The present disclosure relates to an imaging apparatus, an information processing method, a program, and an interchangeable lens that enable depth-of-field adjustment.

The imaging apparatus includes a depth-of-field adjustment function that adjusts the depth of field of at least one monocular optical system among a plurality of monocular optical systems having optical paths independent of one another. For example, the depth-of-field adjustment function includes a mechanism that adjusts the depths of field of the monocular optical systems, and an optical system control unit that adjusts the depths of field of the monocular optical systems by driving the monocular optical systems on the basis of control information. The present disclosure can be applied to an imaging apparatus, an electronic apparatus, an interchangeable lens or a camera system that provides a plurality of monocular lenses, an information processing method, a program, or the like, for example.

An autofocusing method includes capturing an image of a scene with a camera that includes a pixel array; computing a horizontal-difference image, and a vertical-difference image; and combining the horizontal-difference image and the vertical-difference image to yield a combined image. The method also includes determining, from the combined image and the intensity image, an image distance with respect to a lens of the camera at which the camera forms an in-focus image. The pixel array includes horizontally-adjacent pixel pairs and vertically-adjacent pixel pairs each located beneath a respective microlens. The horizontal-difference image includes, for each horizontally-adjacent pixel pair, a derived pixel value that is an increasing function of a difference between pixel values generated by the horizontally-adjacent pixel pair. The vertical-difference image includes, for each vertically-adjacent pixel pair, a derived pixel value that is an increasing function of a difference between pixel values generated by the vertically-adjacent pixel pair.

The pixel region includes a first phase difference pixel group including a plurality of the phase difference pixels of which the first side of the photoelectric conversion element is blocked by the light blocking layer in a first side region of the first side, and a second phase difference pixel group including a plurality of the phase difference pixels of which the second side of the photoelectric conversion element is blocked by the light blocking layer. The first phase difference pixel group includes a first A pixel and a first B pixel in which a light blocking area of the photoelectric conversion element using the light blocking layer is smaller than that of the first A pixel. The controller performs addition readout processing in which at least one of a pixel signal of the first A pixel or a pixel signal of the first B pixel is weighted in accordance with optical characteristics of the imaging lens.

The pixel region includes a first phase difference pixel group including a plurality of the phase difference pixels of which the first side of the photoelectric conversion element is blocked by the light blocking layer in a first side region of the first side, and a second phase difference pixel group including a plurality of the phase difference pixels of which the second side of the photoelectric conversion element is blocked by the light blocking layer. The first phase difference pixel group includes a first A pixel and a first B pixel in which a light blocking area of the photoelectric conversion element using the light blocking layer is smaller than that of the first A pixel. The controller performs addition readout processing in which at least one of a pixel signal of the first A pixel or a pixel signal of the first B pixel is weighted in accordance with optical characteristics of the imaging lens.

A lens control device includes a processor that performs a control of generating image data for each of first wavelength range light and second wavelength range light by an image sensor, in which the processor estimates a first focus position of a focus lens for the first wavelength range light based on a first focus evaluation value determined in accordance with the image data of the first wavelength range light, estimates a second focus position of the focus lens for the first wavelength range light based on a second focus evaluation value determined in accordance with the image data of the second wavelength range light, and performs a control of moving the focus lens along an optical axis based on the first focus position in a case in which a comparison result obtained by comparing the first focus position with the second focus position satisfies a predetermined condition.

An apparatus includes at least one processor programmed to perform operations of the following units: a focus detection unit configured to detect a defocus amount; and a control unit configured to control a focus lens to move based on the defocus amount, wherein the control unit includes three speed control patterns of acceleration control, constant speed control, and deceleration control, and the speed control patterns are changed based on at least two or more parameters.

An apparatus includes at least one processor programmed to perform operations of the following units: a focus detection unit configured to detect a defocus amount; and a control unit configured to control a focus lens to move based on the defocus amount, wherein the control unit includes three speed control patterns of acceleration control, constant speed control, and deceleration control, and the speed control patterns are changed based on at least two or more parameters.

A focus driving control unit 34 of a control unit 30 performs speed priority driving control in which a focus lens is driven to a focusing position in a driving pattern selected in advance by a user, for example, in a case in which a defocus amount of a ranging area is greater than a driving control determination threshold set in advance. In addition, the focus driving control unit 34 performs subject priority driving control in which a focus lens movement amount by which the focus lens is located at the focusing position in accordance with the defocus amount of the ranging area is set and the focus lens is driven in a case in which the defocus amount is equal to or less than the driving control determination threshold. The focus lens is driven to the focusing position in the driving pattern selected by the user. Thereafter, a focusing state can be maintained. Accordingly, it is possible to easily perform an auto-focus operation with the high degree of freedom.

A focus driving control unit 34 of a control unit 30 performs speed priority driving control in which a focus lens is driven to a focusing position in a driving pattern selected in advance by a user, for example, in a case in which a defocus amount of a ranging area is greater than a driving control determination threshold set in advance. In addition, the focus driving control unit 34 performs subject priority driving control in which a focus lens movement amount by which the focus lens is located at the focusing position in accordance with the defocus amount of the ranging area is set and the focus lens is driven in a case in which the defocus amount is equal to or less than the driving control determination threshold. The focus lens is driven to the focusing position in the driving pattern selected by the user. Thereafter, a focusing state can be maintained. Accordingly, it is possible to easily perform an auto-focus operation with the high degree of freedom.

Apparatus and methods employing a PDAF optical system are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes an image sensor comprising a plurality of pixels. The plurality of pixels include a set of pixels configurable to be imaging pixels or focus pixels. The image sensor is configured to generate image data of a scene based on received light at the plurality of pixels. The example apparatus also includes a processor coupled to the image sensor. The processor may be configured to receive first image data of a first frame of the scene, determine at least one region of interest or region of non-interest of the first frame, select, based on the determined at least one region of interest or region of non-interest, a subset of the set of pixels to be focus pixels, and cause the selected subset of the set of pixels to operate as focus pixels.