Back to results
US 8,947,580 B2Granted
Auto focusing apparatus and control method
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorAkiko Wada
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention includes steps of setting a main area set within the frame of a photographed image signal, and a plurality of auxiliary areas each of which is smaller than the main area, selecting one or a plurality of focus detection areas from the main area and the auxiliary areas in accordance with the in-focus position of a focus lens based on the focus signals of the main area and the auxiliary areas, and controlling the focus lens to move to the in-focus position of the focus lens in the focus detection area selected in the selecting step.
Claims9
An auto focusing apparatus comprising:
- a detection unit which detects a focus signal indicating a focus state to an object in a focus detection area set within a frame of a photographed image signal;
- an object information acquisition unit which acquires one or a plurality of pieces of object information within the frame based on the image signal;
- an extraction unit which extracts a main object as an object to be focused from the object information obtained by the object information acquisition unit;
- a main area setting unit which sets, in the frame, a main area as one focus detection area within an area where the main object exists;
- an auxiliary area setting unit which sets, around the main area, auxiliary area as focus detection area for capturing a part of the area where the main object exists;
- a focus detection area selection unit which selects one or a plurality of focus detection areas from the main area and the auxiliary area in accordance with a comparing result of an in-focus position of a focus lens which is based on the focus signal in the main area and an in-focus position of the focus lens which is based on the focus signal in the auxiliary area;
- and
- a control unit which controls the focus lens based on the in-focus position of the focus lens in the focus detection area selected by the focus detection area selection unit.
5 more elements
A control method comprising the steps of:
- detecting a focus signal indicating a focus state to an object in a focus detection area set within a frame of a photographed image signal;
- acquiring one or a plurality of pieces of object information within the frame based on the image signal;
- extracting a main object as an object to be focused from the object information obtained in the acquiring step;
- setting, in the frame, a main area as one focus detection area within an area where the main object exists;
- setting, around the main area, auxiliary area as focus detection area for capturing a part of the area where the main object exists;
- selecting one or a plurality of focus detection areas from the main area and the auxiliary area in accordance with a comparing result of an in-focus position of a focus lens which is based on the focus signal in the main area and an in-focus position of the focus lens which is based on the focus signal in the auxiliary area;
- and
- controlling the focus lens based on the in-focus position of the focus lens in the focus detection area selected in the selecting step.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.