A new image-stabilization method by transferring electric charges

We have developed a new image stabilization method that utilizes electric charge transfer in the vertical transfer register of a CCD image sensor. This method repeats a series of actions including one or more continuous exposures according to the degree of camera shake, transferring, and adding electric charges in the vertical transfer registers to correct image blurs. This method can only correct blurs in the direction parallel to the vertical transfer registers, however it does not require mechanical components, external memory, or digital image processing circuits. Consequently, we can apply it in the direction of a single axis when executing biaxial blur correction to a camera that performs blur correction by means of drive control of the optical system in order to realize more compact cameras and reduce costs (1). Index Terms--CCD, time delay integration, electric charges, digital cameras, image-stabilization.