Image processing apparatus, image processing apparatus control method, image pickup apparatus, and image pickup apparatus control method

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• a memory storing instructions which, when the instructions are executed by the processor, cause the image processing apparatus to function as:
• an acquiring unit configured to acquire image signals of a plurality of images acquired by picking up an object image formed by a photographing optical system;
• a determining unit configured to determine distance information of the object image by using the image signals of the plurality of images;
• and
• a conversion unit configured to perform resolution conversion of converting resolution of the distance information and output a result of the resolution conversion,
• wherein the conversion unit configured to perform the resolution conversion of the distance information and output the result of the resolution conversion, by using a conversion characteristic that gradations are asymmetrically allocated to distance information in front of and behind distance information of a focused object.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• a memory storing instructions which, when the instructions are executed by the processor, cause the image processing apparatus to function as:
• an acquiring unit configured to acquire image signals of a plurality of images acquired by picking up an object image formed by a photographing optical system;
• a determining unit configured to determine distance information of the object image by using the image signals of the plurality of images;
• and
• a conversion unit configured to perform resolution conversion of converting resolution of the distance information and output a result of the resolution conversion,
• wherein the conversion unit is configured to perform the resolution conversion of the distance information and output the result of the resolution conversion, by using a conversion characteristic that resolution conversion varies depending on an F-value of a lens of the photographing optical system.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• a memory storing instructions which, when the instructions are executed by the processor, cause the image processing apparatus to function as:
• an acquiring unit configured to acquire image signals of a plurality of images acquired by picking up an object image formed by a photographing optical system;
• a determining unit configured to determine distance information of the object image by using the image signals of the plurality of images;
• and
• a conversion unit configured to perform resolution conversion of converting resolution of the distance information and output a result of the resolution conversion,
• wherein the conversion unit is configured to perform the resolution conversion of the distance information and output the result of the resolution conversion, by using a conversion characteristic that, in accordance with an F-value of a lens of the photographing optical system, as the F-value becomes larger, gradations to be allocated to larger distance information are made fewer.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• a memory storing instructions which, when the instructions are executed by the processor, cause the image processing apparatus to function as:
• an acquiring unit configured to acquire image signals of a plurality of images acquired by picking up an object image formed by a photographing optical system;
• a determining unit configured to determine distance information of the object image by using the image signals of the plurality of images;
• and
• a conversion unit configured to perform resolution conversion of converting resolution of the distance information and output a result of the resolution conversion,
• wherein the conversion unit is configured to perform the resolution conversion of the distance information and output the result of the resolution conversion, by using a conversion characteristic that resolution conversion varies depending on a base length in the pickup of the object image.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• a memory storing instructions which, when the instructions are executed by the processor, cause the image processing apparatus to function as:
• an acquiring unit configured to acquire image signals of a plurality of images acquired by picking up an object image formed by a photographing optical system;
• a determining unit configured to determine distance information of the object image by using the image signals of the plurality of images;
• and
• a conversion unit configured to perform resolution conversion of converting resolution of the distance information and output a result of the resolution conversion,
• wherein the conversion unit is configured to perform the resolution conversion of the distance information and output the result of the resolution conversion, by using a conversion characteristic that resolution conversion varies depending on an ISO sensitivity in the pickup of the object image.

An image processing method comprising:

• acquiring image signals of a plurality of images acquired by picking up an object image formed by a photographing optical system;
• determining distance information of the object image by using the image signals of the plurality of images;
• and
• performing resolution conversion of converting resolution of the distance information and outputting a result of the resolution conversion,
• wherein the resolution conversion of the distance information is performed and the result of the resolution conversion is output, by using a conversion characteristic that more gradations are allocated to distance information near an in-focus region as compared with distance information not near the in focus region,
• wherein performing the resolution conversion includes selectively determining the conversion characteristic from a plurality of conversion characteristics, and
• in a case where an application for which distance resolution near the in-focus region is necessary is a destination of the output, determining the conversion characteristic as a conversion characteristic that more resolutions are allocated to the distance information near the in-focus region as compared with the distance information not near the in-focus region.

An image processing method comprising:

• acquiring image signals of a plurality of images acquired by picking up an object image formed by a photographing optical system;
• determining distance information of the object image by using the image signals of the plurality of images;
• and
• performing resolution conversion of converting resolution of the distance information and outputting a result of the resolution conversion,
• wherein the resolution conversion of the distance information is performed and the result of the resolution conversion is output, by using a conversion characteristic that gradations are asymmetrically allocated to distance information in front of and behind distance information of a focused object.

An image processing method comprising:

• acquiring image signals of a plurality of images acquired by picking up an object image formed by a photographing optical system;
• determining distance information of the object image by using the image signals of the plurality of images;
• and
• performing resolution conversion of converting resolution of the distance information and outputting a result of the resolution conversion,
• wherein the resolution conversion of the distance information is performed and the result of the resolution conversion is output, by using a conversion characteristic that resolution conversion varies depending on an F-value of a lens of the photographing optical system.

An image processing method comprising:

• acquiring image signals of a plurality of images acquired by picking up an object image formed by a photographing optical system;
• determining distance information of the object image by using the image signals of the plurality of images;
• and
• performing resolution conversion of converting resolution of the distance information and outputting a result of the resolution conversion,
• wherein the resolution conversion of the distance information is performed and the result of the resolution conversion is output, by using a conversion characteristic that, in accordance with an F-value of a lens of the photographing optical system, as the F-value becomes larger, gradations to be allocated to larger distance information are made fewer.

An image processing method comprising:

• acquiring image signals of a plurality of images acquired by picking up an object image formed by a photographing optical system;
• determining distance information of the object image by using the image signals of the plurality of images;
• and
• performing resolution conversion of converting resolution of the distance information and outputting a result of the resolution conversion,
• wherein the resolution conversion of the distance information is performed and the result of the resolution conversion is output, by using a conversion characteristic that resolution conversion varies depending on a base length in the pickup of the object image.

An image processing method comprising:

• acquiring image signals of a plurality of images acquired by picking up an object image formed by a photographing optical system;
• determining distance information of the object image by using the image signals of the plurality of images;
• and
• performing resolution conversion of converting resolution of the distance information and outputting a result of the resolution conversion,
• wherein the resolution conversion of the distance information is performed and the result of the resolution conversion is output, by using a conversion characteristic that resolution conversion varies depending on an ISO sensitivity in the pickup of the object image.