LIGHT SOURCE APPARATUS

• US 20090059557A1
• Filed: 05/24/2006
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Tanaka, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,753,554 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/35
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/2013 Plural light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/2033 LED or laser light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/206 Control of light source other than position or intensity

Abstract

A light source apparatus includes a plurality of light sources arranged around a circumference; an optical unit for receiving illumination light emitted from one of the light sources disposed at a corresponding position by relatively rotating around a center axis about which the light sources are arranged; a motor for relatively rotating the light source unit and/or the plurality of light sources; a mode-setting unit for setting a first mode and a second mode; a motor controlling unit for controlling the rotational speed of the motor according to the first mode and the second mode; and a light-source controlling unit for controlling the illumination state of the light sources according to the first mode and the second mode, wherein, when the light sources are to be illuminated, the first mode is set, and when the light sources are to be extinguished, the second mode is set.

Claims

1. A light source apparatus comprising:

a plurality of light sources arranged around a circumference;

an optical unit for receiving illumination light emitted from one of the light sources disposed at a corresponding position by relatively rotating around a center axis about which the light sources are arranged;

a motor for relatively rotating the optical unit and/or the plurality of light sources;

a mode-setting unit for setting a first mode and a second mode;

a motor controlling unit for controlling the rotational speed of the motor according to the first mode and the second mode; and

a light-source controlling unit for controlling the illumination state of the light sources according to the first mode and the second mode,

wherein, when the light sources are to be illuminated, the first mode is set, and when the light sources are to be extinguished, the second mode is set.

2. The light source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in the second mode, the motor controlling unit controls the rotational speed of the motor to a rotational speed lower than the rotational speed of the motor in the first mode.

3. The light source apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, in the second mode, the motor controlling unit controls the rotational speed of the motor so that the rotational speed is reduced with time.

4. The light source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in the second mode, the motor controlling unit carries out control to stop the motor after rotating the motor at a rotational speed lower than the rotational speed in the first mode for a predetermined amount of time.

5. The light source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in the second mode, the motor controlling unit carries out control to stop the motor after rotating the motor at the same rotational speed as the rotational speed in the first mode for a predetermined amount of time.

6. The light source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in the second mode, the motor controlling unit carries out control to rotate the motor at a rotational speed lower than the rotational speed in the first mode after rotating the motor at the same rotational speed as the rotational speed in the first mode for a predetermined amount of time.

7. The light source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the mode setting unit detects the presence of an input signal and detects a state in which an input signal is present after a state in which an input signal is not present, the mode is changed from the second mode to the first mode.

8. The light source apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the mode setting unit includes a lookup table storing information related to the first mode and the second mode, and

wherein the first mode or the second mode is set on the basis of detection information and a mode-changing condition input to the lookup table.

9. The light source apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

a storage unit for storing a plurality of lookup tables of different types; and

a selecting unit for selecting one lookup table from the storage unit according to the level of power saving required by the light source apparatus,

wherein control is carried out in accordance with the selected lookup table.