Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Satoshi Kimoto

Yusuke Shimizu

Yasuyuki Suzuki

Minoru Hirose

Kengo Takeuchi

Masaaki Uenishi

Kuniaki Sugitani

Takayuki Akaguma

Hisao Yagi

Ryotaro Takahashi

Tomohiro Tateishi

Takumi Takehara

Miyako Shibutani

An image capturing apparatus includes a memory device that stores a set of instructions, and at least one processor that executes the set of instructions to function as, a first detection unit configured to detect a position of a gazing point in an image based on a line-of-sight of a user, a first setting unit configured to set an object detection range based on the position of the gazing point and an image capturing condition, a second detection unit configured to detect a feature area from the image, and a second setting unit configured to set a focus detection area based on a position of the feature area included in the object detection range.

Image capturing apparatus and control method thereof

An image pickup apparatus executes a focus detecting task configured to detect a defocus amount by a signal acquired from an image sensor, a predicting task configured to calculate information corresponding to a predicted image plane position by a prediction calculation using the defocus amount detected a plurality of times and position data of a focusing element and time data when the defocus amount is detected, and a controlling task configured to calculate a driving amount of the focusing element using the information corresponding to the predicted image plane position, to calculate a driving velocity for the focusing element according to the driving amount, and to provide a control such that the focusing element is driven at the driving velocity, wherein the controlling task calculates the driving velocity in order that an image plane position of the imaging optical system approaches the predicted image plane position.

Image pickup apparatus and its control method, and storage medium

A control apparatus includes an acquirer () which acquires a first signal and a second signal that correspond to light beams passing through different pupil regions of an image capturing optical system, a calculator () which performs a plurality of filtering processes with different bands for the first signal and the second signal to calculate a plurality of defocus amounts and reliabilities based on the first signals and the second signals where the respective filtering processes have been performed, and a determiner () which determines a defocus amount used for focusing from among the plurality of defocus amounts based on a difference between the plurality of defocus amounts and at least one of the plurality of reliabilities.

Control apparatus that performs focusing by imaging-plane phase difference AF, image capturing apparatus, control method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium

An image capturing apparatus, comprises an image sensor; a focus detection unit; a continuous shooting unit; an estimation unit that estimates an in-focus position of an object based on a result of the focus detection and information relating to an accumulation timing; and a focus adjustment unit that performs focus adjustment, wherein, the image sensor performs accumulation of the focus detection signal in a time period in which a storage unit cannot store the image signal for recording, the focus detection unit performs the focus detection, and the estimation unit estimates the in-focus position at the time of acquiring the image signal that is acquired after the end of the time period, based on the focus detection result and the information relating to the accumulation timing of the focus detection signal.

Image capturing apparatus, method of controlling same, and storage medium

An image pickup apparatus having a continuous shooting mode in which images are captured for recording in response to an image capture instruction, wherein respective development process for each image is performed before capturing a subsequent image for recording in the continuous shooting mode, includes a focus control unit and a control unit. The focus control unit detects a focal point of a focus lens. The control unit controls movement of the focus lens and controls the capturing of an image. After the control unit controls the movement of the focus lens using the focus control unit and captures an image for recording in the continuous shooting mode, the control unit moves the focus lens to a predetermined position and then moves the focus lens across a predetermined range from the predetermined position to perform the scanning using the focus control unit during the development process of the captured image.

Image pickup apparatus to perform scanning of focus lens

An image capturing apparatus comprising: an image sensor controlled at different readout intervals in a plurality of different regions; a selection unit configured to select one of a first image signal read out from a first region and a second image signal read out from a second region that is controlled at a readout interval shorter than those of the first region; a detection unit configured to detect a focus state level based on an image signal read out from the image sensor; and a focus control unit configured to, based on the focus state level detected by the detection unit based on the image signal selected by the selection unit, control a focus lens. The first image signal is used for at least one of display in a display unit and storage in a storage medium.

Image capturing apparatus and control method therefor

In an imaging apparatus, wherein when performing auto focus control while continuously moving a focusing lens by using an image sensor that has a lag in timing of electric charge accumulation, a focusing accuracy can be improved. To this end, the imaging apparatus includes the rolling shutter function, an imaging unit configured to convert an object image into an image signal, and a setting unit. When a difference exceeds a predetermined amount in the barycentric position of the optical system between an upper line and an a lower line of the AF area due to the rolling shutter function, the setting unit imposes a limitation on the AF area to reduce the size of a desired AF area to an AF area where the difference in the barycentric position becomes a predetermined amount.

Imaging apparatus and control method

Provided is an image capture apparatus that can perform focus detection based on a focus evaluation value indicating contrast of a subject image included in a focus detection area using an image signal output from an image sensor. In accordance with the extent of a blur amount of the subject image, the image capture apparatus determines how to use a method for performing focus detection through a reciprocating motion of a focus lens and a method for performing focus detection by moving the focus lens in a direction toward which the focus evaluation value increases. Focus detection is performed based on the determination.

Image capture apparatus and control method for tracking of focus position

Based on a face detection result obtained from a detection unit, if a human face has not been detected, an imaging apparatus adjusts the focus state by selecting either a mountain climbing operation or a minute driving operation according to the state of the focus. If a human face has been detected, the imaging apparatus adjusts the focus state only by the minute driving operation. This achieves stable focus tracking on a target object having a low contrast, such as a human face.

Imaging apparatus and imaging method

An image pickup apparatus performs focus control by a contrast detection method during a continuous shooting interval. After the image pickup apparatus controls the movement of the focus lens and captures an image for recording in the continuous shooting mode, the image pickup apparatus controls the movement of the focus lens before capturing the subsequent image for recording concurrently with performance of a development process of the captured image.

Image pickup apparatus capable of performing focus control during a continuous shooting interval

An image pickup apparatus includes an image sensing unit that generates an image signal by performing a photoelectric conversion on an object image, a focus evaluation value calculation unit that calculates a focus evaluation value indicating a contrast of the image signal, a control unit that controls a position of a focus lens based on the focus evaluation value, a focus level calculation unit that calculates a focus level indicating a degree of focus using the focus evaluation value, and a detection unit that detects an exposure condition in taking an image of an object. The control unit determines a condition in terms of driving the focus lens based on the focus level corresponding to the exposure condition.

Image pickup apparatus, method of controlling the same, and storage medium

An image pickup apparatus includes an extraction unit configured to extract feature points of an object from picked-up image data, a focus adjustment unit configured to, before starting pickup of an image for recording and/or storage, detect an in-focus position by moving a focus lens in a direction of an optical axis over a scan region which is decided based on the extracted feature points, and to control movement of the focus lens to be matched with the in-focus position, and an operation timing control unit configured to operate the focus adjustment unit and the extraction unit in a synchronous relation (inter-shooting AF() and AF()) in a continuous shooting mode in which the pickup of an image for recording and/or storage is repeated plural times.

Image pickup apparatus focusing on an object to be focused in continuous shooting mode

An image-pickup apparatus which includes an imaging unit configured for obtaining object images, a notification unit configured to perform notification that images are being obtained by the imaging unit, a macro-mode setting unit configured to set the imaging unit in a macro mode, and a notification control unit configured to control the notification operation of the notification unit in accordance with whether the macro mode is set or not by the macro-mode setting unit.

Image pickup apparatus and a notification operation control method

Evaluation values are extracted at first timings with respect to a movement of a focus lens, and evaluation values are extracted at second timings having higher frequency than the first timings on the basis of the evaluation values extracted at the first timings. Then, even if the evaluation values have been extracted at the second timings in such a way, the focus lens is moved on the basis of the evaluation values extracted at the first timings. Thereby, the fast and suitable movement of AF can be implemented.

Image pickup apparatus, control method thereof, control program thereof and storage medium, with movement of focus lens on basis of evaluation values extracted by long period scan upon failure of detection of peak position by short period scan

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Kawasaki, Japan

Satoshi Kimoto