MAGNIFYING ATTACHMENT

• US 20090093274A1
• Filed: 03/07/2006
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scalar Corporation
• Original Assignee: Scalar Corporation
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Masao
• Granted Patent: US 8,253,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/001 Miniaturised objectives for electronic devices, e.g. portable telephones, webcams, PDAs, small digital cameras G02B23/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0015 characterised by the lens design
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/006 at least one element being a compound optical element, e.g. cemented elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 15/10 by adding a part, e.g. close-up attachment
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/14 interchangeably
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/561 Support related camera accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/565 Optical accessories, e.g. converters for close-up photography, tele-convertors, wide-angle convertors
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 29/00 Combinations of cameras, projectors or photographic printing apparatus with non-photographic non-optical apparatus, e.g. clocks or weapons; Cameras having the shape of other objects combinations with flash apparatus G03B15/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/027 including magnifying means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/21 Combinations with auxiliary equipment, e.g. with clocks or memoranda pads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00246 with an optical device, e.g. an optical viewing aid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00562 Supporting the apparatus as a whole, e.g. stands
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0436 Scanning a picture-bearing surface lying face up on a support H04N2201/0434 takes precedence; using cylindrical picture bearing surfaces H04N1/06; with manual scanning H04N1/107
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/531 being rotatable or detachable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof

Abstract

The object of this invention is to provide a magnifying attachment to be attached to a camera by which a high magnification image can be obtained without appearing a part having no image in the image. The magnifying attachment has a magnifying objective lens (21A), a field lens (21B) for converting a light passed through the objective lens (21A) into collimated light, and a converging lens (21C) for focusing the collimated light on a camera lens (42). Light passed through the converging lens (21C) is converged on a pupil (42X) of the camera lens (42) with a solid angle exceeding the view angle of the camera lens (42).

Claims

1. A magnifying attachment which is attached to and used with a camera having a lens, for magnifying an image to be taken by the camera, the magnifying attachment comprising:

a main body which is detachably fixed to the camera;

an objective lens which is fitted with the main body; and

a converging lens which is fitted with the main body,

wherein the objective lens and the converging lens are configured so that the objective lens allows an image light from an object to be imaged to pass therethrough to magnify the image light, and so that the converging lens allows the image light that has passed through the objective lens to pass therethrough to converge the passed image light on a pupil of the lens of the camera with a solid angle that is substantially equal to or larger than a viewing angle of the lens, when the main body is fitted with the camera.

2. A magnifying attachment according to claim 1, further comprising:

a field lens that is fitted with the main body,

wherein the field lens and the converging lens are configured so that the field lens allows the image light that has passed through the objective lens to pass therethrough to adjust the passed image light so as to enter the entire converging lens, and so that the converging lens allows the image light that has passed through the field lens to pass therethrough to converge the passed image light on the pupil of the lens with a solid angle that is substantially equal to or larger than a viewing angle of the lens, when the main body is fitted with the camera.

3. A magnifying attachment according to claim 1, wherein:

the main body is equipped with an aperture; and

the aperture is configured to narrow the image light to deepen a focal depth when the main body is fitted with the camera.

4. A magnifying attachment according to claim 1, wherein the converging lens is configured to allow the image light that has passed through the objective lens to pass therethrough to converge the passed image light within an area of the pupil of the lens provided to the camera with a solid angle that is substantially equal to a viewing angle of the lens.

5. A magnifying attachment according to claim 2, wherein the field lens converts the image light that has passed through the field lens into a collimated light.

6. A magnifying attachment according to claim 1, wherein the main body can be detachably fixed to a fixture which can be detachably fixed with the camera, and the main body is fixed to the camera through the fixture.

7. A magnifying attachment according to claim 1, further comprising a lighting unit that can irradiate the object to be imaged with an illuminations light when imaging is carried out.

8. A magnifying attachment according to claim 1, wherein the camera is a camera that is fitted with a camera-equipped mobile phone.

9. A magnifying attachment according to claim 1, wherein the objective lens is configured to be detachably attached to the main body.

10. A magnifying attachment according to claim 2, wherein the objective lens and the field lens are configured to be detachably attached to the main body.

11. A magnifying attachment according to claim 2, wherein the objective lens and the field lens are integrated.