Image capturing apparatus and image capturing method

A control apparatus for controlling an image capturing apparatus, the image capturing apparatus is operable to capture a plurality of images with a shooting direction being moved for generating a panoramic image, the control apparatus comprising

• a circuitry configured
• to cause a driving unit to displace at least one of a lens unit and an imaging device with respect to an optical axis in response to motion of the image capturing apparatus, and
• to cause the driving unit to a displace position of the lens unit and/or the imaging device at a start of exposure of each image to be captured in a direction based on a direction in which the shooting direction is moved;
• and,
• a displacement amount at the start of the exposure is set in response to a length of an exposure time period such that when the exposure time period has a first exposure time period which is longer than a second exposure time period the displacement amount is set to be larger than that when the exposure time period has the second exposure time period,
• in which the displacement amount represents a distance from a position at which a center of the lens unit and/or the imaging device corresponds to the optical axis is displaced from the optical axis in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis.

A method to control an image capturing apparatus comprising the steps of:

• displacing at least one of a lens unit and an imaging device with respect to an optical axis in response to motion of the image capturing apparatus,
• wherein, with a shooting direction being moved, a plurality of captured images are generated, the plurality of captured images are used for generating a panoramic image,
• a displacement position of the lens unit and/or the imaging device at a start of exposure of each image to be captured are determined in a direction based on a direction in which the shooting direction is moved;
• and,
• a displacement amount at the start of the exposure is set in response to a length of an exposure time period such that when the exposure time period has a first exposure time period which is longer than a second exposure time period the displacement amount is set to be larger than that when the exposure time period has the second exposure time period,
• in which the displacement amount represents a distance from a position at which a center of the lens unit and/or the imaging device corresponds to the optical axis is displaced from the optical axis in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions thereon which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

• displacing at least one of a lens unit and an imaging device with respect to an optical axis in response to motion of the image capturing apparatus,
• wherein, with a shooting direction being moved, a plurality of captured images are generated, the plurality of captured images are used for generating a panoramic image,
• a displacement position of the lens unit and/or the imaging device at a start of exposure of each image to be captured are determined in a direction based on a direction in which the shooting direction is moved;
• and,
• a displacement amount at the start of the exposure is set in response to a length of an exposure time period such that when the exposure time period has a first exposure time period which is longer than a second exposure time period the displacement amount is set to be larger than that when the exposure time period has the second exposure time period,
• in which the displacement amount represents a distance from a position at which a center of the lens unit and/or the imaging device corresponds to the optical axis is displaced from the optical axis in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis.

An image capturing apparatus comprising:

• an imaging device;
• and
• a circuitry configured
• to cause a driving unit to displace at least one of a lens unit and the imaging device with respect to an optical axis in response to motion of the image capturing apparatus,
• wherein, with a shooting direction being moved, a plurality of captured images are generated, the plurality of captured images are used for generating a panoramic image,
• and to cause the driving unit to a displace position of the lens unit and/or the imaging device at a start of exposure of each image to be captured in a direction based on a direction in which the shooting direction is moved;
• and,
• a displacement amount at the start of the exposure is set in response to a length of an exposure time period such that when the exposure time period has a first exposure time period which is longer than a second exposure time period the displacement amount is set to be larger than that when the exposure time period has the second exposure time period,
• in which the displacement amount represents a distance from a position at which a center of the lens unit and/or the imaging device corresponds to the optical axis is displaced from the optical axis in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis.