Patent ID: 8456567
Filing Date: 2013-06-04
Classification: G02B,G06K,H04N

Abstract:
1. An imaging apparatus, comprising: an imaging section for changing a focus distance of a lens and performing imaging; a managing section for storing a plurality of pieces of management information for managing the focus distance of the lens at a time of the imaging with the imaging section correspondingly to each of a plurality of pieces of image processing for different uses, wherein the different uses includes subject tracking processing of tracking a first subject in an image photographed at a first focus distance as a tracking object and detecting processing of detecting a new subject, different from the first subject, in an image photographed at a second focus distance; a control section for individually controlling the focus distance of the lens managed based on each of the plurality of pieces of management information in accordance with a predetermined control condition according to image processing corresponding to each of the plurality of pieces of management information; and an image processing section for performing, to each of a plurality of images imaged with the imaging section, an image processing corresponding to management information used for the control of the focus distance of the lens at the time of the imaging of each of the plurality of images; a switching section for switching the focus distance of the lens at a predetermined switching period at the time of the imaging with the imaging section in accordance with the focus distance indicated by each of the plurality of pieces of management information while switching the plurality of pieces of management information at the predetermined switching period; a priority storing section for storing a priority in association with each of the subjects to be the tracking object; and a changing section for changing the tracking object from the former subject to the new subject when the priority of the new subject, detected in the image photographed at the second focus distance during the tracking of the former subject, is higher than that of the former subject.