Focus Lens Speed Control for Image Capture Devices
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image capture devices using focus bracketing shooting functions face challenges in shortening the shooting operation time, particularly when recording moving images, which can result in missed capturing opportunities.
Innovation Solution
An image capture device with an optical system, image sensor, and controller that performs a scan operation to detect focus positions in multiple image regions, moving the focus lens at varying speeds based on detected focus positions to efficiently record moving images and generate high-quality still images from designated regions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the focus lens is moved at a constant slow speed to ensure accurate focus detection across all image regions, then the focus detection precision is improved, but the total shooting operation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The image region is divided into multiple partial regions, and focus detection is performed separately for each region. This allows the system to identify which regions require focus adjustment and process them accordingly, rather than uniformly processing the entire image area.
Solution Approach 2:
The focus lens moving speed is adjusted locally based on the specific requirements of different partial regions. Regions requiring precise focus detection are processed at slower speeds, while other regions are processed at faster speeds, optimizing the overall shooting time while maintaining necessary focus precision.
2Productivity
If the focus lens moves quickly through all regions to reduce shooting time, then the productivity is improved, but the focus detection accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The focus lens moving speed is dynamically adjusted during the shooting operation. The controller varies the moving speed based on the specific needs of each partial region, accelerating through regions that don't require precise focus detection and decelerating through regions that do, thereby maintaining both speed and accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically determines the optimal moving speed for each region based on the detected subject information and focus requirements, eliminating the need for manual intervention or uniform speed settings. The controller autonomously optimizes the shooting process.
3Measurement precision
If a scan operation is performed on the entire image region to detect focus positions before shooting, then the focus accuracy is improved, but the preparation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The scan operation is selectively applied only to specific partial regions that contain subjects requiring focus detection, rather than scanning the entire image region. This extracts and processes only the necessary portions, reducing overall scan time while maintaining focus accuracy for relevant areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The scan operation performs preliminary focus detection on partial regions before the actual shooting begins. By identifying focus positions in advance for critical regions, the system prepares necessary focus information without requiring a complete scan of all image areas.
Data Source
AI summary
The image capture device includes an optical system including a focus lens, a CCD that captures a subject image input via the optical system and generates an image signal, an image processor that generates image data by performing predetermined processing on the image signal generated by the CCD, and a controller. The controller performs a scan operation for detecting a focus position for each of a plurality of partial regions of image data while moving the focus lens and records a moving image by moving the focus lens while switching a moving speed of the focus lens based on information on the focus position obtained for each of the plurality of partial regions as a result of the scan operation. The plurality of partial regions is a plurality of regions obtained by dividing an image region of the image data.