Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Keisuke Aoyama

Yasuo Suda

Akira Akashi

Akira Ishizaki

Kenji Suzuki

Keiji Ohtaka

Hidehiko Fukahori

Kenji Itoh

Akira Yamada

Tatsuyuki Tokunaga

Terutake Kadohara

Masaki Higashihara

Yoshiaki Irie

Takeshi Sakaguchi

A control apparatus controls an imaging apparatus that includes a focus detection unit configured to detect a focus state of an image forming optical system. The control apparatus includes a collectively setting unit configured to read initial setting values corresponding to a selected operation mode from a storage unit, and set setting values of a plurality of setting items to initial setting values, and a setting value changing unit configured to individually change setting values of the setting items set by the collectively setting unit and store the changed setting values in the storage unit. An operation of the focus detection unit is controlled by the operation mode in which the setting values have been changed by the setting value changing unit.

Imaging apparatus

A camera which can accurately inform a photographer of the number of times image taking is possible is disclosed. The camera comprises an image-pickup device which photoelectrically converts an object image to an electric signal, an image processing circuit which applies image processing to the image data obtained by using the image-pickup device and generates processed image data, a recording circuit which records the processed image data in a recording medium, a control circuit which causes the image processing circuit to perform image processing on the image data obtained through one-time image taking under a plurality of different conditions to generate a plurality of the processed image data, and an information output unit which outputs information on the remaining number of times image taking is possible.

Display control apparatus

A pixel position corresponding to dust present on an image sensor and its optical system is detected from a dust detection sensed image. It is checked for a normally sensed image obtained by normal image sensing whether each pixel data is data at the pixel position corresponding to dust. Data at the pixel position corresponding to dust undergoes a correction process. An image sensing apparatus capable of suppressing the influence of dust on a sensed image even if dust attaches to the image sensor or its optical system can be realized.

Image sensing apparatus and control method capable of performing dust correction

Camera capable of generating a plurality of images while changing image processing

A camera is disclosed that includes: a plurality of operating members which is operated to set states of the camera and operating conditions, or to cause the camera to perform operations; a display unit which displays guidance information on the set state of the camera, the set operating condition, and the operating members; and a control circuit which allows setting the state of the camera and the operating condition in accordance with operation of the operating member and prohibiting any image-taking operation, with the guidance information displayed on the display unit. According to the camera of this invention, a photographer can operate various operating members while seeing the guidance information without waste of image-taking operation. The photographer can also perform various settings while seeing the guidance information since setting the state (mode or the like) of the camera or the operating condition is allowed even when the guidance information is displayed.

Camera

A selection point selecting apparatus is provided with a first selection point group including an upper side selection part composed of a plurality of selection points, a lower side selection part composed of a plurality of selection points, a right side selection part including at least one selection point and a left side selection part including at least one selection point. A first selecting device is arranged to select, in accordance with a direction of an operation on a first operation member, a selection point from among the first selection point group in a circular manner in a direction corresponding to the direction of the operation. A second selecting device is arranged to select, in response to an operation on a second operation member, a selection point other than the selection points of the first selection point group.

Selection point selecting apparatus

An optical apparatus having a focus adjusting function, including: a focus detection unit for executing a focus detection operation for each of a plurality of focus areas set in an image plane; a grouping unit for grouping the image plane in accordance with a distribution of defocus amounts or distances obtained from focus detection results of the plurality of focus areas; a focus area selecting unit for selecting at least one focus area from the plurality of focus areas in accordance with a grouping result; a defocus amount comparing unit for comparing a defocus amount of the selected focus area selected with a predetermined defocus amount; a lens driving unit for driving a lens until the selected focus area is made in-focus, if a comparison result by the defocus amount comparing unit shows that the defocus amount of the selected focus area is smaller than the predetermined defocus amount; and a focus area re-selecting unit for re-selecting a focus area by driving the lens in accordance with the defocus amount of the selected focus area and thereafter again operating the focus detecting unit, the grouping unit, and the focus area selecting unit, if a comparison result by the defocus amount comparing unit shows that the defocus amount of the selected focus area is larger than the predetermined defocus amount.

Optical apparatus with focus adjusting function and focus adjustment

An optical apparatus having a focus adjusting function, includes: a focus detecting unit for executing a focus detection operation for each of a plurality of focus areas set in an image plane; a grouping unit for grouping the image plane in accordance with a distribution of defocus amounts or distances obtained from focus detection results of the plurality of focus areas; a focus area selecting unit for selecting at least one focus area from the plurality of focus areas in accordance with a grouping result; a defocus amount comparing unit for comparing a defocus amount of the selected focus area selected with a predetermined defocus amount; a lens driving unit for driving a lens until the selected focus area is made in-focus, if a comparison result by the defocus amount comparing unit shows that the defocus amount of the selected focus area is smaller than the predetermined defocus amount; and a focus area re-selecting unit for re-selecting a focus area by driving the lens in accordance with the defocus amount of the selected focus area and thereafter again operating the focus detecting unit, grouping unit, and focus area selecting unit, if a comparison result by the defocus amount comparing unit shows that the defocus amount of the selected focus area is larger than the predetermined defocus amount.

A line of sight detection device detects a user's line of sight by illuminating an eyeball of a user, receiving light from the eyeball of the user, detecting a wink of the user, detecting a line of sight of the user based on a light receiving state of a light receiving means, changing at least one of an illuminating condition of an illuminating means and a light receiving condition of the light receiving means, and repeating a line of sight detecting operation based on the light receiving state of the light receiving means during the line of sight detecting operation, the line of sight detecting operation being repeated without changing the illuminating condition of the illuminating means and the light receiving condition of the light receiving means when a wink detection means detects a wink of the user during the line of sight detecting operation.

Line of sight detection device and an apparatus having a line of sight

An apparatus having a line of sight detection device, comprises a viewfinder for observing a target object, a line of sight detection means for detecting a position of line of sight in the viewfinder of a user, focus detection means being possible to select a first operation mode for performing a first focus detecting operation or a second operation mode for performing a second focus detecting operation, and being possible to perform a focus detection to each of a plurality of focus detecting areas arranged in the viewfinder, range setting means for setting a plurality of determination range including the focus detecting areas, and for changing a size of the determination range to be set in accordance with the selection of the operation mode of the focus detecting means, selecting means for determining which determination range includes the position of line of sight detected by the line of sight detecting means, and for selecting at least one focus detecting area among the plurality of focus detecting areas, and focus adjusting means for adjusting a focus of an optical system based on a focus detecting result of the selected focus detecting area.

Optical apparatus having a line of sight detection device

A line of sight detection device for detecting a line of sight of a user by using personal data of the user includes a personal data obtaining device for obtaining personal data related to the line of sight of the user, an attitude detection device for detecting an attitude of the device, a memory for storing the attitude of the device detected by the attitude detection device, the memory storing the attitude of the line of sight detection device at a time when the personal data obtaining device starts an obtaining operation of the personal data, and a determination device for comparing the attitude of the line of sight detection device stored in the memory with the attitude of the device during the obtaining operation for the personal data by the personal data obtaining device, and for outputting information indicative of a failure of the obtaining operation of the personal data when the compared attitudes of the device are different from each other.

Line of sight detection device and apparatus having the line of sight

A camera for detecting the line-of-sight of a user includes a photographing controller for performing a continuous shot operation in which a photographing operation is repeated continuously while a release button is pressed, a line-of-sight detector for detecting the position of the user's line-of-sight, a line-of-sight detection controller for operating the line-of-sight detector for every photographing operation, a focus detector for performing a focus detecting operation based on the position of the line-of-sight detected by the line-of-sight detector, a determinator for determining whether the result of focus detection by the focus detector is appropriate, and a focus detection controller for operating the focus detector without operating the line-of-sight detector if the determinator determines that the result of focus detection is inappropriate.

Camera having a line-of-sight detecting means

A camera incorporating an auto-zoom function and a multi-focus detecting device. In this camera, the auto-zoom function is inhibited when a focus detection area selected is an area other than a central area, thereby performing a proper focus detection.

Auto-zoom camera

A focus detecting apparatus detecting focus to a plurality of areas receives outputs from a plurality of sensors. A processing circuit evaluates the plurality of output signals from the respective plurality of sensors, and independently evaluates whether or not each of the output signals fulfills each of a plurality of predetermined judgement conditions. A selection circuit (i) determines the total number of judgement conditions fullfilled by each of the output signals, (ii) selects the output from one of the plurality of sensors on the basis of the determination.

Focus detecting apparatus detecting focus to a plurality of areas

This invention relates to a camera having a focus detecting device for independently detecting the focus states at a plurality of different distance measurement points. This invention provides in such camera a selection circuit for selecting the distance measurement points, and an indicating circuit for indicating the distance measurement points selected by the selection circuit, and provides an indicating device for preindicating a distance measurement point selected before the focus detecting operation and indicating the selected distance measurement point again when the selected distance measurement point is judged to be in focus by the focus detecting operation.

Growing community of inventors

Kawasaki, Japan

Keisuke Aoyama