Image-capturing apparatus, control method for image-capturing apparatus, and program

• US 9,151,933 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2010
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sato, Muneyuki, Okegawa, Shuuji, Osano, Keiji, Nishimura, Yoshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Zhenzhen
• Application Number:
  US13/514,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20120262621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• Field of Search: 348/335, 348/345, 348/360, 348/361, 348/373, 348/375, 348/333.06
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/06 Panoramic objectives; So-called "sky lenses" including panoramic objectives having reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 15/10 by adding a part, e.g. close-up attachment
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/28 Systems for automatic generation of focusing signals
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/565 Optical accessories, e.g. converters for close-up photography, tele-convertors, wide-angle convertors
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/02 with scanning movement of lens or cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/06 involving anamorphosis G03B37/02, G03B37/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/531 being rotatable or detachable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/555 for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

Enabling an ordinary image-capturing apparatus to achieve all-around image-capturing without having a user to perform particularly difficult setting operation.

There is provided an image-capturing apparatus including,

• an image-capturing unit capable of detachably attaching an adapter having an all-around image-capturing optical system for capturing an image of a subject all around the image-capturing apparatus, and having an image-capturing optical system being for capturing a subject in one direction, and an image-capturing device for capturing a subject image incident from the image-capturing optical system,
• an attachment detection unit for detecting whether or not the adapter is attached to the image-capturing unit, and
• a control unit for controlling settings of the image-capturing apparatus in accordance with a characteristic of the all-around image-capturing optical system when the adapter is attached to the image-capturing unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a main body unit;

an image-capturing unit arranged to be rotatable with respect to the main body unit and comprising an image sensor and an optical system optically coupled to the image sensor, wherein the image-capturing unit is configured to detachably couple with an adapter optic configured to provide a 360°

field-of-view;

a rotation detection unit configured to detect a rotated state of the image-capturing unit with respect to the main body unit;

a display unit configured to display a captured image that is output from the image sensor;

an attachment detection unit configured to detect whether or not the adapter optic is coupled to the image-capturing unit; and

a control unit,

wherein, when the adapter optic is not coupled to the image-capturing unit, the control unit is configured to initiate a reverse display function for the display unit, in which the captured image is reversed on the display unit, on the basis of the rotated state being detected by the rotation detection unit, and wherein the control unit is configured to disable, in response to the attachment detection unit detecting that the adapter optic is coupled to the image-capturing unit, the reverse display function.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the display unit is arranged to be rotatable with respect to the main body unit of the apparatus,

wherein the rotation detection unit is configured to detect a rotated state of the display unit with respect to the main body unit, and

wherein, when the adapter optic is not coupled to the image-capturing unit, the control unit is configured to initiate the reverse display function for the display unit on the basis of the rotated state of the display unit being detected by the rotation detection unit.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the adapter optic is not coupled to the image-capturing unit, the control unit is configured to set a first plurality of operating settings representing a first mode of operation of the apparatus, and

when the adapter optic is coupled to the image-capturing unit, the control unit is configured to set a second plurality of operating settings representing a second, 360°

field-of-view, mode of operation of the apparatus.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the adapter optic is coupled to the image-capturing unit, the control unit controls an angle of view of the captured image obtained from the second mode of operation.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when the adapter optic is coupled to the image-capturing unit, the control unit controls the angle of view of the captured image by moving a zoom lens of the optical system to a predetermined position.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when the adapter optic is coupled to the image-capturing unit, the control unit controls the angle of view of the captured image by changing the image size.

7. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit is configured to change a control method for a focal point position of the optical system on the basis of whether or not the adapter optic is coupled to the image-capturing unit.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a focal point of the adapter optic is positioned inside of or in proximity to the adapter optic.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein when the adapter optic is coupled to the image-capturing unit, the control unit limits an adjustment range of the focal point position of the optical system with an autofocus function to remain inside of or in proximity to the adapter optic.

10. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the adapter optic is coupled to the image-capturing unit, the control unit limits an evaluation target region of an exposure control of the captured image output from the image sensor to a region within a ring-shaped image obtained from the second mode of operation.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to change settings of an image-capturing auxiliary function on the basis of whether or not the adapter optic is coupled to the image-capturing unit.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the adapter optic is attached to the image-capturing unit, the control unit limits an evaluation target region of an autofocus function to a ring-shaped portion centered around a center of a ring-shaped image.

12. A control method for an apparatus including an image-capturing unit configured to detachably couple with an adapter optic configured to provide a 360°

field-of-view, the control method comprising;

detecting whether or not the adapter optic is coupled to the image-capturing unit; and

in response to detecting that the adapter optic is coupled to the image-capturing unit, disabling a reverse display function of the apparatus in which a captured image displayed on a display unit of the apparatus is reversed on the display unit as a result of the apparatus detecting that the image-capturing unit is rotated relative to a body of the apparatus.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage device comprising a program for an apparatus including an image-capturing unit configured to detachably couple with an adapter optic configured to provide a 360°

field-of-view, the program causing the image-capturing apparatus to execute the steps of;

detecting whether or not the adapter optic is coupled to the image-capturing unit; and

in response to detecting that the adapter optic is coupled to the image-capturing unit, disabling a reverse display function of the apparatus in which a captured image displayed on a display unit of the apparatus is reversed on the display unit as a result of the apparatus detecting that the image-capturing unit is rotated relative to a body of the apparatus.