Image pickup unit, image pickup device, picture processing method, diaphragm control method, and program

An image pickup device comprising:

• a plurality of parallax detection pixels configured to receive object light by a plurality of corresponding photodetectors covered by a first microlens, and to generate a parallax signal used for detecting parallax, the parallax being used for generating a stereoscopic picture;
• a plurality of picture generation pixels configured to receive the object light by a corresponding photodetector covered, on a pixel basis, with a second microlens smaller in size than the first microlens, and to generate a picture signal used for generating a planar picture, the planar picture being used for generating the stereoscopic picture using the parallax;
• and
• a posture detection section configured to detect a posture of the image pickup device, wherein
• the plurality of parallax detection pixels are arranged on a first line in a row direction of the image pickup device and on a second line in a column direction thereof, and
• the stereoscopic picture generation section is configured to determine a detection direction of the parallax from the row direction and the column direction of the image pickup device, based on the posture detected by the posture detection section, and to generate information related to the parallax, based on the parallax signal generated by the parallax detection pixels arranged in the determined direction.

A picture processing method comprising:

• detecting parallax based on a parallax signal generated by a plurality of parallax detection pixels in an image pickup device, the image pickup device including the plurality of parallax detection pixels and a plurality of picture generation pixels, the parallax detection pixels generating the parallax signal by a corresponding plurality of photodetectors covered by a first microlens, the plurality of picture generation pixels each receiving object light to generate a picture signal used for generating a planar picture;
• generating the planar picture based on the picture signal;
• generating a stereoscopic picture based on the generated planar picture and on the detected parallax;
• detecting a posture of the image pickup device;
• and
• determining a detection direction of the parallax from a row direction of the image pickup device and a column direction of the image pickup device, based on the posture detected, and generating information relating to the parallax, based on the parallax signal generated by the parallax detection pixels arranged in the determined direction,
• wherein the plurality of parallax detection pixels are arranged on a first line in the row direction of the image pickup device and on a second line in the column direction thereof.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor of a computer, cause the computer to execute operations comprising:

• detecting parallax based on a parallax signal generated by a plurality of parallax detection pixels in an image pickup device, the image pickup device including the plurality of parallax detection pixels and a plurality of picture generation pixels, the parallax detection pixels generating the parallax signal by a corresponding plurality of photodetectors covered by a first microlens, the plurality of picture generation pixels each receiving object light to generate a picture signal used for generating a planar picture;
• generating the planar picture based on the picture signal;
• generating a stereoscopic picture based on the generated planar picture and on the detected parallax;
• detecting a posture of the image pickup device;
• and
• determining a detection direction of the parallax from a row direction of the image pickup device and a column direction of the image pickup device, based on the posture detected, and generating information relating to the parallax, based on the parallax signal generated by the parallax detection pixels arranged in the determined direction,
• wherein the plurality of parallax detection pixels are arranged on a first line in the row direction of the image pickup device and on a second line in the column direction thereof.