Patent ID: 8477194

Claim:
An image capturing apparatus comprising: an object detection unit which detects a specific object from an image signal; and a control unit which performs first control corresponding to the specific object when said object detection unit detects the specific object, and performs second control different from the first control when said object detection unit does not detect the specific object, wherein when the specific object becomes undetectable after the specific object has been detected and the first control has been performed, said control unit switches the first control to the second control after a predetermined holding time elapsed from a timing when the specific object becomes undetectable, wherein said control unit changes the predetermined holding time based on information before the specific object becomes undetectable, and wherein the information includes at least one of a position of the specific object in the image signal, a change of the position of the specific object in the image signal, a size of the specific object in the image signal, a change of the size of the specific object in the image signal, a distance to the specific object, a change of the distance to the specific object, a focus state of the specific object, a change of the focus state of the specific object, presence/absence of an operation including one of zooming, panning, and tilting of the image capturing apparatus, a direction of the operation including one of zooming, panning, and tilting of the image capturing apparatus, a reliability serving as a parameter representing a level of matching between an object and a condition used to detect the specific object, and a change of the reliability serving as the parameter representing the level of matching between the object and the condition used to detect the specific object.