IP Library Granted Patent US 11,513,315
Granted Patent B2
US 11,513,315 · App. 16/339,891 · Granted Nov 29, 2022

Focus control device, focus control method, program, and imaging device

Inventors: Seiichi Inomata (Tokyo, JP); Takahiro Kosugi (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Sony Group Corporation
G02B7/34G02B7/282G02B7/36G03B13/36H04N5/232H04N5/23212
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,513,315
App. No.
16/339,891
Granted
Nov 29, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A focus driving control unit 34 of a control unit 30 performs speed priority driving control in which a focus lens is driven to a focusing position in a driving pattern selected in advance by a user, for example, in a case in which a defocus amount of a ranging area is greater than a driving control determination threshold set in advance. In addition, the focus driving control unit 34 performs subject priority driving control in which a focus lens movement amount by which the focus lens is located at the focusing position in accordance with the defocus amount of the ranging area is set and the focus lens is driven in a case in which the defocus amount is equal to or less than the driving control determination threshold. The focus lens is driven to the focusing position in the driving pattern selected by the user. Thereafter, a focusing state can be maintained. Accordingly, it is possible to easily perform an auto-focus operation with the high degree of freedom.

Claims (13)

1. A focus control device comprising:

a focus driving control circuitry configured to perform driving control of a focus lens in accordance with a defocus amount detected in a ranging area within an imaging screen and setting a region size of the ranging area,

wherein the focus driving control circuitry is configured to perform speed priority driving control in which the focus lens is driven to a focusing position in a driving pattern that is set in advance in a case in which the defocus amount is greater than a driving control determination threshold that is set in advance and in a case in which an evaluation value in accordance with sharpness of a subject image calculated by extracting a high frequency component from an image signal is less than a second driving control determination threshold,

perform subject priority driving control in which a focus lens movement amount by which the focus lens is located at the focusing position in accordance with the defocus amount is set and the focus lens is driven in a case in which the defocus amount is equal to or less than the driving control determination threshold and in a case in which the evaluation value in accordance with the sharpness of the subject image calculated by extracting the high frequency component from the image signal is equal to or greater than the second driving control determination threshold,

set the ranging area to a speed priority ranging size at a time of speed priority driving which is a first region size that is set in advance in a case in which the defocus amount is greater than a ranging area determination threshold that is set in advance, and

set the ranging area to a subject priority ranging size which is a second region size different from the first region size at a time of the speed priority driving in a case in which the defocus amount is equal to or less than the ranging area determination threshold.

2. The focus control device according to claim 1 , wherein the focus driving control circuitry is configured to set the subject priority ranging size in accordance with a motion state of a subject of the ranging area.

3. The focus control device according to claim 2 , wherein the focus driving control circuitry is configured to make the subject priority ranging size larger than the speed priority ranging size in a case in which the subject is a moving subject.

4. The focus control device according to claim 2 , wherein the focus driving control circuitry is configured to make the subject priority ranging size to be the speed priority ranging size or smaller than the speed priority ranging size in a case in which the subject is a stationary subject.

5. The focus control device according to claim 1 , wherein the focus driving control circuitry is configured to set the subject priority ranging size in accordance with an imaging mode of a subject.

6. The focus control device according to claim 5 , wherein the focus driving control circuitry is configured to make the subject priority ranging size larger than the speed priority ranging size in a case in which the imaging mode is a mode in which a moving subject is imaged.

7. The focus control device according to claim 5 , wherein the focus driving control circuitry is configured to make the subject priority ranging size to be the speed priority ranging size or smaller than the speed priority ranging size in a case in which the imaging mode is a mode in which a stationary subject is imaged.

8. The focus control device according to claim 1 , wherein the focus driving control circuitry is configured to set the subject priority ranging size in accordance with a depth of field and makes the region size smaller in a case in which the depth of field is deep than in a case in which the depth of field is shallow.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 4, 2022
From: SONY CORPORATION
To: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 059853/0882 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 5, 2019
From: INOMATA, SEIICHI; KOSUGI, TAKAHIRO
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 048805/0382 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2016-228935 · Nov 25, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190265436A1 · Aug 29, 2019