Video signal processing apparatus

1. A video signal processing apparatus, comprising:

an image pickup unit having a focus lens;

an evaluation value calculator unit, which is configured to specify a region, in which brightness higher than a predetermined value lies, from within a region to be a target, for which a focal point estimation value is calculated to be used for moving said focus lens to a focal point, and to calculate the focal point estimation value by excluding the region, in which said brightness higher than the predetermined value lies, from a focal point estimation value calculation target; and

a system controller unit, which is configured to control to be focused upon basis of the focal point estimation value calculated by said evaluation value calculator unit,

wherein said system controller unit controls said focus lens to move to a predetermined position, when a ratio of the region, in which said brightness higher than the predetermined value lies, to the region be the target, for which the focal point estimation value is calculated, is greater than a threshold value, and completes the processes of the auto focus (AF) control without calculating a focal point estimation value of said predetermined position by said evaluation value calculator unit.

2. The video signal processing apparatus, as described in the claim 1 , wherein

said system controller unit starts a lens control, again, at a predetermined timing, after controlling the focus lens to move to the predetermined position.

3. The video signal processing apparatus, as described in the claim 2 , wherein

the predetermined timing is when brightness distribution of a video signal is changed by an amount greater than a predetermined one.

4. The video signal processing apparatus, as described in the claim 2 , wherein the predetermined timing is when a predetermined time passes by.

5. The video signal processing apparatus, as described in the claim 2 , further comprising:

an acceleration detector unit, which is configured to detect an acceleration,

wherein the predetermined timing is when information obtained from said acceleration detector unit is changed by an amount greater than a predetermined one.

6. The video signal processing apparatus, as described in the claim 1 , wherein

said system controller unit controls said focus lens to move to the position, which is determined in advance, when a total area of the region, in which said brightness higher than the predetermined value lies, comes to be larger than a predetermined area.

7. The video signal processing apparatus, as described in the claim 1 , further comprising:

a divided region setup unit, which is configured to divide the region to be the target, for which the focal point estimation value is calculated, to set up,

wherein in said evaluation value calculator unit, the region, in which said brightness higher than the predetermined value lies, is set up by a unit of divided region, which is determined in said divided region setup unit.

8. The video signal processing apparatus, as described in the claim 1 , wherein

the predetermined position of said focus lens, which is controlled to move by said system controller unit, is exchanged depending on a setup mode.

9. The video signal processing apparatus, as described in the claim 7 , wherein

said evaluation value calculator unit determines, in each of regions divided by said divided region setup unit, said region to be a high-brightness region, when a number of pixels having a brightness value exceeding a first threshold value exceeds a second threshold value, and

said system controller unit controls said first threshold value depending on brightness distribution of the video signal.