Patent ID: 6636262
Filing Date: 2003-10-21
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
An autofocus apparatus controlling the position of a lens to obtain a focus for an image input to an imaging device through an iris comprising:focus evaluation value detecting means for integrating a high frequency component of a video signal for each of a plurality of regions formed by dividing a picture plane to be imaged by said imaging device to output the result as a focus evaluation value; a focus controller controlling the relative position of said lens to said imaging device to be changed, thereby obtaining a focus such that said focus evaluation value is maximized; a luminance level detector detecting a luminance level of each of the regions of said picture plane; an iris detector detecting the aperture degree of said iris; a region excluding unit selevtively excluding integration of a high frequency component of a region by said focus evaluation value detector in response to the detected luminance level of the region being equal to or higher than a threshold value; and a region excluding controller controlling said region excluding unit to exclude integration of a high frequency component of the region whose detected luminance level is equal to or higher than said threshold value in response to the aperture degree of siad iris detected by said iris detector being at a level equal to or higher than a prescribed value.