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:
Aug. 27, 2013
Filed:
Aug. 02, 2011
Futoshi Sasaki, Kawasaki, JP;
Futoshi Sasaki, Kawasaki, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image capturing apparatus senses a subject by an image sensor to acquire image data, detects a face from the image data, estimates a distance from the image sensor to the detected face in a real space, obtains first and second depths of field based on a focal length, an f-number, and the estimated distance/a distance in the real space to an in-focus point when acquiring the image data used to detect the face, calculates a first and second scan ranges based on the first/second depths of field and the estimated distance/the distance to the in-focus point, detects the in-focus point based on a contrast signal acquired while driving the focus lens in the first or second scan range selected by a selection unit, which selects the first scan range if at least part of the first and second scan ranges overlaps, otherwise does not select the first scan range.