Inner focus type telescope

• US 5,796,517 A
• Filed: 06/20/1997
• Issued: 08/18/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pentax Corporation (Hoya Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Asahi Seimitsu Kabushiki Kaisha (Hoya Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsuo, Hirofumi, Goto, Tatsuo, Ito, Takayuki, Sensui, Takayuki, Nakamura, Yasuo, Nakamura, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Henry, Jon W.
• Application Number:
  US08/878,671
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• Field of Search: 359/426, 359/425, 359/427, 359/431, 359/429, 359/430, 359/399, 359/400, 359/401, 359/556, 250/201.8, 356/375
• US Class Current: 359/426
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/04 Adaptation of rangefinders for combination with telescopes or binoculars
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/04 for the purpose of beam splitting or combining, e.g. fitted with eyepieces for more than one observer G02B23/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/64 Imaging systems using optical elements for stabilisation of the lateral and angular position of the image
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/28 Systems for automatic generation of focusing signals

Abstract

An inner focus type telescope includes a sighting objective lens, a focusing lens, a horizon compensating optical system, a focal plane, and an eyepiece through which an object image formed on the focal plane can be viewed, arranged in this order from the object side. The position of the focusing lens is adjustable to form the object image on the focal plane in accordance with the distance of an object to be viewed. The telescope further includes a beam splitting optical system provided in the optical path between the objective lens and the focal plane to split the optical path, a surface equivalent to the focal plane, provided in the beam splitting optical system, and a focus detecting system which detects the state of the focus at the equivalent surface.

Claims

1. A telescope comprising:

a sighting objective lens, a focusing lens, a horizon compensating optical system, and a focal plane on which an object image is formed by said sighting objective lens and said focusing lens, arranged in this order from an object side, said horizon compensating optical system comprises a first compensating prism, a compensating mirror, and a second compensating prism;

a position of said focusing lens being adjustable to form the object image on the focal plane in accordance with a distance of an object to be sighted;

a beam splitting optical system provided in an optical path between said horizon compensating optical system and the focal plane to split the optical path of light incident on the beam splitting optical system, said beam splitting optical system comprises a beam splitting element which is adhered to the light emission surface of the second compensating prism;

a surface optically equivalent to the focal plane, provided in said beam splitting optical path;

a correcting system that corrects an optical positional deviation between the focal plane and the optically equivalent surface; and

a focus detecting system which detects the state of focus at the optically equivalent surface, said focus detecting system comprising a pair of reimaging lenses spaced at a base length distance, and a pair of line sensors in which object images are formed by said reimaging lenses, one of said line sensors being provided with a first reference area to obtain a first reference output, and the other line sensor being provided with a second reference area to obtain a second reference output, so that a deviation of the light conversion point of the sighting optical system, comprising said sighting objective lens and said focusing lens, from the optically equivalent surface, can be detected by a phase difference detection method, based upon said reference outputs.

2. The telescope according to claim 1, further comprising a driving system for driving said focusing lens in accordance with an output of said focus detecting system.

3. The telescope according to claim 1, further comprising mode switching system that selects one of an autofocus mode in which said focusing lens is driven in accordance with an output of said focus detecting system, and a manual mode in which said focusing lens is manually driven regardless of the output of said focus detecting system.

4. The telescope according to claim 1, wherein said correcting system comprises an adjusting optical member which moves a light convergent point of said beam splitting optical system onto the optically equivalent surface.

5. The telescope according to claim 4, wherein said adjusting optical member comprises a plurality of transparent plane-parallel plates having gradually differing thicknesses, that are selectively brought into the optical path of said beam splitting optical system.

6. The telescope according to claim 5, wherein the adjusting optical member is rotatably supported and is provided, on the portion surrounding the center of rotation thereof, with said transparent plane-parallel plates spaced at an equi-angular distance.

7. The telescope according to claim 6, further comprising a battery box in which a battery is received in a liquid-tight fashion, said battery box being provided with an operating portion to rotate said adjusting optical member.

8. The telescope according to claim 1, further comprising an eyepiece through which the object image formed on the focal plane is viewed.

9. A telescope comprising:

a sighting objective lens, a focusing lens, a horizon compensating optical system, and a focal plane on which an object image is formed by said sighting objective lens and said focusing lens, arranged in this order from an object side;

a position of said focusing lens being adjustable to form the object image on the focal plane in accordance with a distance of an object to be sighted;

a beam splitting optical system provided in an optical path between said sighting objective lens and the focal plane to split the optical path;

a surface optically equivalent to the focal plane, provided in said beam splitting optical path;

a correcting system that corrects an optical positional deviation between the focal plane and the optically equivalent surface, said correcting system comprising a movement adjusting system that moves the focus detecting system relative to the optically equivalent surface;

a focus detecting system which detects the state of focus at the optically equivalent surface, said focus detecting system comprising a pair of reimaging lenses spaced at a base length distance, and a pair of line sensors in which object images are formed by said reimaging lenses, one of said line sensors being provided with a first reference area to obtain a first reference output, and the other line sensor being provided with a second reference area to obtain a second reference output, so that a deviation of the light conversion point of the sighting optical system, comprising said sighting objective lens and said focusing lens, from the optically equivalent surface, can be detected by a phase difference detection method, based upon said reference outputs; and

a battery box in which a battery is received in a liquid-tight fashion, said battery box including an operating portion that operates said correcting system, said operating portion provided with a manually actuatable operation knob, and a dial which is positioned about the operation knob, said dial indicating successive displacements of the focus detecting system depending on an external condition including moisture, upon measurement.

10. The telescope according to claim 9, wherein said beam splitting optical system is provided between said horizon compensating optical system and the focal plane.

11. The telescope according to claim 10, wherein said horizon compensating optical system comprises a first compensating prism, a compensating mirror, and a second compensating prism.

12. The telescope according to claim 11, wherein said beam splitting optical system comprises a beam splitting element which is adhered to one of the first compensating prism and the second compensating prism.

13. The telescope according to claim 12, wherein said beam splitting element is adhered to a light emission surface of said second compensating prism.

14. A telescope comprising:

a sighting objective lens, a focusing lens, a horizon compensating optical system, and a focal plane on which an object image is formed by said sighting objective lens and said focusing lens, arranged in this order from an object side, a position of said focusing lens being adjustable to form said object image on said focal plane in accordance with a distance of an object to be sighted;

a beam splitter, provided in an optical path between said sighting objective lens and said focal plane, for reflecting part of a beam of light incident on said beam splitter while transmitting a remaining part of said beam of light;

a surface optically equivalent to said focal plane, provided in a path of said reflected part of said beam of light;

a focus detecting system for detecting the state of focus at said optically equivalent surface, said focus detecting system comprising a pair of reimaging lenses spaced at a base length distance, and a pair of line sensors in which object images are formed by said reimaging lenses, one of said line sensors being provided with a first reference area to obtain a first reference output, and the other line sensor being provided with a second reference area to obtain a second reference output, so that a deviation of the light conversion point of a sighting optical system, comprising said sighting objective lens and said focusing lens, from said optically equivalent surface, can be detected by a phase-difference detection method, based upon said reference outputs; and

a correcting system for correcting an optical positional deviation between said focal plane and said optically equivalent surface, said correcting system comprising a system that eliminates a variation in said deviation which occurs due to a variation in at least one of temperature and humidity.

15. The telescope according to claim 14, wherein said eliminating system comprises a device that shifts a light conversion point of said beam splitter in said path of said reflected part of said beam of light to said optically equivalent surface.

16. The telescope according to claim 15, wherein said shift device comprises a plurality of transparent plane-parallel plates having incrementally differing thicknesses, and that are selectively brought into said path of said reflected part of said beam of light.

17. The telescope according to claim 16, wherein said shift device comprises a rotatable member mounted for rotation about a rotational center, said rotatable member being provided with said plurality of transparent plane-parallel plates positioned about said rotational center so that any one of said plurality of transparent plane-parallel plates can be selectively brought into said path of said reflected part of said beam of light by rotating said rotatable member.

18. The telescope according to claim 14, wherein said eliminating system comprises a mechanism that shifts said pair of line sensors along an optical path thereof.

19. The telescope according to claim 14, wherein said eliminating system comprises a system that selects a group of light receiving elements which define said second reference area from a large number of light receiving elements comprising one of said pair of line sensors, said group comprises less than all of said light receiving elements, while fixing a group of light receiving elements which define said first reference area selected from a large number of light receiving elements comprising the other of said pair of line sensors, to thereby vary the center of said second reference area.

20. The telescope according to claim 19, wherein said selecting system comprises a switch having a code plate.

21. The telescope according to claim 14, wherein said eliminating system comprises a switch having a code plate that supplies correction data to said focus detecting system to eliminate said variation in said deviation.

22. The telescope according to claim 14, further comprising a battery box in which a battery is received in a liquid-tight fashion, said battery box being provided therein with an operating portion to rotate said adjusting optical member.

23. The telescope according to claim 21, wherein said operating portion is provided with an operation knob which can be manually actuated, and a dial provided about the operation knob to represent the successive displacements of the focus detecting system depending on external conditions including moisture, upon measurement.

24. The telescope according to claim 14, further comprising an eyepiece through which the object image formed on the focal plane is viewed.

25. A telescope comprising:

a sighting objective lens, a focusing lens, a horizon compensating optical system, and a focal plane on which an object image is formed by said sighting objective lens and said focusing lens, arranged in this order from an object side;

a position of said focusing lens being adjustable to form the object image on the focal plane in accordance with a distance of an object to be sighted;

a beam splitting optical system provided in an optical path between said sighting objective lens and the focal plane to split the optical path of light incident on the beam splitting optical system;

a surface optically equivalent to the focal plane, provided in said beam splitting optical path;

a correcting system that corrects an optical positional deviation between the focal plane and the optically equivalent surface, said correcting system selects a group of light receiving elements which define said second reference area from a large number of light receiving elements comprising one of said pair of line sensors, said group comprising less than all of said light receiving elements, while fixing a group of light receiving elements which define said first reference area selected from among a large number of light receiving elements comprising the other of said pair of line sensors, to thereby vary the center of said second reference area;

a focus detecting system which detects the state of focus at the optically equivalent surface, said focus detecting system comprising a pair of reimaging lenses spaced at a base length distance, and a pair of line sensors in which object images are formed by said reimaging lenses, one of said line sensors being provided with a first reference area to obtain a first reference output, and the other line sensor being provided with a second reference area to obtain a second reference output, so that a deviation of the light conversion point of the sighting optical system, comprising said sighting objective lens and said focusing lens, from the optically equivalent surface, can be detected by a phase difference detection method, based upon said reference outputs; and

a battery box in which a battery is received in a liquid-tight fashion, said battery box including an operating portion thatactuates the correcting system.