Image pickup apparatus capable of changing drive mode and image signal control method

An image pickup apparatus comprising:

• an image pickup device including a plurality of pixels which are arranged in a row direction and a column direction;
• a drive unit configured to drive said image pickup device in one or a plurality of photographing modes, the photographing modes selected from a first photographing mode in which image signals are read out from pixels of predetermined rows of said image pickup device, a second photographing mode in which image signals are read out from a different number of readout rows than the number of the predetermined readout rows in the first photographing mode, and a third photographing mode and a fourth photographing mode in which readout rows of said image pickup device from which image signals are read out do not overlap with the readout rows in the first photographing mode or with the readout rows in the second photographing mode;
• an output unit including at least two output paths including a first output path and a second output path for separately outputting image signals read out from said image pickup device when at least two of the photographing modes selected from the first photographing mode, the second photographing mode, the third photographing mode, and the fourth photographing mode are executed;
• and
• a control unit configured, when a state in which image signals in the first photographing mode output from the first output path are used for image display on a display unit, and image signals in the third photographing mode output from the second output path are used for a use different from the image display, is changed to a state in which image signals to be used for the image display are from the image signals in the second photographing mode, to:
• change the third photographing mode to the fourth photographing mode such that the image signals in the fourth photographing mode are output from the second output path,
• temporarily change an acquisition destination of the image signals to be used for the image display from the first output path to the second output path,
• change the first photographing mode to the second photographing mode such that the image signals in the second photographing mode are output from the first output path,
• change the acquisition destination of the image signals to be used for the image display from the second output path to the first output path, and
• change the fourth photographing mode to the third photographing mode such that the image signals in the third photographing mode are output from the second output path.

An image pickup apparatus comprising:

• an image pickup device including a plurality of pixels which are arranged in a row direction and a column direction;
• a drive unit configured to drive said image pickup device in one or a plurality of photographing modes, the photographing modes selected from a first photographing mode in which image signals are read out from pixels of predetermined rows of said image pickup device, a second photographing mode in which image signals are read out from a different number of readout rows than the number of the predetermined readout rows in the first photographing mode, and a third photographing mode in which readout rows of said image pickup device from which image signals are read out do not overlap with the readout rows in the first photographing mode or with the readout rows in the second photographing mode;
• an output unit including at least two output paths including a first output path and a second output path for separately outputting image signals read out from said image pickup device when at least two of the photographing modes selected from the first photographing mode, the second photographing mode, and the third photographing mode are executed;
• and
• a control unit configured, when a state in which image signals in the first photographing mode output from the first output path are used for image display on a display unit, and image signals in the third photographing mode output from the second output path are used for a use different from the image display, is changed to a state in which image signals to be used for the image display are from the image signals in the second photographing mode, to:
• temporarily stop processing for the use different from the image display using the image signals in the third photographing mode,
• start driving said image pickup device in the second photographing mode such that the image signals in the second photographing mode are output from the second output path,
• change an acquisition destination of the image signals to be used for the image display from the first output path to the second output path,
• change the first photographing mode to the third photographing mode such that the image signals in the third photographing mode are output from the first output path, and
• restart the processing for the use different from the image display using the image signals in the third photographing mode, which are output from the first output path.

An image pickup apparatus that is capable of acquiring image signals from an image pickup device via a first output path and a second output path, comprising:

• a control unit configured, when image signals output from the first output path are used for live view on a display unit, and image signals output from the second output path are used for a use different from the live view, to:
• change a mode of driving said image pickup device such that the image signals output from the second output path can be used for the live view display at a first definition level,
• change an acquisition destination of image signals to be used for the live view from the first output path to the second output path,
• change the mode of driving said image pickup device such that image signals which can be used for the live view at a second definition level different from the first definition level are output from the first output path, and
• change the acquisition destination of the image signals to be used for the live view from the second output path to the first output path.

An image pickup apparatus comprising:

• an image pickup device including a plurality of pixels which are arranged in a row direction and a column direction;
• a drive unit configured to drive said image pickup device in at least one of a first photographing mode in which image signals are read out from pixels of predetermined rows of said image pickup device, and a second photographing mode in which image signals are read out from readout rows different than the predetermined readout rows in the first photographing mode;
• an output unit including a first output path and a second output path for separately outputting the image signals read out from said image pickup device in the first photographing mode and the image signals read out from said image pickup device in the second photographing mode;
• and
• a control unit configured, when a state in which image signals in the first photographing mode output from the first output path are used for image display on a display unit and/or recording in a memory unit, is changed to a state in which image signals to be used for the image display and/or the recording are from the image signals in the second photographing mode, to:
• start output of the image signals in the second photographing mode from the second output path, and
• thereafter change an acquisition destination of the image signals to be used for the image display and/or the recording from the first output path to the second output path.

An image pickup apparatus comprising:

• an image pickup device including a plurality of pixels which are arranged in a row direction and a column direction;
• a drive unit configured to drive said image pickup device in at least one of a first photographing mode in which image signals are read out from pixels of predetermined rows of said image pickup device, and a second photographing mode in which image signals are read out from readout rows different than the predetermined readout rows in the first photographing mode;
• an output unit including a first output path and a second output path for separately outputting the image signals read out from said image pickup device in the first photographing mode and the image signals read out from said image pickup device in the second photographing mode;
• a synthesis unit configured to synthesize the image signals output from the first output path and the image signals output from the second output path;
• and
• a control unit configured, when a state in which image signals in the first photographing mode output from the first output path are used for image display on a display unit and/or recording in a memory unit, is changed to a state in which image signals to be used for the image display and/or the recording are from synthesized signals of the image signals in the first photographing mode and the image signals in the second photographing mode, to:
• start output of the image signals in the second photographing mode from the second output path,
• thereafter synthesize the image signals output from the first output path and the image signals output from the second output path by said synthesis unit, and
• use the synthesized image signals for the image display and/or the recording.

An image pickup apparatus comprising:

• an image pickup device including a plurality of pixels arranged in a two-dimensional manner;
• an image pickup control unit configured to control at least one of a readout rate and an exposure condition, independently of each other, for each of different areas of said image pickup device;
• a setting unit configured to set a drive mode for use in reading image signals from said image pickup device;
• and
• a display control unit configured, in a case where a plurality of first images based on first image signals continuously read from a first area of said image pickup device are continuously displayed on a display unit, to change images to be displayed on the display unit to second images based on second image signals read out from a second area of said image pickup device different from the first area, according to a change in the drive mode by said setting unit.

An image signal control method for acquiring image signals from an image pickup device including a plurality of pixels which are arranged in a row direction and a column direction via a plurality of output paths including a first output path and a second output path, and displaying an image on a display unit using the acquired image signals,

• wherein in a case where, from a state in which image signals, which are used for image display, are output from the first output path by driving the image pickup device in a first photographing mode in which image signals are read out from pixels of predetermined readout rows of the image pickup device, a change is made to the image display using image signals output from the first output path by driving the image pickup device in a second photographing mode in which image signals are read out from a larger number of readout rows than the number of the predetermined readout rows in the first photographing mode, the method comprising:
• using image signals output from the first output path in the first photographing mode for the image display;
• using image signals output from the second output path for a use different from the image display, wherein the image signals are output by driving the image pickup device in a third photographing mode in which readout rows of the image pickup device from which image signals are read out do not overlap with the readout rows in the first photographing mode or with the readout rows in the second photographing mode;
• temporarily changing an acquisition destination of image signals to be used for the image display from the first output path to the second output path;
• changing the first photographing mode to the second photographing mode such that the image signals in the second photographing mode are output from the first output path;
• and
• changing the acquisition destination of the image signals to be used for the image display from the second output path to the first output path.

An image signal control method for acquiring image signals from an image pickup device including a plurality of pixels which are arranged in a row direction and a column direction via a plurality of output paths including a first output path and a second output path, and displaying an image on a display unit using the acquired image signals,

• wherein in a case where, from a state in which image signals, which are used for image display, are output from the first output path by driving the image pickup device in a first photographing mode in which image signals are read out from pixels of predetermined readout rows of the image pickup device, a change is made to the image display using image signals output from the first output path by driving the image pickup device in a second photographing mode in which image signals are read out from a larger number of readout rows than the number of the predetermined readout rows in the first photographing mode, the method comprising:
• using image signals output from the first output path in the first photographing mode for the image display;
• using image signals output from the second output path for a use different from the image display, wherein the image signals are output by driving the image pickup device in a third photographing mode in which readout rows of the image pickup device from which image signals are read out do not overlap with the readout rows in the first photographing mode or with the readout rows in the second photographing mode;
• changing the drive mode of the image pickup device from the third photographing mode to a fourth photographing mode in which readout rows of the image pickup device from which image signals are read out do not overlap with the readout rows in the first photographing mode or with the readout rows in the second photographing mode;
• temporarily changing an acquisition destination of image signals to be used for the image display from the first output path to the second output path;
• changing the first photographing mode to the second photographing mode such that the image signals in the second photographing mode are output from the first output path;
• changing the acquisition destination of the image signals to be used for the image display from the second output path to the first output path;
• and
• changing the fourth photographing mode to the third photographing mode such that the image signals in the third photographing mode are output from the second output path.

An image signal control method for acquiring image signals from an image pickup device including a plurality of pixels which are arranged in a row direction and a column direction via a plurality of output paths including a first output path and a second output path, and displaying an image on a display unit using the acquired image signals,

• wherein in a case where, from a state in which image signals, which are used for image display, are output from the first output path by driving the image pickup device in a first photographing mode in which image signals are read out from pixels of predetermined readout rows of the image pickup device, a change is made to the image display using image signals output from the second output path by driving the image pickup device in a second photographing mode in which image signals are read out from a larger number of readout rows than the number of the predetermined readout rows in the first photographing mode, and from a state in which image signals output from the second output path are used for a use different from the image display, wherein the image signals are output by driving the image pickup device in a third photographing mode in which readout rows of the image pickup device from which image signals are read out do not overlap with the readout rows in the first photographing mode or with the readout rows in the second photographing mode, a change is made such that image signals in the third photographing mode are output from the first output path, the method comprising:
• using the image signals, which are output from the first output path, in the first photographing mode for the image display;
• using the image signals, which are output from the second output path, in the third photographing mode for a use different from the image display;
• temporarily stopping processing for the use different from the image display, which uses the image signals in the third photographing mode;
• starting driving of the image pickup device in the second photographing mode such that the image signals in the second photographing mode are output from the second output path;
• changing an acquisition destination of image signals to be used for the image display from the first output path to the second output path;
• changing the first photographing mode to the third photographing mode such that the image signals in the third photographing mode are output from the first output path;
• and
• restarting the processing for the use different from the image display, which uses the image signals in the third photographing mode.

An image signal control method for an image pickup apparatus capable of acquiring image signals from an image pickup device via a first output path and a second output path, comprising:

• using image signals output from the first output path for live view on a display unit;
• using image signals output from the second output path for a use different from the live view;
• changing a mode of driving the image pickup device such that image signals output from the second output path can be used for the live view display at a first definition level;
• changing the acquisition destination of image signals to be used for the live view from the first output path to the second output path;
• changing the mode of driving the image pickup device such that image signals which can be used for the live view at a second definition level different from the first definition level are output from the first output path;
• changing the acquisition destination of the image signals to be used for the live view from the second output path to the first output path;
• and
• changing the mode of driving the image pickup device such that image signals which can be used for the use different from the live view are output from the second output path, or no image signal are output from the second output path.

An image signal control method for acquiring image signals from an image pickup device including a plurality of pixels which are arranged in a row direction and a column direction via a plurality of output paths including a first output path and a second output path, and performing image display on a display unit using the acquired image signals and/or recording of the acquired image signals in a memory unit,

• wherein in a case where, from a state in which image signals output from the first output path in a first photographing mode in which images signals read from pixels of predetermined readout rows of the image pickup device are used for the image display and/or the recording, image signals to be used for the image display and/or the recording are changed to image signals in a second photographing mode in which image signals are read out from readout rows different from the predetermined readout rows in the first photographing mode, the method comprising:
• using the image signals, which are output from the first output path, in the first photographing mode for the image display and/or the recording;
• starting output of the image signals in the second photographing mode from the second output path;
• and
• changing an acquisition destination of the image signals to be used for the image display and/or the recording from the first output path to the second output path.

An image signal control method for acquiring image signals from an image pickup device including a plurality of pixels which are arranged in a row direction and a column direction via a plurality of output paths including a first output path and a second output path, and performing image display on a display unit using the acquired image signals and/or recording of the acquired image signals in a memory unit,

• wherein in a case where, from a state in which image signals output from the first output path in a first photographing mode in which images signals read from pixels of predetermined readout rows of the image pickup device are used for the image display and/or the recording, image signals to be used for the image display and/or the recording are changed to synthesized signals of image signals in a second photographing mode in which image signals are read out from readout rows different from the predetermined readout rows in the first photographing mode and the image signals in the first photographing mode, the method comprising:
• using image signals, which are output from the first output path, in the first photographing mode for the image display and/or the recording;
• starting output of the image signals in the second photographing mode from the second output path;
• synthesizing the image signals output from the first output path and the image signals output from the second output path;
• and
• performing the image display and/or the recording using the synthesized image signals.