Panasonic Corporation

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Koji Shibuno

Mitsuyoshi Okamoto

Naotake Kitahira

Kenji Kawazoe

Takashi Abe

Koji Hashigami

Hiroshi Ueda

Kenichi Honjo

Dai Shintani

Haruo Isaka

Kyosuke Osuka

Takahiro Ikeda

Taizo Aoki

Hidekazu Nakajima

Hiroyuki Kawahara

Junji Takahata

Michihiko Ootsuka

Akihiro Okamoto

Takao Watanabe

Masahiro Murakami

Akira Koga

Masato Murayama

Kohei Fukugawa

Takaaki Yamasaki

Tomohiro Oogami

Yusuke Obata

An imaging apparatus includes an imager, and a controller. The imager is configured to capture a subject image formed via an optical system including a focus lens, to generate image data. The controller is configured to control a focusing operation for adjusting a position of the focus lens along an optical axis in the optical system according to an evaluation value for a focus state. In response to an instruction to reduce or increase a distance to a subject to be focused, the controller is operable to shift a start position to a direction according to the instruction in directions along the optical axis, the start position being a position of the focus lens for starting the focusing operation. The controller is operable to start the focusing operation from the start position after the shift.

Imaging apparatus

An imaging apparatus includes: an imager to capture a subject image via an optical system including a focus lens to generate image data for each first frame period; a recorder to intermittently record image data for each frame captured by the imager in a second frame period; a focusing driver to adjust a focus lens position; and a controller to perform image processing for scaling an image indicated by the image data based on the focus lens position. The focusing driver repeats moving and stopping the focus lens alternately. When image processing of the scaling is performed on image data to be recorded by the recorder, the controller adjusts a timing at which the focusing driver starts movement of the focus lens to a timing at which a thinned-out frame is captured, and scales an image indicated by image data that is a frame at stopping of the focus lens.

Imaging apparatus and image scaling timing in relation to thinned-out frame

An imaging apparatus includes: an imager configured to capture a subject image formed via an optical system including a focus lens, to generate image data; a display configured to display an image indicated by the image data; an operation member configured to receive a user operation; and a controller configured to control a focusing operation for adjusting a position of the focus lens along an optical axis in the optical system according to an evaluation value for a focus state, wherein the controller is operable to cause the display to display a graph indicating the evaluation value for a focus state in each position of the focus lens.

Imaging apparatus capable of displaying a focusing graph to assist user during focusing operation

An imaging apparatus comprises: an imager that captures an image of a subject to generate image data; a first detector that detects a face region corresponding to a face of the subject in the image data; a second detector that detects a subject region corresponding to at least a part of the subject in the image data; and a controller that controls exposure based on metering for the image data, wherein the controller performs, when the face region is detected by the first detector, exposure compensation according to metering in the detected face region, and continues the exposure compensation according to the metering in the detected face region, when the detected face region is lost by the first detector and the subject region corresponding to the subject of the detected face region is detected by the second detector.

An imaging apparatus includes an imager and a controller, wherein the controller calculates the evaluation value over a detection range with respect to position of the focus lens to perform the focusing operation, and in response to an instruction to reduce or increase a distance to a subject to be focused, the controller sets, in the detection range with respect to position of the focus lens, a region including a position close to a closest end or an infinite end with respect to a current position of the focus lens according to a direction specified by the instruction, as a focusing region, and adjusts the position of the focus lens within the set focusing region in the focusing operation.

An imaging apparatus includes: an imager configured to capture a subject image formed via an optical system including a focus lens to generate image data; a focusing driver configured to adjust a focus lens position at which the focus lens is positioned along an optical axis in the optical system; and a controller configured to perform image processing for scaling an image indicated by the image data based on the focus lens position, wherein the focusing driver moves the focus lens position back and forth in predetermined wobbling period, and wherein the controller controls a correction factor to follow a change in which the focus lens position swings in a period longer than the wobbling period, the correction factor defining the scaling of the image in the image processing.

Imaging apparatus with correction factor scaling of image

The image capture device includes an optical system including a focus lens, a CCD that captures a subject image input via the optical system and generates an image signal, an image processor that generates image data by performing predetermined processing on the image signal generated by the CCD, and a controller. The controller performs a scan operation for detecting a focus position for each of a plurality of partial regions of image data while moving the focus lens and records a moving image by moving the focus lens while switching a moving speed of the focus lens based on information on the focus position obtained for each of the plurality of partial regions as a result of the scan operation. The plurality of partial regions is a plurality of regions obtained by dividing an image region of the image data.

Image capture device

An imaging device of the present disclosure includes: an optical system including a focus lens; an imaging system configured to generate image data based on an image obtained by the optical system; a DFD processing unit configured to calculate DFD distance information regarding a subject distance based on a plurality of blur signals and a plurality of pieces of image data having different focusing positions, the image data being obtained from the imaging system following drive of the focus lens; a measuring unit configured to measure a variation of a subject image of the image data; and a control unit configured to control the DFD processing unit to calculate the DFD distance information when the variation is equal to or more than a predetermined value.

Imaging device for performing DFD processing at appropriate timing

An image pickup device includes an optical system, an image pickup unit that captures a subject image through the optical system and generates a captured image, and a controller that calculates an evaluation value from a region corresponding to an AF frame in the captured image and drives the optical system according to the calculated evaluation value to perform an automatic focus operation. The controller includes a normal illumination mode set when brightness of the captured image is a predetermined value or more, and a first low-illumination mode and a second low-illumination mode set when the brightness of the captured image is less than the predetermined value. In the first low-illumination mode, a first automatic focus (AF) frame that is larger than an AF frame set in the normal illumination mode is set. In the second low-illumination mode, a second AF frame that is smaller than the first AF frame is set.

Image pickup device

An imaging device includes an imaging unit that captures light which is formed into an image through an optical system capable of housing a lens with operating force by a user; an operating unit operated by the user; a display unit that displays an image; and a controller that is capable of setting a playback mode which is an operating mode to display on the display unit an image represented by image data stored in a storage medium, and an operating mode other than the playback mode, and that sets the playback mode when the lens is housed, regardless of whether or not operation to set the playback mode has been accepted through the operating unit.

Imaging device, camera body, and method for controlling imaging device

An imaging apparatus in the present disclosure includes an imaging unit for capturing an object image and generating image data, a focus lens for focusing the object image onto the imaging unit, an operation unit for receiving an instruction of a user, and a controller. The operation unit can set a first focus point and a second focus point that is different from the first focus point. The controller obtains information on a first focus position that is a position of the focus lens to focus on an object image at the first focus point and a second focus position that is a position of the focus lens to focus on an object image at the second focus point, before receiving from a user an instruction for capturing a moving image.

Imaging apparatus that changes from highlighting a first focus frame to highlighting a second focus frame when a focus lens moves from a first focus position to a second focus position

An imaging apparatus according to the present disclosure includes an imaging unit configured to generate image data by imaging an object image; a displaying unit configured to display the image data and a focus area superimposed on the image data, the focus area being a set of a plurality of focus frames; a determination unit configured to determine a number and positions of arbitrary focus frames selected from the focus area; and a control unit configured to control the imaging unit and the determination unit, and to perform focus processing on an image. The control unit performs the focus processing according to a plurality of selected focus frames when the determination unit determines that the plurality of selected focus frames are located at positions not adjacent to each other.

An auto-focusing device including: an imaging unit which generates image data of a subject image; an optical system which includes a focus lens; a lens driver which drives the focus lens; a lens position detector which detects a position of the focus lens; a region detector which detects a predetermined region of the subject image; an evaluation value calculating unit which calculates an AF evaluation value; a movement determining unit which determines whether a subject is moving closer or away based on whether the predetermined region has been enlarged or reduced from the region before; and a lens controller which controls the lens driver, wherein the lens controller controls a moving direction and a moving speed of the focus lens in an autofocus operation based on a determination result of the movement determining unit, the AF evaluation value, and a position detection result for the focus lens.

Auto-focusing device and image pickup device

An image pickup apparatus including an imaging unit configured to capture an image of a subject to output image data, an optical system that includes a focus lens and is configured to form an image of the subject on the imaging unit, a finder that allows a user to view the subject, a proximity sensor configured to sense proximity of an object to the finder, and a controller configured to perform a focus operation to drive the focus lens to focus on the image of the subject when the proximity sensor senses proximity of an object, and fix the position of the focus lens after completion of the focus operation until a predetermined condition is satisfied.

Image pickup apparatus performing focus operation when proximity sensor senses an object

An imaging apparatus capable of wirelessly communicating with a display device, including: an imaging unit configured to capture a subject image to generate a captured image; a peaking processor configured to adjust emphasis of in-focus part in the captured image according to an image quality setting of image displayed on the display device of a peaking image to be sent to the display device, to generate a peaking image including emphasized in-focus part of the captured image, when a mode for performing a peaking process on the captured image is set; and a sending unit configured to send the peaking image to the display device by wireless communication.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Koji Shibuno