Focus Lens Drivable Range Display for Autofocus and Manual Focus Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current image pickup apparatuses lack a clear visual indication of the focus lens's drivable range, making it difficult for users to distinguish between autofocus and manual focus capabilities, especially in situations where autofocus is unreliable, such as the MF dedicated range.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes a display unit that shows the object distance and focuses on both automatic and user-operated focus lens adjustments, with a controller that distinguishes between the AF available range and the MF dedicated range, providing visual feedback to the user through different displays for improved operability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If autofocus control is used to automatically adjust the focus lens, then focusing speed and convenience are improved, but the system cannot operate in the MF dedicated range where autofocus is unavailable
Solution Approach 1:
The focus lens drive range is segmented into two distinct zones: the AF available range where autofocus operates, and the MF dedicated range where only manual focus works. The display unit visually segments these ranges using different indicators, allowing users to understand the operational boundaries of each focusing mode.
Solution Approach 2:
The display unit acts as an intermediary between the control system and the user. It receives information about the current focus lens position and the boundaries of AF/MF ranges from the controller, then presents this information through visual indicators (distance index display) to guide user operation, especially when transitioning between AF and MF modes.
2Loss of information
If the system provides detailed information about focus lens position and drivable ranges, then user awareness and control precision are improved, but the display complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The display unit uses different visual indicators (effectively color/coding changes) to represent different focus ranges. The distance index display changes appearance based on whether the focus lens is in the AF available range or MF dedicated range, providing intuitive visual feedback without requiring complex displays. This allows users to quickly grasp the current focus state and available operations.
3Ease of operation
If the display unit shows both current focus position and drivable range information, then user operability in MF mode is improved, but the information processing requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller pre-calculates and prepares the boundary information between AF and MF ranges, as well as the current focus lens position relative to these boundaries. This information is made available to the display unit in advance, allowing the display to immediately show relevant operational information without requiring complex real-time processing when the user needs it.
Data Source
AI summary
An image pickup apparatus (200) includes a display unit (204) capable of displaying an object distance in an optical system capable of performing first control in which a focus lens is automatically adjusted to an in-focus position and second control in which the focus lens is adjusted based on an operation amount of a user, and a controller (206) configured to control the display unit, and the controller is configured to control the display unit so that information corresponding to a current focus lens position and information on a first range in which the focus lens cannot be driven by the first control and the focus lens can be driven by the second control are displayed together.