Imaging apparatus, operation method of imaging apparatus, and operation program of imaging apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12587742-B2
Application number	US-202318540800-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2023
Priority date	Feb 8, 2023
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

A focusing calculation includes two focusing calculation methods with different focusing performance and resistance to noise on a signal for calculation. A noise removal unit and a focusing calculation unit of a CPU select a focusing calculation method from among two focusing calculation methods based on a result of performing the focusing calculation at least once using any one of two focusing calculation methods, and perform the focusing calculation using the selected focusing calculation method. More specifically, in a case where a reliability degree of the focusing calculation using any one of two focusing calculation methods is high, the one focusing calculation method is selected. On the contrary, in a case where the reliability degree of the focusing calculation using any one of two focusing calculation methods is low, the other focusing calculation method is selected.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An imaging apparatus having an automatic focus adjustment function of performing a focusing calculation of calculating a focusing position of a focus lens based on a signal for calculation read out from an imaging element,
in which the focusing calculation includes a plurality of focusing calculation methods with different focusing performance and resistance to noise on the signal for calculation, the imaging apparatus comprising: a processor, wherein the processor is configured to: select a focusing calculation method from among the plurality of focusing calculation methods based on a result of performing the focusing calculation at least once using a first focusing calculation method which is one of the plurality of focusing calculation methods; and perform the focusing calculation using the selected focusing calculation method, wherein the first focusing calculation method is a method with the focusing performance higher than a first threshold value among the plurality of focusing calculation methods.

2 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first focusing calculation method is a method with highest focusing performance among the plurality of focusing calculation methods.

3 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processor is configured to: in a case where a reliability degree of the focusing calculation by the first focusing calculation method is lower than a second threshold value, perform processing at least once of performing the focusing calculation using a second focusing calculation method with the resistance stronger than the first focusing calculation method.

4 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the second focusing calculation method has the focusing performance lower than the first focusing calculation method.

5 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the processor is configured to: use a result of the focusing calculation by the first focusing calculation method for the focusing calculation by the second focusing calculation method.

6 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a determination section is included in which the focusing calculation by the plurality of focusing calculation methods is performed to determine the focusing calculation method with a relatively high reliability degree of the focusing calculation, and the processor is configured to: select the focusing calculation method determined to have the relatively high reliability degree in the determination section.

7 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the determination section is an imaging section of a live view image.

8 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the determination section includes a fixed section starting from at least a start point in time of main imaging.

9 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein sizes of regions, which are in the imaging element and where the signal for calculation used for the focusing calculation is acquired, are different between the plurality of focusing calculation methods.

10 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the focusing calculation method with a larger size of the region has stronger resistance to noise.

11 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein frequency parameters in noise removal processing performed on the signal for calculation are different between the plurality of focusing calculation methods.

12 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein the focusing calculation method with a lower frequency parameter has stronger resistance to noise.

13 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the imaging element reads out the signal for calculation prior to a signal for image generation used for generating an image.

14 . An operation method of an imaging apparatus having an automatic focus adjustment function of performing a focusing calculation of calculating a focusing position of a focus lens based on a signal for calculation read out from an imaging element,
in which the focusing calculation includes a plurality of focusing calculation methods with different focusing performance and resistance to noise on the signal for calculation, the operation method comprising: selecting a focusing calculation method from among the plurality of focusing calculation methods based on a result of performing the focusing calculation at least once using a first focusing calculation method which is one of the plurality of focusing calculation methods; and performing the focusing calculation using the selected focusing calculation method, wherein the first focusing calculation method is a method with the focusing performance higher than a first threshold value among the plurality of focusing calculation methods.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing an operation program of an imaging apparatus having an automatic focus adjustment function of performing a focusing calculation of calculating a focusing position of a focus lens based on a signal for calculation read out from an imaging element,
in which the focusing calculation includes a plurality of focusing calculation methods with different focusing performance and resistance to noise on the signal for calculation, the operation program causing a computer to execute a process comprising: selecting a focusing calculation method from among the plurality of focusing calculation methods based on a result of performing the focusing calculation at least once using a first focusing calculation method which is one of the plurality of focusing calculation methods; and performing the focusing calculation using the selected focusing calculation method, wherein the first focusing calculation method is a method with the focusing performance higher than a first threshold value among the plurality of focusing calculation methods.

Assignees

• Fujifilm Corp

Inventors

• Nagami Ryosuke
• Kokubun Hideaki

Classifications

• H04N25/61

  the noise originating only from the lens unit, e.g. flare, shading, vignetting or "cos4" · CPC title

• H04N25/78

  Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters · CPC title

• G02B7/28

  Systems for automatic generation of focusing signals · CPC title

• H04N23/63

  by using electronic viewfinders · CPC title

• H04N23/672

  based on the phase difference signals · CPC title