CONTROL APPARATUS, CAMERA APPARATUS, FLYING OBJECT, CONTROL METHOD AND PROGRAM

• US 20200130862A1
• Filed: 12/24/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Inventors: HONJO, Kenichi, NAGAYAMA, Yoshinori
• Granted Patent: US 11,066,182 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/02 characterised by special use
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/28 Systems for automatic generation of focusing signals
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/36 Autofocus systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/04 Control of altitude or depth
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/704 Pixels specially adapted for focusing, e.g. phase difference pixel sets

Abstract

A control apparatus, a camera apparatus, a flying object, a control method and a program are provided. The control apparatus is configured to control a driving of a focus lens included in a camera apparatus. The control apparatus includes a memory, storing a program; and a processor, configured to execute the program to set a drive range of the focus lens based on a height of the camera apparatus away from a reference position, and control the driving of the focus lens in the drive range.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for controlling a driving of a focus lens included in a camera apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a memory, storing a program; and

a processor, configured to execute the program to set a drive range of the focus lens based on a height of the camera apparatus away from a reference position and control the driving of the focus lens in the drive range.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

when the height of the camera apparatus away from the reference position is greater than a threshold value, the processor is configured to execute the program to set the drive range as a first drive range, to provide the drive range of the focus lens.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

when the height of the camera apparatus away from the reference position is less than or equal to the threshold value, the processor is configured to execute the program to set the drive range as a second drive range which is larger than the first drive range.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the first drive range is a drive range within which a subject is able to be focused, and the drive range is between a first distance and a second distance of the subject away from the camera apparatus, the second distance being farther than the first distance; and

the second drive range is a drive range within which a subject is able to be focused, and the drive range is between a third distance and a second distance of the subject away from the camera apparatus, the third distance being closer to the first distance.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the second distance is infinity.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

when the camera apparatus is mounted on a flying object and the height of the camera apparatus away from the reference position is greater than the threshold value, the processor is configured to execute the program to set the drive range as the first drive range.

7. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

when the camera apparatus is mounted on a flying object and the height of the camera apparatus is less than or equal to the threshold value, the processor is configured to execute the program to set the drive range as the second drive range.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the processor is configured to execute the program to control the driving of the focus lens during an autofocusing process in the drive range set by the processor.

9. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

when the camera apparatus is not mounted on a flying object, the processor is configured to execute the program to set the drive range as the second drive range.

10. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

when a connection target of the camera apparatus is other than a flying object or there is no connection target of the camera apparatus, the processor is configured to execute the program to set the drive rage as the second drive range.

11. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:

when a connection target of the camera apparatus is other than a flying object or there is no connection target of the camera apparatus, the processor is configured to execute the program to set the drive rage as the second drive range.

12. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein:

when a connection target of the camera apparatus is other than a flying object or there is no connection target of the camera apparatus, the processor is configured to execute the program to set the drive rage as the second drive range.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein:

when a connection target of the camera apparatus is other than a flying object or there is no connection target of the camera apparatus, the processor is configured to execute the program to set the drive rage as the second drive range.

14. A camera apparatus, comprising:

a control apparatus, comprising;

a memory storing a program, and

a processor, configured to execute the program to set a drive range of a focus lens based on a height of the camera apparatus away from a reference position, and control a driving of the focus lens in the drive range; and

an image sensor, configured to capture an optical image formed by the focus lens.

15. A flying object, comprising:

a camera apparatus, including the camera apparatus according to claim 14.

16. A control method for controlling a driving of a focus lens included in a camera apparatus, the method comprising:

setting a drive range of the focus lens based on a height of the camera apparatus away from a reference position; and

controlling the driving of the focus lens in the drive range.

17. The control method according to claim 16, further comprising:

when the height of the camera apparatus away from the reference position is greater than a threshold value, setting the drive range as a first drive range, to provide the drive range of the focus lens.

18. The control method according to claim 17, further comprising:

when the height of the camera apparatus away from the reference position is less than or equal to the threshold value, setting the drive range as a second drive range which is larger than the first drive range.

19. The control method according to claim 18, wherein:

the first drive range is a drive range within which a subject is able to be focused, and the drive range is between a first distance and a second distance of the subject away from the camera apparatus, the second distance being farther than the first distance; and

the second drive range is a drive range within which a subject is able to be focused, and the drive range is between a third distance and a second distance of the subject away from the camera apparatus, the third distance being closer to the first distance.

20. The control method according to claim 19, wherein the second distance is infinity.