Abstract: A focus adjustment device that eliminates unnecessary driving of a shooting lens after the shooting lens has already been driven near to an in-focus position. In a focus adjustment device, information related to the defocus amount of the shooting lens is detected based on output signals corresponding to the light intensity distribution of a object image from a pair of photo-electric conversion arrays. The focus adjustment device includes a focus detection circuit to determine the confidence level of the detected information based on predetermined determination criteria and a lens driving device to drive the shooting lens based on the detected information when the information of the focus detection device is accepted as having a sufficient confidence level.

Abstract: A camera includes a photo-taking lens, an automatic focus adjusting device for effecting the automatic focus adjustment of the photo-taking lens, an eye-gaze detecting device for detecting the photographer's eye-gaze position in a finder field corresponding to a photographing picture plane, and producing an eye-gaze detection signal corresponding to the eye-gaze position, a focus adjustment signal producing device for outputting a plurality of focus adjustment signals corresponding to a plurality of detection areas in the photographing picture plane, and a control signal producing device for producing a control signal for controlling the automatic focus adjusting means, on the basis of the eye-gaze detection signal and the focus adjustment signals.

Abstract: A focus detection device is disclosed that establishes a focus detection algorithm range on photoelectric conversion element arrays and detects the contrast distribution of the output signal strings of the arrays corresponding to this algorithm range. Moreover, the focus detection device determines transformation coefficients for the algorithm range based on a detected contrast distribution and coefficients predefined for some of a plurality of photo-electric conversion elements of the photo-electric conversion element arrays. The focus detection device computes the relative shift amount of the output signal strings corresponding to the algorithm range, and converts the shift amount into a defocus amount of a shooting lens based on the determined transfer coefficients.

Abstract: A photographing lens is driven on the basis of an operation result representing a focus condition of the photographing lens, which has been calculated on the basis of the output signal from an image sensor, when such operation result has been judged reliable. A so-called scanning operation is made, in which the photographing lens is driven in a specified direction to find out a location offering a reliable operation result, when said operation result has been judged not reliable. First and second setup modes are provided. In the first setup mode, the accumulation time of the image sensor is set on the basis of the previously set accumulation time and the output signal of the image sensor obtained during said previously set accumulation time. In the second setup mode, the accumulation time of the image sensor is set according to the output of the monitor sensor arranged in the vicinity of a plurality of photoelectric elements and detecting the intensity of the light incidental to the image sensor.

Abstract: A focus detection device permits accurate focus detection within a short length of time. The detection is quick even if there is an error between the output signal strings of a pair of image sensors when the photo lens is in the focused condition. A pair of effective signal strings is extracted from a pair of output signal strings of a pair of photoelectric conversion arrays. The extraction of the pair of effective signal strings is based on a numerical value relating to an error amount between the output signal strings when the photo lens is in the focused condition. The focus adjustment condition of the photo lens is calculated based on the pair of effective signal strings.

Abstract: In a focus detecting apparatus, comprising a focus detecting optical system which leads two images created by the light passing through two different points of an objective lens onto a pair of one-dimensional image sensor arrays, a divider for dividing the pair of image sensor arrays into small blocks to take out the image output from each block, a focus detection calculator for shifting, from each other, the image outputs obtained from the pair of image sensor arrays to calculate the relative shift amount of the two images, and a modifier for changing the width of the blocks; a focus detecting apparatus further comprising a decider which decreases the width of the blocks through the modifier when it analyzes the space frequency component of the subject and determines that the subject includes a high-frequency component, or increases the width of the blocks when it determines that the subject includes a low-frequency component.

Abstract: An image sensor having a plurality of photoelectric devices output signal trains representing an incoming image of an object. A microprocessor divides each of the output signal trains of the image sensor into a plurality of ranges. A plurality of assembly errors corresponding respectively to the plurality of ranges are pre-stored in a memory. The microprocessor calculates the gravity center position of the contrast of the object image for each of the plurality of ranges on the basis of the output signal trains, so that the compensation amount corresponding respectively to each range is calculated. Therefore the microprocessor determines a defocus amount of the photographing lens in each of the plurality of ranges on the basis of the output signal trains and the corresponding compensation amount.

Abstract: A focus condition detecting device comprises an object judgment means to judge an object pattern condition on the basis of the output signal provided by the image sensor in proportion to the object light in a photographing field having passed through the photographing lens and an operation means to detect the focus condition by means of a selected method which is either a first operation method in which the focus condition of the photographing lens is detected on the basis of the data obtained through first filtering of the output signal or a second operation method in which the focus condition of the photographing lens is detected on the basis of the data obtained through second filtering of the output signal according to the judgment result of the object judgment means. For example, in the first filtering, the DC component is completely removed, while in the second filtering, the DC component is not completely removed.

Abstract: The light having passed through a photographing lens is directed in a form of one pair of optical images to each of one pair of image sensors. The electric charge accumulated in one pair of image sensors is output in the form of the output signal trains. The photographing lens is driven on the basis of an operation result which has been calculated based on the output signal trains and judged to be reliable. The reliability judgment standard for the operation result representing the focus condition is set loose when the electric charge accumulation has been made while the photographing lens is stopped or is set more strictly when the electric charge accumulation has been made while the photographing lens is being driven.

Abstract: In focus condition detecting device, the output signal trains of a pair of image sensor arrays are shifted relatively by the predetermined number of shifts, the correlation of a pair of optical images is calculated at each shift position, and the operation results representing the focus condition of a photographing lens is determined on the basis of the shift position offering the ultimate value of the correlation. The focus condition detecting device comprises a cycle detection means to judge that the object pattern is cyclic on the basis of the correlation at the first shift position distanced by the predetermined number of shifts from the shift position offering the ultimate value of the correlation and the correlation at a shift position in the neighborhood of the first shift position.

Abstract: A focus detecting device comprises an image forming optical system, a device for detecting the defocus amount with respect to a predetermined plane of a plurality of images, formed by the image forming optical system, of fields corresponding to a plurality of detection areas which are set beforehand, a device for classifying the plurality of detection areas into a plurality of groups on the basis of the defocus amount, a device for selecting one optimum group from the plurality of groups, and a device for determining one final defocus amount on the basis of the defocus amount corresponding to detection areas belonging to the optimum group.

Abstract: The output signal trains generated through photoelectric conversion of an object image in the image sensor array are filtered to remove the DC component, generating the filtered signal trains. The difference between the value of the filtered signal trains and the predetermined value, for example, 0, is determined and the filtered signal trains are divided into a plurality of ranges on the basis of the above differential data train. A microcomputer detects the focus condition of the photographing lens for each range thus divided on the basis of the filtered signal trains.

Abstract: A camera includes a photo-taking lens, an automatic focus adjusting device for effecting the automatic focus adjustment of the photo-taking lens, an eye-gaze detecting device for detecting the photographer's eye-gaze position in a finder field corresponding to a photographing picture plane, and producing an eye-gaze detection signal corresponding to the eye-gaze position, a focus adjustment signal producing device for outputting a plurality of focus adjustment signals corresponding to a plurality of detection areas in the photographing picture plane, and a control signal producing device for producing a control signal for controlling the automatic focus adjusting means, on the basis of the eye-gaze detection signal and the focus adjustment signals.

Abstract: A pixel signal correcting device of a type which corrects pixel signals generated by A/D-converting signals output from a plurality of photoelectric sensor elements arrays is provided. In a calibration mode when the arrays are exposed to uniform illuminating light, the pixel signal for each pixel of the arrays is stored, and a reference pixel signal is determined based on the stored pixel signals. A correction value for each pixel is determined based on a difference between the corresponding stored pixel signal and the reference pixel signal, such that all of the correction values have the same sign. The correction values are stored and used for correcting pixel signals generated during a normal operating mode.

Abstract: An exposure control device in a camera comprises a focus detection device for calculating a plurality of defocus amounts corresponding to a plurality of focus detection areas, a weight producing device for producing a plurality of weights corresponding to the plurality of focus detection areas on the basis of the plurality of defocus amounts, a light metering device for light-metering a plurality of light metering areas at least partly overlapping with the plurality of focus detection areas and producing a plurality of light metering outputs, and an exposure amount calculating device for calculating a proper exposure amount on the basis of the plurality of weights and the plurality of light metering outputs.

Abstract: A focus detecting device comprises an image forming optical system, a device for detecting the defocus amount with respect to a predetermined plane of a plurality of images, formed by the image forming optical system, of fields corresponding to a plurality of detection areas which are set beforehand, a device for classifying the plurality of detection areas into a plurality of groups on the basis of the defocus amount, a device for selecting one optimum group from the plurality of groups, and a device for determining one final defocus amount on the basis of the defocus amount corresponding to detection areas belonging to the optimum group.

Abstract: A focus detection apparatus includes two photoelectric conversion units for outputting electrical signals corresponding to light receiving amounts, an optical unit for splitting an object image into two images to cause the two images to be respectively focused on the two photoelectric conversion unit, and a judging unit for judging on the basis of the electrical signals from the photoelectric conversion unit whether or not the object image has a periodic contrast pattern.

Abstract: In photometric apparatus, averaged brightness information, which counteracts the deleterious effects of a varying light source, such as a fluorescent lamp, is obtained much more rapidly than averaged brightness information obtained after a substantial number of cycles of operation of a storage type image sensor normally used for photometry. Use is made of brightness information obtained from a photoelectric conversion device of the type normally used for focus detection.

Abstract: A focus state detecting device which utilizes image sensor arrays.

Abstract: A focus state detecting device for a camera has plural areas for focus state detection for an object, and is capable of securing wide focus state detecting areas.The device has a pair of first photo-detector arrays arranged in a first direction and a pair of second photo-detector arrays arranged in a second direction, wherein the light receiving area of the first arrays is wider than that of the second arrays, and the first direction is the same as the longitudinal direction of the photographing field.