Imaging control device and imaging control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10999490-B2
Application number	US-201716303564-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2017
Priority date	Sep 7, 2016
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure includes an imaging control device, an imaging control method, and an imaging apparatus. The imaging control device includes a focus detection control circuitry configured to determine whether a setting area includes a portion of a dedicated phase difference detection sensor, the setting area being in a photographing range of an imaging unit. The focus detection control circuitry is further configured to set one or more ranging areas of an image plane phase difference detection sensor to one or more first ranging areas in response to determining that the setting area does not include the portion of the dedicated phase difference detection sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An imaging control device comprising:
a focus detection control circuitry configured to
determine whether a setting area includes a portion of a dedicated phase difference detection sensor, the setting area being in a photographing range of an imaging unit,
responsive to determining that the setting area does not include the portion of the dedicated phase difference detection sensor, set one or more ranging areas of an image plane phase difference detection sensor to one or more first ranging areas, and
wherein the focus detection control circuitry is further configured to set different types of the one or more first ranging areas.

2. The imaging control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the different types of the one or more first ranging areas include at least
a first type, and
a second type that is larger than the first type, and

wherein the focus detection control circuitry is further configured to set more of the second type than the first type.

3. The imaging control device according to claim 2 , wherein the different types of the one or more first ranging areas overlap each other.

4. The imaging control device according to claim 2 , wherein the different types of the one or more first ranging areas are independent from each other.

5. The imaging control device according to claim 1 , further comprising a defocus amount selection circuitry configured to select one defocus amount from among
a first defocus amount obtained by the image plane phase difference detection sensor corresponding to a first type the one or more first ranging areas, and
a second defocus amount obtained by the image plane phase difference detection sensor corresponding to a second type of the one or more first ranging areas,

wherein the selection of the one defocus amount is based on a predetermined condition.

6. The imaging control device according to claim 1 , wherein responsive to determining that the setting area includes the portion of the dedicated phase difference detection sensor, the focus detection control circuitry is further configured to set the one or more ranging areas of the image plane phase difference detection sensor to one or more second ranging areas.

7. The imaging control device according to claim 6 , wherein the one or more second ranging areas are different than the one or more first ranging areas.

8. The imaging control device according to claim 7 , wherein a density of first image plane phase detection areas of the one or more first ranging areas is different than a density of second image plane phase detection areas of the one or more second ranging areas.

9. The imaging control device according to claim 7 , wherein a number of first image plane phase detection areas of the one or more first ranging areas is different than a number of second image plane phase detection areas of the one or more second ranging areas.

10. The imaging control device according to claim 7 , wherein a size of the one or more first ranging areas is smaller than a size of the one or more second ranging areas.

11. The imaging control device according to claim 6 , wherein the focus detection control circuitry is further configured to determine a focus setting, and wherein a size of the one or more first ranging areas and a size of the one or more second ranging areas are based on the focus setting that is determined.

12. The imaging control device according to claim 6 , further comprising a defocus amount selection circuitry configured to select one defocus amount from among
a second defocus amount obtained by the image plane phase difference detection sensor corresponding to the one or more second ranging areas, and
a third defocus amount obtained by the dedicated phase difference detection sensor, wherein the selection of the one defocus amount is based on a predetermined condition.

13. The imaging control device according to claim 1 , wherein the setting area is an area set in response to an input operation by a user.

14. The imaging control device according to claim 1 , further comprising an object detection processing circuitry,
wherein the setting area is an area set based on a result from the object detection processing circuitry.

15. The imaging control device according to claim 1 , wherein signals are read only from the one or more first ranging areas in the setting area and in the photographing range.

16. The imaging control device according to claim 1 , wherein the dedicated phase difference detection sensor is set in a place different from an imaging element.

17. The imaging control device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
the imaging unit;
the dedicated phase difference detection sensor; and
the image plane phase difference detection sensor.

18. An imaging control method, the method comprising:
determining whether a setting area includes a portion of a dedicated phase difference detection sensor, the setting area being in a photographing range of an imaging unit; and
setting, with a focus detection control circuitry, a plurality of ranging areas of an image plane phase difference detection sensor to a plurality of first ranging areas in response to determining that the setting area does not include the portion of the dedicated phase difference detection sensor,
wherein the plurality of first ranging areas includes different types of ranging areas of the image plane phase difference detection sensor.

19. The imaging control method according to claim 18 , further comprising: setting, with the focus detection control circuitry, the plurality of ranging areas of the image plane phase difference detection sensor to a plurality of second ranging areas in response to determining that the setting area does include the portion of the dedicated phase difference detection sensor, wherein the plurality of second ranging areas are a single type of ranging area of the image plane phase difference detection sensor.

20. An imaging apparatus comprising:
a dedicated phase difference detection sensor;
an image plane phase difference detection sensor; and
a focus detection control circuitry configured to
determine whether a setting area includes a portion of the dedicated phase difference detection sensor, the setting area being in a photographing range of an imaging unit, and
responsive to determining that the setting area does not include the portion of the dedicated phase difference detection sensor, set one or more ranging areas of the image plane phase difference detection sensor to one or more first ranging areas,
wherein the focus detection control circuitry is further configured to set different types of the one or more first ranging areas.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Hosokawa Takayuki

Classifications

• H04N23/672 Primary

  based on the phase difference signals · CPC title

• H04N23/10

  for generating image signals from different wavelengths · CPC title

• G03B13/36 Primary

  Autofocus systems · CPC title

• G03B13/00

  Viewfinders; Focusing aids for cameras; Means for focusing for cameras; Autofocus systems for cameras · CPC title

• G02B7/36

  using image sharpness techniques {, e.g. image processing techniques for generating autofocus signals (image data processing per se G06T; in cameras having a solid state image sensor H04N23/67)} · CPC title