Imaging apparatus, method for controlling imaging apparatus, and non-transitory computer readable storage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12461429-B2
Application number	US-202217675822-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2022
Priority date	Sep 20, 2019
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

An imaging apparatus includes: a detector configured to detect a surface position of an object by receiving a second electromagnetic wave of which wavelength is shorter than a first electromagnetic wave; a focusing device configured to collect the first electromagnetic wave reflected on the object; at least one memory and at least one processor which function as a control unit configured to control the focusing device such that a position based on the surface position is focused on; and an image sensor configured to image the object using the first electromagnetic wave collected by the focusing device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An imaging apparatus comprising:
a detector configured to detect a surface position of an object by receiving a second electromagnetic wave of which a wavelength is shorter than a first electromagnetic wave; a focusing device configured to collect the first electromagnetic wave reflected on the object; at least one memory and at least one processor which function as a control unit configured to control the focusing device such that a position based on the surface position is focused on; and an image sensor configured to image an interior of the object using the first electromagnetic wave collected by the focusing device, wherein the control unit performs at least processing to control the focusing device such that the interior of the object, which is more distant from the imaging apparatus than the surface position detected by the detector from the imaging apparatus by a predetermined distance, is focused on, and the predetermined distance is a value greater than zero.

2 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first electromagnetic wave is a terahertz wave or a millimeter wave.

3 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second electromagnetic wave is a visible light or an infrared light.

4 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the at least one processor further function as a determining unit configured to determine whether the object includes an inspection target object,
wherein the image sensor acquires an image to be used for determination by the determining unit.

5 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the control unit controls the focusing device for a plurality of times based on the surface position such that a different position is focused on each time, and the image sensor captures an image a plurality of times using the first electromagnetic wave such that a focusing position is different each time, and selects an image to be used for the determination out of a plurality of captured images.

6 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the control unit controls the focusing device for a plurality of times based on the surface position such that a different position is focused on each time, and the image sensor captures an image a plurality of times using the first electromagnetic wave such that a focusing position is different each time, and generates an image to be used for the determination by combining a plurality of captured images.

7 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the detector updates the surface position to be detected, by tracking the object, and the control unit controls the focusing device such that a position based on the updated surface position is focused on.

8 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the second electromagnetic wave is a visible light, and the detector detects the surface position by a method using at least one of contrast and a phase difference of the detected visible light.

9 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the second electromagnetic wave is an infrared light, and the detector detects the surface position by at least one of a phase difference detection method, a TOF (time of flight) method, and a triangulation method, using the infrared light.

10 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an irradiating device configured to irradiate the first electromagnetic wave to the object.

11 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising an illumination optical system configured to converge the first electromagnetic wave irradiated from the irradiating device and irradiate the first electromagnetic wave to the object.

12 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the illumination optical system is a transmission type optical system that transmits the first electromagnetic wave.

13 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the illumination optical system is a reflection type optical system that reflects the first electromagnetic wave.

14 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein
the illumination optical system converges the first electromagnetic wave at the surface position, or a position, which is more distant from the imaging apparatus than the surface position from the imaging apparatus by a predetermined distance, and the predetermined distance is a value greater than zero.

15 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first electromagnetic wave is an electromagnetic wave included in a frequency range of at least 30 GHz and not more than 30 THz.

16 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the first electromagnetic wave is an electromagnetic wave included in a frequency range of at least 0.275 THz and not more than 1 THz.

17 . A method for controlling an imaging apparatus, which includes a focusing device that collects a first electromagnetic wave reflected on an object, comprising:
a detecting step of detecting a surface position of the object by receiving a second electromagnetic wave of which a wavelength is shorter than the first electromagnetic wave; a controlling step of controlling the focusing device such that the interior of the object, which is more distant from the imaging apparatus than the surface position detected by the detecting step from the imaging apparatus by a predetermined distance, is focused on; and an imaging step of imaging an interior of the object using the first electromagnetic wave collected by the focusing device, wherein the predetermined distance is a value greater than zero.

18 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium that stores a program, wherein
the program causes a computer to execute a method for controlling an imaging apparatus which includes a focusing device that collects a first electromagnetic wave reflected on an object, the method comprising: a detecting step of detecting a surface position of the object by receiving a second electromagnetic wave of which a wavelength is shorter than the first electromagnetic wave; a controlling step of controlling the focusing device such that the interior of the object, which is more distant from the imaging apparatus than the surface position detected by the detecting step from the imaging apparatus by a predetermined distance, is focused on; and an imaging step of imaging an interior of the object using the first electromagnetic wave collected by the focusing device, wherein the predetermined distance is a value greater than zero.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Mizutani Fumiaki
• Iba Jun

Classifications

• H04N23/80

  Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof · CPC title

• H04N23/67

  Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals · CPC title

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• G03B15/05

  Combinations of cameras with electronic flash apparatus; Electronic flash units · CPC title

• G01V8/12

  using one transmitter and one receiver · CPC title