Patent ID: 7187413

Claim:
An image based autofocus method comprising: receiving image data and placing said data into a matrix representing a content of said image data to form a data matrix; monitoring and analyzing the contrast between different portions of said image data matrix; adjusting a focus mechanism that is focusing on said image data; observing an image quality of said image data that has been focused; and continuously outputting an image to support an image processing frame rate and adjusting said focus mechanism to obtain an improved focus image by adjusting said focus mechanism in a positive direction, a negative direction or a zero (0) direction based upon effectuating a desired change in said observed image quality of said image data; and calculating a focus measure by the following equation: Fm =Abs(sum(− G−H−I+V+W+X )−Abs(sum(− A−B−C−D−E+Z+ 1+2+3+4))*(9/25) where: Fm is a focus measure about a central pixel M; and Values A–Z and 1–4 represent pixel information.