Charge-coupled device for automatic focusing and camera shake detector using such charge-coupled device

Claim 2

A camera shake detector comprising: a light detector group for photoelectrically converting an object image formed by an optical system; a monitoring light detector disposed in the vicinity of said light detector group for photoelectrically converting the average brightness of the object image; clear pulse generator means coupled to said monitoring light detector for generating a clear pulse to clear said monitoring light detector and said light detector group to a certain level; decision means coupled to said monitoring light detector for ascertaining whether an output from said monitoring light detectro drops below a reference voltage; shift pluse generator means coupled to said monitoring light detector for issuing a shift pulse to shift stored charges from said light detector group to a transfer unit when the output from said monitoring light detector is found to be lower than the reference voltage by said decision means, and for issuing a second shift pulse to shift stored charges from said light detector group to the transfer unit again after said first-mentioned stored charges have been transferred from said light detector group; transfer pulse generator means for generating a transfer pulse to transfer the stored charges from said light detector group; time equalizer means for equalizing a time period between a first cliear pulse and a first shift pulse to a time period between a second clear pulse and a second shift pulse; and a comparator/processor for comparing first and second image output signals from said light detector group to ascertain whether there is a camera shake.

Claim 3

A camera shake detector comprising: a first light detector group for photoelectrically converting an object image formed by an optical system; a second light detector group for photoelectrically converting an object image formed by another optical system; a monitoring light detector disposed in the vicinity of said first and second light detector groups and coupled thereto for photoelectrically converting the average brightness of the object image; first clear pulse generator means for generating a first clear pulse to clear said monitoring light detector and said first light detector group to a certain level; second clear pulse generator means for generating a second clear pulse to clear said second light detector group to a certain level upon elapse of a time period after the first clear pulse has been generated by said first clear pulse generator means; decision means for ascertaining whether an output from said monitoring light detector drops below a reference voltage; first shift pulse generator means for issuing a first shift pulse to shift stored charges from said first light detector group to a transfer unit when the output from said monitoring light detector is found to be lower than the reference voltage by said decision means; second shift pulse generator means for generating a second shift pulse to transfer stored charges from said second light detector group to the transfer unit, with a time delay between said first and second shift pulses being equalized to a time delay between said first and second clear pulses; and a comparator/processor for comparing image output signals from said first and second light detector groups to ascertain whether there is a camera shake.

Claim 4

A camera shake detector comprising: a first light detector group for photoelectrically converting an object image formed by an optical system; a second light detector group for photoelectrically converting an object image formed by another optical system; a monitoring light detector disposed in the vicinity of said first and second light detector groups and coupled thereto for photoelectrically converting the average brightness of the object image; first clear pulse generator means for generating a first clear pulse to clear said monitoring light detector and said first light detector group to a certain level; second clear pulse generator means for generating a second clear pulse to clear said second light detector group to a certain level upon elapse of a time period after the first clear pulse has been generated by said first clear pulse generator means; decision means for ascertaining whether an output from said monitoring light detector drops below a reference voltage; first shift pulse generator means for issuing a first shift pulse to shift stored charges from said first light detector group to a transfer unit when the output from said monitoring light detector is found to be lower than the reference voltage by said decision means; second shift pulse generator means for generating a second shift pulse to transfer stored charges from said second light detector group to the transfer unit, with a time delay between said first and second shift pulses being equalized to a time delay between said first and second clear pulses; and a comparator/processor for comparing image output signals from said first and second light detector groups to ascertain whether there is a camera shake.