Image pickup apparatus for taking static image, control method therefor, and storage medium storing control program therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10277795-B2
Application number	US-201615134604-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2016
Priority date	Apr 22, 2015
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus that is capable of obtaining a high-quality image that is focused on an object designated by a user at the time of reproducing an image. A detection unit detects an object from an image obtained by photographing. A first computation unit computes a distance between the object and the image pickup apparatus as an object distance based on a distance map obtained according to the image. A decision unit decides a focus interval that is an interval of in-focus positions at which objects are focused and a focus frequency that is a count of the in-focus positions according to the object distance and a preset condition. A second computation unit computes the in-focus positions according to the object distance, the focus interval, and the focus frequency. A photographing unit obtains a plurality of images by photographing continuously at the in-focus positions by performing focus bracket photography.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:
an age sensor configured to obtain a plurality of images;
at bast one memory configured to store instructions; and
at least one processor connected to the at least one memory and configured to execute the instructions to:
detect a plurality of objects from the plurality of images;
compute a distance between each of the plurality of objects and the image pickup apparatus as an object distance;
set a focus range according to the object distance of each object of the plurality of objects;
calculate a focus interval of in-focus positions for each set focus range; and
decide in-focus positions at which each of the plurality of objects is focused for focus bracket photography according to the object distance and calculated focus intervals,
wherein the in-focus positions are decided to be set at positions where the any one of the plurality of objects exist, and not to be set at positions where no object exists, and the focus interval of the in-focus positions for a first object of the plurality of objects is coarser than the focus interval of the in-focus positions for a second object of the plurality of objects, when an object distance of the first object is longer than an object distance of the second object.

2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the focus positions are decided according to a characteristic of an image pickup optical system, through which the plurality of images are obtained.

3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor executes further instruction to determine an object characteristic, and
the focus positions e decided according to the object characteristic.

4. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the focus interval is finer when the object is determined to have predetermined unevenness as the object characteristic, than when the object is determined not to have the predetermined unevenness as the object characteristic.

5. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one processor executes further instruction to set the focus intervals of one of the plurality of the objects to regular intervals when the object has depth exceeding a predetermined length as the object characteristic.

6. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the focus interval is finer when the object is determined as a person or an animal as the object characteristic, than when the object is not determined as a person or an animal as the object characteristic.

7. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor executes further instruction to control said image sensor so as to photograph one of at least two of the plurality of objects, of which in-focus positions are identical, when the in-focus positions of the at least two of the plurality of objects decided are identical.

8. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor executes further instruction to control said image sensor so as to photograph one of at least two of the plurality of objects, when difference between distances of in-focus positions of the at least two of plurality of objects decided by is less than a predetermined threshold.

9. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the focus range includes a first focus range and a second focus range located in a farther side of a focus plane distance than the lint focus range.

10. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the focus interval of the first focus range is smaller than the focus interval of the second focus range.

11. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the focus interval is calculated based on a distance value of the focus range and a set focus frequency of the focus range.

12. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the focus interval within the same focus range is the same interval.

13. A control method for an image pickup apparatus comprising:
a detection step of detecting a plurality of objects from a plurality of images;
a first computation step of computing a distance between each of the plurality of objects and the image pickup apparatus as an object distance;
a setting step of setting a focus range according to the object distance of each object of the plurality of objects; and
a calculating step of calculating a focus interval of the in-focus positions for each focus range set in the setting step; and
a decision step of deciding in-focus positions at which each of the plurality of objects is focused for focus bracket photography according to the object distance and calculated focus intervals,
wherein the in-focus positions are decided to be set at positions where the any one of the plurality of objects exist, and not to be set at positions where no object exists, and the focus interval of the in-focus positions for a first object of the plurality of objects is coarser than the focus interval of the in-focus positions for a second object of the plurality of objects, when an object distance of the first object is longer than an object distance or the second object.

14. A non-transitory compute readable storage medium storing a control program causing a computer to execute a control method for an image pickup apparatus, the control method comprising:
a detection step of detecting a plurality of objects from a plurality of images;
a first computation step of computing a distance between each of the plurality of objects and the image pickup apparatus as an object distance;
a setting step of setting a focus range according to the object distance of each object of the plurality of objects; and
a calculating step of calculating a focus interval of the in-focus positions for each focus range set in the setting step; and
a decision step of deciding in-focus positions at which each of the plurality of objects is focused for focus bracket photography according to the object distance and calculated focus intervals,
wherein the in-focus positions are decided to be set at positions where the any one of the plurality of objects exist, and not to be set at positions where no object exists, and the focus interval of the in-focus positions for a first object of the plurality of objects is coarser than the focus interval of the in-focus positions for a second object of the plurality of objects, when an object distance of the first object is longer than an object distance of the second object.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Mikawa Chiaki

Classifications

• H04N23/631

  Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters · CPC title

• H04N23/63

  by using electronic viewfinders · CPC title

• H04N23/635

  Region indicators; Field of view indicators · CPC title

• H04N23/676 Primary

  Bracketing for image capture at varying focusing conditions · CPC title

• H04N5/23212 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic