IMAGING DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20130022342A1
• Filed: 07/13/2012
• Published: 01/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TECHNO HORIZON Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Elmo Co., Ltd. (TECHNO HORIZON Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Toguchi, Masaaki, Horike, Tetsuya
• Granted Patent: US 8,582,964 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/82
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/36 Autofocus systems
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2205/0046 Movement of one or more optical elements for zooming for optical zoom lenses in general G02B7/10
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 3/10 Power-operated focusing

Abstract

An imaging device moves a zoom lens, so as to change the magnification of an image of a subject, and obtains a near limit position of a focusing lens to the subject at a zoom lens position. When a target position of the focusing lens, which is required to keep the image in focus after the zoom lens is moved, is located on a near side, i.e., on an imaging plane side, of a threshold position determined based on the obtained near limit position, focus control is performed to move the focusing lens and thereby focus. When the target position of the focusing lens is not located on the near side but is located on a subject side of the threshold position, on the other hand, focus control is performed to move the zoom lens to a wider position and subsequently move the focusing lens to focus the image.

Claims

1. An imaging device that takes an image of a subject by focusing the image on an imaging plane via an optical system including a zoom lens and a focusing lens, the imaging device comprising:

an operation input unit configured to input a zoom operation;

a zoom controller configured to move the zoom lens in response to the input zoom operation, so as to change a magnification of the image;

a near limit position acquirer configured to obtain a near limit position of the focusing lens to the subject at a zoom lens position, to which the zoom lens is moved by the zoom controller; and

a focus controller configured to move the focusing lens in such a range that the focusing lens is not located on a near side of the near limit position, every time the zoom lens is moved by the zoom controller, so as to focus the image on the imaging plane, wherein

when a target position of the focusing lens, which is required to keep the image in focus after the zoom lens is moved by the zoom controller, is located on the near side of a threshold position that is specified based on the near limit position, the focus controller moves the zoom lens to a wider position than the zoom lens position, to which the zoom lens is moved by the zoom controller, and subsequently moves the focusing lens to focus the image.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the focus controller analyzes the image on the imaging plane to obtain an evaluation value indicating a focal state on the imaging plane, and

prior to moving the focusing lens to take the image of the subject, the focus controller successively changes a position of the focusing lens with shooting the subject and determines the target position of the focusing lens, based on a variation in evaluation value obtained at every change in position of the focusing lens.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the focus controller moves the zoom lens to a most telephoto position in a shortest shooting distance, as moving the zoom lens to the wider position.

4. An imaging device that takes an image of a subject by focusing the image on an imaging plane via an optical system including a zoom lens and a focusing lens, the imaging device comprising:

an operation input unit configured to input a zoom operation;

a zoom controller configured to move the zoom lens in response to the input zoom operation, so as to change a magnification of the image;

a shortest shooting distance acquirer configured to obtain a shortest shooting distance of the subject at a zoom lens position, to which the zoom lens is moved by the zoom controller;

a focus controller configured to move the focusing lens every time the zoom lens is moved by the zoom controller, so as to focus the image on the imaging plane; and

an actual shooting distance acquirer configured to obtain an actual shooting distance to the subject, wherein

when the actual shooting distance is less than the shortest shooting distance, the focus controller moves the zoom lens to a wider position than the zoom lens position, to which the zoom lens is moved by the zoom controller, and subsequently moves the focusing lens to focus the image.

5. The imaging device according to claim 4, further comprising:

a main unit;

a camera configured to have the optical system;

an arm coupled with the main unit and configured to have the camera attached on one end thereof; and

an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust at least an angle of inclination of the arm to the main unit, so as to change a distance from the subject to the imaging plane, wherein

the actual distance acquirer obtains the actual shooting distance to the subject from a state of the adjustment mechanism.

6. The imaging device according to claim 4, wherein

the focus controller moves the zoom lens to a most telephoto position in a shortest shooting distance, as moving the zoom lens to the wider position.

7. A method of controlling an imaging device that takes an image of a subject by focusing the image on an imaging plane via an optical system including a zoom lens and a focusing lens, the method comprising:

inputting a zoom operation;

performing zoom control to move the zoom lens in response to the input zoom operation, so as to change a magnification of the image;

obtaining a near limit position of the focusing lens to the subject at a zoom lens position, to which the zoom lens is moved by the zoom control; and

performing focus control to move the focusing lens in such a range that the focusing lens is not located on a near side of the near limit position, every time the zoom lens is moved by the zoom control, so as to focus the image on the imaging plane, wherein

when a target position of the focusing lens, which is required to keep the image in focus after the zoom lens is moved by the zoom control, is located on the near side of a threshold position that is specified based on the near limit position, the focus control moves the zoom lens to a wider position than the zoom lens position, to which the zoom lens is moved by the zoom control, and subsequently moves the focusing lens to focus the image.

8. A method of controlling an imaging device that takes an image of a subject by focusing the image on an imaging plane via an optical system including a zoom lens and a focusing lens, the method comprising:

inputting a zoom operation;

performing zoom control to move the zoom lens in response to the input zoom operation, so as to change a magnification of the image;

obtaining a shortest shooting distance of the subject at a zoom lens position, to which the zoom lens is moved by the zoom control;

performing focus control to move the focusing lens every time the zoom lens is moved by the zoom control, so as to focus the image on the imaging plane; and

obtaining an actual shooting distance to the subject, wherein when the actual shooting distance is less than the shortest shooting distance, the focus control moves the zoom lens to a wider position than the zoom lens position, to which the zoom lens is moved by the zoom control, and subsequently moves the focusing lens to focus the image.