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Canon Patent: Improved Image Plane Phase Difference AF Using IBIS Data

Canon Patent
Drawing from the patent literature

Another Canon patent application spotted by asobinet.com: how to improve the detection of image plane phase difference autofocus by using data derived from IBIS (In Body Image Stabilisation).

Canon patent application 2021-128303 discusses technology and methods to improve phase difference AF on a subject represented by a horizontal line.

[Problem]

To provide an imaging device capable of detecting focus even if a subject is a horizontal line pattern.


[Means for solving]

An imaging element for picking up an image for detecting a phase difference in a predetermined direction on an image plane to detect a focus state of an image formed by an imaging lens, and an imaging element driving means for driving the imaging element in a translational direction and a rotational direction in a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the imaging lens ; What it has for a focus detection means which is made to rotate the aforementioned image sensor by the aforementioned image sensor driving means according to the imaging result by the aforementioned image sensor, and carries out focus detection was considered as the composition by which it is characterized.

More from the patent literature:

Conventionally, as AF of the phase difference detection method, secondary imaging phase difference AF using a secondary imaging optical system and an AF sensor, or image plane phase difference AF using an image sensor is known. .. In the secondary imaging phase difference AF, the AF sensor is composed of a vertical eye sensor that forms a vertically separated subject image and a horizontal eye sensor that forms a horizontally separated subject image. Focus detection of vertical line patterns is possible.


However, in the image plane phase difference AF, when each pixel of the image sensor is composed of a pixel group divided in only one direction, the focus of the horizontal line pattern or vertical line pattern is detected depending on the division direction of the pixels. May not be possible . In a general image pickup device capable of image plane phase difference AF, since the pixels are divided into two in the left-right direction, it is difficult to detect the focus on the horizontal line at the normal position of the image pickup device.


The conventional technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above solves the problem that the image plane phase difference AF of the image pickup device in which each pixel is divided in only one direction cannot detect the focus of a subject having a horizontal line pattern.

Basically, the discussed technology makes it easier to detect lines that are difficult to detect with image plane phase detection AF.

More Canon patents are listed here. Some particularly interesting patent applications we think might get into production are these:

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