Provided are a device and a method by which high-precision auto focus (AF) processing can be performed while a focus lens or a zoom lens is being operated. An interchangeable lens acquires position information regarding a focus lens and a zoom lens at a predetermined time interval during an exposure time period of detection information acquisition pixels for use in calculation of a defocus amount (DF), and outputs the position information to an imaging device. The imaging device calculates the defocus amount (DF) by using information regarding the detection information acquisition pixels, calculates a reference focus lens position (Ref_fc) by using points, on a cam curve, corresponding to the inputted lens position information, calculates a target focus lens position (Tgt_fc) in an in-focus position, from the reference focus lens position (Ref_fc) and the defocus amount (DF), and outputs the target focus lens position (Tgt_fc) to the interchangeable lens.

A focusing apparatus includes a determination unit configured to determine whether an object is a moving object, and a focusing unit configured to perform focusing using information on driving of the focus lens generated based on the focus detecting signal in response to an operation of an operation unit. The determination unit determines whether the object is the moving object, using a first threshold before the operation of the operation unit, and using a second threshold different from the first threshold after the operation of the operation unit. The focusing unit performs first focusing that continuously performs the focusing when the determination unit determines that the object is the moving object before the operation of the operation unit, and performs the first focusing when the determination unit determines that the object is the moving object after performing second focusing that performs the focusing once.

An image capture apparatus detects a subject in a captured image. The image capture apparatus further recognizes its user based on an eyeball image of the user. The image capture apparatus then selects a main subject area from among the detected subject areas, based on information regarding subjects captured in the past and stored being associated with the recognized user.

An image generation device includes: a detection unit 43 that performs processing of detecting a specific feature from a plurality of focus images which include an observation target and are in different focus states; a determination unit 44 that determines a parameter indicating a degree of application of a region image to a combination region image in a case where the combination region image is generated from the region image, for each set of the region images in a plurality of corresponding regions respectively corresponding to the plurality of focus images, based on the specific feature detected by the detection unit 43; and a generation unit 45 that generates the combination region image by combining the region images for each of the plurality of corresponding regions based on the parameter determined by the determination unit 44.

A camera device including first and second cameras, focal position information of the first camera and focal position information of the second camera are matched with each other. Also, the accuracy of the current focal position of the first camera is determined based on the phase difference of images obtained by the first camera when the first camera is auto-focused. Subsequently, when the accuracy of the current focal position of the first camera is low, an accurate focal position of the first camera is tracked by using the matched focal position information of the second camera. When an auto-focusing function of the first camera is activated, focal position movements are tracked by using the focal position information of the second camera as well as zoom tracking of the first camera, and thus, the accuracy can be improved.

An optical device may include an optical fiber having a fixed end and a free end a first actuator positioned at a actuator position between the fixed end and the free end and configured to apply a first force on the actuator position of the optical fiber such that a movement of the free end of the optical fiber in a first direction is caused, wherein the first direction is orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the optical fiber; and a deformable rod disposed adjacent to the optical fiber, and having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is connected to a first rod position of the optical fiber and the second end is connected to a second rod position of the optical fiber.

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 image sensor includes a sensor substrate including first, second, third, and fourth pixels, and a color separating lens array, wherein each of the first pixels includes a first focusing signal region and a second focusing signal region that independently generate focusing signals, and the first focusing signal region and the second focusing signal region are arranged to be adjacent to each other in the first pixel in a first direction, and each of the fourth pixels includes a third focusing signal region and a fourth focusing signal region that independently generate focusing signals, and the third focusing signal region and the fourth focusing signal region are arranged to be adjacent to each other in the fourth pixel in a second direction that is different from the first direction.

An apparatus includes a calculation unit configured to calculate a target correction amount based on a shake, a stabilization control unit configured to provide control on driving of a sensor in a direction intersecting an optical axis of a pickup optical system, based on the target correction amount, an autofocusing control unit configured to provide control on focusing based on an image signal output from the sensor, and a setting unit configured to set a limit value for the target correction amount based on a characteristic of the pickup optical system and focusing accuracy of the autofocusing unit. The setting unit is configured to change the limit value depending on the pickup condition, and is capable of setting a first limit value based on the characteristic and a second limit value based on the focusing accuracy.

A method and an electronic device are provided in which, in a first unit pixel of an image sensor, a first analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) is performed by reading out a first photodiode (PD) group and a second PD group that is adjacent to the first PD group in a first direction. A second ADC is performed by reading out a third PD group that is adjacent to the first PD group in a second direction. The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. A third ADC is performed by reading out a fourth PD group that is adjacent to the second PD group in the second direction. A first phase difference in the second direction is detected based on the first ADC, the second ADC, and the third ADC. A second phase difference in the first direction is detected based on the second ADC and the third ADC.