# US 2026/0095641 A1 · Image pickup apparatus capable of suppressing time lag until photographing, control method for image pickup apparatus, and storage medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2026/0095641 A1 - Document ID: US20260095641A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 19/324,540 - Filed: 2025-09-10 - Published: 2026-04-02 - Earliest claimed: 2024-10-02 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: TAIKI AKAMA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260095641A1 ## CPC - H04N 23/61: based on recognised objects - H04N 23/672: {based on the phase difference signals} - H04N 23/73: by influencing the exposure time - H04N 23/745: Detection of flicker frequency or suppression of flicker wherein the flicker is caused by illumination, e.g. due to fluorescent tube illumination or pulsed LED illumination - H04N 25/443: by reading pixels from selected two-dimensional [2D] regions of the array, e.g. for windowing or digital zooming - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract An image pickup apparatus capable of suppressing a time lag until photographing is provided. The image pickup apparatus includes an image sensor including a plurality of pixels, and at least one processor or circuit and a memory storing instructions to cause the at least one processor or circuit to perform operations of a setting unit that sets first photographing conditions in accordance with user's instructions, a detecting unit that detects a characteristic region based on pixel information obtained from the plurality of pixels, and a control unit that causes pixels in the characteristic region among the plurality of pixels to be photographed under second photographing conditions different from the first photographing conditions, and causes pixels in another region other than the characteristic region among the plurality of pixels to be photographed under the first photographing conditions. The detecting unit and the control unit are provided inside of the image sensor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image pickup apparatus comprising: an image sensor configured to include a plurality of pixels; and at least one processor or circuit and a memory storing instructions to cause the at least one processor or circuit to perform operations of the following units: a setting unit that sets first photographing conditions in accordance with instructions from a user; a detecting unit that detects a characteristic region based on pixel information obtained from the plurality of pixels; and a control unit that causes pixels in the characteristic region among the plurality of pixels to be photographed under second photographing conditions different from the first photographing conditions, and causes pixels in another region other than the characteristic region among the plurality of pixels to be photographed under the first photographing conditions, and wherein the detecting unit and the control unit are provided inside of the image sensor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second photographing conditions are different from the first photographing conditions in at least one photographing condition of an exposure time setting, a gain setting, and a readout method setting of the pixel information. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit outputs, as image data for one image, pixel information from the pixels in the characteristic region, which has been obtained when photographing has been performed under the second photographing conditions, and pixel information from the pixels in the another region, which has been obtained when photographing has been performed under the first photographing conditions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit detects a characteristic quantity in the characteristic region and determines the second photographing conditions in accordance with the characteristic quantity. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The image pickup apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first photographing conditions include a first exposure time for the pixels in the another region, the second photographing conditions include a second exposure time for the pixels in the characteristic region, which is different from the first exposure time, and the control unit determines the second exposure time in accordance with the first photographing conditions and the characteristic quantity. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The image pickup apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit controls an exposure start timing and a readout timing so as to align exposure centroids of the first exposure time and the second exposure time. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes two or more photodiodes that are capable of independently reading out pixel information. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The image pickup apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control unit independently reads out pixel information from each of the two or more photodiodes from the pixels in the characteristic region, and performs an in-focus position calculation based on a phase difference between the independently-read-out pixel information. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The image pickup apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit thins out pixel information from the pixels in the characteristic region at a predetermined thinning-out rate and reads out it. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detecting unit is also provided outside of the image sensor, and the image pickup apparatus further comprises a switching unit for switching to the detecting unit to be used among the detecting units that are provided the inside and the outside of the image sensor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image sensor further comprises a detection target switching unit for switching to a target to be detected as the characteristic region by the detecting unit. ### Claim 12 A control method for an image pickup apparatus that comprises an image sensor configured to include a plurality of pixels and a setting unit configured to set first photographing conditions in accordance with instructions from a user, the control method comprising: a detecting step, executed in the image sensor, of detecting a characteristic region based on pixel information obtained from the plurality of pixels; and a control step, executed in the image sensor, of causing pixels in the characteristic region among the plurality of pixels to be photographed under second photographing conditions different from the first photographing conditions, and causing pixels in another region other than the characteristic region among the plurality of pixels to be photographed under the first photographing conditions. ### Claim 13 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a control method for an image pickup apparatus that comprises an image sensor configured to include a plurality of pixels and a setting unit configured to set first photographing conditions in accordance with instructions from a user, the control method comprising: a detecting step, executed in the image sensor, of detecting a characteristic region based on pixel information obtained from the plurality of pixels; and a control step, executed in the image sensor, of causing pixels in the characteristic region among the plurality of pixels to be photographed under second photographing conditions different from the first photographing conditions, and causing pixels in another region other than the characteristic region among the plurality of pixels to be photographed under the first photographing conditions.