Patent ID: 8890996
Filing Date: 2014-11-18
Classification: G03B,H04N

Abstract:
1. An image capture device comprising: an image sensor which includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements that are arranged two-dimensionally to form an image capturing plane and which gets the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements exposed to light and reads an electrical signal from the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, thereby generating an image signal; a lens optical system which collects light onto the image sensor and which includes a focus lens; a driving section configured to drive one of the image sensor and the focus lens so as to change a distance between the image sensor and the focus lens; a displacement control section configured to control the displacement of one of the image sensor and the focus lens being driven according to a predetermined displacement pattern by outputting an instruction to the driving section; and a synchronizing section configured to control the displacement control section by reference to timing of exposure of the image sensor, wherein the displacement range of one of the image sensor and the focus lens includes a first range, a second range which is separated from the first range, and a third range interposed between the first and second ranges, between a first in-focus position of the focus lens or the image sensor at which a focus is set at a first subject distance in a scene to be shot and a second in-focus position of the focus lens or the image sensor at which a focus is set at a second subject distance in the scene to be shot, the predetermined displacement pattern includes first, second and third types of displacement patterns according to which one of the image sensor and the focus lens is displaced at least once in each of the entire first, second and third ranges, one of the first and second types of displacement patterns and the third type of displacement pattern are repeated alternately, while some of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements which form an image are being exposed to light, one of the image sensor and the focus lens is displaced according to the first and second types of displacement patterns, and while those photoelectric conversion elements that form an image are not being exposed to light, one of the image sensor and the focus lens is displaced according to the third type of displacement pattern.