Patent ID: 7812299
Filing Date: 2010-10-12
Classification: G01C,G03B,H01L,H04N

Abstract:
1. An autofocus system comprising: an image sensor which includes two-dimensionally arrayed pixels and micro-optical systems arrayed so as to correspond to the pixels; a photographic optical system through which light of an object passes and which focuses an object image on the image sensor; a focus detecting device which performs correlation calculation by phase detection method to detect a focus adjustment state of the photographic optical system; and a focus adjusting device which adjusts the focus of the -photographic optical system based on a detection result of the focus detecting device, wherein each of the pixels of the image sensor has a first photoelectric conversion section which is divided into a plurality of regions to perform photoelectric conversion, and a second photoelectric conversion section whose outer periphery is surrounded with the plurality of regions of the first photoelectric conversion section and which is divided into a plurality of regions to perform photoelectric conversion; the micro-optical systems of the image sensor guides the light of the object to the pixels; a size of the second photoelectric conversion section is configured such that the second photoelectric conversion section is entirely in the light of the object guided thereto by the micro-optical systems, when an f-number of the photographic optical system satisfies a predetermined condition; the focus detecting device performs the correlation calculation based on at least one of outputs from the plurality of regions of the first photoelectric conversion section and outputs from the plurality of regions of the second photoelectric conversion section; and the focus detecting device selects either the outputs from the plurality of regions of the first photoelectric conversion section or the outputs from the plurality of regions of the second photoelectric conversion section based on the f-number of the photographic optical system, and performs the correlation calculation based on the selected outputs.