Auto focus circuit for video camera

• US RE33,682 E
• Filed: 01/19/1989
• Issued: 09/03/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hiramatsu, Tatsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Adams, Russell E.
• Application Number:
  US07/299,189
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 358/227, 354/400, 354/402
• US Class Current: 348/354
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/23212 Focusing based on image signals provided by the electronic image sensor

Abstract

An auto focus circuit for a video camera comprises an A-D converting circuit (7) for converting to a digital amount a high frequency component absolute value output of a luminance signal in a sampling area for focusing. The A-D converting circuit (7) is connected so that the high frequency component absolute value output of a luminance signal is directly converted to a digital amount. Then, the signal converted to a digital amount is added in an integrating circuit (12) for each field and the signal amount in one field and the signal amount in the coming one field ahead of it or behind it are compared in a comparing circuit (10) so that the output of comparison serves for control of focusing. Thus, addition processing of the high frequency component of the luminance signal, that is, averaging processing is performed digitally in the integrating circuit (12). Accordingly, as compared with the case of analog averaging processing of a signal, the processing operation is stable and as a result the focusing precision is improved.

Claims

1. An autofocus circuit for a video camera including a focusing motor for focusing, comprising:

.[.a.]. high-pass filter .[.circuit.]. .Iadd.means .Iaddend.to which a luminance signal of a video signal is applied .[.so that.]. .Iadd.for extracting .Iaddend.a high frequency component higher than a predetermined frequency .[.is extracted.]. from said applied luminance signal,

.[.an absolute value calculating circuit connected to said high-pass filter circuit for obtaining an absolute value of the output of said high-pass filter circuit,.].

.[.an.]. A-D converting .[.circuit.]. .Iadd.means operatively .Iaddend.connected to said .[.absolute value calculating circuit.]. .Iadd.high-pass filter means .Iaddend.for converting an analog .[.absolute value.]. output signal .[.provided.]. .Iadd.derived .Iaddend.from said .[.absolute value calculating circuit to.]. .Iadd.high-pass filter means into .Iaddend.a digital signal,

.[.a.]. calculating .[.circuit.]. .Iadd.means .Iaddend.connected to said A-D converting .[.circuit.]. .Iadd.means .Iaddend.for adding the converted digital signal with a predetermined period cycle,

.[.a.]. comparing .[.circuit.]. .Iadd.means .Iaddend.connected to said calculating .[.circuit.]. .Iadd.means .Iaddend.for comparing the output of calculation in one predetermined period and the output of calculation in .[.the predetermined period coming one.]. .Iadd.another .Iaddend.predetermined period .[.ahead of said predetermined period.]., and

.[.a.]. focusing motor control .[.circuit.]. .Iadd.means .Iaddend.connected to said comparing .[.circuit.]. .Iadd.means .Iaddend.for providing a signal for controlling the rotation of the focusing motor included in said video camera in the clockwise direction or in the counter-clockwise direction based on the output of said comparing .[.circuit.]. .Iadd.means.Iaddend..

2. An auto focus circuit in accordance with claim 1, wherein

said .Iadd.one .Iaddend.predetermined period comprises one field.

3. An auto focus circuit in accordance with claim 2, wherein

said A-D converting .[.circuit.]. .Iadd.means .Iaddend.converts said applied analog .[.absolute value.]. .Iadd.output .Iaddend.signal .Iadd.from said high-pass filter means .Iaddend.to a digital signal for each field only in a predetermined sampling period and provides said digital signal as an output.

4. An auto focus circuit in accordance with claim 3, further comprising:

a synchronizing separation circuit to which said luminance signal is applied so that a horizontal synchronizing signal and a vertical synchronizing signal are extracted from said luminance signal, and

a sampling period setting circuit connected between said synchronizing separation circuit and said A-D converting .[.circuit.]. .Iadd.means .Iaddend.for setting a sampling period for each field of said video signal based on said horizontal synchronizing signal and said vertical synchronizing signal so that said A-D converting .[.circuit.]. .Iadd.means .Iaddend.is enabled only in said sampling period.

5. An auto focus circuit in accordance with claim 4, wherein

the sampling period set by said sampling period setting circuit can be changed by selecting operation.

6. An auto focus circuit in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

an envelope detecting .[.circuit.]. .Iadd.means .Iaddend.connected between said .[.absolute value calculating circuit.]. .Iadd.high-pass filter means .Iaddend.and said A-D converting .[.circuit.]. .Iadd.means .Iaddend.for detecting and providing as .Iadd.an .Iaddend.output an envelope of the output signal of said .[.absolute valve calculating circuit.]. .Iadd.high-pass filter means.Iaddend..

7. An auto focus circuit in accordance with claim 2, wherein

said calculating .[.circuit.]. .Iadd.means .Iaddend.comprises:

a latch circuit operating with a cycle of one field for latching an input signal for one field, and

an addition circuit for adding the output from said A-D converting .[.circuit.]. .Iadd.means .Iaddend.and the output from said latch circuit so that the signal obtained by said addition is applied to said latch circuit.

8. An auto focus circuit in accordance with claim 2, wherein

said comparing .[.circuit.]. .Iadd.means .Iaddend.comprises:

a first memory for writing the output of said calculating .[.circuit.]. .Iadd.means .Iaddend.for each field,

a second memory for writing the content written by said first memory with a delay of one field, and

a comparator for comparing the content of said first memory and the content of said second memory so that a high level output or a D-level output is provided according to the magnitude relation of said contents.

9. An auto focus circuit in accordance with claim 8, wherein

said first memory and said second memory are both D-flip-flops. .Iadd.10. An auto focus circuit in accordance with claim 1, wherein

said another predetermined period comes before said one predetermined period. .Iaddend.