The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 24, 2001
Filed:
Mar. 21, 1997
Yujiro Ito, Kanagawa, JP;
Naoki Inomata, Kanagawa, JP;
Chiaki Ikeyama, Kanagawa, JP;
Susumu Kurita, Kanagawa, JP;
Sony Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An autofocus apparatus of an imaging apparatus is one having an estimation-value calculating unit for obtaining a plurality of estimation values by using a plurality of areas and a plurality of filters for extracting a horizontal-direction frequency component in a specific image area of a video signal corresponding to a specific image area and supplied from an imaging apparatus for effectively carrying out an autofocus operation of a television camera, a signal processing unit for calculating a control value used for controlling an image pickup lens drive unit of the imaging apparatus in response to an estimation value calculated by the above estimation-value calculating unit, and an output unit for supplying the above control value to the above image pickup lens drive unit. The autofocus apparatus includes a control program for determining a focus detection direction by decision by majority of a plurality of weighted estimation values obtained by combination of the above plurality of areas and the above plurality of filters.