Image-pickup apparatus for dust prevention

• US 7,787,031 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2007
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hozumi, Yasushi, Noto, Goro, Itoh, Isami
• Primary Examiner(s): Villecco; John M
• Assistant Examiner(s): WANG, KENT F
• Application Number:
  US11/733,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20070247543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 34820799-369, 359/290
• US Class Current: 348/241
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0006 with means to keep optical surfaces clean, e.g. by preventing or removing dirt, stains, contamination, condensation G02B1/18 takes precedence; cleaning in general B08B
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes

Abstract

An optical filter which can remove dust stuck to the incidence surface of incidence of light and reduce the mounting space. A filter body is adapted to have predetermined transmittivity as well as a piezoelectric characteristic. At least two electrodes are formed on the filter body. A drive voltage is applied between the at least two electrodes to vibrate the filter body.

Claims

1. An image-pickup apparatus comprising:

an image-pickup device adapted to convert light from an object to an electric signal;

an optical member arranged in front of the image-pickup device at a distance from the image-pickup device;

a sealing member adapted to block off a space formed between the image-pickup device and the optical member from outside;

a surface acoustic wave exciting unit adapted to excite a surface acoustic wave on a surface of the optical member on an object side facing the object when an AC voltage of the predetermined frequency is applied thereto, the surface acoustic wave exciting unit being disposed at one end of the surface located outside of an area where the light from the object transmits into the optical member; and

a restrain unit adapted to restrain an occurrence of a reflected wave of the surface acoustic wave, the restrain unit being disposed at the other opposing end of the surface with respect to the surface acoustic wave exciting unit, and the other opposing end being located outside of the area.

2. The image-pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the surface acoustic wave exciting unit has a first comb-shaped electrode and a second comb-shaped electrode, and the AC voltage of the predetermined frequency is applied between the first comb-shaped electrode and the second comb-shaped electrode.

3. The image-pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an optical filter arranged in a space between the optical member and the image-pickup device blocked off from outside by the sealing member, adapted to have a predetermined cutoff wavelength.

4. The image-pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the optical member is made up of a piezoelectric member having a filter characteristic of limiting passage of a spatial frequency component in a predetermined band.

5. The image-pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the restrain unit is a vibration absorption member for absorbing the surface acoustic wave.

6. An image-pickup apparatus comprising:

a substrate;

a cover member adapted to cover the substrate to form a housing space blocked off from outside, the housing space being formed between the cover member and the substrate, and the cover member allowing light from an object to pass;

an image-pickup element housed in the housing space and adapted to convert light which has passed through the cover member to an electric signal;

a surface acoustic wave exciting unit adapted to excite a surface acoustic wave on a surface of the cover member on an object side facing the object when an AC voltage of the predetermined frequency is applied thereto, the surface acoustic wave exciting unit being disposed at one end of the surface located outside of an area where the light from the object transmits into the cover member; and

a restrain unit adapted to restrain an occurrence of a reflected wave of the surface acoustic wave, the restrain unit being disposed at the other opposing end of the surface with respect to the surface acoustic wave exciting unit, and the other opposing end being located outside of the area.

7. The image-pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 6,

wherein the surface acoustic wave exciting unit has a first comb-shaped electrode and a second comb-shaped electrode, and the AC voltage of the predetermined frequency is applied between the first comb-shaped electrode and the second comb-shaped electrode.

8. The image-pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 6,

wherein the cover member is made up of a piezoelectric member which has a filter characteristic of limiting passage of a spatial frequency component in a predetermined band.

9. An image-pickup apparatus comprising:

a substrate;

a cover member adapted to cover the substrate to form a housing space blocked off from outside, the housing space being formed between the cover member and the substrate, and the cover member allowing light from an object to pass;

an image-pickup element housed in the housing space and adapted to convert light which has passed through the cover member to an electric signal;

an optical member pasted onto a surface of the cover member on an object side facing the object;

a surface acoustic wave exciting unit adapted to excite a surface acoustic wave on a surface of the optical member on the object side when an AC voltage of the predetermined frequency is applied thereto, the surface acoustic wave exciting unit being disposed at one end of the surface located outside of an area where the light from the object transmits into the optical member; and

a restrain unit adapted to restrain an occurrence of a reflected wave of the surface acoustic wave, the restrain unit being disposed at the other opposing end of the surface of the optical member with respect to the surface acoustic wave exciting unit, and the other opposing end being located outside of the area.

10. The image-pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 9,

wherein the surface acoustic wave exciting unit has a first comb-shaped electrode and a second comb-shaped electrode, and the AC voltage of the predetermined frequency is applied between the first comb-shaped electrode and the second comb-shaped electrode.

11. The image-pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 9,

wherein the optical member is made of a piezoelectric member which has a filter characteristic of limiting passage of a spatial frequency component in a predetermined band.