Abstract: A camera is provided with an automatic focus adjusting apparatus. The automatic focus adjusting apparatus includes a focus detecting device which detects the focus adjusted state of the photo-taking lens. A monitor device which monitors the movement of the photo-taking lens and an image plane movement speed calculating circuit which calculates an image plane movement speed on the basis of the result of the detection by the focus detecting device and the result of the monitoring by the monitor device. A moving object discrimination circuit discriminates an object as a moving object when the image plane movement speed is equal to or greater than a threshold value. A threshold value setting circuit sets the threshold value used for moving object discrimination in the moving object discriminating circuit. The threshold value setting circuit changes the threshold value when a continuous shooting device is driven.

Abstract: In the blur prevention mode, which prevents photographic blurring caused by the vibration of the camera body which occurs when the mirrors are elevated, an anticipated drive quantity required for focusing the taking lens on a moving photographic subject at the time of exposure is calculated based on the results of distance measurement and a drive quantity equivalent to the distance traveled by the image surface of the moving photographic subject during the time T by which the exposure operation is delayed after mirror elevation is also calculated based on the results of distance measurement to be added to the anticipated drive quantity. The taking lens is driven in the amount of the total drive quantity that is the result of this addition. At the same time, the mirrors are elevated and then exposure is performed when the delay time T has elapsed after the mirrors are fully elevated.

Abstract: An automatic focus adjustment device is provided for focusing on a moving object with precision. The automatic focus adjustment device includes a photographic lens driver assembly to vary the forwarding amount of the phototaking lens assembly. A focus detection assembly detects the defocus amount of the subject image plane. An image plane velocity computation assembly computes the moving velocity of the subject image plane based on the defocus amount. A lens drive control assembly controls the photographic lens driver assembly based on the moving velocity of the subject image plane and the defocus amount. An adaptive controller reduces an instruction amount corresponding to the defocus amount for controlling focus adjustment when the detected defocus amount and the computed moving velocity have opposite arithmetic signs.

Abstract: An autofocus adjustment device capable of computing the confidence level of focus detection accurately is disclosed. The autofocus adjustment device includes a focus detection device to determine focus detection results of the phototaking lens and a confidence value calculation device to calculate a confidence value to determine whether the results of said focus detection means have a sufficient level of confidence. The confidence value calculation device includes a plurality of confidence value calculation units with each calculation unit executing a different calculation process.

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: An automatic focusing device drives a focusing lens so as to follow the actual movement of the subject image-forming plane. The automatic focus device has a shooting lens, a camera body, and a CPU in the camera body that computes a defocus amount by conducting focus state detections at a set time intervals. In addition, the CPU reads, via lens connections, the lens movement amount detected by a drive monitor unit in the shooting lens. Furthermore, image plane velocities are computed at set time intervals using the defocus amount and lens movement amount. A determination is made as to whether the computed image plane velocities are suitable for prediction computations, and when the determination is that the velocities are suitable, the hypothetical time t.sub.n-1 corresponding to the previous image plane velocity computation time is found. Next, after the expected exposure time tr is changed to the hypothetical exposure time tx, the image plane velocity V.sub.

Abstract: An autofocus adjustment device includes a focus detection assembly that repeatedly detects the focus coordination state of the photographic lens assembly. A memory stores the results of the focus detection assembly. The device includes a movement direction reversal determination assembly that determines reversal of the movement direction of a subject based on the focus coordination state recorded in the memory. An exposure assembly controls the photographic operation. A prohibition assembly prohibits photographic operation until the focus detection operations are executed for a specified number of times when the movement direction reversal determination assembly determines that the movement direction of the photographic subject has reversed.

Abstract: An active range-finding device includes a light-projecting section for successively projecting range-finding light beams toward an object in a plurality of directions, a plurality of light-receiving sections for receiving light beams reflected from the object, a distance data calculating section for calculating a distance to the object on the basis of a plurality of outputs from the light-receiving sections, and a speed calculating section for calculating the movement speed of the object in two directions perpendicular to each other which include at least the direction of the optical axis of a photographing lens. The position of the photographing lens at the time of film exposure is corrected on the basis of the movement speed of the object output from the calculating section.

Abstract: An automatic focus adjustment device for use with a camera having a photographic lens.

Abstract: A focus detecting apparatus that includes an optical system having a group of focusing lenses. An object distance measuring device measures a defocus amount for a specific object imaged by the optical system. A focus judging device determines a focus state in accordance with a measurement of the object distance measuring device. A lens driver then drives the focusing lens group to a focal position, in accordance with the amount of defocus, wherein the apparatus includes a controller for repeatedly operating the object distance measuring device and the lens driver. A moving object judging device determines that the specific object is a moving object when the focus judging device determines an out-of-focus state more than one time during the repeated operations.

Abstract: An automatic focus adjustment device and method for a high-speed continuous photography camera are disclosed. The device and method make possible lens driving based on the focus detection results of a previous exposure cycle, even if the current focus detection calculations between frames have not been completed.

Abstract: An automatic focus camera conducts automatic focus when the photographic preparation sequence in continuous photography automatic focussing are not completed in a fixed time. The photographic preparation sequence includes the shutter action preparation and film supply preparation. The automatic focus camera includes a shooting lens, a photographic mode switch that selects whether or not to conduct continuous photography, a photoelectric conversion device that performs focus state detection, a driving motor that drives the shooting lens, and a microcomputer. The microcomputer predictively determines the photographic preparation sequence completion time. When the photographic mode switch is set to continuous photography, the microcomputer determines the subject image plane position at the time of the next exposure based on the focus state detection results and the predicted computation results.

Abstract: An automatic focusing device of the present invention forecasts the future position of the photographic object accurately. The device includes an object focusing position change velocity calculation device, which calculates the object focusing position change velocity of the object, and an object focusing position change velocity ratio calculation device, which calculates the ratio of the object focusing position change velocity as sequentially calculated by the object focusing position change velocity calculation device. An object focusing position change acceleration calculation device calculates the object focusing position change acceleration from the object focusing position change velocity calculation device, and the forecast means forecasts the movement of the future object.

Abstract: An automatic focusing apparatus repetitively detects a defocus amount of a photographing lens, discriminates whether or not an object is moving, and calculates a pursuit correction amount for a moving object on the basis of present and previous defocus amounts. When a non-moving object is discriminated, a drive amount of the lens is calculated on the basis of the present defocus amount, and when a moving object is discriminated the drive amount is calculated on the basis of a pursuit drive amount as a sum of the present defocus amount and the pursuit correction amount. A pursuit enable/disable determining device determines whether the drive amount is calculated on the basis of the discrimination result or on the basis of the present defocus amount.

Abstract: An automatic focus adjustment device that can effect focussing on a moving subject. The automatic focus adjustment device includes a lens driving device, a focus state detection device that detects the defocus amount, an image velocity computation device that computes the subject image movement velocity, and a moving subject prediction device that computes a predicted value for the defocus amount at exposure based on the defocus amounts and the subject image movement velocity. The device also includes a predicted position control device that scrolls the shooting lens by the predicted value, a position velocity control device that controls the scrolling amount in accordance with the defocus amount and the amount of change of the defocus amount with time, a determination device that determines whether or not the control action of the predicted position control device can be completed before exposure, and prior to a release a selection device selects control by the predicted position control device.

Abstract: An auto-focusing device for stably driving a photographing lens to track a moving object comprises a charge accumulation type photo-electric conversion device for accumulating charges at a predetermined time interval to produce a focus detection signal, a defocus amount calculation device for calculating a defocus amount of the photographing lens based on the focus detection signal, a drive distance calculation device for calculating a direction and a distance of the lens drive for driving the photographing lens to track the moving object based on at least the defocus amount, a drive device for driving the photographing lens in accordance with the calculated direction and distance of the lens drive, and a control device for supplying the direction and distance of the lens drive calculated by the drive distance calculation device to the drive device after the end of the next charge accumulation by the photo-electric conversion device to drive the photographing lens so that the photographing lens tracks the mov