Image pickup apparatus, image pickup method, and Storage medium for picking up a plurality of images different in in-focus positions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10484612-B2
Application number	US-201715838135-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2017
Priority date	Dec 21, 2016
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

Image pickup apparatuses, control methods and storage mediums for use therewith are provided herein. At least one image pickup apparatus includes: a display unit that displays an image generated by an imaging unit; an image processing unit that extracts in-focus areas from a plurality of images different in in-focus position that are generated by the imaging unit and that composites the extracted areas; and a control unit. The control unit acquires, out of image magnifications corresponding to the plurality of images different in in-focus position, a reference image magnification, and the image processing unit corrects the image to be displayed on the display unit based on an image magnification corresponding to the image to be displayed on the display unit and the reference image magnification.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image pickup apparatus, comprising:
an imaging sensor configured to pick up a plurality of images different in in-focus position;
a display configured to display at least a part of the plurality of images picked up by the imaging sensor while the imaging sensor picks up the plurality of images or before the imaging sensor picks up all of the plurality of images, according to a reference image magnification;
at least one memory configured to store instructions;
a processor in communication with the at least one memory and configured to execute the instructions to:
extract in-focus areas from at least a part of the plurality of images, and composite the extracted in-focus areas to generate a composite image;
acquire, out of image magnifications corresponding to the plurality of images, the reference image magnification; and
correct an image to be displayed on the display based on an image magnification corresponding to the image and the reference image magnification,
wherein the display displays the image corrected, before generating the composite image.

2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the processor further executes the instructions to correct the image by performing an enlargement process such that the image magnification of the image is equal to the reference image magnification.

3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the reference image magnification is a highest image magnification among the image magnifications corresponding to the plurality of images.

4. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the processor further executes the instructions to acquire the reference image magnification before generating the composite image.

5. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the processor further executes the instructions to acquire the reference image magnification after setting the in-focus positions corresponding to the plurality of images.

6. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a lens for changing the in-focus positions; wherein
the processor further executes the instructions to acquire lens information which is peculiar information to the lens, and
acquire the reference image magnification based on the lens information and the set in-focus positions.

7. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the processor further executes the instructions to acquire distance information on a subject, and
set the in-focus positions based on the distance information.

8. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein:
the processor further executes the instructions to detect an area of the subject from the image picked up by the imaging sensor, and
set the in-focus positions based on the distance information acquired in the area of the subject.

9. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the processor further executes the instructions to correct the image before generating the composite image.

10. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the processor further executes the instructions to acquire, out of the plurality of images, the image magnification corresponding to an image picked up by the imaging sensor firstly, as the reference image magnification.

11. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein
the processor further executes the instructions to correct the image during picking up the plurality of images different in in-focus position.

12. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein
the processor further executes the instructions to issue a warning when one of the in-focus positions moves in a direction in which the image magnification becomes higher than the reference image magnification.

13. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 12 , further comprising:
a lens for changing one of the in-focus positions;
wherein the processor further executes instructions to:
acquire lens information which is peculiar information to the lens, and
determine the direction in which the image magnification becomes higher based on the lens information and the set in-focus positions.

14. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the processor further executes the instructions to determine contrasts from the plurality of images, and generate the composite images based on the contrasts.

15. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the processor further executes the instructions to determine contrasts from the plurality of images, and extract the in-focus areas based on the plurality of images.

16. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the composite image has a same field angle as a same field of the image corresponding to the reference image magnification.

17. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein
the composite image has a same field angle as a same field of the image which has a highest image magnification among the image magnifications.

18. A control method for an image pickup apparatus including an imaging sensor, a display configured to display at least a part of the plurality of images picked up by the imaging sensor while the imaging sensor picks up the plurality of images or before the imaging sensor picks up all of the plurality of images, according to a reference image magnification, at least one memory configured to store instructions, and a processor in communication with the at least one memory and configured to execute the instructions to perform the control method, the control method comprising:
extracting in-focus areas from at least a part of the plurality of images, and compositing the extracted in-focus areas to generate a composite image;
acquiring, out of image magnifications corresponding to the plurality of images, the reference image magnification;
correcting an image to be displayed on the display based on an image magnification corresponding to the image and the reference image magnification; and
displaying the corrected image on the display before generating the composite image.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for causing a computer to execute the control method of claim 18 .

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Masamura Takuya

Classifications

• H04N23/69

  Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming · CPC title

• H04N23/635

  Region indicators; Field of view indicators · CPC title

• H04N23/60

  Control of cameras or camera modules · CPC title

• H04N23/632 Primary

  for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters · CPC title

• H04N5/2628 Primary

  Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation · CPC title