Control apparatus, lens apparatus, photographic apparatus, flying body, and control method

• US 10,942,331 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2019
• Issued: 03/09/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Inventors: Honjo, Kenichi, Nagayama, Yoshinori
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey, William B
• Application Number:
  US16/727,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20200132963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/123 the axis of rotation intersecting in a single point, e.g. by using gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/18 with mechanism for moving the apparatus relatively to the stand
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2071 for panning and rolling F16M11/2078 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/02 for supporting on, or attaching to, an object, e.g. tree, gate, window-frame, cycle
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/646 compensating for small deviations, e.g. due to vibration or shake movement of one or more optical elements for control of motion blur in cameras, projectors or printers G03B2205/0007; image stabilisation in cameras peculiar to the presence or use of an electronic image sensor H04N23/68
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/09 adapted for automatic focusing or varying magnification
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/10 by relative axial movement of several lenses, e.g. of varifocal objective lens
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/34 Power focusing
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/36 Autofocus systems
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/006 Apparatus mounted on flying objects
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/22 in accordance with temperature or height, e.g. in aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• 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 23/687 by shifting the lens or sensor position
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming

Abstract

A control apparatus for controlling driving of a focus lens of a lens apparatus includes a memory storing a program and a processor. The processor is configured to execute the program to determine, according to a height of the lens apparatus from a reference position, a focus position of the focus lens indicating a position of the focus lens; and control the driving of the focus lens according to the focus position.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for controlling driving of a focus lens of a lens apparatus, comprising:

a memory storing a program; and

a processor configured to execute the program to;

determine, according to a height of the lens apparatus from a reference position, a focus position of the focus lens indicating a position of the focus lens;

in response to a change amount of the height of the lens apparatus from the reference position becoming greater than a threshold value and the driving of the focus being controlled by autofocus, interrupt controlling the driving of the focus lens by autofocus and control the driving of the focus lens according to the focus position; and

in response to the change amount of the height of the lens apparatus from the reference position becoming less than the threshold value, restarting controlling the driving of the focus lens by autofocus.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

when the height of the lens apparatus from the reference position is a first height, the processor is configured to execute the program to determine a first focus position, for focusing on an object-to-be-photographed at a first distance from the lens apparatus, as the focus position; and

when the height of the lens apparatus from the reference position is a second height that is higher than the first height, the processor is configured to execute the program to determine a second focus position, for focusing on the object-to-be-photographed at a second distance from the lens apparatus and longer than the first distance, as the focus position.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the program to:

specify a first change amount of the focus position of the focus lens changed by the processor according to the focus position determined by the processor, when the height of the lens apparatus from the reference position is changed, and

control the driving of the focus lens to cause the position of the focus lens to change by the first change amount.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the processor is further configured to execute the program to specify a second change amount of the focus position, when a zoom position indicating a position of a zoom lens of the lens apparatus is changed, wherein the second change amount is used to keep an in-focus state of the object-to-be-photographed that is at an unchanged distance from the lens apparatus, and

in response to that the height of the lens apparatus is changed during a change in the zoom position of the zoom lens, the processor is configured to execute the program to control the driving of the focus lens to change the focus position of the focus lens by a total change amount of the first change amount and the second change amount during the change in the zoom position of the zoom lens.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the control apparatus further controls driving of a zoom lens of the lens apparatus.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the memory stores a zoom-tracking curve which indicates a relationship between the focus position and a zoom position indicating a position of the zoom lens.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

the processor is configured to execute the program to determine the focus position based on the zoom-tracking curve and the height of the lens apparatus from the reference position.

8. The control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

the processor is configured to execute the program to change the zoom-tracking curve based on the height of the lens apparatus from the reference position.

9. A lens apparatus comprising the control apparatus according to claim 1, further including:

a focus lens.

10. A photographic apparatus comprising the lens apparatus according to claim 9, further including:

an image sensor that captures an optical image formed by the lens apparatus.

11. A flying body comprising the photographic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

the flying body flies with the photographic apparatus.

12. A control method for controlling driving of a focus lens of a lens apparatus, comprising:

determining a focus position indicating a position of the focus lens according to a height of the lens apparatus from a reference position;

in response to a change amount of the height of the lens apparatus from the reference position becoming greater than a threshold value and the driving of the focus being controlled by autofocus, interrupt controlling the driving of the focus lens by autofocus and controlling the driving of the focus lens according to the focus position; and

in response to the change amount of the height of the lens apparatus from the reference position becoming less than the threshold value, restarting controlling the driving of the focus lens by autofocus.

13. The control method according to claim 12, wherein determining the focus position includes:

when the height of the lens apparatus from the reference position is a first height, determining a first focus position, for focusing on an object-to-be-photographed at a first distance from the lens apparatus, as the focus position; and

when the height of the lens apparatus from the reference position is a second height that is higher than the first height, determining a second focus position, for focusing on the object-to-be-photographed at a second distance from the lens apparatus and longer than the first distance, as the focus position.

14. The control method according to claim 12, wherein the determining the focus position includes:

determining the focus position based on a zoom-tracking curve, indicating a relationship between the focus position and a zoom position indicating a position of a zoom lens, and the height of the lens apparatus from the reference position.