IMAGING APPARATUS DETECTING FOREIGN OBJECT ADHERING TO LENS

• US 20110080494A1
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takayanagi, Wataru, Kikuchi, Kenichi, Mori, Yukio
• Application Number:
  US12/894,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20110080494A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/52 Elements optimising image sensor operation, e.g. for electromagnetic interference [EMI] protection or temperature control by heat transfer or cooling elements
• 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 23/743 Bracketing, i.e. taking a series of images with varying exposure conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/811 by dust removal, e.g. from surfaces of the image sensor or processing of the image signal output by the electronic image sensor

Abstract

An imaging element having an imaging surface on which an optical image of a subject field passing through an optical lens is emitted generates an image signal corresponding to the optical image of the subject field by photoelectric conversion. An aperture mechanism controls an aperture of the optical lens. A shutter controls exposure time for the imaging element. An exposure adjustment unit adjusts an exposure value for the imaging surface based on an evaluation value of brightness of the subject field. A focus adjustment unit adjusts a focus position of the optical lens. A CPU detects a foreign object adhering to the optical lens by performing shooting under a plurality of shooting conditions in which the exposure value and the focus position are identical and aperture values are different from each other, and comparing a plurality of the image signals obtained from the imaging element during the shooting.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus, comprising:

an imaging unit having an imaging surface on which an optical image of a subject field passing through a lens is emitted, which generates an image signal corresponding to the optical image of the subject field by photoelectric conversion;

an aperture control unit which controls an aperture of said lens;

a shutter unit which controls exposure time for said imaging unit;

an exposure adjustment unit which adjusts an exposure value for said imaging surface based on an evaluation value of brightness of the subject field;

a focus adjustment unit which adjusts a focus position of said lens; and

a foreign object detection unit which detects a foreign object adhering to said lens by performing shooting under a plurality of shooting conditions in which the exposure value and the focus position are identical and aperture values are different from each other, and comparing a plurality of the image signals obtained from said imaging unit during said shooting.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said foreign object detection unit includes

a computation unit which obtains a luminance difference between a first image signal and a second image signal having different shooting conditions, for each of a plurality of divided areas generated by dividing an image indicated by each of said first and second image signals,

a determination unit which determines whether or not the luminance difference obtained by said computation unit is not less than a threshold value set beforehand in at least a portion of the divided areas, and

a warning unit which determines that the foreign object adheres to said lens and outputs a warning if said determination unit determines that the luminance difference obtained by said computation unit is not less than said threshold value.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said computation unit obtains the luminance difference between said first image signal and said second image signal for each of the divided areas that remain after an edge portion common to said first image signal and said second image signal is removed from said plurality of divided areas.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said foreign object detection unit detects the foreign object adhering to said lens by comparing a first image signal obtained when performing the shooting under a first shooting condition in which the aperture is set to an open end in a settable range with a second image signal obtained when performing the shooting under a second shooting condition in which the aperture is set to a small aperture end in said settable range.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a zoom adjustment unit which adjusts a shooting angle of view,

wherein said foreign object detection unit sets the shooting angle of view to be identical between said plurality of shooting conditions.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a hand jitter detection unit which detects hand jitter during said shooting,

wherein said foreign object detection unit detects the foreign object adhering to said lens if a hand jitter amount detected by said hand jitter detection unit when said foreign object detection unit continuously performs the shooting under said plurality of shooting conditions is not more than a predetermined amount.