Olympus Corporation

Olympus Imaging Corporation

Rigaku Corporation

Other

Nec Electronics Corporation

Tetsuo Kikuchi

Kazumasa Kunugi

Yoshinobu Omata

Yukie Yamazaki

Ryo Hatakeyama

Kazuhiko Omote

Atsuro Okazawa

Yoshinao Shimada

Kosei Tamiya

Tomohiro Hoshino

Tetsuya Toyoda

Shiro Tsunai

Takeshi Kindaichi

Kazumi Ito

Keiji Kunishige

Masashi Kawasaki

Hideomi Koinuma

Koichi Shintani

Masaki Higurashi

Satoru Ito

Katsuhiko Inaba

Ryuji Matsuo

Seiichi Hayashi

Akira Ugawa

Jimpei Harada

Satoshi Takinoiri

Yoshinori Ueji

Yasutaka Sawa

Yoshio Inago

Makoto Usui

Toshio Uematsu

Yoshio Machitani

A detection device, comprising an image sensor provided with a plurality of pixels having a plurality of light receiving sections corresponding to a micro lens, capable of adding output signals of the plurality of light receiving sections in accordance with phase difference detection direction and outputting an added signal, and a processor for performing focus detection or depth detection using phase difference detection, based on the added signal of the image sensor, whereby the image sensor makes height of a potential barrier between the light receiving sections different in accordance with the plurality of phase difference detection directions, and the processor sets charge storage determination level differently in accordance with the phase difference detection direction, and controls charge storage operation of the image sensor based on the added signal and the charge storage determination level.

Detection device and detection method

A focus adjustment method comprising setting a first range including at least one AF area, or a second range including the first range, every time the defocus amount is detected, selecting the first range or the second range based on a focus target position of an AF area included in the second range, and a reference position, updating the reference position based on the plurality of focus target positions of AF areas included in the range that has been selected, and the reference position, and selecting an AF area used in the focus adjustment from the plurality of AF areas, based on the plurality of focus target positions of AF areas included in the range that has been selected, and the reference position that has been updated.

Focus adjustment device and focus adjustment method

An imaging device, comprising an image sensor having image pixels and phase difference pixels, a phase difference detection section that detects a phase difference based on pixel data of the phase difference pixels, a pixel data calculation section that calculates pixel data of virtual imaging pixels at positions of the phase difference pixels, a degree of coincidence calculation section that calculates a degree of coincidence between each pixel data of the virtual imaging pixels that has been calculated, a reliability determination section that determines reliability of the phase difference detection result in accordance with the degree of coincidence, and a focus adjustment section that performs focus adjustment based on the phase difference detection result and the reliability.

Focus adjustment method and device using a determined reliability of a detected phase difference

A focus adjustment device, comprising a processor that, during rapid shooting of still pictures, displays an image or performs processing for storage as still picture data based on a pixel signal output as a result of the first imaging operation from the image sensor, generates focus adjustment data by performing focus detection based on a pixel signal output as a result of the second imaging operation, and executes focus control, wherein the processor computes focus movement amount based on the focus adjustment data, and if the focus movement amount is larger than a predetermined value, and focus control based on the focus movement amount and the first imaging operation are executed in parallel, prohibits processing for storage as a still picture on image data based on a pixel signal of the first imaging operation.

A focusing apparatus includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to select an AF area indicating a defocus amount closest to a calculated moving object prediction equation among the latest defocus amounts detected for the plurality of AF areas, in a case where the moving object prediction equation is determined as being established, and the driving direction is determined as being the close-range direction. The moving object prediction equation is determined as being established when a divergence amount between the defocus amount equal to or larger than a predetermined number included in the history and the calculated moving object prediction equation is equal to or lower than a predetermined value.

Focusing apparatus, control method of focusing apparatus, and recording medium storing focus adjustment program

An image sensor, comprising: a plurality of photo-diodes arranged divided in a specified pupil division direction, so that a pixel signal is generated by subjecting respective light flux, that passes through different exit pupil regions of an imaging optical systems for a single micro-lens, to photoelectric conversion, and a control circuit that implements an imaging mode for alternately and repeatedly executing a first imaging operation and a second imaging operation, wherein the first imaging operation combines pixel signals corresponding to the pupil division direction and generates and outputs a pixel signal for storage, and the second imaging operation generates and outputs a pixel signal corresponding to the pupil division direction, for focus detection.

Focus detection device, method and storage medium, for controlling image sensor operations

A focus adjustment device, comprising a processor having a focus region setting section, a focus detection section, a determination section and a control section, wherein the focus detection region setting section sets a first focus detection region, and a second focus detection region, that is contained in the first focus detection region and that is narrower than the first focus detection region, in an imaging region, the control section, when it is determined that that there is not a periodicity-containing subject for the first focus detection region, and it is determined that there is a periodicity-containing subject for the second focus detection region, performs a focus adjustment operation by selecting a phase difference that is closest to a phase difference that has been detected for the first focus detection region, among a plurality of phase differences that have been detected for the second focus detection region.

An imaging device, comprising an image sensor that receives subject light and generates image data, and a processor comprising a focus control section, an index generating section, and a control section, wherein the focus control section performs focus detection based on the image data, and controls focus drive based on focus detection results, the index generating section is input with the image data, and generates a first index representing which image of a given plurality of types of image the image data is close to, and a second index representing Bokeh state of an image corresponding to the image data, and the control section changes control of focus drive by the focus control section based on output of the index generating section.

Imaging device and focus adjustment method using an index representing bokeh state

A focus detection device includes an imaging unit, an image processor, a focus detection circuit, and a control circuit. The imaging unit includes a pixel portion including light-receiving portions. The light-receiving portions are divided into first and second pupil division directions. The image processor performs processing to display an image based on a display pixel signal. The focus detection circuit performs processing for focus detection based on a focus detection pixel signal. The control circuit controls the imaging unit to generate the focus detection pixel signal regarding the first pupil division direction in a first operation, and controls the imaging unit to generate the display pixel signal and the focus detection pixel signal regarding the second pupil division direction in a second operation.

Focus detection device, focus detection method, and storage medium storing focus detection program

An image pickup device includes: a pixel area where each of color image pixels arrayed in a matrix is divided into a plurality of focus detection pixels; a vertical scanning circuit and a device control circuit configured to read from the pixel area a first frame capable of constituting a color image and a second frame including phase difference information; a digital processing circuit configured to reduce color information of the second frame to reduce an amount of data; and an output circuit configured to output the first frame and the second frame via a transmission route with a number of lanes that is not the smaller of a first number-of-lanes and a second number-of-lanes required to output the first frame and the second frame, respectively.

Image pickup device, image pickup apparatus, image pickup apparatus control method and computer-readable non-transitory recording medium in which processing program is recorded

An imaging element includes microlenses, first pixel portions, and second pixel portions. The microlenses are arranged in first and second directions. The first and second pixel portions correspond to the microlenses. The first pixel portions include light receiving portions, which are pupil-split in the first direction. The second pixel portions include light receiving portions, which are pupil-split in the first direction. The light receiving portions include a light receiving region and a non-light receiving region along the second direction. The first pixel portions are arranged in the first direction and the second direction. The second pixel portions are substituted for some of the first pixel portions and are adjacently or discretely arranged in the second direction.

Imaging element and imaging device

A focusing device includes at least one circuit which controls a first focusing operation using a contrast detection scheme, a second focusing operation using a phase detection scheme, and a setting operation to set a limited range. The circuit is configured to, in the first focusing operation, obtain a contrast evaluation value for positions of a focus lens within the limited range and a predetermined range beyond the limited range, and control a focusing operation based on the obtained contrast evaluation value, and in the second focusing operation, determine an out-of-focus state if a focal position of the focus lens based on a calculated defocus amount is outside the limited range or outside a first limited range having a boundary outside the limited range.

Focusing device, camera system, and focusing method

An imaging element includes a plurality of imaging pixels each with a light receiver and a plurality of focus detection pixels each with a light receiver including an opening position different from opening positions in the imaging pixels. The imaging element includes a reading unit and a reading range setting unit. The reading unit reads pixel signals from the imaging pixels or the focus detection pixels. The reading range setting unit sets a reading range for the reading unit to read the pixel signals from the focus detection pixels.

Imaging element, focus detection apparatus, and focus detection method

A focus detection section performs focus detection based on image signals of focus detection pixels of an image pickup device, included in the image signals acquired based on an exposure value for a live view display, calculates a gain correction value to correct the image signals of the focus detection pixels based on a result of the focus detection, and corrects image signals of focus detection pixels to be acquired by a next image pickup operation with the gain correction value to perform the focus detection. A control section causes the image pickup device to perform an AF image pickup operation using exposure value corrected based on the gain correction value, as an exposure value for the AF image pickup operation. The focus detection section performs focus detection based on the image signals of the focus detection pixels in accordance with the AF image pickup operation.

Focus adjustment device, focus adjustment method, and non-transitory storage medium for storing focus adjustment programs for performing focus adjustment in response to image signals of an image pickup device including focus detection pixels

An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit and a control unit. The imaging unit accumulates electric charges synchronously with an imaging control signal to generate an imaging signal. The control unit has a first communication mode and a second communication mode. The first communication mode communicates to acquire data of a lens unit and to send an instruction to the lens unit synchronously with the imaging control signal. The second communication mode communicates to acquire data of the lens unit and to send the instruction to the lens unit at any timing asynchronous with the imaging control signal. The control unit performs focus adjustment on the basis of the data received from the lens unit and the imaging signal. The control unit switches between the first communication mode and the second communication mode in response to a state of the focus adjustment.

Imaging apparatus, control method of imaging apparatus, and storage medium storing control program of imaging apparatus for controlling focus-related communications

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Hachioji, Japan

Tetsuo Kikuchi