IMAGING APPARATUS, FOCUS CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20130265473A1
• Filed: 03/27/2013
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mizukami, Akifumi
• Granted Patent: US 9,383,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/333.02
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/282 Autofocusing of zoom lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/20 Rangefinders coupled with focusing arrangements, e.g. adjustment of rangefinder automatically focusing camera
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/36 Autofocus systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/672 based on the phase difference signals

Abstract

An imaging apparatus which includes a range-finding region arrangement unit which arranges range-finding regions of which region sizes are different by hierarchizing thereof, a range-finding region selection unit which selects the range-finding region in a predetermined order from the arranged range-finding regions, and a control unit which performs a focusing operation by generating an evaluation value which denotes degree of focusing with respect to the range-finding regions which are selected in the range-finding region selection unit, and controlling a position of a focus lens based on the evaluation value.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:

a range-finding region arrangement unit which arranges range-finding regions of which region sizes are different by hierarchizing thereof;

a range-finding region selection unit which selects the range-finding region in a predetermined order from the arranged range-finding regions; and

a control unit which performs a focusing operation by generating an evaluation value which denotes degree of focusing with respect to the range-finding regions which are selected in the range-finding region selection unit, and controlling a position of a focus lens based on the evaluation value.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the range-finding region selection unit selects a range-finding region of which a region size is largest, first, from the arranged range-finding regions, and then selects range-finding regions of other region sizes, and

wherein the control unit controls a position of the focus lens based on an evaluation value which is generated with respect to the range-finding region which is selected first, and controls the position of the focus lens based on the evaluation value which is generated in each range-finding region which is selected in the range-finding region selection unit thereafter.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the range-finding region selection unit selects the range-finding region in order of the largest sized region as the predetermined order, and

wherein the control unit controls a position of the focus lens by generating an evaluation value every time a range-finding region is selected in the range-finding region selection unit.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the control unit generates an evaluation value in each range-finding region which is selected in the range-finding region selection unit, and controls a position of the focus lens based on an evaluation value in a range-finding region of the smallest sized region in the generated evaluation value.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an operation unit which receives an operation from a user,

wherein the range-finding region arrangement unit arranges the range-finding region based on a position which is instructed by the user.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an operation unit which receives an operation from a user,

wherein the range-finding region arrangement unit causes the user to set the range-finding region to the largest sized region.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit generates the evaluation value using a signal of a focus detection pixel which is provided in an imaging element.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

a focus detection module,

wherein the range-finding region arrangement unit arranges range-finding regions of which the region sizes are different by setting a range-finding region of the focus detection module to the range-finding region of the largest sized region, and

wherein the control unit generates the evaluation value using a detection signal which is generated in the focus detection module when the range-finding region of which the largest sized region is selected in the range-finding region selection unit.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the range-finding region arrangement unit arranges range-finding regions of which region sizes are different based on an image recognition result with respect to an image of a range-finding region of the largest sized region.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit which performs an image display; and

a region display control unit which displays the range-finding region on an image which is displayed on the display unit,

wherein the region display control unit displays a range-finding region of the largest sized region, or a range-finding region of the smallest sized region in the generated evaluation value.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, when a movement of the imaging apparatus is detected while measuring a distance in a range-finding region which is selected in the range-finding region selection unit, the control unit makes an evaluation value which is generated in the selected range-finding region invalid.

12. A focus control method comprising:

arranging range-finding regions of which region sizes are different by hierarchizing thereof;

selecting a range-finding region in a predetermined order from the arranged range-finding regions; and

performing a focusing operation by generating an evaluation value denoting degree of focusing with respect to the selected range-finding region, and controlling a position of a focus lens based on the evaluation value.

13. A program which causes a computer to execute a focus control,

the focus control includes procedures of:

arranging range-finding regions of which region sizes are different by hierarchizing thereof;

selecting a range-finding region in a predetermined order from the arranged range-finding regions; and

performing a focusing operation by generating an evaluation value denoting degree of focusing with respect to the selected range-finding region, and controlling a position of a focus lens based on the evaluation value.