Patent ID: 7725019
Filing Date: 2010-05-25
Classification: G03B

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for deciding an in-focus position of an imaging lens, comprising: a solid-state electronic image sensing device for sensing the image of a subject and outputting image data representing the image of the subject; a first focusing data output device for moving an imaging lens, which has been placed in front of said solid-state electronic image sensing device, along the direction of the optic axis in increments of a first prescribed distance and outputting focusing data representing degree of focus of the image of the subject at every position to which the lens is moved; a target detecting device for detecting a target, which is contained in the image of the subject represented by image data that is output from said solid-state electronic image sensing device at least at one position among positions of the imaging lens at which the level of the focusing data that has been output from said first focusing data output device is equal to or greater than a prescribed threshold value, in increments of a second prescribed distance that is less than the first prescribed distance; and an in-focus position deciding device for deciding on the position of the imaging lens as the in-focus position based upon data that corresponds to the target detected by said target detecting device.