Patent ID: 7483071
Filing Date: 2009-01-27
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image sensing apparatus comprising: an image sensor which senses an object image which is incident through a focus lens; an auto focus unit which moves the focus lens along an optical axis and moves the focus lens to an in-focus lens position based on an image sensing signal output from the image sensor during movement of the focus lens; a moving picture pick-up control unit which causes the image sensor to execute a moving picture pick-up process; a first auto focus control unit which causes the auto focus unit to execute a first auto focus process for moving picture pick-up when the moving picture pick-up control unit executes the moving picture pick-up process; an auto focus designation unit which designates a start of an auto focus process for still picture pick-up when the moving picture pick-up control unit executes the moving picture pick-up process; a second auto focus control unit which causes the auto focus unit to execute a second auto focus process for still picture pick-up when the auto focus designation unit designates the start of the auto focus process, and which causes the auto focus unit to limit movement of the focus lens within a moving range that is narrower than a movable range of the focus lens; a determination unit which determines whether the first auto focus control unit executes the first auto focus process when the auto focus designation unit designates the start of the auto focus process; and a third auto focus control unit which causes the auto focus unit to execute a third auto focus process for still picture pick-up in which a moving range of the focus lens is wider than the moving range of the focus lens in the second auto focus process, when the determination unit determines that the first auto focus control unit does not execute the first auto focus process; wherein the third auto focus control unit: (i) detects a peak lens position based on the image sensing signal output from the image sensor at a predetermined step interval while moving the focus lens from a first lens end to a second lens end, (ii) moves the focus lens close to the detected peak lens position, (iii) then detects a peak lens position based on the image sensing signal output from the image sensor at a step interval shorter than the predetermined step interval while moving the focus lens within a narrow range near the peak lens position, and (iv) moves the focus lens close to the detected peak lens position.