| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 348354000 | By analyzing high frequency component | 12 |
| 20090244359 | OPTICAL APPARATUS - An optical apparatus is disclosed which achieves high focusing accuracy and favorable responsiveness in AF control. The apparatus includes a signal generator which extracts signals in a plurality of frequency bands from an output from an image-pickup part and generates focus signals from the extracted signals, and a controller which performs focus control such that the focus signal approaches the highest value. The controller uses a first focus signal and a second focus signal in the focus control. The second focus signal is a synthesis signal formed by synthesizing a focus signal in a relatively high or the highest frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands and a focus signal in another frequency band and contains a component of the focus signal in the relatively high or highest frequency band at a higher ratio as compared with the first focus signal. | 10-01-2009 |
| 20090322936 | AUTO FOCUSING METHOD FOR FACE DETECTION OF DIGITAL IMAGING DEVICE - A auto focusing method for face detection of a digital imaging device is described, in which high-frequency information of a focusing area is increased according to a size, a position of a face of a person to be shot, and an image area at least covering the face and body of the person, thereby improving a focusing success ratio. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20100295986 | ELECTRONIC CAMERA - An electronic camera includes an imager which outputs an object scene image in a designated cycle. The first changer changes a distance from a focus lens to the imaging surface. The first adjustor adjusts the designated cycle to a length corresponding to an illuminance of the object scene in association with a process of the first changer. The first specifier specifies a distance range including a focal point in parallel with the process of the first changer. The second changer changes the distance from the focus lens to the imaging surface in the distance range specified by the first specifier. The second adjustor adjusts the designated cycle to a length corresponding to a contrast of the object scene in association with a process of the second changer. The second specifier specifies the distance corresponding to the focal point in parallel with the process of the second changer. | 11-25-2010 |
| 20110310291 | Image pickup apparatus - An image pickup apparatus of the invention includes: an optical imaging system; an image pickup device; a defocus quantity calculation section for calculating a defocus quantity based on a phase difference between signals for focus detection obtained from pixels for focus detection; a high-frequency component quantity detection section for detecting a quantity of high-frequency component contained in a pixel signal outputted from a pixel other than the pixels for focus detection; a region determination section for determining in accordance with which of the defocus quantity and the high-frequency component quantity the optical imaging system is to be driven, according to a detection result of detecting in which of a plurality of divided blocks of the image pickup device an object of interest is present; and a focusing section for driving the optical imaging system in accordance with a determination result of the region determination section. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20140139725 | FOCUS DETECTION APPARATUS AND METHOD, AND IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS - A focus detection apparatus comprises: an image sensor configured to receive a plurality of beams having passed through different exit pupil regions of an imaging optical system and output a pair of image signals corresponding to the different exit pupil regions; a calculation unit configured to obtain, from the pair of image signals, a spatial frequency at which a phase difference between a pair of images is minimized, and obtain an image shift amount between the pair of image signals from the spatial frequency; and a focus control unit configured to perform focus control by a phase difference detection method based on the image shift amount obtained by the calculation unit. | 05-22-2014 |
| 20140300802 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND IMAGING METHOD - An imaging apparatus includes a range setting unit configured to set, as a focus adjustment range, a moving range of a focus lens in which the numbers of first pixels obtained while moving the focus lens is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, and an in-focus position calculation unit configured to calculate an in-focus position by using the numbers of second pixels obtained within the focus adjustment range. | 10-09-2014 |
| 20140313398 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND IMAGING METHOD - An imaging apparatus including an image sensor, an evaluation value calculation unit, and an in-focus position calculation unit. The image sensor performs photoelectric conversion on a subject image formed by an image optical system including a focus adjustment unit. The evaluation value calculation unit calculates a first focus evaluation value and a second focus evaluation value with spatial frequency components of first and second frequency bands extracted from image signals output from the image sensor. The second frequency band includes a spatial frequency component higher than the spatial frequency component of the first frequency band. | 10-23-2014 |
| 20150124158 | FOCUS CONTROL APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - An acquisition unit is configured to acquire first defocus information based on a sensor output corresponding to a first region in an area of a captured image, and to acquire second defocus information based on a sensor output corresponding to a second region in the area. A control unit is configured to obtain defocus information corresponding to the area using the first defocus information and the second defocus information, and to perform focus control based on the obtained defocus information. The first region has a length longer in a phase-difference detection direction than the length of the second region. | 05-07-2015 |
| 20160014326 | AUTO-FOCUSING SYSTEM AND METHOD | 01-14-2016 |
| 20160150152 | PHOTOGRAPHING METHOD AND APPARATUS - A digital camera is provided with a frequency component extraction unit, an AR evaluation value acquisition unit, a variation calculation unit, and a moving speed control unit. The frequency component extraction unit has first and second filters, and extracts first and second spatial frequency components. The AF evaluation value acquisition unit integrates the first and second spatial frequency components to acquire first and second AF evaluation values. The variation calculation unit calculates a first variation corresponding to first-order differentiation of the first AF evaluation value, a second variation corresponding to first-order differentiation of the second AF evaluation value, and a third variation corresponding to second-order differentiation of the second AF evaluation value. The moving speed control unit controls the moving speed of a focus lens at the time of an AF operation based on the rates of increase or decrease of the first to third variations. | 05-26-2016 |
| 348356000 | Detection of peak or slope of image signal | 2 |
| 20140049682 | IN-FLIGHT AUTO FOCUS METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TUNABLE LIQUID CRYSTAL OPTICAL ELEMENT - An auto-focus system employing a tunable liquid crystal lens is provided that collects images at different optical power values as the liquid crystal molecules are excited between a ground state and a maximum optical power state tracking image focus scores. An image is acquired at a desired optical power value less than maximum optical power established with the liquid crystal molecules closer a fully excited state than the maximum optical power state having the same image focus score. This drive signal employed during image acquisition uses more power than was used to achieve the same optical power value during the auto-focus scan, while actively driving the liquid crystal molecules is fast. A pause due to image transfer/processing delays after acquisition is employed to allow slow relaxation of the liquid crystal molecules back to the ground state in preparation for a subsequent focus search. | 02-20-2014 |
| 20140092295 | AUTOFOCUS SYSTEM AND AUTOFOCUS METHOD - An embodiment of an autofocus system is provided, including a height detection module, an image detection module, a movement unit and a processing unit. The height detection module is arranged to output a plurality of detection lights along a Z axis direction, wherein each of the detection lights has different focal lengths and different wavelengths such that the height detection module generates a dispersion region along the Z axis direction. The image detection module is arranged to capture an image of the focus position. The movement unit is arranged to move an object along the Z axis direction, wherein the object has an internal surface and an external surface. The processing unit determines whether the external surface and the internal surface are within the dispersion region according to the quantity of the energy peaks of a reflectance spectrum received by the height detection module. | 04-03-2014 |
