Patent ID: 6271883
Filing Date: 2001-08-07
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
An auto-focus integrated circuit, comprising:(A) filter means for extracting a plurality of frequency components including a difference between maximum and minimum values of luminance components of focus detection regions, which change in accordance with a focusing state, from an image pickup signal;(B) gate means for setting a plurality of predetermined focus detection regions in a photographing field;(C) arithmetic means for generating a plurality of evaluation signals of the focusing state, which have characteristics different from each other, by performing predetermined processings for the plurality of predetermined frequency components in the predetermined focus detection regions;(D) gate control means for controlling positions, sizes or the number of focus detection regions in the photographing filed by controlling said gate means according to an instruction from an external control circuit;(E) control means for controlling said filter means to extract different frequency components in the even and odd scanning lines respectively; and(F) interface means for connecting said integrated circuit to an external control circuit and for supplying to said external control circuit the plurality of evaluation signals output from said arithmetic means to perform an automatic focusing operation, wherein said integrated circuit includes at least a part of camera signal processing means for producing an image signal by performing a predetermined process on an output signal from an image sensor.