FOCUSING CONTROL METHOD AND IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE

• Main Author: NUMAKURA SATORU
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 18.09.2002
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USINGWAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FORPROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRICITY; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHYSICS; PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a focusing control method and an image pickup device which can perform proper focusing control, in a focusing control method and an image pickup device which perform focus control according to a picked-up image. SOLUTION: A part or the whole of the picked-up image is divided into a plurality of blocks and exposure is so controlled that a luminance level obtained from a specific block among the divided blocks is within a specific reference luminance level range. After the exposure control is completed, focus evaluated values of the respective blocks of the picked-up image are generated and a low-contrast state is decided according to the luminance distribution of the specific block or the luminance distribution of pixel units in the specific range and focus evaluated values of blocks within the specific range, a focus evaluated value is newly obtained according to the decision result of the low- contrast, and focusing control is performed according to the newly obtained focus evaluated value and low-contrast decision result.