IMAGING METHOD

• US 20140232928A1
• Filed: 04/28/2014
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: ONO, Shuji
• Granted Patent: US 9,270,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/349
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0075 with means for altering, e.g. increasing, the depth of field or depth of focus
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/10 Bifocal lenses; Multifocal lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/34 using different areas in a pupil plane
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/38 measured at different points on the optical axis , e.g. focussing on two or more planes and comparing image data
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/36 Autofocus systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof

Abstract

An aspect of the present invention is an imaging method using a multifocal lens having a plurality of regions, the plurality of regions having different focal lengths, and the imaging method includes a focusing state control step of controlling a focusing state of the multifocal lens, and an imaging step of obtaining an image of a subject in the controlled focusing state. In the focusing state control step, the focusing state is controlled so that a main subject is focused via a region with a shortest required focusing time among the plurality of regions in response to a picture taking instruction.

Claims

1. An imaging method using a multifocal lens having a plurality of regions, the plurality of regions having different focal lengths, the method comprising:

a focusing state control step of controlling a focusing state of the multifocal lens; and

an imaging step of obtaining an image of a subject in the controlled focusing state,

wherein in the focusing state control step, the focusing state is controlled so that a main subject is focused via a region with a shortest required focusing time among the plurality of regions in response to a picture taking instruction.

2. The imaging method according to claim 1, wherein

in the focusing state control step, control is performed so that the main subject is focused via a main region having a largest area among the plurality of regions.

3. The imaging method according to claim 1, wherein

after the picture-taking instruction and before the focusing state control step is performed, an image is obtained in all of the plurality of regions with the focusing state being kept at the picture-taking instruction.

4. The imaging method according to claim 1, further comprising

a step of recording the obtained image and imaging time information indicating a time from the picture-taking instruction to image obtainment in association with each other.

5. The imaging method according to claim 1, further comprising

a step of recording the obtained image and focusing degree information indicating a focusing degree of the obtained image in association with each other.

6. The imaging method according to claim 1, further comprising

a step of recording the obtained image and imaging region information indicating from which area the obtained image is obtained in association with each other.

7. An imaging method using a multifocal lens having a plurality of regions, the plurality of regions having different focal lengths, the method comprising:

a focusing state control step of controlling a focusing state of the multifocal lens; and

an imaging step of obtaining an image of a subject in the controlled focusing state, wherein in response to a picture taking instruction,

in the focusing state control step, control is performed so that a main subject is focused via a region with a shortest required focusing time among the plurality of regions, and the image of the subject is obtained in the imaging step, and subsequently

in the focusing state control step, control is performed so that the main subject is focused via a main region having a largest area among the plurality of regions, and the image of the subject is obtained in the imaging step.

8. The imaging method according to claim 7, wherein

after the picture-taking instruction and before the focusing state control step is performed, an image is obtained in all of the plurality of regions with the focusing state being kept at the picture-taking instruction.

9. The imaging method according to claim 7, further comprising

a step of recording the obtained image and imaging time information indicating a time from the picture-taking instruction to image obtainment in association with each other.

10. The imaging method according to claim 7, further comprising

a step of recording the obtained image and focusing degree information indicating a focusing degree of the obtained image in association with each other.

11. The imaging method according to claim 7, further comprising

a step of recording the obtained image and imaging region information indicating from which area the obtained image is obtained in association with each other.

12. An imaging method using a multifocal lens having a plurality of regions, the plurality of regions having different focal lengths, the method comprising:

a focusing state control step of controlling a focusing state of the multifocal lens; and

an imaging step of obtaining an image of a subject in the controlled focusing state, wherein

in response to a picture-taking instruction, at least one of the following is continuously performed to obtain a moving image of the subject;

performing control so that a main subject is focused via a region with a shortest required focusing time among the plurality of regions in the focusing state control step and obtaining an image of the subject in the imaging step; and

performing control so that the main subject is focused via a main region having a largest area among the plurality of regions in the focusing state control step and obtaining the image of the subject in the imaging step.

13. The imaging method according to claim 12, further comprising

a step of recording the obtained image and imaging time information indicating a time from the picture-taking instruction to image obtainment in association with each other.

14. The imaging method according to claim 12, further comprising

a step of recording the obtained image and focusing degree information indicating a focusing degree of the obtained image in association with each other.

15. The imaging method according to claim 12, further comprising

a step of recording the obtained image and imaging region information indicating from which area the obtained image is obtained in association with each other.

16. An imaging method using a multifocal lens having a plurality of regions, the plurality of regions having different focal lengths, the method comprising:

a focusing state control step of controlling a focusing state of the multifocal lens;

an imaging step of obtaining an image of a subject in the controlled focusing state; and

a step of recording the obtained image and imaging time information indicating a time from a picture-taking instruction to image obtainment in association with each other, wherein

in the focusing state control step, the focusing state is controlled so that a main subject is focused via any of the plurality of regions in response to a picture-taking instruction.

17. The imaging method according to claim 16, further comprising

a step of recording the obtained image and focusing degree information indicating a focusing degree of the obtained image in association with each other.

18. The imaging method according to claim 16, further comprising

a step of recording the obtained image and imaging region information indicating from which area the obtained image is obtained in association with each other.