An image capturing apparatus includes: an image sensor including image sensing pixels that generate a signal for image generation, and focus detection pixels dividing the pupil region of an imaging lens into pupil regions and generating a signal for phase difference detection by photoelectrically converting object images from the pupil regions obtained by the division; a switching unit that switches between an all-pixel readout mode in which signals from all of the multiple pixels are read out and a thinning readout mode in which the signals of the multiple pixels are thinned and read out; and a control unit that, in the case where the mode has been switched by the switching unit to the thinning readout mode, controls the accumulation of charges in imaging rows used for image generation and focus detection rows including the focus detection pixels independent from each other.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An image capturing apparatus comprising: an image sensor having multiple pixels arranged two-dimensionally, the image sensor including image sensing pixels that generate a signal for image generation by photoelectrically converting an object image formed by an imaging lens, and focus detection pixels that generate a signal for phase difference detection by photoelectrically converting object images; a control unit that controls to read imaging rows in which the image sensing pixels that are used for outputting signals for displaying an image on a display are arrayed, and focus detection rows including the focus detection pixels; a generating unit that generates a display image of one frame using signals read out from the imaging lines, wherein said control unit controls to separate the multiple pixels into two groups, one of which is a group of the imaging rows used for image generation and the other one of which is a group of the focus detection rows including the focus detection pixels, and sequentially read out all the rows of one of the two groups in one frame and thereafter sequentially read out the other one of the two groups, and wherein a period from start to end of signal accumulation of pixels in the one of the two groups used for the image generation and a period from start to end of signal accumulation of pixels in the other one of the two groups used for focus detection are at least partially overlapped and not completely overlapped.
2. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein first signals of pixels of the imaging rows are read out and then signals of pixels of the focus detection rows are read out in series within one frame period.
3. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image sensor comprises a CMOS image sensor.
4. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said control unit sets different time periods for accumulation of pixels of the imaging rows and for accumulation of pixels of the focus detection rows.
5. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said control unit sets different timings for resetting pixels of the imaging rows and for resetting pixels of the focus detection rows.
6. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a switch that selects one of a still image mode in which an image signal for a still image is generated from output signal of the image sensor and a moving image mode in which image signals of a plurality of frames for moving image are generated from output signal of the image sensor, and wherein said control unit controls an accumulation operation of the imaging rows used for image generation and an accumulation operation of the focus detection rows including the focus detection pixels independently in one frame when the moving image mode is selected by said switch.
7. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in a thinning read out mode in which the multiple pixels are thinned and read out, said control unit controls to separate the multiple pixels into two groups, one of which is a group of the imaging rows used for image generation and the other one of which is a group of the focus detection rows including the focus detection pixels, in one frame and sequentially read out one of the two groups and thereafter sequentially read out the other one of the two groups.
8. A method of controlling an image capturing apparatus including an image sensor having multiple pixels arranged two-dimensionally, the image sensor including image sensing pixels that generate a signal for image generation by photoelectrically converting an object image formed by an imaging lens, and focus detection pixels that generate a signal for phase difference detection by photoelectrically converting object images, said method comprising the steps of; controlling to separate the multiple pixels into two groups, one of which is a group of the imaging lines in which the image sensing pixels that are used for outputting signals for displaying an image on a display are arrayed and the other one of which is a group of the focus detection lines including the focus detection pixels, and sequentially read out all the rows of one of the two groups in one frame and thereafter sequentially read out the other one of the two groups; and generating display image of one frame using signals read out from the imaging lines, wherein a period from start to end of signal accumulation of pixels in the one of the two groups used for the image generation and a period from start to end of signal accumulation of pixels in the other one of the two groups used for focus detection are at least partially overlapped and not completely overlapped.
9. An image capturing apparatus comprising: an image sensor including a plurality of imaging rows that generate an image signal for displaying an image, and focus detection rows that generate a signal for focus detection; a control unit that controls to accumulate signals in the imaging rows and focus detection rows, and then read out image signals from the imaging rows and focus detection rows in a predetermined order; and wherein said control unit controls to read out one of a first group of rows including the imaging rows except the focus detection rows and a second group of rows including the focus detection rows except the imaging rows, and thereafter read out the other group of rows of the first group of rows and the second group of rows, and wherein a period from start to end of signal accumulation of pixels in the first group used for displaying the image and a period from start to end of signal accumulation of pixels in the second group used for the focus detection are partially overlapped and not completely overlapped.
10. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein said control unit controls to read out the first group of rows first and thereafter read out the second group of rows within one frame period.
11. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the image sensor comprises a CMOS image sensor.
12. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein said control unit sets accumulation periods respectively for the first group of rows and the second group of rows.
13. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein said control unit resets first group of rows and the second group of rows at a different timing.
14. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein said second group of rows generates a phase different signal for focus detection.
15. An image capturing apparatus comprising: an image sensor including a plurality of first rows, and a plurality of second rows; a control unit that controls to accumulate signals in the first rows and the second rows, and then read out, in a predetermined order, image signals from the first rows as an image signal for displaying an image and the second rows as a signal for focus detection; and wherein said control unit controls to read out one of a first group of rows including the first rows except the second rows and a second group of rows including the second rows except the first rows, and thereafter read out the other group of rows of the first group of rows and the second group of rows, and wherein a period from start to end of signal accumulation of pixels in the first group used for displaying the image and a period from start to end of signal accumulation of pixels in the second group used for the focus detection are partially overlapped and not completely overlapped.
16. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein said control unit controls to read out the first group of rows first and thereafter read out the second group of rows within one frame period.
17. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the image sensor comprises a CMOS image sensor.
18. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein said control unit sets accumulation periods respectively for the first group of rows and the second group of rows.
19. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein said control unit resets first group of rows and the second group of rows at a different timing.
20. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein said second group of rows generates a phase different signal for focus detection.
21. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a number of the focus detection rows including the focus detection pixels to read is determined based on a moving image frame rate.
22. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a number of the focus detection rows including the focus detection pixels to read is determined based on a margin time T.
23. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the period from start to end of signal accumulation of pixels in the one of the two groups used for the image generation is shorter than the period from start to end of signal accumulation of pixels in the other one of the two groups used for focus detection.
24. An image capturing apparatus comprising: an image sensor having multiple pixels arranged two-dimensionally, the image sensor including image sensing pixels that generate a signal for image generation by photoelectrically converting an object image formed by an imaging lens, and focus detection pixels that generate a signal for phase difference detection by photoelectrically converting object images; a control unit that controls to read imaging rows in which the image sensing pixels that are used for outputting signals for displaying an image on a display are arrayed, and focus detection rows including the focus detection pixels; a generating unit that generates a display image of one frame using signals read out from the imaging lines, wherein said control unit controls to separate the multiple pixels into two groups, one of which is a group of the imaging rows used for image generation and the other one of which is a group of the focus detection rows including the focus detection pixels, and sequentially read out all the rows of one of the two groups in one frame and thereafter sequentially read out the other one of the two groups, and wherein a period from start to end of signal accumulation of pixels in the one of the two groups used for the image generation and a period from start to end of signal accumulation of pixels in the other one of the two groups used for focus detection are at least partially overlapped and not completely overlapped, and wherein the period from start to end of signal accumulation of pixels in the one of the two groups used for the image generation is shorter than the period from start to end of signal accumulation of pixels in the other one of the two groups used for focus detection.
25. A method of controlling an image capturing apparatus including an image sensor having multiple pixels arranged two-dimensionally, the image sensor including image sensing pixels that generate a signal for image generation by photoelectrically converting an object image formed by an imaging lens, and focus detection pixels that generate a signal for phase difference detection by photoelectrically converting object images, said method comprising the steps of; controlling to separate the multiple pixels into two groups, one of which is a group of the imaging lines in which the image sensing pixels that are used for outputting signals for displaying an image on a display are arrayed and the other one of which is a group of the focus detection lines including the focus detection pixels, and sequentially read out all the rows of one of the two groups in one frame and thereafter sequentially read out the other one of the two groups; and generating an display image of one frame using signals read out from the imaging lines, wherein a period from start to end of signal accumulation of pixels in the one of the two groups used for the image generation and a period from start to end of signal accumulation of pixels in the other one of the two groups used for focus detection are at least partially overlapped and not completely overlapped, and wherein the period from start to end of signal accumulation of pixels in the one of the two groups used for the image generation is shorter than the period from start to end of signal accumulation of pixels in the other one of the two groups used for focus detection.
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February 1, 2010
February 23, 2016
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