Image capturing device and image capturing method

• US 9,106,837 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2012
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Itoh, Kei, Ito, Yoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Haskins, Twyler
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garces-Rivera, Angel L
• Application Number:
  US13/978,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20130278809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 13/20 Rangefinders coupled with focusing arrangements, e.g. adjustment of rangefinder automatically focusing camera
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/36 Autofocus systems
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/18 Signals indicating condition of a camera member or suitability of light indicating depth of field G03B13/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• 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 23/675 comprising setting of focusing regions

Abstract

An image capturing device includes: an image capturing unit that captures a subject image through a lens and converts the subject image into an electric signal; an image displaying unit that displays an image; a designation accepting unit that is provided on a display surface of the image displaying unit and that accepts designation of a plurality of positions on the image displayed on the image displaying unit; a range-finding unit that performs range finding of a distance to a subject by using a plurality of two-dimensional image sensors; an area setting unit that sets a range-finding area obtained from a range finding result for a region that includes the plurality of positions designated through the designation accepting unit; a position determining unit that determines in-focus positions based on distances of the range-finding areas; and a continuous shooting unit that performs image capturing at the in-focus positions.

Claims

1. An image capturing device comprising:

an image capturing unit that captures a subject image through a lens and converts the subject image into an electric signal;

an image displaying unit that displays an image based on the electric signal from the image capturing unit;

a designation accepting unit

that is provided on a display surface of the image displaying unit, and

that accepts designation of a plurality of positions on the image displayed on the image displaying unit;

a range-finding unit that performs range finding of a distance to a subject by using a plurality of two-dimensional image sensors;

an area setting unit that sets a range-finding area obtained from a range finding result that is output from the range-finding unit for a region that includes the plurality of positions designated through the designation accepting unit;

a position determining unit that determines a plurality of in-focus positions of focus areas based on distances of the range-finding areas set by the area setting unit, at least one focus area of the focus areas corresponding to a combination of a plurality of areas having similar distances; and

a continuous shooting unit that performs image capturing at the plurality of the in-focus positions determined by the position determining unit.

2. The image capturing device according to claim 1, further comprising a face-area detecting unit that detects a face area of the subject, wherein

the area setting unit sets, when the face-area detecting unit has detected a face area, an area that overlaps the detected face area as the range-finding area.

3. The image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein

the designation accepting unit accepts, at once, designation of a plurality of positions designated by a touch-and-drag operation performed on the designation accepting unit.

4. The image capturing device according to claim 3, wherein

when a plurality of positions designated by the touch-and-drag operation are accepted by the designation accepting unit, the plurality of the positions are determined by first performing a touch operation that determines a first position, subsequently by performing a drag operation that determines the plurality of the positions so that the plurality of the positions except the first position are included in a track generated by the drag operation, and finally by performing a detach operation that determines a last position.

5. The image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein

a frame that indicates a focus area in which an in-focus position is to be determined within a region that includes a plurality of positions designated at once through the designation accepting unit from a user is displayed on the image that is displayed on the image displaying unit.

6. The image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein

the designation accepting unit includes a touch panel.

8. The image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the range-finding unit performs the range finding, without preforming a hill-climbing process.

7. An image capturing method for capturing an image in an image capturing device that includes

an image capturing unit that captures a subject image through a lens and converts the subject image into an electric signal;

an image displaying unit that displays an image based on the electric signal from the image capturing unit;

a designation accepting unit

that is provided on a display surface of the image displaying unit, and

that accepts designation of a plurality of positions on the image displayed on the image displaying unit; and

a range-finding unit that performs range finding of a distance to a subject by using a plurality of two-dimensional image sensors, the image capturing method comprising;

setting, by an area setting unit of the image capturing device, a range-finding area obtained from a range finding result that is output from the range-finding unit for a region that includes the plurality of positions designated through the designation accepting unit;

determining, by a position determining unit of the image capturing device, a plurality of in-focus positions of focus areas based on distances of the range-finding areas set by the area setting unit, at least one focus area of the focus areas corresponding to a combination of a plurality of areas having similar distances; and

performing, by a continuous shooting unit of the image capturing device, image capturing at the plurality of in-focus positions determined by the position determining unit.