An autofocus lens system includes no conventional moving parts and has excellent speed and low power consumption. The system includes a small electronically-controlled focusing-module lens. The focusing-module lens includes two adjustable polymeric surfaces (e.g., two adjustable-surface lenses in a back-to-back configuration). The curvature of the surfaces can be adjusted to change focus. The performance of the autofocus lens system is extended by adding a conventional first and second lens, or lens group, on either side of the focusing-module lens. What results is an autofocus lens system with excellent near field and far field performance.

A night vision device, comprising a first light-sensitive chip, a first lens group (101), a first display screen, an image processing system and a control system for adjusting an imaging range of the first light-sensitive chip by adjusting times of optical zooming of the first lens group and/or digital zooming of the image processing system. The night vision device further comprises an auxiliary illumination module (103), which comprises an auxiliary light source and a light guiding cavity; the auxiliary light source at least can emit infrared light; a light ray emitted by the auxiliary light source is emitted via the light guiding cavity; the light guiding cavity has a movable adjustment component for adjusting an irradiation range of the emitted light ray in a manual manner or by means of automatic control by the control system; and the irradiation range is adapted to the imaging range of the first light-sensitive chip. The night vision device according to the present invention can improve a night visual range and imaging quality without changing the level of hardware.

An IC chip that controls a driving mechanism that drives an optical element based on a control signal is provided. The IC chip comprises a generation unit that generates the control signal for moving the optical element to a target position while suppressing sound generated due to the driving by the driving mechanism, based on a detection signal indicating a position of the optical element and relationship information indicating a relationship between an index corresponding to a magnitude of the sound generated due to the driving by the driving mechanism and a position of the optical element.

An optical instrument comprising a plurality of focus drivers, including first and second focus drivers for respectively independently driving the first and second focus lenses within the plurality of focus lenses, and a second focus lens control position determination section for determining a control target position for every fixed period by referencing second focus position characteristic data that has been stored in the memory, based on control target position that has been determined by the first focus lens position determination section, wherein the plurality of focus drivers carryout driving of the first and second focus lenses based on control target positions for every fixed period that have been determined by the first and second focus lens control position determination sections.

Methods and apparatus for implementing a camera having a depth which is less than the maximum length of the outer lens of at least one optical chain of the camera are described. In some embodiments a light redirection device, e.g., a mirror, is used to allow a relatively long optical chain with a relatively large non-circular outer lens. In some embodiments the light redirection device has a depth, e.g., front of camera to back of camera dimension, which is less than the maximum length of the aperture of the outer lens in the aperture's direction of maximum extent. Multiple optical chains with non-circular outer lenses arranged in different directions may and in some embodiments are used to capture images with the captured images being combined to generate a composite image.

Methods and apparatus for controlling the read out of rows of pixel values from sensors corresponding to different optical chains used to capture portions of the same image area are described. The readout is controlled based on user input and/or determinations with regard to the rate of motion in captured images or portions of captured images. For a low rate of motion i, the readout rate of a sensor corresponding to a small focal length is slowed down while the pixel row readout rate of one or more sensors corresponding to one or more optical chains have larger focal lengths are allowed to proceed at a normal rate. For a high rate of motion, the read out rate of the sensor corresponding to the optical chain having the smaller focal length is allowed to proceed at the normal rate.

A focus adjustment control apparatus is provided which includes: a focus detection unit that calculates an evaluation value with regard to contrast of an image via an optical system to detect a focus adjustment state of the optical system; an acquisition unit that acquires from a lens barrel at least one of a maximum value and a minimum value of an image plane movement coefficient that represents correspondence relationship between a movement amount of a focus adjustment lens included in the optical system and a movement amount of an image plane; and a control unit that uses at least one of the maximum value and the minimum value of the image plane movement coefficient to determine a drive speed for the focus adjustment lens when the focus detection unit detects the focus adjustment state.

An image pickup apparatus that performs focusing and zooming by driving lenses and enables focusing that reduces variations in the angle of view without making any modifications to an optical system. An image pickup optical system has a first lens that changes the shooting angle of view, and a second lens that changes a focus position for a subject. An image of the subject formed by the image pickup optical system is converted into an electric signal. The first lens and the second lens are driven. The amount of wobble for use in controlling the focus position for the subject is set according to drive characteristics of at least one of the first lens and the second lens.

An auto-focus device, for eliminating an uncomfortable feeling when phase difference AF is switched to optical path length difference AF when an arbitrary area is set as a focusing target area, and a method for controlling operation of the same. A desired area is set as the focusing target area. Until a first threshold value position is reached, the focus lens is moved based on a phase difference AF evaluation value obtained from a phase difference AF sensor so as to bring the center portion of the imaging area into focus. Until a second threshold value position is reached, the focus lens is moved based on a phase difference AF evaluation value which is obtained from a signal of an area corresponding to the set focusing target area. When the focus lens reaches the second threshold value position, the focus lens is positioned at the focusing position.

Methods and apparatus for performing zoom in and zoom out operations are described using multiple optical chains in a camera device. At least one optical chain in the camera device includes a moveable light redirection device, said light redirection device being one of a substantially plane mirror or a prism. Different zoom focal length settings correspond to different scene capture areas for the optical chain with the moveable light redirection device. Overlap between scene areas captured by different optical chains increases during zoom in and decreases during zoom out. Images captured by different optical chains are combined and/or cropped to generate a composite image corresponding to a zoom focal length setting.