Video camera with optical zoom mechanism and picture stabilizer
US6396538B1 · kind B1 · utility
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 4, 1992 |
| Grant date | May 28, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 4, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N23/683
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A video camera including an optical zoom mechanism and an electronic zoom circuit which is used at a time that a magnification of the optical zoom mechanism reaches a limit thereof or a time that a picture stabilization is to be performed. If a magnification of an electronic zoom is smaller than “1.2” at a timing when a stabilization switch is turned-on, a microcomputer not only gradually increases an electronic zoom magnification up to “1.2” and but also gradually decreases an optical zoom magnification. If the magnification of the electronic zoom is smaller than “1.2” at a timing when the stabilization switch is turned-off, the microcomputer gradually decreases the electronic zoom magnification to an electronic zoom magnification of a timing when the stabilization switch is turned-on, and gradually increases the optical zoom magnification. Thus, a sudden change of a view angle due to a change of the electronic zoom magnification is suppressed.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.