Image pickup apparatus that performs optical image blur correction and alignment composition of plurality of still images shot in time continuous manner, control method thereof, and storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11924558-B2
Application number	US-202217830431-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2022
Priority date	Jun 8, 2021
Publication date	Mar 5, 2024
Grant date	Mar 5, 2024

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus, a control method thereof, and a storage medium, the image pickup apparatus being capable of shooting a plurality of still images under an appropriate exposure condition when the image pickup apparatus including a camera system performs alignment composition of the still images shot in a time continuous manner. An exposure time for each of the still images and a total number of the still images are set based on the focal length information, the optical image blur correction angle information, and the response characteristic information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:
an image pickup device configured to (a) receive a light flux transmitted through a shooting optical system and (b) perform photoelectric conversion;
at least one processor; and
a memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory having instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, perform operations as a plurality of units comprising:
(1) a control unit configured to acquire a plurality of still images in a time continuous manner by the image pickup device;
(2) a composite image generation unit configured to align the plurality of still images to generate a composite image;
(3) an obtaining unit configured to obtain information regarding a response characteristic of an optical image blur corrector which drives the shooting optical system and/or the image pickup device; and
(4) a setting unit configured to set an exposure time for each of the plurality of still images and a total number of the plurality of still images based on (a) information regarding a focal length of the shooting optical system, (b) information regarding an image blur correctable amount of the optical image blur corrector, and (c) the information regarding the response characteristic of the optical image blur corrector in a predetermined band of vibration applied to the image pickup apparatus.

2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the setting unit sets the exposure time of each of the plurality of still images to be shorter and sets the total number of the plurality of still images to be greater in a case where an image blur correction performance according to the information regarding the focal length and the information regarding the image blur correctable amount is a first performance as compared with a case of a second performance having the image blur correction performance higher than that of the first performance.

3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the setting unit determines that the image blur correction performance is higher as the image blur correctable amount is greater.

4. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the setting unit determines that the image blur correction performance when the focal length is a second distance is lower than the image blur correction performance when the distance length is a first distance, wherein the first distance is shorter than the second distance.

5. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor further performs an operation as a detection unit configured to detect the vibration, and
wherein the setting unit determines an image blur correction performance according to a drift characteristic of the detection unit in the predetermined band.

6. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined band is a low frequency band of 5 Hz or less.

7. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor further performs an operation as an acquisition unit configured to acquire the information regarding the focal length, and
wherein the acquisition unit acquires the information regarding the focal length when the image pickup apparatus is powered on, and then updates the information when the focal length is changed.

8. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in a case where only either one of the shooting optical system and the image pickup device is driven according to the focal length, the optical image blur corrector determines the image blur correctable amount at an optical axis angle changeable in the either one of the shooting optical system or the image pickup device to be driven.

9. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the setting unit calculates the image blur correctable amount based on the information regarding the focal length.

10. A control method for an image pickup apparatus, the image pickup apparatus including (a) an image pickup device that receives a light flux transmitted through a shooting optical system and performs photoelectric conversion, and (b) an optical image blur corrector that drives the shooting optical system and/or the image pickup device, the control method comprising:
a step of acquiring a plurality of still images in a time continuous manner by the image pickup device;
a step of aligning the plurality of still images to generate a composite image; and
a step of setting an exposure time for each of the plurality of still images and a total number of the plurality of still images based on (a) information regarding a focal length of the shooting optical system, (b) information regarding an image blur correctable amount of the optical image blur corrector, and (c) the information regarding a response characteristic of the optical image blur corrector in a predetermined band of vibration applied to the image pickup apparatus.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a control method for an image pickup apparatus, the image pickup apparatus including (a) an image pickup device that receives a light flux transmitted through a shooting optical system and performs photoelectric conversion, and (b) an optical image blur corrector that drives the shooting optical system and/or the image pickup device, wherein the control method comprises:
a step of acquiring a plurality of still images in a time continuous manner by the image pickup device;
a step of aligning the plurality of still images to generate a composite image; and
a step of setting an exposure time for each of the plurality of still images and a total number of the plurality of still images based on (a) information regarding a focal length of the shooting optical system, (b) information regarding an image blur correctable amount of the optical image blur corrector, and (c) information regarding a response characteristic of the optical image blur corrector in a predetermined band of vibration applied to the image pickup apparatus.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Saito Junichi

Classifications

• H04N23/743 Primary

  Bracketing, i.e. taking a series of images with varying exposure conditions · CPC title

• H04N23/73

  by influencing the exposure time · CPC title

• H04N23/687 Primary

  by shifting the lens or sensor position · CPC title

• H04N23/684

  performed by controlling the image sensor readout, e.g. by controlling the integration time · CPC title

• H04N23/683

  performed by a processor, e.g. controlling the readout of an image memory · CPC title