AUTOFOCUS CONTROLLING APPARATUS AND METHOD, RECORDING MEDIUM, AND PROGRAM

摘要

The autofocus response characteristic can be improved. An image pickup sensor performs exposures (ex11,ex12) (C of Fig. 7) in synchronism with a video vertical sync signal (VP1) (A of Fig. 7). A camera signal processing part reads image signals obtained by the exposures (ex11,ex12) at timings (VR12,VR21), respectively (D of Fig. 7). An AF detecting part derives the high frequency components of the video signals corresponding to an AF detection scale-down gate frame (which will be referred to simply as gate frame hereinafter) at the timing of the gate frame, then rectifies the derived high frequency components, and then produces focus evaluation values immediately after the timing of the gate frame. An AF module receives a plurality of focus evaluation values at a timing of AF module (AF2) (F of Fig. 7), then produces such an autofocus control signal (LD3) that the focus position gets close to an in-focus position (G of Fig. 7), and then moves a focus lens based on the autofocus control signal. The present invention may be applied to a video camera.