IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus performs focus control by a contrast detection method during a continuous shooting interval. After the image pickup apparatus controls the movement of the focus lens and captures an image for recording in the continuous shooting mode, the image pickup apparatus controls the movement of the focus lens before capturing the subsequent image for recording concurrently with performance of a development process of the captured image.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example circuit of an electronic camera according to first to third exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of an exemplary operation of the electronic camera according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of an exemplary continuous AF subroutine shown in FIG. 2 according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of an exemplary AF operation subroutine shown in FIG. 2 according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary method for setting a scan range shown in FIG. 4 according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of an exemplary scan subroutine shown in FIG. 4 according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of an exemplary focus determination subroutine shown in FIG. 4 according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of an exemplary subroutine for examining a monotonic decreasing of a curve of a focus evaluation value towards infinity according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart of an exemplary subroutine for examining a monotonic decreasing of a curve of a focus evaluation value in a proximal direction according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the concept of determination of a focus evaluation value according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart of an exemplary image capturing process subroutine shown in FIG. 2 according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate a flow chart of an exemplary continuous shooting interval AF process according to the first exemplary embodiment according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a timing diagram of an exemplary continuous shooting interval AF process according to the first exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a flow chart of an exemplary image capturing process subroutine according to the second exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a flow chart of an exemplary continuous shooting interval AF process A according to the second exemplary embodiment.

FIGS. 16A and 16B illustrate a flow chart of an exemplary continuous shooting interval AF process B according to the second exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 17 is an exemplary timing diagram of the continuous shooting interval AF process according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is an exemplary timing diagram of the continuous shooting interval AF process according to the third exemplary embodiment.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus having a continuous shooting mode in which a plurality of images are captured for recording in response to an image capture instruction, the image pickup apparatus comprising: a focus control unit configured to detect a focal point of a focus lens by scanning the focus lens in a light axis direction thereof and controlling movement of the focus lens so that the focus lens is focused at the focal point; anda control unit configured to control movement of the focus lens and to control the capturing of an image;wherein, after the control unit controls the movement of the focus lens using the focus control unit and captures an image for recording in the continuous shooting mode, the control unit controls the movement of the focus lens using the focus control unit before capturing the subsequent image for recording concurrently with performance of a development process of the captured image.

2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control of the movement of the focus lens for the subsequent image capturing operation for recording by the focus control unit is performed concurrently with a readout process of an exposure image from an image pickup device.

3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control of the movement of the focus lens for the subsequent image capturing operation for recording by the focus control unit includes controlling the movement of the focus lens to a scan start position for detecting the focused focal point.

4. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in the continuous shooting mode, a position from which detection of the focal point is performed by the focus control unit is determined on the basis of the position of the focal point detected during capturing of the previous image.

5. An image pickup apparatus having a continuous shooting mode in which a plurality of images are captured for recording in response to an image capture instruction, the image pickup apparatus comprising: a focus control unit configured to detect a focal point of a focus lens by scanning the focus lens in a light axis direction thereof and controlling movement of the focus lens so that the focus lens is focused at the focal point;a memory configured to temporarily store the captured images;an instructing unit configured to instruct a monitor to output the images without recording the images stored in the memory; anda control unit configured to control movement of the focus lens and to control the capturing of an image;wherein, after the control unit controls the movement of the focus lens using the focus control unit and captures an image for recording in the continuous shooting mode, the control unit controls the movement of the focus lens using the focus control unit before the instruction unit instructs the monitor to output one of the images.

6. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, in the continuous shooting mode, a position from which detection of the focal point is performed by the focus control unit is determined on the basis of the position of the focal point detected during capturing of the previous image.

7. A method utilized in an image pickup apparatus having a continuous shooting mode in which a plurality of images are captured for recording in response to an image capture instruction, the image pickup apparatus including a focus control unit configured to detect a focal point of a focus lens by scanning the focus lens in a light axis direction thereof and controlling movement of the focus lens so that the focus lens is focused at the focal point; and a control unit configured to control movement of the focus lens and to control the capturing of an image; the method comprising: controlling the movement of the focus lens;capturing an image for recording in the continuous shooting mode; andcontrolling the movement of the focus lens before capturing a subsequent image for recording concurrently with performance of a development process of the captured image.

8. A method to be utilized in an image pickup apparatus having a continuous shooting mode in which a plurality of images are captured for recording in response to an image capture instruction, the image pickup apparatus including a focus control unit configured to detect a focal point of a focus lens by scanning the focus lens in a light axis direction thereof and controlling movement of the focus lens so that the focus lens is focused at the focal point; a memory configured to temporarily store the captured images; an instructing unit configured to instruct a monitor to output the images without recording the images stored in the memory; and a control unit configured to control movement of the focus lens and to control the capturing of an image; the method comprising: controlling the movement of the focus lens;capturing an image for recording in the continuous shooting mode; andcontrolling the movement of the focus lens before the instruction unit instructs the monitor to output one of the images.

9. A computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for controlling an image pickup apparatus having a continuous shooting mode in which a plurality of images are captured for recording in response to an image capture instruction, the image pickup apparatus including a focus control unit configured to detect a focal point of a focus lens by scanning the focus lens in a light axis direction thereof and controlling movement of the focus lens so that the focus lens is focused at the focal point; and a control unit configured to control movement of the focus lens and to control the capturing of an image; the computer readable medium comprising: computer-executable instructions for controlling the movement of the focus lens;computer-executable instructions for capturing an image for recording in the continuous shooting mode; andcomputer-executable instructions for controlling the movement of the focus lens before capturing a subsequent image for recording concurrently with performance of a development process of the captured image.

10. A computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for controlling an image pickup apparatus having a continuous shooting mode in which a plurality of images are captured for recording in response to an image capture instruction, the image pickup apparatus including a focus control unit configured to detect a focal point of a focus lens by scanning the focus lens in a light axis direction thereof and controlling movement of the focus lens so that the focus lens is focused at the focal point; a memory configured to temporarily store the captured images; an instructing unit configured to instruct a monitor to output the images without recording the images stored in the memory; and a control unit configured to control movement of the focus lens and to control the capturing of an image; the medium comprising: computer-executable instructions for controlling the movement of the focus lens;computer-executable instructions for capturing an image for recording in the continuous shooting mode; andcomputer-executable instructions for controlling the movement of the focus lens before the instruction unit instructs the monitor to output one of the images.