Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Daisuke Mizuguchi

Kazuhiro Tsujino

An electronic camera includes an image sensor. The image sensor has an imaging surface irradiated with an optical image of an object scene through a focus lens and repeatedly generates an object scene image. A CPU executes an AF process for adjusting a distance from the focus lens to the imaging surface to a distance corresponding to a focal point, based on the object scene image generated by the image sensor. However, the CPU has a high-luminance excluding function for excluding from a target to be noticed of the AF process a partial image having a luminance exceeding 'TH1' out of the object scene image generated by the image sensor. The CPU determines whether or not a partial image having a luminance exceeding 'TH2' larger than &#x201c;TH1&#x201d; exists on the object scene image generated by the image sensor, and turns on the high-luminance excluding function when a determination result is affirmative and turns off the high-luminance excluding function when the determination result is negative.

Electronic camera that adjusts the distance from an optical lens to an imaging surface

A video camera includes an imager. An imager outputs an object scene image produced on an imaging surface. A detector detects a plurality of luminance change amounts respectively corresponding to a plurality of timings based on the object scene image outputted from the imager. A determiner determines generation/non-generation of a flicker by referring to a difference between a sine wave depicted along a time axis and the plurality of luminance change amounts detected by the detector. A first adjuster adjusts an angular frequency of the sine wave to a frequency corresponding to a drive system of the imager. A second adjuster adjusts an initial phase and an amplitude of the sine wave based on the plurality of luminance change amounts detected by the detector.

Imaging device program and method for preventing the generation of flicker

An electronic camera includes an image sensor. The image sensor has an imaging surface irradiated with an optical image of an object scene through a focus lens and repeatedly generates an object scene image. A CPU executes an AF process for adjusting a distance from the focus lens to the imaging surface to a distance corresponding to a focal point, based on the object scene image generated by the image sensor. However, the CPU has a high-luminance excluding function for excluding from a target to be noticed of the AF process a partial image having a luminance exceeding 'TH' out of the object scene image generated by the image sensor. The CPU determines whether or not a partial image having a luminance exceeding 'TH' larger than &#x201c;TH&#x201d; exists on the object scene image generated by the image sensor, and turns on the high-luminance excluding function when a determination result is affirmative and turns off the high-luminance excluding function when the determination result is negative.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Daisuke Mizuguchi