Imager capturing an image with a rolling shutter using flicker detection
View Patent ↗An imager is provided having an image-capturing sensor, a focusing detector, and a flicker detector. The image-capturing sensor captures a subject image with a rolling shutter and outputs image data. The focusing detector determines whether a subject image is in focus of the image-capturing sensor using the output image data. The flicker detector detects a flicker in the output image data. The focusing detector uses horizontal data without vertical data from the image data so as to determine whether a subject image is in focus, when the flicker detector detects a flicker.
1. An imager, comprising:
an image-capturing sensor that captures a subject image with a rolling shutter and outputs image data, said image-capturing sensor including an imaging area,
wherein said imaging area includes a virtual horizontal auto-focus area that produces horizontal data, and a virtual vertical auto-focus area that produces vertical data, and
wherein said virtual horizontal auto-focus area and said virtual vertical auto-focus area overlap one another;
a focusing detector that determines whether a subject image is in focus of said image-capturing sensor using the output image data;
a light-source detector that detects what type of light that is illuminating a subject;
a light cycle detector that detects a cycle of a light that is illuminating said subject; and
a flicker detector that detects a flicker in the output image data;
wherein said flicker detector detects said flicker when the detected type of light corresponds to a certain type of light,
said focusing detector automatically uses said horizontal data, without said vertical data, from the output image data so as to determine whether a subject image is in focus, when said flicker detector detects a flicker, and
said focusing detector uses said horizontal data from the output image data so as to determine whether said subject image is in focus when a charge storing time per one row of said image-capturing sensor is shorter than a threshold time that is determined according to the light cycle detected by said light cycle detector.
2. The imager according to claim 1 ,
wherein said flicker detector detects said flicker when the detected light cycle corresponds to a certain type.
3. An imager, comprising:
an image-capturing sensor that captures a subject image with a rolling shutter and outputs image data, said image-capturing sensor including an imaging area,
wherein said imaging area includes a virtual horizontal auto-focus area that produces horizontal data, and a virtual vertical auto-focus area that produces vertical data, and
wherein said virtual horizontal auto-focus area and said virtual vertical auto-focus area overlap one another;
a focusing detector that determines whether a subject image is in focus of said image-capturing sensor using the output image data;
a light cycle detector that detects a cycle of a light that is illuminating a subject; and
a flicker detector that detects a flicker in the output image data;
wherein said flicker detector detects said flicker when the detected light cycle corresponds to a certain type of light,
wherein said focusing detector automatically uses said horizontal data, without said vertical data, from the output image data so as to determine whether a subject image is in focus, when said flicker detector detects a flicker, and
wherein said focusing detector uses said horizontal data from the output image data so as to determine whether said subject image is in focus when a charge storing time per one row of said image-capturing sensor is shorter than a threshold time that is determined according to the light cycle detected by said light cycle detector.