Optical system and imaging device

• US 7,019,919 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2004
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2001
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Ide, Takayuki, Wakai, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): HASAN, MOHAMMED A
• Application Number:
  US10/819,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20040190154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 359/726, 359/676, 348/240.3, 348/347
• US Class Current: 359/726
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0045 having five or more lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0055 employing a special optical element
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/006 at least one element being a compound optical element, e.g. cemented elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0065 having a beam-folding prism or mirror
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0075 having an element with variable optical properties
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/009 having zoom function
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 15/1425 the first group being negative
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0896 with variable magnification or multiple imaging planes, including multispectral systems systems with only refractive elements G02B15/14
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0825 the reflecting element being a flexible sheet or membrane, e.g. for varying the focus flexible mirrors for cosmetic use A45D42/24

Abstract

An optical apparatus has a look-up table provided with control information for controlling an optimum variable optical-property optical element in accordance with a distance to an object, a zoom state, or a combination of the distance to the object with the zoom state. A drive of the variable optical-property optical element is controlled on the control information obtained from the look-up table or a predetermined calculation process is executed on the control information obtained from the look-up table, and information obtained from the calculation process is used to control the drive of the variable optical-property optical element.

Claims

1. An optical apparatus having a variable optical-property optical element, wherein a deformed profile of an optical surface of said variable optical-property optical element where said variable optical-property optical element is driven is measured by a measurement device or assumed, a measured value or an assumed value of said deformed profile is compared with an optical design value of an optimum profile of said variable optical property optical element corresponding to one of a zoom state, a distance to an object, and both to adjust a value of a voltage applied or a current supplied to said variable optical property optical element so that said measured value or said assumed value of said deformable profile corresponds with said optical design value of said optimum profile within tolerances, and said value of said voltage applied or said current supplied to said variable optical-property optical element where said measured value or said assumed value of said deformable profile coincides with said optical design value of said optimum profile within tolerances is stored in output information as an optimum voltage value to be applied or an optimum current value to be supplied to said variable optical-property optical element to thereby make a look-up table.

2. An optical apparatus having a variable optical-property optical element, wherein an optical property of said variable optical-property optical element where said variable optical-property optical element is driven is measured by a measuring device or assumed, a measured value or an assumed value of said optical property is compared with an optical design value of said optical property of said variable optical-property optical element corresponding to one of a zoom state, a distance to an object, and both to adjust driving information for driving said variable optical-property optical element so that said measured value or said assumed value of said optical property coincides with said optical design value of said optical property within tolerances, and a value of said driving information provided to said variable optical-property optical element where said measured value or said assumed value of said optical property coincides with said optical design value of said optical property is stored in output information as driving information to be provided to said variable optical-property optical element to thereby make a look-up table.

3. An optical apparatus having a variable optical-property optical element, wherein a voltage is applied or a current is supplied to said variable optical-property optical element, a sharpness of an image formed by said optical apparatus having said variable optical-property optical element corresponding to one of a zoom state, a distance to an object, and both is evaluated to adjust a value of said voltage applied or said current supplied to said variable optical-property optical element, and said value of said voltage applied or said current supplied to said variable optical-property optical element where said sharpness is optimized within tolerances is stored in output information as an optimum voltage value to be applied or an optimum current value to be supplied to said variable optical-property optical element to thereby make a look-up table.

4. An optical apparatus having a variable optical-property optical element, wherein said variable optical-property optical element is driven, a sharpness of an image formed by said optical apparatus having said variable optical-property optical element corresponding to one of a zoom state, a distance to an object, and both is evaluated to adjust a value of driving information provided to said variable optical-property optical element, and said value of said driving information provided to said variable optical-property optical element where said sharpness is optimized within tolerances is stored in output information as optimum driving information to be provided to said variable optical-property optical element to thereby make a look-up table.

5. An optical apparatus having a variable optical-property optical element, wherein an approximate curve table of an optimum voltage to be applied or an optimum current to be supplied to said variable optical-property optical element is provided corresponding to one of a zoom state, a distance to an object, and both and a value of said optimum voltage to be applied or said optimum current to be supplied to said variable optical-property optical element is calculated by an approximate equation obtained from said approximate curve table in accordance with one of said zoom state, said distance to the object, and both in image formation so that a voltage or current of an optimum value obtained thereform is applied or supplied to said variable optical-property optical element.

6. An optical apparatus having a variable optical-property optical element, wherein an approximate curve table of an optimum voltage to be applied or an optimum current to be supplied to said variable optical-property optical element is provided corresponding to one of a zoom state, a distance to an object, and both and a value of said optimum voltage to be applied or said optimum current to be supplied to said variable optical-property optical element is calculated by an approximate equation obtained from said approximate curve table in accordance with one of said zoom state, said distance to the object, and both in image formation so that a voltage or current of an optimum value obtained thereform is applied or supplied to said variable optical-property optical element to thereby drive said variable optical-property optical element.

7. An imaging device having a zoom optical system, comprising:

an image sensor,

a moving lens unit, and

a plurality of variable mirrors,

wherein said moving lens unit contributes to a magnification change of said optical system and said variable mirrors contributes to one of focusing, compensation for a focus shift in said magnification change, compensation for fluctuation of aberration, and said magnification change, and

wherein the plurality of variable mirrors are separately arranged from one another.

8. An imaging device according to claim 7, wherein a device configured to detect a position of said lens unit is provided.

9. An imaging device according to claim 8, wherein the device that detects a position of said lens unit is an encoder or a stepping motor.

10. An imaging device having a zoom optical system, comprising:

an image sensor,

a moving lens unit, and

a plurality of variable mirrors,

wherein said moving lens unit performs a magnification change of said optical system and said variable mirrors performs at least one of focusing, compensation for a focus shift in said magnification change, compensation for fluctuation of aberration, and said magnification change, and

wherein the plurality of variable mirrors are separately arranged from one another.

11. An imaging device having a zoom optical system, comprising:

a lens unit with a rotationally symmetrical surface, and

a plurality of variable mirrors,

wherein said variable mirrors contributes to one of focusing, compensation for a focus shift in a magnification change of said optical system, compensation for fluctuation of aberration, and said magnification change, and

wherein the plurality of variable mirrors are separately arranged from one another.

12. An optical apparatus, comprising:

a variable optical-property optical element,

an active auto-focus system configured to measure a distance to an object or an image,

wherein said variable optical-property optical element is driven based on distance information from said auto-focus system to perform focusing.

13. An optical apparatus according to claim 12, wherein an optical system that performs one-lens-unit zooming is provided.

14. An optical apparatus, comprising:

a variable optical-property optical element,

a plurality of driving circuits for driving said variable optical-property optical element, and

a control information-providing system that provides control information used for operating the optical apparatus in an optimum image forming state, the control information being prepared to control the variable optical-property optical element so that images of objects arranged at a plurality of places in an imaging area are properly formed.

15. An optical apparatus, comprising:

a variable optical-property optical element,

a plurality of driving circuits for driving said variable optical-property optical element, and

a control information-providing system that provides control information used for operating the optical apparatus in an optimum image forming state, the control information being prepared to control the variable optical-property optical element so that images of objects arranged at a plurality of places in an imaging area are properly formed to compensate a manufacturing error of said optical apparatus.