Automatic focussing apparatus

• US 4,557,579 A
• Filed: 12/08/1983
• Issued: 12/10/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakajima, Yukio
• Primary Examiner(s): Adams, Russell E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Application Number:
  US06/559,429
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 354/402, 354/400, 354/401, 354/403, 354/404, 354/405, 354/406, 354/407, 354/408, 354/409, 354/286, 354/418, 354/484
• US Class Current: 396/129
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/36 using image sharpness techniques , e.g. image processing techniques for generating autofocus signals image data processing per se G06T; in cameras having a solid state image sensor H04N23/67

Abstract

An automatic focussing apparatus includes an operating switch disposed on a camera which may be closed to energize an in-focus detector circuit from a battery contained within the camera and to energize a motor drive circuit from another battery contained within a lens barrel. The apparatus also includes an operating switch mounted on the lens barrel which may be turned on to energize the in-focus detector circuit and the motor drive circuit from a battery disposed within the lens barrel.Focussing signals representing the magnitude and direction of lens movement from the focussing processor may be coupled to the motor control circuit through two control lines in one embodiment or only one control line in a second embodiment.

Claims

1. An automatic focussing apparatus, comprising:

a first battery internally housed within a camera which is adapted to mate with a taking lens barrel;

a second battery internally housed within the lens barrel;

a camera operating member disposed on the camera;

a lens operating member disposed on the lens barrel;

an in-focus detector circuit disposed within the camera for detecting an in-focus condition on an imaging surface and for providing information which is utilized to drive a taking lens toward an in-focus position;

a motor drive circuit disposed within the lengs barrel and including a motor for moving the taking lens to an in-focus position in accordance with the information fed from the in-focus detector circuit;

first feed means for feeding the in-focus detector circuit from the first battery when the camera operating member is operated;

second feed means capable of feeding said motor drive circuit from said second battery and feeding said in-fo detector circuit through a contact dispose between said lens barrel and said camera body when said lens operating member is operated;

and actuating means for actuating said second feed means when said camera operating member is operated.

2. An automatic focussing apparatus according to claim 1 in which the camera operating member comprises a normally open pushbutton switch which is closed during a first stroke of a shutter release button as the latter is depressed.

3. An automatic focussing apparatus according to claim 2, further including a normally open switch which is closed subsequent to the closure of the pushbutton switch closure during a second stroke of the shutter release button as the latter is depressed, the switch stopping a movement of the taking lens.

4. An automatic focussing apparatus according to claim 1 in which the in-focus detector circuit delivers a focus condition signal, the number of pulses in said signal representing the magnitude of a deviation from an in-focus position, responsive to a focus condition on the imaging surface, the detector circuit supplying the focus condition signal to one of two signal paths which is selected in accordance with the direction of the deviation, and in which the motor drive circuit determines a direction in which the taking lens is to be moved in accordance with the signal path delivering the focus condition from the in-focus detector circuit and drives the taking lens to an in-focus position by means of the motor, through a distance by which the taking lens is to be moved and which is determined on the basis of the number of pulses comprising the focus condition signal transmitted through the selected signal path to the lens barrel side.

5. An automatic focussing apparatus according to claim 1 in which the in-focus detector circuit delivers on a single signal path a signal pulse train representing a focus condition signal representing the magnitude and the direction of a deviation in a focus position on the imaging surface and in which the motor drive circuit operates the motor to move the taking lens to an in-focus position by determining the magnitude and the direction which the taking lens is to be moved, on the basis of the pulse train transmitted from the detector circuit to the lens barrel side through the single signal path.

6. An automatic focussing apparatus according to claim 5 in which the motor drive circuit includes means which determines the direction of movement of the taking lens by examining if the number of pulses contained in said pulse train is an odd or even number and which determines the amount of movement of the taking lens as a function of the number of pulses.

7. An automatic focussing apparatus according to claim 1 in which the first feed means comprises a pushbutton switch which forms the camera operating member, a diode connected in series between the pushbutton switch and a feed terminal of the detector circuit, and a power sustain circuit including a semiconductor switch connected in parallel with the pushbutton switch and which is rendered conductive when the pushbutton switch is operated.

8. An automatic focussing apparatus according to claim 1 in which the second feed means comprises a pushbutton switch which forms the lens operating member and which is connected in series between the second battery and a feed terminal of the motor drive circuit, a diode connected in series between the pushbutton switch and a feed terminal of the in-focus detector circuit, and a power sustain circuit including a semiconductor switch connected in parallel with the pushbutton switch and which is rendered conductive when the pushbutton switch is operated.

9. An automatic focussing apparatus according to claim 1 in which said second feed means comprises a first pushbutton switch which forms the camera operating member, a first power sustain circuit including a first semiconductor switch connected in parallel with the first pushbutton switch and which is rendered conductive when the first pushbutton switch is operated, a second pushbutton switch which forms the lens operating member and which is connected in series between the second battery and a feed terminal of the motor drive circuit, a second power sustain circuit including a second semiconductor switch connected in parallel with the second pushbutton switch and which is rendered conductive when the second pushbutton switch is operated, and a third power sustain circuit for rendering the second semiconductor switch conductive when the first pushbutton switch is turned on.

10. The automatic focussing apparatus of claim 4 further including means responsive to movement of the lens under control of the motor for generating a lens positioning signal;

means for decoupling the motor from the second battery when the lens positioning signal compares with the focus condition signal.

11. The automatic focussing apparatus according to claim 5 in which the detector circuit includes means for generating a signal pulse train of 2n+k pulses, where n represents the deviation from the in-focus condition and is a real integer, and k represents the direction of the deviation from the in-focus condition, and k is either equal to 1 or 0.

12. The automatic focussing apparatus of claim 11 further including means responsive to the movement of the lens for generating a lens positioning signal comprised of pulses, each representing an increment of movement;

means for decoupling the motor from the second battery when the number of pulses comprising the lens positioning signal is equal to n.

13. The automatic focussing apparatus of claim 11 further comprising means responsive to the number of pulses in signal pulse train for determining the value of k.

14. The automatic focussing apparatus of claim 13 comprising means responsive to the means for determining the value of k for controlling the direction which the motor moves the lens.

15. The automatic focussing apparatus of claim 10 comprising means for counting the number of times the motor is operated to produce an in-focus condition;

and

means for terminating the focussing operation when a predetermined count is reached.

16. The automatic focussing apparatus of claim 15 further comprising means responsive to an in-focus condition for resetting said counting means.