IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,653,107
Granted Patent B2
US 11,653,107 · App. 17/455,390 · Granted May 16, 2023

Image pick up apparatus, image pick up method, and storage medium

Inventor: Takuya Masamura (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
H04N5/232125G02B7/38H04N5/2353
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,653,107
App. No.
17/455,390
Granted
May 16, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

An image pick up apparatus includes an image sensor configured to pick up an image while changing an in-focus position during pickup of the image, at least one memory configured to store instructions, and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and configured to execute the instructions to perform a correction of a difference in exposure resulting from a change in the in-focus position while one image is picked up.

Claims (60)

1. An image pick up apparatus comprising:

an image sensor configured to pick up an image while changing an in-focus position during pickup of the image;

at least one memory configured to store instructions; and

at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and configured to execute the instructions to:

perform a correction of a difference in exposure resulting from a change in the in-focus position while one image is picked up and not perform the correction if the difference in exposure resulting from the change in the in-focus position is smaller than or equal to a predetermined threshold.

2. The image pick up apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor further executes the instructions to:

perform the correction by changing an exposure time while the image sensor picks up the one image.

3. The image pick up apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor further executes the instructions to:

change the exposure time by changing at least one of a timing for resetting each pixel and a timing for reading each pixel of the image sensor.

4. The image pick up apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the at least one processor further executes the instructions to:

read an image signal in sequence from each portion of the image sensor, and

perform the correction to make luminance of the image signal from the portion uniform.

5. The image pick up apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein an exposure time of pixels included in the portion of the image sensor are the same.

6. The image pick up apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the portion of the image sensor is a line of a pixel array of an imaging element.

7. The image pick up apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the image sensor picks up a plurality of images different in in-focus position, and

wherein the at least one processor further executes the instructions to:

make a difference in exposure between the plurality of images after the correction smaller than the difference before the correction.

8. The image pick up apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor further executes the instructions to:

perform combining of the plurality of images to generate a composite image,

wherein a depth of field of the composite image is deeper than a depth of field of each of the plurality of images.

9. The image pick up apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor further executes the instructions to:

perform the combining by extracting a focused area from each of the plurality of images.

10. The image pick up apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor further executes the instructions to:

perform the correction based on an effective aperture value in picking up each of the plurality of images.

11. The image pick up apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor further executes the instructions to:

correct an exposure time to match effective aperture values of the plurality of images with an effective aperture value of any one line in any one image of the plurality of images as a reference.

12. The image pick up apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor further executes the instructions to:

use an effective aperture value of a first line in a first image of the plurality of images as the reference.

13. The image pick up apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an optical system including a rolling shutter,

wherein the image sensor performs image pickup by receiving light through the optical system.

14. The image pick up apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the image sensor picks up a plurality of images different in in-focus position, and

wherein the at least one processor further executes the instructions to:

in a case where combining of the plurality of images is performed to generate a composite image, perform the correction, and

in a case where the combining is not performed, not perform the correction.

15. The image pick up apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein a depth of field of the composite image is deeper than a depth of field of each of the plurality of images.

16. The image pick up apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein a difference in exposure between the plurality of images after the correction is smaller than the difference before the correction.

17. An image pick up method comprising:

picking up an image while continuously changing an in-focus position during pickup of the image; and

performing correction of a difference in exposure resulting from a change in the in-focus position while one image is picked up in the picking up and not perform the correction if the difference in exposure resulting from the change in the in-focus position is smaller than or equal to a predetermined threshold.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which stores a program for causing a computer of an apparatus to execute an image pick up method according to claim 17 .

19. An image pick up apparatus comprising:

an image sensor configured to pick up a plurality of images different in in-focus position;

at least one memory configured to store instructions; and

at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and configured to execute the instructions to:

determine whether to perform a correction of a difference in exposure resulting from a change in the in-focus position while one image is picked up,

in a case where combining of the plurality of images is performed to generate a composite image, perform the correction, and

in a case where the combining is not performed, not perform the correction.

20. An image pick up method comprising:

picking up a plurality of images different in in-focus position;

determining whether to perform a correction of a difference in exposure resulting from a change in the in-focus position while one image is picked up,

in a case where combining of the plurality of images is performed to generate a composite image, performing the correction, and

in a case where the combining is not performed, not performing the correction.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which stores a program for causing a computer to execute an image pick up method, the method comprising:

picking up a plurality of images different in in-focus position;

determining whether to perform a correction of a difference in exposure resulting from a change in the in-focus position while one image is picked up,

in a case where combining of the plurality of images is performed to generate a composite image, performing the correction, and

in a case where the combining is not performed, not performing the correction.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2021
From: MASAMURA, TAKUYA
To: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 058341/0639 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2020-194436 · Nov 24, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220166929A1 · May 26, 2022
Cited By (1)
US 12,469,107