Patent · US Active

Focusing apparatus and focusing method

US7911527B2 · kind B2 · utility

3Cited by
2References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 18, 2008
Grant dateMar 22, 2011
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 18, 2029

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N23/632
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A focusing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention comprises: an image pickup device which obtains an image signal of a subject that is captured by an image capturing device, wherein the image capturing device incorporates a focus optical system therein; a search interval calculating device which acquires contrast characteristics that are obtained for a subject of a predetermined spatial frequency at a predetermined focal length and calculates a search interval in capturing of an image based on the contrast characteristics; a focus evaluation value acquiring device which moves a focus lens to a detecting point for each search interval in a predetermined searching range and acquires a focus evaluation value at each detecting point from the image signal; and a focus detecting device which detects a focus position by using the focus evaluation value at each detecting point that is acquired by the focus evaluation value acquiring device.

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