Automatic focusing method

Claim 2

An automatic focusing method of bringing into focus by adjusting a distance between an object and an objective lens so that the maximum contrast of the object is brought about, comprising the steps of: (a) measuring contrast while moving stepwise one of said object and said objective lens along an optical axis of said objective lens in a normal direction with a first constant pitch width from a reference point and storing the contrast at each position where one of said object and said objective lens has been moved; (b) comparing a difference between a contrast value measured at a present position where one of said object and said objective lens has been just moved and a contrast value stored at each position where one of said object and said objective lens has been already moved, with a preset judgment value; and (c) judging that a position of the maximum contrast has been passed in relation to operation with said first pitch width when each of comparison results obtained by said step (b) is a positive value.

Claim 3

An automatic focusing method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of, after the accomplishment of said step (c): (d) returning a position of one of said object and said objective lens to a position shifted in the normal direction for said first pitch width from the position of the maximum contrast and then practicing said steps (a) to (c), instead of with said first pitch width, with a second pitch width smaller than said first pitch width in a reverse direction; and (e) repeating the operation of said steps (a) to (d) until a preset minimum pitch width smaller than a depth of focus is applied.

Claim 4

An automatic focusing method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: (f) determining the value of the maximum contrast in the gradual movement with said first pitch width to compare it with a preset value; (g) returning a position of one of said object and said objective lens to a position shifted in the normal direction for said first pitch width from the position of the maximum contrast value and then practicing said steps (a) to (c), instead of with said first pitch width, with a second pitch width smaller than said first pitch width in a reverse direction; (h) repeating the operation of said steps (a) to (g) until a present minimum pitch width smaller than a depth of focus is applied; (i) carrying out the operation of said steps (g) and (h) when a limit position for the movement of one of said object and said objective lens is set on the side opposite to said reference point and it has been unable to determine that the position of the maximum contrast has been passed in the process for carrying out said step (c) and when the maximum contrast determined in said step (f) is larger than said present value; and (j) carrying out the operation of said steps (a) to (h), instead of with said first pitch width, with a pitch width smaller than said first pitch width, using said limit position as said reference point when said limit position is set on the side opposite to said reference point and it has been unable to determine that the position of the maximum contrast has been passed in the process for carrying out said step (c) and the value of the maximum contrast obtained in said step (f) is smaller than said preset value.

Claim 5

An automatic focusing method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of, after the accomplishment of said step (c): (k) returning a position of one of said object and said objective lens to a position shifted in the normal direction for said first pitch width from the position of the maximum contrast and then moving one of said object and said objective lens for a preset number of steps with a second pitch width smaller than said first pitch width in a reverse direction while measuring the contrast; (l) using the value of the maximum contrast measured during a gradual movement in said step (k) and the values of the contrast at positions shifted for said second pitch width in normal and reverse directions from the position of said maximum contrast to calculate a focal point from an approximate expression of interpolation; and (m) making a change to set the position of one of said object and said objective lens at the position calculated in said step (l).

Claim 6

An automatic focusing method according to claim 4, further comprising the steps of: (f) determining the value of the maximum contrast in the gradual movement with said first pitch width to compare it with a preset value; (n) carrying out the operation of said steps (k) to (m) when a limit position for movement of one of said object and said objective lens is set on the side opposite to said reference point and it has been unable to determine that the position of the maximum contrast has been passed in the process for carrying out said step (c) and when the value of the maximum contrast determined in said step (f) is larger than said preset value; and (o) carrying out the operation of said steps (a) to (c) and (k) to (m), instead of with said first pitch width, with a pitch width smaller than said first pitch width, using said limit position as said reference point when said limit position is set on the side opposite to said reference point and it has been unable to determine that the position of the maximum contrast has been passed in the process for carrying out said step (c) and when the value of the maximum contrast obtained in said step (c) is smaller than said present value.

Claim 7

An automatic focusing method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of, after the accomplishment of said step (c): (p) returning a position of one of said object and said objective lens to a position shifted in the normal direction for said first pitch width from the position of the maximum contrast and then moving one of said object and said objective lens with a second pitch width smaller than said first pitch width in a reverse direction while measuring the contrast, to the position with a contrast value which is smaller than the contrast value at said shifted position and which is closest to said contrast value among the contrast values stored in said step (a); (g) using the value of the maximum contrast measured during a gradual movement in said step (p) and the values of the contrast at positions shifted for said second pitch width in normal and reverse directions from the position of said maximum contrast to calculate a focal point from an approximate expression of interpolation; and (r) making a change to set the position of one of said object and said objective lens at the position calculated in said step (g).

Claim 8

An automatic focusing method according to claim 6, further comprising steps of: (f) determining the value of the maximum contrast in the gradual movement with said first pitch width to compare it with a preset value; (s) carrying out the operation of said steps (p) to (r) when a limit position for movement of one of said object and said objective lens is set on the side opposite to said reference point and it has been unable to determine that the position of the maximum contrast has been passed in the process for carrying out said step (c) and when the value of the maximum contrast determined in said step (f) is larger than said preset value; and (t) carrying out the operation of steps (a) to (c) and (b) to (r), instead of with said first pitch width, with a pitch width smaller than said first pitch width, using said limit position as said reference point when said limit position is set on the side opposite to said reference point and it has been unable to determine that the position of the maximum contrast has been passed in the process for carrying out said step (c) and when the value of the maximum contrast obtained in said step (g) is smaller than said preset value.