Imaging device

• US 9,395,516 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2013
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Katsunuma, Atsushi, Kodama, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): PRABHAKHER, PRITHAM DAVID
• Application Number:
  US14/404,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20150234150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 348345-360
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/2806 Array and filter array
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0208 using focussing or collimating elements, e.g. lenses or mirrors; performing aberration correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0229 using masks, aperture plates, spatial light modulators or spatial filters, e.g. reflective filters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0262 Constructional arrangements for removing stray light
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/28 Investigating the spectrum using colour filters G01J3/51
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/2803 using photoelectric array detector
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/2823 Imaging spectrometer
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/36 Investigating two or more bands of a spectrum by separate detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0015 characterised by the lens design
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0025 for optical correction, e.g. distorsion, aberration
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0056 arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/20 Filters polarising elements G02B5/30
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/201 in the form of arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 9/64 having more than six components
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 11/00 Filters or other obturators specially adapted for photographic purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/32 Means for focusing
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/00 Special procedures for taking photographs; Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/14 interchangeably
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 : Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals

Abstract

Provided is an imaging device (1) having: a front optical system (10) that transmits light from an object; a spectral filter array (20) that transmits light from the front optical system (10) via a plurality of spectral filters; a small lens array (30) that transmits the light from the plurality of spectral filters via a plurality of small lenses respectively, and forms a plurality of object images; a picture element (50) that captures the plurality of object images respectively; and an image processor (60) that determines two-dimensional spectral information on the object images based on image signals output from the picture element (50). The front optical system (10) is configured to transmit the light from the focused object to collimate the light into a parallel luminous flux.

Claims

1. An imaging device, comprising:

a front optical system that transmits light from an object;

an optical element array that is constituted by a plurality of optical elements, which is two-dimensionally arrayed along a plane perpendicular to an optical axis, and passes the light from the front optical system via the plurality of optical elements;

a small lens array that is constituted by a plurality of small lenses, which is two-dimensionally arrayed along a plane perpendicular to the optical axis and has positive refractive power, that transmits the light from the plurality of optical elements via the plurality of small lenses respectively, and that forms a plurality of object images;

a picture element that has an imaging plane on focal planes of the plurality of small lenses, and captures the plurality of object images respectively; and

an image processor that determines information on the object images according to optical characteristics of the optical elements, based on image signals output from the picture element,

the front optical system transmitting the light from the focused object to collimate the light into a parallel luminous flux,

wherein the front optical system includes a focusing lens group executing focusing operation from an obiect at infinity onto an obiect at a finite distance by moving along the optical axis, and transmits the light from the focused object to collimate the light into a parallel luminous flux.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising a holding unit that detachably holds the optical element array.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising a lens barrel that detachably holds the front optical system.

4. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising a partition member that is disposed between the small lens array and the picture element, and prevents an overlapping of light rays that reach the imaging plane from the plurality of small lenses respectively.

5. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the front optical system includes a negative lens group having negative refractive power, and a positive lens group having positive refractive power, and

the focusing lens group is at least one of the negative lens group and the positive lens group.

6. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the front optical system forms, inside thereof, an intermediate image of the object,

a field stop, which prevents an overlapping of light rays that reach the imaging plane from the plurality of small lenses respectively, is disposed in a position where the intermediate image is formed, and

the focusing lens group is constituted by lenses of the front optical system that are located on the object side of the field stop.

7. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of small lenses is arrayed so that the relative positional relationship of a center axis of each small lens and a pixel of the picture element where the center axis crosses is different from one another among the plurality of small lenses.

8. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the optical element array includes, as the plurality of optical elements, a plurality of optical filters of which spectral characteristics are different from each other, and

the image processor determines two-dimensional spectral characteristics of the object based on image signals of the object images according to the mutually different spectral characteristics, the image signals being output from the picture element.

9. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the optical element array includes, as the plurality of optical elements, a first optical element that generates a first linearly polarized light, a second optical element that generates a second linearly polarized light of which polarizing direction is perpendicular to the first linearly polarized light, a third optical element that generates a third linearly polarized light of which polarizing direction is inclined 45°

from the first linearly polarized light and the second linearly polarized light, and a fourth optical element that generates circularly polarized light, and

the image processor determines two-dimensional distribution of a Stokes parameter in the object image, on the basis of an image signal of the object image based on the first linearly polarized light, an image signal of the object image based on the second linearly polarized light, an image signal of the object image based on the third linearly polarized light, and an image signal of the object image based on the circularly polarized light, the image signals being output from the picture element.

10. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of small lenses is arrayed so that focal planes of the plurality of small lenses are formed on a same plane respectively.

11. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the small lens is constituted by a cemented lens in which a positive lens and a negative lens of which refractive index is higher and Abbe number is smaller than the positive lens are cemented, and which has a positive refractive power as a whole,

the cemented lens is configured such that chromatic aberration is corrected in a predetermined wavelength range,

one of an object side surface and an image side surface of the cemented lens is formed in a plane shape, and

a plane parallel plate which extends along a plane perpendicular to the optical axis is cemented to the one surface of each of the plurality of cemented lenses.

12. The imaging device according to claim 11, wherein

the object side surface of the cemented lens is formed in a plane shape, and

the plane parallel plate is cemented to the object side surface of each of the plurality of cemented lenses.

13. The imaging device according to claim 11, wherein

an aperture stop is disposed on a plane where the plurality of optical elements is disposed.