Patent ID: 7110667

Claim:
An auto focus apparatus which moves part of a photographing lens through a lens driving device, detects an in-focus position of an object image formed on a photo-receiving surface using an in-focus position detection device and moves the part of the photographing lens to the in-focus position to be detected, comprising: a first temperature detection device which detects a temperature inside a lens barrel of the photographing lens; a second temperature detection device which detects a temperature outside the lens barrel of the photographing lens; a reference driving range storage device which stores setting information on a reference driving range of the lens driving device according to the detected temperature of the first temperature detection device; a correction information storage device which stores correction information on the reference driving range of the lens driving device according to a temperature difference between the detected temperature of the first temperature detection device and the detected temperature of the second temperature detection device; a reference driving range acquisition device which acquires the detected temperature of the first temperature detection device and acquires the reference driving range of the lens driving device according to the detected temperature from the reference driving range storage device; a correction information acquisition device which acquires the detected temperature of the first temperature detection device and the detected temperature of the second temperature detection device, calculates a difference between the two detected temperatures and acquires correction information on the reference driving range of the lens driving device according to the difference from the correction information storage device; a driving range setting device which corrects the reference driving range of the lens driving device acquired by the reference driving range acquisition device based on the correction information acquired by the correction information acquisition device and sets a driving range of the lens driving device; and a driving control device which drives the lens driving device within the driving range set by the driving range setting device.