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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7986874 | Camera device and method for taking photos A method and a camera device that includes a proximity sensor that senses a current distance between a user and the camera device. The method and camera device acquires the current distance sensed by the proximity sensor, and triggers the camera device to take a pho... | 07/26/2011 |
| 7725018 | Focus control apparatus, image sensing apparatus and focus control method A range in which a focus lens is to be moved is set; the focus lens is moved within the set range; an in-focus state is determined based on output signals from an image sensing unit which are obtained in association with the movement of the focus lens within the ran... | 05/25/2010 |
| 7639937 | Method and apparatus for auto focusing an imaging device A method and apparatus for accurately auto focusing a lens of an imaging device. In an exemplary embodiment, an imaged scene is split into an array of zones. The minimum and maximum sharpness score for each zone is determined over a plurality of lens positions. A hi... | 12/29/2009 |
| 7548686 | Image-capturing apparatus and driving method of optical system An image-capturing apparatus for controlling a drive system for an optical system corresponding to the position of an operation unit includes a motor for driving a control target of the drive system, a driver for the motor, position detecting means for detecting the... | 06/16/2009 |
| 7519285 | Imaging apparatus, imaging method, imaging program, and storage medium At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an imaging apparatus including: a detecting device; a selecting device; a determining device; and a instructing device configured to instruct the determining device to display on an imaging screen at least one AF fram... | 04/14/2009 |
| 7474846 | Method and apparatus of determining the best focus position of a lens A method and apparatus for accurately auto focusing a lens of an imaging device. An imaged scene is split into an array of zones. The minimum and maximum sharpness score for each zone is determined over a plurality of lens positions. A histogram of the lens position... | 01/06/2009 |
| 7432975 | Automatic focusing method and digital photographing apparatus using the same Provided are an automatic focusing method in which a photograph region is brought into focus through automatic movement of a focal lens to a focal position, in response to a photographing-command signal, and a digital photographing apparatus using the method. The me... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7262804 | Autofocus camera adjusting focus lens position based on illumination characteristics A CPU calculates integrating values of image-capturing signals in a band 1 obtained by removing through a band pass filter a low frequency component of image-capturing signal output from an image-capturing device and integrating values of the image-capturing ... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7210798 | Image projection lighting device and control system The methods and apparatus for lighting systems provide a camera integral to a particular image projection lighting device (IPLD) to capture the projected image from the particular IPLD. The captured image can then be sent over a communication system to the operator ... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7095001 | Image sensing apparatus and method performing blur correction using electrical coordinate conversion An image sensing apparatus performs a plurality of times of image sensing on a subject, superpose-combines the obtained plurality of subject images into one subject image. The apparatus has an image sensing unit that converts a subject optical image into an electric... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7079763 | Focus control apparatus, image sensor, program and storage medium A digital camera has distance measurement zone setting means (12) for dividing distance to a subject into a plurality of distance measurement zones; distance measurement zone selection means (13) for selecting a distance measurement zone to be scanned;... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7046289 | Automatic focusing device, camera, and automatic focusing method An automatic focusing device capable of focus detection so that the in-focus state can be adequately realized, even if the magnification changes or a camera shake occurs. The sum total of the absolute values of the differences between two pixels in an evaluation are... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7015967 | Image formation system Disclosed is an image formation system which supports a survey and a photographing free from errors in the field. A control point data storing section 50 stores control point data required for forming a first orthogonally projected image. An image data storin... | 03/21/2006 |
| 6970646 | Focus control apparatus, image sensor, program and storage medium A digital camera has distance measurement zone setting means (12) for dividing distance to a subject into a plurality of distance measurement zones; distance measurement zone selection means (13) for selecting a distance measurement zone to be scanned;... | 11/29/2005 |
| 6867799 | Method and apparatus for object surveillance with a movable camera A method for holding an object of interest in a field of view of a movable video camera, the object of interest being selected from a plurality of moving objects detected in the field of view, is taught. An indication of the object of interest is received and is use... | 03/15/2005 |
| 6317563 | Focusing device A focusing device has a first unit for producing information for focusing an optical unit and a second unit for forming, based on a predetermined number of pieces of the information derived from the first unit, an operation instruction signal for operatin... | 11/13/2001 |
| 5844726 | Position detecting device A position detecting device includes a moving body, and a detection mechanism which detects a moving position of the moving body on the basis of a level of a detection signal, wherein a peak value of the level of the detection signal is set to be obtained... | 12/01/1998 |
| 5842059 | Automatic focus adjusting device An automatic focus adjusting device for automatically adjusting focus by using a predetermined signal component of a picked-up image signal outputted from an image sensor is arranged to find the state of an object from information on the distribution of f... | 11/24/1998 |
| 5839003 | Focus adjustment method and apparatus A focus adjustment method and apparatus use statistical methods to discriminate whether an out-of-focus condition is the result of minor fluctuation or is the result of a significant change in object image condition (distance, etc.) requiring a focus adju... | 11/17/1998 |
| 5694625 | Camera provided with an automatic focus adjusting apparatus A camera is provided with an automatic focus adjusting apparatus. The automatic focus adjusting apparatus includes a focus detecting device which detects the focus adjusted state of the photo-taking lens. A monitor device which monitors the movement of th... | 12/02/1997 |
| 5680647 | Motor driven zoom camera The present invention relates to an optical camera having a zoom function in which a focal length can be varied or the variation is actuated by a focal length changing member, and in particular to a camera in which a focal length is varied through a motor... | 10/21/1997 |
| 5628036 | Focus adjustment device and method A focus adjustment device that eliminates unnecessary driving of a shooting lens after the shooting lens has already been driven near to an in-focus position. In a focus adjustment device, information related to the defocus amount of the shooting lens is ... | 05/06/1997 |
| 5410383 | Focus detecting device A focus detecting device comprises an image forming optical system, a device for detecting the defocus amount with respect to a predetermined plane of a plurality of images, formed by the image forming optical system, of fields corresponding to a pluralit... | 04/25/1995 |
| 5365053 | Method and apparatus for setting the sharpness of an optical imaging system A method and an apparatus for setting the sharpness of an optical imaging system by step-by-step adjustment of the distance between a subject and an objective and by evaluating the sharpness values identified for the individual distances. First, the sharp... | 11/15/1994 |
| 5189461 | Range finder for passive type autofocussing device A range finder for a passive type autofocussing device arranged so that light rays emitted from a scene to be photographed are picked up by three photosensors, output signals therefrom representing a luminance distribution of the scene are A/D converted, ... | 02/23/1993 |
| 5081479 | Automatic focusing device This invention relates to an automatic focusing device, particular capable of foreseeing the position of an object after a predetermined future time based on the results of a plurality of past focusing operations, thus enabling the focusing to the object.... | 01/14/1992 |
| 5055665 | Focus detecting apparatus jointly employing outputs of plural diverse detectors In an automatic focusing apparatus, a focus detecting device having detecting means for detecting the width of the edge part of the image of an object to be photographed and discriminating means for discriminating a focused state on the basis of the size ... | 10/08/1991 |
| 5030981 | Automatic focusing camera An automatic focusing camera includes a sensor for detecting an amount and a direction of difference between an image forming position of light from an object being photographed and a film surface to drive a taking lens in response to the measured outputs... | 07/09/1991 |
| 4931821 | Automatic focus adjusting apparatus An automatic focus adjusting apparatus for adjusting automatically a focus condition of an objective lens includes a CCD array for receiving light from an object and producing a accumulated charge signal representing the accumulated charge. Using the accu... | 06/05/1990 |
| 4931820 | Auto-focus camera An auto-focus camera detects a focal offset, which is converted into a lens drive value utilizing data stored in lens ROM or the like which is specific to a particular taking lens. When the specific data represents a lens drive value which is stored in a ... | 06/05/1990 |
| 4908642 | Camera A camera which is capable of varying a photographable distance range according to photographic conditions to realize a sure photographing without losing a photographic chance under the photographic condition that can provide a practicable image. In the ca... | 03/13/1990 |
| 4843413 | System which uses threshold counts to achieve automatic focus Apparatus for generating automatic focus signals for positioning a lens includes a circuit for calculating a difference value between a selected pixel intensity level and the average value of the pixel intensities which neighbor the selected pixel. The di... | 06/27/1989 |
| 4825238 | Focus detecting device A focus detecting device in which the in-focus range, within which the result of focus detection is regarded as being in the in-focus state, is made greater than usual when the photo-taking lens is in the infinity movable limit position. The in-focus rang... | 04/25/1989 |
| 4792821 | Auto-focus apparatus in a camera This specification discloses an auto-focus apparatus for repetitively effecting focus detection and in-focus judgement and lens driving, and in particular an auto-focus apparatus designed such that in a case where the lens cannot be regarded as being in f... | 12/20/1988 |
| 4786932 | Camera having a focus state detection device A camera having a focus state detection device, or more particularly a camera which effects searching to escape from disability of focus state detection by reciprocating a lens at least one reciprocation when the camera cannot detect the focus state, is d... | 11/22/1988 |
| 4692012 | Automatic focus adjustment apparatus An automatic focus adjustment apparatus adapted for use with cameras includes an automatic focusing means for shifting an imaging objective for automatic focusing in response to an output signal from a pair of photo-detectors which receives light radiated... | 09/08/1987 |
| 4575212 | Camera with an improved focus detecting system A photographic camera provided with a focus detecting system having a device for periodically sensing a focus condition of the camera to repeatedly produce a signal in response to every periodical sensing of the focus condition so as to effect the focus d... | 03/11/1986 |
| 4571046 | Automatic focus detecting camera An automatic focus detecting camera in which the full-aperture f-number of a lens mounted on the camera is automatically detected and applied to a focus detecting circuit. The lens is provided with indicating pins in a pattern indicative of a full-apertur... | 02/18/1986 |
| 4561746 | Focus detection device and automatic focusing device for camera The disclosure is directed to a focus detection device which is provided with first to third reference signal generators for generating reference signals which are compared with a focus condition signal varying with the amount and direction of the adjustm... | 12/31/1985 |
| 4545665 | Focus detecting device A focus detecting device for a camera adjusts its accuracy according to a selected one of available photographic modes, such as a panning mode using a shutter preference arrangement, a snap-shot mode using a normal combination of shutter time and an apert... | 10/08/1985 |
