Imaging apparatus, imaging method, and imaging program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10863095-B2
Application number	US-201916570285-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2019
Priority date	Mar 15, 2017
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

An imaging apparatus includes: an imager that performs imaging of a subject through an imaging optical system including a focus lens capable of changing a position of a principal point in a range between a first position and a second position in a direction of an optical axis; and an imaging controller that continuously performs plural imaging control operations for causing the imager to perform imaging of the subject through the imaging optical system in a state where the principal point of the focus lens is set at each of plural imaging positions which are set in a movement range as at least a partial range of the range, and the imaging controller makes distances between the plural imaging positions narrower and sets a larger number of the plural imaging positions in an imaging control operation performed later in time series among the plural imaging control operations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:
an imager that performs imaging of a subject through an imaging optical system including a focus lens capable of changing a position of a principal point in a range between a first position and a second position in a direction of an optical axis; and
an imaging controller that continuously performs a plurality of imaging control operations for causing the imager to perform imaging of the subject through the imaging optical system in a state where the principal point of the focus lens is set at each of a plurality of imaging positions which are set in a movement range as at least a partial range of the range,
wherein the imaging controller makes distances between the plurality of imaging positions narrower and sets a larger number of the plurality of imaging positions in an imaging control operation performed later in time series among the plurality of imaging control operations.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of imaging positions are a first imaging position, a second imaging position, and at least one third imaging position between the first imaging position and the second imaging position, and
wherein in a case of performing the imaging control operation, the imaging controller sets the principal point of the focus lens at the third imaging position, performs first imaging through the imager, and thereafter performs imaging while setting the principal point of the focus lens alternately at an imaging position which is set closer to the first imaging position than the third imaging position, and at an imaging position which is set closer to the second imaging position than the third imaging position.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein in a case of performing the imaging control operation, the imaging controller performs the first imaging, thereafter sets the principal point of the focus lens at the first imaging position, performs second imaging through the imager, thereafter sets the principal point of the focus lens at the second imaging position, performs third imaging through the imager, and thereafter performs imaging while setting the principal point of the focus lens alternately at an imaging position which is set closer to the first imaging position than the third imaging position, and at an imaging position which is set closer to the second imaging position than the third imaging position.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the imaging optical system includes a stop, and
wherein the imaging controller performs imaging of the subject by making an F number of the stop smaller as the distances between the plurality of imaging positions are narrower.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a motion detection section that detects a motion of the subject during imaging based on captured image data obtained by the imaging control operation,
wherein the imaging controller ends the imaging control operation in a case where the motion detection section detects the motion of the subject.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a display controller that causes a display section to display information based on the plurality of imaging positions which are set by the imaging controller in a case where the imaging control operation is performed.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a storage controller that stores, in a storage medium, captured image data obtained by the imaging control operation, in which the distances between the plurality of imaging positions are narrowest, among the completed imaging control operations.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a storage controller that stores all pieces of the captured image data obtained by the imaging control operations in a storage medium.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising
an image processing section that combines all the pieces of the captured image data to generate depth composition image data.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein all the imaging positions, which are set in the movement range, are different in each of the plurality of imaging control operations.

11. An imaging method using an imager that performs imaging of a subject through an imaging optical system including a focus lens capable of changing a position of a principal point in a range between a first position and a second position in a direction of an optical axis, the imaging method comprising
an imaging control step of continuously performing a plurality of imaging control operations for causing the imager to perform imaging of the subject through the imaging optical system in a state where the principal point of the focus lens is set at each of a plurality of imaging positions which are set in a movement range as at least a partial range of the range,
wherein in the imaging control step, distances between the plurality of imaging positions are made to be narrower and a larger number of the plurality of imaging positions is set in an imaging control operation performed later in time series among the plurality of imaging control operations.

12. The imaging method according to claim 11 ,
wherein the plurality of imaging positions are a first imaging position, a second imaging position, and at least one third imaging position between the first imaging position and the second imaging position, and
wherein in the imaging control step, in a case of performing the imaging control operation, the principal point of the focus lens is set at the third imaging position, first imaging is performed through the imager, and thereafter imaging is performed while the principal point of the focus lens is set alternately at an imaging position which is set closer to the first imaging position than the third imaging position, and at an imaging position which is set closer to the second imaging position than the third imaging position.

13. The imaging method according to claim 12 ,
wherein in the imaging control step, in a case of performing the imaging control operation, the first imaging is performed, thereafter the principal point of the focus lens is set at the first imaging position, second imaging is performed through the imager, thereafter the principal point of the focus lens is set at the second imaging position, third imaging is performed through the imager, and thereafter imaging is performed while the principal point of the focus lens is set alternately at an imaging position which is set closer to the first imaging position than the third imaging position, and at an imaging position which is set closer to the second imaging position than the third imaging position.

14. The imaging method according to claim 11 ,
wherein the imaging optical system includes a stop, and
wherein in the imaging control step, imaging of the subject is performed by making an F number of the stop smaller as the distances between the plurality of imaging positions are narrower.

15. The imaging method according to claim 11 , further comprising
a motion detection step of detecting a motion of the subject during imaging based on captured image data obtained by the imaging control operation,
wherein in the imaging control step, the imaging control operation ends in a case where the motion of the subject is detected in the motion detection step.

16. The imaging method according to claim 11 , further comprising
a display control step of causing a display section to display information base

Assignees

• Fujifilm Corp

Inventors

• MIZUSAWA Tetsuya
• Makino Kenji
• Hayashi Daisuke

Classifications

• G02B7/28 Primary

  Systems for automatic generation of focusing signals · CPC title

• H04N23/687 Primary

  by shifting the lens or sensor position · CPC title

• H04N23/676

  Bracketing for image capture at varying focusing conditions · CPC title

• H04N23/959

  by adjusting depth of field during image capture, e.g. maximising or setting range based on scene characteristics · CPC title

• H04N23/75

  by influencing optical camera components · CPC title