An automatic focus system for an optical microscope that facilitates faster focusing by using at least two cameras. The first camera can be positioned in a first image forming conjugate plane and receives light from a first illumination source that transmits light in a first wavelength range. The second camera can be positioned at an offset distance from the first image forming conjugate plane and receives light from a second illumination source that transmits light in a second wavelength range.

Apparatuses and methods for focusing a camera are disclosed. For example, an apparatus may be coupled to a camera for focusing the camera. The apparatus includes a vision sensor coupled to a processor and configured to capture a view. The processor configured to receive a selection of an area of interest in the view. The apparatus further includes a distance measurement unit coupled to the processor and configured to measure a distance to the area of interest for adjusting the camera's focus.

A CPU executes a zoom tracking control program to function as an acquisition unit that acquires a focal length of an imaging lens from a state of a zoom lens; and a control unit that performs first control of performing control to change a position of a focus lens along an optical axis direction according to the acquired focal length on the basis of a zoom tracking curve represented by tracking data representing a correspondence relationship between the focal length and a focus position according to a subject distance, and second control of acquiring contrast information representing contrast of a captured image a plurality of times during execution of the first control and performing control to change the zoom tracking curve used in the first control on the basis of a change of contrast values represented by a plurality of pieces of the acquired contrast information.

An automatic focus system for an optical microscope that facilitates faster focusing by using at least two cameras. The first camera can be positioned in a first image forming conjugate plane and receives light from a first illumination source that transmits light in a first wavelength range. The second camera can be positioned at an offset distance from the first image forming conjugate plane and receives light from a second illumination source that transmits light in a second wavelength range.

Apparatuses and methods for focusing a camera are disclosed. For example, an apparatus may be coupled to a camera for focusing the camera. The apparatus includes a vision sensor coupled to a processor and configured to capture a view. The processor configured to receive a selection of an area of interest in the view. The apparatus further includes a distance measurement unit coupled to the processor and configured to measure a distance to the area of interest for adjusting the camera's focus.

Various embodiments disclosed herein include techniques for determining autofocus for a camera on a mobile device. In some instances, depth imaging is used to assist in determining a focus position for the camera through an autofocus process. For example, a determination of depth may be used to determine a focus position for the camera. In another example, the determination of depth may be used to assist another autofocus process.

An embodiment of the present invention discloses an image processing method, an apparatus, and a device. The method is applied to a terminal having two specially manufactured cameras. A first sub-image that is of a to-be-photographed object and that is photographed by a first camera is obtained, where a corresponding field-of-view range is [0, θ.sub.1]; a second sub-image that is of the to-be-photographed object and that is photographed by a second camera is obtained, where a corresponding field-of-view range is [θ.sub.2, θ.sub.3], and quality of the first sub-image and the second sub-image satisfies a definition requirement of an extra-large aperture; and the first sub-image and the second sub-image are spliced and fused to obtain a target image that has a larger field-of-view range and satisfies the extra-large aperture.

An imaging apparatus includes an imaging element that captures an image for detecting a phase difference in a predetermined direction on an image surface in order to detect a focal state of an image formed by an image formation lens, an imaging element driving unit configured to be able to drive the imaging element in a parallel movement direction and a rotation direction within a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the image formation lens, and a focus detection unit configured to detect a focus by rotating the imaging element using the imaging element driving unit in accordance with a result of an image captured by the imaging element.

An apparatus executes the instructions to create a combined image by performing combining processing using a plurality of images of an object captured at different focus positions in an optical axis direction, and acquire contrast values of the plurality of images. A depth of field of the combined image is deeper than a depth of field of each of the plurality of images. The at least one processor further executes instructions to calculate a combining ratio used in the combining processing using the contrast values of the plurality of images. An image in which the object is not in focus among the plurality of images is determined using the contrast values of the plurality of images, and the determined image is not used in the combining processing.

Various embodiments disclosed herein include techniques for maintaining multiple cameras in focus on same objects and/or at same distances. In some examples, a subordinate camera may be configured to focus based on the focus of a primary camera. For instance, a focus relationship between the primary camera and the subordinate camera may be determined. The focus relationship may characterize the trajectory of the lens position of the subordinate camera with respect to the lens position of the primary camera. In various examples, the focus relationship may be updated.