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:
Jun. 05, 2018
Filed:
Jun. 30, 2014
Stmicroelectronics S.r.l., Agrate Brianza, IT;
Salvatore Curti, Catania, IT;
Arcangelo Ranieri Bruna, Giardini Naxos, IT;
STMicroelectronics S.r.l., Agrate Brianza, IT;
Abstract
In an embodiment, focusing an image-capture device such as, e.g., a camera including an optical system displaceable in opposite directions (A, B) via a focusing actuator, is controlled by evaluating a scale factor for the images acquired by the device. An accumulated value of the variations of the scale factor over a time interval (e.g., over a number of frames) is produced and the absolute value thereof is compared against a threshold. If the threshold is reached, which may be indicative of a zoom movement resulting in image de-focusing, a refocusing action is activated by displacing the optical system via the focusing actuator in the one or the other of the opposite focusing directions (A or B) as a function of whether the accumulated value exhibits an increase or a decrease (i.e., whether the accumulated value is positive or negative).