Image capturing apparatus and image capturing apparatus control method
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorToshiki Ishida
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The system control unit executes the following control when switching the mode from the first mode to the second one. When the first accumulation period is shorter than the first readout period, the system control unit controls the image sensor driving circuit and readout circuit so that the sum of the first and second readout periods fits into a 2-frame period. When the first accumulation period is longer than the first readout period, the system control unit controls the image sensor driving circuit and readout circuit so that the sum of the first accumulation period and second readout period fits into a 2-frame period.
Claims12
An image capturing apparatus comprising:
- a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion unit are arrayed in a row direction and a column direction;
- a driving unit which drives the photoelectric conversion unit of each pixel of the pixel array to accumulate a signal in a first accumulation period in a first mode, and to accumulate a signal in a second accumulation period shorter than the first accumulation period in a second mode;
- a readout unit which reads out a first image signal from the pixel array in a first readout period shorter than a predetermined 1-frame period, and reads out a second image signal from the pixel array in a second readout period longer than the 1-frame period;
- and
- a control unit which, when switching a mode from the first mode to the second mode, controls the readout unit to start a readout operation of the second image signal within a frame period in which the first image signal is read out.
An image capturing apparatus comprising:
- a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels each including photoelectric conversion unit are arrayed in a row direction and a column direction;
- a driving unit which drives the photoelectric conversion unit of each pixel of the pixel array to accumulate a signal in an accumulation period;
- a readout unit which reads out an image signal from the pixel array;
- a control unit which, when a first accumulation period of an image signal starting within a first frame period completes in a second frame period which is next to the first frame period, controls the driving unit to make a second accumulation period of an image signal staring after the completion of the first accumulation period shorter than the first frame period such that the second accumulation period completes within the second frame period;
- and
- an amplification unit which amplifies the image signal to obtain an image with proper exposure according to a length of an accumulation period.
A method of controlling an image capturing apparatus having a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion unit are arrayed in a row direction and a column direction, the method comprising:
- a driving step of driving the photoelectric conversion unit of each pixel of the pixel array to accumulate a signal in a first accumulation period in a first mode, and to accumulate a signal in a second accumulation period shorter than the first accumulation period in a second mode;
- a readout step of reading out a first image signal from the pixel array in a first readout period shorter than a predetermined 1-frame period, and reading out a second image signal from the pixel array in a second readout period longer than the 1-frame period;
- and
- a control step of, when switching a mode from the first mode to the second mode, controlling a operation in the readout step to start a readout operation of the second image signal within the frame period within a frame period in which the first image signal is read out.
A method of controlling an image capturing apparatus having a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels each including photoelectric conversion unit are arrayed in a row direction and a column direction, a driving unit which drives the photoelectric conversion unit of each pixel of the pixel array to accumulate a signal in an accumulation period, and a readout unit which reads out an image signal from the pixel array, the method comprising:
- a control step of, when a first accumulation period of an image signal starting within a first frame period completes in a second frame period which is next to the first frame period, controlling the driving unit to make a second accumulation period of an image signal staring after the completion of the first accumulation period shorter than the first frame period such that the second accumulation period completes within the second frame period;
- and
- an amplification step of amplifying the image signal to obtain an image with proper exposure according to a length of an accumulation period.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.