FOCUS CONTROL APPARATUS AND FOCUS CONTROL METHOD

• US 20150168809A1
• Filed: 11/06/2014
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: KAMIYA, Koji, MATSUMURA, Hiroaki
• Granted Patent: US 9,787,891 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/16 combined with focusing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/24 Focusing screens
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/36 Autofocus systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/663 for controlling interchangeable camera parts based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects

Abstract

There is provided a focus control apparatus including: an information acquisition unit that acquires focal distance information of a predetermined position on a 2-dimensional map using the 2-dimensional map of focal distances; and a focus control unit that performs focus control based on the focal distance information which is acquired by the information acquisition unit.

Claims

1. A focus control apparatus comprising:

an information acquisition unit that acquires focal distance information of a predetermined position on a 2-dimensional map using the 2-dimensional map of focal distances; and

a focus control unit that performs focus control based on the focal distance information which is acquired by the information acquisition unit.

2. The focus control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the 2-dimensional map of the focal distances includes focal distance information of a plurality of positions on an imaging screen, and

wherein the information acquisition unit acquires the focal distance information corresponding to a cut-out position, which is set on the imaging screen, using the 2-dimensional map.

3. The focus control apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a map generation unit that generates the 2-dimensional map based on the focal distances of the plurality of positions on the imaging screen.

4. The focus control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the 2-dimensional map of the focal distances includes the focal distance information of a plurality of camera positions within an imaging range, and

wherein the information acquisition unit acquires the focal distance information corresponding to a current camera position using the 2-dimensional map.

5. The focus control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein current camera position information is sent to the information acquisition unit from a potentiometer included in a tripod to which a camera apparatus is fixed.

6. The focus control apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a map generation unit that generates the 2-dimensional map based on the focal distances of the plurality of camera positions.

7. The focus control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an additional adjustment unit that performs additional adjustment on the focal distance with regard to the focal distance information which is acquired by the information acquisition unit,

wherein the focus control unit performs the focus control based on the focal distance information which is adjusted by the additional adjustment unit.

8. The focus control apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

an additional quantity control unit that significantly reduces an absolute value of the quantity of addition of the focal distance which is added by the additional adjustment unit as the quantity of movement of the predetermined position on the 2-dimensional map is large.

9. The focus control apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

a display control unit that displays a state of the quantity of addition which is added by the additional adjustment unit on a view finder.

10. The focus control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a mode setting unit that sets a mode to an automatic focus control mode,

wherein the focus control unit performs the focus control based on the focal distance information, which is acquired by the information acquisition unit, when the mode is set to the automatic focus control mode.

11. A focus control method comprising:

acquiring focal distance information of a predetermined position on a 2-dimensional map using the 2-dimensional map of focal distances; and

causing a focus control unit to perform focus control based on the acquired focal distance information.