Patent ID: 6542696
Filing Date: 2003-04-01
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
A distance measurement apparatus of a camera comprising:a distance measurement means having a plurality of distance measurement areas in a region to be photographed by the camera and a peripheral region of the region to be photographed; a classification means for grouping one or more distance measurement areas whose distance measurement outputs in difference between any two adjacent distance measurement areas are in a predetermined range and which are adjacent to one another in the plurality of distance measurement areas into a single distance measurement area group; an exclusion means for excluding the distance measurement area which belongs to a group extending over the region to be photographed and the peripheral region among the groups classified by the classification means; and a selection means for selecting the distance measurement area indicating a closest distance and selecting the distance measurement output of the selected distance measurement area as a final distance measurement output from the distance measurement outputs of the distance measurement areas which are not excluded by the exclusion means in the region to be photographed.