Patent ID: 8520095
Filing Date: 2013-08-27
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An imaging apparatus, comprising: an imaging section constituted by a number of first light receiving elements and second light receiving elements that photoelectrically convert light from subjects, which are capable of being controlled so as to be driven independently from each other and are arranged in a predetermined arrangement, for obtaining image signals based on the output of at least one of the first light receiving elements and the second light receiving elements; an image signal processing section, for generating image data from the image signals obtained by the imaging section; a subject discriminating section, for discriminating subject scenes based on the image signals; a subject field data obtaining section, for obtaining subject field data based on the image signals; a control section, for selecting a drive mode from among a plurality of drive modes that represent types of driving methods, which include said control section selecting said drive mode based on the subject scenes discriminated by the subject discriminating section and the subject field data obtained by the subject field data obtaining section, and for driving the imaging section and the image signal processing section according to the selected drive mode; a drive pattern determining section, for determining a drive pattern from among at least two types of drive patterns that include at least one type of drive modes, in which the range of at least one imaging condition of the imaging section is set, based on the subject scene discriminated by the subject discriminating section; and a drive mode determining section, for determining a drive mode from among the at least one type of drive mode of the drive pattern determined by the drive pattern determining section, based on the subject field data obtained by the subject field data obtaining section; wherein: the control section drives the imaging section and the image signal processing section with the drive mode determined by the drive mode determining section.