Imaging apparatus, vehicle and image capturing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11089237-B2
Application number	US-202016809780-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2020
Priority date	Mar 19, 2019
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

An imaging apparatus mountable on a moveable apparatus includes a plurality of lighting-imaging units, each configured to capture an image of a different area on an object in a direction intersecting with a movement direction of the moveable apparatus. The each of the plurality of lighting-imaging units includes a light source unit configured to illuminate a partial area on the object as a lighting area; and an image capture unit configured to capture an image of an image capture area set within the lighting area. The plurality of lighting-imaging units captures an image of a non-overlapped lighting area on the object where the lighting areas of the plurality of lighting-imaging units do not overlap with each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging apparatus mountable on a moveable apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of lighting-imaging units, each configured to capture an imago of a different area on an object in a direction intersecting with a movement direction of the moveable apparatus;
wherein each of the plurality of lighting-imaging units includes
a light source unit configured to illuminate a partial area on the object as a lighting area; and
an image capture unit configured to capture an image of an image capture area set within the lighting area,
wherein the respective light source units of the plurality of lighting-imaging units illuminate the lighting areas to partially overlap with each other on the object, and
wherein the image capture units of the plurality of lighting-imaging units capture an image of a non-overlapped lighting area on the object where the lighting areas of the plurality of lighting-imaging units do not overlap with each other.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the plurality of lighting-imaging units includes a plurality of light source units, and the plurality of light source units are adjusted to overlap the lighting areas of projection light emitted from the plurality of light source units or not to overlap the lighting areas of the projection light emitted from the plurality of light source units.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of lighting-imaging units are arranged by setting a given interval space between the lighting areas of adjacent lighting-imaging units of the plurality of lighting-imaging units on the object in the direction intersecting the movement direction of the moveable apparatus.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of lighting-imaging units satisfy a formula (1) in the direction intersecting the movement direction of the moveable apparatus,
R≥θ 1 /2+θ 2 /2  (1)

where R represents an angle between a first optical axis of a first imaging optical system included in a first lighting-imaging unit configuring the plurality of lighting-imaging;
units and a second optical axis of a second imaging optical system included in a second lighting-imaging unit configuring the plurality of lighting-imaging units, the second lighting-imaging unit being adjacent to the first lighting-imaging unit,
θ 1 represents an angle of view of the first imaging optical system included in the first lighting-imaging unit, and
θ 2 represents an angle of view of the second imaging optical system included in the second lighting-imaging unit being adjacent to the first lighting-imaging unit.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of lighting-imaging units satisfy formulas (2) or (3) in the direction intersecting the movement direction of the movable apparatus,
L 1×tan φ1 <L 2×tan φ2 <L 3×tan φ3  (2)

L 1×tan φ1 <L 2×tan φ2  (3)

where φ1 represents an angle between a first optical axis of a first lighting optical system included in a first lighting-imaging unit configuring the plurality of lighting-imaging units, and one line connecting a lighting origin point of the first lighting optical system and one end point of a first image capture area on the object where an image is captured using a first image capture unit of the first lighting-imaging unit,
φ2 represents a half value of angle of view of the first lighting optical system of the first lighting-imaging unit,
φ3 represents an angle between the first optical axis of the first lighting optical system of the first lighting-imaging unit, and one line connecting the lighting origin point of the first lighting optical system of the first lighting-imaging unit and one end point of a second image capture area on the object where an image is captured using a second image capture unit of a second lighting-imaging unit being adjacent to the first lighting-imaging unit,
L 1 represents a distance from the lighting origin point to a first virtual plane, perpendicular to the first optical axis of the first lighting optical system of the first lighting-imaging unit and including one end point of the image capture area on the object where an image is captured using a first image capture unit of the first lighting-imaging unit,
L 2 represents a distance from the lighting origin point to a second virtual plane, perpendicular to the first optical axis of the first lighting optical system of the first lighting-imaging unit and including one end point of the lighting area of the first lighting-imaging unit,
L 3 represents a distance from the lighting origin point to a third virtual plane, perpendicular to the first optical axis of the first lighting optical system of the first lighting-imaging unit and including one end point of the image capture area on the object where an image is captured using the second image capture unit of the second lighting-imaging unit being adjacent to the first lighting-imaging unit,
the formula (2) is used for one configuration when the second lighting-imaging unit exists adjacent to the first lighting-imaging unit and the lighting areas of the second lighting-imaging unit and the first lighting-imaging unit overlap with each other, and
the formula (3) is used for another configuration when the second lighting-imaging unit does not exist adjacent to the first lighting-imaging unit.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the light source unit is disposed on each side of the image capture unit included in each of the lighting-imaging units in the movement direction, or at least one side of the image capture unit included in each of the lighting-imaging units in the direction intersecting the movement direction,
wherein the image capture unit captures an image of an area on the object where the lighting areas of the light source unit overlaps with each other.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein a positional relationship between the image capture unit and the light source unit in each of the plurality of lighting-imaging units is set the same.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first lighting-imaging unit group including a plurality of lighting-imaging units, each capturing different areas on the object in the direction intersecting the movement direction; and
a second lighting-imaging unit group including a plurality of lighting-imaging units, each capturing different areas on the object in the direction intersecting the movement direction,
wherein each of the lighting-imaging units included in the second lighting-imaging unit group is shifted from each of the lighting-imaging units included in the first lighting-imaging unit group in the direction intersecting the movement direction while partially overlapping image capture areas of the lighting-imaging units included in the second lighting-imaging unit group with image capture areas of the lighting-imaging units included in the first lighting-imaging unit group, and the lighting-imaging units included in the second lighting-imaging unit group and the lighting-imaging units included in the first lighting-imaging unit group capture images of the partially overlapping image capture areas.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein each of the lighting-imaging units included in the second lighting-imaging unit group is positionally shifted with respect to each of the lighting-imaging units included in the first lighting-imaging unit group in the movement direction so that the second lighting-imaging unit group and the first lighting-imaging unit group capture images on the object by shifting the image capture areas in the movement direction.

Assignees

• Takasu Shusaku
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Takasu Shusaku

Classifications

• G01N21/954 Primary

  Inspecting the inner surface of hollow bodies, e.g. bores · CPC title

• H04N23/90 Primary

  Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums · CPC title

• H04N23/695

  Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects · CPC title

• H04N23/698

  for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture · CPC title

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title