Patent ID: 8488051
Filing Date: 2013-07-16
Classification: G02B,G03B,H04N

Abstract:
1. An image pickup apparatus comprising: a focus lens; an image pickup device; a flicker detection unit adapted to detect flickering of ambient light from image signals output from said image pickup device; a storage unit adapted to store the image signals output from said image pickup device; an image processing unit adapted to process the image signals output from said image pickup device or the image signals stored in said storage unit depending on a detection result by said flicker detection unit; a focal point adjustment unit adapted to adjust a position of said focus lens by selectively using any one of the image signals output from said image pickup device or the image signal processed by said image processing unit; a determination unit adapted to determine a brightness level value of the image signal processed by said image processing unit; and a prevention unit adapted to prevent said focal point adjustment unit from adjusting the position of said focus lens based on the image signal processed by said image processing unit when said determination unit determines that the brightness level value is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, wherein when said image pickup device performs reading images in a cycle shorter than a flickering cycle, said image processing unit performs image processing depending on the brightness of the image signals output from said image pickup device.