Imaging apparatus, imaging method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11290634-B2
Application number	US-202017026336-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2020
Priority date	Mar 30, 2018
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

Provided are an imaging apparatus, an imaging method, and a program that can directly determine a sensor position at which an image with good image quality is obtained from obtained image information. The imaging apparatus moves an image sensor to a plurality of sensor positions in the optical axis direction of an imaging lens, and focuses a subject at each of the plurality of sensor positions. Image data of the subject focused at each of the plurality of sensor positions is acquired, and the image data is analyzed to calculate an image evaluation value at each of the plurality of sensor positions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:
an image sensor configured to capture an optical image passing through an imaging lens and outputs original image data; and
at least one processor configured to:
cause a focus lens of the imaging lens and the image sensor to move so as to focus a subject at each of a plurality of sensor positions in an optical axis direction of the imaging lens;
acquire image data of the subject focused at each of the plurality of sensor positions by causing the focusing lens to move on the basis of the original image data output from the image sensor; and
analyze the image data of the subject focused at each of the plurality of sensor positions and calculate an image evaluation value at each of the plurality of sensor positions.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one processor determines an optimum position of the image sensor on the basis of the image evaluation value acquired at each of the plurality of sensor positions, and
causes the image sensor to move to the optimum position.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a memory that stores the image data,
wherein the at least one processor determines the image data to be stored in the memory on the basis of the image evaluation value acquired at each of the plurality of sensor positions.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one processor performs the focus adjustment by an inner focus method or a rear focus method.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a at least one processor that sets an image evaluation mode for operating the image sensor, the focus lens, and image evaluation value calculation.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a mount on which the imaging lens is mounted,
wherein the at least one processor automatically sets the image evaluation mode according to a type of the imaging lens mounted on the mount.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one processor calculates the image evaluation value by performing an analysis on at least two positions of a subject position, which is a position of the subject, and a peripheral position in the image data.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the peripheral position is determined on the basis of distance information of the subject.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one processor calculates the image evaluation value on the basis of a contrast of the image data.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one processor calculates the image evaluation value on the basis of a spatial frequency characteristic acquired from the image data.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one processor calculates the image evaluation value on the basis of a color shift amount acquired from the image data.

12. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one processor calculates the image evaluation value on the basis of a shading characteristic acquired from the image data.

13. An imaging apparatus comprising:
an image sensor configured to capture an optical image passing through an imaging lens and outputs original image data; and
at least one processor configured to:
cause a focus lens of the imaging lens and the image sensor to move so as to focus a subject at each of a plurality of sensor positions in an optical axis direction of the imaging lens in a case of receiving a focus adjustment instruction by a manual focus operation;
acquire image data of the subject focused at each of the plurality of sensor positions on the basis of the original image data output from the image sensor;
analyze the image data of the subject focused at each of the plurality of sensor positions and calculate an image evaluation value at each of the plurality of sensor positions; and
determine an optimum position of the image sensor on the basis of the image evaluation value acquired at each of the plurality of sensor positions,

wherein the at least one processor causes the image sensor to move to the optimum position.

14. An imaging apparatus comprising:
a memory configured to store image data;
an image sensor configured to capture an optical image passing through an imaging lens and outputs original image data;
at least one processor configured to:
cause a focus lens of the imaging lens and the image sensor to move so as to focus a subject at each of a plurality of sensor positions in an optical axis direction of the imaging lens

in a case of receiving a focus adjustment instruction by a manual focus operation;
acquire image data of the subject focused at each of the plurality of sensor positions on the basis of the original image data output from the image sensor;
analyze the image data of the subject focused at each of the plurality of sensor positions and calculate an image evaluation value at each of the plurality of sensor positions; and
determine the image data to be stored in the memory on the basis of the image evaluation value acquired at each of the plurality of sensor positions.

15. The imaging apparatus according to claim 14 ,
wherein the at least one processor determines an optimum position of the image sensor on the basis of the image evaluation value acquired at each of the plurality of sensor positions, and causes the image sensor to move to the optimum position.

16. The imaging apparatus according to claim 13 ,
a memory configured to store the image data,
wherein the at least one processor determines the image data to be stored in the memory on the basis of the image evaluation value acquired at each of the plurality of sensor positions.

17. The imaging apparatus according to claim 13 ,
wherein the at least one processor performs the focus adjustment by an inner focus method or a rear focus method.

18. An imaging method comprising:
a focus adjustment step of moving a focus lens of an imaging lens to perform a focus adjustment;
an image sensor movement control step of moving an image sensor that captures an optical image passing through the imaging lens and outputs original image data to a plurality of sensor positions in an optical axis direction of the imaging lens;
a focusing control step of focusing a subject at each of the plurality of sensor positions by activating the focus adjustment step and the image sensor movement control step;
an imaging control step of acquiring image data of the subject focused at each of the plurality of sensor positions by the focusing control step on the basis of the original image data output from the image sensor; and
an image evaluation step of analyzing the image data of the subject focused at each of the plurality of sensor positions acquired by the imaging control step and calculates an image evaluation value at each of the plurality of sensor positions.

19. An imaging method comprising:
a focus adjustment step of moving a focus lens of an imaging lens to perform a focus adjustment;
an image sensor movement control step of moving an image sensor that captures an optical image passing through the imaging lens and outputs original image data to a plurality of sensor positions in an optical axis direction of the imaging lens;
a focusing control step of activating the image sensor movement control step to focus a subject at each of the plurality of sensor positions in a case where th

Assignees

• Fujifilm Corp

Inventors

• Wada Tetsu
• Cho Michio
• Masui Kensuke

Classifications

• G03B13/36 Primary

  Autofocus systems · CPC title

• H04N23/667

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

• H04N23/673

  based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method · CPC title

• H04N23/67 Primary

  Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals · CPC title

• H04N25/704

  Pixels specially adapted for focusing, e.g. phase difference pixel sets · CPC title