Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
396104000 | Reliability of focus/distance signal | 38 |
20080240701 | Focus Detection Device, Focusing State Detection Method And Imaging Apparatus - A focus detection device comprises: focus detection elements including light-receiving elements that generate a pair of signals corresponding to a pair of light fluxes each passing through an imaging optical system that includes a lens and an aperture stop; and a focus detector including a processor that determines a focus adjustment state of the imaging optical system with an f-number slower than a full-aperture of the imaging optical system when a specific condition is fulfilled. | 10-02-2008 |
20080247741 | IMAGE-TAKING APPARATUS - An image-taking apparatus is disclosed which achieves focusing in a reduce time with higher accuracy of an in-focus position search in a TV-AF method to minimize occurrence of unnatural focus changes. The image-taking apparatus includes an image-taking element, a first detector which outputs a focus evaluation value signal based on a predetermined frequency component of an output signal of the image-pickup element, a second detector which outputs a detection signal different from the focus evaluation value signal, and a controller which performs first processing of obtaining information for an in-focus position search of the focus lens based on the focus evaluation value signal. The controller performs second processing of obtaining information on an in-focus position based on the detection signal from the second detector, and performs third processing different depending on a comparison result between the information from the first processing and the information obtained from the second processing. | 10-09-2008 |
20080267602 | METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY FOCUSING IN PHOTOGRAPHIC MODULE AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE THEREOF - A method for automatically focusing in a photographic module is disclosed. The focus action has two stages. In the first stage, a photographic module and a controller electrically connected to the photographic module are provided. When the lens group of the photographic module is provided at the original position, the controller calculates an automatic focus (AF) evaluation value of the photographic module. Then, the lens group moves twice toward the first direction by a first distance, wherein every time the lens group moves, the controller calculates the AF evaluation value of the photographic module. Afterwards, the controller determines via the difference value between two sequential AF evaluation values and controls the moving direction of the lens group according to the determining result. | 10-30-2008 |
20080317452 | AUTO FOCUS APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CAMERA - An auto focus (AF) apparatus and method for a camera that improves the AF action by reducing the number of time and steps required of a conventional apparatus and method. An encoder initial value is detected by measuring an initial position of a lens unit by means of an encoder; matching the measured encoder initial value to an initial position value to which the lens unit is to move while performing the auto focus; performing the auto focus starting from the matched initial position value, and dividing a distance that the lens unit is to cover into sections corresponding to a preset number of steps; detecting an edge value which shows a brightness change for a contour of a subject for as many as the number of the preset steps. The AF is completed by moving the lens unit to a position corresponding to a maximum edge value selected from among the detected edge values. | 12-25-2008 |
20080317453 | CAMERA APPARATUS HAVING AUTO FOCUS FUNCTION - A camera apparatus comprises an auto focus controller configured to control a focus lens to move to a focal position, a moving distance acquiring unit configured to acquire a moving distance of a main body of the camera apparatus after the focus lens is moved to the focal position by the auto focus controller, and a focus correction unit configured to correct a position of the focus lens based on the moving distance acquired by the moving distance acquiring unit. | 12-25-2008 |
20090010631 | IMAGING APPARATUS - A lens-controlling device controls a first lens unit which moves for zooming and a second lens unit which moves for correcting the displacement of an image plane caused by zooming and for focusing. The lens-controlling device includes a memory which stores data for obtaining target-position information representing a target position to which the second lens unit is to be moved, the target position corresponding to a position to which the first lens unit is moved from a current position and a controller which generates the target-position information on the basis of the data and controls the movement of the second lens unit on the basis of position information of the first lens unit and the target-position information. | 01-08-2009 |
20090016708 | Image detection device, focusing device, image-capturing device, image detection method, and focusing method - An image detection device includes: a subject detector that acquires image information in an image field of an imaging optics with an image sensor, and detects a position of a subject in the image field based upon reference information related to an image of the subject and the image information; and a magnification detector that detects a magnification of the imaging optics. And the subject detector starts operation to detect the position of the subject, when the magnification has become greater than or equal to a predetermined value. | 01-15-2009 |
20090022486 | IMAGE APPARATUS AND EVALUATION METHOD - An image apparatus includes a screen, a detecting unit, a determining unit, an acquiring unit and a control unit. The screen is configured to display an image formed by an optical system and at least one detection position superimposed onto the image. The detecting unit is configured to detect information regarding focus of the optical system at the detection position. The determining unit is connected to the detecting unit and configured to determine whether the information regarding the focus is within a predetermined range. The acquiring unit is connected to the determining unit and configured to acquire first image information at the detection position when the determining unit determines that the information regarding the focus is within the predetermined range. The control unit is connected to the acquiring unit and configured to evaluate arbitrary second image information in the screen using the first image information. | 01-22-2009 |
20090028539 | FOCUS ADJUSTING METHOD AND FOCUS ADJUSTING DEVICE - A focus adjusting method for adjusting focus by moving a focusing lens group of a photographing optical system, wherein the focus adjusting method includes a first search stage at which a focus search operation is performed based on an image formed in a large focus area while the focusing lens group is moved stepwise over an entire range of movement thereof from the near extremity to the far extremity, and a second search stage at which the focus search operation is performed, based on images formed in small focus areas, at front and rear close vicinities of the in-focus position while the focusing lens group is moved stepwise over a portion of the entire range of movement thereof. | 01-29-2009 |
20090028540 | AUTO-FOCUSING OPTICAL APPARATUS WITH FOCUS DETECTION AREA SETTING CAPABILITY - An optical apparatus is disclosed, with which focus detection areas of different size and/or position can be stored. The optical apparatus includes a first operating member which is operated changing at least one of a size and a position of a focus detection area, a memory storing a plurality of focus detection areas which differ from each other in at least one of size and position, a second operating member which is operated for setting one of the plurality of stored focus detection areas as a to-be-used focus detection area for detection of the focus state of an image-taking optical system. The apparatus further includes a controller performing storage and setting processes of the focus detection areas and a focusing control of the image-taking optical system. | 01-29-2009 |
20090060487 | AUTO-FOCUSING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CAMERA - Disclosed is an apparatus and method for auto-focusing a camera, which includes the steps of detecting an initial value of an encoder by measuring an initial position of a lens system, matching the measured initial value of the encoder with the initial position value of the lens system to be moved, measuring a distance value of a subject through a distance measuring sensor, determining a displacement that a focus lens has to be moved with respect to the measured distance value, and adjusting a position of the focus lens such that a position value of the focus lens actually moved is the same as the displacement value. | 03-05-2009 |
20090074392 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND FOCUSING CONTROL METHOD - An imaging apparatus sets a main area and a plurality of subareas around the main area in an image obtained from an image sensor, and acquires each focusing state and each in-focus point based on the each focusing state of the main area and the plurality of subareas in an image obtained from the image sensor at each of a plurality of focus lens positions while moving a focus lens. If the focusing state of the main area does not satisfy a predetermined condition, the imaging apparatus performs focusing control using the focusing state of the main area and a focusing state of a subarea having an in-focus point located within a predetermined range from the in-focus point of the main area among the plurality of subareas. | 03-19-2009 |
20090074393 | Method and apparatus for auto focusing - A method and apparatus to auto focus are provided. A distance classifier to auto focus includes a distance-calculating module calculating a focal distance on the basis of blur levels of at least two images; a precise distance-calculating module calculating the exact distance to a subject when an image that is captured at the focal distance calculated by the distance-calculating module is out of focus; and a distance-calculation-correcting module correcting the distance-calculating module on the basis of the blur levels and the exact distance to the subject that is calculated by the precise distance-calculating module. | 03-19-2009 |
20090074394 | OPTICAL APPARATUS - An optical apparatus which achieves fast focusing operation and allows accurate focusing is disclosed. The optical apparatus includes a first focus detector which detects a focus state on a subject, a second focus detector which detects a focus state on the subject in a detection method different from a detection method of the first focus detector, and a controller which has a function of detecting whether or not the subject is a moving body and a function of performing focus control of an image-taking optical system in a first sequence in which at least one of the first and second focus detectors is used and a second sequence in which at least the other of the focus detectors is used. The controller preferentially uses one of the first and second sequences depending on the result of the detection with the moving body detecting function. | 03-19-2009 |
20090245777 | Camera System - In a camera system including an interchangeable lens and a camera body, a body controller performs control a drive signal transmission unit to drive a focus lens in a predetermined direction, and transmit a timing signal to the interchangeable lens. The lens controller performs control to detect a position of the focus lens in synchronization with the timing signal received from the camera body and store the detected position in a storage unit. | 10-01-2009 |
20100067890 | AUTOFOCUS APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME - An autofocus apparatus includes an imaging unit configured to capture an object image entered through a focus lens and output image data, a detection unit configured to detect a focus signal based on the image data, a focus adjustment unit configured to perform a focus adjusting operation for adjusting a position of the focus lens based on the detected focus signal, an acquisition unit configured to acquire information relating to a distance to an object, and a change unit configured to change at least one of a time interval, a movable range of the focus lens in acquiring the focus signal in the subsequent focus adjusting operation, and an amount of movement of the focus lens in acquiring the focus signal in the subsequent focus adjusting operation, according to the information relating to the distance to the object. | 03-18-2010 |
20100067891 | AUTOMATIC FOCUSING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - An automatic focusing apparatus detects presence or absence of change in a distance between an object and the automatic focusing apparatus while operating in an operation mode to continuously perform an adjustment of the position of a focus lens to focus on the object, and stops a movement of the focus lens if a change in the distance is not detected. | 03-18-2010 |
20100150538 | Image Pickup apparatus and focus control method - An image pickup apparatus includes an imaging element having a group of AF pixel pairs that realizes a pupil-dividing function and a group of normal pixels without such a pupil-dividing function. The image pickup apparatus performs focus control for driving a focus lens toward an in-focus position detected by phase different AF based on a pixel signal generated from the group of AF pixel pairs when it is determined that the reliability of the phase difference AF is high based on the pixel signal. The image pickup apparatus performs focus control for driving a focus lens in an in-focus direction detected by contrast AF based on a pixel signal generated from the group of normal pixels when it is determined that the reliability of the phase difference AF is low. | 06-17-2010 |
20100166405 | SINGLE LENS REFLEX CAMERA COMPRISING A FOCUS DETECTING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF PHOTOGRAPHING - An SLR camera having a focus detecting apparatus and a photographing method thereof are disclosed. The SLR camera may include an AF sensor, the pixels of which may be disposed in various arrangements, for example, in different sizes, in different gaps between the pixels and/or in different numbers, depending on the location of pixels and a control unit which controls the focusing operation based on the sampling levels output by the pixels. | 07-01-2010 |
20100209092 | CIRCUIT FOR CALIBRATING FOCUS POSITION OF OPTICAL MODULE AND CALIBRATING METHOD THEREOF - A circuit for calibrating a focus position of an optical module includes a calibration signal generating unit and a focus position adjusting unit. The calibration signal generating unit is utilized for generating a calibration signal according to a first focus signal and a second focus signal at the same time, where the first focus signal and second focus signal correspond to a first focus position and a second focus position, respectively, and the first focus position is different from the second focus position. The focus position adjusting unit is coupled to the calibration signal generating unit and is utilized for adjusting the focus position of the optical module to a specific focus position according to the calibration signal. | 08-19-2010 |
20100232776 | IMAGING APPARATUS - An imaging apparatus comprising: a light receiving element having a micro lens array provided with a plurality of micro lenses arranged two-dimensionally, and a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements provided for the plurality of micro lenses, and outputting a light receiving signal obtained by receiving a light beam from an optical system via the micro lens array; a detector that detects shift amounts of image plane by the optical system respectively for a plurality of focus detecting positions set at a plurality of positions in the image plane by the optical system; and a controller that determines a focus adjusting position for the optical system based on a plurality of the shift amounts detected respectively for the plurality of focus detecting positions and a range of the image plane where an image based on the light receiving signal is enabled to be produced, and obtains the light receiving signal at the focus adjusting position with the light receiving element. | 09-16-2010 |
20100247085 | AUTOMATIC FOCUS ADJUSTING MECHANISM AND OPTICAL IMAGE ACQUISITION APPARATUS - In an automatic focus adjusting mechanism, a test sample having a patterned surface is mounted on a mount table, and an light beam passing through a slit formed in a field stop is applied to the patterned surface of the test sample. The light beam reflected from the test sample is split into two segment light beams. Focus adjusting aperture stops having respective apertures formed rhomboid are provided across the optical paths of the segment light beams. The amounts of the segment light beams passing through the rhomboid apertures are detected by light receiving units. Based on the difference between the detected light amounts, the position of the mount table is controlled by the focus adjusting unit. | 09-30-2010 |
20100272424 | IMAGE-PICKUP APPARATUS AND FOCUS CONTROL METHOD - An image-pickup apparatus is disclosed which is capable of restricting unnecessary focus control by an AF method other than the TV-AF method in the hybrid AF. The image-pickup apparatus includes a first detector which generates first information corresponding to a contrast state of a picked-up image, a second detector which detects second information differing from the first information and used for focus control, and a controller which performs focus processing that cyclically repeats first focus control using the first information and performs second focus control using the second information. In the focus processing, the controller is changed over between a state of restricting the second focus control and a state of allowing the second focus control, depending on a change amount of the contrast state. | 10-28-2010 |
20100322611 | IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGING METHOD - An imaging device includes an autofocusing section, which moves at least a part of an imaging lens as a focusing lens, and focuses the imaging device on a subject, a photographing distance range setting section, which sets a predetermined distance range including a subject distance to the subject obtained by the autofocusing section as a photographing distance range for photographing, a continuous shooting section, which continuously photographs at a plurality of focused positions in the photographing distance range while moving and stopping the focusing lens according to input of a photographing instruction, and a display section, which displays an image of the subject focused by the autofocusing section and the photographing distance range set by the photographing distance range setting section. | 12-23-2010 |
20110008032 | AUTOFOCUS METHOD - An autofocus method for obtaining clear images characterized by: adjusting the lens position with an initial dataset of focus values to obtain a estimated lens position; moving the lens to the estimated lens position and acquiring the corresponding focus value; determining whether the estimated lens position is sufficiently proximate to the prior estimated lens position, wherein, if it is, the autofocus process stops, and, if not, repeating the above-described steps until a lens position having an optimal focus value is obtained, thereby obtaining the clearest image with increased focusing speed and reduced time of lens movement and without the need of empirical parameters. | 01-13-2011 |
20110019989 | IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGING METHOD - When the total number of pairs of a feature point and a corresponding point, which are detected from a first image data and a second image data that are in focus, respectively, exceeds a predetermined threshold th | 01-27-2011 |
20110038624 | IMAGE APPARATUS AND EVALUATION METHOD - An image apparatus includes a screen, a detecting unit, a determining unit, an acquiring unit and a control unit. The screen is configured to display an image formed by an optical system and at least one detection position superimposed onto the image. The detecting unit is configured to detect information regarding focus of the optical system at the detection position. The determining unit is connected to the detecting unit and configured to determine whether the information regarding the focus is within a predetermined range. The acquiring unit is connected to the determining unit and configured to acquire first image information at the detection position when the determining unit determines that the information regarding the focus is within the predetermined range. The control unit is connected to the acquiring unit and configured to evaluate arbitrary second image information in the screen using the first image information. | 02-17-2011 |
20110085785 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS - An image capturing apparatus includes an image sensor having a focus detection pixel group including a plurality of focus detection pixels that receive light passing through a part of a pupil area of an imaging lens for forming an object image and an image forming pixel group including a plurality of image forming pixels that receive light passing through the whole of the pupil area of the imaging lens; and an image processing unit that generates an image signal corresponding to the position of each of the focus detection pixels by using at least either of a signal of the focus detection pixel at the position and signals of neighboring image forming pixels of the focus detection pixel at the position, depending on the size of an aperture of the focus detection pixels. | 04-14-2011 |
20110085786 | FOCUS ADJUSTING APPARATUS AND FOCUS ADJUSTING METHOD - High-accuracy focus adjustment is achieved even when vignetting is caused by a taking lens. A first pixel group receives a light beam that passes through a first pupil area of an optical system that forms an object image, and a second pixel group receives a light beam that passes through a second pupil area. A first signal based on an output signal from the first pixel group and a second signal based on an output signal from the second pixel group are corrected using correction information with a sampling pitch that is changed in accordance with an amount of defocus. A focal state of the optical system is adjusted based on an amount of relative displacement between the corrected first signal and the corrected second signal after the image-signal correction process. | 04-14-2011 |
20110091191 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND FOCUS CONTROL METHOD FOR THE IMAGING APPARATUS - An imaging apparatus which includes a focus detection unit performing focus detection in a contrast system, and a display unit displaying the image obtained from an imaging unit in live view display is provided. The imaging apparatus includes a setting member setting a contrast AF calibration mode, a calibration amount obtaining unit for obtaining a difference amount between a focus position selected by a photographer and an in-focus position by the focus detection unit as a contrast AF calibration amount when the focus position is selected by the photographer in the contrast AF calibration mode, a storage unit storing the contrast AF calibration amount, and a focus control unit performing in-focus control by adding the contrast AF calibration amount to the in-focus position by the focus detection unit at the time of shooting while performing the in-focus control based on a result of the focus detection by the focus detection unit. | 04-21-2011 |
20110150447 | AUTOFOCUS WITH CONFIDENCE MEASURE - Autofocusing is performed in response to a weighted sum of previous blur difference depth estimates at each focus adjustment iteration. Variance is also determined across both past and present estimations providing a confidence measure on the present focus position for the given picture. Focus adjustment is repeated until the variance is sufficiently low as to indicate confidence that a proper focus has been attained. The method provides more accurate and rapid focusing than achieved by the best current depth-based techniques, such as those utilizing most recent depth estimation to determine the next lens position. In contrast to this, the present apparatus and method combines all previous depth estimation results in the autofocus process to determine the next lens position based on statistical models and confidence measure. | 06-23-2011 |
20110164867 | DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS AND METHOD THAT APPLY HIGH-SPEED MULTI-AUTOFOCUSING (AF) - A digital photographing apparatus that supports a fast multi-autofocusing (AF) method, in which, when AF peaks of a subject of a central multi-point and a subject of a nearest multi-point are detected, further scanning is not performed. In addition, scanning is not performed on a region from which it is difficult to detect a peak, so that fast and accurate AF may be performed. | 07-07-2011 |
20110262123 | FOCUS DETECTION APPARATUS - A focus detection apparatus includes an image pickup element | 10-27-2011 |
20110293256 | FOCUS CONTROL DEVICE, FOCUS CONTROL METHOD, LENS SYSTEM, FOCUS LENS DRIVING METHOD, AND PROGRAM - A focus control device includes: an in-detection-range focal depth number calculation section that calculates the number of in-detection-range focal depths as the number of focal depths, which are divided as division units and each of which depends on a position of a focus lens, in accordance with a detection range in which the focus lens is shifted in order to detect the contrast of a captured image signal; a detection interval determination section that determines the number of in-detection-interval focal depths, which represents the number of focal depths as the division units, as a detection interval in the detection range, in accordance with the calculated number of in-detection-range focal depths; and a focus lens shift instruction section that instructs a lens section to perform a focus search which shifts the focus lens by specifying the detection range and the number of in-detection-interval focal depths determined as the detection interval. | 12-01-2011 |
20140072290 | FOCUS DETECTION DEVICE, IMAGING APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING FOCUS DETECTION DEVICE - There is provided a focus detection device including a phase difference acquisition unit that calculates an amount of deviation between light-reception amount distributions of a pair of light-receiving element groups arranged in a predetermined direction perpendicular to an optical axis direction as a phase difference, a conversion coefficient correction unit that corrects a conversion coefficient, representing a ratio of an amount of focus deviation in the optical axis direction to the phase difference when shapes of the light-reception amount distributions are same, according to a degree of discrepancy between the shapes of the light-reception amount distributions, and a defocus amount generation unit that generates the amount of focus deviation as an amount of defocus based on the corrected conversion coefficient and the phase difference. | 03-13-2014 |
20140199058 | AUTOFOCUS CALIBRATION FOR LONG LENSES - A method for calibrating a focus point for a camera lens may include capturing a reflection of a focus point measuring device that is affixed to the camera. The method may include evaluating a captured image of the reflection to measure a calibration amount for a focus point, and adjusting a focus point of a lens of the camera by the calibration amount. The focus point measuring device may include a substantially planar target surface defining a plane, and a ruled target surface inclined at substantially 45° to the substantially planar target and extending through the plane thereof, marked to indicate respective distances in front of and behind the plane. The device may further include a fixture for holding the substantially planar target surface and the ruled target surface in a defined orientation to the camera, enabling performance of the method. | 07-17-2014 |
20140248044 | AUTOMATIC FOCUSING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - An automatic focusing apparatus detects presence or absence of change in a distance between an object and the automatic focusing apparatus while operating in an operation mode to continuously perform an adjustment of the position of a focus lens to focus on the object, and stops a movement of the focus lens if a change in the distance is not detected. | 09-04-2014 |
20160014345 | SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING A LENS POSITION | 01-14-2016 |