Imaging apparatus, control method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9723220-B2
Application number	US-201414274553-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2014
Priority date	May 13, 2013
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

Included is an imaging unit that outputs images by imaging a subject, a light amount adjustment unit that drives a light amount adjustment member to adjust the amount of light input to the imaging unit, a control unit that controls the imaging unit so that after a first image is output by the imaging unit, a second image having an exposure amount different from that of the first image is output, and a setting unit that sets the difference in the exposure amount between the first image and the second image. The first image and the second image are images used for compositing. The setting unit sets the difference in the exposure amount between the first image and second image so that the relative relationship in the exposure amount between the first image and the second image imaged when the light amount adjustment unit is operating is the same as the relative relationship in the exposure amount between the first image and the second image imaged when the light amount adjustment unit is not operating.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging apparatus which can set a high-dynamic-range mode which outputs a first image and outputs a second image with an exposure amount different from that of the first image after the first image, the imaging apparatus comprising at least one processor coupled to at least one memory, the at least one processor being programmed to implement:
a light amount adjustment unit configured to drive a light amount adjustment member to adjust the amount of light input to an imaging unit which outputs images by imaging a subject;
a control unit configured to control the imaging unit; and
a setting unit configured to set a difference in the exposure amount between the first image and the second image to a predetermined difference based on at least one of the light amount adjustment by the light amount adjustment unit and the controlling of the imaging unit by the control unit when the high-dynamic-range mode is set,
wherein the first image and the second image are images used for compositing,
wherein the predetermined difference is a difference that maintains relative relationship in the exposure amount between the first image and the second image, and
wherein the setting unit sets the predetermined difference in the exposure amount so that the relative relationship in the exposure amount between the first image and the second image outputted when the light amount adjustment member is driven in accordance with changes in a luminance of the subject is the same as the relative relationship in the exposure amount between the first image and the second image outputted when the light amount adjustment member is not driven.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the setting unit sets the predetermined difference so that the difference in the exposure amount between the first image and second image outputted when the light amount adjustment member is driven in accordance with changes in the luminance of the subject is within a range of absolute values of the difference in the exposure amount between the first image and the second image outputted when the light amount adjustment member is not driven.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the setting unit sets the predetermined difference based on the driving of the light amount adjustment member by the light amount adjustment unit.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the setting unit sets the predetermined difference so that the number of images output from the imaging unit controlled by the control unit while the light amount adjustment member is driven is a multiple of the number of images used for compositing.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the light amount adjustment unit controls driving of the light amount adjustment member in accordance with changes in the luminance of the subject so that the driving of the light amount adjustment member ends in alignment with the timing at which the imaging of the second image ends.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the light amount adjustment unit controls the driving of the light amount adjustment member in accordance with changes in the luminance of the subject so that the driving of the light amount adjustment member starts in alignment with the timing at which the imaging of the first image starts.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the setting unit sets the predetermined difference based on a predetermined amount of the driving the light amount adjustment member per unit time in accordance with changes in the luminance of the subject, and
wherein the predetermined amount is an amount equivalent to half an absolute value of a difference in exposure between the first image and the second image when the light amount adjustment member is not driven.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the light amount adjustment member is either a diaphragm or an ND (neutral density) filter.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second image has an exposure amount larger than the exposure amount of the first image.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a compositing unit configured to composite the first image and the second image to generate a composite image,
wherein the composite image has a dynamic range wider than that of the first image or the second image.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit controls at least one of either the accumulation time or gain amount while the imaging unit images the subject,
and wherein the setting unit sets the predetermined difference based on the control by the control unit of at least one of either the accumulation time or the gain amount, when the light amount adjustment member is driven in accordance with changes in the luminance of the subject.

12. The imaging apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein the setting unit sets the predetermined difference so that a difference in exposure between the first image and the second image when the light amount adjustment member is driven is equal to or larger than half an absolute value of a difference in exposure between the first image and the second image when the light amount adjustment member is not driven, based on the control by the control unit of at least one of either the accumulation time or the gain amount when the light amount adjustment member is driven in accordance with changes in the luminance of the subject.

13. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit controls at least one of either the accumulation time or the gain amount while the imaging unit images the subject for setting a fixed difference in exposure between the first image and the second image regardless of changes in the luminance of the subject,
wherein the light amount adjustment member is a diaphragm, and
wherein the light adjustment unit drives the light amount adjustment member while the first image and the second image are outputted in accordance with changes in the luminance of the subject regardless of the fixed difference.

14. An imaging apparatus comprising at least one processor coupled to at least one memory, the at least one processor being programmed to implement:
a light amount adjustment unit configured to drive a light amount adjustment member to adjust the amount of light input to an imaging unit;
a control unit configured to control the imaging unit in a first mode or a second mode; and
a setting unit configured to set a first level of light amount adjustment corresponding to a driving amount per unit time of the light amount adjustment member in the first mode, and to set a second level of light amount adjustment corresponding to the driving amount per unit time of the light amount adjustment member in the second mode;
wherein the imaging unit continuously outputs images not used for compositing in the first mode,
wherein the imaging unit continuously outputs images used for compositing in the second mode,
wherein the setting unit sets the first level and the second level so that a level of light amount adjustment per unit time of the light amount adjustment member when the light amount adjustment member is driven in the second mode in accordance with changes in a luminance of a subject is less than a level of light amount adjustment per unit time of the light amount adjustment member when the light amount adjustment member is driven in the first mode in accordance with changes in the luminance of the subject, and
wherein the light amount adjustment member is at least one of a di

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Sugie Kazuhiko

Classifications

• G03B7/003

  setting of both shutter and diaphragm (G03B7/02 - G03B7/22 take precedence) · CPC title

• H04N23/743

  Bracketing, i.e. taking a series of images with varying exposure conditions · CPC title

• H04N23/741 Primary

  by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors · CPC title

• G03B7/00

  Control of exposure by setting shutters, diaphragms or filters, separately or conjointly (control of exposure in television cameras by means of circuitry influencing the optical part of the camera H04N23/75) · CPC title

• H04N2101/00

  Still video cameras · CPC title