Imaging device and apparatus installed with the same

• US 7,936,983 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2008
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ueki, Hironori, Konno, Yasutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Fuller; Rodney E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith; Linda B
• Application Number:
  US12/213,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20080317303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 396/14, 283/68, 356/71, 348/77, 382/124
• US Class Current: 396/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/141 Control of illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/14 Vascular patterns

Abstract

An imaging device includes a light source layer having imaging light source units for radiating the imaging light containing a first wavelength on an object to be imaged, a detection layer having detection elements for detecting the light of the first wavelength radiated from the light source units, and a light-blocking unit interposed between the light source layer and the detection layer. The light source layer is held between the detection layer and the object to be imaged. The light-blocking unit is arranged in such a manner as to block the direct radiation of at least part of the light radiated from the light source units to the detection elements.

Claims

1. An imaging device comprising:

a light source layer having a plurality of imaging light source units for radiating the imaging light containing a first wavelength to an object to be imaged;

a detection layer having a plurality of detection elements for detecting the light of the first wavelength radiated from the light source units; and

a light-blocking means interposed between the light source layer and the detection layer;

wherein the light source layer is held between the detection layer and the object to be imaged,

wherein the light-blocking means is arranged substantially in parallel to the light source layer and the detection layer, an end point of each light source unit along a first direction and located on the surface of the light source unit facing an object to be imaged is assumed to be A, a point where a vector that is perpendicular to the detection layer and passes through the end point A intersects the detection layer is assumed to be 0, a distance between the end point A and point 0 is assumed to be L1, and a distance from an intersection B between the vector and the light-blocking means on a side of the light source layer is assumed to be L2, and the light-blocking means is configured to expand by at least a distance M in the first direction from the intersection B, and

wherein each detection element is positioned at a distance from the intersection 0 in the first direction that is not greater than (L1/L2)M, and at least a part of the detection element is positioned at a distance from the intersection 0 in the first direction that is not less than M.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein the light-blocking means is arranged in such a manner as to block the direct radiation of at least part of the light radiated from the light source units to the detection elements.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein a layer of a transparent material transparent to the first wavelength is interposed between the light-blocking means and the detection layer.

4. The imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein the surface of the light-blocking means facing the imaging light source unit is larger than the surface of the imaging light source unit facing the light-blocking means.

5. The imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein the light-blocking means is a collimator.

6. The imaging device according to claim 5,

wherein the collimator includes a light-blocking plate and a transparent plate, and the light-block plate is interposed between the intersection of the detection layer and the normal to the detection layer passing through the end point of the light source element and the detection element.

7. The imaging device according to claim 5,

wherein the collimator includes a plurality of light-blocking plates and transparent plates, and the interval of the light-blocking plates is not more than one half of the interval of the detection elements.

8. The imaging device according to claim 6,

wherein an end point of a given light source element along the first direction which point is located on the surface of the light source element facing an object to be imaged is assumed to be A, a point where the normal to the detection layer passing through the end point A intersects the detection layer to be 0, the distance between the end point A and the intersection 0 to be L, the distance from the intersection 0 to the nearest light-blocking plate in the first direction to be w, the thickness of the light-blocking plate to be d, and the height of the light-blocking plate to be h, and

wherein the detection element is arranged at the distance not less than (w+d) but not more than (w+d)L/(L−

h) from the intersection 0 in the first direction.

9. The imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein the detection layer includes a means for accumulating the electrical signal of the detection elements and a means for switching the output of the accumulation signal;

the imaging device further comprising a means for controlling the accumulation time of the detection element signal and reading the pixel accumulation signal and a means for controlling the light radiation of the imaging light source units;

wherein the imaging light source control means performs the control operation in such a manner that the imaging light source units at less than a predetermined distance from the first detection element emit no light and at least one of the imaging light source units at not less than the predetermined distance emits light during the accumulation time of the first detection element constituting one of the plurality of the detection elements.

10. The imaging device according to claim 9,

wherein the predetermined distance is the distance to the second nearest imaging light source unit from the first detection element.

11. The imaging device according to claim 9,

wherein the imaging light source control means sequentially switches the imaging light source units for radiating the light, and radiates the imaging light plural times from the first imaging light source unit constituting one of the plurality of the imaging light source units, and

wherein the reading means performs the control operation in such a manner that the detection elements for accumulating the signal and reading the signal are sequentially switched, the accumulation time of the detection elements at less than a predetermined distance from the first imaging light source unit is part or the whole of the time between the extinction and the next turning on of the first imaging light source unit, and the accumulation time includes the time during which the light is radiated by at least one of other than the first imaging light source units.

12. The imaging device according to claim 9,

wherein a transmission layer having an anisotropic transmittance is interposed between the light source layer and the detection layer.

13. The imaging device according to claim 12,

wherein the transmission layer has a laminated structure of first and second media, the second medium is held between the first medium and the detection layer, and the refractive index of the second medium is smaller than that of the first medium.

14. The imaging device with the display function according to claim 1,

wherein the detection layer has a dead zone insensitive to the light of the first wavelength, and the dead zone and the imaging light source units are in opposed relation to each other.

15. The imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein the first wavelength is in the range of 600 nm to 1200 nm inclusive.

16. The imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein the imaging light source units include an organic EL layer.

17. The imaging device with the display function according to claim 1,

wherein the light source layer includes display light source units for emitting the visible light, and the display light source units are arranged in opposed relation to the detection elements.