OPTICAL TRANSMISSION UNIT AND IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS

• US 20170064170A1
• Filed: 08/16/2016
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sudo, Toshiyuki
• Application Number:
  US15/237,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20170064170A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/243 Objectives for endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2484 Arrangements in relation to a camera or imaging device processing or control of video signals generated by an endoscope H04N23/60, H04N23/70
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/26 using light guides for illumination G02B23/2469
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/005 Diaphragms for cameras G03B9/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/555 for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means

Abstract

An optical transmission unit includes a plurality of optical transmission paths, a first aperture limiter configured to limit an aperture on an entrance end of each of the plurality of optical transmission paths, a second aperture limiter configured to limit an aperture on an exit end of each of the plurality of optical transmission paths; and a moving unit configured to rotationally move, around an optical axis direction of the transmission paths, at least one of the plurality of optical transmission paths, the first aperture limiter, and the second aperture limiter so that a moving direction and a moving amount of the aperture limited by the first aperture limiter can be equal to those of the aperture limited by the second aperture limiter.

Claims

1. An optical transmission unit comprising:

a plurality of optical transmission paths;

a first aperture limiter configured to limit an aperture on an entrance end of each of the plurality of optical transmission paths;

a second aperture limiter configured to limit an aperture on an exit end of each of the plurality of optical transmission paths; and

a moving unit configured to rotationally move, around an optical axis direction of the transmission paths, at least one of the plurality of optical transmission paths, the first aperture limiter, and the second aperture limiter so that a moving direction and a moving amount of the aperture limited by the first aperture limiter can be equal to those of the aperture limited by the second aperture limiter.

2. The optical transmission unit according to claim 1, wherein each of the first aperture limiter and the second aperture limiter that includes a light blocking portion having an aperture corresponding to and smaller than each aperture on the entrance end and each aperture on the exit end.

3. The optical transmission unit according to claim 1, wherein the moving unit rotationally moves the first aperture limiter and the entrance end integrally, and the second aperture limiter and the exit end integrally.

4. The optical transmission unit according to claim 1, wherein a center of a rotation provided by the moving unit is a center of the plurality of optical transmission paths on a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the optical transmission path.

5. The optical transmission unit according to claim 1, wherein the moving unit includes:

a rotation driver provided on an exit side of the optical transmission paths; and

a transmitter configured to rotationally move the exit side of the optical transmission paths with a rotational driving force applied by the rotation driver, and to transmit the rotational driving force applied by the driver to an entrance side of the optical transmission paths.

6. The optical transmission unit according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of optical transmission paths have concentrically arranged apertures around the center of the plurality of optical transmission paths on the plane.

7. The optical transmission unit according to claim 6, wherein each of the first aperture limiter and the second aperture limiter includes a light blocking portion that has a plurality of apertures that extend in a radial direction from the center of the plurality of optical transmission paths on the plane, and are arranged at regular angular intervals.

8. The optical transmission unit according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of optical transmission paths have spirally arranged apertures around the center of the plurality of optical transmission paths on the plane.

9. The optical transmission unit according to claim 8, wherein each of the first aperture limiter and the second aperture limiter includes a light blocking portion that has a plurality of apertures that are spirally arranged around the center of the plurality of optical transmission paths on the plane.

10. The optical transmission unit according to claim 8, wherein an arrangement of the spirally arranged apertures is an Archimedean spiral arrangement.

11. The optical transmission unit according to claim 8, wherein each of the first aperture limiter and the second aperture limiter includes a light blocking portion that has a plurality of apertures of an Archimedean spiral arrangement.

12. The optical transmission unit according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of optical transmission paths have a plurality of apertures of a hexagonal close-packed aperture arrangement.

13. The optical transmission unit according to claim 12, wherein each of the first aperture limiter and the second aperture limiter includes a light blocking portion that has a plurality of apertures of an Archimedean spiral arrangement.

14. The optical transmission unit according to claim 13, wherein a spiral curve s that is made by connecting centers of the plurality of apertures in each of the first aperture limiter and the second aperture limiter is expressed by the following expression:

15. The optical transmission unit according to claim 14, wherein each of the centers of the plurality of apertures in each of the first aperture limiter and the second aperture limiter is disposed at an intersection position between the spiral curve s and a corresponding one of a plurality of lines each of which is made by connecting a center of each of the plurality of aperture in the optical transmission paths to the center of the rotation provided by the moving unit.

16. The optical transmission unit according to claim 15, wherein each of the centers of the plurality of aperture in each of the first aperture limiter and the second aperture limiter is located at

17. The optical transmission unit according to claim 16, wherein centers of two apertures among the plurality of apertures in each of the first aperture limiter and the second aperture limiter shift from the Archimedean spiral, the two apertures include a first aperture that has a first center apart from the center of the rotation by a first distance and a second aperture that has a second center apart from the center of the rotation by a second distance, and a position apart from the center of the rotation by the second distance in a direction from the center of the rotation to the first center and a position apart from the center of the rotation by the first distance in a direction from the center of the rotation to the second center are located on the Archimedean spiral.

18. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

an optical transmission unit; and

an image sensor configured to photoelectrically convert an optical image transmitted by the optical transmission unit,

wherein the optical transmission unit includes;

a plurality of optical transmission paths;

a first aperture limiter configured to limit an aperture on an entrance end of each of the plurality of optical transmission paths;

a second aperture limiter configured to limit an aperture on an exit end of each of the plurality of optical transmission paths; and

a moving unit configured to rotationally move, around an optical axis direction of the transmission paths, at least one of the plurality of optical transmission paths, the first aperture limiter, and the second aperture limiter so that a moving direction and a moving amount of the aperture limited by the first aperture limiter can be equal to those of the aperture limited by the second aperture limiter.

19. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein a rotational movement by the moving unit is synchronized with an image acquiring timing by the image sensor.

20. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein a minimum size of a pixel in the image sensor is equal to or smaller than each aperture in the optical transmission paths limited by the first aperture limiter and the second aperture limiter.