Eye image pickup device

• US 6,490,365 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2001
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Takayoshi, Horiguchi, Syuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Healy, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wood, Kevin S
• Application Number:
  US09/903,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20020005893A1
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 385/31, 385/32, 385/38, 385/118, 385/117, 385/119, 385/131, 385/147, 382/115, 382/117, 382/313, 382/314, 382/315, 351/206-210, 351/205, 351/214, 351/221, 376/18
• US Class Current: 382/117
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/145 by video means
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/67 by interactive indications to the user

Abstract

An eye image pickup device includes an object lens; an image pickup element, such as a CCD serving as an image pickup unit; a light shielding portion; and a light guide unit. The light shielding portion shielding one part of the pickup light path is coaxially positioned along a light axis of an optical image pickup system. The light guide unit guides visible light on the route of the guide light path leading to the object lens. A cross section of the guided visible light is similar to that of the light shielding portion, and the center of the visible light is coincident with the light axis. The cross-sectional area of the visible light is set substantially equal to or slightly larger than the effective cross sectional area of the light shielding portion with respect to the optical image pickup system along the light path.

Claims

1. An eye image pickup device for obtaining an eye image of a person, comprising:

an object lens;

an image pickup unit;

a marker provided coaxially along a light axis of an optical pickup system for obtaining the eye image; and

a light guide unit for guiding visible light to said object lens on the route of a pickup light path, wherein the visible light is emitted by a visible light source,

wherein said marker is located nearer said object lens than said light guide unit, and a center of said light guide unit is coincident with the light axis so that the person can see both said light guide unit and said marker.

2. The eye image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein said light guide unit is located nearer said image pickup unit than a midpoint between said object lens and said image pickup unit.

3. The eye image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein said marker is placed on said object lens.

4. The eye image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein said marker is a light shielding portion shielding a part of the pickup light path.

5. The eye image pickup device according to claim 4, wherein said light shielding portion is one of a black sticker glued to said object lens and a black paint coated on said object lens.

6. The eye image pickup device according to claim 4, wherein said light shielding portion is one of a white sticker glued to said object lens, a yellow sticker glued to said object lens, a white paint coated on said object lens, and a yellow paint coated on said object lens.

7. The eye image pickup device according to claim 4, said light shielding portion is provided in a ring shape in a periphery portion of said object lens.

8. The eye image pickup device according to claim 7, said light shielding portion is formed by a lens holder of said object lens.

9. The eye image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein said light guide unit includes an optical fiber cable, one end of which is positioned opposite the visible light source and the other end of which is coaxially arranged with the light axis.

10. The eye image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein the optical pickup system includes a mirror positioned between said object lens and said image pickup unit with respect to the pickup light path, and said light guide unit includes a visible light transmission portion located on a periphery of the light axis of said mirror.

11. The eye image pickup device according to claim 8, wherein the visible light guided by said light guide unit is obtained from a two-color LED located behind said visible light transmission portion, and a color of the visible light is changed depending on whether or not the focus is adjusted.

12. The eye image pickup device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an infrared light illumination unit; and

a visible light shielding filter,

wherein an object is illuminated by said illumination unit, and

wherein said visible light shielding filter is positioned between said image pickup unit and a position where the visible light is guided, and said visible light shielding filter shields the visible light guided into said image pickup unit.