IMAGE-CAPTURING APPARATUS

Abstract

A digital camera enables high-speed zooming operation without use of a zoom lens. Light originating from a fixed-focal-length lens is split into two beams by a beam splitter, to thus form respective images on a first image sensor and a second image sensor. The first image sensor and the second image sensor are equal to each other in terms of the number of pixels, but differ from each other in terms of a pixel size. The first image sensor acquires a wide image, and the second image sensor acquires a telephotography image. An output is produced by means of switching between the first image sensor and the second image sensor, in response to zooming operation. When the image from the first image sensor is recorded, focus detection is performed by use of an image signal from the second image sensor, to thus effect automatic focusing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a conceptual block diagram of a digital camera having two image sensors;

FIG. 2 is a descriptive rendering of the angles of view of the two image sensors;

FIG. 3 is an entire block diagram of the digital camera having two image sensors;

FIG. 4 is a drive circuit diagram of the digital camera having two image sensors;

FIG. 5 is a timing chart (part 1) of the digital camera having two image sensors;

FIG. 6 is a timing chart (part 2) of the digital camera having two image sensors;

FIG. 7 is another conceptual block diagram of the digital camera having two image sensors;

FIG. 8 is a conceptual block diagram of a digital camera having three image sensors;

FIG. 9 is a drive circuit diagram of the digital camera having three image sensors;

FIG. 10 is a switching timing descriptive view (from a wide side to a telephotography side) of the configuration shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a switching timing descriptive view (from a telephotography side to a wide side) of the configuration shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 a timing chart of the configuration shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 13 is another timing chart of the configuration shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 14 is a diagram of another drive circuit for a digital camera having three image sensors;

FIG. 15 is a view for describing switching timing of the configuration shown in FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is another timing chart of the configuration shown in FIG. 14;

FIG. 17 is a diagram of yet another drive circuit for a digital camera having three image sensors;

FIG. 18 is a view for describing switching timing of the configuration shown in FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a diagram of still another drive circuit for a digital camera having three image sensors;

FIG. 20 is a conceptual block diagram of a digital camera having four image sensors;

FIG. 21 is a view for describing the layout of a shutter;

FIG. 22 is a view for describing another layout of the shutter;

FIG. 23 is a view for describing the layout of an ND filter; and

FIG. 24 is a circuit diagram of an amplifier.

Claims

1. An image-capturing apparatus comprising: a single optical system;split means for splitting light originating from the single optical system into a plurality of lightsa plurality of image-capturing elements which receive the plurality of lights and have the same number of pixels and different pixel sizes; anddrive means for driving the plurality of image-capturing elements.

2. The image-capturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: angle-of-view change operation means;display means; andcontrol means for outputting, in a switching manner, image signals output from the plurality of image-capturing elements to the display means in response to operation of the angle-of-view change operation means.

3. The image-capturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of image-capturing elements are formed from a first image-capturing element and a second image-capturing element which is smaller in pixel size than the first image-capturing element; andthe control means outputs an image signal from the first image-capturing element while an angle-of-view change position falls within an area from a wide end of the first image-capturing element to a threshold position set in an angle-of-view change range of the second image-capturing element, and outputs an image signal from the second image-capturing element while the angle-of-view change position falls within a range from the threshold position to a telephotography end.

4. The image-capturing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising focus adjustment means for controlling a focus through use of an image signal from the second image-capturing element when an image is captured by use of an image signal from the first image-capturing element.

5. The image-capturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of image-capturing elements are formed from a first image-capturing element, a second image-capturing element which is smaller in pixel size than the first image-capturing element, and a third image-capturing element which is smaller in pixel size than the second image-capturing element; andthe control means outputs an image signal from the first image-capturing element while an angle-of-view change position falls within an area from a wide end of the first image-capturing element to a first threshold position set in an angle-of-view change range of the second image-capturing element, outputs an image signal from the second image-capturing element while the angle-of-view change position falls within a range from the first threshold position to a second threshold position set in the angle-of-view change range of the third image-capturing element, and outputs an image signal from the third image-capturing element while the angle-of-view change position falls within a range from the second threshold position to a telephotography end.

6. The image-capturing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising focus adjustment means for controlling a focus through use of an image signal from the second image-capturing element or the third image-capturing element when an image is captured by use of an image signal from the first image-capturing element, and controlling a focus through use of an image signal from the third image-capturing element when an image is captured by use of an image signal from the second image-capturing element.

7. The image-capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive means is shared by at least two of the plurality of image-capturing elements.

8. The image-capturing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of image-capturing elements are formed from a first image-capturing element, a second image-capturing element which is smaller in pixel size than the first image-capturing element, and a third image-capturing element which is smaller in pixel size than the second image-capturing element; andthe drive means is shared between the first image-capturing element and the third image-capturing element.

9. The image-capturing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the drive means is formed from first drive means shared between the first image-capturing element and the third image-capturing element, and second drive means for driving the second image-capturing element;the first drive means selectively drives the first image-capturing element and the third image-capturing element; andthe first drive means and the second drive means simultaneously activate the second image-capturing element along with the first image capturing element, and simultaneously drive the second image-capturing element and the third image-capturing element.

10. The image-capturing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of image-capturing elements are formed from a first image-capturing element, a second image-capturing element which is smaller in pixel size than the first image-capturing element, and a third image-capturing element which is smaller in pixel size than the second image-capturing element; andthe drive means is shared among the first image-capturing element, the second image-capturing element, and the third image-capturing element.

11. The image-capturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of image-capturing elements are formed from a first image-capturing element, a second image-capturing element which is smaller in pixel size than the first image-capturing element, and a third image-capturing element which is smaller in pixel size than the second image-capturing element;the drive means simultaneously drives the first image-capturing element and the second image-capturing element while an angle-of-view change position falls within an area from a wide end of the first image-capturing element to a first threshold position set in an angle-of-view change range of the second image-capturing element, and simultaneously drives the second image-capturing element and the third image-capturing element while the angle-of-view change position falls within an area from the first threshold position to a second threshold position set in an angle-of-view change range of the third image-capturing element;the control means outputs an image signal from the first image-capturing element while controlling a focus by use of an image signal from the second image-capturing element when the angle-of-view change position falls within an area from the wide end to the first threshold position, outputs an image signal from the second image-capturing element while controlling a focus by use of an image signal from the third image-capturing element when the angle-of-view change position falls within an area from the first threshold position to the second threshold position, and outputs an image signal from the third image-capturing element while controlling a focus by use of an image signal from the third image-capturing element when the angle-of-view change position falls within an area from the second threshold position to a telephotography end.

12. The image-capturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: aperture means provided in common to the plurality of image-capturing elements, wherein,when the aperture means is adjusted to a predetermined aperture value by means of a metered value determined by any of the plurality of image-capturing elements, the split means performs splitting operation by means of a spectral transmission factor by means of which an image signal from each of the image-capturing elements assumes an appropriate value while the aperture means is set to the predetermined aperture value.

13. The image-capturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: aperture means provided in common to the plurality of image-capturing elements; andgain adjustment means for adjusting, when the aperture means is adjusted to a predetermined aperture value by means of a metered value determined by any of the plurality of image-capturing elements, a gain in such a way that an image signal from each of the image-capturing elements assumes an appropriate value while being set to the aperture value.

14. The image-capturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: aperture means provided in common to the plurality of image-capturing elements; andshutter or filter means for adjusting, when the aperture means is adjusted to a predetermined aperture value by means of a metered value determined by any of the plurality of image-capturing elements, a quantity of exposure light in such a way that an image signal from each of the image-capturing elements assumes an appropriate value while being set to the aperture value.

15. The image-capturing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: aperture means provided in common to the plurality of image-capturing elements, whereinthe aperture means is set to a metered value determined by a switched image-capturing element to an aperture value by means of which an optimal quantity of exposure light is achieved, in response to switching of the control means.

16. The image-capturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of image-capturing elements are formed from a first image-capturing element and a second image-capturing element which is smaller in pixel size than the first image-capturing element; andthe control means subjects at least the first image-capturing element to electronic zoom control.

17. The image-capturing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the control means switches an output of an image signal to the second image-capturing element when a zoom-angle-of-view of the first imaging element has achieved a predetermined angle of view.

18. The image-capturing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the predetermined angle of view is an angle-of-view position set in an angle-of-view range where a second image-capturing element can capture an image.

19. The image-capturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control means performs electronic zoom control operation from a unique angle of view of an image-capturing element of the maximum pixel size to a neighborhood of a unique angle of view of an image-capturing element of the minimum pixel size, and performs zooming operation by means of an optical system from the neighborhood of the unique angle of view of the image-capturing element of the minimum pixel size.