Image capturing apparatus and image capturing method

• US 20050206774A1
• Filed: 02/01/2005
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tsujimoto, Tokusuke
• Granted Patent: US 7,860,388 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/345
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/673 based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method

Abstract

An image capturing apparatus includes: an image acquisition unit operable to acquire a plurality of captured images at least relating to the focus control among images captured by an image capturing unit; an image comparison unit operable to compare focus states of focus positions of the plurality of captured images acquired by the image acquisition unit; an out-of-focus determination unit operable to determine which captured images are not in focus, the captured images being included in the plurality of captured images compared by the image comparison unit; and an error display signal generating unit operable to generate a signal for displaying an error region on the display unit for the captured image determined to be out-of-focus by the out-of-focus determination unit.

Claims

1. An image capturing apparatus that captures an image of a target subject by image capturing means via focus control of an optical system, displays a captured image on a display means, and records a captured image on a recording medium by recording means, the image capturing apparatus comprising:

image acquisition means for acquiring a plurality of captured images at least relating to the focus control among images captured by the image-capturing means;

image comparison means for comparing focus states of focus positions of the plurality of captured images acquired by the image acquisition means;

out-of-focus determination means for determining which captured images are not in focus, the captured images being included in the plurality of captured images compared by the image comparison means; and

error display signal generating means for generating a signal for displaying an error region at the display means for the captured image determined to be out-of-focus by the out-of-focus determination means.

2. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of captured images relating to the focus control are a plurality of captured images obtained before and after the focus control.

3. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of captured images relating to the focus control include an image displayed on the display means before the focus control, an image displayed on the display means after the focus control and an image displayed on the display means before recording to the recording medium by the recording means.

4. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the error display signal generating means causes to change a display color of the error region to a color different from display colors of other regions.

5. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

image storage means for storing the plurality of captured images compared by the image comparison means; and

image interpolation means for performing interpolation on a captured images based on a result of the out-of-focus determination means, the captured image being one of the plurality of captured images stored in the image storage means and determined to be out-of-focus by the out-of-focus determination means.

6. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

image storage means for storing the plurality of captured images compared by the image comparison means; and

preferable image selection means for performing selection by replacing a captured image, which is determined to be out-of-focus by the out-of-focus determination means, to a more preferable image with better focus, the more preferable image being one of the plurality of captured images stored in the image storage means and selected based on a result of the out-of-focus determination means.

7. An image capturing method of capturing an image of a target subject by image capturing means via focus control of an optical system, displaying a captured image on a display means, and recording a captured image on a recording medium by recording means, the image capturing method comprising the steps of:

acquiring a plurality of captured images at least relating to the focus control among images captured by an image-capturing means;

comparing focus states of focus positions of the plurality of captured images acquired by the image acquisition;

determining which captured images are not in focus, the captured images being included in the plurality of captured images compared by the image comparison; and

generating a signal for displaying an error region on the display means for the captured image determined to be out-of-focus by the out-of-focus determination.

8. An image capturing apparatus that captures an image of a target subject by an image capturing unit via focus control of an optical system, displays a captured image on a display unit, and records a captured image on a recording medium by a recording unit, the image capturing apparatus comprising:

an image acquisition unit operable to acquire a plurality of captured images at least relating to the focus control among images captured by the image capturing unit;

an image comparison unit operable to compare focus states of focus positions of the plurality of captured images acquired by the image acquisition unit;

an out-of-focus determination unit operable to determine which captured images are not in focus, the captured images being included in the plurality of captured images compared by the image comparison unit; and

an error display signal generating unit operable to generate a signal for displaying an error region on the display unit for the captured image determined to be out-of-focus by the out-of-focus determination unit.