the center of the lower part of the movable member 31, facing magnet 40 in the Z-axis direction. Coil 61 is disposed at the upper left corner of the movable member 31, facing magnet 41 in the Z-axis direction. Coil 62 is disposed at the lower left corner of the movable member 31, facing magnet 42 in the Z-axis direction. Coil 60 is disposed with its long side aligned along the X-axis direction. Coils 61 and 62 are aligned along the Y-axis direction. Coils 61 and 62 are each disposed with its long side aligned along the Y-axis direction.

[0045] A magnet 65 is held by the yoke 32. Furthermore, a magnetic body 66 is attached to the coil 61, and a magnetic body 67 is attached to the coil 62. The magnet 65 is, for example, a neodymium magnet. The magnetic bodies 66 and 67 are, for example, thin iron plates. The magnet 65 is arranged so as to cover the coil 60, increasing the driving force of the coil 60. The magnetic bodies 66 and 67 are arranged along the Y-axis direction. The magnetic body 66 is arranged on the upper end side of the coil 61, and the magnetic body 67 is arranged on the lower end side of the coil 62.

[0046] As described above, coil 60 is disposed in a position facing magnet 40 in the Z-axis direction, and magnet 65 is also disposed in a position facing magnet 40 in the Z-axis direction. Therefore, magnet 65 is attracted to magnet 40 while being fixed to yoke 32.

[0047] Similarly, since coil 61 is disposed in a position facing magnet 41 in the Z-axis direction as described above, magnetic body 66 is also disposed in a position facing magnet 41 in the Z-axis direction. Therefore, magnetic body 66 is attracted to magnet 41. Furthermore, since coil 62 is disposed in a position facing magnet 42 in the Z-axis direction as described above, magnetic body 67 is also disposed in a position facing magnet 42 in the Z-axis direction. Therefore, magnetic body 67 is attracted to magnet 42.

[0048] The rear surface of the movable member 31 facing the fixed member 30 is formed with housing portions 70A, 70B, and 70C. Housing portion 70A is located at the lower right corner of the movable member 31, facing plate 45A in the Z-axis direction. Housing portion 70B is located between coils 61 and 62 on the left side of the movable member 31, facing plate 45B in the Z-axis direction. Housing portion 70C is located at the upper right corner of the movable member 31, facing plate 45C in the Z-axis direction. Housing portion 70A rotatably houses ball 35A, housing portion 70B rotatably houses ball 35B, and housing portion 70C rotatably houses ball 35C. The depth of housing portions 70A to 70C in the Z-axis direction is slightly smaller than the diameter of balls 35A to 35C. In the following description, the housing sections 70A to 70C may be collectively referred to as housing section 70 unless there is a particular need to distinguish between them.

[0049] A cylindrical protrusion 80 protruding toward the fixed member 30 is provided on the rear surface of the movable member 31 at a position opposing the restricting opening 50 in the Z-axis direction. Furthermore, a cylindrical protrusion 81 protruding toward the fixed member 30 is provided on the rear surface of the movable member 31 at a position opposing the restricting opening 51 in the Z-axis direction. The protrusion 80 is inserted into the restricting opening 50. Furthermore, the protrusion 81 is inserted into the restricting opening 51. Therefore, the protrusions 80 and 81 act as restricting pins that restrict the mechanical movable range of the movable member 31 in the XY plane.

[0050] The yoke 32 is made of a magnetic material such as a thin iron plate and is roughly C-shaped. The yoke 32 forms a magnetic circuit between the magnets 40-42 and increases the magnetic flux that the coils 60-62 receive.

[0051] Male screws 85, 86, 87, and 88 are attached to yoke 32. Male screws 85 to 88 are fastened to female screws 55 to 58 of fixed member 30. As a result, fixed member 30 and yoke 32 are fixed, and movable member 31 is held movably between fixed member 30 and yoke 32.

[0052] The image stabilization unit 15 includes a pair of voice coil motors (VCMs). The pair of VCMs is a first VCM and a second VCM. The first VCM includes a pair of a magnet 41 and a coil 61, a pair of a magnet 42 and a coil 62, and a yoke 32, and generates power to move the movable member 31 in the X-axis direction. On the other hand, the second VCM includes a pair of a magnet 40 and a coil 60, and a yoke 32, and generates power to move the movable member 31 in the Y-axis direction. More specifically, the first VCM generates power to move the movable member 31 in the X-axis direction by the magnetic force of the magnet 41 and a current flowing through the coil 61, and the magnetic force of the magnet 42 and a current flowing through the coil 62. On the other hand, the second VCM generates power to move the movable member 31 in the Y-axis direction by the magnetic force of the magnet 40 and a current flowing through the coil 60.

[0053] A rectangular circuit board 90 having approximately the same size as the image sensor 16 is attached to the back surface of the image sensor 16, which faces the imaging surface 17. The circuit board 90 is formed of a resin such as epoxy. Electrical circuits such as a control circuit, a drive circuit, and a power supply circuit for the image sensor 16 are mounted on the circuit board 90. A connector 95 is provided at the bottom end of the back surface of the circuit board 90. A connector 96 is also provided at the left end of the back surface of the circuit board 90.

[0054] One end of a flexible substrate 97 is connected to the connector 95. The other end of the flexible substrate 97 is drawn out to the back side of the fixed member 30 through the access opening 59. The other end of the flexible substrate 97 is connected to the control unit 18, a power supply circuit (not shown) that supplies power from a battery, and the like. One end of a flexible substrate 98 (see FIG. 1) is connected to the connector 96. The other end of the flexible substrate 98 wraps around to the front of the movable member 31 and is connected to the image sensor 16. In summary, the other end of the flexible substrate 98 is connected to the image sensor 16, and one end of the flexible substrate 98 is connected to the connector 96. One end of the flexible substrate 97 is connected to the connector 95, and the control unit 18 and the like are connected to the other end of the flexible substrate 97. Therefore, the image sensor 16, the circuit board 90, the control unit 18, and the like are connected via the flexible substrate 98, the connector 96, the connector 95, and the flexible substrate 97.

[0055] 4, the housing section 70 has a square shape in plan view, i.e., when viewed from the Z-axis direction, with two orthogonal sides of equal length and aligned along the X-axis and Y-axis directions. The length of each side of the housing section 70 is, for example, approximately twice the diameter of the ball 35. Strictly speaking, the housing section 70 has a substantially square shape with four chamfered corners.

[0056] As an example, as shown in FIG. 5, the lens 100 has multiple types of lenses for forming a subject image on the image sensor 16. Specifically, the lens 100 has an objective lens 101, a focus lens 102, and a zoom lens 103. These lenses 101 to 103 are arranged in this order from the object side (subject side) toward the image formation side (image sensor 16 side). Although simplified in FIG. 5, each of the lenses 101 to 103 is actually a lens group made up of a combination of multiple lenses. The lens 100 also has an aperture 104. The aperture 104 is arranged on the lens 100 closest to the image formation side.

[0057] The focus lens 102 is provided with a focus lens drive mechanism 105 , the zoom lens 103 is provided with a zoom lens drive mechanism 106 , and the diaphragm 104 is provided with an diaphragm opening adjustment mechanism 107 .

[0058] The focus lens driving mechanism 105 includes a focus cam ring that holds the focus lens 102 and has cam grooves formed on its outer periphery, a focus motor that rotates the focus cam ring around the optical axis OA to move the focus cam ring along the optical axis OA, and a focus motor driver. Similarly, the zoom lens driving mechanism 106 includes a zoom cam ring that holds the zoom lens 103 and has cam grooves formed on its outer periphery, a zoom motor that rotates the zoom cam ring around the optical axis OA to move the zoom cam ring along the optical axis OA, and a zoom motor driver. The focus cam ring and zoom cam ring can also be rotated manually by the user from outside the lens barrel. In other words, the digital camera 2 can adjust the focus and change the focal length electrically using the focus motor and zoom motor, or manually by the user.

[0059] The diaphragm 104 is, for example, an iris diaphragm, and is composed of a combination of multiple diaphragm blades. The diaphragm 104 adjusts the amount of light passing through by simultaneously moving the diaphragm blades using a cam mechanism to open and close a central opening formed by the inner edges of the diaphragm blades, i.e., by changing the opening degree of the opening. The diaphragm opening adjustment mechanism 107 includes an diaphragm motor that opens and closes the diaphragm blades, a driver for the diaphragm motor, and the like. The diaphragm 104 can also be opened and closed manually by the user. In other words, the digital camera 2 can adjust the opening degree of the diaphragm 104 electrically using the diaphragm motor, or manually by the user.

[0060] The various motors, such as the focus motor, zoom motor, and diaphragm motor, are, for example, stepping motors. In this case, the positions of the focus lens 102 and the zoom lens 103 on the optical axis OA and the opening of the diaphragm 104 can be derived from the drive amounts of the focus motor, zoom motor, and diaphragm motor. Note that instead of the drive amounts of the focus motor and zoom motor, position sensors may be provided to detect the positions of the focus lens 102 and the zoom lens 103.

[0061] The motors (focus motor, zoom motor, and aperture motor) or electrical components such as drivers of the drive mechanisms 105-107 are connected to the control unit 18. The electrical components of the drive mechanisms 105-107 are driven under the control of the control unit 18. More specifically, the control unit 18 issues drive signals in response to instructions from the user input via the operation unit 108, and drives the electrical components of the drive mechanisms 105-107. For example, when an instruction to change the angle of view to the telephoto side is input via a field-angle changing switch included in the operation unit 108, the control unit 18 issues a drive signal to a driver for the zoom motor of the zoom lens drive mechanism 106, and moves the zoom lens 103 to the telephoto side.

[0062] The operation unit 108 is a general term for members operated by the user, such as the power switch 143 (see FIG. 7), the release button, the menu button, and the cross key. Here, the release button is a two-stage push button that can be pressed halfway or all the way. Pressing the release button halfway issues an instruction to prepare for shooting a still image or video, and pressing it all the way issues an instruction to start shooting a still image or video.

[0063] The operation unit 108 also includes a mode selector switch for switching the operation mode of the digital camera 2. The operation modes include a still image capture mode, a video capture mode, an image playback mode, and a setting mode. The still image capture modes include a normal capture mode in which one still image is captured, as well as a continuous capture mode in which still images are captured continuously at a predetermined capture interval, for example, at a frame rate of 5 fps (frames per second) to 10 fps. The continuous capture mode is activated, for example, when the release button is pressed all the way down for a predetermined period of time or more (for example, one second or more). The continuous capture mode ends when the release button is released from its fully pressed state.

[0064] The focus motor, zoom motor, and diaphragm motor output their drive amounts to the control unit 18. The control unit 18 derives the position of the focus lens 102 on the optical axis OA, the position of the zoom lens 103, and the opening of the diaphragm 104 from the drive amounts.

[0065] An imaging element driver 109 is connected to the imaging element 16. The imaging element driver 109 is connected to the control unit 18. Under the control of the control unit 18, the imaging element driver 109 controls the timing at which the imaging element 16 captures an image of a subject by supplying a vertical scanning signal and a horizontal scanning signal to the imaging element 16.

[0066] A shake correction driver 110 is connected to the shake correction unit 15. The shake correction driver 110 is connected to the control unit 18. The shake correction driver 110 outputs a control signal 142 (see FIG. 7) from the control unit 18 to an actuator such as a voice coil motor of the shake correction unit 15, thereby operating the shake correction unit 15.

[0067] A shutter 111 is provided between the lens 100 and the image sensor 16. The shutter 111 is, for example, a focal plane shutter having a front curtain and a rear curtain. A shutter drive mechanism 112 is connected to the shutter 111. The shutter drive mechanism 112 includes an electromagnet that holds the front curtain and the rear curtain, releases the hold, and causes the front curtain and rear curtain to move, as well as a driver for the electromagnet. The shutter drive mechanism 112 is driven under the control of the control unit 18 to open and close the shutter 111.

[0068] The control unit 18 is connected to various units such as an image input controller 115, an image memory 116, and an image processing unit 117 via a bus line 118. Other units connected to the bus line 118 include a VRAM (Video Random Access Memory) 119, a display control unit 120, a media controller 121, and an instruction receiving unit 122. Although not shown in the figure, the bus line 118 is also connected to a strobe drive control unit that controls the drive of a strobe device, an external communication I / F (Interface) that communicates with an external device via a connection terminal such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) terminal, or a wireless communication I / F that communicates with an external device via a wireless antenna.

[0069] Image data obtained by capturing an image of a subject is input to the image input controller 115 from the imaging element 16. The image input controller 115 outputs the image data to the image memory 116. The image memory 116 is, for example, a Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM), and temporarily stores the image data.

[0070] The image processing unit 117 reads unprocessed image data from the image memory 116. The image processing unit 117 performs various image processing on the image data. The various image processing includes, for example, offset correction processing, sensitivity correction processing, pixel interpolation processing, white balance correction processing, gamma correction processing, demosaic processing, luminance signal and color difference signal generation processing, edge enhancement processing, color correction processing, etc. The image processing unit 117 writes the image data after the various image processing back to the image memory 116.

[0071] The VRAM 119 receives image data from the image memory 116, which has undergone various image processing and is to be displayed as a live view image (also called a through image). The VRAM 119 has an area for storing image data for two consecutive frames. The image data stored in the VRAM 119 is sequentially overwritten with new image data. The VRAM 119 sequentially outputs the newer image data of the two consecutive frames of image data to the display control unit 120.

[0072] The display control unit 120 functions as a so-called video encoder, converting image data from the VRAM 119 into video data and outputting it to a liquid crystal monitor 123 provided on the rear surface of the camera body 10. This allows the user to view a live view image through the liquid crystal monitor 123. The display frame rate of the live view image is, for example, 60 fps.

[0073] When an instruction to start capturing a still image or a video is issued by fully pressing the release button, the image processing unit 117 compresses the image data in the image memory 116. In the case of a still image, the image processing unit 117 compresses the image data in, for example, the JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) format. In the case of a video, the image processing unit 117 compresses the image data in, for example, the MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) format. The image processing unit 117 outputs the compressed image data to the media controller 121.

[0074] The media controller 121 records the compressed image data from the image processing unit 117 on a memory card 124. The memory card 124 is detachably attached to a memory card slot (not shown).

[0075] When the image playback mode is selected via the mode selector switch of the operation unit 108, the media controller 121 reads image data from the memory card 124 and outputs it to the image processing unit 117. The image processing unit 117 performs decompression processing on the image data from the memory card 124. The decompressed image data is output to the display control unit 120. The display control unit 120 converts the image data into video data and outputs it to the liquid crystal monitor 123. This allows the user to view the played-back image on the liquid crystal monitor 123.

[0076] The instruction receiving unit 122 receives various operation instructions input by the user via the operation unit 108 and a touch panel 125 provided integrally with the liquid crystal monitor 123. The instruction receiving unit 122 outputs the received operation instructions to the control unit 18 via the bus line 118. The touch panel 125 is superimposed on the display surface of the liquid crystal monitor 123. The touch panel 125 recognizes various operation instructions from the user by detecting contact with a dedicated indicator such as the user's finger or a stylus pen.

[0077] An angular velocity sensor 126 is connected to the control unit 18. The angular velocity sensor 126 is provided at a predetermined position within the camera body 10, for example, within the grip portion where the user's right hand is placed when taking a picture. The angular velocity sensor 126 detects the amount of vibration (shake) applied to the camera body 10. One angular velocity sensor 126 is provided for each of the three axes: pitch, yaw, and roll. In this example, the pitch axis is the X axis, the yaw axis is the Y axis, and the roll axis is the Z axis. The pitch axis angular velocity sensor 126 detects rotation around the X axis, which is the pitch axis, i.e., the amount of vertical vibration (vertical shake). The yaw axis angular velocity sensor 126 detects rotation around the Y axis, which is the yaw axis, i.e., the amount of yaw vibration (yaw shake). The roll axis angular velocity sensor 126 detects rotation around the Z axis, which is the roll axis, i.e., the amount of lateral vibration (lateral shake). In the following description, the amount of vibration (shake) detected by angular velocity sensor 126 will be referred to as shake amount 141 (see FIG. 7).

[0078] 6, the control unit 18 includes a storage 130, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 131, and a memory 132. The storage 130, the CPU 131, and the memory 132 are interconnected via a bus line 133. The control unit 18 is an example of a "computer" according to the technology of the present disclosure.

[0079] The storage 130 is a non-volatile storage device such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory). The storage 130 stores various programs and various data associated with the programs. Instead of an EEPROM, the storage 130 may be a Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FeRAM) or a Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM).

[0080] The memory 132 is a work memory for the CPU 131 to execute processing. The CPU 131 loads a program stored in the storage 130 into the memory 132 and executes processing in accordance with the program. In this way, the CPU 131 comprehensively controls each unit of the digital camera 2. The CPU 131 is an example of a "processor" according to the technology of the present disclosure. The memory 132 may be built into the CPU 131.

[0081] As an example, as shown in Fig. 7, an operating program 135 is stored in the storage 130. The operating program 135 is a program for causing the CPU 131 to perform various controls, such as control for correcting shake (hereinafter referred to as shake correction control). In other words, the operating program 135 is an example of an "operating program for a shake correction device" according to the technology of the present disclosure. In addition to the operating program 135, the storage 130 also stores a first drive waveform 136, a second drive waveform 137, and the like.

[0082] When the operating program 135 is started, the CPU 131 cooperates with the memory 132 and the like to function as a shake correction control unit 140. The shake amount 141 is input to the shake correction control unit 140 from the angular velocity sensor 126. The shake correction control unit 140 generates a control signal 142 for controlling the operation of the shake correction unit 15, which is in accordance with the shake amount 141. The shake correction control unit 140 outputs the control signal 142 to the shake correction driver 110.

[0083] A first drive waveform 136 and a second drive waveform 137 are input to the blur correction control unit 140. When the user operates the power switch 143 to turn on the power of the digital camera 2, a power-on signal 144 is input from the power switch 143 to the blur correction control unit 140. When the power-on signal 144 is input, the blur correction control unit 140 performs a preliminary operation for blur correction.

[0084] As an example, as shown by the upper arrow in FIG. 8 , if blur correction control is initiated with ball 35 in contact with the wall surface of housing portion 70, there is a period in which ball 35 does not roll on plate 45 but is pushed by the wall surface of housing portion 70 and slides on plate 45 (moves while being dragged and sliding). This can cause a malfunction in which movable member 31 is unable to follow the position defined by control signal 142, as shown by the lower arrow. The pre-operation is an operation to reduce the risk of such malfunction. More specifically, the pre-operation is an operation in which image sensor 16 (movable member 31) is moved in the X-axis direction in accordance with first drive waveform 136, and simultaneously, image sensor 16 (movable member 31) is moved in the Y-axis direction in accordance with second drive waveform 137 corresponding to first drive waveform 136.

[0085] 9 shows a first drive waveform 136C and a second drive waveform 137C of a conventional example. The first drive waveform 136C is based on Ax·cos(ωx)t, a cosine function that represents simple harmonic motion in the X-axis direction. The second drive waveform 137C is based on Ay·cos{(ωy)t+δ}, a cosine function that represents simple harmonic motion in the Y-axis direction. Ax and Ay are amplitude, ωx and ωy are angular frequencies (also called angular frequency), t is time, and δ is phase difference.

[0086] In the conventional example, Ax = -A, Ay = A, ωx = ωy = ω, and δ = -π / 2 are set. Therefore, first drive waveform 136C is -A·cosωt, and second drive waveform 137C is A·sinωt. More specifically, first drive waveform 136C is one cycle of -A·cosωt, and second drive waveform 137C is one cycle of A·sinωt. In other words, first drive waveform 136C and second drive waveform 137C are both sine waves. Note that in subsequent figures (such as FIG. 12) including FIG. 9, the graphs showing first drive waveform 136 and second drive waveform 137 are positive when movable member 31 is on the right side of origin MO, negative when movable member 31 is on the left side of origin MO, positive when movable member 31 is on the upper side of origin MO, and negative when movable member 31 is on the lower side of origin MO.

[0087] More precisely, first drive waveform 136C is a composite waveform of one cycle of -A cosωt, a straight line with a slope of -A / t1, and a straight line with a slope of A / (t3-t2). More precisely, second drive waveform 137C is one cycle of A sinωt with a start time of t1 and an end time of t2. t1 and t3-t2 are the same value, for example, several tens to several hundreds of milliseconds.

[0088] As an example, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, a set trajectory 150C in the pre-operation of the conventional example is composed of a circular trajectory 151C centered on the origin of movement MO and having a radius of amplitude A, and a linear trajectory 152C parallel to the X-axis direction that leads from the origin of movement MO to the circular trajectory 151C and then leads from the circular trajectory 151C to the origin of movement MO. The circular trajectory 151C is a trajectory generated from one period of the first drive waveform 136C (-A·cosωt) and one period of the second drive waveform 137C (A·sinωt). In other words, the circular trajectory 151C is a type of Lissajous figure, which is a planar figure obtained by combining two mutually orthogonal simple harmonic motions. The circular trajectory 151C is a trajectory for moving the movable member 31 without imbalance in the amount of movement up, down, left, or right. The linear trajectory 152C is a trajectory generated from a line of the first drive waveform 136C with a slope of -A / t1 and a line with a slope of A / (t3-t2). The linear trajectory 152C is a trajectory that reaches the circular trajectory 151C in the shortest distance from the movement origin MO.

[0089] FIG. 11 shows the entire process of the ball 35, which was in contact with the wall surface of the storage unit 70 before the pre-operation was performed, moving away from the wall surface of the storage unit 70 by performing the pre-operation and moving the movable member 31 along the set trajectory 150C. First, in State 0, where the movable member 31 is at the origin of movement MO before the pre-operation is performed, the ball 35 is in contact with the wall surface at the lower right corner of the storage unit 70. Next, in State 1, where the pre-operation is started and the movable member 31 moves from the origin of movement MO along the linear trajectory 152C to the circular trajectory 151C, the ball 35 is pushed by the wall surface of the storage unit 70 and slides on the plate 45 in the X-axis direction. Then, in State 2, where the movable member 31 moves diagonally upward to the right along the circular trajectory 151C, the ball 35 is pushed by the wall surface of the storage unit 70 and slides on the plate 45 in the Y-axis direction. The amount of movement of the ball 35 when being pushed by the wall surface of the storage unit 70 and sliding on the plate 45 is the same as the amount of movement of the movable member 31.

[0090] In State 3 where movable member 31 is moved diagonally downward to the right, State 4 where movable member 31 is moved diagonally downward to the left, and State 5 where movable member 31 is moved diagonally upward to the left along circular track 151C, ball 35 rolls on plate 45 without being pressed by the wall surface of housing section 70. The amount of movement of ball 35 when rolling on plate 45 is half the amount of movement of movable member 31. For example, if movable member 31 moves 1 cm in the X-axis direction and ball 35 rolls on plate 45 accordingly, ball 35 moves 0.5 cm in the X-axis direction.

[0091] In state 6, in which the movable member 31 has returned from the circular orbit 151C to the origin of movement MO along the linear orbit 152C, the ball 35 moves to and stops at a position A / 2 away from the wall surface at the lower right corner of the storage section 70. Note that while FIG. 11 illustrates a case in which the ball 35 was in contact with the wall surface at the lower right corner of the storage section 70 before the forward movement was performed, this is not limiting. Regardless of whether the ball 35 was in contact with the wall surface at any corner of the storage section 70 or any wall surface on the top, bottom, left, or right sides of the storage section 70, performing the forward movement causes the ball 35 to move to and stop at a position away from the wall surface of the storage section 70. The same applies to the cases shown in FIG. 14 and the like.

[0092] Even when the pre-action is performed, ball 35, which was already in a position away from the wall surface of storage section 70 before the pre-action was performed, is not pushed by the wall surface of storage section 70 and slides on plate 45 as shown in states 1 and 2 in FIG. 11 , but always rolls on plate 45. Furthermore, when the pre-action is performed, ball 35, which was already in a position away from the wall surface of storage section 70 before the pre-action was performed, returns to its original position before the pre-action was performed. In other words, ball 35, which was already in a position away from the wall surface of storage section 70 before the pre-action was performed, does not change position before and after the pre-action. The same applies to the cases shown in FIG. 14 and the like.

[0093] In the conventional example, the set trajectory 150C has an angle change of nearly 90° when moving from the linear trajectory 152C to the circular trajectory 151C and when moving from the circular trajectory 151C to the linear trajectory 152C. Therefore, the amount of angular change of the movable member 31 is relatively large, which in turn increases the impact transmitted to the camera body 10 and, ultimately, to the user holding the camera body 10. If the impact is large, the user may sense that a previous operation is being performed, which can be inconvenient and lead to discomfort or suspicion of a malfunction. Therefore, the technology disclosed herein uses a set trajectory 150 (see FIGS. 13 and 14 ) that is non-circular and has a smaller amount of angular change than when the movable member 31 is moved along the set trajectory 150C. The term "non-circular trajectory" includes all trajectories other than the conventional circular trajectory 151C.

[0094] 12, in this embodiment, Ax = Ay = A, (ωx)t = (ωy)t = (π / 2) - ωt, and δ = 0 are set. Therefore, the first drive waveform 136 and the second drive waveform 137 are both A sinωt. More specifically, the first drive waveform 136 and the second drive waveform 137 are both one cycle of A sinωt.

[0095] 13 and 14, the set trajectory 150 in the pre-movement of this embodiment is a trajectory that passes through the movement origin MO and is a diagonal linear trajectory that is inclined at 45° with respect to the X-axis and Y-axis directions along the diagonal of the square-shaped housing portion 70. The set trajectory 150 is a trajectory generated from one cycle of A·sinωt of the first drive waveform 136 and the second drive waveform 137. In other words, the set trajectory 150 is also a type of Lissajous figure, like the circular trajectory 151C of the conventional example, and is a trajectory for moving the movable member 31 without bias in the amount of movement up, down, left, and right.

[0096] 14 shows the entire process in which ball 35, which was in contact with the wall surface of storage section 70 before the pre-movement was performed, moves to a position away from the wall surface of storage section 70 by performing the pre-movement and moving movable member 31 along set trajectory 150. First, in State 0, in which movable member 31 is at origin of movement MO before the pre-movement is performed, ball 35 is in contact with the wall surface at the lower left corner of storage section 70. Next, in State 1, in which movable member 31 is moved diagonally upward to the right from origin of movement MO along set trajectory 150 after the pre-movement is started, ball 35 is pushed by the wall surface of storage section 70 and slides on plate 45 diagonally upward to the right.

[0097] In State 2, in which the movable member 31 is moved diagonally downward to the left along the set track 150, and in State 3, in which the movable member 31 is moved diagonally upward to the right, the ball 35 rolls on the plate 45 without being pressed by the wall surface of the storage section 70. Then, in State 4, in which the movable member 31 returns to the origin MO of movement along the set track 150, the ball 35 moves to and stops at a position A / 2 away from the wall surface at the lower left corner of the storage section 70.

[0098] The set trajectory 150 of this embodiment does not have a large angle change like the angle change of nearly 90° in the set trajectory 150C of the conventional example. Therefore, it can be said that the set trajectory 150 is a trajectory with a smaller amount of angle change than the set trajectory 150C.

[0099] 15, the amplitude A of the first drive waveform 136 and the second drive waveform 137 must be larger than D, which is half the length of the diagonal of the controllable range CMR. In other words, the amplitude A of the first drive waveform 136 and the second drive waveform 137 is set according to the controllable range CMR.

[0100] 16, as an example, the frequency F of the first drive waveform 136 and the second drive waveform 137 must be greater than the value at which the time required for the pre-operation is less than the time allowable value of the sensory test shown in Table 155. In other words, the frequency F of the first drive waveform 136 and the second drive waveform 137 is set according to the result of the sensory test for the time required for the pre-operation.

[0101] The sensory test shown in Table 155 involves increasing the pre-movement time from 0.1 seconds in increments of 0.05 seconds, and having multiple subjects respond as to whether the time is acceptable. The test is considered successful if, for example, 90% of the subjects respond that the time is acceptable. Figure 16 shows an example in which the acceptable time is 0.50 seconds. In this case, the frequency F of the first drive waveform 136 and the second drive waveform 137 must be greater than 2 Hz.

[0102] 17, for example, the amplitude A of the first drive waveform 136 and the second drive waveform 137 must be smaller than the value at which the acceleration AC of the digital camera 2 during the pre-movement falls below the permissible impact value of the sensory test shown in Table 157. Similarly, the frequency F of the first drive waveform 136 and the second drive waveform 137 must be smaller than the value at which the acceleration AC of the digital camera 2 during the pre-movement falls below the permissible impact value of the sensory test shown in Table 157. In other words, the amplitude A and frequency F of the first drive waveform 136 and the second drive waveform 137 are set according to the results of the sensory test on the impact caused by the pre-movement.

[0103] The sensory test shown in Table 157 was conducted by setting the acceleration AC of the digital camera 2 in the pre-operation to 0.5 mm / s 2In this test, the shock tolerance is increased in increments of 0.5 from 8.5mm / s, and multiple subjects are asked to answer whether the shock caused by the acceleration AC is tolerable or not. If, for example, 90% of the subjects answer that it is tolerable, the result is considered to be OK. In Figure 17, the shock tolerance is 8.5mm / s 2 This example illustrates the case where

[0104] The acceleration ac of the movable member 31 during the pre-motion can be expressed by the following equation (1) from the law of action and reaction, using the weight of the digital camera 2 as M, the weight of the movable member 31 as m, and the acceleration AC of the digital camera 2 during the pre-motion. ac = (M / m) × AC (1) The acceleration ac of the movable member 31 is calculated by substituting the impact tolerance value of the sensory test for AC in this formula (1), and further substituting the weight of the digital camera 2 and the weight of the movable member 31. Then, the amplitude A and frequency F of the first drive waveform 136 and the second drive waveform 137 are set so that they are less than the calculated acceleration ac of the movable member 31.

[0105] Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 18. The CPU 131 of the control unit 18 functions as a blur correction control unit 140 by starting the operating program 135, as shown in Fig. 7.

[0106] When the user operates power switch 143 to turn on digital camera 2, power switch 143 inputs power-on signal 144 to blur correction control unit 140 (step ST100). Then, under the control of blur correction control unit 140, a pre-movement is performed along set trajectory 150 shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 in accordance with first drive waveform 136 and second drive waveform 137 shown in FIG. 12 (step ST110). This pre-movement moves ball 35, which was in contact with the wall surface of housing portion 70, to a position away from the wall surface of housing portion 70 and stops it there. Therefore, in the subsequent blur correction control, it is possible to reduce the risk of the malfunction shown in FIG. 8 occurring, in which movable member 31 is unable to follow the position specified by control signal 142.

[0107] After the pre-operation is performed, angular velocity sensor 126 starts detecting shake amount 141 (step ST120). Shake amount 141 is output from angular velocity sensor 126 to shake correction control section 140.

[0108] The blur correction control unit 140 performs blur correction control according to the blur amount 141 (step ST130). Specifically, the blur correction control unit 140 generates a control signal 142 according to the blur amount 141, and the generated control signal 142 is output from the blur correction control unit 140 to the blur correction driver 110. As a result, the movable member 31 is moved to a position defined by the control signal 142.

[0109] The processes of steps ST120 and ST130 are repeated as long as the user does not operate the power switch 143 to turn off the power to the digital camera 2 (NO in step ST140).

[0110] As described above, the blur correction device 19 includes the fixed member 30 fixed to the camera body 10 of the digital camera 2, the movable member 31, the housing 70, and the blur correction control unit 140. The movable member 31 has the image sensor 16 attached thereto and is disposed facing the fixed member 30 with the ball 35 sandwiched between them. The movable member 31 performs blur correction by moving relative to the fixed member 30 in response to the rolling of the ball 35. The housing 70 is provided on the movable member 31 and houses the ball 35 so that it can roll. As a pre-operation for blur correction, the blur correction control unit 140 performs an operation of moving the movable member 31 at least one cycle along the set trajectory 150, which is a non-circular trajectory. The set trajectory 150, which is a non-circular trajectory, is a trajectory that has less impact than a conventional set trajectory 150C that is composed of a circular trajectory 151C and a linear trajectory 152C. Therefore, the preparatory operation for reducing the risk of malfunction of the shake correction due to the position of the ball 35 in the housing portion 70 can be performed with a smaller impact than before.

[0111] 13 and 14, set trajectory 150 is a trajectory other than circular trajectory 151C centered on movement origin MO of movable member 31, which reaches circular trajectory 151C in the shortest distance from movement origin MO and has a smaller amount of angular change than when movable member 31 is moved along circular trajectory 151C. Therefore, it is possible to perform the pre-operation for reducing the risk of malfunction of blur correction due to the position of ball 35 within housing portion 70 with less impact than before.

[0112] The movable member 31 performs shake correction by moving in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction relative to the fixed member 30 in accordance with the rolling of the balls 35. As shown in Fig. 12 and other figures, the shake correction control unit 140 performs, as a pre-operation, an operation of moving the movable member 31 in the X-axis direction in accordance with the first drive waveform 136, and moving the movable member 31 in the Y-axis direction in accordance with the second drive waveform 137 corresponding to the first drive waveform 136. Therefore, the pre-operation can be performed using the configuration that performs shake correction as is.

[0113] 13 and 14, the set trajectory 150 is a diagonal linear trajectory that is inclined with respect to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. Therefore, the forward movement can be performed with a very simple trajectory.

[0114] 13 and 14, set trajectory 150 is a trajectory that passes through movement origin MO. Therefore, unlike conventional set trajectory 150C, there is no need to insert an unnecessary trajectory such as straight trajectory 152C that travels from movement origin MO to circular trajectory 151C and then returns from circular trajectory 151C to movement origin MO. Therefore, the time required for the pre-operation can be shortened compared to conventional methods.

[0115] As shown in Fig. 4, the storage unit 70 has a square shape in plan view, with two orthogonal sides of equal length and aligned along the X-axis and Y-axis directions. As shown in Figs. 13 and 14, the set trajectory 150 is a diagonal linear trajectory inclined at 45° with respect to the X-axis and Y-axis directions and aligned along the diagonal of the square storage unit 70. This allows for the pre-operation to be performed in accordance with the shape of the storage unit 70.

[0116] 15, the amplitude A of the first drive waveform 136 and the second drive waveform 137 is set according to the controllable range CMR, which reduces the risk of a malfunction in which the ball 35 remains in contact with the wall surface of the housing portion 70 despite the previous operation being performed.

[0117] 17, the amplitude A of the first drive waveform 136 and the second drive waveform 137 is set according to the results of a sensory test on the impact caused by the pre-movement. The frequency F of the first drive waveform 136 and the second drive waveform 137 is also set according to the results of the sensory test on the impact caused by the pre-movement. This reduces the risk that the user will feel uncomfortable due to the impact caused by the pre-movement.

[0118] 16, the frequency F of the first drive waveform 136 and the second drive waveform 137 is set according to the results of a sensory test on the time required for the pre-operation. This reduces the risk that the pre-operation will take too long, causing the user to feel uncomfortable, or that the user will miss a good photo opportunity.

[0119] 12, the first drive waveform 136 and the second drive waveform 137 are sine waves. Since sine waves are the most common and commonly used waveforms, the pre-operation can be easily performed.

[0120] 7, the blur correction control unit 140 performs a pre-operation when the power is turned on to the digital camera 2. This allows the user to use the blur correction function immediately after turning on the power without worrying about malfunctions.

[0121] The movement origin MO of the movable member 31 is the center CCM of the controllable movable range CMR. More specifically, the movement origin MO of the movable member 31 is the optical center CL of the lens 100 of the digital camera 2 and the center CM of the mount part 11 to which the lens 100 is attached. Therefore, after the pre-operation is performed, a smooth transition to the normal shooting operation can be made.

[0122] In this example, the center CCM of the controllable movement range CMR, the optical center CL of the lens 100 of the digital camera 2, and the center CM of the mount unit 11 to which the lens 100 is attached are all coincident, but this is not limited to this. The center CCM of the controllable movement range CMR, the optical center CL of the lens 100 of the digital camera 2, and the center CM of the mount unit 11 to which the lens 100 is attached do not have to be coincident. The movement origin MO of the movable member 31 only needs to be at least one of the center CCM of the controllable movement range CMR, the optical center CL of the lens 100 of the digital camera 2, and the center CM of the mount unit 11 to which the lens 100 is attached.

[0123] (Variation 1_1) As an example, as shown in Fig. 19, the storage section 70 is not limited to a square shape, but may be a rectangle with two orthogonal sides aligned along the X-axis and Y-axis directions. Fig. 19 illustrates a rectangular storage section 70 with an aspect ratio (ratio of the side aligned along the Y-axis to the side aligned along the X-axis) of 3:4.

[0124] As an example, as shown in Fig. 20, in the case of the housing section 70 shown in Fig. 19, Ax = A, Ay = 3A / 4, (ωx)t = (ωy)t = (π / 2) - ωt, and δ = 0 are set. Therefore, the first drive waveform 136V1 is A sinωt, and the second drive waveform 137V1 is 3A / 4 sinωt. More specifically, the first drive waveform 136V1 is one cycle of A sinωt, and the second drive waveform 137V1 is one cycle of 3A / 4 sinωt.

[0125] As an example, as shown in FIG. 21, the set trajectory 150V1 in the pre-operation for the housing unit 70 shown in FIG. 19 is a trajectory that passes through the movement origin MO and is a diagonal linear trajectory that is inclined with respect to the X-axis and Y-axis directions along the diagonal of the rectangular housing unit 70. In other words, the set trajectory 150V1 is a diagonal linear trajectory that is inclined with respect to the X-axis and Y-axis directions along the diagonal of a rectangle with the same aspect ratio of 3:4 as the housing unit 70. The set trajectory 150V1 is a trajectory generated from one cycle of the first drive waveform 136V1 (A·sinωt) and one cycle of the second drive waveform 137V1 (3A / 4·sinωt). In other words, the set trajectory 150V1 is also a type of Lissajous figure. In this way, by changing the amplitude ratio between the first drive waveform 136V1 and the second drive waveform 137V1, the set trajectory 150V1 can be tailored to fit the rectangular housing unit 70.

[0126] (Variation 1_2) Although the set trajectory 150 and the set trajectory 150V1 are exemplified as oblique linear trajectories, they are not limited to this and may be any non-circular trajectory. Note that the following explanation is an example in the case of the square-shaped storage section 70 shown in Fig. 4, not the rectangular-shaped storage section 70 shown in Fig. 19.

[0127] 22, in modification 1_2, Ax=Ay=A, ωx=ωy=ω, and δ=π / 4 are set. Therefore, first drive waveform 136V2 is A·cosωt, and second drive waveform 137V2 is A·cos{ωt+(π / 4)}. More specifically, first drive waveform 136V2 is one cycle of A·cosωt, and second drive waveform 137V2 is one cycle of A·cos{ωt+(π / 4)}.

[0128] More precisely, the first drive waveform 136V2 is a composite waveform of one cycle of A·cosωt, a straight line with a slope of A / t4, and a straight line with a slope of -A / (t6-t5). More precisely, the second drive waveform 137V2 is one cycle of A·cos{ωt+(π / 4)} with a start time of t4 and an end time of t5. t4 and t6-t5 are the same value, for example, several tens to several hundreds of milliseconds.

[0129] As an example, as shown in FIG. 23, the set trajectory 150V2 in the pre-operation of Modification Example 1_2 is composed of an oblique elliptical trajectory 151V2 with its major and minor axes inclined 45 degrees relative to the X-axis and Y-axis directions and a linear trajectory 152V2 parallel to the X-axis direction, which extends from the movement origin MO to the elliptical trajectory 151V2 and then extends from the elliptical trajectory 151V2 back to the movement origin MO. The elliptical trajectory 151V2 is an trajectory generated from one period of A·cosωt of the first drive waveform 136V2 and one period of A·cos{ωt+(π / 4)} of the second drive waveform 137V2. In other words, the elliptical trajectory 151V2 is also a type of Lissajous figure. The elliptical trajectory 151V2 is an trajectory for moving the movable member 31 without uneven movement in the up, down, left, and right directions. The linear trajectory 152V2 is a trajectory generated from a straight line of the first drive waveform 136V2 with a slope of A / t4 and a straight line with a slope of -A / (t6-t5).

[0130] In this way, the set trajectory 150V2 may be an oblique elliptical trajectory inclined relative to the X-axis and Y-axis directions. The set trajectory 150V2 does not have a large angle change like the angle change of nearly 90° in the conventional set trajectory 150C. Therefore, the set trajectory 150V2 can be said to have a smaller angle change than the set trajectory 150C, and the forward movement can be performed with less impact than conventional movements. Note that by changing the ratio between the amplitude Ax of the first drive waveform 136V2 and the amplitude Ay of the second drive waveform 137V2, the lengths of the major and minor axes of the ellipse of the set trajectory 150V2 and the angles of the major and minor axes relative to the X-axis and Y-axis directions can be changed.

[0131] In the set trajectory 150C of the conventional example, the straight-line trajectory 152C may be a semicircular or semi-elliptical trajectory, and a trajectory in which the angle change when transitioning from the semicircular or semi-elliptical trajectory to the circular trajectory 151C and when transitioning from the circular trajectory 151C to the semicircular or semi-elliptical trajectory may be reduced may be adopted as the set trajectory 150. In this case, however, the time required for the pre-operation becomes longer because the straight-line trajectory 152C is a semicircular or semi-elliptical trajectory.

[0132] (Variation 2_1) The timing for performing the pre-operation is not limited to when the digital camera 2 is powered on, as illustrated in the above embodiment. As an example, as shown in FIG. 24 , the blur correction control unit 140V2_1 may perform the pre-operation when the amount of blur 141 detected by the angular velocity sensor 126 is equal to or greater than the set value 160. When the amount of blur 141 detected by the angular velocity sensor 126 is equal to or greater than the set value 160, this is an example of "when an impact equal to or greater than the set value is detected" according to the technology of the present disclosure. The set value 160 is stored in the storage 130 and input to the blur correction control unit 140V2_1. The set value 160 is set to a value such that the probability that the ball 35 located at the center of the storage unit 70 will come into contact with the wall of the storage unit 70 due to the impact is, for example, 50% or greater.

[0133] In this way, the blur correction control unit 140V2_1 performs the pre-operation when an impact equal to or greater than the set value 160 is detected. Therefore, the ball 35 that has come into contact with the wall surface of the storage unit 70 due to an impact equal to or greater than the set value 160 can be moved to a position away from the wall surface of the storage unit 70.

[0134] (Variation 2_2) 25 as an example, the blur correction control unit 140V2_2 of Modification 2_2 is connected to the display control unit 120. Information as to whether or not a live view image is being displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 123 is input to the blur correction control unit 140V2_2 from the display control unit 120. The blur correction control unit 140V2_2 performs the previous operation when the live view image is no longer being displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 123. The case where the live view image is no longer being displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 123 occurs, for example, when the user issues an instruction to stop displaying the live view image on the liquid crystal monitor 123, or when a preview of an image captured by pressing the release button is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 123.

[0135] In this way, the blur correction control unit 140V2_2 performs the pre-operation when the live view image is no longer displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 123. This prevents the user from visually noticing that the pre-operation is being performed from the movement of the live view image, which can lead to a feeling of discomfort or suspicion of a malfunction.

[0136] (Variation 2_3) 26, as an example, a blur correction control unit 140V2_3 of Modification 2_3 is connected to a shooting mode changeover switch 162. The blur correction control unit 140V2_3 performs the pre-operation when the shooting mode changeover switch 162 is operated by a user to change the shooting mode and a shooting mode changeover signal 163 is input from the shooting mode changeover switch 162. That is, the blur correction control unit 140V2_3 performs the pre-operation when the shooting mode is changed. The case where the shooting mode is changed includes, for example, when the shooting mode is changed from a still image shooting mode to a video shooting mode, or vice versa, when the shooting mode is changed from a video shooting mode to a still image shooting mode.

[0137] In this way, the blur correction control unit 140V2_3 performs the pre-operation when the shooting mode is switched, so that the user can use the blur correction function without worrying about malfunctions immediately after switching the shooting mode.

[0138] (Variation 2_4) As an example, as shown in FIG. 27 , a blur correction function on / off switch 165 is connected to a blur correction control unit 140V2_4 of Modification 2_4. The blur correction control unit 140V2_4 performs the pre-operation when the user operates the blur correction function on / off switch 165 to turn on the blur correction function and a blur correction function on signal 166 is input from the blur correction function on / off switch 165. That is, the blur correction control unit 140V2_4 performs the pre-operation when the blur correction function is turned on. This allows the user to use the blur correction function without worrying about malfunctions.

[0139] 28 , instead of or in addition to when the shake correction function is turned on, the pre-operation may be performed when the user operates shake correction function on / off switch 165 to turn off the shake correction function and shake correction function off signal 167 is input from shake correction function on / off switch 165, that is, when the shake correction function is turned off. By performing the pre-operation when the shake correction function is turned off, if ball 35 is in contact with the wall surface of housing portion 70 when the shake correction function is turned off, this state can be immediately resolved.

[0140] (Variation 2_5) As an example, as shown in Fig. 29, a pre-operation execution instruction switch 170 is connected to a blur correction control unit 140V2_5 of Modification 2_5. The blur correction control unit 140V2_5 executes the pre-operation when the user operates the pre-operation execution instruction switch 170 to issue an instruction to execute the pre-operation and a pre-operation execution instruction signal 171 is input from the pre-operation execution instruction switch 170. In other words, the blur correction control unit 140V2_5 executes the pre-operation when an instruction to execute the pre-operation is received. Therefore, the pre-operation can be executed at an appropriate timing desired by the user.

[0141] (Variation 2_6) As an example, as shown in FIG. 30, set interval information 175 is input to the blur correction control unit 140V2_6 of Modification 2_6. The set interval information 175 is information about a preset interval at which the pre-operation is performed, and is stored in the storage 130. The set interval is, for example, several tens of seconds to several minutes. The blur correction control unit 140V2_6 performs the pre-operation at each set interval of the set interval information 175. Therefore, unlike Modification 2_3, Modification 2_4, and Modification 2_5, the pre-operation can be performed without bothering the user. Note that the set interval may be configured to be changeable by the user.

[0142] The mode in which the pre-operation is performed when the power of the digital camera 2 of the above embodiment is turned on, and Modifications 2_1 to 2_6 may be combined and implemented. For example, Modifications 2_1, 2_2, and 2_6 may be combined and the pre-operation may be performed when an impact equal to or greater than the set value 160 is detected, when the live view image is no longer displayed on the LCD monitor 123, and at set intervals.

[0143] The shooting mode changeover switch 162 of the modified example 2_3, the blur correction function on / off switch 165 of the modified example 2_4, and the pre-operation execution instruction switch 170 of the modified example 2_5 may be actual switches included in the operation unit 108, or may be GUIs (Graphical User Interfaces) displayed on the touch panel 125.

[0144] (Variation 3) As an example, as shown in FIG. 31, in Modification 3, a special shooting mode can be executed as the shooting mode. In the special shooting mode, as shown in (1), an image is first captured at the initial position, and then the image sensor 16 is shifted by one pixel each to the left, down, and right from the initial position using the image blur correction function, and an image is captured at each shifted position, thereby capturing four images. Next, as shown in (2), the image sensor 16 is shifted by 0.5 pixels each to the right, up, and left using the image blur correction function, and the process of (1) is repeated four times to capture a total of 16 images. Then, as shown in (3), one high-resolution image is generated from the 16 images. This special shooting mode is also called pixel shift mode.

[0145] 32, a special photography mode selector switch 180 is connected to the blur correction control unit 140V3 of Modification 3. When the user operates the special photography mode selector switch 180 to switch the photography mode to special photography mode and a special photography mode switching signal 181 is input from the special photography mode selector switch 180, the blur correction control unit 140V3 sets the movement origin MO of the movable member 31 as the magnetic origin. The magnetic origin is a position that is relatively less affected by the magnetic fields of the first VCM and second VCM of the blur correction unit 15.

[0146] In this way, in Modification 3, the movement origin MO of the movable base 31 is the magnetic origin, which is a position relatively less affected by the magnetic fields of the first VCM and second VCM. Therefore, pre-operation and shake correction control can be performed from the magnetic origin, where slight movements of the movable base 31 are less likely to be hindered.

[0147] In the third modification, a special photography mode can be executed. In the special photography mode, the movable member 31 is moved slightly to multiple positions by pixel-unit movement of the image sensor 16, images are captured at the multiple positions, and a high-resolution image is generated from the multiple images obtained. When the photography mode is switched to the special photography mode, the blur correction control unit 140V3 sets the movement origin to the magnetic origin. Therefore, the special photography mode can be executed more smoothly and without stress than when the movement origin is not the magnetic origin.

[0148] The magnetic origin may coincide with or may differ from at least one of the center CCM of the controllable range CMR, the center CL of the lens 100, and the center CM of the mount unit 11. The special photography mode selector switch 180 may be an actual switch included in the operation unit 108, or may be a GUI displayed on the touch panel 125.

[0149] The first drive waveform 136 and the second drive waveform 137 may be waveforms with two or more cycles. Furthermore, the first drive waveform 136 and the second drive waveform 137 are not limited to the sine waves shown in the example. They may be triangular waves, square waves, sawtooth waves, etc. Waveforms with blunted corners, such as triangular waves, square waves, and sawtooth waves, may also be used.

[0150] The controllable movable range CMR may be circular. When the controllable movable range CMR is circular, D, which defines the minimum value of the amplitude A of the first drive waveform 136 and the second drive waveform 137, is the radius of the controllable movable range CMR.

[0151] Although the LCD monitor 123 provided on the rear surface of the camera body 10 has been exemplified as the monitor for displaying the live view image, the present invention is not limited to this. Instead of or in addition to the LCD monitor 123, an electronic viewfinder through which the user places their eye may be used.

[0152] In the above embodiment, the plate 45 is provided on the fixed member 30 and the housing portion 70 is provided on the movable member 31, but this is not limited to this. The plate 45 may be provided on the movable member 31 and the housing portion 70 on the fixed member 30. In addition, in the above embodiment, the magnets 40-42 are provided on the fixed member 30 and the coils 60-62 are provided on the movable member 31, but this is not limited to this. The magnets 40-42 may be provided on the movable member 31 and the coils 60-62 on the fixed member 30. In addition, the number of sets of ball 35, plate 45, and housing portion 70 is not limited to the three sets shown in the example, and may be four or more sets.

[0153] The blur correction unit of the present disclosure can also be applied to imaging devices other than the exemplified digital camera 2, such as smartphones, tablet terminals, or surveillance cameras.

[0154] In the above embodiment, for example, the hardware structure of the processing units that execute various processes such as the blur correction control units 140, 140V2_1 to 140V2_6, and 140V3 can be made up of the following various processors: As described above, the various processors include the CPU 131, which is a general-purpose processor that executes software (operating program 135) and functions as various processing units, as well as dedicated electrical circuits that are processors having a circuit configuration specifically designed to execute specific processes, such as a programmable logic device (PLD) that is a processor whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacture, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0155] A single processing unit may be configured with one of these various processors, or may be configured with a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (e.g., a combination of multiple FPGAs and / or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA). Also, multiple processing units may be configured with a single processor.

[0156] Examples of configuring multiple processing units with a single processor include, first, a form in which one processor is configured with a combination of one or more CPUs and software, and this processor functions as multiple processing units, as typified by client and server computers. Second, a form in which a processor is used to realize the functions of an entire system including multiple processing units with a single IC (Integrated Circuit) chip, as typified by System on Chip (SoC). In this way, various processing units are configured using one or more of the above-mentioned various processors as a hardware structure.

[0157] Furthermore, more specifically, the hardware structure of these various processors can be an electric circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0158] From the above description, the technology described in the following supplementary paragraphs can be understood.

[0159] [Additional note 1] a fixing member fixed to a body of the imaging device; a movable member to which an imaging element is attached and which is disposed facing the fixed member with a ball sandwiched between the movable member and the fixed member, the movable member performing blur correction by moving relative to the fixed member in response to the rolling of the ball; a housing portion provided on at least one of the fixed member and the movable member, the housing portion housing the ball so that the ball can roll; a processor; Equipped with The processor: As a pre-operation for the shake correction, an operation is performed in which the movable member is moved along a set orbit that is a non-circular orbit for at least one period. Image stabilization device. [Additional note 2] The image blur correction device according to appended item 1, wherein the set trajectory is a trajectory other than a circular trajectory centered on the origin of movement of the movable member, the set trajectory is a trajectory that reaches the circular trajectory in the shortest distance from the origin of movement and has a smaller amount of angular change than when the movable member is moved along the circular trajectory. [Additional note 3] the movable member performs the blur correction by moving relative to the fixed member in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction in response to the rolling of the ball; The processor: The image blur correction device according to appended claim 2, wherein, as the pre-operation, an operation is performed in which the movable member is moved in the first direction in accordance with a first drive waveform, and the movable member is moved in the second direction in accordance with a second drive waveform corresponding to the first drive waveform. [Additional note 4] 4. The image blur correction device according to claim 3, wherein the set trajectory is an oblique linear trajectory that is inclined with respect to the first direction and the second direction. [Additional note 5] 5. The image blur correction device according to claim 3, wherein the set trajectory is a trajectory that passes through the origin of movement. [Additional note 6] The storage section has a rectangular shape in a plan view, with two orthogonal sides extending along the first direction and the second direction, 6. The image blur correction device according to any one of supplementary items 3 to 5, wherein the set trajectory is a diagonal linear trajectory along a diagonal line of the rectangular housing portion. [Additional note 7] the accommodation portion has a square shape in a plan view, with two orthogonal sides having the same length and extending along the first direction and the second direction; The image blur correction device according to any one of supplementary items 3 to 5, wherein the set trajectory is an oblique straight trajectory that is inclined at 45° with respect to the first direction and the second direction and that follows a diagonal line of the square-shaped housing portion. [Additional note 8] 4. The image blur correction device according to claim 3, wherein the set trajectory is an oblique elliptical trajectory that is inclined with respect to the first direction and the second direction. [Additional note 9] The image blur correction device according to any one of supplementary items 3 to 8, wherein the amplitudes of the first drive waveform and the second drive waveform are set according to a range in which the movable member can move under the control of the processor. [Additional Note 10] The image blur correction device according to any one of supplementary items 3 to 9, wherein the amplitudes of the first drive waveform and the second drive waveform are set according to the results of a sensory test on the impact given by the pre-operation. [Additional Note 11] The image blur correction device according to any one of supplementary items 3 to 10, wherein the frequencies of the first drive waveform and the second drive waveform are set according to the results of a sensory test on the time required for the pre-operation. [Additional Note 12] The image blur correction device according to any one of supplementary items 3 to 11, wherein the frequencies of the first drive waveform and the second drive waveform are set according to the results of a sensory test on the impact given by the pre-operation. [Additional Note 13] 13. The image blur correction device according to any one of claims 3 to 12, wherein the first drive waveform and the second drive waveform are sine waves. [Additional Note 14] The processor: When the imaging device is turned on, If an impact greater than the set value is detected, When a live view image is no longer displayed on the monitor of the imaging device, When the photographing mode is switched in the imaging device, When the image stabilization function is turned on and / or off in the imaging device, When a user instructs the execution of the preceding action, and At set intervals 14. The image blur correction device according to claim 1, wherein the pre-operation is performed at at least one of the timings of: [Additional Note 15] The origin of movement of the movable member is a center of a range within which the movable member can move under the control of the processor; the optical center of the lens of the imaging device, and The image blur correction device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the center of the lens is at least one of the centers of the mounts to which the lens is attached. [Additional Note 16] the movable member is movable by a voice coil motor; The origin of movement of the movable member is 16. The shake correction device according to any one of appended items 1 to 15, wherein the magnetic origin is a position where the influence of the magnetic field of the voice coil motor is relatively small. [Additional Note 17] the imaging device has a special imaging mode in which the movable member is moved minutely to a plurality of positions by pixel-unit movement amounts of the imaging element, images are taken at the plurality of positions, and a high-resolution image is generated from the plurality of images obtained; The processor: 17. The image stabilizer according to claim 16, wherein when the imaging mode of the imaging device is switched to the special imaging mode, the movement origin is set to the magnetic origin. [Additional Note 18] An imaging device comprising the image blur correction device according to any one of supplementary items 1 to 17.

[0160] The technology of the present disclosure can be appropriately combined with the various embodiments and / or various modified examples described above. Furthermore, it is needless to say that it is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various configurations can be adopted as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0161] The above-described description and illustrations are a detailed explanation of the parts related to the technology of the present disclosure and are merely an example of the technology of the present disclosure. For example, the above description of the configuration, functions, actions, and effects is an explanation of an example of the configuration, functions, actions, and effects of the parts related to the technology of the present disclosure. Therefore, it goes without saying that unnecessary parts may be deleted, new elements may be added, or replacements may be made to the above-described description and illustrations within the scope of the gist of the technology of the present disclosure. Furthermore, to avoid confusion and facilitate understanding of the parts related to the technology of the present disclosure, the above-described description and illustrations omit explanations of common technical knowledge that do not require particular explanation to enable the implementation of the technology of the present disclosure.

[0162] In this specification, "A and / or B" is synonymous with "at least one of A and B." In other words, "A and / or B" means that it may be only A, only B, or a combination of A and B. Furthermore, in this specification, the same concept as "A and / or B" is also applied when three or more things are expressed connected by "and / or."

[0163] All publications, patent applications, and technical standards mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent application, or technical standard was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. [Explanation of symbols]

[0164] 2. Digital camera 10 Camera Body 11 Mounting section 12 Imaging aperture 15 Image Stabilization Unit 16 image sensor 17 Imaging surface 18 Control Unit 19 Image Stabilizer 20 Long side of the imaging surface 21 Short side of the imaging surface 30 Fixing member 31 Movable parts 32 York 35, 35A~35C Ball 40~42, 65 magnets 45, 45A~45C Plate 50, 51 Restricted opening 55~58 Female thread 59 Access opening 60~62 coil 66, 67 Magnetic material 70, 70A~70C storage section 80, 81 protrusion 85~88 Male thread 90 Circuit Board 95, 96 Connectors 97, 98 Flexible PCB 100 lenses 101 Objective Lens 102 Focus Lens 103 Zoom Lens 104 Aperture 105 Focus lens drive mechanism 106 Zoom lens drive mechanism 107 Aperture opening adjustment mechanism 108 Operation section 109 Image sensor driver 110 Image Stabilizer Driver 111 Shutter 112 Shutter drive mechanism 115 Image Input Controller 116 Image Memory 117 Image Processing Unit 118, 133 bus lines 119 VRAM 120 Display control unit 121 Media Controller 122 Instruction Reception Department 123 LCD monitor 124 memory card 125 Touch Panel 126 Angular Rate Sensor 130 Storage 131 CPU 132 memory 135 Operating Program 136, 136C, 136V1, 136V2 First drive waveform 137, 137C, 137V1, 137V2 Second drive waveform 140, 140V2_1~140V2_6, 140V3 Image stabilization control unit 141 Shake amount 142 Control Signal 143 Power Switch 144 Power On Signal 150, 150C, 150V1, 150V2 setting trajectory 151C circular orbit 151V2 elliptical orbit 152C, 152V2 straight track 155, 157 table 160 setting value 162 Shooting mode switch 163 Shooting mode switching signal 165 Image Stabilization On / Off Switch 166 Image stabilizer on signal 167 Image stabilizer off signal 170 Pre-operation instruction switch 171 Pre-action execution signal 175 Setting interval information 180 Special photography mode switch 181 Special shooting mode switching signal ac Acceleration of the moving part in the forward motion A, Ax, Ay amplitude AC Acceleration of the digital camera during pre-operation The center of the range in which the image sensor can move in the X-axis and Y-axis directions (controllable range) under the control of the CCM control unit. CL Lens center Center of CM mount The range in which the image sensor can move in the X-axis and Y-axis directions under the control of the CMR control unit (controllable movement range) D Half the length of the diagonal of the range (controllable range) in which the image sensor can move in the X-axis and Y-axis directions under the control of the control unit F frequency m Weight of moving parts M Digital camera weight MO movement origin OA optical axis ST100, ST110, ST120, ST130, ST140 Step

Claims

1. a fixing member fixed to a body of the imaging device; a movable member to which an imaging element is attached and which is disposed facing the fixed member with a ball sandwiched between the movable member and the fixed member, the movable member performing blur correction by moving relative to the fixed member in response to the rolling of the ball; a housing portion provided on at least one of the fixed member and the movable member, the housing portion housing the ball so that the ball can roll; a processor; Equipped with The processor: As a pre-operation for the shake correction, an operation of moving the movable member along a set orbit that is a non-circular orbit for at least one period is carried out. Image stabilization device.

2. 2. The image blur correction device according to claim 1, wherein the set trajectory is a trajectory other than a circular trajectory centered on the origin of movement of the movable member, the set trajectory is a trajectory that reaches the circular trajectory in the shortest distance from the origin of movement and has a smaller amount of angular change than when the movable member is moved along the circular trajectory.

3. the movable member performs the blur correction by moving relative to the fixed member in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction in response to the rolling of the ball; The processor:

3. The image blur correction device according to claim 2, wherein the pre-operation comprises moving the movable member in the first direction in accordance with a first drive waveform, and moving the movable member in the second direction in accordance with a second drive waveform corresponding to the first drive waveform.

4. The shake correction device according to claim 3 , wherein the set trajectory is an oblique linear trajectory that is inclined with respect to the first direction and the second direction.

5. 4. The image blur correction device according to claim 3, wherein the set trajectory is a trajectory that passes through the movement origin.

6. The storage portion has a rectangular shape in a plan view, with two orthogonal sides extending along the first direction and the second direction, 4. The image stabilizer according to claim 3, wherein the set trajectory is a diagonal linear trajectory that follows a diagonal line of the rectangular housing portion.

7. the accommodation portion has a square shape in a plan view, with two orthogonal sides having the same length and extending along the first direction and the second direction; 4. The shake correction device according to claim 3, wherein the set trajectory is an oblique linear trajectory that is inclined at 45 degrees with respect to the first direction and the second direction and that extends along a diagonal line of the square-shaped housing portion.

8. The shake correction device according to claim 3 , wherein the set trajectory is an oblique elliptical trajectory that is inclined with respect to the first direction and the second direction.

9. 4. The image blur correction device according to claim 3, wherein the amplitudes of the first drive waveform and the second drive waveform are set according to a range within which the movable member can move under the control of the processor.

10. 4. The image blur correction device according to claim 3, wherein the amplitudes of the first drive waveform and the second drive waveform are set in accordance with the results of a sensory test on the impact given by the pre-operation.

11. The image blur correction device according to claim 3 , wherein the frequencies of the first drive waveform and the second drive waveform are set in accordance with the results of a sensory test on the time required for the pre-operation.

12. 4. The image blur correction device according to claim 3, wherein the frequencies of the first drive waveform and the second drive waveform are set in accordance with the results of a sensory test on the impact given by the pre-operation.

13. The image blur correction device according to claim 3 , wherein the first drive waveform and the second drive waveform are sine waves.

14. The processor: When the imaging device is turned on, If an impact greater than the set value is detected, When a live view image is no longer displayed on the monitor of the imaging device, When the photographing mode is switched in the imaging device, When the image stabilization function is turned on and / or off in the imaging device, When a user instructs the execution of the preceding action, and At set intervals 2. The image blur correction device according to claim 1, wherein the pre-operation is performed at least at one of the following timings.

15. The origin of movement of the movable member is a center of a range within which the movable member can move under the control of the processor; the optical center of the lens of the imaging device, and 2. The image blur correction device according to claim 1, wherein the center of the lens is at least one of the centers of the mounts to which the lenses are attached.

16. the movable member is movable by a voice coil motor; The origin of movement of the movable member is 2. The shake correction device according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic origin is a position where the influence of the magnetic field of the voice coil motor is relatively small.

17. the imaging device has a special imaging mode in which the movable member is moved minutely to a plurality of positions by pixel-unit movement amounts of the imaging element, images are taken at the plurality of positions, and a high-resolution image is generated from the plurality of images obtained; The processor:

17. The image stabilizer according to claim 16, wherein when the imaging mode of the imaging device is switched to the special imaging mode, the movement origin is set to the magnetic origin.

18. a fixing member fixed to a body of the imaging device; a movable member to which an imaging element is attached and which is disposed facing the fixed member with a ball sandwiched between the movable member and the fixed member, the movable member performing blur correction by moving relative to the fixed member in response to the rolling of the ball; a housing portion that is provided on at least one of the fixed member and the movable member and that houses the ball so that the ball can roll, As a pre-operation for the shake correction, an operation is performed in which the movable member is moved along a set orbit that is a non-circular orbit for at least one period; A method for operating a shake correction device, comprising:

19. a fixing member fixed to a body of the imaging device; a movable member to which an imaging element is attached and which is disposed facing the fixed member with a ball sandwiched between the movable member and the fixed member, the movable member performing blur correction by moving relative to the fixed member in response to the rolling of the ball; a housing portion that is provided on at least one of the fixed member and the movable member and that houses the ball so that the ball can roll, As a pre-operation for the shake correction, an operation is performed in which the movable member is moved along a set orbit that is a non-circular orbit for at least one period; A method for operating a shake correction device, which causes a computer to carry out a process including the steps of:

20. An imaging device comprising the image blur correction device according to claim 1.

Images