Imaging apparatus and control method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An imaging apparatus comprising:
- an imaging unit having a plurality of pixels arranged two-dimensionally in a row direction and a column direction and configured to obtain an image of an object by sequentially scanning a perform charge accumulation of the plurality of pixels to read out an image signal at a different timing between each row or each column while moving the position of a focusing lens;
aan object detection unit to detect an object area in an image obtained by the imaging unit;
anda control unit communicatively-coupled to a memory, wherein the memory stores a program executed by the control unit to, a setting unit to set an AF area corresponding to the object area detected by the object detection unit;
, anda focusing control unit configured to obtain in-focus states of by a plurality of images in the AF area set by the setting control unit, the plurality of images being captured by the imaging unit, and based on information about the in-focus states, to perform focusing control of the focusing lens,wherein when in a case that the object area is larger than a predetermined size, the setting control unit sets an AF area which is smaller than an AF area which corresponds to the object area by decreasing only the size of the object area length in the row direction or the length in the column direction in which, when there is a difference occurs in charge readout accumulation timing.
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Abstract
In an imaging apparatus, wherein when performing auto focus control while continuously moving a focusing lens by using an image sensor that has a lag in timing of electric charge accumulation, a focusing accuracy can be improved. To this end, the imaging apparatus includes the rolling shutter function, an imaging unit configured to convert an object image into an image signal, and a setting unit. When a difference exceeds a predetermined amount in the barycentric position of the optical system between an upper line and an a lower line of the AF area due to the rolling shutter function, the setting unit imposes a limitation on the AF area to reduce the size of a desired AF area to an AF area where the difference in the barycentric position becomes a predetermined amount.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. An imaging apparatus comprising:
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an imaging unit having a plurality of pixels arranged two-dimensionally in a row direction and a column direction and configured to obtain an image of an object by sequentially scanning a perform charge accumulation of the plurality of pixels to read out an image signal at a different timing between each row or each column while moving the position of a focusing lens; aan object detection unit to detect an object area in an image obtained by the imaging unit;
anda control unit communicatively-coupled to a memory, wherein the memory stores a program executed by the control unit to, a setting unit to set an AF area corresponding to the object area detected by the object detection unit;
, anda focusing control unit configured to obtain in-focus states of by a plurality of images in the AF area set by the setting control unit, the plurality of images being captured by the imaging unit, and based on information about the in-focus states, to perform focusing control of the focusing lens, wherein when in a case that the object area is larger than a predetermined size, the setting control unit sets an AF area which is smaller than an AF area which corresponds to the object area by decreasing only the size of the object area length in the row direction or the length in the column direction in which, when there is a difference occurs in charge readout accumulation timing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 10)
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5. An imaging apparatus comprising:
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an imaging unit having a plurality of pixels arranged two-dimensionally and configured to obtain an image of an object by sequentially scanning a perform charge accumulation of the plurality of pixels to read out an image signal at a different timing between each row or each column while moving the position of a focusing lens; aan object detection unit to detect an object area, eyes of the object and a face orientation of the object in an image obtained by the imaging unit;
anda control unit communicatively-coupled to a memory, wherein the memory stores a program executed by the control unit to, a setting unit to set an AF area corresponding to the object area detected by the object detection unit;
, anda focusing control unit configured to obtain in-focus states of by a plurality of images in the AF area set by the setting control unit, the plurality of images being captured by the imaging unit, and based on information about the in-focus states, to perform focusing control of the focusing lens, wherein when in a case that the object area is larger than a predetermined size, the setting control unit sets an AF area which is smaller than an AF area which corresponds to the object area, and wherein when in a case that the setting control unit sets an the AF area smaller than an the AF area corresponding to the object area, if the face orientation detected by the object detection unit is the same as the direction in which a difference occurs in the charge readout accumulation timing, the setting control unit sets an the AF area so as to include both of eyes detected by the object detection unit, and if those two directions differ from each other, the setting control unit sets an the AF area so as to include one eye detected by the object detection unit. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 11)
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9. A control method for an imaging apparatus having an imaging unit including a plurality of pixels arranged two-dimensionally and configured to capture an image of an object by sequentially scanning a perform charge accumulation of the plurality of pixels to read out an image signal from each pixel at a different timing between each row or each column while moving the position of a focusing lens, and configured to perform focusing control of the imaging apparatus by taking a plurality of images of an object while moving a position of a focusing lens, and obtaining in-focus states in the AF areas set in the plurality of images, the method comprising:
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detecting the object areas in the images, eyes of the object and a face orientation of the object; and setting AF areas associated with the object areas, wherein when in a case that an object area is larger than a predetermined size, a smaller AF area than the AF area corresponding to the object area is set, and wherein when a the set AF area is smaller than the AF area corresponding to the object area, if a the face orientation detected is the same as the direction in which a difference occurs in a charge readout accumulation timing, an the AF area is set so as to include both eyes detected, and if those two directions differ from each other, the an AF area is set so as to include at least one eye detected.
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12. An imaging apparatus comprising:
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an imaging unit having a plurality of pixels arranged two-dimensionally, wherein charge accumulation timing of the plurality of pixels differs between each row or each column; an object detection unit to detect an object area of an image acquired by the imaging unit; and a control unit communicatively-coupled to a memory, wherein the memory stores a program executed by the control unit to, set an AF area of a size of a first value corresponding to a size of the detected object area or an AF area of a size of a second value, the size of the second value is smaller than the size of the first value only in a direction that a difference occurs in timing of charge accumulation of the plurality of pixels, and detect a focus state of the AF area of the image acquired by the imaging unit while moving the focus lens, and control positions of the focus lens based on the focus state, wherein the control unit sets the AF area of the size of the second value in a case where the size of the object area is larger than a predetermined size. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A control method for an imaging apparatus having an imaging unit including a plurality of pixels arranged two-dimensionally and timing of charge accumulation of the plurality of pixels differs between each rows or each columns, the method comprising:
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detecting an object area of an image acquired by the imaging unit; setting an AF area of a size of a first value corresponding to size of the detected object area or an AF area of a size of a second value, the size of the second value is smaller than the size of the first value only in a direction that a difference occurs in timing of charge accumulation of the plurality of pixels; and detecting a focus state of the AF area of the image acquired by the imaging unit while moving the focus lens, and controlling positions of the focus lens based on the focus state, sets the AF area of the size of the second value in a case where the size of the object area is larger than a predetermined size.
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22. A control method for an imaging apparatus having an imaging unit including a plurality of pixels arranged two-dimensionally and configured to perform charge accumulation of the plurality of pixels at a different timing between each row or each column while moving the position of a focusing lens, and configured to perform focusing control of the imaging apparatus by taking a plurality of images of an object while moving a position of a focusing lens, and obtaining in-focus states in the AF areas set in the plurality of images, the method comprising:
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detecting the object areas in the images; setting AF areas associated with the object areas; and detecting a focus state of the AF area of the image acquired by the imaging unit while moving the focus lens, and controlling positions of the focus lens based on the focus state, wherein in a case that the object area is larger than a predetermined size, an AF area is set so as to be smaller than an AF area which corresponds to the object area by decreasing only the length in the row direction or in the column direction in one of which a difference occurs in charge accumulation timing.
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Specification
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Current AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
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Original AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
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InventorsKimoto, Satoshi
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Primary Examiner(s)WHITTINGTON, KENNETH
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Application NumberUS14/296,288Time in Patent Office629 DaysField of Search396/124, 348/345, 348/349, 348/353US Class Current1/1CPC Class CodesG03B 13/36 Autofocus systemsH04N 5/23212 Focusing based on image sig...
