Image capturing apparatus and method for controlling image capturing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9742982-B2
Application number	US-201514925364-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2015
Priority date	Nov 5, 2014
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

An image capturing apparatus capable of executing autofocus by at least one of a phase difference detection method and a contrast detection method using an image signal obtained from a set focus detection region and from which an imaging optical system and a converter lens are detachable. The image capturing apparatus comprises: a conversion unit configured to convert aberration information indicating a spherical aberration of the imaging optical system based on a magnification and aberration information of the converter lens in a case where the converter lens is mounted; a calculation unit configured to calculate a correction value for correcting a difference between a result of the autofocus and a focus condition of a captured image; and a control unit configured to control a position of a focus lens based on the result of the autofocus that has been corrected using the correction value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image capturing apparatus capable of attaching to a detachable converter lens and executing automatic focus detection of an imaging optical system using an image signal obtained from a set focus detection region, the image capturing apparatus comprising:
a first acquisition unit configured to acquire first information on aberrations of the imaging optical system, wherein pieces of the first information correspond to positions of a plurality of focus detection regions, respectively;
a second acquisition unit configured to acquire second information which is related to information on a magnification of the converter lens in a case where the converter lens is mounted;
a processor; and
a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
converting the first information indicating an aberration of the imaging optical system based on the magnification of the converter lens in a case where the converter lens is mounted;
calculating a correction value for correcting a difference, caused by the aberration of the imaging optical system, between a result of the autofocus and a focus condition at a time of shooting an image based on the converted first information; and
controlling a position of a focus lens provided in the imaging optical system, based on the result of the autofocus that has been corrected using the correction value,

wherein in converting the first information, information on the positions of the focus detection regions related to the first information is converted based on the magnification of the converter lens.

2. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the calculation unit calculates the correction value for correcting a difference in the focus condition due to a difference between an evaluation frequency of a signal to be used in the autofocus and a predetermined evaluation frequency of the captured image, the difference in the focus condition being caused by a spherical aberration.

3. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first information of the imaging optical system is a modulation transfer function, and
the conversion unit converts the modulation transfer function so as to correct a change of the positions of the focus detection regions, the changes being caused in accordance with the magnification of the converter lens.

4. An image capturing apparatus capable of executing automatic focus detection through at least one of a phase difference detection process and a contrast detection process using an image signal obtained from a set focus detection region and from which an imaging optical system and a converter lens are detachable, the image capturing apparatus comprising:
a processor; and
a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
converting aberration information indicating a spherical aberration of the imaging optical system based on a magnification and aberration information of the converter lens in a case where the converter lens is mounted;
calculating a correction value for correcting a difference between a result of the autofocus and a focus condition of a captured image, the difference being caused by at least the spherical aberration of the imaging optical system, using the aberration information of the imaging optical system that has not been converted by the conversion unit in a case where the converter lens is not mounted, and using aberration information that has been converted by the conversion unit in a case where the converter lens is mounted; and
controlling a position of a focus lens provided in the imaging optical system, based on the result of the autofocus that has been corrected using the correction value,

wherein the aberration information of the imaging optical system is a modulation transfer function,
the conversion unit converts the modulation transfer function so as to correct an aberration of the converter lens and at least one of a change of a position of the focus detection region, a change of a focus position, and a change of a spatial frequency, the changes being caused in accordance with a magnification of the converter lens, and
the conversion unit converts the modulation transfer function such that the position of the focus detection region in the case where the converter lens is not mounted is shifted to a position obtained by dividing an original position of the focus detection region by a value determined based on the magnification of the converter lens.

5. An image capturing apparatus capable of executing automatic focus detection through at least one of a phase difference detection process and a contrast detection process using an image signal obtained from a set focus detection region and from which an imaging optical system and a converter lens are detachable, the image capturing apparatus comprising:
a processor; and
a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
converting aberration information indicating a spherical aberration of the imaging optical system based on a magnification and aberration information of the converter lens in a case where the converter lens is mounted;
calculating a correction value for correcting a difference between a result of the autofocus and a focus condition of a captured image, the difference being caused by at least the spherical aberration of the imaging optical system, using the aberration information of the imaging optical system that has not been converted by the conversion unit in a case where the converter lens is not mounted, and using aberration information that has been converted by the conversion unit in a case where the converter lens is mounted; and
controlling a position of a focus lens provided in the imaging optical system, based on the result of the autofocus that has been corrected using the correction value,

wherein the aberration information of the imaging optical system is a modulation transfer function,
the conversion unit converts the modulation transfer function so as to correct an aberration of the converter lens and at least one of a change of a position of the focus detection region, a change of a focus position, and a change of a spatial frequency, the changes being caused in accordance with a magnification of the converter lens, and
the conversion unit converts the modulation transfer function so as to shift the focus position in the case where the converter lens is not mounted by an amount obtained by multiplying a difference between the focus position and a predetermined reference position by a square of a magnification determined based on the magnification of the converter lens.

6. An image capturing apparatus capable of executing automatic focus detection through at least one of a phase difference detection process and a contrast detection process using an image signal obtained from a set focus detection region and from which an imaging optical system and a converter lens are detachable, the image capturing apparatus comprising:
a processor; and
a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
converting aberration information indicating a spherical aberration of the imaging optical system based on a magnification and aberration information of the converter lens in a case where the converter lens is mounted;
calculating a correction value for correcting a difference between a result of the autofocus and a focus condition of a captured image, the difference being caused by at least the spherical aberration of the imaging optical system, using the aberration information of the

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Takao Yumi
• Hamano Hideyuki

Classifications

• H04N23/635

  Region indicators; Field of view indicators · CPC title

• H04N25/615

  involving a transfer function modelling the optical system, e.g. optical transfer function [OTF], phase transfer function [PhTF] or modulation transfer function [MTF] · CPC title

• H04N23/673 Primary

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

• H04N25/704

  Pixels specially adapted for focusing, e.g. phase difference pixel sets · CPC title

• H04N23/663

  for controlling interchangeable camera parts based on electronic image sensor signals · CPC title