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:
Mar. 29, 2016
Filed:
Sep. 10, 2014
Panasonic Corporation, Osaka, JP;
Motonori Ogura, Osaka, JP;
Koichi Toyomura, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
An image-capturing apparatus includes a focus lens that focuses on an object as to form an object image from the object, an image sensor that captures the object image as to produce image data, and a controller that controls the focus lens. The controller determines a tracking range based on a position of a particular object. The controller causes the focus lens to focus on a certain object when the certain object is located in the tracking range. The controller does not cause the focus lens to focus on the certain object when the certain object is located out of the tracking range. The controller determines whether or not the position of the particular object changes. The controller updates the tracking range in response to the position of the particular object if determining that the position of the particular object changes. The controller maintains the tracking range if determining that the position of the particular object does not change.