Imaging apparatus

A system comprising:

• an imaging apparatus that is mounted to a vehicle, which captures an image including an obstacle present ahead of the vehicle, and calculates a distance between the vehicle and the obstacle based on a captured image;
• and
• a brake control apparatus that receives the distance between the vehicle and an obstacle calculated by the imaging apparatus, and controls braking of the vehicle based on the distance,
• the imaging apparatus comprising:
• a lens;
• an image sensor that has a light-receiving surface which receives light from the lens and a plurality of pixels provided on the light-receiving surface, which acquires brightness of light at each of the pixels on the light-receiving surface;
• a light-blocking panel that is disposed between the lens and the image sensor, which has a plurality of cells that are arranged so as to correspond to the plurality of pixels in the image sensor, and in which transmittance of light of the cells is variable for each cell;
• and
• a control unit that sets the transmittance of each of the cells in the light-blocking panel corresponding to each of the pixels in the image sensor, based on the brightness of light at each of the pixels acquired by the image sensor,
• wherein the light-blocking panel is arranged so as to cover the light-receiving surface of the image sensor and to be in contact with the image sensor such that the plurality of cells covers the plurality of pixels,
• a number of cells in the light-blocking panel is equal to a number of pixels in the image sensor,
• the light-blocking panel is arranged such that each of the cells is paired with a corresponding one of the pixels in the image sensor,
• the image sensor is arranged such that light that has entered the lens and passed through each of the cells in the light-blocking panel reaches each of the pixels in the image sensor that is paired with the corresponding one of the cells in the light-blocking panel, and
• the control unit sets the transmittance of each of the cells in the light-blocking panel in a state according to a shift lever position of the vehicle being set to a drive position or a reverse position.

A method for controlling an imaging apparatus that is mounted to a vehicle, the imaging apparatus comprising:

• a lens;
• an image sensor that has a light-receiving surface which receives light from the lens and a plurality of pixels provided on the light-receiving surface, the image sensor acquiring brightness of light at each of the pixels on the light-receiving surface;
• and
• a light-blocking panel that is disposed between the lens and the image sensor, which has a plurality of cells that are arranged so as to correspond to the plurality of pixels in the image sensor, and in which transmittance of light of the cells is variable for each cell, wherein
• the light-blocking panel is arranged so as to cover the light-receiving surface of the image sensor and to be in contact with the image sensor such that the plurality of cells covers the plurality of pixels,
• a number of cells in the light-blocking panel is equal to a number of pixels in the image sensor,
• the light-blocking panel is arranged such that each of the cells is paired with a corresponding one of the pixels in the image sensor, and
• the image sensor is arranged such that light that has entered the lens and passed through each of the cells in the light-blocking panel reaches each of the pixels in the image sensor that is paired with the corresponding one of the cells in the light-blocking panel, and
• the method comprising:
• setting, by a control unit provided in the imaging apparatus, the transmittance of each of the cells in the light-blocking panel corresponding to each of the pixels in the image sensor, based on the brightness of light at each of the pixels acquired by the image sensor;
• and
• setting, by the control unit, the transmittance of each of the cells in the light-blocking panel in a state according to a shift lever position of the vehicle being set to a drive position or a reverse position.