Patent ID: 7196729

Claim:
An AF evaluation value calculating device for calculating an AF evaluation value used for AF (auto-focus) control of a digital camera, compnsing: at least one AF evaluation value calculator for calculating an AF evaluation value in each of a plurality of AF areas which are set in an image area of image data supplied; and a data transmitter for transmitting said AF evaluation value calculated by said AF evaluation value calculator to a predetermined memory by DMA (Direct Memory Access), wherein said plurality of AF areas are set in a matrix, and said AF evaluation value calculator includes: accumulators of the same number as the number of colunms of said matrix; a filtering part for extracting a predetermined frequency response component from said image data supplied; and a processor for interating said image data supplied via said filtering part in each of said AF areas of a row by using said accumulators to calculate said AF evaluation value in each of said AF areas of the row and, before said image data included in the next row is supplied, outputting said AF evaluation value calculated to said data transmitter.