Image pickup apparatus that is capable of bounce emission photographing, control method therefor, and storage medium storing control program therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10425564-B2
Application number	US-201816004794-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2018
Priority date	May 1, 2015
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus capable of focusing correctly and of setting a bounce angle accurately. A lighting device that changes an irradiation angle is attached to an apparatus body. A first control unit drives the lighting device to perform pre-emission when the irradiation angle is controlled for bounce emission photographing where an object is photographed while being illuminated by a reflected light emitted from the lighting device and reflected by reflection material. A first distance measuring unit measures a first distance to the object and a second distance to the reflection material using the pre-emission. A second control unit sets up the irradiation angle based on the first and second distances and controls the lighting device to the set irradiation angle. A second distance measuring unit measures a third distance to the object during focus control. A prohibition unit prohibits the pre-emission when the second distance measuring unit measures the third distance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image pickup apparatus capable of performing emission photographing by using a lighting device having a driving unit which changes an irradiation direction of a light emitted from a light source, the image pickup apparatus comprising:
at least one processor, executing computer instructions stored in memory, or circuit, configured to function as:
a focus control unit configured to perform focus control for focusing on an object; and
a control unit configured to, during a predetermined period set according to an instruction regarding the focus control, when a determination whether or not to emit the light from the light source is made during the predetermined period, prohibit an operation to emit the light from the light source for determining a direction to be targeted in a case where the driving unit changes the irradiation direction.

2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined period includes a period which is set according to the instruction regarding the focus control and in which a charge-storage type sensor performs a charge storage operation.

3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined period includes a period which is set according to the instruction regarding the focus control and in which another light source different from the light source emits an auxiliary light.

4. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined period is a predetermined period which is set according to the instruction regarding the focus control and from when an emission instruction to emit an auxiliary light from another light source different from the light source is issued.

5. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor, or circuit, is further configured to function as:
a sending unit configured to send an execution instruction to emit the light from the light source for determining the direction to be targeted,
wherein, during the predetermined period, the control unit prohibits the sending unit from sending the execution instruction.

6. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the predetermined period includes a period which is set according to the instruction regarding the focus control and in which a charge-storage type sensor performs a charge storage operation.

7. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the predetermined period includes a period which is set according to the instruction regarding the focus control and in which another light source different from the light source emits an auxiliary light.

8. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the predetermined period is a predetermined period which is set according to the instruction regarding the focus control and from when an emission instruction to emit an auxiliary light from another light source different from the light source is issued.

9. A lighting device attachable to an image pickup apparatus, comprising:
a light source;
a driving circuit that changes an irradiation direction of a light from the light source; and
at least one processor, executing computer instructions stored in memory, or circuit, configured to function as:
a control unit configured to, during a predetermined period set according to an instruction regarding a focus control by the attached image pickup apparatus, when a determination whether or not to emit the light from the light source is made during the predetermined period, prohibit an operation to emit the light from the light source for determining a direction to be targeted in a case where the driving circuit changes the irradiation direction.

10. The lighting device according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor, or circuit, is further configured to function as:
a determination unit configured to determine the direction to be targeted based on a first reflected light information obtained by the driving circuit changing the irradiation direction to emit the light from the light source to a first direction and a second reflected light information obtained by the light source emitting the light to a second direction different from the first direction.

11. The lighting device according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor, or circuit, is further configured to function as:
a reception unit configured to receive information on the predetermined period from the attached image pickup apparatus.

12. The lighting device according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor, or circuit, is further configured to function as:
a determination unit configured to determine the direction to be targeted based on a first reflected light information obtained by the driving circuit changing the irradiation direction to emit the light from the light source to a first direction and a second reflected light information obtained by the light source emitting the light to a second direction different from the first direction.

13. A control method for an image pickup apparatus capable of performing emission photographing by using a lighting device having a driving unit which changes an irradiation direction of a light emitted from a light source, the control method comprising:
performing focus control for focusing on an object; and
prohibiting, during a predetermined period set according to an instruction regarding the focus control, when a determination whether or not to emit the light from the light source is made during the predetermined period, an operation to emit the light from the light source for determining a direction to be targeted in a case where the driving unit changes the irradiation direction.

14. The control method according to claim 13 , wherein the predetermined period includes a period which is set according to the instruction regarding the focus control and in which a charge-storage type sensor performs a charge storage operation.

15. The control method according to claim 13 , wherein the predetermined period includes a period which is set according to the instruction regarding the focus control and in which another light source different from the light source emits an auxiliary light.

16. The control method according to claim 13 , wherein the predetermined period is a predetermined period which is set according to the instruction regarding the focus control and from when an emission instruction to emit an auxiliary light from another light source different from the light source is issued.

17. The control method according to claim 13 , wherein, during the predetermined period, an execution instruction to emit the light from the light source for determining the direction to be targeted is prohibited from being sent to the lighting device.

18. The control method according to claim 17 , wherein the predetermined period includes period which is set according to the instruction regarding the focus control and in which a charge-storage type sensor performs a charge storage operation.

19. The control method according to claim 17 , wherein the predetermined period includes period which is set according to the instruction regarding the focus control and in which another light source different from the light source emits an auxiliary light.

20. The control method according to claim 17 , wherein the predetermined period is a predetermined period which is set according to the instruction regarding the focus control and from when an emission instruction to emit an auxiliary light from another light source differen

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Aikawa Fumihiko

Classifications

• H04N23/667

  Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes · CPC title

• H04N23/663

  for controlling interchangeable camera parts based on electronic image sensor signals · CPC title

• H04N23/74

  by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/00

  Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof · CPC title

• H04N23/66

  Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices · CPC title