Imaging device and method for controlling same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9344620-B2
Application number	US-201514620931-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2015
Priority date	Sep 19, 2012
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

An imaging device comprising a photographing lens, an imaging element; a first interpolation device, a second interpolation device, a focusing confirmation image generation device configured to at least generate a first image and a second image respectively from the pixel values of the first and second interpolation pixels calculated by the first and second interpolation device and generating a focusing confirmation image based on the first and second images, and a display device configured to display the focusing confirmation image generated by the focusing confirmation image generation device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging device comprising:
a photographing lens;
an imaging element where multiple pixels including a photoelectric conversion element are two-dimensionally arrayed in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the multiple pixels including a first pixel and a second pixel in which each object light passing through a first region and a second region of the photographing lens is pupil-divided and respectively enters, and a pair of array patterns including a first array pattern formed by alternately arraying the first and second pixels at first intervals in the first direction and a second array pattern formed by shifting the first array pattern in the first direction by the first interval are repeatedly disposed at second intervals in the second direction;
a first interpolation device configured to calculate a pixel value of a first interpolation pixel in an intermediate position of a first pixel pair based on a pixel value of the first pixel pair by interpolation processing, assuming that the first pixels of the first and second array patterns disposed in a same pixel line among pixel lines in a third direction and a fourth direction that are inclined to the first and second directions of the imaging element are the first pixel pair;
a second interpolation device configured to calculate a pixel value of a second interpolation pixel in an intermediate position of a second pixel pair based on a pixel value of the second pixel pair by interpolation processing, assuming that the second pixels of the first and second array patterns disposed in the same pixel line are the second pixel pair;
a focusing confirmation image generation device configured to generate a first image and a second image respectively based on only the pixel values of the first and second interpolation pixels calculated by the first and second interpolation devices and generating a focusing confirmation image based on the first and second images; and
a display device configured to display the focusing confirmation image generated by the focusing confirmation image generation device.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the second array pattern is disposed by being separated by the first interval in the second direction with respect to the first array pattern.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the first region and the second region of the photographing lens are regions symmetrical to a first straight line parallel to the second direction.

4. The imaging device according to claim 3 , wherein the focusing confirmation image is an image formed by arranging and disposing the first image and the second image in the second direction.

5. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the photographing lens includes a focus lens; and
a lens movement mechanism to move the focus lens in an optical axis direction of the photographing lens in response to manual focus operation.

6. An imaging device comprising:
a photographing lens;
an imaging element where multiple pixels including a photoelectric conversion element are two-dimensionally arrayed in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the multiple pixels including a first pixel and a second pixel in which each object light passing through a first region and a second region of the photographing lens is pupil-divided and respectively enters, and a pair of array patterns including a first array pattern formed by alternately arraying the first and second pixels at first intervals in the first direction and a second array pattern formed by shifting the first array pattern in the first direction by the first interval are repeatedly disposed at second intervals in the second direction;
a first interpolation device configured to calculate a pixel value of a first interpolation pixel in an intermediate position of a first pixel pair based on a pixel value of the first pixel pair by interpolation processing, assuming that the first pixels of the first and second array patterns disposed in a same pixel line among pixel lines in a third direction and a fourth direction that are inclined to the first and second directions of the imaging element are the first pixel pair;
a second interpolation device configured to calculate a pixel value of a second interpolation pixel in an intermediate position of a second pixel pair based on a pixel value of the second pixel pair by interpolation processing, assuming that the second pixels of the first and second array patterns disposed in the same pixel line are the second pixel pair;
a focusing confirmation image generation device configured to at least generate a first image and a second image respectively from the pixel values of the first and second interpolation pixels calculated by the first and second interpolation device and generating a focusing confirmation image based on the first and second images; and
a display device configured to display the focusing confirmation image generated by the focusing confirmation image generation device,
wherein the multiple pixels include the first and second pixels and a third pixel in which each object light passing through the first and second regions respectively enters without pupil division, further comprising:
a third image generation device configured to generate a third image based on a pixel value of the third pixel; and
a display control device configured to cause the display device to display the third image generated by the third image generation device and display the focusing confirmation image in a display region of the third image,
a third interpolation device configured to decide a pixel value of a third interpolation pixel located between the first pixels of the first and second array patterns, based on pixel values of these first pixels, and deciding a pixel value of a fourth interpolation pixel located between the second pixels, based on pixel values of these second pixels;
a fourth interpolation device configured to decide a pixel value of a fifth interpolation pixel located between the first pixels of one of the first and second array patterns, based on pixel values of the first pixels disposed in a same pixel line in the second direction as the fifth interpolation pixel, and deciding a pixel value of a sixth interpolation pixel located between the second pixels of the one of the first and second array patterns, based on pixel values of the second pixels disposed in a same pixel line in the second direction as the sixth interpolation pixel;
a determination device configured to determine a direction with high correlation of the third pixel and intensity of the correlation, based on the pixel value of the third pixel; and
an interpolation control device configured to select what corresponds to the determination result from the first and second interpolation devices, the third interpolation device and the fourth interpolation device, to cause interpolation processing to be performed based on the determination result of the determination device.

7. An imaging device comprising:
a photographing lens;
an imaging element where multiple pixels including a photoelectric conversion element are two-dimensionally arrayed in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the multiple pixels including a first pixel and a second pixel in which each object light passing through a first region and a second region of the photographing lens is pupil-divided and respectively enters, and a pair of array patterns including a first array pattern formed by alternately arraying the first and second pixels at first intervals in the first direction and a second array pattern formed by shifting the first array pattern in the first

Assignees

• Fujifilm Corp

Inventors

• Izawa Katsutoshi

Classifications

• H04N23/672

  based on the phase difference signals · CPC title

• H04N23/632

  for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters · CPC title

• H04N23/81

  for suppressing or minimising disturbance in the image signal generation · CPC title

• H04N23/62

  Control of parameters via user interfaces · CPC title

• H04N23/12

  with one sensor only · CPC title