Control apparatus, control method, computer program, and camera

A control method of a control apparatus for controlling a driver driving an optical element of an image pickup device to adjust a focus position of the image pickup device in the capturing of an image of a subject, the control method comprising:

• a relative angle variation calculating step of calculating a relative angle variation, based on the captured image of the subject provided by the image pickup device, the relative angle variation being a change per unit time of a relative angle of the image pickup device with respect to the subject;
• a mode change detecting step of detecting of a change of a mode of the relative angle variation through determining whether the mode of the relative angle variation, calculated in the relative angle variation calculation step, is a stable mode involving a small amount of change or an unstable mode involving a large amount of change;
• a startup determination step of determining whether to start a focus position control process, the focus position control process for controlling the focus position through controlling the driver in response to a change pattern of the change of the mode detected in the mode change detecting step;
• and
• a focus position control process startup step of starting the focus position control process based on the determination result of the start determination step in order to cause the driver to adjust the focus position.

A computer program product for causing a computer to control a driver driving an optical element of an image pickup device to adjust a focus position of the image pickup device in the capturing of an image of a subject, the control method comprising:

• a relative angle variation calculating step of calculating a relative angle variation, based on the captured image of the subject provided by the image pickup device, the relative angle variation being a change per unit time of a relative angle of the image pickup device with respect to the subject;
• a mode change detecting step of detecting of a change of a mode of the relative angle variation through determining whether the mode of the relative angle variation, calculated in the relative angle variation calculation step, is a stable mode involving a small amount of change or an unstable mode involving a large amount of change;
• a startup determination step of determining whether to start a focus position control process, the focus position control process for controlling the focus position through controlling the driver in response to a change pattern of the change of the mode detected in the mode change detecting step;
• and
• a focus position control process startup step of starting the focus position control process based on the determination result of the start determination step in order to cause the driver to adjust the focus position.

A camera having an image pickup device capturing an image of a subject, and a driver adjusting a focus position in the capturing of the image of the subject through the image pickup device, the camera comprising:

• relative angle variation calculating means for calculating a relative angle variation, the relative angle variation being a change per unit time of a relative angle of the image pickup device with respect to the subject;
• mode change detecting means for detecting of a change of a mode of the relative angle variation through determining whether the mode of the relative angle variation, calculated by the relative angle variation calculation means, is a stable mode involving a small amount of change or an unstable mode involving a large amount of change;
• focus position control process startup means for managing a startup of a focus position control process, the focus position control process for controlling the focus position through controlling the driver in response to a pattern of the change of the mode detected by the mode change detecting means;
• and
• focus position control process executing means for executing the focus position control process, started by the focus position control process startup means, the focus position control process controlling the driver to control the focus position.

A control apparatus for controlling a driver driving an optical element of an image pickup device to adjust a focus position of the image pickup device in the capturing of an image of a subject, the control apparatus comprising:

• a relative angle variation calculating unit calculating a relative angle variation, the relative angle variation being a change per unit time of a relative angle of the image pickup device with respect to the subject;
• a mode change detecting unit detecting of a change of a mode of the relative angle variation through determining whether the mode of the relative angle variation, calculated by the relative angle variation calculating unit, is a stable mode involving a small amount of change or an unstable mode involving a large amount of change;
• and
• a focus position control process startup unit managing a startup of a focus position control process, the focus position control process for controlling the focus position through controlling the driver in response to a pattern of the change of the mode detected by the mode change detecting unit.

A camera having an image pickup device capturing an image of a subject, and a driver driving an optical element to adjust a focus position in the capturing of the image of the subject through the image pickup device, the camera comprising:

• a relative angle variation calculating unit calculating a relative angle variation, the relative angle variation being a change per unit time of a relative angle of the image pickup device with respect to the subject;
• a mode change detecting unit detecting of a change of a mode of the relative angle variation through determining whether the mode of the relative angle variation, calculated by the relative angle variation calculating unit, is a stable mode involving a small amount of change or an unstable mode involving a large amount of change;
• a focus position control process startup unit managing a startup of a focus position control process, the focus position control process for controlling the focus position through controlling the driver in response to a pattern of the change of the mode detected by the mode change detecting unit;
• and
• a focus position control process executing unit executing the focus position control process, started by the focus position control process startup unit, the focus position control process controlling the driver to control the focus position.