# US 10,122,913 B2 · Image capturing apparatus and control method thereof, and storage medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,122,913 B2 - Document ID: US10122913B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/698,043 - Filed: 2017-09-07 - Published: 2018-03-15 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-09-09 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Jun Kameda - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10122913B2 ## CPC - H04N 23/632: {for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters} - G02B 7/28: Systems for automatic generation of focusing signals - G02B 7/38: measured at different points on the optical axis {, e.g. focussing on two or more planes and comparing image data} - H04N 23/667: Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes - H04N 23/672: {based on the phase difference signals} - H04N 25/42: by switching between different modes of operation using different resolutions or aspect ratios, e.g. switching between interlaced and non-interlaced mode - H04N 25/46: by combining or binning pixels - H04N 25/704: Pixels specially adapted for focusing, e.g. phase difference pixel sets - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract An image capturing apparatus includes: an image sensor; a readout unit capable of switching between carrying out a first readout operation of reading out signals from photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to a first number of pupil areas and a signal obtained by adding together signals from the photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to all of the pupil areas, and a second readout operation of reading out signals from photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to a second number and a signal obtained by adding together signals from the photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to all of the pupil areas; and a control unit that controls whether to cause the readout unit to carry out the first readout operation or the second readout operation in accordance with a status of the image capturing apparatus. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image capturing apparatus comprising: an image sensor in which pixels are arrayed two-dimensionally, each of the pixels including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements for a single microlens; a readout unit capable of switching between carrying out a first readout operation of reading out, from the image sensor and at a first framerate, signals from photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to a first number of pupil areas among a plurality of pupil areas of an imaging optical system and a signal obtained by adding together signals from the photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to all of the pupil areas among the plurality of pupil areas of the imaging optical system, and a second readout operation of reading out, from the image sensor and at a second framerate, signals from photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to a second number, different from the first number, of pupil areas among the plurality of pupil areas of the imaging optical system and a signal obtained by adding together signals from the photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to all of the pupil areas among the plurality of pupil areas of the imaging optical system; and a control unit that controls whether to cause the readout unit to carry out the first readout operation or the second readout operation in accordance with a status of the image capturing apparatus. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal obtained by adding together signals from the photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to all of the pupil areas among the plurality of pupil areas of the imaging optical system is a signal obtained by adding together all of the signals from the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to the single microlens for each of the pixels in the image sensor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signals from the photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to the first number of pupil areas and the signals from the photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to the second number of pupil areas are signals obtained by dividing the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements in each of the pixels into a plurality of groups and then adding the signals from the photoelectric conversion elements in each of the plurality of groups. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The image capturing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit changes the grouping method for dividing the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements into the plurality of groups in the second readout operation on the basis of the signals from the photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to the first number of pupil areas read out in the first readout operation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the readout unit to carry out the first readout operation in the case where the image capturing apparatus carries out a live view operation and does not carry out lens driving for focus adjustment, and the control unit causes the readout unit to carry out the second readout operation in the case where the image capturing apparatus carries out the live view operation and carries out the lens driving for focus adjustment. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The image capturing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second framerate is a higher framerate than the first framerate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a detection unit that detects an image shift amount from the signals from the photoelectric conversion element corresponding to the first number of pupil areas and the signals from the photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to the second number of pupil areas. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The image capturing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising: a calculation unit that calculates a lens driving amount using the image shift amount. ### Claim 9 A method of controlling an image capturing apparatus including an image sensor in which pixels are arrayed two-dimensionally, each of the pixels including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements for a single microlens, the method comprising: switching between carrying out a first readout operation of reading out, from the image sensor and at a first framerate, signals from photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to a first number of pupil areas among a plurality of pupil areas of an imaging optical system and a signal obtained by adding together signals from the photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to all of the pupil areas among the plurality of pupil areas of the imaging optical system, and a second readout operation of reading out, from the image sensor and at a second framerate, signals from photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to a second number, different from the first number, of pupil areas among the plurality of pupil areas of the imaging optical system and a signal obtained by adding together signals from the photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to all of the pupil areas among the plurality of pupil areas of the imaging optical system; and controlling whether to cause the first readout operation or the second readout operation to be carried out in accordance with a status of the image capturing apparatus. ### Claim 10 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute the steps of a method of controlling an image capturing apparatus including an image sensor in which pixels are arrayed two-dimensionally, each of the pixels including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements for a single microlens, the method comprising: switching between carrying out a first readout operation of reading out, from the image sensor and at a first framerate, signals from photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to a first number of pupil areas among a plurality of pupil areas of an imaging optical system and a signal obtained by adding together signals from the photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to all of the pupil areas among the plurality of pupil areas of the imaging optical system, and a second readout operation of reading out, from the image sensor and at a second framerate, signals from photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to a second number, different from the first number, of pupil areas among the plurality of pupil areas of the imaging optical system and a signal obtained by adding together signals from the photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to all of the pupil areas among the plurality of pupil areas of the imaging optical system; and controlling whether to cause the first readout operation or the second readout operation to be carried out in accordance with a status of the image capturing apparatus.