US Patent 10142538 LIDAR assisted focusing device

A focusing device for a camera having a lens includes a LIDAR module, a camera interface and a controller communicably coupled to the LIDAR module and the camera interface. The controller receives data from the LIDAR module, displays one or more targets using the data from the LIDAR module via a user interface, receives a target selection via the user interface, determines a focus setting using the LIDAR data, the target selection and a camera operational data, and sends the focus setting to the camera interface. The camera interface receives the focus setting and drives the lens of the camera to focus on the target selection using the focus setting.