Patent · US Expired

Autofocus system for an image capturing apparatus

US7365790B2 · kind B2 · utility

11Cited by
14References
5Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMar 10, 2004
Grant dateApr 29, 2008
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 8, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B7/28
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A digital camera 100 includes a photographic optical system (21) for projecting an image of a subject; a CCD (24) for converting the projected image into an image signal and outputting it; a focus driving system (25) which changes a focusing condition of the image projected to the CCD (24) by relatively moving at least one of the photographic optical system (21) and the CCD (24) to the other; a CCDAF portion (82) which sequentially evaluates the image signal obtained in each focusing condition while subsequently changes the focusing condition by controlling the focus driving system (25), and which obtains a predetermined focusing condition based on the evaluation; an AF controlling portion (83) for controlling an operation of the CCDAF portion (82); and a ranging sensor (31) for measuring a subject distance. In addition, the AF controlling portion (83) controls the operation of the CCDAF portion (82) according to the subject distance to prioritize either a focusing accuracy or a focusing speed.

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