Patent ID: 8416338
Filing Date: 2013-04-09
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An imaging device, comprising: an imaging unit including an image sensor for imaging a light-received subject image and outputting image signals, and an imaging optical system for forming the subject image onto the image sensor; a drive unit for driving at least one of the imaging optical system or the image sensor to change a focal position; an image data generating unit for generating image data from the image signals output from the image sensor; and a control unit for controlling the imaging unit, the drive unit, and the image data generating unit, wherein the control unit detects a focused position focused on a desired subject in an imaging range in response to a detection instruction, and acquires the image data obtained by imaging the subject image at the focused position as saving image data in response to a release instruction, and sequentially changes the focal position with the focused position as a reference and acquires the image data obtained by imaging the subject image at a plurality of changed different focal positions as the saving image data, wherein the control unit performs an entire area focus imaging process for, in response to the release instruction, sequentially changing the focal position with the focused position as a reference within a focusable range from a focal position on a shortest distance side to a focal position on an infinity side in the imaging optical system, and acquiring the image data obtained by imaging the subject image at a plurality of changed different focal positions as the saving image data, and wherein the control unit sets a plurality of changing positions of the focal position in a stepwise manner in the focusable range according to a depth of field of the imaging optical system, and in the entire area focus imaging process, the control unit changes the focal position in a stepwise manner in order from a changing position close to the focused position among the plurality of changing positions.