CAMERA HAVING A FOCUS ADJUSTING SYSTEM AND A FACE RECOGNITION FUNCTION
First Claim
1. A camera having a focus adjusting system and a face recognition function, comprising:
- an image pickup device for capturing an object image formed via a photographing optical system including a focusing lens group movable along an optical axis;
a focus adjusting device which performs a focus search process, wherein said image pickup device is activated to capture an object image at each of a plurality of different positions of said focusing lens group in said optical axis direction while said focusing lens group is moved along said optical axis to detect an in-focus lens position of said focusing lens group in said optical axis direction, based on image signals of said object images obtained at said plurality of different positions of said focusing lens group, and wherein said focusing lens group is moved to said in-focus lens position detected by said focus search process; and
a face recognition device for recognizing a face image based on said image signals,wherein, when said face recognition device recognizes said face image, said focus adjusting device performs said focus search process so that said focusing lens group moves toward a near extremity in the case where the area size of said face image is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, and so that said focusing lens group moves toward a far extremity in the case where said area size of said face image is one of equal to and greater than said predetermined threshold value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A camera includes an image pickup device; a focus adjusting device which captures an object image at different positions while the focusing lens group is moved to detect an in-focus lens position, based on image signals of the object images, and the focusing lens group is moved to this in-focus lens position; and a face recognition device for recognizing a face image based on the image signals. When the face recognition device recognizes the face image, the focus adjusting device performs the focus search process toward the near extremity if the area size of the face image is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, and the focusing lens group moves toward the far extremity if the area size of the face image is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A camera having a focus adjusting system and a face recognition function, comprising:
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an image pickup device for capturing an object image formed via a photographing optical system including a focusing lens group movable along an optical axis; a focus adjusting device which performs a focus search process, wherein said image pickup device is activated to capture an object image at each of a plurality of different positions of said focusing lens group in said optical axis direction while said focusing lens group is moved along said optical axis to detect an in-focus lens position of said focusing lens group in said optical axis direction, based on image signals of said object images obtained at said plurality of different positions of said focusing lens group, and wherein said focusing lens group is moved to said in-focus lens position detected by said focus search process; and a face recognition device for recognizing a face image based on said image signals, wherein, when said face recognition device recognizes said face image, said focus adjusting device performs said focus search process so that said focusing lens group moves toward a near extremity in the case where the area size of said face image is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, and so that said focusing lens group moves toward a far extremity in the case where said area size of said face image is one of equal to and greater than said predetermined threshold value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A camera having a focus adjusting system and a face recognition function, comprising:
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an image pickup device for capturing an object image formed via a photographing optical system including a focusing lens group movable along an optical axis; a focus adjusting device which performs a focus search process, wherein said image pickup device is activated to capture an object image at each of a plurality of different positions of said focusing lens group in said optical axis direction while said focusing lens group is moved along said optical axis between a near extremity thereof and a far extremity thereof to detect an in-focus lens position of said focusing lens group in said optical axis direction, based on image signals of said object images obtained at said plurality of different positions of said focusing lens group, and wherein said focusing lens group is moved to said in-focus lens position detected by said focus search process; and a face recognition device for recognizing a face image based on said image signals, wherein, when said face recognition device recognizes said face image, said focus adjusting device performs said focus search process so that said focusing lens group moves from said far extremity toward said near extremity in the case where the area size of said face image is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, and so that said focusing lens group moves from said near extremity toward said far extremity in the case where said area size of said face image is one of equal to and greater than said predetermined threshold value.
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15. A camera having a focus adjusting system and face recognition function, comprising:
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an image pickup device for capturing an object image formed via a photographing optical system including a focusing lens group which is movable along an optical axis; a face recognition device for recognizing face images based on said image signals; a focus adjusting device which performs a focus search process, wherein said image pickup device is activated to capture said object image at each of a plurality of different positions of said focusing lens group in said optical axis direction while said focusing lens group is moved along said optical axis to detect a focus state based on image signals of said object images obtained at said plurality of different positions of said focusing lens group; and a controller which determines an average value of areas of said face images recognized by said face recognition device, and controls said focus adjusting device so as to perform said focus search process so that said focusing lens group moves from a near extremity thereof toward a far extremity thereof in the case where said average value is one of equal to and greater than a predetermined value and so that said focusing lens group moves from said far extremity toward said near extremity if said average value is smaller than said predetermined value, when said face recognition device recognizes said face images. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification