Focusing control device, imaging device, focusing control method, and focusing control program

• US 9,912,859 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2017
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhang, Yitong
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Chia-Wei A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Morehead, III, John H
• Application Number:
  US15/629,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20170289441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 257 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/36 Autofocus systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/165 using facial parts and geometric relationships
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/166 using acquisition arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor
• 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 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/673 based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/675 comprising setting of focusing regions

Abstract

Disclosed are a focusing control device, an imaging device, a focusing control method, and a focusing control program capable of enabling focusing on an eye region and obtaining an intended focusing result. The focusing control device includes a focusing position determination unit 34 which determines a focusing position based on a captured image signal obtained by imaging a subject with an imaging element 5 while moving a focus lens, and an AF region determination unit 33 which determines an AF region based on a face region detected from a captured image signal obtained through imaging with the imaging element 5 at an arbitrary time and an eye region detected from a captured image signal obtained through imaging at a time before the arbitrary time. The focus lens is driven to the focusing position determined by the focusing position determination unit 34 based on a signal of the AF region.

Claims

1. A focusing control device comprising:

a focusing position determination unit which causes an imaging element imaging a subject through a focus lens to image the subject for each position of the focus lens while moving the focus lens movable in an optical axis direction and determines a focusing position of the focus lens based on a captured image signal obtained through the imaging;

a face detection unit which performs face detection processing on the captured image signal obtained by imaging the subject with the imaging element;

an eye detection unit which performs eye detection processing on the captured image signal obtained by imaging the subject with the imaging element;

a specific region determination unit which, based on a face region detected by the face detection unit from a first captured image signal obtained through imaging with the imaging element at an arbitrary time and an eye region detected by the eye detection unit from a second captured image signal obtained through imaging with the imaging element at a time before the arbitrary time, determines a specific region indicating a region to be focused in the captured image signal;

at least one hardware processor configured to implement;

the focusing position determination unit;

the face detection unit;

the eye detection unit; and

the specific region determination unit; and

a drive unit which drives the focus lens to a focusing position determined by the focusing position determination unit based on a signal of the specific region determined by the specific region determination unit in the captured image signal.

2. The focusing control device according to claim 1,

wherein, in a case where a center of the eye region exists outside the face region, the specific region determination unit determines the face region as the specific region.

3. The focusing control device according to claim 1,

wherein, in a case where a center of the eye region exists inside the face region, the specific region determination unit compares a first focusing position of the focus lens determined by the focusing position determination unit based on a signal of the face region in the captured image signal with a second focusing position of the focus lens determined by the focusing position determination unit based on a signal of the eye region in the captured image signal to determine either of the face region or the eye region as the specific region.

4. The focusing control device according to claim 3,

wherein, in a case where a difference between the first focusing position and the second focusing position is less than a first threshold value and the second focusing position is on the imaging element side from the first focusing position, the specific region determination unit determines the eye region as the specific region.

5. The focusing control device according to claim 3,

wherein, in a case where the second focusing position is indeterminable, the specific region determination unit compares a third focusing position of the focus lens determined by the focusing position determination unit based on a signal of an enlarged eye region obtained by enlarging the eye region in the captured image signal with the first focusing position to determine either of the face region or the enlarged eye region as the specific region.

6. The focusing control device according to claim 5,

wherein, in a case where a difference between the first focusing position and the third focusing position is less than a second threshold value and the third focusing position is on the imaging element side from the first focusing position, the specific region determination unit determines the enlarged eye region as the specific region.

7. The focusing control device according to claim 5,

wherein the specific region determination unit deviates a center of the enlarged eye region in a direction to come closer to a center of the face region than the center of the eye region.

8. The focusing control device according to claim 7,

wherein the specific region determination unit excludes a portion in the enlarged eye region outside the face region from the enlarged eye region.

9. An imaging device comprising:

the focusing control device according to claim 1; and

the imaging element.

10. A focusing control method comprising:

a focusing position determination step of causing an imaging element imaging a subject through a focus lens to image the subject for each position of the focus lens while moving the focus lens movable in an optical axis direction and determining a focusing position of the focus lens based on a captured image signal obtained through the imaging;

a face detection step of performing face detection processing on the captured image signal obtained by imaging the subject with the imaging element;

an eye detection step of performing eye detection processing on the captured image signal obtained by imaging the subject with the imaging element;

a specific region determination step of, based on a face region detected in the face detection step from a first captured image signal obtained through imaging with the imaging element at an arbitrary time and an eye region detected in the eye detection step from a second captured image signal obtained through imaging with the imaging element at a time before the arbitrary time, determining a specific region indicating a region to be focused in the captured image signal; and

a drive step of driving the focus lens to a focusing position determined in the focusing position determination step based on a signal of the specific region determined in the specific region determination step in the captured image signal.

11. The focusing control method according to claim 10,

wherein, in the specific region determination step, in a case where a center of the eye region exists outside the face region, the face region is determined as the specific region.

12. The focusing control method according to claim 10,

wherein, in the specific region determination step, in a case where a center of the eye region exists inside the face region, a first focusing position of the focus lens determined in the focusing position determination step based on a signal of the face region in the captured image signal is compared with a second focusing position of the focus lens determined in the focusing position determination step based on a signal of the eye region in the captured image signal to determine either of the face region or the eye region as the specific region.

13. The focusing control method according to claim 12,

wherein, in the specific region determination step, in a case where a difference between the first focusing position and the second focusing position is less than a first threshold value and the second focusing position is on the imaging element side from the first focusing position, the eye region is determined as the specific region.

14. The focusing control method according to claim 12,

wherein, in the specific region determination step, in a case where the second focusing position is indeterminable, a third focusing position of the focus lens determined in the focusing position determination step based on a signal of an enlarged eye region including the eye region and being greater than the eye region in the captured image signal is compared with the first focusing position to determine either of the face region or the enlarged eye region as the specific region.

15. The focusing control method according to claim 14,

wherein, in the specific region determination step, in a case where a difference between the first focusing position and the third focusing position is less than a second threshold value and the third focusing position is on the imaging element side from the first focusing position, the enlarged eye region is determined as the specific region.

16. The focusing control method according to claim 14,

wherein, in the specific region determination step, a center of the enlarged eye region is deviated in a direction to come closer to a center of the face region than the center of the eye region.

17. The focusing control method according to claim 16,

wherein, in the specific region determination step, a portion in the enlarged eye region outside the face region is excluded from the enlarged eye region.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a focusing control program which causes a computer to execute:

a focusing position determination step of causing an imaging element imaging a subject through a focus lens to image the subject for each position of the focus lens while moving the focus lens movable in an optical axis direction and determining a focusing position of the focus lens based on a captured image signal obtained through the imaging;

a face detection step of performing face detection processing on the captured image signal obtained by imaging the subject with the imaging element;

an eye detection step of performing eye detection processing on the captured image signal obtained by imaging the subject with the imaging element;

a specific region determination step of, based on a face region detected in the face detection step from a first captured image signal obtained through imaging with the imaging element at an arbitrary time and an eye region detected in the eye detection step from a second captured image signal obtained through imaging with the imaging element at a time before the arbitrary time, determining a specific region indicating a region to be focused in the captured image signal; and

a drive step of driving the focus lens to a focusing position determined in the focusing position determination step based on a signal of the specific region determined in the specific region determination step in the captured image signal.