Automatic focusing device

Claim 1

In an automatic focusing device comprising: intensity distribution detecting means for detecting the intensity distribution of the image of an object to be photographed and which is formed by a light beam passing through a lens of a photographing optical system in a photographing device, as a video signal whose level is not affected by the brightness of the object, an accumulation mode image sensor in said intensity distribution detecting means with a charge accumulation time in dependence upon the brightness of the object, a signal processing circuit receptive of the video signal for processing the video signal to determine whether the photographing device is in a focused state, and to determine when the photographing device is in a defocused state and having an output, a drive device in said signal processing circuit for developing a drive direction signal output in response to the output of the signal processing circuit to move the lens in the photographing optical system towards a focusing position, and lens driving means for moving the lens in a direction determined by the drive-direction signal as long as the direction drive signal is delivered by the signal processing circuit, the improvement comprising: a hunting preventing circuit means for making said drive-direction signal ineffective for a predetermined period of time when said lens reaches a focusing position and which is shorter in time when the object is high in brightness and is longer in time when the object is low in brightness, even if said drive-direction signal is delivered after it has been determined by said signal processing circuit that said photographing device is in a focused state, whereby the lens is maintained stopped during said period of time when it reaches said focusing position thereby preventing hunting.