Patent ID: 8305486

Claim:
An auto-focus camera comprising: an optical system for forming an image of a target; a moveable sensor for recording a set of one or more images of the target, the set of one or more images corresponding to a set of one or more positions for the moveable sensor; a linear piezoelectric actuator that is mechanically coupled to the moveable sensor for driving the moveable sensor to the set of one or more positions along a predetermined moving direction in response to a stimulus; a driving system actuable to generate the stimulus to drive the piezoelectric actuator; and an image processor that, in response to stored instructions, obtains the set of one or more recorded images from the moveable sensor, processes the set of one or more obtained recorded images, and identifies the image that is in focus, wherein the linear piezoelectric actuator moves at an average speed of 50-100 mm/s along the predetermined moving direction.