Automatic focusing device utilizing a trend of variation and degree of reliability of a focusing evaluation value signal to improve image focusing

• US 5,337,084 A
• Filed: 04/02/1992
• Issued: 08/09/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Razavi, Michael T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHALWALA, BIPIN H
• Application Number:
  US07/862,361
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 358/227, 354/400, 354/402, 250/201.7
• US Class Current: 348/345
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/365 by analysis of the spatial frequency components of the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/959 by adjusting depth of field during image capture, e.g. maximising or setting range based on scene characteristics

Abstract

An automatic focusing device including a lens group by which movement of a focused field of an object changes, a drive motor for moving the lens group, a luminance processing circuit for image-sensing the object through the lens group to extract a luminance signal, an accumulating circuit for outputting a focusing evaluation value signal for evaluating a focal condition of the object on the basis of the extracted luminance signal, a least squares circuit for determining reliability of the output focusing evaluation value signal, and a control circuit for controlling the drive motor to improve the focal condition of the object on the basis of the determined reliability.

Claims

1. An automatic focusing device comprising:

lens means for changing a focused field of an object;

moving means for moving said lens means;

extracting means for image-sensing the object through said lens means to extract a luminance signal;

signal outputting means for outputting a focusing evaluation value signal for evaluating a focusing condition of the object on the basis of said extracted luminance signal;

determination means for determining reliability of the focusing evaluation value signal; and

control means for controlling said moving means on the basis of the determined reliability to improve focusing of the object;

wherein said signal outputting means outputs the focusing evaluation signal for every field or every frame;

wherein said determination means calculates a trend of variation and reliability based on a variation of the focusing evaluation value signal output for each field or each frame;

wherein said determination means determines the trend of variation and reliability of the focusing evaluation value signal using an approximation method;

wherein said control means controls said moving means so that said lens means is still when the determined reliability is less than a predetermined value.

2. The automatic focusing device of claim 1, wherein said determination means determines a straight line, approximating the variation of the focusing evaluation value signal for each field or each frame and determines the trend of variation and reliability from the straight line.

3. The automatic focusing device of claim 1, wherein said signal detecting means detects a level of a component in a predetermined frequency band included in said extracted luminance signal as the focusing evaluation signal.

4. The automatic focusing device of claim 1, wherein the approximation method is a method of least squares.