Electronic Shutter Curtain Vibration Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mechanical shutters in camera systems generate vibrations that affect photography, particularly due to the collision of the mechanical leading curtain with the shutter substrate, leading to shock vibrations and inconsistent exposure operations.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus for detecting the traveling characteristics of mechanical shutters using electronic leading and trailing curtains, where reset scanning and readout scanning operations are performed to determine the actual and ideal traveling speeds of the mechanical curtains, allowing for the generation of a scan signal to initiate exposure operations with precise exposure light quantities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a mechanical leading curtain is used to initiate exposure operations, then the exposure operation can be started on the imaging surface, but the mechanical leading curtain collides with the shutter substrate generating shock vibration that adversely affects photographing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveexposure operation initiationVSAvoidshock vibration
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical leading curtain with an electronic leading curtain that scans the imaging surface electronically. This substitution eliminates the mechanical collision between the leading curtain and shutter substrate, thereby removing the shock vibration source while maintaining the exposure initiation function through electronic scanning of the imaging device.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts and removes the mechanical leading curtain from the shutter system, retaining only the mechanical trailing curtain for completing the exposure. The leading curtain function is transferred to an electronic scanning mechanism that reads out signal charges from the imaging surface without physical contact, eliminating the harmful collision while preserving the exposure control capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Productivity

If a mechanical trailing curtain is used to complete exposure operations, then the photographing can be completed according to shutter speed, but the traveling of the mechanical trailing curtain generates vibration in the imaging device that adversely affects photographing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveexposure completion speedVSAvoidimaging device vibration
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical trailing curtain with an electronic trailing curtain that completes the exposure operation by electronically scanning and reading out signal charges from the imaging surface. This substitution eliminates mechanical vibration while maintaining the exposure completion function and shutter speed control through electronic readout timing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Manufacturing precision

If an electronic leading curtain is generated based on detected traveling characteristics, then vibration-induced photography errors are reduced, but the system complexity increases due to detection and signal generation requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveexposure consistencyVSAvoiddetection and control system
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs the imaging device itself to detect the traveling characteristics of the mechanical trailing curtain by reading out signal charges during its movement. The imaging device serves dual purposes: as the target of exposure control and as the detection sensor. This self-service approach eliminates the need for separate detection sensors or complex external monitoring systems, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining exposure consistency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2280539B1Method and apparatus for detecting traveling characteristics of shutter
Publication Date: 2020.02.12 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP2280539B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2280539B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2280539B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A method and apparatus are provided for detecting traveling characteristics of a mechanical shutter. After performing a reset scan operation on a plurality of pixels of an imaging device, first quantities of light are detected by reading pixels of even rows or odd rows of the imaging device. The imaging device is shielded from light by causing a mechanical trailing curtain included in the shutter to travel Second quantities of light are detected by reading pixels of rows that are different from the rows read to detect the first quantities of light. Traveling characteristics of the mechanical trailing curtain are obtained based on the first quantities of light and the second quantities of light.