Camera which compensates for motion by setting the time at which a movable member begins moving and which adjusts the movement of the movable member for motion originating in the camera

Abstract

A camera which includes a movable member, and a control device for controlling the movable member. The movable member is typically a lens group. The movable member begins moving at an activation time prior to an exposure operation, and is then movable to compensate for motion affecting the camera. The control device controls the movement of the movable member by detecting motion affecting the camera and setting the activation time. The activation time is set so that, at the start of the exposure operation, the speed of movement of the movable member approximates the speed of movement of the detected motion. The camera can also include interrupt signal unit which produces an interrupt signal indicating when motion affecting the camera originates in the camera. The control device then (a) detects motion affecting the camera, (b) controls the movement of the movable member to compensate for the detected motion and, when the interrupt signal indicates that motion affecting the camera originates in the camera, (c) adjusts the movement of the movable member in accordance with the motion originating in the camera.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An optical device which performs an exposure operation to expose a recording medium, the optical device comprising: 
 a movable member which begins moving at a variable activation time prior to the exposure operation, and is then movable to compensate for motion affecting the optical device; and    a control device controlling the movement of the movable member by detecting motion affecting the optical device and setting the activation time in accordance with the detected motion so that, at the start of the exposure operation, the speed of movement of the movable member is based on the speed of movement of the detected motion.    
     
     
         2 . An optical device as in  claim 1 , wherein the control device controls the movement of the movable member by setting at least one of the group consisting of a target speed of movement of the movable member and a target acceleration of movement of the movable member, so that, at the start of the exposure operation, the speed of movement of the movable member approximates the speed of movement of the detected motion.  
     
     
         3 . An optical device as in  claim 1 , wherein the control device detects motion affecting the optical device by detecting at least one of the group consisting of the speed of motion affecting the optical device, the acceleration of motion affecting the optical device and the displacement of motion affecting the optical device.  
     
     
         4 . An optical device as in  claim 1 , wherein the control device performs fuzzy logic computations to set the activation time.  
     
     
         5 . An optical device as in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a mechanism which, before the exposure operation, produces a motion compensation start signal when motion compensation is to be performed, wherein the control device receives the motion compensation start signal and begins to detect motion upon receipt of the motion compensation start signal.    
     
     
         6 . An optical device as in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a body device which controls the exposure operation; and    a lens device attached to the body device, the movable member and the control device being inside the lens device.    
     
     
         7 . An optical device as in  claim 6 , wherein the control device controls the movement of the movable member by setting at least one of the group consisting of a target speed of movement of the movable member and a target acceleration of movement of the movable member, so that, at the start of the exposure operation, the speed of movement of the movable member approximates the speed of movement of the detected motion.  
     
     
         8 . An optical device as in  claim 6 , wherein the control device detects motion affecting the optical device by detecting at least one of the group consisting of the speed of motion affecting the optical device, the acceleration of motion affecting the optical device and the displacement of motion affecting the optical device.  
     
     
         9 . An optical device as in  claim 6 , wherein the control device performs fuzzy logic computations to set the activation time.  
     
     
         10 . An optical device as in  claim 6 , further comprising: 
 a mechanism which, before the exposure operation, produces a motion compensation start signal when motion compensation is to be performed, wherein the control device receives the motion compensation start signal and begins to detect motion upon receipt of the motion compensation start signal.    
     
     
         11 . An optical device as in  claim 1 , wherein the movable member moves in directions perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical device, to compensate for motion affecting the optical device.  
     
     
         12 . A camera which performs an exposure operation to expose a recording medium to light from a photographic subject, the camera comprising: 
 a movable member which begins moving at a variable activation time prior to the exposure operation, and is then movable in directions perpendicular to the optical axis of the camera to compensate for motion affecting the camera; and    a control device controlling the movement of the movable member by detecting motion affecting the camera and setting the activation time in accordance with the detected motion so that, at the start of the exposure operation, the speed of movement of the movable member is based on the speed of movement of the detected motion.    
     
     
         13 . An optical device which performs an exposure operation to expose a recording medium, the optical device comprising: 
 a movable member which begins moving at a variable activation time prior to the exposure operation, and is then movable to compensate for motion affecting the optical device; and    a control device setting the activation time in accordance with the detected motion.    
     
     
         14 . An optical device as in  claim 13 , wherein the optical device is a camera.  
     
     
         15 . An optical device which performs an exposure operation to expose a recording medium, the optical device comprising: 
 a movable member which begins moving at a variable activation time prior to the exposure operation, and is then movable to compensate for motion affecting the optical device; and    means for setting the activation time in accordance with the detected motion.    
     
     
         16 . An optical device as in  claim 15 , wherein the optical device is a camera.