IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,457,136
Granted Patent B2
US 11,457,136 · App. 17/351,271 · Granted Sep 27, 2022

Imaging element, imaging apparatus, image data processing method, and program

Inventors: Hitoshi Sakurabu (Saitama, JP); Ryo Hasegawa (Saitama, JP); Tomoyuki Kawai (Saitama, JP); Makoto Kobayashi (Saitama, JP)
Assignee: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
H04N5/23212G03B13/36H04N5/2353H04N5/2357
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,457,136
App. No.
17/351,271
Granted
Sep 27, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is an imaging element in which a first frame rate is a frame rate higher than a second frame rate, and a first processor is configured to read out image data of a plurality of frames in parallel within an output period of image data of one frame defined by the second frame rate, acquire a focus driving speed and a rolling shift amount, decide a combining condition for the image data of the plurality of frames stored in a memory based on the acquired focus driving speed and the rolling shift amount, perform combining processing on the image data of the plurality of frames in accordance with the decided combining condition, and output the image data after combining obtained by the combining processing.

Claims (50)

1. An imaging element comprising:

a memory that is incorporated in the imaging element; and

a first processor that is incorporated in the imaging element,

wherein the first processor is configured to

read out image data obtained by imaging a subject at a first frame rate,

process the image data, and

output the processed image data at a second frame rate,

the memory stores the image data which is read out,

the first frame rate is a frame rate higher than the second frame rate, and

the first processor is configured to

read out the image data of a plurality of frames in parallel within an output period of the image data of one frame defined by the second frame rate,

acquire a focus driving speed and a rolling shift amount, decide a combining condition for the image data of the plurality of frames stored in the memory based on the acquired focus driving speed and the rolling shift amount, and perform combining processing on the image data of the plurality of frames in accordance with the decided combining condition, and

output the image data after combining obtained by the combining processing.

2. The imaging element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first processor is configured to decide, as the combining condition, a range of an image within a predetermined depth of field threshold value as a combining range of images for the combining processing.

3. The imaging element according to claim 2 ,

wherein the first processor is configured to perform the combining processing using a part, out of the image data of the plurality of frames stored in the memory, that is read out in a state where a focus position is within the depth of field threshold value.

4. The imaging element according to claim 3 ,

wherein the first processor is configured to, in a case where the part read out in a state where the focus position is within the depth of field threshold value overlaps in the image data of the plurality of frames stored in the memory, perform the combining processing by calculating an arithmetic mean of pixel values of pixels corresponding in position or by using pixel values of any image for the overlapping part.

5. The imaging element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first processor is configured to decide, as the combining condition, a combining range of images for the combining processing based on a focal position that is predicted by predictive auto focus in which the focal position is predicted by auto focus.

6. The imaging element according to claim 1 ,

wherein in a case where a flicker is detected, the first processor is configured to decide, as the combining condition, a combining range of images for the combining processing based on a timing at which an effect of the flicker is avoided.

7. The imaging element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first processor is configured to, in a case where the image data is read out from a plurality of photosensors arranged in a matrix form, set the number of divided exposure periods within the output period of the image data of one frame defined by the second frame rate to a value corresponding to the number of lines on which AD conversion is performed at the same time.

8. The imaging element according to claim 7 ,

wherein the first processor is configured to set the number of divided exposure periods to a value less than or equal to the number of lines on which the AD conversion is performed at the same time.

9. The imaging element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first processor is configured to, in a case where an image indicated by the image data is cropped, set a cropped region as a target range of the combining processing.

10. The imaging element according to claim 1 ,

wherein at least a photoelectric conversion element and the memory are formed in one chip.

11. The imaging element according to claim 10 ,

wherein the imaging element is a laminated imaging element in which the photoelectric conversion element is laminated with the memory.

12. An imaging apparatus comprising:

the imaging element according to claim 1 ; and

a second processor configured to perform a control for storing the image data output by the first processor included in the imaging element in a storage medium.

13. The imaging apparatus according to claim 12 ,

wherein the second processor is further configured to control the focus driving speed in accordance with the rolling shift amount and a depth of field.

14. An image data processing method of an imaging element incorporating a first processor configured to read out image data obtained by imaging a subject at a first frame rate, process the image data, and output the processed image data at a second frame rate, and a memory that stores the image data read out by the first processor, the image data processing method comprising:

setting the first frame rate to a frame rate higher than the second frame rate; and

by the first processor,

reading out the image data of a plurality of frames in parallel within an output period of the image data of one frame defined by the second frame rate;

acquiring a focus driving speed and a rolling shift amount, deciding a combining condition for the image data of the plurality of frames stored in the memory based on the acquired focus driving speed and the rolling shift amount, and performing combining processing on the image data of the plurality of frames in accordance with the decided combining condition; and

outputting the image data after combining obtained by the combining processing.

15. A non-transitory recording medium that records a program causing a computer to execute an image data process in an imaging element that reads out image data obtained by imaging a subject at a first frame rate, stores the image data which is read out in a memory, processes the image data, and outputs the processed image data at a second frame rate,

the first frame rate being a frame rate higher than the second frame rate,

the image data process comprising:

reading out the image data of a plurality of frames in parallel within an output period of the image data of one frame defined by the second frame rate;

acquiring a focus driving speed and a rolling shift amount, deciding a combining condition for the image data of the plurality of frames stored in the memory based on the acquired focus driving speed and the rolling shift amount, and performing combining processing on the image data of the plurality of frames in accordance with the decided combining condition; and

outputting the image data after combining obtained by the combining processing.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 24, 2021
From: SAKURABU, HITOSHI; HASEGAWA, RYO; KAWAI, TOMOYUKI; KOBAYASHI, MAKOTO
To: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 056645/0994 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2018-245749 · Dec 27, 2018 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2019044511 · Nov 13, 2019
Related Publication 20210314483A1 · Oct 7, 2021