Image stabilization apparatus

Abstract

An image stabilization apparatus comprises a housing accommodating an optical system in the interior thereof. A part of optical members that compose the optical system is held to allow angular displacement relative to the housing, and the position of the part of the optical members is maintained in a predetermined state. The part of the optical members is driven to restore the position angularly displaced. A driving amount is controlled based on information of the angular displacement. A mode for controlling the housing that is suitable for vibration applied to the housing is determined, and the mode is informed to a user.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An image stabilization apparatus comprising: 
 a housing accommodating an optical system in the interior thereof;    holding means for holding a part of optical members that compose said optical system in such a way as to allow angular displacement of said part of the optical members relative to said housing, in order to maintain the position of said part of the optical members in a predetermined state;    driving means for angularly displacing said part of the optical members in the direction for restoring the position of said part of the optical members that have been angularly displaced by said holding member;    control means for controlling a driving amount of said driving means, said control means including detection means for detecting information on angular displacement of said part of the optical members caused by said holding means and determination means for determining, based on the information detected by said detection means, a mode for controlling said housing that is suitable for vibration applied to said housing; and    an informing section that informs a user of said control method determined by said determination means.    
     
     
         2 . An image stabilization apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said angular displacement information comprises information on angular velocity of said holding means and/or information on angular displacement amount of said holding means.  
     
     
         3 . An image stabilization apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the determination by said determination means is made based on a comparison of a predetermined reference value and said angular displacement information.  
     
     
         4 . An image stabilization apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein said reference value comprises a reference value for the angular velocity and/or a reference value for the angular displacement amount.  
     
     
         5 . An image stabilization apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein determination by said determination means is made based on a comparison of said reference value and said angular displacement information obtained within a predetermined sampling time, and based on the number of times said angular displacement information becomes larger than and/or smaller than said reference value.  
     
     
         6 . An image stabilization apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control mode determined by said determination means is selected for at least two vibration reduction modes.  
     
     
         7 . An image stabilization apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is so adapted that the user can select an automatic switching mode in which the control mode is automatically switched to the mode determined by said determination means based on the angular displacement information detected by said detection means or a user setting mode in which the user is allowed to select the control mode.  
     
     
         8 . An image stabilization apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said informing section provides information on the control mode determined by said determination means.  
     
     
         9 . An image stabilization apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein when the selected mode is said user setting mode, said informing section provides information on whether the mode selected under said user setting mode and the mode determined by said determination means are different or identical.  
     
     
         10 . An image stabilization apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is so adapted that the user can select and set any mode based on the control mode of which the user is informed by said informing section.  
     
     
         11 . An image stabilization apparatus according to  claim 10 , further comprising an observation optical system, wherein said informing section includes a display section disposed within a view field of said observation optical system; 
 the apparatus is provided with a mode selecting section for changing over the mode, the mode selecting section including a button for selecting any one of said modes and said display section displaying a mark which has a same shape as that of said button.    
     
     
         12 . An image stabilization apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising first calculation means for performing calculation on a detection result of said detection means based on a first predetermined calculation method to determine said driving amount, second calculation means for performing calculation on a detection result of said detection means based on a second predetermined calculation method to determine said driving amount, and decision means for determining calculation means, from among said first and second calculation means, that is suitable for vibration applied to said housing.  
     
     
         13 . An image stabilization apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein said decision means makes said determination by comparing the detection result of said detection means with a predetermined reference value.  
     
     
         14 . An image stabilization apparatus according to  claim 12  further comprising an automatic mode switching means for causing said driving means to operate by said driving amount determined by the calculation means that is determined from among said first and second calculation means by said decision means.  
     
     
         15 . An image stabilization apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein when a displacement amount based on said information on angular displacement deviates from a predetermined range a predetermined number of times or more within a predetermined sampling time, said decision means determines that panning or tilting of said housing is occurring and selects calculation means that is suitable for the panning or tilting from among said first and second calculation means.  
     
     
         16 . An image stabilization apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein when said angular velocity deviates from said predetermined range said number of times or more than said number of times within said predetermined sampling time, said decision means determines that the user is on a conveyance so as to select calculation means that is suitable for vibration caused by said conveyance from among said first and second calculation means.  
     
     
         17 . An image stabilizing apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising an observation optical system, wherein said informing section includes a display provided within a field of view of said observation optical system.  
     
     
         18 . An image stabilization apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said informing section includes a sound generator with which said informing section provides information using a sound.  
     
     
         19 . A binocular comprising: 
 a pair of eyepiece optical systems;    a pair of objective optical systems;    an intermediate optical system provided on an optical axis between said eyepiece optical systems and objective optical systems;    a housing accommodating said eyepiece optical systems, said objective optical systems and said intermediate optical system;    holding means for holding a part of optical members that compose said intermediate optical system in such a way as to allow angular displacement of said part of the optical members relative to said housing, in order to maintain the position of said part of the optical members in a predetermined state;    driving means for angularly displacing said part of the optical members in the direction for restoring the position of said part of the optical members that have been angularly displaced by said holding member;    control means for controlling a driving amount of said driving means, said control means including detection means for detecting information on angular displacement of said part of the optical members caused by said holding means and determination means for determining, based on the information detected by said detection means, a mode for controlling said housing that is suitable for vibration applied to said housing; and    an informing section that informs a user of said control method determined by said determination means.