JP6778014B2 - Imaging device and its control method, program, storage medium - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a technique for assisting panning shots by using an image blur correction device that corrects image blur caused by camera shake or the like of a photographer.

As one of the methods for taking a picture, a method called panning is known. In panning, when the subject is moving at a certain speed, the background is flowing and the subject is stopped by exposing the imager with a longer exposure time than usual while panning according to the movement of the subject. It is a method of taking a simple image. By using the panning technique, it is possible to effectively depict the movement of the subject and shoot an image with a sense of reality.

However, panning requires a unique shooting technique, and for those who are not accustomed to panning, it is not possible to set an appropriate exposure time, or the subject cannot be stopped well because the angular velocity for panning is not appropriate. was there.

To solve this problem, a method has been proposed that makes it easy to take a panning shot by using an optical image blur correction device or a device that shifts an image sensor. In principle, the image blur correction is achieved by detecting the amount of vibration of the image pickup device with an angular velocity sensor or the like and driving and controlling the image blur correction lens or the image pickup element at a position where the detected amount of shake is canceled. That is, the movement of the image blur correction lens or the image sensor corrects the imaging position of the subject image on the image sensor, and the image blur due to camera shake is suppressed.

Techniques for stopping the movement of a subject by using this image blur correction device are described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 below.

The image pickup apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes an angular velocity sensor for detecting the shake of the apparatus and a motion vector detection unit for detecting the amount of movement of the subject image on the imaging surface in the main body of the image pickup apparatus. Further, it includes a timing setting unit and a main subject angular velocity calculation unit. This timing setting unit sets the timing for acquiring the exposure time and frame rate information and acquiring the angular velocity data, and the data acquisition unit acquires the angular velocity data according to the timing. Further, the main subject angular velocity calculation unit calculates the angular velocity of the subject from the angular velocity data acquired by the data acquisition unit and the amount of movement of the subject image on the imaging surface. The image blur correction control unit controls the drive of the image blur correction unit including the image sensor or the correction lens based on the angular velocity of the subject. With such a configuration, when an error occurs in the angular velocity during panning, it is possible to reduce the remaining blur (movement of the image that has not been corrected for image blur) due to this error.

The imaging apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2 includes an angular speed calculation unit that calculates an angular speed when the optical axis of the photographing lens is swung left and right, and a focal length acquisition unit that acquires the focal length of the photographing lens. Then, the exposure time used when photographing the subject is determined based on the angular velocity calculated by the angular velocity calculation unit and the focal length acquired by the focal length acquisition unit. With such a configuration, the exposure time set based on the experience of the photographer can be determined according to the state of the image pickup apparatus.

JP-A-2015-161730 JP-A-2015-102774

However, in Patent Document 1, it is premised that the photographer always pans at the same angular velocity as the angular velocity immediately before the exposure during the exposure. Therefore, as the set exposure time becomes longer, a difference occurs in the driving amount of the image blur correction device, and the probability that blur remaining occurs increases. Further, Patent Document 1 does not consider background blur. Generally, when the background blur is large, the amount of background sink is difficult to see to some extent. Therefore, the exposure time may be inadvertently lengthened in order to obtain the effect of panning, which leads to an increase in the remaining blur of the subject.

Further, in Patent Document 2, the exposure time used when photographing a subject is determined based on the angular velocity calculated by the angular velocity calculation unit and the focal length acquired by the focal length acquisition unit. However, similarly to the above, when the background blur is large, it becomes difficult to visually recognize the sink amount, so that the sink amount intended by the photographer may not be obtained.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image pickup apparatus capable of setting an appropriate exposure time when performing a panning shot.

The image pickup apparatus according to the present invention includes an image pickup means for capturing a field of view, an exposure control means for controlling the exposure time of the image pickup means, and an angular velocity data detected by the angular velocity detection means for detecting the movement of the image pickup device. Using the motion vector detected by the imaging means, the motion vector detected in each of the plurality of blocks in the screen of the imaging means is separated into a background vector and a main subject vector, and the background vector is used. The blur determination means for determining the blur level of the image of the background portion other than the main subject in the subject selected, and the difference between the movement of the image pickup apparatus and the movement of the main subject due to the panning of the photographer are reduced. As described above, the exposure control means includes a control means for controlling the image blur correction means using the main subject vector, and the exposure control means is described in the case where the background portion is largely blurred when the flow amount priority mode is selected. When the exposure time of the imaging means is lengthened as compared with the case where the blur of the background portion is small and the subject priority mode is selected, the case where the blur of the background portion is large and the case where the blur of the background portion is small It is characterized in that the exposure time of the imaging means is shortened .

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an imaging device capable of setting an appropriate exposure time when performing panning photography.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the image pickup apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. The block diagram which shows the structure of the image blur correction control part in 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows the axial direction of an image pickup apparatus. The flowchart which shows the operation of the image pickup apparatus in 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows the AF evaluation value calculation block in 1st Embodiment. The flowchart which shows the operation of calculating the driving amount of an image blur correction lens. The figure which shows the histogram of the motion vector. The flowchart which shows the operation of calculating the exposure time. The figure which shows the table setting which determines the exposure time.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(First Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image pickup apparatus 201 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the optical block (photographing optical system) 210 includes a zoom lens 211, an image blur correction lens 212, a focus adjustment lens 213, an aperture 214, and a shutter 215. The lens drive unit controller block 220 is a control means for driving each component in the optical block 210. The lens drive unit controller block 220 includes a zoom control block 221, an image blur correction control block 222, a focus control block 223, an aperture control block 224, and a shutter control block 225.

The timing of the image sensor 231 that converts an optical image into an electric signal is controlled by the image control block 232. The A / D converter 233 converts the analog signal output of the image sensor 231 into a digital signal, and the output is stored in the internal memory 243 via the image input block 234. The A / D converter 233 is controlled by the memory control circuit 241 and the system controller 280. The image processing unit 251 performs predetermined pixel interpolation processing, color conversion processing, and the like on the data from the A / D converter 233 or the data from the memory control circuit 241. The memory control circuit 241 controls the A / D converter 233, the image processing unit 251, the compression / decompression circuit 242, and the internal memory 243, and also controls the recording of data on the recording medium 244.

The image data for display written in the internal memory 243 is displayed by the image display device 206 including the TFT, LCD, etc. via the image display control block 261. The internal memory 243 stores captured still images and moving images, and is also used as a work area of the system controller 280. The compression / decompression circuit 242 that compresses and decompresses the image data reads the image signal stored in the internal memory 243, performs compression processing or decompression processing, and writes the processed data to the internal memory 243 again.

The system controller 280 controls the entire image pickup apparatus 201. The power button 202, the release switch 203, the zoom key 204, and the menu operation key 205 are operation means for inputting various operation instructions of the system controller 280. These operating means are composed of a single unit or a combination of a switch, a dial, a touch panel, and the like. The switch SW1 is turned on by half-pressing the release button 203, and the switch SW2 is turned on by fully pressing the release button 203. The ON signals of the switch SW1 and the switch SW2 are used as a trigger signal for operating the shutter for recording a still image and a trigger signal for starting and stopping moving image recording.

In the present embodiment, the system controller 280 includes a blur determination unit 281, an exposure control unit 282, and a motion amount detection unit 283. The blur determination unit 281 determines the blur of the image, particularly the blur of the background other than the main subject. In the present embodiment, the evaluation value calculation is performed in order to adjust the in-focus degree of the captured image, and the blur is determined by using the AF evaluation value obtained by this evaluation value calculation. The exposure control unit (exposure control unit) 282 calculates an appropriate exposure value and controls the exposure time, aperture value, and ISO sensitivity based on the diagram. The motion amount detection unit 283 detects the motion vector from the live view image acquired at a predetermined frame rate.

The zoom key 204 controls the zoom lens 211 and adjusts the focal length. Generally, the zoom control unit 221 calculates the zoom drive speed and the drive direction based on the direction of the zoom key 204 operated by the photographer and the amount of operation. The zoom lens 211 moves along the optical axis according to the calculation result. The power control block 271 supplies power to each part of the image pickup apparatus 201 from the power supply 272 by using the signal of the power button 202 as a trigger.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the image blur correction control unit 222 in FIG. 1. In FIG. 2, the runout detection unit 2221 such as the angular velocity sensor acquires the runout signal applied to the image pickup apparatus 201. The runout detection unit 2221 includes a pitch detection unit 2221a that detects runout in the pitch direction of the imaging device 201, and a yaw detection unit 2221b that detects runout in the yaw direction. The pitch, yaw, roll, X, Y, and Z axes of the image pickup apparatus are defined as shown in FIG.

The signals acquired by the pitch and yaw detectors 2221a and 2221b are converted into digital signals by the A / D converters 2223a and 2223b. The filter of the A / D converters 2223a and 2223b removes low frequency components below the set low cutoff frequency of the angular velocity signal converted into a digital signal by the A / D converters 2222a and 2222b and outputs the signal. .. Further, the deflection angle of the image pickup apparatus 201 is calculated by integrating the output angular velocity signal.

The target position calculation unit 2224 amplifies the calculated runout angle based on the zoom position, the focus position, and the focal length and shooting magnification obtained from these, and converts the calculated runout angle into an angle target value. This corresponds to the change in the blur correction sensitivity on the imaging surface with respect to the stroke of image blur correction due to optical changes such as the focal length and the shooting magnification. From this angle target value, the driving amount of the image blur correction lens 212 that moves the subject image on the screen of the image sensor 231 is calculated. It is assumed that the zoom position, the focus position, and the focal length and the shooting magnification required from these can be acquired via the system controller 280.

The signal of the difference between the angle target value calculated by the target position calculation unit 2224 and the position of the current blur correction lens 212 acquired by the blur correction lens position detection units 2227a and 2227b is input to the position control unit 2225. A drive current corresponding to the driving amount of the image blur correction lens 212 flows by the signal input from the position control unit 2225 to the driver 2226 to drive the image blur correction lens 212.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the control in the panning assist mode according to the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the operation of the image pickup apparatus 201 will be described with reference to FIG.

First, in step S101, the background panning amount for panning is set. In this step, the photographer selects an arbitrary background flow amount via an external operating means. The background sink amount may be expressed as, for example, a level such as large, medium, or small. In addition, it is advisable to show the level of the background flow amount and the image diagram together so that the background flow amount can be intuitively understood, or to display the ratio of each background flow amount to the total angle of view. ..

In step S102, when taking a panning shot, it is selected whether to prioritize the panning amount of the background or to give priority to shooting the subject clearly. Priority is given to obtaining an image in which the effect of panning is visually recognized even when it is determined that the background is blurred. Further, the subject priority means that the subject is clearly captured rather than the set flow amount is obtained when the background blur occurs. This selection may be set by the photographer, but may be automatically changed according to the shooting scene, the size of the subject, and the speed. In the present embodiment, priority is given to the amount of background flow, and the background is set to flow reliably.

In step S103, a process of starting AF is performed. In step S104, a process of starting the detection of the motion vector is performed. In this step, the motion amount detection unit 283 detects the motion vector from the live view image acquired at a predetermined frame rate. In this detection, an image is divided into a plurality of regions, a search block is set, and a motion vector between images is detected for each search block. In this embodiment, the motion vector is detected by using the block matching method. The motion vector detection method will be described below.

When there are two images acquired in time series, all the areas of the previously acquired image data are divided into a plurality of blocks. Next, the same processing is performed on the image data acquired later in chronological order. Then, the image block acquired earlier in chronological order is compared with the image block acquired later in chronological order to obtain the similarity. This process is performed while shifting the comparison area for each image data, and the area having the highest degree of similarity is determined as the destination area. This is repeated for all blocks of image data, and motion vectors are calculated for all blocks. In this embodiment, the block matching method is used, but the motion vector may be calculated by another method.

In step S105, the runout detection unit 2221 calculates the angular velocity of the image pickup device 201 in each axis. In step S106, it is determined whether or not the release button 203 is in the half-pressed state (SW1 is ON). If SW1 is ON (step S106: YES), the process proceeds to step S107. If SW1 is OFF (step S106: NO), the determination process of step S106 is performed again.

In step S107, it is determined whether or not the release button 203 is in the fully pressed state (SW2 is ON). If SW2 is ON (step S107: YES), the process proceeds to step S108. If SW2 is OFF (step S107: NO), the determination process of step S107 is performed again.

In step S108, the blur determination unit 281 performs a process of calculating an evaluation value. In the present embodiment, the determination is made using the AF evaluation value. The AF evaluation value referred to here represents the sharpness (contrast state) of an image generated based on the output signal from the image sensor 231 (blurring determination result).

Now, it is assumed that the subject X is photographed with the AF detection frame at the time of panning. At this time, the angle of view is divided into a plurality of blocks (AI to I), and the evaluation value is calculated in each block. The state divided into the blocks is shown in FIG. In FIG. 5, the evaluation value of the block having a large background blur, that is, the sharpness is calculated to be small, and conversely, the evaluation value of the block having a small background blur is large. Using this characteristic, it is possible to detect the level of background blur from the evaluation values other than the in-focus area.

In step S109, a process of calculating the driving amount of the image blur correction lens 212 is performed. This series of processes is shown in the flowchart of FIG. First, in step S501, a histogram is created from the calculated motion vector. The motion vector acquired here is the result of calculation in step S104. FIG. 7 shows the result of histogram processing of the motion vector.

Next, in step S502, the amount of background movement is estimated based on the angular velocity of the imaging device 201. Assuming that the amount of background movement on the image plane is A [pixels], it can be expressed by the following equation.

A = f ・ tan (-ω / FR) / PP
Here, f indicates the focal length [mm], FR indicates the frame rate [fps] for acquiring the motion vector, and PP indicates the pixel pitch [mm]. Note that ω [rad / sec] can be acquired by the runout detection unit 2221.

In step S503, the background vector and the subject vector are separated. Using the background movement amount A obtained in step S502, it can be estimated from FIG. 7 that the portion other than the background movement amount A is the subject vector. In this way, the subject vector is extracted from the motion vector. Also, in general, the photographer shoots while panning in order to keep the subject at one point within the angle of view. Therefore, the value of the motion vector of the background portion is output large, and the value of the motion vector is output small because the subject portion is output as a motion vector corresponding to the remaining amount of blurring. Using this characteristic, the background and the subject portion may be separated.

In step S504, a process of calculating the driving amount of the image blur correction lens 212 is performed. The driving amount of the image blur correction lens 212 can be calculated from the subject vector and the shooting focal length. This is because, as described above, the subject vector is a motion vector corresponding to the remaining amount of blurring, and matches the difference from the angular velocity when the photographer performs the panning operation. Therefore, the flow of the subject can be reduced by correcting the remaining amount of blur with the image blur correction lens 212 and controlling the movement of the subject to be stopped. This completes the flowchart of FIG. 6 and completes the process of step S109 of FIG. When the process of step S109 is completed, the process proceeds to step S110.

In step S110, the exposure control unit 282 performs a process of setting exposure conditions. This series of processing is shown in the flowchart of FIG. First, in step S601, the exposure time Tv is calculated based on the set background sink amount. The background sink amount is a value set in step S101. For example, the exposure time Tv is obtained from the set background flow amount, the shooting focal length, and the output of the shake detection unit 2221.

Now, it is assumed that the background flow amount set by the photographer in step S101 is X [%] with respect to the total angle of view. At this time, the angular velocity of the image pickup apparatus 201 is ω [rad / sec], and the shooting focal length is f [mm]. Further, it is assumed that the screen size is Gv [pixels] in the vertical direction and Gh [pixels] in the horizontal direction, and the photographer is panning in the horizontal direction.

First, when the background flow amount is converted into the number of pixels using these values, the background flow amount B [pixels] is
B = Gh x X / 100
Can be expressed as.
When the exposure time Tv is calculated from this background flow amount B [pixels],
Tv = CB / (f ・ ω) [sec]
Will be. C is an arbitrary constant determined by the pixel pitch, sensor size, and the like. When the exposure time Tv is obtained in step S601, the process of step S602 is performed.

In step S602, a process of determining whether the setting of the image pickup apparatus 201 gives priority to the background flow amount or the subject is performed. This is determined by the selection process in step S102. If the background flow amount is prioritized (step S602: YES), the process proceeds to step S603, and if the subject is prioritized (step S602: NO), the process proceeds to step S604. In the present embodiment, since the background sink amount is prioritized in step S102, the process proceeds to step S603.

In step S603, the exposure time Tv1 is calculated. The exposure time Tv1 is obtained by using the AF evaluation value calculated in step S108 of FIG. 4 and a table storing an arbitrary exposure time magnification corresponding to the AF evaluation value. FIG. 9A is a diagram showing an example of an exposure time magnification with respect to an AF evaluation value. The AF evaluation value gradually increases from Fv1 to Fv5 .... When the value is small, the blur is large, and when the value is large, the blur is small.

For example, when the average AF evaluation value of regions A to I excluding region E of FIG. 5 is Fv3 or more and less than Fv4, the exposure time magnification is set to 1.6 and exposure is performed as shown in FIG. 9A. Time Tv is multiplied by 1.6. Therefore, the required exposure time Tv1 is as follows.

Tv1 = 1.6 × Tv [sec]
Here, as shown in FIG. 9A, the larger the background blur, the longer the exposure time. If the background blur is large, the amount of panning in the panning shot becomes unclear. Therefore, the amount of panning in the background is increased. This is to emphasize the effect of shooting. The exposure time magnification may be calculated using a function without being managed by the table.

In step S605, the calculation process of proper exposure is performed. Let Bv be the photometric value calculated here. In step S606, the Av value and the ISO sensitivity are calculated according to the Bv value obtained in step S605, the Tv value calculated in step S603, and the diagram for the panning mode. The following formula is used to calculate the exposure.

Bv = Tv + Av-Sv
Tv = -log ₂ (1 / Tv1)
Av = log ₂ (F ² )
Sv = log ₂ (N × ISO sensitivity)
Here, N is a constant and F is an aperture value. The exposure value obtained by these is set, and the flow of FIG. 8 is completed. This completes step S110 of FIG.

When the process of step S110 is completed, the exposure is started in step S111. When the exposure starts in step S111, the process of driving the image blur correction lens 212 is performed in step S112. The drive amount is a value according to the value obtained in step S109. In step S113, it is determined whether or not the set exposure time has ended. If the exposure has not been completed yet (step S113: NO), the process returns to step S112. When the exposure is completed (step S113: YES), the process proceeds to step S114. In step S114, a process of returning the position of the image blur correction lens 212 to the initial position is performed, and the flow of FIG. 4 ends.

According to the present embodiment, it is possible to automatically set a long exposure time in consideration of the amount of background flow that makes it difficult to see due to background blur, and thus it is possible to easily obtain an effective panning image. It will be possible.

Further, in the configuration of the present embodiment, by using the evaluation value for adjusting the in-focus degree of the image, not only the background blur but also the panning shot effective for the shooting scene having a background with low contrast is taken. It can be performed.

In the present embodiment, the amount of blurring is detected by the evaluation value for adjusting the in-focus degree of the image, but this evaluation value may not be used. In addition to this evaluation value, it is also possible to estimate the amount of blur from information on each lens and sensor, object detection and subject size, distance information within the shooting angle of view obtained from the image sensor, depth of field, etc. is there.

The method of estimating the blur from the depth of field is shown below. The depth of field is a certain range that can be determined to be in focus in the image, and when the depth of field is small, there is a high possibility that background blurring exists. The depth of field can be calculated by the following formula.

Forward depth of field = (allowable circle of confusion diameter x aperture value x subject distance ² ) / (focal length ² + allowable circle of confusion diameter x aperture value x subject distance)
Rear Depth of Field = (Allowable Confusion Circle Diameter x Aperture Value x Subject Distance ² ) / (Focal Length ² -Allowable Confusion Circle Diameter x Aperture Value x Subject Distance)
Depth of field = front depth of field + rear depth of field Depth of field may be determined according to the calculation result of such depth of field.

(Second Embodiment)
In this second embodiment, a case where priority is given to clearly photographing the subject in step S102 of FIG. 4 will be described. Since the processes of step S101 and steps S103 to S109 of FIG. 4 are the same as those of the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted, and the process of setting the exposure conditions in step S110 will be described first.

In step S601 of FIG. 8, the exposure time Tv based on the background sink amount selected in step S101 is calculated. The calculation method is the same as that of the first embodiment, and when the exposure time Tv is calculated from the background sink amount B [pixels] set in step S101,
Tv = CB / (f ・ ω) [sec]
Will be. C is an arbitrary constant determined by the pixel pitch, sensor size, and the like. When the exposure time Tv is obtained in step S601, the process of step S602 is performed.

In step S602, a process of determining whether the setting of the image pickup apparatus 201 gives priority to the background flow amount or the subject is performed. This is determined by the selection process in step S102. If the background flow amount is prioritized (step S602: YES), the process proceeds to step S603, and if the subject is prioritized (step S602: NO), the process proceeds to step S604. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that priority is given to photographing the subject clearly in step S102, and the process proceeds to step S604.

In step S604, the exposure time Tv2 is calculated. The exposure time Tv2 is obtained by using the AF evaluation value calculated in step S108 of FIG. 4 and a table storing an arbitrary exposure time magnification corresponding to the AF evaluation value. FIG. 9B is a diagram showing an example of the exposure time magnification with respect to the AF evaluation value. The AF evaluation value gradually increases from Fv1 to Fv5 .... When the value is small, the blur is large, and when the value is large, the blur is small.

For example, when the average of the AF evaluation values of the areas A to I excluding the area E of FIG. 5 is Fv3 or more and less than Fv4, the exposure time magnification is set to 0.7 and the exposure is performed as shown in FIG. 9B. Time Tv is multiplied by 0.7. Therefore, the required exposure time Tv2 is as follows.

Tv2 = 0.7 × Tv [sec]
Here, as shown in FIG. 9B, the larger the background blur, the shorter the exposure time. If the background blur is large, the flow amount of the panning shot becomes unclear. Therefore, even if the exposure time is slightly shortened, the exposure time is shortened. This is because there is not much change in the shooting effect, and in the present embodiment, priority is given to shooting the subject clearly. The exposure time magnification may be calculated using a function without being managed by the table.

In step S605, the calculation process of proper exposure is performed. Let Bv be the photometric value calculated here. In step S606, the Av value and the ISO sensitivity are calculated according to the Bv value obtained in step S605, the Tv value calculated in step S603, and the diagram for the panning mode. The following formula is used to calculate the exposure.

Bv = Tv + Av-Sv
Tv = -log ₂ (1 / Tv2)
Av = log ₂ (F ² )
Sv = log ₂ (N × ISO sensitivity)
Here, N is a constant and F is an aperture value. The exposure value obtained by these is set, and the flow of FIG. 8 is completed. This completes step S110 of FIG.

When the process of step S110 is completed, the exposure is started in step S111. When the exposure starts in step S111, the process of driving the image blur correction lens 212 is performed in step S112. The drive amount is a value according to the value obtained in step S109. In step S113, it is determined whether or not the set exposure time has ended. If the exposure has not been completed yet (step S113: NO), the process returns to step S112. When the exposure is completed (step S113: YES), the process proceeds to step S114. In step S114, a process of returning the position of the image blur correction lens 212 to the initial position is performed, and the flow of FIG. 4 ends.

In the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce the remaining blurring of the subject by shortening the shooting exposure time because the amount of sinking is less likely to be visually recognized due to the amount of background blur. Therefore, it is possible to easily obtain a panning image with a clear subject image.

Further, in the configuration of the present embodiment, by using the evaluation value for adjusting the in-focus degree of the image, not only the background blur but also the remaining blur of the subject is left for the shooting scene having a background with low contrast. It is possible to reduce it.

In the present embodiment, the amount of blurring is detected by the evaluation value for adjusting the in-focus degree of the image, but this evaluation value may not be used. In addition to this evaluation value, it is also possible to estimate the amount of blur from information on each lens and sensor, object detection and subject size, distance information within the shooting angle of view obtained from the image sensor, depth of field, etc. is there. This may be done in the same manner as the method described in the first embodiment.

Although the present invention has been described in detail based on the preferred embodiments thereof, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various embodiments within the scope of the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. included. Some of the above-described embodiments may be combined as appropriate.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention supplies a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiment to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and one or more processors in the computer of the system or device reads and executes the program. It can also be realized by the processing to be performed. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

201: Imaging device, 210: Optical block, 220: Lens drive unit controller block, 280: System controller, 281: Blur determination unit, 282: Exposure control unit, 283: Motion amount detection unit

Claims (12)

It is an imaging device
An imaging means that captures the field of field,
An exposure control means for controlling the exposure time of the image pickup means and
A motion vector detected in each of a plurality of blocks in the screen of the imaging means by using the angular velocity data detected by the angular velocity detecting means for detecting the motion of the imaging device and the motion vector detected by the imaging means. As a means of separating the background vector and the main subject vector,
A blur determination means for determining the level of blur of an image of a background portion other than the main subject in the field selected using the background vector, and
A control means for controlling an image blur correction means using the main subject vector is provided so as to reduce the difference between the movement of the imaging device and the movement of the main subject due to the panning of the photographer .
When the flow amount priority mode is selected , the exposure control means prolongs the exposure time of the imaging means when the background portion is largely blurred and the subject priority mode is set as compared with the case where the background portion is not blurred. When selected , the imaging apparatus is characterized in that when the background portion is largely blurred, the exposure time of the imaging means is shortened as compared with the case where the background portion is not blurred . The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the blur determination means includes an evaluation value calculation means for calculating an evaluation value indicating the degree of focus of an image. The blur determination means calculates the evaluation value for each region obtained by dividing the field into a plurality of regions, and determines the level of blur in the background portion other than the main subject based on the calculated evaluation value. 2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2. The imaging according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the evaluation value calculating means calculates an evaluation value representing the contrast of the image signal obtained by the imaging means as an evaluation value indicating the degree of focus of the image. apparatus. The exposure control means is characterized in that the exposure time of the image pickup means is controlled based on the output of the blur determination means, the deflection of the image pickup apparatus, and the focal length of the photographing optical system. The image pickup apparatus according to any one of 4. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the blur determining means determines the level of blurring of the image based on the distance between the imaging device and the main subject. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the blur determination means determines the level of blur in a background portion other than the main subject based on the depth of field. The blur determination means uses at least one of the subject size, focal length, and size of the image sensor acquired from the image signal obtained by the image pickup means to determine the level of blur in the background portion other than the main subject. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image pickup device is characterized in that. The image pickup apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the image blur correction means is an image blur correction lens provided in a photographing optical system. It is a method of controlling an image pickup apparatus provided with an image pickup means for capturing a field of view.
An exposure control step for controlling the exposure time of the imaging means and
A motion vector detected in each of a plurality of blocks in the screen of the imaging means by using the angular velocity data detected by the angular velocity detecting means for detecting the motion of the imaging device and the motion vector detected by the imaging means. The process of separating the background vector and the main subject vector, and
A blur determination step for determining the level of blur of an image of a background portion other than the main subject in the field selected using the background vector, and a blur determination step.
A control step of controlling an image blur correction means using the main subject vector so as to reduce the difference between the movement of the imaging device and the movement of the main subject due to the panning of the photographer is provided.
In the exposure control step, when the flow amount priority mode is selected, when the blur of the background portion is large, the exposure time of the imaging means is lengthened as compared with the case where the blur of the background portion is small, and the subject priority mode is set. A control method for an imaging apparatus, characterized in that when the background portion is largely blurred, the exposure time of the imaging means is shortened as compared with the case where the background portion is not blurred . A program for causing a computer to execute each step of the control method according to claim 10 . A computer-readable storage medium that stores a program for causing a computer to execute each step of the control method according to claim 10 .

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