IMAGING DEVICE

• US 20150156478A1
• Filed: 02/05/2015
• Published: 06/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: ONO, Shuji
• Granted Patent: US 9,723,292 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0075 with means for altering, e.g. increasing, the depth of field or depth of focus
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0006 Arrays G02B3/02, G02B5/188 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0043 Inhomogeneous or irregular arrays, e.g. varying shape, size, height
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/10 Bifocal lenses; Multifocal lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/14 of variable focal length
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/06 Fluid-filled or evacuated prisms
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/343 using light beam separating prisms
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/38 measured at different points on the optical axis , e.g. focussing on two or more planes and comparing image data
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/36 Autofocus systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14623 Optical shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14627 Microlenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/229 using lenticular lenses, e.g. arrangements of cylindrical lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/232 using fly-eye lenses, e.g. arrangements of circular lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/282 for generating image signals corresponding to three or more geometrical viewpoints, e.g. multi-view systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/957 Light-field or plenoptic cameras or camera modules

Abstract

An imaging device includes a multifocal main lens having different focal distances for a plurality of regions, an image sensor having a plurality of pixels configured of two-dimensionally arranged photoelectric converting elements, a multifocal lens array having a plurality of microlens groups at different focal distances disposed on an incident plane side of the image sensor, and an image obtaining device which obtains from the image sensor, a plurality of images for each of the focal distances obtained by combining the multifocal main lens and the plurality of microlens groups at different focal distances.

Claims

1. An imaging device comprising:

a multifocal main lens having different focal distances for a plurality of regions;

an image sensor having a plurality of pixels configured of two-dimensionally arranged photoelectric converting elements;

a multifocal lens array having a plurality of microlens groups at different focal distances disposed on an incident plane side of the image sensor; and

an image obtaining device which obtains from the image sensor, a plurality of images for each of the focal distances obtained by combining the multifocal main lens and the plurality of microlens groups at different focal distances.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

in each of the pixels of the image sensors, an image is formed corresponding to any one in a range of the plurality of focal distances obtained by combining the multifocal main lens and the multifocal microlens array.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

when the number of focal points of the multifocal main lens is taken as m and the number of focal points of the multifocal microlens array is taken as n, the image obtaining device obtains m×

n images at different focal distances.

4. The imaging device according to claim 3, wherein

the plurality of focal distances of the multifocal main lens and a focal length of the multifocal microlens array are determined so that the focal distances of the m×

n images are spaced uniformly.

5. The imaging device according to claim 3, wherein

the plurality of focal distances of the multifocal main lens and a focal length of the multifocal microlens array are determined so that the focal distances of the m×

n images are spaced densely near one or two or more preset focal distances.

6. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

in the multifocal microlens array, each of the microlens groups at different focal distances has an equal number of lenses.

7. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

in the multifocal microlens array, each of the microlens groups at different focal distances has a different number of lenses.

8. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

in the multifocal microlens array, each microlens group of the plurality of microlens groups at different focal distances has a different density according to a position in the multifocal microlens array.

9. The imaging device according to claim 1, comprising a first focal distance changing device which changes at least one focal distance among the focal distances in the plurality of regions of the multifocal main lens.

10. The imaging device according to claim 1, comprising a second focal distance changing device which changes a focal distance of at least one microlens group among the focal distances of the plurality of microlens groups in the multifocal microlens array.