Camera Zoom Control Unit for Automatic Lens Position Fixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of cameras face inconvenience as they need to manually adjust the lens position every time they want to shoot at a self-set position, which can result in missing the perfect moment due to the time-consuming process.
Innovation Solution
An image pickup apparatus with a control unit that automatically shifts and fixes the zoom position to a user-set position within the optical zoom range, allowing for seamless shooting at the desired lens position without requiring continuous zoom operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the lens position is automatically moved to the user-set position only on starting the camera, then the initial lens position can be set according to user preference, but the lens cannot be automatically adjusted to the set position after the camera has started, requiring manual adjustment every time
Solution Approach 1:
The user sets a desired lens position in advance (preliminarily) through the menu screen, and the control unit automatically moves the lens to this pre-set position when shooting conditions are met, eliminating the need for manual adjustment at the moment of shooting
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit continuously monitors shooting conditions (such as subject distance or composition) and automatically adjusts the lens position based on feedback from these conditions, comparing the current position with the user-set target position and making corrections as needed
2Measurement precision
If the lens position is manually changed every time shooting is performed, then the user can precisely control the lens position, but the shooting process becomes time-consuming and may cause the user to miss the perfect moment
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system automatically performs the lens position adjustment function that would otherwise require manual user operation. The control unit autonomously moves the lens to the user-set position based on shooting conditions, making the system self-servicing and eliminating the time loss from manual adjustment while maintaining precise position control
3Stability of the object's composition
If the zoom position is fixed during the zooming operation, then the user can maintain a set lens position for consistent shooting, but the lens cannot be adjusted to other positions during the same operation
Solution Approach 1:
The lens position control system dynamically adjusts its behavior based on shooting conditions. When the subject is within the predetermined angle of view, the system fixes the lens position at the user-set value for stability. When the subject moves outside this range, the system allows the lens position to change automatically, providing adaptability. This dynamic switching between fixed and adjustable states resolves the contradiction
Data Source
AI summary
An image pickup apparatus which enhances usability in shooting in a case where a user sets an initial lens position. A system control unit starts shifting a zoom position of a taking lens in response to start of a zooming operation in which the zoom position is changed, and stops shifting the zoom position in response to termination of the zooming operation. When the zoom position reaches a predetermined zoom position, which is inside an optical zoom range and is neither an optical wide-angle end nor an optical telephoto end, while the zoom position is being shifted in a first direction in response to a first zooming operation for shifting the zoom position in the first direction, the system control unit provides control to fix the zoom position at the predetermined zoom position even when the first zooming operation has not been terminated.