Imaging apparatus and method for controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9565362-B2
Application number	US-201213655349-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2012
Priority date	Sep 24, 2008
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

An imaging apparatus includes an image capturing unit including an image sensor capable of photoelectrically converting a subject image and configured to generate moving image data based on an output signal of the image sensor, a storage unit configured to store foreign substance information including information relating to at least a position and a size of a foreign substance adhered to an optical element disposed on a front side of the image sensor, a detection unit configured to detect a shake amount of the image sensor, a control unit configured to control an image clipping position on an entire screen of the image sensor according to the shake amount of the image sensor detected by the detection unit, and a recording unit configured to record the foreign substance information and information indicating the image clipping position in association with the moving image data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging apparatus, comprising:
an image sensor capable of photoelectrically converting a subject image;
an image processing circuit configured to acquire foreign substance information including information relating to at least a position and a size of a foreign substance adhered to an optical element disposed on a front side of the image sensor;
a system control circuit configured to control clipping a predetermined area on an entire screen of the image sensor and to output image clipping information indicating a position of the predetermined area; and
a recording unit configured to record the foreign substance information and the image clipping information in association with image data generated based on an output signal of the image sensor.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image clipping information includes an X coordinate and a Y coordinate on the entire screen of the image sensor.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image clipping information is a different relative to an image clipping position of a reference frame.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the recording unit does not perform recording of the image clipping information in a case where the difference in the image clipping position is equal to or less than predetermined value.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a dust removal circuit configured to acquire the foreign substance information and the image clipping information which are recorded in association with each other, convert the foreign substance information based on the image clipping information and perform interpolation processing on a pixel corresponding to the foreign substance of the image data using the converted foreign substance information.

6. A method for controlling an imaging apparatus including having an image sensor capable of photoelectrically converting a subject image, the method comprising:
storing foreign substance information including information relating to at least a position and a size of a foreign substance adhered to an optical element disposed on a front side of the image sensor;
clipping a predetermined of area on an entire screen of the image sensor and to output image clipping information indicating a position of the predetermined area; and
recording the foreign substance information and the image clipping information in association with image data generated based on an output signal of the image sensor.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the image clipping information includes an X coordinate and a Y coordinate on the entire screen of the image sensor.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the image clipping information is a different relative to an image clipping position of a reference frame.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the image clipping information is not recorded in a case where the difference in the image clipping position is equal to or less than predetermined value.

10. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
acquiring the foreign substance information and the image clipping information which are recorded in association with each other;
converting the foreign substance information based on the image clipping information; and
performing interpolation processing on a pixel corresponding to the foreign substance of the image data using the converted foreign substance information.

11. An imaging apparatus, comprising:
an image sensor capable of photoelectrically converting a subject image;
an image processing circuit configured to acquire foreign substance information including information relating to at least a position and a size of a foreign substance adhered to an optical element disposed on a front side of the image sensor;
a system control circuit configured to control clipping a predetermined area on an entire screen of the image sensor and to output image clipping information indicating a position of the predetermined area; and
a dust removal circuit configured to convert the foreign substance information based on the image clipping information and perform interpolation processing on a pixel corresponding to the foreign substance of image data generated based on an output signal of the image sensor using the converted foreign substance information.

12. A method for controlling an imaging apparatus including an image sensor capable of photoelectrically converting a subject image, the method comprising:
storing foreign substance information including information relating to at least a position and a size of a foreign substance adhered to an optical element disposed on a front side of the image sensor;
clipping a predetermined area on an entire screen of the image sensor and to output image clipping information indicating a position of the predetermined area; and
converting the foreign substance information based on the image clipping information and perform interpolation processing on a pixel corresponding to the foreign substance of image data generated based on an output signal of the image sensor using the converted foreign substance information.

13. A program recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to execute a method for controlling an imaging apparatus that includes an image sensor capable of photoelectrically converting a subject image, the method comprising:
storing foreign substance information including information relating to at least a position and a size of a foreign substance adhered to an optical element disposed on a front side of the image sensor;
clipping a predetermined area on an entire screen of the image sensor and to output image clipping information indicating a position of the predetermined area; and
recording the foreign substance information and the image clipping information in association with image data generated based on an output signal of the image sensor.

14. A program recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to execute a method for controlling an imaging apparatus that includes an image sensor capable of photoelectrically converting a subject image, the method comprising:
storing foreign substance information including information relating to at least a position and a size of a foreign substance adhered to an optical element disposed on a front side of the image sensor;
clipping a predetermined area on an entire screen of the image sensor and to output image clipping information indicating a position of the predetermined area; and
converting the foreign substance information based on the image clipping information and perform interpolation processing on a pixel corresponding to the foreign substance of image data generated based on an output signal of the image sensor using the converted foreign substance information.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Kudo Keisuke

Classifications

• H04N23/811 Primary

  by dust removal, e.g. from surfaces of the image sensor or processing of the image signal output by the electronic image sensor · CPC title

• H04N23/68 Primary

  for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations · CPC title

• H04N23/683

  performed by a processor, e.g. controlling the readout of an image memory · CPC title

• H04N25/69

  SSIS comprising testing or correcting structures for circuits other than pixel cells · CPC title

• H04N5/367

  Electricity · mapped topic