Image capturing apparatus with management and correction of inclinations

摘要

An image capturing apparatus includes a body that can be freely inclined relative to a predetermined reference axis through the effect of a rotation about a certain axis of rotation, an optical sensor device capable of capturing luminous radiation incident thereon and of converting it so that it can be stored into a physical medium in the form of a captured image, wherein the optical sensor device is mechanically coupled to the body of the apparatus in a manner such that it can be made capable of controllably rotating about the axis of rotation, an inclination sensor adapted to detect the angular offset of the optical sensor device with respect to the predetermined reference axis, a motor adapted to rotate the optical sensor device about the axis of rotation when it is made capable of controllably rotating about the axis of rotation by the motor, a processor and controller associated with the inclination sensor and with the motor and adapted to change the inclination of the optical sensor device through the motor depending on the angular offset detected by the inclination sensor with respect to the predetermined reference axis.

主权项

1. An apparatus for capturing one or more images, comprising:
a body that can be freely tilted relative to a predetermined reference axis through the effect of a rotation about a certain axis of rotation, said axis of rotation being fixed with respect to the apparatus; an optical sensor device capable of capturing luminous radiation incident thereon and of converting the luminous radiation so that the luminous radiation can be stored into a physical medium in the form of a captured image, wherein said optical sensor device is mechanically coupled to the body of said apparatus in a manner such that the optical sensor device can be controllably rotating about said axis of rotation; an inclination sensor adapted to detect an angular offset of said optical sensor device with respect to said predetermined reference axis; a motor adapted to rotate said optical sensor device about said axis of rotation when the optical sensor device it is made capable of being controllably rotated about said axis of rotation by said motor; processing and control unit associated with said inclination sensor and with said motor and adapted to change the inclination of said optical sensor device through said motor depending on the angular offset detected by said inclination sensor with respect to said predetermined reference axis; and a mechanical coupler associated with the processing and control unit, wherein the mechanical coupler is adapted, under control of said processing and control unit, to:
mechanically couple the optical sensor device to the body of the capturing apparatus rigidly and decouple the optical sensor device from the motor when said change of inclination is not performed, orrotatably couple the optical sensor device to the motor and decouple the optical sensor device from the body when said change of inclination is performed.