Focus detection device

• US 4,357,085 A
• Filed: 05/29/1979
• Issued: 11/02/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Niwa, Yukichi, Asano, Noriyuki, Owada, Mitsutoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hix, L. T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Perkey, William B.
• Application Number:
  US06/043,250
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 354/22, 354/23 R, 354/25, 354/126, 354/31, 354/60 R, 354/152, 354/165, 354/195, 354/32, 250/201, 356/1, 356/4, 356/5, 358/227, 355/56, 352/139, 352/140, 352/25 A, 352/25 N, 352/25 P, 350/184, 350/186, 350/46, 350/247, 350/255, 350/423, 350/425, 350/427, 350/429, 350/430
• US Class Current: 396/80
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/32 using active means, e.g. light emitter including both an active and a passive focus detecting device G02B7/285; using ultrasound G02B7/40

Abstract

A so-called active-type focus detection device applicable to optical instruments such as camera is provided with light emitting means and photoelectric detector means disposed at two positions conjugate with the pre-arranged focal plane of an image-forming optical system whose focus adjusted condition is to be detected or two positions optically equivalent to the two conjugate positions, and the light emitted from the light emitting means is projected toward an object to which the camera is to be focused, through the image-forming optical system. The light then reflected by the object is received by the photoelectric detector means through the image-forming optical system and the focused condition of the image-forming optical system with respect to the object is detected in accordance with the electrical output of the photoelectric detector means.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the light emitted from the light-emitting means is projected upon the object by utilization of the maximum half area of the effective aperture of the image-forming optical system while, of the light that is reflected into the image-forming optical system by the object, the light passing through the maximum other half area of the effective aperture of the image-forming optical system is directed to the photoelectric detector means, whereby the position of incidence of the light flux on the light-receiving surface of the photoelectric detector means is varied correspondingly to the focus adjusted condition of the image-forming optical system with respect to the object and the variation in position of incidence of the light flux on the light-receiving surface of the photoelectric detector means is detected in accordance with the electrical output of the photoelectric detector means, thereby detecting the focus adjusted condition of the image-forming optical system with respect to the object.

Claims

1. In an optical instrument having an image forming optical system which is movable along an optical axis to form an image of an object on a predetermined imaging plane, a system for detecting the focusing condition of said optical system with respect to said object, comprising:

(A) radiation generating means for generating radiation;

(B) first optical means for projecting the radiation generated by said radiation generating means toward said object through a portion of an effective aperture of said image forming optical system, wherein the center of gravity of distribution, on a plane including said effective aperture, of the projected radiation is remote from the optical axis of said optical system;

said radiation generating means being disposed substantially in coincidence with a plane optically equivalent to said predetermined imaging plane which is set by said first optical means;

(C) radiation sensing means capable of responding to the radiation generated by said radiation generating means;

(D) second optical means for causing at least a part of the radiation reflected by said object and then entering through another portion of the effective aperture of said image forming optical system to be directed to said radiation sensing means, wherein the center of gravity of distribution on the plane including the effective aperture, of the radiation directed to said radiation sensing means is remote from the optical axis of said optical system;

said radiation sensing means being disposed substantially in coincidence with a position optically equivalent to the location of said radiation generating means which is set by said first and second optical means so that the position of the center of gravity of the radiation distribution on an effective radiation surface of said radiation sensing means varies in accordance with the focus adjusted condition of said image forming optical system with respect to said object.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said radiation generating means is disposed with the substantial center thereof coincident with a point optically equivalent to the point of intersection between the optical axis of said image forming optical system and said predetermined imaging plane, and said radiation sensing means is disposed so that the center of the effective radiation-receiving surface thereof is substantially in an optically equivalent relationship with the substantial center of said radiation generating means.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said radiation generating means and said first optical means is designated to project radiation of a particular wavelength range, and said radiation sensing means is positionally preadjusted so that the center of the effective radiation-receiving surface thereof is substantially coincident with the converging position of the radiation of said particular wavelength range reflected by said object in the focusing condition of said image forming optical system with respect to said object.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said radiation generation means and said first optical means is designed to project a radiation of a particular wavelength range, and the system further comprises correcting means for making the converging position of the radiation of said particular wavelength range reflected by said object substantially coincident with the center of the effective radiation-receiving surface of said radiation sensing means in the focusing condition of said image forming optical system with respect to said object.

5. The system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein said radiation sensing means has a response characteristic exclusively for the radiation of said particular wavelength.

6. The system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein said second optical means is designed to cause exclusively the radiation of said particular wavelength range, of the radiation entering through said image forming optical system, to impinge on said radiation sensing means.

7. The system according to claim 3 or 4, further comprising means for limiting the radiation to be received by said radiation sensing means to the radiation of said particular wavelength range.

8. The system according to claim 1, further comprising means for limiting the radiation to be projected toward said object through said image forming optical system and the radiation to be received by said radiation sensing means to a radiation of a particular wavelength range and wherein said radiation sensing means is positionally preadjusted so that the center of the effective radiation-receiving surface thereof is substantially coincident with the converging position of the radiation of said particular wavelength range reflected by said object in the focusing condition of said image forming optical system with respect to said object.

9. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for limiting the radiation to be projected toward said object through said image forming optical system and the radiation to be received by said radiation sensing means to a radiation of a particular wavelength range; and

correcting means for making the converging position of the radiation of said particular wavelength range reflected by said object in the focusing condition of said image forming optical system with respect to said object substantially coincident with the center of the effective radiation-receiving surface of said radiation sensing means.

10. The system according to claim 8 or 9, wherein said optical instrument is a camera and said limiting means is formed of at least a portion of a finder reflex mirror disposed between said image forming optical system and said predetermined imaging plane in said camera.

11. The system according to claim 1 to 4, 8 or 9, wherein said first optical means and said second optical means are formed in a common prism.

12. The system according to claim 3, 4, 8 or 9, wherein the radiation of said particular wavelength range is near-infrared light or infrared light, and said radiation sensing means is adjusted or corrected so that the center of the effective radiation-receiving surface thereof is substantially coincident with the converging position of the near-infrared or infrared light reflected by said object in the focusing condition of said image forming optical system with respect to said object.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein said second optical means is designed to limit the radiation to be directed to said radiation sensing means at maximum to the radiation passed through a half area of the effective aperture of the image forming optical system, whereby the position of the center of gravity of the distribution of said radiation is varied substantially along the radiation-receiving surface of said radiation sensing means in accordance with the variation in the focus adjusted condition of said image forming optical system with respect to said object, and said radiation sensing means is designed so that an electrical output thereof is varied in accordance with the variation in the position of the center of gravity of the distribution of said radiation on the effective radiation-receiving surface of said radiation sensing means.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said first optical means is designed to limit the radiation to be projected toward said object through said image forming optical system, at maximum to the radiation passing through the other half area of the effective aperture of said image forming optical system.

15. The system according to claim 13 or 14, wherein said radiation generating means is designed to generate a radiation having directionality, and is adjusted so that the major axis of the directionality of the radiation projected by said first optical means passes through a marginal portion remote from the center of said image forming optical system in the other half area of the effective aperture of said image forming optical system.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein said radiation sensing means is designed so that the electrical output thereof reaches its peak when the position of the center of gravity of the distribution of said radiation becomes substantially to coincidence with the center of the effective radiation-receiving surface of said radiation sensing means, and the system further comprises a detection circuit coupled to said radiation sensing means to detect the focusing condition of said image forming optical system with respect to said object on the basis of the output of said radiation sensing means, said detection circuit being designed to detect whether or not the electrical output of said radiation sensing means has reached its peak during continuous adjustment of said image forming optical system, to thereby detect whether or not said image forming optical system has reached the focusing position thereof with respect to said object.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein said radiation sensing means is provided with two substantially independent sensing portions and is disposed so that the center of the boundary between said two sensing portions is substantially in coincident relationship with the substantial center of said radiation generating means, and the system further comprises a detection circuit coupled to said radiation sensing means to detect the focusing condition of said image forming optical system with respect to said object on the basis of the output of said radiation sensing means, said detection circuit being designed to compare the outputs of said two sensing portions to thereby detect the focus adjusted condition of said image forming optical system with respect to said object.

18. The system according to claim 16 or 17 further comprising drive means coupled to said radiation generating means to intermittently drive said generating means, said radiation generating means being driven by said drive means so as to intermittently generate said radiation, and wherein said detection circuit includes circuit means coupled to said radiation sensing means and said drive means to subtract the response output of said radiation sensing means when said radiation generating means is not generating the radiation from the response output of said radiation sensing means when said radiation generating means is generating the radiation, in association with the intermittent driving of said radiation generating means by said drive means.

19. The system according to claim 13, wherein said radiation sensing means is an image sensor having an array of sensing elements, and the system further comprises a detection circuit coupled to said radiation sensing means to detect the focus adjusted condition of said image forming optical system with respect to said object on the basis of the output of said radiation sensing means, said detection circuit being designed to detect the deviation of the position of the center of gravity of said radiation from the center of the effective radiation-receiving surface of said radiation sensing means, on the basis of the output of said radiation sensing means.

20. The system according to claim 16, 17 or 19, further comprising control means coupled to said image forming optical system and said detection circuit to control said image forming optical system on the basis of the output of said detection circuit.

21. A zoom lens assembly comprising:

(A) a focusing lens group having an optical axis and movable along the axis so as to form an image of an object on a predetermined imaging plane;

(B) a zooming lens group positioned behind said focusing lens group and movable along said axis so as to effect zooming;

(C) radiation generating means for generating radiation;

(D) first optical means for projecting the radiation generated from said radiation generating means toward said object through said focusing lens group;

said radiation generating means being disposed substantially in coincidence with a plane optically equivalent to said predetermined imaging plane which is set by said first optical means;

(E) radiation sensing means capable of responding to the radiation generated from said radiation generating means; and

(F) second optical means for causing at least part of the radiation reflected by said object and then entering through said focusing lens group to be directed to said radiation sensing means;

said radiation sensing means being disposed substantially in coincidence with a position optically equivalent to the location of said radiation generating means which is set by said first and second optical means so that an electrical output of said radiation sensing means is variable in accordance with the focus adjusted condition of said image forming optical system with respect to said object.

22. The lens assembly according to claim 21, wherein said first and second optical means are disposed in the space between said focusing lens group and said zooming lens group and each is provided with at least one half-mirror.

23. The lens assembly according to claim 22, wherein said radiation generating means is disposed with the substantial center thereof being substantially coincident with a point optically equivalent to the point of intersection between the optical axis of said image forming optical system and said predetermined imaging plane, and said radiation sensing means is disposed so that the center of the effective radiation-receiving surface thereof is substantially in an optically equivalent relationship with the substantial center of said radiation generating means.

24. The lens assembly according to claim 22, wherein at least one of said radiation generating means and said first optical means is designed to project radiation of a particular wavelength range, and said radiation sensing means is positionally preadjusted so that the center of the effective radiation-receiving surface thereof is substantially coincident with the converging position of the radiation of said particular wavelength range reflected from said object in the focusing condition of said focusing lens group with respect to said object.

25. The lens assembly according to claim 24, wherein said radiation sensing means has a response characteristic exclusively for the radiation of said particular wavelength range.

26. The lens assembly according to claim 24 or 25, wherein said second optical means is designed to cause exclusively the radiation of said particular wavelength range, of the radiation entering through said focusing lens group, to impinge on said radiation sensing means.

27. The lens assembly according to claim 26, wherein the radiation of said particular wavelength range is near-infrared or infrared light and said radiation sensing means is adjusted or corrected so that in the focusing condition of said focusing lens group with respect to said object, the center of the effective radiation-receiving surface of said radiation sensing means is substantially coincident with the converging position of the near-infrared or infrared light reflected from said object.

28. The lens assembly according to claim 21, wherein said second optical means is designed to limit the radiation to be directed to said radiation sensing means at maximum to the radiation passed through a half area of an effective aperture of said focusing lens group, whereby the position of the center of gravity of distribution of said radiation is varied substantially along an effective radiation-receiving surface of said radiation sensing means in accordance with the variation in the focus adjusted condition of said focusing lens group with respect to said object, and wherein said radiation sensing means is designed so that the electrical output thereof is varied in accordance with the variation in the position of the center of gravity of the distribution of said radiation on the effective radiation-receiving surface of said radiation sensing means.

29. The lens assembly according to claim 28, wherein said first optical means is designed to limit the radiation to be projected toward said object through said focusing lens group, at maximum to the radiation passing through the other half area of the effective aperture of said focusing lens group.

30. The lens assembly according to claim 28 or 29, wherein said radiation generating means is designed to generate a radiation having directionality, and is adjusted so that the major axis of the directionality of the radiation projected by said first optical means passes through a marginal portion remote from the focusing lens group in the other half area of the effective aperture of said focusing lens group.

31. The lens assembly according to claim 28, wherein said radiation sensing means is designed so that the electrical output thereof reaches its peak when the position of the center of gravity of the distribution of said radiation becomes converged substantially in coincidence with the center of the effective radiation receiving surface of said radiation sensing means, and the lens assembly further comprising a detection circuit coupled to said radiation sensing means to detect the focusing condition of said focusing lens group with respect to said object on the basis of the output of said radiation sensing means, said detection circuit being designed to detect whether or not the electrical output of said radiation sensing means has reached its peak during continuous adjustment of said focusing lens group, to thereby detect whether or not said focusing lens group has reached the focused position with respect to said object.

32. The lens assembly according to claim 28, wherein said radiation sensing means is provided with two substantially independent sensing portions and is disposed so that the center of the boundary between said two sensing portions is substantially in a coincident relationship with the substantial center of said radiation generating means, and the lens assembly further comprising a detection circuit coupled to said radiation sensing means to detect the focusing condition of said focusing lens group with respect to said object on the basis of the output of said radiation sensing means, said detection circuit being designed to compare the outputs of said two sensing portions to thereby detect the focus adjusted condition of said focusing lens group with respect to said object.

33. The lens assembly according to claim 23, wherein said radiation sensing means is an image sensor having an array of sensing elements, and the lens assembly further comprises a detection circuit coupled to said radiation sensing means to detect the focus-adjusted condition of said focusing lens group with respect to said object on the basis of the output of said radiation sensing means, said detection circuit being designed to detect the deviation of the position of the center of gravity of the distribution of said radiation from the center of the effective radiation-receiving surface of said radiation sensing means, on the basis of the output of said radiation sensing means.

34. The lens assembly according to claim 31 or 32, further comprising:

drive means coupled to said radiation generating means to intermittently drive said generating means, said radiation generating means being driven by said drive means so as to intermittently generate said radiation, and wherein said detection circuit includes circuit means coupled to said radiation sensing means and said drive means to subtract the response output of said radiation sensing means when said radiation generating means is not generating the radiation from the response output of said radiation sensing means when said radiation generating means is generating the radiation, in association with the intermittent driving of said radiation generating means by said drive means.

35. The lens assembly according to any one of claims 31, 32 and 33, further comprising:

control means coupled to said focusing lens group and said detection circuit to control said focusing lens group on the basis of the output of said detection circuit.

36. In an optical instrument having an objective lens which is movable along an optical axis so as to form an image of an object on a predetermined focal plane, a system for detecting the focusing condition of said objective lens to said object, comprising:

(A) a radiation source for generating a radiation ray;

(B) a radiation sensor responsive to the radiation ray generated by said radiation source; and

(C) an optical system positioned behind said objective lens for projecting the radiation ray generated by said radiation source toward said object through a portion of an effective aperture of the objective lens to cause at least a part of the radiation ray which is reflected by the object and then enters through another portion of the effective aperture of the objective lens, to be directed to said radiation sensor, wherein the center of gravity of distribution on a plane including said effective aperture, of the projected radiation and of the radiation ray directed to said radiation sensor are respectively remote from the optical axis of the objective lens;

said radiation source being disposed substantially in coincidence with a plane optically equivalent to said predetermined focal plane with respect to said optical system, said radiation sensor being disposed substantially in coincidence with a position optically equivalent to the location of the radiation source with respect to the optical system so that the position of the center of gravity of distribution of the reflected part of the radiation ray on an effective radiation-receiving surface of the radiation sensor varies in accordance with the focusing condition of the objective lens to the object.

37. The system according to claim 36, wherein said radiation sensor is disposed with respect to said optical system so that the center of the effective radiation-receiving surface thereof is substantially in an optically equivalent relationship with the substantial center of said radiation source.

38. The system according to claim 37, wherein said radiation sensor is a self-scanning type radiation sensor having an array of a plurality of sensing elements and producing a time-seriated scanning output indicative of the distribution of the radiation ray on the receiving surface thereof, and the system further comprises a focus detecting circuit coupled to said radiation sensor to detect the focus-adjusted condition of said objective lens with respect to said object on the basis of the time-seriated output of said radiation sensor, said detecting circuit being designed to detect the deviation of the position of the center of gravity of the distribution of said radiation ray from the center of the effective radiation-receiving surface of said radiation sensor, on the basis of the time-seriated output of said radiation sensor.

39. The system according to claim 37, wherein the effective radiation-receiving surface of said radiation sensor is divided into two regions of almost the same size by a boundary which substantially traverses at said center of the receiving surface the direction of the variation of the position of the center of gravity of the distribution of the reflected part of the radiation ray on the receiving surface of the radiation sensor, and the system further comprises:

a focus detecting circuit for detecting the focusing condition of said objective lens to said object on the basis of an electrical output of said radiation sensor, said circuit being coupled to the radiation sensor and arranged to detect a positional relationship of the position of the center of gravity of the distribution of the reflected part of the radiation ray on the effective radiation-receiving surface of the radiation sensor with respect to said boundary of said two regions by comparing the amount of the radiation falling upon one of the two regions with the amount of the radiation falling upon the other region on the basis of said electrical output.

40. The system according to claim 39, wherein said focus detecting circuit produces an electrical output indicative of the focusing condition of the objective lens to the object which has a characteristic when the position of the center of gravity of the distribution of the reflected part of the radiation ray substantially coincides with the boundary of said two regions, said characteristic indicating the condition of in-focus of the objective lens onto the object.

41. The system according to claim 39 or 40, further comprising:

a driving circuit coupled to said radiation source to intermittently drive the source for causing the source to intermittently generate the radiation ray;

said focus detecting circuit being coupled to said driving circuit and operable to detect said positional relationship of the position of the center of gravity of the distribution of the reflected radiation ray with respect to said boundary of the two regions by comparing a difference signal between the response output corresponding to a first one of said two regions when the radiation source is generating the radiation ray and the response output corresponding to said first region when the radiation source is not generating the radiation ray with a difference signal between the response output corresponding to the second one of the two regions when the radiation source is generating the radiation ray and the response output corresponding to said second region when the radiation source is not generating the radiation ray.

42. A system for detecting focusing condition of an objective lens to an object, comprising:

(A) a radiation projector for projecting a radiation ray through a portion of an effective aperture of said objective lens toward said object;

(B) a radiation detector for detecting the radiation ray reflected by the object and then entering through the other portion of the effective aperture of the objective lens, said radiation detector being disposed so that the position of the center of gravity of distribution of the reflected ray on an effective radiation detecting surface of the radiation detector varies in accordance with the focusing condition of the objective lens to the object, said effective radiation detecting surface of the radiation detector being divided into two regions of almost the same size by a boundary which traverses the direction of the variation of the position of the center of gravity of the distribution of the reflected ray on the surface in accordance with change in the focusing condition of the objective lens;

(C) a projection control circuit for causing said radiation projector to intermittently project the radiation ray; and

(D) a focus detecting circuit for detecting the focusing condition of said objective lens to the object on the basis of an electrical output of said radiation detector, said focus detecting circuit being arranged to detect a relative positional relationship of the position of the center of gravity of the distribution of the radiation ray on the detecting surface of the radiation detector with respect to said boundary of said two regions by comparing a difference signal between a response output of the radiation detector corresponding to a first one of said two regions when said radiation projector is projecting the radiation ray and a response output corresponding to said first region when the projector is not projecting the radiation ray, with a difference signal between a response output of the radiation detector corresponding to the second one of said two regions when the radiation projector is projecting the radiation ray and a response output corresponding to said second region when the projector is not projecting the radiation ray.

43. A zoom lens assembly comprising:

(A) a lens system including a zooming lens group operable for effecting zooming and a focusing lens group operable for effecting focusing of the whole lens system onto an object;

(B) a radiation source for generating a radiation ray;

(C) a radiation sensor responsive to the radiation ray generated by said radiation source; and

(D) an optical system positioned between said focusing lens group and said zooming lens group of said lens system, and arranged for projecting the radiation ray generated by said radiation source toward said object through the focusing lens group to cause at least a portion of the radiation ray which is reflected by the object and then enters through the focusing lens group, to be directed to said radiation sensor;

said radiation sensor being disposed at a predetermined position with respect to said optical system so that the incident condition of the reflected portion of the ray on the sensor varies in accordance with the focusing condition of the whole lens system effected by the focusing lens group.

44. The zoom lens assembly according to claim 43, wherein said optical system is arranged for projecting the radiation ray generated by said radiation source toward said object through a portion of an effective aperture of the focusing lens group and to cause at least a part of the radiation ray which is reflected by the object and then enters through another portion of the effective aperture of the focusing lens group, to be directed to said radiation sensor;

said radiation sensor being disposed with respect to said optical system so that the position of the center of gravity of the distribution of the reflected ray on the sensor varies in accordance with focusing condition of the whole lens system effected by the focusing lens group.

45. The zoom lens assembly according to claim 44, wherein said radiation sensor is disposed with respect to said optical system so that the center of the effective radiation-receiving surface thereof is substantially in an optically equivalent relationship with the substantial center of said radiation source.

46. The zoom lens assembly according to claim 45, wherein the effective radiation-receiving surface of said radiation sensor is divided into two regions of almost the same size by a boundary which substantially traverses at said center of the receiving surface the direction of the variation of the position of the center of gravity of the distribution of the reflected radiation ray on the receiving surface of the radiation sensor, and the lens assembly further comprises:

a focus detecting circuit for detecting the focusing condition of said lens system to said object on the basis of an electrical output of said radiation sensor, said circuit being coupled to the radiation sensor and arranged to detect the positional relationship of the position of the center of gravity of the distribution of the reflected radiation ray on the effective radiation-receiving surface of the radiation sensor with respect to said boundary of said two regions by comparing the amount of the radiation falling upon one of the two regions with the amount of the radiation falling upon the other region on the basis of said electrical output.

47. The zoom lens assembly according to claim 46, wherein said focus detecting circuit produces an electrical output indicative of the focusing condition of the lens system to the object which has a characteristic when the position of the center of gravity of the distribution of the reflected portion of the radiation ray substantially coincides with the boundary of said two regions, said characteristics indicating the condition of in-focus of the lens system onto the object.

48. The zoom lens assembly according to claim 47, further comprising:

a driving dircuit coupled to said radiation source to intermittently drive the source for causing the source to intermittently generate the radiation ray;

said focus detecting circuit being coupled to said driving circuit and operable to detect said positional relationship of the position of the center of gravity of the distribution of the reflected radiation ray with respect to said boundary of the two regions by comparing a difference signal between the response output corresponding to a first one of said two regions when the radiation source is generating the radiation ray and the response output corresponding to said first region when the radiation source is not generating the radiation ray with a difference signal between the response output corresponding to the second one of the two regions when the radiation source is generating the radiation ray and the response output corresponding to said second region when the radiation source is not generating the radiation ray.

49. The zoom lens assembly according to claim 45, wherein said radiation sensor is a self-scanning type radiation sensor having an array of a plurality of sensing elements and producing a time-seriated scanning output indicative of the distribution of the radiation ray on the receiving surface thereof, and the lens assembly further comprises a focus detecting circuit coupled to said radiation sensor to detect the focus-adjusted condition of said lens system with respect to said object on the basis of the time-seriated output of said radiation sensor, said detecting circuit being designed to detect the deviation of the position of the center of gravity of the distribution of said radiation ray from the center of the effective radiation-receiving surface of said radiation sensor, on the basis of the time-seriated output of said radiation sensor.

50. A zoom lens assembly comprising:

(A) a lens system including a zooming lens group operable for effecting zooming and a focusing lens group operable for effecting focusing of the whole lens system onto an object;

(B) a lens housing for housing therein said lens system;

(C) a radiation projector disposed within said housing for projecting a radiation ray through a portion of said lens system toward said object; and

(D) a radiation detector disposed within said housing for detecting the radiation ray reflected by said object through a portion of said lens system, said detector being arranged so that the incident condition of the reflected ray on the detector varies in accordance with focusing condition of the whole lens system effected by said focusing lens group.

51. The zoom lens assembly according to claim 50, wherein said radiation projector is arranged for projecting the radiation ray through a portion of an effective aperture of said focusing lens group, and said radiation detector is arranged for receiving the reflected radiation ray which enters through another portion of the effective aperture of the focusing lens group, so that the position of the center of gravity of distribution of the reflected ray on the detector varies in accordance with the focusing condition of the whole lens system effected by said focusing lens group.

52. A system for detecting focusing condition of an objective lens to an object, comprising:

(A) a radiation projector for projecting a radiation ray through a portion of an effective aperture of said objective lens toward said object;

(B) a radiation detector for detecting the radiation ray reflected by the object and then entering through another portion of the effective aperture of the objective lens, said radiation detector being disposed so that the position of the center of gravity of distribution of the reflected ray on an effective radiation-detecting surface of the radiation detector varies in accordance with focusing condition of the objective lens to the object, said radiation detector being a self-scanning type radiation detector which has an array of a plurality of detecting elements and produces a time-seriated scanning output indicative of the distribution of the radiation ray on the detecting surface thereof; and

(C) a focus detecting circuit coupled to said radiation detector to detect focus-adjusted condition of said objective lens with respect to said object on the basis of the time-seriated output of said radiation detector, said detecting circuit being designed to detect the deviation of the position of the center of gravity of the distribution of said radiation ray from the center of the effective radiation-receiving surface of said radiation detector, on the basis of the time-seriated output of said radiation detector.