Depth of Field Bracketing via Aperture Shutter Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current digital cameras lack an automatic system for depth of field (DOF) bracketing that can adjust camera settings rapidly enough to maintain constant illumination and avoid subject movement, and do not allow for intentional out-of-focus areas in photos.
Innovation Solution
The system adjusts camera aperture and shutter speed settings to take multiple photos at varying DOF settings while maintaining constant exposure, allowing for intentional focus variations across the image.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual depth of field bracketing is used to take multiple photos with varying DOF, then the photographer can control focus areas, but the process takes considerable time and causes changes in lighting level and subject position
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system performs depth of field bracketing automatically without requiring manual intervention. The controller automatically adjusts aperture and shutter speed settings to capture multiple images with varying depth of field, eliminating the time-consuming manual adjustment process while maintaining precise control over focus areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically changes camera parameters (aperture and shutter speed) to achieve varying depth of field settings. By programmatically adjusting these parameters, the system maintains constant illumination levels and avoids subject movement issues that occur during manual adjustment, while still achieving the desired focus area control.
2Stability of the object's composition
If automatic exposure bracketing is used to maintain constant illumination, then exposure consistency is improved, but depth of field variation cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The system simultaneously changes multiple parameters (aperture and shutter speed) in a coordinated manner to achieve both constant illumination and varying depth of field. The controller calculates and adjusts these parameters together, allowing the system to maintain exposure consistency while creating different focus areas through aperture adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts camera settings during the bracketing process to balance illumination consistency with depth of field variation. By making real-time calculations and adjustments to both aperture and shutter speed, the system adapts to maintain constant exposure while achieving the desired focus area control.
3Reliability
If rapid camera adjustment is made to avoid lighting changes and subject movement, then photo quality is maintained, but automatic DOF bracketing capability is not available
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system automatically performs rapid parameter adjustments as part of the bracketing process without requiring manual intervention. The controller manages the timing and execution of aperture and shutter speed changes, ensuring rapid adjustment to maintain photo quality while implementing automatic depth of field bracketing functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the camera's existing sensors and settings to automatically determine appropriate aperture and shutter speed adjustments. By leveraging the camera's own measurement capabilities and processing systems, the system achieves rapid, accurate parameter changes for maintaining photo quality during automatic bracketing.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and Systems are provided to enable automatically taking a series of depth of field bracket photos by varying the f-stop and shutter speed for a particular scene to keep the exposure constant. The method may be practiced on a digital camera which has been equipped with software in accordance with the present invention.