Auto-focusing apparatus

• US 5,512,951 A
• Filed: 01/11/1995
• Issued: 04/30/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Torii, Reiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Razavi, Michael T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHRISTENSEN, ANDREW BRUCE
• Application Number:
  US08/371,481
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: 348/345, 348/353, 348/354, 348/355, 348/356, 354/402
• US Class Current: 348/353
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/673 based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method

Abstract

An auto-focusing apparatus which obtains an evaluation value from a contrast component of a video signal and performs focus adjustment so that the evaluation value will be maximum, comprises: measurement frame setting means for setting a first frame and a second frame on the screen to obtain the evaluation value; and evaluation value generating means for obtaining a first evaluation value and a second evaluation value from the first frame and the second frame. Focus adjustment is performed by selecting the first frame or the second frame according to changes of the first evaluation value and the second evaluation value when a focus lens is moved in a very small amount.

Claims

1. An auto-focusing apparatus which obtains an evaluation value from a contrast component of a video signal representing an image on a screen, and which performs a focus adjustment of a focus lens so that the evaluation value will be at a at a maximum value, comprising:

measurement frame setting means for setting a first frame and a second frame which are substantially centered at the center of said screen with said second frame being smaller than said first frame;

evaluation value generating means for obtaining a first evaluation value and a second evaluation value from a first position in said first frame and from a second position in said second frame, respectively;

means for detecting whether said second evaluation value is generated;

means responsive to the absence of said second evaluation value for setting a third frame, wherein said third frame is offset from the center of said screen and excludes a portion of the screen surrounding said first position for which said first evaluation value is based, and for generating a third evaluation value from said third frame;

means also responsive to the absence of said second evaluation value for selecting either said first evaluation value or said third evaluation value whichever is based on a position nearer to the center of said screen; and

means for effecting said focus adjustment based on said second evaluation value when detected or, in the absence of said second evaluation value, based on the selected first or third evaluation value.

2. The auto-focusing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of different frames are set as said third frame.

3. An auto-focusing apparatus comprising:

a lens assembly for collecting lights from an imaged object;

an image pickup device for converting the lights from said lens assembly into an electric signal;

a camera signal processing circuit for converting said electrical signal from said image pickup device into a video signal;

a peak hold circuit for holding a peak value of said video signal from said camera signal processing circuit;

measurement frame setting means for setting a first frame and second frame to evaluate an output signal from said peak hold circuit;

evaluation value generating means for obtaining a first evaluation value and a second evaluation value from a first position in said first frame and from a second position in said second frame, respectively;

means for detecting whether said second evaluation value is generated;

means responsive to the absence of said second evaluation value for setting a third frame, wherein said third frame is offset from the center of said screen and excludes a portion of the screen surrounding said first position for which said first evaluation value is based, and for generating a third evaluation value from said third frame;

means also responsive to the absence of said second evaluation value for selecting either said first evaluation value or said third evaluation value whichever is based on a position nearer to the center of said screen; and

a motor for driving said lens assembly according to said second evaluation value when detected or, in the absence of said second evaluation value, based on the selected first or third evaluation value.

4. The auto-focusing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of different frames are set as said third frame.

5. The auto-focusing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the area of said first frame is equal to approximately 60% of the area of the screen.

6. The auto-focusing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the area of said second frame is equal to approximately 1/4 of the area of said first frame.