IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,732,707
Granted Patent B2
US 12,732,707 · App. 18/850,770 · Granted Sep 8, 2026

Imaging device, control method, and program with notification corresponding to still image capture

Inventors: Atsutaka Ito (Tokyo, JP); Daisuke Yamamoto (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Sony Group Corporation
H04N23/73H04N23/635H04N23/667
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,732,707
App. No.
18/850,770
Granted
Sep 8, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An imaging device includes an imaging element unit that is exposed to incident light and that outputs a captured image signal, a notification unit, and a control unit that performs control in such a way as to cause the notification unit to perform notification corresponding to still image capture exposure, which is performed by the imaging element unit to generate a still image in response to a still image capture instruction, in a period different from an exposure period of the still image capture exposure.

Claims (68)

1 . An imaging device comprising:

an imaging element unit that is exposed to incident light and that outputs a captured image signal;

a vibration unit that vibrates a housing; and

a control unit that performs control in such a way as to cause the vibration unit to perform notification corresponding to still image capture exposure, which is performed by the imaging element unit to generate a still image in response to a still image capture instruction, in a period different from an exposure period of the still image capture exposure, wherein

the control unit performs control such that the vibration unit performs vibration corresponding to the still image capture exposure within a display period of an image based on a captured image signal obtained through the still image capture exposure, and

the control unit performs, in a case where there is an instruction to perform continuous shooting of still images as the still image capture instruction, control in such a way as to change timing of the still image capture exposure in a case where a period of one of second and subsequent still image capture exposures in a continuous shooting period overlaps with a display period of an image corresponding to a preceding still image capture exposure.

2 . An imaging device comprising:

an imaging element unit that is exposed to incident light and that outputs a captured image signal;

a vibration unit that vibrates a housing; and

a control unit that performs control in such a way as to cause the vibration unit to perform notification corresponding to still image capture exposure, which is performed by the imaging element unit to generate a still image in response to a still image capture instruction, in a period different from an exposure period of the still image capture exposure, wherein

the control unit performs control such that the vibration unit performs vibration corresponding to the still image capture exposure within a display period of an image based on a captured image signal obtained through the still image capture exposure, and

the control unit performs, in a case where there is an instruction to perform continuous shooting of still images as the still image capture instruction, control in such a way as to change timing of the vibration performed by the vibration unit in a case where a period of one of second and subsequent still image capture exposures in a continuous shooting period overlaps with a display period of an image corresponding to a preceding still image capture exposure.

3 . An imaging device comprising:

an imaging element unit that is exposed to incident light and that outputs a captured image signal;

a vibration unit that vibrates a housing; and

a control unit that performs control in such a way as to cause the vibration unit to perform notification corresponding to still image capture exposure, which is performed by the imaging element unit to generate a still image in response to a still image capture instruction, in a period different from an exposure period of the still image capture exposure, wherein

the control unit performs control such that the vibration unit performs vibration corresponding to the still image capture exposure within a display period of an image based on a captured image signal obtained through the still image capture exposure, and

the control unit performs, in a case where there is an instruction to perform continuous shooting of still images as the still image capture instruction, control in such a way as to shorten a period for which the vibration unit performs the vibration in a case where a period of one of second and subsequent still image capture exposures in a continuous shooting period overlaps with a display period of an image corresponding to a preceding still image capture exposure.

4 . An imaging device comprising:

an imaging element unit that is exposed to incident light and that outputs a captured image signal;

a vibration unit that vibrates a housing; and

a control unit that performs control in such a way as to cause the vibration unit to perform notification corresponding to still image capture exposure, which is performed by the imaging element unit to generate a still image in response to a still image capture instruction, in a period different from an exposure period of the still image capture exposure, wherein

the control unit performs control such that the vibration unit performs vibration corresponding to the still image capture exposure within a display period of an image based on a captured image signal obtained through the still image capture exposure, and

the control unit performs, in a case where there is an instruction to perform continuous shooting of still images as the still image capture instruction, control in such a way as to reduce intensity of the vibration performed by the vibration unit in a case where a period of one of second and subsequent still image capture exposures in a continuous shooting period overlaps with a display period of an image corresponding to a preceding still image capture exposure.

5 . An imaging device comprising:

an imaging element unit that is exposed to incident light and that outputs a captured image signal;

a vibration unit that vibrates a housing; and

a control unit that performs control in such a way as to cause the vibration unit to perform notification corresponding to still image capture exposure, which is performed by the imaging element unit to generate a still image in response to a still image capture instruction, in a period different from an exposure period of the still image capture exposure, wherein

the control unit performs control such that the vibration unit performs vibration corresponding to the still image capture exposure within a display period of an image based on a captured image signal obtained through the still image capture exposure, and

the control unit performs, in a case where there is an instruction to perform continuous shooting of still images as the still image capture instruction, control in such a way as not to cause the vibration unit to perform the vibration in a case where a period of one of second and subsequent still image capture exposures in a continuous shooting period overlaps with a display period of an image corresponding to a preceding still image capture exposure.

6 . An imaging device comprising:

an imaging element unit that is exposed to incident light and that outputs a captured image signal;

a notification unit; and

a control unit that performs control in such a way as to cause the notification unit to perform notification corresponding to still image capture exposure, which is performed by the imaging element unit to generate a still image in response to a still image capture instruction, in a period different from an exposure period of the still image capture exposure, wherein

the control unit controls presence or absence of notification performed by the notification unit or execution timing of the notification in accordance with an exposure time of the still image capture exposure, and

the control unit performs, in a case where the still image capture exposure for shorter than a certain period of time is performed in response to the still image capture instruction, control such that the notification unit performs notification corresponding to the still image capture exposure within a display period of an image based on a captured image signal obtained through the still image capture exposure, and

the control unit performs, in a case where the still image capture exposure for the certain period of time or longer is performed in response to the still image capture instruction, control such that the notification unit performs notification at a time of the still image capture instruction.

7 . The imaging device according to claim 6 , wherein

the control unit performs, in a case where the still image capture exposure for the certain period time or longer is performed in response to the still image capture instruction, control such that the notification unit performs notification corresponding to the still image capture exposure within a display period of an image based on a captured image signal obtained through the still image capture exposure in addition to the notification at the time of the still image capture instruction.

8 . The imaging device according to claim 7 , wherein

the control unit performs control such that the notification at the time of the still image capture instruction and the notification performed by the notification unit within the display period of the image based on the captured image signal obtained through the still image capture exposure are performed in different modes.

9 . The imaging device according to claim 6 , wherein

the notification unit is a vibration unit that vibrates a housing, and

the control unit performs, in a case where the still image capture exposure for the certain period of time or longer is performed in response to the still image capture instruction, control in such a way as to start the still image capture exposure after vibration as the notification at the time of the still image capture instruction ends.

10 . The imaging device according to claim 6 , wherein

the notification unit is a vibration unit that vibrates a housing, and

the control unit performs, in a case where it is determined that a user has not established a hand-held state, control in such a way as not to perform one or both of vibration as the notification at the time of the still image capture instruction and vibration as the notification within the display period of the image based on the captured image signal obtained through the still image capture exposure.

11 . The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein

the control unit performs control in such a way as to present a result of a determination as to an image capture condition during a display period of an image based on a captured image signal obtained through the still image capture exposure.

12 . The imaging device according to claim 11 , wherein

the result of the determination as to the image capture condition includes a result of a determination as to a situation of camera shake correction, a situation of excessive or insufficient exposure, a situation of tracking or loss of a tracking subject, or a situation of in-focus or out-of-focus.

13 . The imaging device according to claim 11 , wherein

the control unit presents the result of the determination as to the image capture condition by changing a display mode of an entire still image.

14 . The imaging device according to claim 11 , wherein

the control unit presents the result of the determination as to the image capture condition by changing a display mode of a peripheral region of the still image.

15 . The imaging device according to claim 11 , wherein

the control unit changes a display mode stepwise in accordance with the result of the determination as to the image capture condition.

16 . The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein

the housing has a structure in which a lens barrel is replaceable, and

the control unit sets a vibration mode of the vibration unit in accordance with type information regarding the lens barrel attached to the housing.

17 . A control method for an imaging device that includes an imaging element unit that is exposed to incident light, that outputs a captured image signal and that includes a vibration unit, the control method comprising:

performing control in such a way as to cause the vibration unit to perform notification corresponding to still image capture exposure, which is performed by the imaging element unit to generate a still image in response to a still image capture instruction, in a period different from an exposure period of the still image capture exposure;

performing control such that the vibration unit performs vibration corresponding to the still image capture exposure within a display period of an image based on a captured image signal obtained through the still image capture exposure; and

performing, in a case where there is an instruction to perform continuous shooting of still images as the still image capture instruction, control in such a way as to change timing of the still image capture exposure in a case where a period of one of second and subsequent still image capture exposures in a continuous shooting period overlaps with a display period of an image corresponding to a preceding still image capture exposure.

18 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for controlling an imaging device that includes an imaging element unit that is exposed to incident light, that outputs a captured image signal and that includes a vibration unit, the program being executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:

performing control in such a way as to cause the vibration unit to perform notification corresponding to still image capture exposure, which is performed by the imaging element unit to generate a still image in response to a still image capture instruction, in a period different from an exposure period of the still image capture exposure;

performing control such that the vibration unit performs vibration corresponding to the still image capture exposure within a display period of an image based on a captured image signal obtained through the still image capture exposure; and

performing, in a case where there is an instruction to perform continuous shooting of still images as the still image capture instruction, control in such a way as to change timing of the still image capture exposure in a case where a period of one of second and subsequent still image capture exposures in a continuous shooting period overlaps with a display period of an image corresponding to a preceding still image capture exposure.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 25, 2024
From: ITO, ATSUTAKA; YAMAMOTO, DAISUKE
To: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 069047/0654 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-078695 · May 12, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250227381A1 · Jul 10, 2025
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