Imaging device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10823935-B2
Application number	US-201816122674-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2018
Priority date	Mar 11, 2016
Publication date	Nov 3, 2020
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020

Abstract

The imaging device includes: an imaging section that includes a plurality of lens units having optical axes aligned in the same direction and one or more imaging elements, the lens units and the imaging elements being combined to form imaging units, the imaging units having different focus temperatures; an image processing unit that calculates a sharpness of an image acquired by each imaging unit; a selection unit that selects an imaging unit which acquires a use image on the basis of the sharpness; and a control unit that controls the imaging section, the image processing unit, and the selection unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging device comprising:
an imaging section that includes a plurality of lens units having optical axes aligned in the same direction and one or more imaging elements, the lens units and the imaging elements being combined to form imaging units, the imaging units having their respective focus temperatures that are different from each other, a focus position with respect to a subject of each imaging unit being identical at the focus temperature of each imaging unit;
an image processor configured to calculate a sharpness of an image acquired by each imaging unit;
a selection processor configured to select an imaging unit which acquires a use image on the basis of the sharpness; and
a control processor configured to control the imaging section, the image processor, and the selection processor,
wherein the control processor directs the image processor to calculate the sharpness of the image acquired by the imaging unit which is acquiring the use image, and
in a case in which the sharpness of the use image is less than a set threshold value, the control processor directs the imaging section to capture images using the plurality of imaging units, directs the image processor to calculate the sharpness of the image acquired by each imaging unit, and directs the selection processor to reselect the imaging unit which acquires the use image.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in a case in which the imaging unit which acquires the use image is reselected, the control processor directs the imaging sections to capture images using the imaging unit which is acquiring the use image, an imaging unit with a focus temperature that is closest to the focus temperature of the imaging unit which is acquiring the use image in a range that is higher than the focus temperature of the imaging unit which is acquiring the use image, and an imaging unit with a focus temperature that is closest to the focus temperature of the imaging unit which is acquiring the use image in a range that is lower than the focus temperature of the imaging unit which is acquiring the use image and directs the image processor to calculate the sharpnesses of only the images acquired by the imaging unit which is acquiring the use image, the imaging unit with the focus temperature that is closest to the focus temperature of the imaging unit which is acquiring the use image in the range that is higher than the focus temperature of the imaging unit which is acquiring the use image, and the imaging unit with the focus temperature that is closest to the focus temperature of the imaging unit which is acquiring the use image in the range that is lower than the focus temperature of the imaging unit which is acquiring the use image.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control processor directs the imaging section to capture images using the plurality of imaging units, directs the image processor to calculate the sharpness of the image acquired by each imaging unit, and directs the selection processor to reselect the imaging unit which acquires the use image at a set time interval.

4. The imaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the selection processor selects an imaging unit which has acquired the image with the highest sharpness as the imaging unit which acquires the use image.

5. The imaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the imaging section is configured such that distances from rearmost ends of lenses in the lens units to the imaging elements on the optical axis are different from each other.

6. The imaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein two or more of the plurality of lens units have the same lens configuration.

7. The imaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein two or more of the plurality of lens units have different lens configurations.

8. The imaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein leading ends of the lenses in the plurality of lens units are in the same plane perpendicular to the optical axis.

9. The imaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the imaging section is configured such that an individual imaging element is combined with each lens unit.

10. The imaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the imaging section is configured such that the plurality of lens units share one imaging element.

Assignees

• Fujifilm Corp

Inventors

• Kamiya Takeshi

Classifications

• H04N23/67

  Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals · CPC title

• H04N23/55

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• H04N23/45

  for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images · CPC title

• H04N23/54

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title

• G03B3/00 Primary

  Focusing arrangements of general interest for cameras, projectors or printers · CPC title