Patent KR-20080027443-A (KR)
Title: Imaging apparatus, control method of imaging apparatus, and computer program
Inventor: TERASHIMA YOSHITO
IPC: H04N5/225
Filed: 2007-07-18
Abstract: An imaging apparatus, a method for controlling the imaging apparatus, and a computer program are provided to prevent an in-focus error such as an in-focus position setting error caused by background information and an in-focus position setting error caused by low contrast, thereby determining a correct in-focus position. An imaging apparatus(100) is an imaging apparatus having an auto focusing function. Incident lights through a focus lens(101) and a zoom lens(102) enter an imaging device(103) such as a CCD(Charge Coupled Device), and are subjected to photo-electric conversion in the imaging device. The photo-electric conversion data are inputted in an analog signal processing part(104), subjected to noise filtering in the analog signal processing part, and converted into digital signals in an A/D converting part(105). The data digitally converted in the A/D converting part is recorded on a recording device(115) configured of a flash memory. In addition, it is displayed on a monitor(117) and an electronic viewfinder(EVF)(116). On the monitor and the electronic viewfinder, an image through the lens is displayed as a through picture regardless of whether to shoot it or not. A manipulating part(118) is a manipulating part including a release switch, a zoom button, a manipulation button which enters information of various operations, a mode dial which sets shooting modes, and so on in a camera main body. A control part(110) has a CPU(Central Processing Unit), which performs control for various processes done by the imaging apparatus in accordance with a program stored in advance in a ROM(Read Only Memory)(120). An EEPROM(119) is a non-volatile memory, in which image data, various items of sub-information, programs and so on are stored. The memory(120) stores therein programs and computation parameters used by the control part. A RAM(Random Access Memory)(121) stores therein programs and parameters properly changing in execution used by the control part. A gyro(111) detects the inclination and vibrations of the imaging apparatus. Detected information is inputted into the control part to which a process to stabilize an image is applied. A motor driver(112) drives a focus lens drive motor(113) arranged as corresponding to the focus lens, and a zoom lens drive motor(114) arranged as corresponding to the zoom lens. A vertical driver(107) drives the imaging device. A timing generator(106) generates control signals for timings of processes for the imaging device and the analog signal processing part, and timings of processing the individual processing parts. A face detecting part(130) analyzes image data inputted through the lens, and detects a person's face in the image data. Face detection information is sent to the control part, and the control part sets a measurement frame for auto-focusing on the detected face area based on the detected face information for focus control. In the imaging apparatus, a measurement frame is set on the detected face area as well as a body area of a person estimated from the face area is estimated and a measurement frame is also set on the body area, and focus control is performed based on the plural the measurement frames to determine a focus position.