Image pickup apparatus and method for generating image having depth information

An image pickup method of an image pickup apparatus comprising a main lens, an image sensor, and a micro lens array between the main lens and the image sensor and comprising a plurality of two-dimensional (2D)-arranged micro lenses, the image pickup method comprising:

• capturing, with the image sensor, a plurality of images having different depths of field by changing a distance between the main lens and the image sensor;
• and
• obtaining at least one depth map, respectively corresponding to at least one of the captured plurality of images, from the at least one of the captured plurality of images,
• wherein the obtaining the at least one depth map comprises obtaining a depth map from a first image;
• wherein the capturing the plurality of images comprises:
• capturing, with the image sensor, the first image by initially setting the distance between the main lens and the image sensor to focus on a predetermined distance, and
• in response to an object being selected using the depth map, capturing, with the image sensor, a second image in which the selected object is focused by adjusting, using the obtained depth map, the distance between the main lens and the image sensor to focus on the selected object;
• and
• wherein the second image is captured with the image sensor after the depth map is obtained from the captured first image.

A refocusing method of an image pickup apparatus comprising a main lens and an image sensor, the refocusing method comprising:

• capturing, with the image sensor, a plurality of images having different depths of field by changing a distance between the main lens and the image sensor;
• obtaining a depth map from each of the respective captured plurality of images;
• determining, for each respective depth map, an object region where a depth value in the depth map is a minimum;
• after determining the object region for each respective depth map, receiving a selection from a user of a selected object region from the captured plurality of images;
• selecting a depth map of which a depth value in the selected object region is a minimum;
• and
• outputting an image corresponding to the selected depth map.

An image pickup apparatus comprising:

• a main lens configured to refract incident light;
• an image sensor comprising a plurality of two-dimensional (2D)-arranged pixels configured to sense the incident light and to output an image signal according to the sensed incident light;
• a micro lens array between the main lens and the image sensor and comprising a plurality of 2D-arranged micro lenses;
• and
• a controller configured to receive the image signal from the image sensor and to generate an image according to the received image signal,
• wherein the controller is configured to capture, with the image sensor, a first image, having a first depth of field, by initially setting a distance between the main lens and the image sensor to focus on a predetermined distance, and to obtain a depth map from the captured first image,
• wherein in response to an object being selected using the depth map, the controller is configured to capture, with the image sensor, a second image, having a second depth of field different from the first depth of field, in which the selected object is focused by adjusting, using the obtained depth map, the distance between the main lens and the image sensor to focus on the selected object, and
• wherein the second image is captured with the image sensor after the depth map is obtained from the captured first image.

A refocusing method of an image pickup apparatus comprising a main lens and an image sensor, the refocusing method comprising:

• capturing, with the image sensor, a first image having a first depth of field with the image sensor;
• obtaining a depth map from the captured first image;
• and
• in response to an object being selected using the depth map, capturing, with the image sensor, a second image, having a second depth of field different from the first depth of field with the image sensor, in which the selected object is focused by adjusting, using the obtained depth map, a distance between the main lens and the image sensor to focus on the selected object,
• wherein the second image is captured with the image sensor after the depth map is obtained from the captured first image.