Patent · US Expired

Autofocus device

US4969003A · kind A · utility

26Cited by
1References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 5, 1989
Grant dateNov 6, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 5, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B7/36
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An auto-focus device or a camera equipped with such a device includes a focus detecting circuit for repeatedly detecting focus, in which an image forming optical system is driven on the basis of the focusing quantity detected by the focus detecting circuit. A speed computing circuit is provided for computing a speed of movement of an image plane corresponding to movement of the object on the basis of past autofocusing operation data. A drive data computing circuit is provided for predictive-computing data relating to a drive position of the image forming optical system, considering the movement of the object, on the basis of the past autofocusing operation data. A speed control circuit is provided for controlling a driving speed of the image forming optical system on the basis of the speed obtained by the speed computing circuit. A drive circuit is provided for driving the image forming optical system in one of a first mode in which a drive position of the optical system is controlled in accordance with data obtained by the drive data computing circuit without actuating the speed control circuit, and a second mode in which a driving speed of the optical system is controlled by the …

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.