Patent · US Expired

Focus control method and video camera

US6222587A · kind A · utility

6Cited by
10References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 21, 1997
Grant dateApr 24, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 21, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N23/673
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An autofocus apparatus of an imaging apparatus is one having an estimation-value calculating unit for obtaining a plurality of estimation values by using a plurality of areas and a plurality of filters for extracting a horizontal-direction frequency component in a specific image area of a video signal corresponding to a specific image area and supplied from an imaging apparatus for effectively carrying out an autofocus operation of a television camera, a signal processing unit for calculating a control value used for controlling an image pickup lens drive unit of the imaging apparatus in response to an estimation value calculated by the above estimation-value calculating unit, and an output unit for supplying the above control value to the above image pickup lens drive unit. The autofocus apparatus includes a control program for determining a focus detection direction by decision by majority of a plurality of weighted estimation values obtained by combination of the above plurality of areas and the above plurality of filters.

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