Patent ID: 6327435
Filing Date: 2001-12-04
Classification: G02B,G03B

Abstract:
A focus adjusting apparatus including a focus detecting circuit which carries out, using a plurality of signal accumulation type sensor portions, the signal accumulation in each of said sensor portions to detect the focus states for a plurality of areas on the basis of the signals from the sensor portions in each of which the signal accumulation has already been completed, the focus adjustment being carried out on the basis of the focus states which have been detected by said focus detecting circuit, said apparatus comprising:an accumulation time limiting circuit completes, even if the accumulation in said sensor portions have not yet been completed, the accumulation for said sensor portions, said accumulation time limiting circuit including a first mode in which an accumulation time of the accumulation operation for said plurality of sensor portions in the state of applying no light to an object is controlled, and a second mode in which an accumulation completed time of the accumulation operation for said plurality of sensor portions in a state of applying the light to the object is controlled; andan accumulation completed time determining circuit which determines the completed time provided by said accumulation time limiting circuit by utilizing manners different in the first and second modes, said accumulation completed time determining circuit determining, in the first mode, the completed time with as a factor the time for the accumulation in the sensor portions in each of which the accumulation operation has already been completed when the accumulation operation is being carried out, and in the second mode, determining the completed time irrespective of the time for the accumulation in the sensor portions in each of which the accumulation operation has already been completed.