IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM AND LENS APPARATUS

• US 20110001822A1
• Filed: 05/18/2009
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kanayama, Masaomi
• Granted Patent: US 9,335,610 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/142
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/36 Autofocus systems
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/18 Signals indicating condition of a camera member or suitability of light indicating depth of field G03B13/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/663 for controlling interchangeable camera parts based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/672 based on the phase difference signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming

Abstract

The image pickup system includes a lens apparatus (1) and a camera (2) configured to perform image pickup of objects in an image pickup area using the lens apparatus. The lens apparatus includes a ranging sensor (120) configured to simultaneously detect object distances in plural ranging areas set in the image pickup area. The image pickup system includes an output image generator (203) configured to generate an output image containing (a) a captured image captured by the camera and (b) distance information showing at least one of the object distance detected by the ranging sensor in each of the plural ranging areas and a difference between the detected object distances. The image pickup system is capable of displaying the object distances to plural objects or a difference therebetween without performing focusing for the respective objects.

Claims

1. An image pickup system comprising:

a lens apparatus; and

a camera configured to perform moving image pickup of objects in an image pickup area through the lens apparatus,

wherein the lens apparatus includes a ranging sensor configured to simultaneously detect object distances in plural ranging areas set in the image pickup area,

wherein the image pickup system includes an output image generator configured to generate an output moving image containing (a) a captured moving image captured by the camera and (b) distance information showing at least one of the object distance detected by the ranging sensor in each of the plural ranging areas and a difference between the detected object distances, and

wherein the ranging sensor is a phase difference detector which is configured to detect a phase difference between object images formed with light entering the lens apparatus.

3. An image pickup system according to claim 1,

wherein the lens apparatus includes a ranging position outputting part which is configured to output position information showing a position of each of the ranging areas, and

wherein the output image generator generates the output image in which the distance information is superimposed on the captured moving image at a position determined according to the position information.

4. An image pickup system according to claim 1, further comprising a ranging area changer configured to change at least one of positions, sizes and a number of the plural ranging areas.

2. (canceled)

5. A lens apparatus used for an image pickup system which includes a camera configured to perform moving image pickup of objects in an image pickup area through the lens apparatus, the lens apparatus comprising:

a ranging sensor configured to simultaneously detect object distances in plural ranging areas set in the image pickup area,

wherein the image pickup system includes an output image generator configured to generate an output moving image containing (a) a captured moving image captured by the camera and (b) distance information showing at least one of the object distance detected by the ranging sensor in each of the plural ranging areas and a difference between the detected object distances,

wherein the ranging sensor is a phase difference detector which is configured to detect a phase difference between object images formed with light entering the lens apparatus.

6. A lens apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the lens apparatus further comprises a distance information generator configured to generate the distance information based on the phase difference.

7. A lens apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a focus controller configured to perform focus control based on the phase difference detected by the phase difference detector.