Camera focus control
AssigneeMo-Sys Engineering Limited
InventorsMichael Geissler, James Uren
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A controller for a video camera, the controller comprising: an input for receiving a focus command indicative of a focus distance; and one or more outputs for transmitting a first signal for controlling the focus of a lens of the camera and a second signal indicative of the focus distance indicated by the focus command; the controller being configured to determine a focus limit and to transmit the first signal so as to command the camera to adjust its focus to the distance indicated by the focus command only if that distance does not exceed the focus limit.
Claims17
A focus control interface for operably coupling with a user input device, a focus controller and a display controller, the focus control interface comprising:
- an input for receiving, from the user input device a focus command indicative of a focus distance for a camera lens capturing images of a screen;
- and
- one or more outputs for transmitting (i) a first signal indicative of the focus command to the focus controller for controlling a focus setting of the camera lens in response to receiving the focus command and (ii) a second signal indicative of the focus distance indicated by the focus command to the display controller for controlling the images shown on the screen;
- the focus control interface being configured to determine the first and second signals in response to:
- receiving the focus command;
- and
- a focus limit determined by the focus control interface which is dependent on a distance between the camera lens and the screen such that the focus setting of the camera lens is adjustable up to and including the focus limit,
- wherein the focus controller is configured to adjust the focus setting of the camera in response to receiving the first signal and wherein the display controller is configured to adapt the appearance of an image being shown on the screen in response to receiving the second signal.
A method of video capture comprising:
- receiving a focus command indicative of a focus setting for a camera lens capturing images of a screen;
- determining a focus limit in dependence on a distance between the camera lens and the screen;
- and
- if the focus command is to adopt a focal setting less than the focus limit, causing the camera lens to adopt that focal setting;
- and
- otherwise, to cause the camera lens to adopt a focal setting at the focus limit and to apply a blur to parts of an image being displayed on the screen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.