Patent ID: 7450171
Filing Date: 2008-11-11
Classification: G02B,G03B

Abstract:
1. A device which measures data regarding a distance to an object, the device comprising: two optical systems having a parallax therebetween; an image pick up element formed on a semiconductor substrate for picking up two images formed by the optical systems; image processing means formed on the semiconductor substrate for processing an image output from the image pick up element, the image processing means having a low resolution mode for generation of low resolution data from an image output of the image pick up element, and a high resolution mode for generation of high resolution data from an image output of the image pick up element; main subject detecting means for detecting a main subject on the basis of the low resolution data generated by the image processing means; and distance-measuring means for executing a distance measurement operation, based on the high resolution data generated by the image processing means, on the main subject detected by the main subject detecting means.