Digital camera autofocus using eye focus measurement
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsDonald J. Stavely, David K. Campbell, Eric F. Aas, Gregory V. Hofer, Scott A. Woods, Dan L. Dalton, Kurt E. Spears
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Abstract
Viewfinder apparatus, methods, and digital cameras that provide autofocus using retroreflected eye focus measurements. When a user looks at a part of a scene that is the intended subject of the image, his or her eye is correctly focused. The present invention measures the focus distance of the eye when the eye is focused on the desired location in the scene, and then uses the measured distance to set the focus of the camera.
Claims12
A digital camera autofocus apparatus comprising:
- a viewfinder through which a user looks with an eye that produces a focused image from light that is retroreflected from the eye, and associated data that are indicative of the focus distance of the eye, which data is used to focus the digital camera.
An autofocusing method for use with a digital camera, comprising the steps of:
- viewing an image scene through a viewfinder of a digital camera;
- retroreflecting the image scene from a user's eye;
- focusing the retroreflected image scene onto an image sensor;
- processing data relating to the focused retroreflected image to determine the focus distance of the eye;
- and
- processing data associated with the focus distance of the eye to focus the digital camera on the image scene.
An autofocusing method for use with a digital camera, comprising the steps of:
- viewing an image scene through a viewfinder of a digital camera;
- directing infrared light from an illuminator into the user's eye;
- retroreflecting the infrared light from a user's eye;
- focusing the retroreflected infrared image of the illuminator onto an image sensor;
- and
- processing data relating to the focused image to determine the focus distance of the eye.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.