Imaging apparatus and method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016266347-A1
Application number	US-201415026307-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 19, 2014
Priority date	Dec 3, 2013
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present technology relates to an imaging apparatus and method, and a program, capable of focusing on a subject with higher accuracy. An image sensor shoots a captured image by receiving light coming from a subject via an optical unit and by converting the light into electrical signal. A captured-image processing unit detects a luminance level of the captured image. A passive mode AF calculator calculates a shift amount of a lens in autofocusing using a passive mode, and an active mode AF calculator calculates a shift amount of a lens in autofocusing using an active mode. An AF mode determination unit selects any one of the passive mode or the active mode by comparing the luminance level with a threshold. The present technology is applicable to digital still cameras.

First claim

1 . An imaging apparatus comprising:
a detector configured to detect a luminance level of a shooting environment; and a mode determination unit configured to compare the luminance level with a predetermined threshold to select any one of autofocusing using a passive mode or autofocusing using an active mode.

2 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a passive mode calculator configured to calculate a shift amount of a lens in the autofocusing using the passive mode; and an active mode calculator configured to calculate a shift amount of the lens in the autofocusing using the active mode.

3 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a calculator configured to calculate a shift amount of a lens in autofocusing using a mode selected by the mode determination unit.

4 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the detector calculates, as the luminance level, an average luminance of a captured image obtained by shooting a subject or an average luminance of a region in the captured image that includes the subject to be shot, based on the captured image.

5 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the mode determination unit selects the autofocus using the passive mode when the luminance level is larger than the threshold, and selects the autofocus using the active mode when the luminance level is less than or equal to the threshold.

6 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a light emitting unit configured to irradiate the subject with irradiation light; and a range-image processing unit configured to detect light reception timing of the irradiation light based on a range image obtained by receiving the irradiation light reflected from the subject, wherein the active mode calculator calculates a shift amount of the lens using the active mode based on light emission timing of the irradiation light and the light reception timing.

7 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the passive mode calculator calculates a shift amount of the lens using the passive mode based on the captured image.

8 . The imaging apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the detector detects the luminance level for each frame of the captured image.

9 . An imaging method comprising steps of:
detecting a luminance level of a shooting environment; and comparing the luminance level with a predetermined threshold to select any one of autofocusing using a passive mode or autofocusing using an active mode.

10 . A program for causing a computer to execute a process including steps of:
detecting a luminance level of a shooting environment; and comparing the luminance level with a predetermined threshold to select any one of autofocusing using a passive mode or autofocusing using an active mode.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Shimoda Tetsuya

Classifications

• H04N23/667

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

• H04N23/672

  based on the phase difference signals · CPC title

• H04N23/71

  Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation · CPC title

• H04N23/673

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

• G02B7/32 Primary

  using active means, e.g. light emitter {(including both an active and a passive focus detecting device G02B7/285; using ultrasound G02B7/40)} · CPC title