Imaging apparatus capable of detecting motion amount of an object and control method thereof

• US 8,488,006 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2009
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Miyazaki, Yasuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): LAM, HUNG H
• Application Number:
  US12/354,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20090179994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,642 Days
• Field of Search: 348/231.99, 348/135, 348/208.1, 348/208.6, 348/208.5, 348/208.3, 348/208.4, 348/221.1, 348/362, 725/105
• US Class Current: 348/208.3
• 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 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6811 based on the image signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6815 by distinguishing pan or tilt from motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/72 Combination of two or more compensation controls
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time

Abstract

An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit configured to capture an image of an object to acquire image data; a display unit configured to display the image captured by the imaging unit; a motion detection unit configured to detect information about motion of the object and the background in a display image based on image data acquired by the imaging unit; a determination unit configured to determine whether the imaging apparatus is taking a panning shot from a result detected by the motion detection unit; and an exposure control unit configured to execute exposure control to decrease the amount of motion of the object and the background in the display image based on a result detected by the motion detection unit, wherein the exposure control unit executes exposure control based on a result detected by the motion detection unit when the imaging apparatus is determined not to be taking a panning shot by the determination unit and, when the imaging apparatus is determined to be taking a panning shot by the determination unit, executes different exposure control compared to a case when the imaging apparatus is determined not to be taking a panning shot.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging unit configured to capture an image comprising an object and its background;

a motion detection unit configured to detect information about motion of the object and the background of the image based on image data acquired by the imaging unit;

a determination unit configured to determine whether the imaging apparatus is being used to take a panning shot; and

an exposure control unit configured to execute exposure control such that, when the determination unit determines that the imaging apparatus is not being used to take a panning shot and the amount of motion of an object is not less than a predetermined value, the exposure control unit executes a first exposure control to suppress the motion of the object in the image, based on a result detected by the motion detection unit, and when the determining unit determines that the imaging apparatus is being used to take a panning shot, the exposure control unit executes a second exposure control different to the first exposure control,

wherein the exposure control unit does not set an exposure control value of main exposure in the second exposure control, based on a result detected by the motion detection unit.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit is configured to determine whether the imaging apparatus is being used to take a panning shot based on the result detected by the motion detection unit.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit configured to display the image captured by the imaging unit.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the motion detection unit is configured to detect information about the motion of the imaging apparatus, and

wherein the determination unit is configured to determine whether the imaging apparatus is being used to take a panning shot based on information about motion of the object and the background of the image and information about the motion the imaging apparatus.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the exposure control unit sets at least one of a shutter speed, an aperture value, and a gain value of main exposure in the first exposure control, based on a result detected by the motion detection unit.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the exposure control unit is configured to set a faster shutter speed as the amount of motion of the object or the background increases in the first exposure control.

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

a shake correction unit configured to execute correction of blurring of the image due to shake of the imaging apparatus, wherein the shake correction unit performs imaging apparatus shake correction with a reduced amount of correction when the imaging apparatus is determined to be taking a panning shot by the determination unit, compared with a correction amount when the imaging apparatus is determined not to be taking a panning shot.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit is configured to determine that the imaging apparatus is taking a panning shot when the background of the image is moving and the amount of motion of the object of the image is smaller than a predetermined value.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit is configured to determine that the imaging apparatus is taking a panning shot when the background of the image is moving, the amount of motion of the object of the image is smaller than a predetermined value set beforehand and a direction of motion of the imaging apparatus is constant.

10. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

an imaging mode setting unit configured to set a shooting mode from a plurality of shooting modes including a first imaging mode and a second panning mode; and

wherein the determination unit is configured to determine whether the first imaging mode has been set and the imaging apparatus is not being used to take a panning shot or whether the second panning mode has been set and the imaging apparatus is being used to take a panning shot.

11. A method for controlling an imaging apparatus including an imaging unit configured to capture an image comprising an object and a background, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting information about motion of the object and the background in the image, based on image data acquired by the imaging unit;

determining whether the imaging apparatus is being used to take a panning shot;

executing a first exposure control to suppress the motion of the object in the image, based on the detected information about motion of the object and the background in the image, when it is determined that the imaging apparatus is not being used to take a panning shot and the amount of motion of an object is not less than a predetermined value; and

executing a second exposure control different to the first exposure control when it is determined that the imaging apparatus is being used to take a panning shot, wherein the second exposure control does not set an exposure control value of main exposure based on the detected information about motion of the object and the background in the image.

12. A method for controlling an imaging apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the determining step comprises determining whether the imaging apparatus is taking a panning shot from the detected information about motion of the object and the background in the image.

13. A method for controlling an imaging apparatus according to claim 11 comprising the step of

setting a shooting mode from a plurality of shooting modes including a first imaging mode and a second panning mode,

and wherein the determining step comprises determining whether the first imaging mode has been set and the imaging apparatus is not being used to take a panning shot or whether the second panning mode has been set and the imaging apparatus is being used to take a panning shot.