Patent ID: 9264600
Filing Date: 2016-02-16
CPC Classification: H04N

Claim Text:
1. An apparatus comprising: a reception unit configured to receive an instruction; an imaging unit configured to capture an image of an object, which is input via a focusing lens, and to output image data; a setting unit configured to set a plurality of focus detection regions in the image data to detect a focusing state of the focusing lens; a focus adjustment unit configured to detect a focus signal in each of the focus detection regions while moving the focusing lens, and configured to move the focusing lens based on the focus signal in each of the focus detection regions and a focusing lens position; and a determination unit configured to determine whether a shooting scene is changed based on a result of comparison of first image data outputted from the imaging unit with second image data outputted later than the first image data from the imaging unit, wherein the focus adjustment unit is configured to, before receiving the instruction by the reception unit, perform a scan operation that sequentially detects each of focus signals based on image data in each plurality of focus detection regions set by the setting unit with movement of the focusing lens in a moving range, calculate an in-focus position in each of the focus detection regions based on the focus signals, calculate a number of focus detection regions in focus at each of focusing lens positions based on the calculated in-focus position in each of the focus detection regions, and determine a focusing lens target position based on at least the number of focus detection regions in focus, in a case where the determination unit determines that the shooting scene is changed, perform the scan operation and redetect a focus detection region where an in-focus position is obtained by performing the scan operation from the plurality of focus detection regions set by the setting unit, and after the instruction is received, perform a focus adjustment operation for the focusing lens based on the focus lens target position determined before receiving the instruction by the reception unit.