Digital camera and exposure control method
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorEiji Tsubono
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Shutter blades are driven so that light which hits an image sensor which has been hit by the light is blocked (timing t5). That the shutter blades have moved a predetermined amount is detected before the start of the shutter blades blocking the light (timing t6), and furthermore, reset scanning of the exposure amount of the image sensor vertically upwards is started at a reset timing according to the detection before the start of the shutter blades blocking the light (timing t7). Due to this, it is possible for the exposure amount of the image sensor to be reset at a timing corresponding to the type of driving of the shutter for each camera in a case where there is variation or change in the type of driving due to individual unit differences or changes over time in the shutter mechanism.
Claims7
A digital camera comprising:
- an image sensor which generates an image signal based on an exposure amount;
- a shutter which blocks light which hits the image sensor by moving in a predetermined direction;
- a movement control section which moves the shutter so that light which hits the image sensor is blocked;
- a movement detection section which detects that the shutter has moved a predetermined amount from the start of the movement after the start of the movement of the shutter and before the start of the shutter blocking the light which hits the image sensor;
- an exposure time section which receives an exposure time which is for the image sensor to be exposed;
- and
- a reset control section which starts reset scanning of the exposure amount of the image sensor in the predetermined direction at a timing according to detection by the movement detection section before the start of the shutter blocking the light which hits the image sensor in a case where the exposure time is shorter than a time threshold which is determined in advance and starts reset scanning of the exposure amount of the image sensor in the predetermined direction with no relation to detection, after the start of the movement of the shutter, by the movement detection section so that the image sensor is exposed during the exposure time in a case where the exposure time is longer than the time threshold which is determined in advance.
An exposure method of a digital camera, which is provided with an image sensor which generates an image signal based on an exposure amount and a shutter which blocks light which hits the image sensor by moving in a predetermined direction, comprising:
- (a) starting movement of the shutter so that light which hits the image sensor is blocked;
- (b) detecting that the shutter has moved a predetermined amount from the start of the movement after the start of the movement of the shutter and before the start of the shutter blocking the light which hits the image sensor;
- (c) receiving exposure time which is for the image sensor to be exposed;
- (d) starting reset scanning of the exposure amount of the image sensor in the predetermined direction at a timing according to the detection in (b) which is after the start of the movement of the shutter before the start of the shutter blocking the light which hits the image sensor in a case where the exposure time is shorter than a time threshold which is determined in advance;
- and
- (e) starting reset scanning of the exposure amount of the image sensor in the predetermined direction with no relation to detection, after the start of the movement of the shutter, in (b) so that the image sensor is exposed during the exposure time in a case where the exposure time is longer than the time threshold which is determined in advance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.