Intelligent manual adjustment of an image control element

A method for intelligent manual adjustment of a manually rotatable focus control of a camera, the method comprising:

• determining a depth value of a target area relative to the camera;
• determining a desirable focus adjustment according to a direction and an amount that a focal point of the camera is to be moved in order to coincide with the depth value of the target area;
• and
• assisting an operator of the manually rotatable focus control to the desirable focus adjustment by providing a haptic force on the manually rotatable focus control that decreases as the focal point of the camera moves toward the depth value of the target area and increases as the focal point of the camera moves away from the depth value of the target area.

An imaging system comprising:

• a camera;
• a manually rotatable focus control;
• and
• a processor programmed to:
• determine a depth value of a target area relative to the camera;
• determine a desirable focus adjustment according to a direction and an amount that a focal point of the camera is to be moved in order to coincide with the depth value of the target area;
• and
• assist an operator of the manually rotatable focus control to the desirable focus adjustment by providing a haptic force on the manually rotatable focus control that decreases as the focal point of the camera moves toward the depth value of the target area and increases as the focal point of the camera moves away from the depth value of the target area.