METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING SET OF IMAGES AND SELECTING MOST FOCUSED IMAGE

A digital image recording device with a fixed lens system for easily and automatically recording a focused image of an object. Successive images of the object are recorded at various object-to-lens distances, and a program is used to select the image stored in memory which is closest to be in focus. The program could be stored either in static or dynamic memory. In a representative embodiment, this image is selected by computing image contrast values obtained using a focus function. The image corresponding to the largest focus function value is selected as the one closest to being in focus.