IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,425,720
Granted Patent B2
US 12,425,720 · App. 18/261,833 · Granted Sep 23, 2025

Imaging apparatus and control method for imaging apparatus

Inventors: Yasuhito Tanaka (Tokyo, JP); Tetsuhiro Maeda (Tokyo, JP); Junji Akira (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
H04N23/64H04N23/667H04N23/69
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,425,720
App. No.
18/261,833
Granted
Sep 23, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided are an imaging apparatus and a control method for an imaging apparatus that can obtain image data with the same image size even with different angle of view sizes. The imaging apparatus includes an image size setting unit that sets an image size selected from multiple settable image sizes, an angle of view size setting unit that sets an angle of view size selected from multiple settable angle of view sizes that include a first angle of view size and a second angle of view size, and a control unit that performs pixel count control on the set image size set by the image size setting unit, to achieve the same or almost the same number of pixels regardless of a difference in the set angle of view size.

Claims (47)

1. An imaging apparatus, comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU) configured to:

set an image size from multiple settable image sizes;

set an angle of view size from multiple settable angle of view sizes, wherein the multiple settable angle of view sizes include a first angle of view size and a second angle of view size;

perform pixel count control on the set image size, to achieve a same or almost a same number of pixels regardless of a difference between the first angle of view size and the second angle of view size; and

switch between

perform the pixel count control to achieve the same or almost the same number of pixels before a change to the second angle of view size and after a change to the first angle of view size, and

perform the pixel count control to achieve the same or almost the same number of pixels before and after the change to the first angle of view size, based on the set angle of view size changes from the first angle of view size to the second angle of view size, and then the set angle of view size changes to the first angle of view size, and

shooting-related information indicating a state regarding an imaging operation performed before the change to the first angle of view size.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the CPU is further configured to set the set angle of view size based on a type of lens mounted on the imaging apparatus.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the CPU is further configured to set the angle of view size based on one of an execution or a cancellation of a crop function of the imaging apparatus.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first angle of view size corresponds to a size of an image sensor of a full-frame size.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second angle of view size corresponds to a size of an image sensor of an APS-C size.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the shooting-related information includes operating mode information indicating an operating mode of the imaging apparatus.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the shooting-related information includes object type information indicating a type of an object or shooting scene information indicating a shooting scene.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the shooting-related information includes continuous shooting operation information indicating whether continuous shooting is being performed.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, based on the set angle of view size is the second angle of view size smaller than the first angle of view size, the CPU is further configured to prevent a setting operation to set the image size that is a maximum image size settable with the first angle of view size.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, based on the set angle of view size is the second angle of view size smaller than the first angle of view size, the CPU is further configured to cause to display that the image size that is a maximum image size, settable with the first angle of view size, is not settable.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, based on the set angle of view size is the second angle of view size smaller than the first angle of view size, the CPU is further configured to cause to display a reason why the image size that is a maximum image size, settable with the first angle of view size, is not settable.

12. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the imaging apparatus has a zoom function, and

the CPU is further configured to cancel the zoom function based on the zoom function is executed when the CPU changes the angle of view size.

13. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the imaging apparatus has a continuous shooting function, and

the CPU is further configured to perform, based on the set angle of view size changes during execution of the continuous shooting function, the pixel count control to achieve the same or almost the same number of pixels before and after the change of the set angle of view size.

14. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the imaging apparatus has zoom functions of multiple modes, and

the CPU is further configured to change a number of zoom functions of settable modes, among the zoom functions of the multiple modes, of the imaging apparatus for the set image size, based on the difference between the first angle of view size and the second angle of view size.

15. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the CPU is further configured to change a zoom magnification adjustment user interface (UI) of a zoom function based on a number of zoom functions of settable modes of the imaging apparatus.

16. A control method for an imaging apparatus, comprising:

setting an image size from multiple settable image sizes;

setting an angle of view size from multiple settable angle of view sizes, wherein the multiple settable angle of view sizes include a first angle of view size and a second angle of view size;

performing pixel count control on the set image size, to achieve a same or almost a same number of pixels regardless of a difference between the first angle of view size and the second angle of view size; and

switching between

performing the pixel count control to achieve the same or almost the same number of pixels before a change to the second angle of view size and after a change to the first angle of view size, and

performing the pixel count control to achieve the same or almost the same number of pixels before and after the change to the first angle of view size, based on

set angle of view size changes from the first angle of view size to the second angle of view size, and then the set angle of view size changes to the first angle of view size, and

shooting-related information indicating a state regarding an imaging operation performed before the change to the first angle of view size.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to execute operations, the operations comprising:

setting an image size from multiple settable image sizes;

setting an angle of view size from multiple settable angle of view sizes, wherein the multiple settable angle of view sizes include a first angle of view size and a second angle of view size;

performing pixel count control on the set image size, to achieve a same or almost a same number of pixels regardless of a difference between the first angle of view size and the second angle of view size; and

switching between

performing the pixel count control to achieve the same or almost the same number of pixels before a change to the second angle of view size and after a change to the first angle of view size, and

performing the pixel count control to achieve the same or almost the same number of pixels before and after the change to the first angle of view size, based on

the set angle of view size changes from the first angle of view size to the second angle of view size, and then the set angle of view size changes to the first angle of view size, and

shooting-related information indicating a state regarding an imaging operation performed before the change to the first angle of view size.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 28, 2023
From: TANAKA, YASUHITO; MAEDA, TETSUHIRO; AKIRA, JUNJI
To: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064718/0347 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 24, 2023
From: KATO, AKIHIKO; KUROBE, TOSHIHIRO; HONJO, AKIKO; BABA, KOICHI; KIMIZUKA, NAOHIKO; HIROSE, YOHEI; KATAOKA, TOYOTAKA; TOYOFUKU, TAKUYA
To: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064351/0641 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-009444 · Jan 25, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240080544A1 · Mar 7, 2024
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