Patent ID: 7872671
Filing Date: 2011-01-18
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image pickup apparatus to pick up images by using a solid-state image pickup device, the image pickup apparatus comprising: image signal reading means for reading image signals of a rectangular effective area in an image picked up by the image pickup device, the image pickup device having an aspect ratio associated therewith; effective area setting means for setting an aspect ratio of the effective area and for setting the effective area to the image signal reading means so that pixel signals of all pixels of the image pickup device in one of a vertical direction and a horizontal direction of the effective area are read; camera shake detecting means for detecting camera shake in the image pickup apparatus; camera shake correction means for performing camera shake correction with regard to the camera shake detected by the camera shake detecting means; control means for controlling operation of the image pickup apparatus; means for causing an all pixel reading mode to be turned on in which the pixel signals of all the pixels of the image pickup device in one of the vertical direction and the horizontal direction are read, during the all pixel reading mode (i) the control means determines the aspect ratio of the effective area and the aspect ratio associated with the image pickup device such that when the aspect ratio of the effective area and the aspect ratio associated with the solid-state image pickup device are different a redundant pixel area is provided, (ii) the control means causes the camera shake correction means to perform camera shake correction only in either the vertical direction or the horizontal direction and never in both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction such that when the aspect ratio of the effective area and the aspect ratio associated with the image pickup device are different so that the redundant pixel area is provided in only the other one of the vertical direction and the horizontal direction and when the camera shake detecting means detects a camera shake in the other one of the vertical direction and the horizontal direction camera shake correction is performed in only the other one of the vertical direction and the horizontal direction by shifting the effective area set to the image signal reading means to the other one of the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, and (iii) when the aspect ratio of the effective area matches the aspect ratio associated with the image pickup device, the redundant pixel area is not provided and the camera shake correction means does not perform camera shake correction in either the vertical direction or the horizontal direction.