Imaging apparatus, imaging control program, and imaging method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9229211-B2
Application number	US-201313755966-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2013
Priority date	Feb 17, 2012
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

An imaging apparatus includes: a first imaging area setting unit configured to divide an imaging range that includes a sample into a plurality of areas and set each of the plurality of areas as a first imaging area; a first imaging unit configured to capture a first image at an in-focus position of the first imaging area; a second imaging area setting unit configured to set an area that extends over adjacent first imaging areas as a second imaging area in a case where in-focus positions of the adjacent first imaging areas are so different from each other that the difference exceeds a predetermined value; a second imaging unit configured to capture a second image at an in-focus position of the second imaging area; and an image combining unit configured to combine the first image with the second image.

First claim

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. An imaging apparatus, comprising:
a first imaging area setting unit configured to divide an imaging range that includes a sample into a plurality of areas and set each of the plurality of areas as a first imaging area;
a first imaging unit configured to capture a first image at an in-focus position of the first imaging area;
a second imaging area setting unit configured to set a second imaging area that includes a portion of a pair of adjacent first imaging areas;
a second imaging unit configured to capture a second image at an in-focus position of the second imaging area;
an image combining unit configured to combine the first image with the second image; and
wherein the in-focus position of the pair of adjacent first imaging areas is different.

2. The imaging unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the second imaging unit is configured to set a center of the in-focus positions of the adjacent first imaging areas as an in-focus position of the second imaging area.

3. The imaging unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the first imaging unit is configured to detect the in-focus position of the first imaging area by using a phase difference image of the first imaging area.

4. The imaging unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the image combining unit is configured to combine a central part of the first image with a central part of the second image.

5. An imaging control program stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium for causing a computer to function as:
a first imaging area setting unit configured to divide an imaging range that includes a sample into a plurality of areas and set each of the plurality of areas as a first imaging area;
a first imaging unit configured to capture a first image at an in-focus position of the first imaging area;
a second imaging area setting unit configured to set a second imaging area that includes a portion of a pair of adjacent first imaging areas;
a second imaging unit configured to capture a second image at an in-focus position of the second imaging area;
an image combining unit configured to combine the first image with the second image; and
wherein the in-focus position of the pair of adjacent first imaging areas is different.

6. An imaging method, comprising:
dividing an imaging range that includes a sample into a plurality of areas and setting each of the plurality of areas as a first imaging area by a first imaging area setting unit;
capturing a first image at an in-focus position of the first imaging area by a first imaging unit;
setting a second imaging area that includes a portion of a pair of adjacent first imaging areas;
capturing a second image at an in-focus position of the second imaging area by a second imaging unit; and
combining the first image with the second image by an image combining unit;
wherein the in-focus position of the pair of adjacent first imaging areas is different.

7. The imaging unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the first image unit captures a high magnification image for the first imaging area before the second imaging area setting unit sets the second imaging area on a low magnification image.

8. The imaging unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the second imaging area includes a half size imaging area from each of the pair of adjacent first imaging areas.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Yamamoto Takashi

Classifications

• G02B21/36 Primary

  arranged for photographic purposes or projection purposes (G02B21/18 takes precedence){or digital imaging or video purposes including associated control and data processing arrangements (image data processing per se G06T)} · CPC title

• G02B21/367 Primary

  providing an output produced by processing a plurality of individual source images, e.g. image tiling, montage, composite images, depth sectioning, image comparison · CPC title