JP7522571B2 - Imaging device, control method thereof, program, and storage medium - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a technology that performs processing, including focus detection, on a subject in an image.

Patent document 1 proposes a technology that performs appropriate focus adjustment according to the position and size of the subject by setting the position and field of view length for reading out the image signal used for focus detection based on the position and size of the detected subject.

Patent document 2 proposes a technology that determines the detection direction of the focus detection signal according to the part of the detected subject, thereby performing optimal distance measurement according to the subject.

JP 2015-22058 A JP 2009-192774 A

In Patent Document 1, when there is a limit to the number of ranging points capable of focus detection, there is a trade-off between the field of view length and the width of the ranging area. If the field of view length is shortened to match the subject, the ranging area becomes narrower, and if the subject is moving, the subject is more likely to fall outside the ranging area due to time lag or the like. In addition, if the ranging area is widened relative to the subject, the field of view length for the subject becomes longer, making it more likely that subjects other than the detection target (such as the background) will be included, increasing the possibility that correct focus detection results will not be obtained. For this reason, if the field of view length is simply set based on the size of the subject, it may not be possible to perform appropriate focus adjustment for the subject to be detected.

Furthermore, in Patent Document 2, if a subject other than the detection target is included in the focus detection area, simply switching the detection direction of the focus detection signal may not be enough to perform appropriate distance measurement for the detection target subject.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and its purpose is to realize a technology that can perform appropriate processing on the subject to be detected.

In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the imaging device of the present invention has an imaging means for capturing an image of a subject and generating an image signal, a focus adjustment means for performing focus detection using image signals of different parallax captured by the imaging means, a subject detection means for detecting a subject using the image signal, and a setting means for setting the size of an area where processing including focus detection is performed, wherein the setting means sets the size of the area where processing including focus detection is performed at a magnification corresponding to the detection result of the subject detected by the subject detection means and the mode of focus adjustment operation.

The present invention makes it possible to perform appropriate processing on the subject being detected.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an imaging apparatus according to first and second embodiments. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a pixel array of an image sensor according to the first and second embodiments. 1A is a plan view of a pixel according to the first and second embodiments, and FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line aa in FIG. 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining the relationship between pixels and pupil division in the first and second embodiments. 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining the relationship between the image sensor and pupil division according to the first and second embodiments. 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining the relationship between the defocus amount and the image shift amount in the first and second embodiments. 4 is a flowchart showing processing during shooting in the first and second embodiments. 5A and 5B are diagrams showing the relationship between a detection target and a detection area according to the first embodiment. 6 is a flowchart showing a focus adjustment process according to the first embodiment. 5A to 5C are diagrams for explaining an example of setting a distance measurement area based on a magnification according to the first embodiment. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing the relationship between a detection target and a detection area according to the second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a focus adjustment process according to the second embodiment. 13A to 13C are diagrams for explaining subject depth magnification in the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a first region and a second region according to the second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a white balance adjustment process according to the second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing an exposure adjustment process according to a second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a defocus amount calculation process according to the second embodiment. 13 is an explanatory diagram of extreme value selection of correlation amount according to the second embodiment. FIG.

The following embodiments are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe multiple features, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicate explanations are omitted.

In this embodiment, an example of an imaging device will be described in which the imaging device is an interchangeable lens single-lens reflex digital camera with an image plane phase difference automatic focus adjustment (autofocus: AF) function. However, imaging devices applicable to this embodiment can also be applied to non-interchangeable lens digital cameras and digital video cameras, personal computers and tablets, mobile phones and smartphones, surveillance cameras, in-vehicle cameras, medical cameras, and the like.

<Device configuration> First, the configuration and functions of the imaging device of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

The imaging device 10 of this embodiment is a single-lens reflex digital camera with interchangeable lenses, and has a lens unit 100 and a camera body 120. The lens unit 100 is detachably connected to the camera body 120 via a mount M, which is indicated by the dotted line in the center of the figure.

The lens unit 100 that forms an image of a subject has a first lens group 101, an aperture 102, a second lens group 103, a focus lens group (hereafter referred to as a focus lens) 104, and a drive unit and a control unit that will be described later. The lens unit 100 includes the focus lens 104 and forms an image of a subject, forming an imaging optical system.

The lens unit 100 that forms an image of a subject has a first lens group 101, an aperture 102, a second lens group 103, a focus lens group (hereafter referred to as a focus lens) 104, and a drive/control system described below. The lens unit 100 includes the focus lens 104 and constitutes an imaging optical system that forms an optical image of a subject.

The first lens group 101 is disposed at the tip of the lens unit 100 and is held so that it can move forward and backward in the optical axis direction OA. In the following, the optical axis direction OA is defined as the Z direction, and the direction in which the subject is viewed from the camera is defined as the positive direction. In this embodiment, the origin 0 of the Z direction axis corresponds to the position of the image sensor 122 of the camera body 120, which will be described later.

The aperture 102 adjusts the amount of light during shooting by adjusting its opening diameter. The aperture 102 also functions as a mechanical shutter that controls the exposure time when shooting still images. The aperture 102 and the second lens group 103 can move forward and backward as a unit in the optical axis direction OA, and move in conjunction with the first lens group 101 to achieve a zoom function.

The focus lens 104 can move forward and backward in the optical axis direction OA, and the subject distance (focus distance) at which the lens unit 100 focuses changes depending on its position. In this embodiment, an autofocus function that detects the subject distance (focus detection) and adjusts the focus distance is realized by controlling the position of the focus lens 104 in the optical axis direction OA.

The drive/control system (including devices, circuits, program code, and other things) of the lens unit 100 has a zoom actuator 111, an aperture/shutter actuator 112, a focus actuator 113, a zoom driver 114, an aperture/shutter driver 115, and a focus driver 116 as a drive system. It also has a lens MPU 117 and a lens memory 118 as a control system that controls the drive system.

The zoom actuator 111 drives the first lens group 101 and the second lens group 103 forward and backward in the optical axis direction OA, performing zoom control to change the angle of view of the photographing optical system. The aperture/shutter actuator 112 controls the aperture diameter of the aperture 102 to adjust the amount of photographing light, and controls the opening and closing operation of the aperture 102 to control the exposure time during photographing. The focus actuator 113 drives the focus lens 104 forward and backward in the optical axis direction OA to perform autofocus operation, and also has the function of detecting the current position of the focus lens 104.

The zoom driver 114 drives the zoom actuator 111 in response to the zoom operation of the photographer or the control value of the lens MPU 117. The aperture/shutter driver 115 drives the aperture/shutter actuator 112 to control the aperture diameter or opening/closing operation of the aperture 102. The focus driver 116 drives the focus actuator 113 to drive the focus lens 104 forward and backward in the optical axis direction OA to perform an autofocus operation (focus adjustment operation).

The lens MPU 117 performs all calculations and controls related to the photographing optical system, and controls the zoom drive unit 114, the aperture/shutter drive unit 115, the focus drive unit 116, and the lens memory 118. The lens MPU 117 is connected to the camera MPU 125 via the mount M so that commands and data can be communicated. For example, the lens MPU 117 detects the current position of the focus lens 104 and notifies the lens position information in response to a request from the camera MPU 125. This lens position information includes information such as the position of the focus lens 104 in the optical axis direction OA, the position and diameter of the exit pupil in the optical axis direction OA when the optical system is not moving, and the position and diameter of the lens frame that limits the light beam of the exit pupil in the optical axis direction OA. In addition, the lens MPU 117 controls the zoom drive unit 114, the aperture/shutter drive unit 115, and the focus drive unit 116 in response to a request from the camera MPU 125. The lens memory 118 stores optical information necessary for the image plane phase difference AF of this embodiment in advance. In addition, the lens memory 118 stores, for example, a defocus map showing the correspondence between the position or movement amount of the focus lens 104 and the defocus amount. The defocus map is generated by calculating the image shift amount at each pixel position of the first focus detection signal and the second focus detection signal by correlation calculation and converting the image shift amount into a defocus amount, as described later. As a result, when the lens MPU 117 receives a request from the camera MPU 125 to change the defocus amount by a predetermined amount, it can refer to the defocus map stored in the lens memory 118 and control the focus actuator 113 to move the focus lens 104 by a distance corresponding to the predetermined defocus amount. The camera MPU 125 controls the operation of the lens unit 100 by executing a program stored in, for example, the ROM 125a or the lens memory 118. In addition, the lens memory 118 also stores optical information of the imaging optical system of this embodiment.

The camera body 120 has an optical low-pass filter 121, an image sensor 122, and a drive/control system described below. The optical low-pass filter 121 reduces false colors and moiré in the captured image.

The image sensor 122 is composed of, for example, a CMOS image sensor and its peripheral circuitry. The CMOS image sensor has a photoelectric conversion element in each pixel that receives light, and has a pixel group (imaging surface) in which multiple unit pixels are arranged two-dimensionally, with each pixel being a unit pixel. The image sensor 122 has multiple focus detection pixels that receive light beams that pass through different pupil regions of the imaging optical system, and is capable of outputting independent signals for each pixel. This makes it possible to calculate the defocus amount using imaging surface phase difference AF. The image sensor 122 also has multiple imaging pixels that receive light beams that pass through the entire area of the exit pupil of the imaging optical system that forms the image of the subject, and generate an image signal of the subject.

The drive/control system of the camera body 120 includes an image sensor drive unit 123, an image processing unit 124, a camera MPU 125 that controls the entire camera body 120, a display unit 126, an operation switch 127, a memory 128, a first focus detection unit 129, and a second focus detection unit 130. The image sensor drive unit 123 controls the charge accumulation operation of the image sensor 122, converts the image signal read from the image sensor 122 into a digital signal, and sends it to the camera MPU 125. The image processing unit 124 performs various image processing such as gamma conversion, color interpolation, and JPEG compression on the image signal read from the image sensor 122. The image processing unit 124 also generates a signal for focus detection using an image plane phase difference method, a signal for exposure adjustment, a signal for white balance adjustment, and a signal for subject detection, which will be described later. In this embodiment, a signal for focus detection (for phase difference AF), a signal for exposure adjustment, a signal for white balance adjustment, and a signal for subject detection are generated, but for example, a signal for exposure adjustment, a signal for white balance adjustment, and a signal for subject detection may be generated as a common signal. Also, the combination of common signals is not limited to this.

The camera MPU 125 has a microprocessor and performs all calculations and control related to the camera body 120. This controls the image sensor drive unit 123, image processing unit 124, display unit 126, operation switch 127, memory 128, first focus detection unit 129, and second focus detection unit 130. The camera MPU 125 is connected to the lens MPU 117 via a signal line arranged in the mount M. This allows the camera MPU 125 to issue requests to the lens MPU 117 to obtain the lens position, to issue requests for zoom drive, aperture drive, and lens drive at a specified drive amount, and to issue requests to obtain optical information specific to the lens unit 100.

The camera MPU 125 has built-in ROM 125a that stores programs for controlling the operation of the camera, RAM 125b that stores variables, and EEPROM 125c that stores various parameters. The camera MPU 125 reads out the programs stored in ROM 125a, expands them into RAM 125b, and executes them to perform focus detection processing, subject detection processing, exposure adjustment processing, and white balance adjustment processing, which will be described later.

The display unit 126 has a display device such as an LCD (liquid crystal) panel or an organic EL display, and displays various information related to each operation mode of the camera. The operation modes of the camera include, for example, a shooting mode for shooting still images and videos, and a playback mode for playing back captured images stored in the memory 128. In the shooting mode, information related to the shooting mode of the camera, a preview image before shooting and a confirmation image after shooting, and an in-focus state image at the time of focus detection are displayed. In addition, videos being shot are displayed one after the other.

The operation switches 127 include a shutter switch, a power switch, a zoom switch, a mode change switch, etc. The memory 128 is a flash memory that can be attached to and detached from the camera, and records captured images.

The focus adjustment unit 129 performs focus detection processing using a phase difference detection method based on a pair of different parallax image signals (signals for phase difference AF) for focus detection obtained from the image sensor 122 and the image processing unit 124. The image processing unit 124 generates a pair of image data with different parallax formed by light beams passing through a pair of pupil regions of the imaging optical system, and the focus adjustment unit 129 calculates the amount of focus shift (defocus amount) based on the amount of shift between the pair of image data. In this way, the focus adjustment unit 129 performs phase difference AF (image plane phase difference AF) using the output signal of the image sensor 122 without using a dedicated AF sensor.

The focus adjustment unit 129 has an acquisition block 129a and a calculation block 129b. The operation of these will be described later. At least a part of the focus adjustment unit 129 (a part of the acquisition block 129a or the calculation block 129b) may be provided in the camera MPU 125. The focus adjustment operation performed by the focus adjustment unit 129 will be described later. The focus adjustment unit 129 has an automatic focus adjustment (AF) function that controls the position of the focus lens 104 using the focus detection result.

The subject detection unit 130 performs subject detection processing to detect the type, part, and state of the subject (detection type), the position and size of the subject (detection area), and the like, based on the subject detection signal generated by the image processing unit 124. The processing of the subject detection unit 130 will be described later.

The exposure adjustment unit 131 appropriately controls the shooting conditions by performing photometry based on the exposure adjustment (AE) signal obtained from the image sensor 122 and the image processing unit 124. The exposure adjustment unit 131 performs photometry based on the exposure adjustment signal, calculates the exposure amount at the currently set aperture value, shutter speed, and ISO sensitivity, calculates the appropriate aperture value, shutter speed, and ISO sensitivity at the time of shooting based on the difference between the calculated exposure amount and a predetermined appropriate exposure amount, and sets them as the shooting conditions. The exposure adjustment unit 131 has an automatic exposure adjustment (AE) function that calculates the exposure conditions at the time of shooting using the photometry results, and controls the aperture value, shutter speed, and ISO sensitivity of the aperture 102.

The white balance adjustment unit 132 performs white balance adjustment processing based on the white balance adjustment signal obtained from the image sensor 122 and the image processing unit 124. The white balance adjustment unit 132 has an automatic white balance adjustment (AWB) function that adjusts color weighting based on the difference between the white balance parameter obtained from the white balance adjustment signal and a predetermined appropriate white balance parameter.

The imaging device 10 of this embodiment can perform a combination of focus adjustment (AF), exposure adjustment (AE), white balance adjustment (AWB), and subject detection, and can select the position (image height range) for performing focus adjustment (AF), exposure adjustment (AE), and white balance adjustment (AWB) depending on the subject detection result.

<Configuration of the image sensor> Next, the arrangement of the image sensing pixels (and focus detection pixels) of the image sensor 122 in embodiment 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

Figure 2 shows the pixel (imaging pixel) array of the two-dimensional CMOS sensor (image sensor 122) of embodiment 1 in an area of 4 columns x 4 rows, and the focus detection pixel array in an area of 8 columns x 4 rows.

In the first embodiment, the 2 column x 2 row pixel group 200 shown in FIG. 2 has a pixel 200R having R (red) spectral sensitivity arranged at the top left, pixels 200G having G (green) spectral sensitivity arranged at the top right and bottom left, and a pixel 200B having B (blue) spectral sensitivity arranged at the bottom right. Furthermore, each pixel is composed of a first focus detection pixel 201 and a second focus detection pixel 202 arranged in 2 columns x 1 row.

A large number of 4 columns x 4 rows of pixels (8 columns x 4 rows of focus detection pixels) as shown in FIG. 2 are arranged on a surface, making it possible to acquire a captured image (focus detection signal). In the first embodiment, the image sensor 122 is described as having a pixel period P of 4 μm, a pixel count N of 5,575 columns horizontally x 3,725 rows vertically = approximately 20.75 million pixels, a column-direction period PAF of the focus detection pixels of 2 μm, and a focus detection pixel count NAF of 11,150 columns horizontally x 3,725 rows vertically = approximately 41.5 million pixels.

Figure 3(a) is a plan view of one pixel 200G of the image sensor 122 shown in Figure 2, as viewed from the light receiving surface side (+z side) of the image sensor 122, and Figure 3(b) is a cross-sectional view of the a-a cross section of Figure 3(a) as viewed from the -y side.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the pixel 200G of the first embodiment, a microlens 305 is formed on the light receiving side of each pixel to focus incident light, and a photoelectric conversion unit 301 and a photoelectric conversion unit 302 are formed that are NH-divided (2-divided) in the x direction and NV-divided (1-divided) in the y direction. The photoelectric conversion unit 301 and the photoelectric conversion unit 302 correspond to the first focus detection pixel 201 and the second focus detection pixel 202, respectively.

The photoelectric conversion units 301 and 302 may be pin-structure photodiodes with an intrinsic layer sandwiched between a p-type layer and an n-type layer, or may be pn-junction photodiodes with the intrinsic layer omitted as necessary. In each pixel, a color filter 306 is formed between the microlens 305 and the photoelectric conversion units 301 and 302. In addition, the spectral transmittance of the color filter may be changed for each subpixel, or the color filter may be omitted as necessary.

Light incident on pixel 200G shown in FIG. 3 is collected by microlens 305, dispersed by color filter 306, and then received by photoelectric conversion unit 301 and photoelectric conversion unit 302.

In the photoelectric conversion units 301 and 302, pairs of electrons and holes are generated according to the amount of light received. After being separated by a depletion layer, the negatively charged electrons are accumulated in an n-type layer (not shown), while the holes are discharged to the outside of the image sensor 122 through a p-type layer connected to a constant voltage source (not shown).

The electrons stored in the n-type layers (not shown) of the photoelectric conversion units 301 and 302 are transferred to the capacitance unit (FD) via a transfer gate and converted into a voltage signal.

Figure 4 shows the correspondence between the pixel structure of the image sensor 122 of embodiment 1 shown in Figure 3 and pupil division. Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view (a) of the pixel structure of the image sensor 122 shown in Figure 3 (a) as viewed from the +y side, and the pupil plane (pupil distance Ds) (b) of the image sensor 122. In Figure 4, the x-axis and y-axis of the cross-sectional view (a) are inverted with respect to Figure 3 in order to correspond to the coordinate axes of the pupil plane of the image sensor 122.

In FIG. 4, the first pupil partial region 501 of the first focus detection pixel 201 is in a roughly conjugate relationship with the light receiving surface of the photoelectric conversion unit 301, whose center of gravity is decentered in the -x direction, due to the microlens, and indicates the pupil region that can receive light at the first focus detection pixel 201. The first pupil partial region 501 of the first focus detection pixel 201 has its center of gravity decentered on the +X side on the pupil plane. In FIG. 4, the second pupil partial region 502 of the second focus detection pixel 202 is in a roughly conjugate relationship with the light receiving surface of the photoelectric conversion unit 302, whose center of gravity is decentered in the +x direction, due to the microlens, and indicates the pupil region that can receive light at the second focus detection pixel 202. The second pupil partial region 502 of the second focus detection pixel 202 has its center of gravity decentered on the -X side on the pupil plane. Also, in FIG. 4, pupil region 500 is the pupil region that can receive light in the entire pixel 200G when the photoelectric conversion unit 301 and the photoelectric conversion unit 302 (the first focus detection pixel 201 and the second focus detection pixel 202) are all combined.

In image plane phase difference AF, the microlenses of the image sensor 122 are used to divide the pupil, and so diffraction effects occur. In FIG. 4, the pupil distance to the pupil plane of the image sensor 122 is several tens of mm, while the diameter of the microlenses is several μm. As a result, the aperture value of the microlenses is several tens of thousands, and diffraction blurring at the level of several tens of mm occurs. As a result, the image on the light receiving surface of the photoelectric conversion unit does not become a clear pupil region or pupil partial region, but becomes a light receiving sensitivity characteristic (incident angle distribution of light receiving rate).

Figure 5 shows the correspondence between the image sensor 122 and pupil division in the first embodiment. Light beams that pass through different pupil partial regions, the first pupil partial region 501 and the second pupil partial region 502, are incident on each pixel of the image sensor 122 at different angles, and are received by the first focus detection pixel 201 and the second focus detection pixel 202, which are divided into 2 x 1 regions. Figure 5 shows an example in which the pupil region is divided into two in the horizontal direction, but pupil division may also be performed in the vertical direction if necessary.

The image sensor 122 has an array of imaging pixels each having a first focus detection pixel 201 and a second focus detection pixel 202. The first focus detection pixel 201 receives a light beam that passes through a first pupil partial region of the imaging optical system. The second focus detection pixel 202 receives a light beam that passes through a second pupil partial region of the imaging optical system that is different from the first pupil partial region. The imaging pixel receives a light beam that passes through a pupil region that is the combination of the first pupil partial region and the second pupil partial region of the imaging optical system.

In the image sensor 122, each imaging pixel is composed of a first focus detection pixel 201 and a second focus detection pixel 202. If necessary, the imaging pixel, the first focus detection pixel 201, and the second focus detection pixel 202 may be configured as separate pixels, and the first focus detection pixel 201 and the second focus detection pixel 202 may be partially arranged in a portion of the imaging pixel array.

In the first embodiment, focus detection is performed by collecting the light receiving signals of the first focus detection pixels 201 of each pixel of the image sensor 122 to generate a first focus signal, and collecting the light receiving signals of the second focus detection pixels 202 of each pixel to generate a second focus signal. In addition, an image signal (captured image) with a resolution of the effective pixel number N is generated by adding the signals of the first focus detection pixels 201 and the second focus detection pixels 202 for each pixel of the image sensor 122. The method of generating each signal is not limited to the above-mentioned method, and for example, the second focus detection signal may be generated from the difference between the image signal and the first focus signal.

<Relationship between defocus amount and image shift amount> Next, with reference to FIG. 6, the relationship between the defocus amount and image shift amount of the first focus detection signal and the second focus detection signal acquired by the image sensor 122 will be described.

Figure 6 shows the relationship between the defocus amount of the first focus detection signal and the second focus detection signal and the image shift amount between the first focus detection signal and the second focus detection signal. The image sensor 122 (not shown) is arranged on the image sensor 800, and the pupil surface of the image sensor 122 is divided into a first pupil partial region 501 and a second pupil partial region 502, as in Figures 4 and 5. The defocus amount d is defined as the distance from the image sensor 122 to the image sensor 800, and the front focus state in which the image sensor 122 is located on the image sensor 800 side of the image sensor 800, with the magnitude |d|. The front focus state in which the image sensor 122 is located on the image sensor 800 side of the image sensor 800 is defined as a negative sign (d<0). The back focus state in which the image sensor 122 is located on the image sensor 800 side of the image sensor 800 is defined as a positive sign (d>0). The in-focus state in which the image sensor 122 is located on the image sensor 800 side of the image sensor 800 is defined as d=0. In Figure 6, the image sensor 122 shows an example of an in-focus state (d=0), and the image sensor 122 shows an example of an in-focus state (d<0). The front focus state (d<0) and the back focus state (d>0) are combined to form the defocus state (|d|>0).

In the front focus state (d<0), the light beam from the subject 802 that passes through the first pupil partial region 501 (second pupil partial region 502) is once focused, and then spreads to a width Γ1 (Γ2) centered on the center of gravity position G1 (G2) of the light beam, forming a blurred image on the imaging surface 800. The blurred image is received by the first focus detection pixel 201 (second focus detection pixel 202) constituting each pixel arranged on the image sensor 122, and a first focus detection signal (second focus detection signal) is generated. Therefore, the first focus detection signal (second focus detection signal) is recorded as a subject image in which the subject 802 is blurred to a width Γ1 (Γ2) at the center of gravity position G1 (G2) on the imaging surface 800. The blur width Γ1 (Γ2) of the subject image increases roughly in proportion to the increase in the magnitude |d| of the defocus amount d. Similarly, the magnitude |p| of the image shift amount p (= the difference G1-G2 between the center of gravity positions of the light beams) of the subject image between the first focus detection signal and the second focus detection signal also increases roughly in proportion to the increase in the magnitude |d| of the defocus amount d. In the back focus state (d>0), the direction of the image shift of the subject image between the first focus detection signal and the second focus detection signal is the opposite to that in the front focus state, but the same is true.

As the magnitude of the defocus amount of the first focus detection signal and the second focus detection signal, or the image signal obtained by adding the first focus detection signal and the second focus detection signal, increases, the magnitude of the image shift amount between the first focus detection signal and the second focus detection signal increases. The focus adjustment unit 129 converts the image shift amount into a defocus amount d using a conversion coefficient calculated based on the baseline length, based on the relationship in which the magnitude of the image shift amount between the first focus detection signal and the second focus detection signal increases as the magnitude of the defocus amount of the image signal increases.

<Processing during shooting> Next, the processing during shooting in embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 10.

Figure 7 shows a flowchart of the processing during image capture by the imaging device 10 of embodiment 1. Note that the processing in Figure 7 is realized by the camera MPU 125 and lens MPU 117 executing a program and controlling each part of the lens unit 100 and camera body 120.

In step S701, the camera MPU 125 controls the subject detection unit 132 to perform subject detection.

Now, with reference to Figure 8, we will explain the type, part and state (detection type) of the subject, and the position and size (detection area) of the subject detected by the subject detection unit 132 in embodiment 1.

Figure 8 shows the relationship between subjects (detection targets) and their detection areas. 801 to 808 in Figure 8 are detection areas of subjects detected by the subject detection unit 132, and the detection type (type, part, state) and detection area (position, size) of each subject 801 to 808 are as shown in Table 1.

In this way, the subject detection unit 132 detects the detection type and detection area based on the subject detection signal generated by the image processing unit 124.

In the first embodiment, the detection types and detection areas for multiple subjects are obtained from one subject detection signal, but it is also possible to obtain only the detection type and detection area of the most prominent subject. Furthermore, the detection type is not limited to all of type, part, and state, and may be at least one of type, part, and state, or only type, only part, or only state, or may be another index.
(Table 1)
In step S702, the camera MPU 125 selects a main subject from among the subjects detected in step S701. The method of selecting the main subject is determined according to the priority of the predetermined detection type (kind, part, condition) and detection area (position, size). For example, the higher the frequency of shooting, the higher the priority is set, the detection type types are set in the order of people, dogs, birds, cars, and airplanes, the detection type states are set in the order of running, flying, and stationary, the position of the detection area is set closer to the central image height, and the size of the detection area is set higher.

In step S703, the camera MPU 125 controls the focus adjustment unit 129 to perform focus adjustment on the main subject selected in S702. The focus adjustment process will be described later.

In step S704, the camera MPU 125 performs a focus determination. If it is determined that the focus is achieved, the process proceeds to step S705. If it is determined that the focus is not achieved, the process proceeds to step S701.

In step S705, the camera MPU 125 controls the white balance adjustment unit 132 to perform white balance adjustment processing on the main subject selected in S702. The white balance adjustment processing will be described later.

In step S706, the camera MPU 125 controls the exposure adjustment unit 131 to perform exposure adjustment processing on the main subject selected in S702. The exposure adjustment processing will be described later.

In step S707, the camera MPU 125 performs shooting. After step S707, the process ends.

<Focus adjustment process> Next, we will explain the focus adjustment process in step S703 in Figure 7.

Figure 9 shows a flowchart of the focus adjustment process in embodiment 1. Note that the process in Figure 9 is executed by the focus adjustment unit 129.

In step S901, the focus adjustment unit 129 acquires the subject detection results (detection type, detection area) of the main subject detected by the acquisition block 129a in steps S701 and S702 of FIG. 7.

In step S902, the acquisition block 129a of the focus adjustment unit 129 acquires the AF mode (one-shot AF or servo AF) as the focus adjustment operation mode. One-shot AF is an AF mode that fixes the focus on a stationary subject, and servo AF is an AF mode that keeps the focus on a moving subject.

In step S903, the focus adjustment unit 129 acquires the subject detection result acquired by the acquisition block 129a in step S901 and the ranging area setting magnification corresponding to the AF mode acquired in step S902. Table 1 shows the ranging area setting magnifications β1 to β16 for each detection type (type of subject, part, state (movement) and AF mode (one-shot AF, servo AF)) of the subject detection result. In step S903, the ranging area setting magnifications β1 to β16 are acquired according to the subject detection result and the AF mode.

In step S904, the focus adjustment unit 129 sets the ranging area based on the position and size of the main subject acquired in step S901 and the ranging area setting magnification acquired in step S903.

Figure 10 shows the ranging area set in step S904 in Figure 9. Figure 10(a) shows how the ranging area is set in 801 in Figure 8 when the AF mode is one-shot AF. Figure 10(b) shows how the ranging area is set in 803 in Figure 8 when the AF mode is one-shot AF. Figure 10(c) shows how the ranging area is set in 804 in Figure 8 when the AF mode is one-shot AF. Figure 10(d) shows how the ranging area is set in 804 in Figure 8 when the AF mode is servo AF. Figure 10(e) shows how the ranging area is set in 808 in Figure 8 when the AF mode is servo AF.

In FIG. 10(a), the subject is stationary and the AF mode is one-shot AF, so the ranging area setting magnification β1 is set small.

Figure 10(b) is the same as Figure 10(a) in that the subject type is a dog, the subject state is still, and the AF mode is one-shot AF, but since the subject part is the whole body, the ranging area setting magnification β3 is set even smaller than β1. Since the whole body is larger than the face, the amount of movement of the subject relative to the detection size is smaller for the whole body. For this reason, it is appropriate to set the ranging area setting magnification β3 even smaller than β1.

Figure 10(c) is the same as Figure 10(b), with the subject type being a dog, the subject part being the whole body, and the AF mode being one-shot AF, but since the subject state is running, the ranging area setting magnification β4 is set larger than β3. When the subject state is running, the amount of movement of the subject relative to the detection size is large. For this reason, it is appropriate to set the ranging area setting magnification β4 larger than β3.

Figure 10(d) is the same as Figure 10(c), with the subject type being a dog, the subject part being the whole body, and the subject state being running, but because the AF mode is servo AF, the ranging area setting magnification β12 is set even larger than β4. When the AF mode is servo AF, it is highly likely that the user is moving the camera for framing, and the amount of subject movement relative to the detection size is likely to be large. For this reason, it is appropriate to set the ranging area setting magnification β12 larger than β4.

Figure 10(e) is the same as Figure 10(d) in that the subject part is the whole body and the AF mode is servo AF, but differs in that the subject type is a bird and the subject state is flying. Since the amount of subject movement relative to the detection size is more likely to be greater when a bird is flying than when a dog is running, it is appropriate to set the ranging area setting magnification β16 even larger than β12.

In this way, the ranging area setting magnification is set according to the type and state (movement) of the subject. For example, if the amount of movement of the subject is small relative to the size of the detection area, setting the ranging area setting magnification to a small value narrows the ranging area (shortens the field of view length) and reduces perspective conflicts. On the other hand, if the amount of movement of the subject is large relative to the size of the detection area, setting the ranging area setting magnification to a large value widens the ranging area and lengthens the field of view, but makes it possible to accommodate positional shifts of the subject.

In this embodiment, the subject detection unit 132 acquires a ranging area setting magnification in accordance with the state of the subject detected, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the state of the subject (e.g., whether the subject is moving or still) may be determined from the change in the defocus amount calculated by the focus adjustment unit 129, and a ranging area setting magnification in accordance with the state of the subject may be acquired. In addition, a ranging area setting magnification in accordance with the state of the subject determined from the time change in subject position information detected by a motion vector detection unit (not shown) and the amount of camera shake or panning detected by a gyro sensor or the like may be acquired.

In step S905, the calculation block 129b of the focus adjustment unit 129 calculates the defocus amount for each ranging point within the ranging area set in step S904.

In step S906, the focus adjustment unit 129 selects a ranging point based on the defocus amount for each ranging point calculated in step S905.

In step S907, the calculation block 129b of the focus adjustment unit 129 calculates the focus lens driving amount based on the defocus amount of the range-finding point selected in step S906.

In step S908, the focus adjustment unit 129 drives the focus lens based on the focus lens drive amount calculated in step S907. After step S908, the process ends.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the position and size of the ranging area are set based on the subject detection result (type, part, condition of the subject) and/or the AF mode. In more detail, the ranging area setting magnification is obtained according to the subject detection result (type, part, condition of the subject) and the AF mode, and the subject area for processing (focus adjustment, white balance adjustment, exposure adjustment) is set based on the ranging area setting magnification. This makes it possible to perform appropriate processing on the subject being detected.

[Embodiment 2]Embodiment 2 will be described below.

In the first embodiment, a configuration was described in which a ranging area setting magnification is set according to the subject detection result and AF mode, and focus adjustment for the main subject is performed using the defocus amount of the ranging point within the ranging area set based on the ranging area setting magnification. In contrast, in the second embodiment, a configuration is described in which an area within a defocus range set based on the defocus resistance of the subject detection performance or a defocus range set based on subject depth information assumed from the subject size is set as the detection area for the main subject and other areas, and processing for the main subject (focus adjustment, white balance adjustment, exposure adjustment) is performed using the defocus amount of the ranging point in the main subject area.

The configuration of the imaging device 10, the configuration of the image sensor 122, the focus detection method, the subject detection method, and the processing during shooting in the second embodiment are the same as those in Figs. 1 to 7 in the first embodiment.

First, in S701 of FIG. 7, the type of subject (detection type), the position and size of the subject (detection area), the defocus range in which the subject can be detected (defocus resistance of subject detection performance), and the depth magnification of the subject detected by the subject detection unit 132 of embodiment 2 will be described.

Figure 11 shows the relationship between subjects (detection targets) and detection areas. 1101 to 1106 in Figure 11 are detection areas of subjects detected by the subject detection unit 132. The detection type (type of subject), detection area (position and size of subject), defocus resistance of subject detection performance, and subject depth magnification of each subject 1101 to 1106 are as shown in Table 2.

In this way, the subject detection unit 132 obtains the detection type and detection area of the main subject based on the subject detection signal generated by the image processing unit 124.

In the second embodiment, the detection type and detection area for multiple subjects are obtained from one subject detection signal, but only the detection type and detection area for the most prominent subject may be obtained. In addition, the detection type is obtained by type, but this is not limited to this and may be another index. In the second embodiment, the whole body of a dog or bird, or the whole body of a car or airplane is obtained as the detection type type, but a specific part such as the face or eyes of a dog or bird, or a specific part such as the driver or the driver's head of a car or airplane may be obtained.
(Table 2)
Next, the focus adjustment process, the white balance adjustment process, and the exposure adjustment process of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

<Focus adjustment process> The focus adjustment process of embodiment 2 (step S703 in FIG. 7) will be described with reference to FIG. 12.

Figure 12 shows a flowchart of the focus adjustment process in embodiment 2. Note that the process in Figure 12 is executed by the focus adjustment unit 129.

In step S1201, the focus adjustment unit 129 acquires the subject detection results (detection type, detection area) of the main subject detected by the acquisition block 129a in steps S701 and S702 of FIG. 7.

In step S1202, the focus adjustment unit 129 sets a ranging area based on the center position of the detection area of the main subject acquired in step S1201. By setting the ranging area based on the main subject position, it is possible to obtain ranging results near the main subject at a high density even if the number of ranging points that can be calculated simultaneously is limited. Then, by selecting the optimal ranging result from among them, it becomes possible to properly focus on the main subject. When the subject is not detected, the ranging area is set with the central image height as the center position.

In step S1203, the calculation block 129b of the focus adjustment unit 129 calculates the defocus amount for each ranging point within the ranging area set in step S1202. The defocus amount calculation process will be described later.

In step S1204, the focus adjustment unit 129 determines whether the detection state of the subject detection result acquired in step S1201 is a state in which a subject has been detected or a state in which a subject has not been detected. If it is a state in which a subject has not been detected, the process proceeds to step S1205, where a defocus range that covers the entire range of the image is acquired. If it is a state in which a subject has been detected, the process proceeds to step S1206.

In step S1206, the focus adjustment unit 129 determines whether the AF mode is servo AF. In the case of servo AF, the AF control is continued according to the movement of the subject, so that the focus is basically on the vicinity of the subject. If not servo AF, proceed to step S1207 and acquire a defocus range based on the defocus resistance according to the subject detection result acquired in step S1201. The defocus range based on the defocus resistance according to the subject detection result differs depending on the type, position, and size of the subject, as shown in Table 2. In the second embodiment, the defocus range is set depending on the type, position, and size of the subject, but this is not limited to this, and the defocus range may be set based only on the type of subject. In the subject detection state, the subject does not have a defocus amount larger than the defocus resistance of the subject detection performance. In other words, if the defocus amount of the subject is larger than the defocus resistance, the subject detection result is a non-detection state. Therefore, the defocus range based on the defocus resistance means that the defocus range is a defocus range with a high possibility of being the subject. In the case of servo AF in step S1206, proceed to step S1208.

In step S1208, the acquisition block 129a of the focus adjustment unit 129 acquires a subject depth magnification according to the subject detection result. The subject depth magnification according to the subject detection result differs depending on the subject type, as shown in Table 2. In the second embodiment, a different depth magnification is set depending on the type of subject, but this is not limited to this, and a different depth magnification may be set depending on the position or size of the subject. The subject depth magnification represents the subject depth relative to the subject size as a magnification. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the subject depth magnification, and shows that the subject depth magnification for the maximum subject size (h1, w1) is γ1 times for the subject 1101 in FIG. 11. In the second embodiment, the subject depth is represented by a magnification for the maximum subject size (h1, w1), but this is not limited to this, and it may be represented by a magnification for either h1 or w1, or it may be the same size as the larger of (h1, w1) (γ1=1).

In step S1209, the focus adjustment unit 129 acquires optical information of the lens unit 100 via the acquisition block 129a.

In step S1210, the calculation block 129b of the focus adjustment unit 129 calculates an estimated depth size of the subject in real space from the subject size of the subject detection result acquired in step S1201, the subject depth magnification acquired in step S1208, and the focal length and current subject distance of the optical information acquired in step S1209. If the subject size is (h, w), the subject depth magnification is γ, the focal length is f, and the subject distance is z, the estimated subject depth size Δz is expressed by Equation 1.
(Equation 1)
Δz=(z/f)max(h,w)γ
In step S1211, the focus adjustment unit 129 calculates a defocus range based on the assumed depth size calculated by the calculation block 129b in step S1210. The focus adjustment unit 129 calculates a depth difference Δdef in the subject on the image plane from the assumed depth size Δz in the real space, and acquires the depth difference Δdef in the subject as a defocus range. The depth difference Δdef in the subject is expressed by Equation 2.
(Equation 2)
Δdef=(f/z)2Δz=(f/z)max(h,w)γ
In step S1212, the focus adjustment unit 129 sets the detection area within the defocus range acquired in any one of steps S1205, S1207, and S1211 of the object area acquired in step S1201 as the first area, and the other detection areas as the second area. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of the first area and the second area. 1401 and 1402 in FIG. 14 indicate the first area and the second area in the ranging area set from the object area acquired in step S1201 and the defocus range acquired in any one of steps S1205, S1207, and S1211 for the object area 1102 in FIG. 11. 1400_n in FIG. 14 is a ranging point in the ranging area set in step S1202. FIG. 14(a) shows the state in which the first area and the second area are set for the signal acquired from each ranging point. Fig. 14B shows a state in which the distribution of distance measurement points is classified into three stages (def<Def2, -Def2≦def≦Def2, -Def2<def) based on the defocus amount (def) calculated in step S1203 after setting the distance measurement area in step S1202. The flower part in Fig. 14A has def<Def2 in Fig. 14B, which is closer to the defocus range obtained in any of steps S1205, S1207, and S1211. The background part in Fig. 14A has -Def2<def in Fig. 14B, which is closer to the infinity side to the defocus range obtained in any of steps S1205, S1207, and S1211. In this way, the flowers and the background are outside the defocus range acquired in step S1205, step S1207, or step S1211, and are set as the second region.

In step S1213, the focus adjustment unit 129 selects a ranging point based on the priority order of the first and second regions set in step S1212. First, if there is a ranging point in the first region with the highest priority order whose subject detection result has a reliability higher than a predetermined threshold, the ranging point that detects the closest defocus amount is selected. Next, if there is no ranging point in the first region with a reliability higher than a predetermined threshold, the ranging point that detects the closest defocus amount is selected from among the ranging points in the second region with the next highest priority order whose reliability is higher than a predetermined threshold. In this way, by preferentially selecting ranging points from the regions with high priority order, it is possible to select a ranging point in the region that is the subject (detection target), and it is possible to perform appropriate distance measurement for the subject (detection target) even if the detection region includes something other than the detection target.

In this embodiment, the ranging point that detects the closest defocus amount in the first region is selected, but this is not limited to this. For example, a histogram of the defocus amount in the first region set in step S1212 may be calculated, and the ranging point that detects the most frequent defocus amount in the histogram may be selected. In addition, in this embodiment, the first region is set based on the defocus range acquired in any of steps S1205, S1207, and S1211, and the ranging point is selected from within the first region, but this is not limited to this. For example, the first region may not be set, and a histogram of the defocus amount may be calculated from the entire ranging region, and when the histogram is calculated, the defocus amount outside the defocus range acquired in any of steps S1205, S1207, and S1211 may be excluded from the histogram calculation (frequency counting is not performed).

In step S1214, the calculation block 129b of the focus adjustment unit 129 calculates the focus lens driving amount based on the defocus amount of the range-finding point selected in step S1213.

In step S1215, the focus adjustment unit 129 drives the focus lens based on the focus lens drive amount calculated in step S1214. After step S1215, the process ends.

<White balance adjustment process> Next, the white balance adjustment process of the second embodiment (step S705 in FIG. 7) will be described with reference to FIG. 15.

Figure 15 shows a flowchart of the white balance adjustment process in embodiment 2. Note that the process in Figure 15 is executed by the white balance adjustment unit 132.

In step S1501, the white balance adjustment unit 132 obtains the subject detection result of the main subject detected in steps S701 and S702 of FIG. 7.

In step S1502, the white balance adjustment unit 132 acquires the first area set in step S1212 of FIG. 12 from the camera MPU 125.

In step S1503, the white balance adjustment unit 132 calculates the white balance parameters in the first region acquired in step S1502. In this embodiment, the white balance parameters in the first region are calculated, but this is not limited thereto, and the white balance parameters may be calculated by weighting the first region and the second region.

In step S1504, the white balance adjustment unit 132 acquires predetermined appropriate white balance parameters.

In step S1505, the white balance adjustment unit 132 adjusts the white balance for the imaging signal based on the difference between the white balance parameters calculated in step S1503 and the white parameters acquired in step S1504. After step S1505, the process ends.

<Exposure adjustment process> Next, the exposure adjustment process (S706 in FIG. 7) of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 16.

Figure 16 shows a flowchart of the exposure adjustment process in embodiment 2. Note that the process in Figure 16 is executed by the exposure adjustment unit 131.

In step S1604, the exposure adjustment unit 131 obtains the subject detection result of the main subject detected in steps S701 and S702 of FIG. 7.

In step S1602, the exposure adjustment unit 131 acquires the first and second areas set in step S1212 of FIG. 12 from the camera MPU 125.

In step S1603, the exposure adjustment unit 131 sets weights for the first and second regions obtained in step S1602.

In step S1604, the exposure adjustment unit 131 calculates the amount of exposure by weighting the photometry results of the first and second regions according to the weightings for the first and second regions set in step S1603. In this embodiment, the amount of exposure is calculated by weighting the first and second regions, but this is not limiting, and the amount of exposure may be calculated only from the first region.

In step S1605, the exposure adjustment unit 131 obtains a predetermined appropriate exposure amount.

In step S1606, the exposure adjustment unit 131 calculates the difference between the exposure amount calculated in step S1604 and the exposure amount acquired in step S1605, and adjusts the exposure conditions during shooting. After step S1606, the process ends.

<Defocus amount calculation process> Next, the defocus amount calculation process in step S1203 in FIG. 12 will be described with reference to FIG. 17.

Figure 17 shows a flowchart of the defocus amount calculation process in embodiment 2. Note that the process in Figure 17 is executed by the focus adjustment unit 129.

In step S1701, the acquisition block 129a of the focus adjustment unit 129 acquires the focus detection signal and subject detection results.

In step S1702, the focus adjustment unit 129 performs filter processing on the focus detection signal acquired in step S1701.

In step S1703, the calculation block 129b of the focus adjustment unit 129 performs a correlation calculation on the focus detection signal that was filtered in step S1702.

In step S1704, the focus adjustment unit 129 determines whether the subject detection result acquired in step S1701 indicates a state in which a subject has been detected or not. If a subject has not been detected, the process proceeds to step S14905, and in step S1705, a defocus range that covers the entire range of the image is acquired. If a subject has been detected, the process proceeds to step S1706.

In step S1706, the focus adjustment unit 129 determines whether the AF mode is servo AF. If it is not servo AF, the process proceeds to step S1707, where the defocus range is obtained based on the defocus resistance according to the subject detection result obtained in step S1701. If it is servo AF, the process proceeds to step S1708.

In step S1708, the focus adjustment unit 129 causes the acquisition block 129a to acquire a subject depth magnification according to the subject detection result.

In step S1709, the focus adjustment unit 129 acquires optical information of the lens unit 100 via the acquisition block 129a.

In step S1710, the calculation block 129b of the focus adjustment unit 129 calculates the estimated depth size of the subject in real space using Equation 1 from the subject size of the subject detection result obtained in step S1701, the subject depth magnification obtained in step S1708, the focal length of the optical information obtained in step S1709, and the current subject distance.

In step S1711, the focus adjustment unit 129 calculates the subject depth difference Δdef on the image plane using Equation 2 from the assumed depth size in real space calculated by the acquisition block 129a in step S1710, and acquires the subject depth difference Δdef as the defocus range.

In step S1712, the focus adjustment unit 129 selects the maximum reliability extreme value from among the correlation values calculated by the correlation calculation in step S1703, within the defocus range obtained in any one of steps S1705, S1707, or S1711.

Figure 18 is an explanatory diagram of the extreme value of the correlation amount selected in step S1712. 1801 in Figure 18 is the correlation value calculated by the correlation calculation, 1802 in Figure 18 is the defocus range acquired in any of steps S1705, S1707, or S1711, and 1803 and 1804 in Figure 18 are the minimum values of the correlation amount. In the second embodiment, an example of -Def2 ≦ def ≦ Def2 when the subject 1102 in Figure 11 is detected will be described. If a subject and an obstacle at a different distance from the subject are mixed within one ranging point, there may be two minimum values of the correlation amount, as shown in 1803 and 1804 in Figure 18. In such a case, it is not possible to determine which is the subject. Therefore, in the second embodiment, by selecting the minimum value within the defocus range acquired in step S1705, step S1707, or step S1711, it is possible to exclude from the selection the minimum value 1804 that is clearly not the subject.

In step S1713, the focus adjustment unit 129 calculates the defocus amount of the extreme value selected in step S1712. After step S1713, the process ends.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, the defocus range is obtained from the defocus range set based on the defocus resistance of the subject detection performance or from subject depth information assumed from the subject size, and the subject area to be processed (focus adjustment, white balance adjustment, exposure adjustment) is selected based on the priority order of the area within the defocus range and the area outside it. This makes it possible to perform appropriate processing on the subject to be detected, even if the detection area includes a subject other than the detection target.

[Other embodiments]
The present invention can also be realized by a process in which a program for implementing one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that implements one or more of the functions.

The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the following claims are appended to disclose the scope of the invention.

10: Imaging device, 100: Lens unit, 117: Lens MPU, 120: Camera body, 125: Camera MPU, 129: Focus adjustment unit, 130: Subject detection unit, 131: Exposure adjustment unit, 132: White balance adjustment unit

Claims (9)

an imaging means for capturing an image of a subject and generating an image signal;
a focus adjustment means for performing focus detection using image signals of different parallaxes captured by the imaging means;
an object detection means for detecting an object using the image signal;
a setting unit for setting a size of an area in which the processing including focus detection is performed,
an imaging device characterized in that the setting means sets the size of an area in which processing including focus detection is performed at a magnification corresponding to the detection result of the subject detected by the subject detection means and the mode of focus adjustment operation. The focus adjustment operation modes include one-shot AF, which fixes the focus on a stationary subject, and servo AF, which keeps the focus on a moving subject;
the subject detection result includes a detection type including at least one of a type, a part, and a state of the subject, and a detection area including a position and a size of the subject;
2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the state of the subject includes a state in which the subject is moving or a state in which the subject is stationary. 3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the setting means sets a viewing length of the subject for which the focus detection is performed based on the magnification. 4. The imaging device according to claim 3, wherein the setting means sets the magnification to be smaller so that the field of view length is shorter when the amount of movement of the subject is smaller than a predetermined value, and sets the magnification to be larger so that the field of view length is longer when the amount of movement of the subject is larger than the predetermined value . 5. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the process including focus detection includes white balance adjustment and exposure adjustment. 6. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the focus adjustment means performs the focus detection based on a signal from a first photoelectric conversion unit and a signal from a second photoelectric conversion unit that receive light beams passing through different pupil regions of an optical system in the imaging means. A method for controlling an imaging apparatus having an imaging means for capturing an image of a subject and generating an image signal, and a focus adjustment means for performing focus detection using image signals of different parallaxes captured by the imaging means, comprising the steps of:
a detection step of detecting a subject using the image signal;
a setting step of setting a size of an area in which the processing including focus detection is performed,
A control method characterized in that, in the setting step , the size of an area in which processing including the focus detection is performed is set at a magnification corresponding to the detection result of the subject detected in the detection step and the mode of focus adjustment operation. A program for causing a computer to function as the imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 . A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as the imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 .

Images