Patent ID: 9007514
Filing Date: 2015-04-14
Classification: G02B,H04N

Abstract:
1. A focus adjusting apparatus for an imaging system that includes an image-capturing unit configured to capture an image of an object via an optical system including a focus lens, the focus adjusting apparatus comprising: a generation unit configured to extract a specific frequency component from an image capturing signal generated by the image-capturing unit along each horizontal scanning line to generate a focus signal; an area setting unit configured to set a focus signal extraction area with reference to the image capturing signal; a peak holding unit configured to extract a line peak value by peak-holding the focus signal along each horizontal scanning line in the area set by the area setting unit; a first evaluation value generation unit configured to generate an integral evaluation value by integrating line peak values obtained along a predetermined number of horizontal scanning lines of all the horizontal scanning lines in the area set by the area setting unit, the predetermined number of horizontal scanning lines being not equal to a number of all the horizontal scanning lines; a point light source identification unit configured to identify the presence of a point light source object in the area; a second evaluation value generation unit configured to generate an integral evaluation value by integrating line peak values of all the horizontal scanning lines in the area set by the area setting unit, a control unit configured to perform a focus adjustment that includes driving the focus lens based on an AF evaluation value derived from the integral evaluation value generated by the first evaluation value generation unit if the point light source identification unit identifies the presence of the point light source object in the area, and to perform a focus adjustment that includes driving the focus lens based on an AF evaluation value derived from the integral evaluation value generated by the second evaluation value generation unit if the point light source identification unit has not identified the presence of any point light source object in the area.