US 11,743,607 B2
Electric apparatus, control method and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium
Takashi Kobayashi, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Jun. 19, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/906,989.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-115746 (JP), filed on Jun. 21, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0404198 A1, Dec. 24, 2020
Int. Cl. H04N 5/232 (2006.01); H04N 25/531 (2023.01); G02F 1/133 (2006.01); H04N 25/75 (2023.01); H04N 25/533 (2023.01); H04N 23/73 (2023.01); H04N 25/42 (2023.01); H04N 25/44 (2023.01); H04N 23/667 (2023.01)
CPC H04N 25/531 (2023.01) [G02F 1/13306 (2013.01); H04N 23/667 (2023.01); H04N 23/73 (2023.01); H04N 25/42 (2023.01); H04N 25/44 (2023.01); H04N 25/533 (2023.01); H04N 25/75 (2023.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electric apparatus comprising:
an image sensor that starts to accumulate electric charges at different timings in different regions; and
at least one processor or circuit configured to perform operations to provide:
a control unit configured to control driving of an optical filter and the image sensor, wherein the optical filter is positioned at a front surface of the image sensor, and is driven such that it can be changed between at least a first concentration and a second concentration, the second concentration being higher than the first concentration,
wherein the electric apparatus includes a selectable first mode of starting exposure for each pixel included in a predetermined region of the image sensor at substantially a first same timing, and a selectable second mode of starting exposure for the respective pixels of the image sensor at different timings with respect to the first mode, by causing the control unit to control driving of the optical filter and the sensor,
wherein the control unit is further configured to control selection of a particular readout scheme from a plurality of stored readout schemes for reading out an electric charge from each pixel of the image sensor, wherein selection of the particular readout scheme prioritizes (1) image quality when an image quality priority mode is selected, and (2) frame rate when a frame rate priority mode is selected,
wherein a change in a pixel count of image data read out from the image sensor in accordance with information concerning an exposure time set by a user is smaller in the image quality priority mode than in the frame rate priority mode, and
wherein the control unit performs control such that a pixel count of image data read out from the image sensor, in the image quality priority mode when a predetermined exposure time is set, is greater than a pixel count of image data read out from the image sensor in the frame rate priority mode when the predetermined exposure time is set.