Image sensing and processing device

Claim 2

An image processing device comprising: a) movement vector detecting means for detecting a movement vector of an image in each of detection blocks formed by dividing an image sensing plane; b) computing means for detecting a distributed state of an image movement within said image sensing plane by statistically processing the movement vector obtained from each of said detection blocks; and c) area discrimination means for detecting an area in which a main object to be photographed is located or an area in which a background of said main object is located, on the basis of an output of said computing means.

Claim 3

A device according to claim 1, wherein said movement vector detecting means is arranged to obtain said movement vector in each of said detection blocks on the basis of a luminance variation in each of said detection blocks on said image sensing plane between temporally different fields.

Claim 4

A device according to claim 2, wherein said computing means is arranged to obtain a distribution of movement vectors by preparing a histogram of movement vectors in said detection blocks in reference to a coordinate axis set on said image sensing plane, and to detect an area having an image movement above a predetermined threshold value and an area having an image movement below said threshold value.

Claim 5

A device according to claim 3, wherein said area discriminating means is arranged to determine said area having an image movement above said predetermined threshold value to be a position of an object to be photographed and said area having an image movement below said threshold value to be a background.

Claim 6

A device according to claim 4, further comprising: d) image shake detecting means for detecting a shake of an image on said image sensing plane on the basis of movement vectors in an area determined by said area discriminating means; e) compensating means for displacing an optical axis of an optical system which images an incident light on said image sensing plane; and f) control means for compensating for a shake of an image by controlling said compensating means in accordance with an output of said image shake detecting means.

Claim 7

A device according to claim 5, wherein said compensating means is a variable apex-angle prism.

Claim 8

A device according to claim 5, wherein said control means is arranged to determine said area having an image movement below said predetermined threshold value and corresponding to a background to be an image shake detection area, and to control said compensating means on the basis of the movement vectors in said area.

Claim 9

A device according to claim 4, herein sad area having an image movement above said predetermined threshold value is used as an object tracing area.

Claim 10

A distance measuring area setting device comprising: a) movement vector detecting means for detecting a movement vector of an image in each of detection blocks formed by dividing an image sensing plane; b) computing means for detecting a distributed state of an image movement within said image sensing plane by statistically processing the movement vector obtained from each of said detection blocks; c) area discriminating means for detecting an area in which a main object to be photographed is located or an area in which a background of said main object is located, on the basis of an output of said computing means; and d) setting means for setting a focus detecting area on the image sensing plane on the basis of the area detected by said area discriminating means.

Claim 11

A distance measuring area setting device comprising: a) movement vector detecting means for detecting a movement vector of an image in each of detection blocks formed by dividing an image sensing plane; b) computing means for detecting a distributed state of an image movement within said image sensing plane by statistically processing the movement vector obtained from each of said detection blocks; c) area discriminating means for detecting an area in which a main object to be photographed is located or an area in which a background of said main object is located, on the basis of an output of said computing means; and d) setting means for setting a focus detecting area on the image sensing plane on the basis of the area detected by said area discriminating means.

Claim 12

A device according to claim 9, wherein said movement vector detecting mean is arranged to obtain said movement vector in each of said detection blocks on the basis of a luminance variation in each of said detection blocks on said image sensing plane between temporally different fields.

Claim 13

A device according to claim 10, wherein said computing means is arranged to obtain a distribution of movement vectors by preparing a histogram of movement vectors in said detection blocks in reference to a coordinate axis set on said image sensing plane, and to detect an area having an image movement above a predetermined threshold value and an area having an image movement below said threshold value.

Claim 14

A device according to claim 11, wherein said area discriminating means is arranged to determine said area having an image movement above said predetermined threshold value to be a position of an object to be photographed and said area having an image movement below said threshold value to be a background.

Claim 15

A device according to claim 12, further comprising: d) image shake detecting means for detecting a shake of an image on said image sensing plane on the basis of movement vectors in an area determined by said area discriminating means; e) compensating means for displacing an optical axis of an optical system which images an incident light on said image sensing plane; and f) control means for compensating for a shake of an image by controlling said compensating means in accordance with an output of said image shake detecting means.

Claim 16

A device according to claim 13, wherein said compensating means is a variable apex-angle prism.

Claim 17

A device according to claim 13, wherein said control means is arranged to determine said area having an image movement below said predetermined threshold value and corresponding to a background to be an image shake detection area, and to control said compensating means on the basis of the movement vectors in said area.

Claim 18

A device according to claim 12, wherein said area having an image movement above said predetermined threshold value is used as an object tracing area.

Claim 19

An automatic focusing device comprising: a) focus detecting means for detecting a degree of focusing on an object in an image sensing plane to make focus adjustment; b) movement vector detecting means for detecting a movement vector of an image obtained within each of detection blocks formed by dividing said image sensing plane; c) area detecting means for detecting an area having an image of the object by computing the movement vectors in said detection blocks to determine said area as a focus detection area; and d) control means for detecting a movement quantity of the image of the object on the basis of said movement vectors in said focus detection area detected by said area detecting means and for controlling said focus detecting means on the basis of said movement quantity.

Claim 20

An automatic focusing device comprising: a) focus detecting means for detecting a degree of focusing on an object in an image sensing plane to make focus adjustment; b) movement vector detecting means for detecting a movement vector of an image obtained within each of detection blocks formed by dividing said image sensing plane; c) area detecting means for detecting an area having an image of the object by computing the movement vectors in said detection blocks to determine said area as a focus detection area; and d) control means for detecting a movement quantity of the image of the object on the basis of said movement vectors in said focus detection area detected by said area detecting means and for controlling said focus detecting means on the basis of said movement quantity.

Claim 21

A device according to claim 17, wherein said movement vector detecting means is arranged to obtain the movement vectors in each of said detection blocks on the basis of a luminance variation in each of said detection blocks on said image sensing plane between temporally different fields.

Claim 22

A device according to claim 18, wherein said area detecting means is arranged to obtain a distribution of movement vectors by preparing a histogram of movement vectors in said detection blocks in reference to a coordinate axis set on said image sensing plane, and to detect an area having an image movement above a predetermined threshold value and an area having an image movement below said threshold value.

Claim 23

A device according to claim 19, wherein said area detecting means is arranged to determine said area having an image movement above said predetermined threshold value to be an object position or a focus detection area and said area having an image movement below said threshold value to be a background.

Claim 24

A device according to claim 18 or 20, wherein said control means is arranged to operate said focus detecting means when the movement quantity of the image of the object in said focus detection area exceeds a predetermined value.

Claim 25

A device according to claim 21, wherein said control means is arranged to detect a change in a distance to an object on the basis of the magnitude of divergence of movement vectors in said focus detection area.

Claim 26

An automatic focusing device comprising: a) focus detecting means for detecting a degree of focusing on an object in an image sensing plane on the basis of a high-frequency component of an image signal output from image sensing means to make focus adjustment; b) movement vector detecting means for detecting a movement vector of an image in each of detection blocks formed by dividing said image sensing plane; c) area detecting means for detecting an areas having an image of the object on the basis of the magnitude of the movement vector in each of said detection blocks to determine said area to be a focus detection area; and d) control means for detecting a movement quantity of the image of the object by computing a divergence of the movement vector in said focus detection area detected by said area detecting means and for starting to operate said focus detecting means when said movement quantity exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

Claim 27

An automatic focusing device comprising: a) focus detecting means for detecting a degree of focusing on an object in an image sensing plane on the basis of a high-frequency component of an image signal output from image sensing means to make focus adjustment; b) movement vector detecting means for detecting a movement vector of an image in each of detection blocks formed by dividing said image sensing plane; c) area detecting means for detecting an areas having an image of the object on the basis of the magnitude of the movement vector in each of said detection blocks to determine said area to be a focus detection area; and d) control means for detecting a movement quantity of the image of the object by computing a divergence of the movement vector in said focus detection area detected by said area detecting means and for starting to operate said focus detecting means when said movement quantity exceeds a predetermined threshold value.