Auto focus control of image capturing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9426353-B2
Application number	US-201514601539-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2015
Priority date	Jan 30, 2014
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

An image capturing apparatus includes: a system selector configured to select either one of a focus control of a contrast system in which a wobbling motion is performed for detection and a focus control of a different system that is different from the focus control of the contrast system; and a controller configured to set a first wobbling amount for the focus control of the different system to be smaller than a second wobbling amount for the focus control of the contrast system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image capturing apparatus, comprising:
a system selector configured to select either one of a focus control of a contrast system in which a wobbling motion is performed for detection and a focus control of a different system that is different from the focus control of the contrast system; and
a controller configured to set a first wobbling amount for the focus control of the different system to be smaller than a second wobbling amount for the focus control of the contrast system,
wherein the focus control of the different system is a focus control of a phase difference system, and
wherein the system selector is configured to select, based on a result of detection for the focus control of the phase difference system, either one of the focus control of the contrast system and the focus control of the phase difference system.

2. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the focus control of the different system needs no wobbling motion for detection.

3. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the system selector is configured to perform the focus control of the phase difference system if a defocus amount as the result of detection is larger than a threshold.

4. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to calculate the first wobbling amount and the second wobbling amount such that the first wobbling amount is smaller than the second wobbling amount.

5. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first wobbling amount and the second wobbling amount take values set in advance.

6. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the focus control of the phase difference system is a focus control of an image plane phase difference system.

7. A method of controlling an image capturing apparatus, comprising the steps of:
selecting, by a system selector, either one of a focus control of a contrast system in which a wobbling motion is performed for detection and a focus control of a different system that is different from the focus control of the contrast system; and
setting, by a controller, a first wobbling amount for the focus control of the different system to be smaller than a second wobbling amount for the focus control of the contrast system,
wherein the focus control of the different system is a focus control of a phase difference system, and
wherein the selecting step includes selecting, based on a result of detection for the focus control of the phase difference system, either one of the focus control of the contrast system and the focus control of the phase difference system.

8. The method of controlling the image capturing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the focus control of the different system needs no wobbling motion for detection.

9. The method of controlling the image capturing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the selecting step includes performing the focus control of the phase difference system if a defocus amount as the result of detection is larger than a threshold.

10. The method of controlling the image capturing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the setting step includes calculating the first wobbling amount and the second wobbling amount such that the first wobbling amount is smaller than the second wobbling amount.

11. The method of controlling the image capturing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the first wobbling amount and the second wobbling amount take values set in advance.

12. The method of controlling the image capturing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the focus control of the phase difference system is a focus control of an image plane phase difference system.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of computer-executable instructions causing a computer to execute a method of controlling an image capturing apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:
selecting either one of a focus control of a contrast system in which a wobbling motion is performed for detection and a focus control of a different system that is different from the focus control of the contrast system; and
setting a first wobbling amount for the focus control of the different system to be smaller than a second wobbling amount for the focus control of the contrast system,
wherein the focus control of the different system is a focus control of a phase difference system, and
wherein the selecting step includes selecting, based on a result of detection for the focus control of the phase difference system, either one of the focus control of the contrast system and the focus control of the phase difference system.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 13 , wherein the focus control of the different system needs no wobbling motion for detection.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Shimada Junji
• Ueda Hitoshi
• Kawai Takashi

Classifications

• H04N23/675

  comprising setting of focusing regions · CPC title

• H04N23/63

  by using electronic viewfinders · CPC title

• H04N23/672 Primary

  based on the phase difference signals · CPC title

• H04N23/661

  Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet · CPC title

• H04N23/673 Primary

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