US 11,310,435 B2 · Image pickup apparatus having auto day-night function, control method therefor, and storage medium storing control program therefor

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus that is capable of preventing hunching certainly at low cost and of switching between the day mode and the night mode at an optimal timing. An image sensor outputs an image signal depending on an optical image formed through an image pickup optical system. A mode setting unit sets a photographing mode for photographing using the image sensor from among a day mode and a night mode in which sensitivity for a wavelength range corresponding to infrared light is higher than that in the day mode. An obtaining unit obtains ratio information about the ratios of the infrared light and visible light based on the image signal in the night mode. A condition setting unit sets a determination condition that is used for switching the photographing mode to the day mode from the night mode based on the ratio information.

Claims16

Dependent claims

An image pickup apparatus comprising:

an image sensor that outputs an image signal depending on an optical image formed through an image pickup optical system;
and
at least one processor that executes a set of instructions to:
set a photographing mode for photographing using the image sensor from among a day mode and a night mode in which sensitivity for a wavelength range corresponding to infrared light is higher than that in the day mode;
obtain an object luminance and a visible light level from the image signal in the night mode;
determine whether infrared light or visible light is dominant in the night mode based on the object luminance and the visible light level;
and
set a first threshold for the object luminance and a second threshold for the visible light level based on the determination result, the first threshold and the second threshold being used for switching the photographing mode to the day mode from the night mode;
wherein in a case where visible light is dominant in the night mode, the first threshold and the second threshold are set such that the first threshold is higher than the object luminance and the second threshold is equal to or lower than the visible light level.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Image pickup apparatus having auto day-night function, control method therefor, and storage medium storing control program therefor

Life of this patent

Image pickup apparatus having auto day-night function, control method therefor, and storage medium storing control program therefor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16