Focal Plane Shutter Dual Actuator Control for High-Speed Continuous Shooting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional focal plane shutters in continuous shooting mode struggle to reduce imaging intervals due to the need to maintain a fully opened state before and after exposure operations, limiting high-speed shooting capabilities.
Innovation Solution
The focal plane shutter design includes a leading shutter and a trailing shutter, both actuated by dedicated actuators, which are positioned to open and close the shutter opening during exposure operations, allowing for a charging operation to occur while maintaining the opening closed, thereby enabling immediate subsequent exposure frames.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the opening is maintained in a fully opened state before and after exposure operations, then the live view display can show real-time outputs, but the imaging interval cannot be reduced in continuous shooting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of the shutter system by introducing independent actuators for the leading and trailing shutters, allowing the system to switch between different operational states (fully opened for live view, closed for charging operations) based on shooting mode requirements. This dynamic adaptability resolves the contradiction by enabling both real-time display and high-speed continuous shooting through mode-dependent configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the traditional single shutter system into two independent shutters (leading shutter and trailing shutter) controlled by separate actuators. This segmentation allows independent control of each shutter component, enabling the opening to be partially closed while maintaining live view functionality and performing charging operations simultaneously, thus reducing imaging intervals without completely sacrificing live view capability.
2Reliability
If the leading shutter and trailing shutter move to perform exposure operation with opening fully opened, then exposure quality is maintained, but imaging interval cannot be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs charging operations (preliminary action) during the interval between exposure operations by positioning the leading shutter and trailing shutter to close the opening temporarily. This preliminary charging of the image pickup element occurs without affecting exposure quality, as the shutters return to their exposure positions before the next exposure begins, thereby reducing the overall imaging interval while maintaining reliability.
3Productivity
If the opening is kept closed during charging operation, then immediate subsequent exposure frames are enabled, but the structure becomes more complex with dedicated actuators
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the leading shutter actuator and trailing shutter actuator to perform multiple functions: they control shutter movement for exposure operations and simultaneously enable closed-state charging operations. This multi-functionality justifies the increased device complexity by allowing the same actuator system to achieve both high frame rates and maintain exposure quality without requiring entirely separate mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
An imaging device includes: an image pickup element; a focal plane shutter including: a board including an opening exposing the image pickup element; a leading shutter and a trailing shutter movable between a closed position to close the opening and an opened position to open the opening; and a leading shutter actuator and a trailing shutter actuator respectively driving the leading shutter and the trailing shutter, a drive control portion that drives the leading shutter actuator and the trailing shutter actuator; and a control portion that controls the image pickup element.