Imaging apparatus and mobile imaging apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11226470-B2
Application number	US-201916716498-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2019
Priority date	Jun 21, 2017
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

Provided are an imaging apparatus and a mobile imaging apparatus capable of reducing the size and weight of a structure relating to focus adjustment. The imaging apparatus 1 includes: a central optical system 12 that captures an image with pan focus; an annular optical system 14 that is disposed concentrically with the central optical system 12; and an image sensor 20 that simultaneously captures an image to be formed through the central optical system and an image to be formed through the annular optical system 14. In the imaging apparatus 1, the central optical system 12 and the image sensor 20 are moved integrally along the optical axis L so as to adjust a focal point of the annular optical system 14.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:
a central optical system that is set to capture an image with pan focus;
an annular optical system that is disposed concentrically with the central optical system;
an image sensor that has pixels which selectively receive light passing through the central optical system, and pixels which selectively receive light passing through the annular optical system, wherein the pixels which selectively receive light passing through the central optical system and the pixels which selectively receive light passing through the annular optical system are being regularly arranged to be coplanar, and that simultaneously captures an image to be formed through the central optical system and an image to be formed through the annular optical system; and
an annular optical system focus adjustment mechanism that adjusts a focal point of the annular optical system by integrally moving the central optical system and the image sensor along an optical axis with respect to the annular optical system.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the annular optical system has a focal length longer than a focal length of the central optical system.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the central optical system is composed of a wide-angle optical system, and
wherein the annular optical system is composed of a telephoto optical system.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the annular optical system is composed of a catadioptric system.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the central optical system is set to capture an image at a long range, and
wherein the annular optical system is set to capture an image at a short range.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an imaging controller that causes the image sensor to capture a video or continuously capture still images; and
an annular optical system focus adjustment controller that controls the annular optical system focus adjustment mechanism,
wherein the annular optical system focus adjustment controller periodically displaces the central optical system and the image sensor during imaging, and periodically changes a distance of a subject which is brought into focus through the annular optical system.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:
an imaging controller that causes the image sensor to capture a video or continuously capture still images; and
an annular optical system focus adjustment controller that controls the annular optical system focus adjustment mechanism,
wherein the annular optical system focus adjustment controller periodically displaces the central optical system and the image sensor during imaging, and periodically changes a distance of a subject which is brought into focus through the annular optical system.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising:
an imaging controller that causes the image sensor to capture a video or continuously capture still images; and
an annular optical system focus adjustment controller that controls the annular optical system focus adjustment mechanism,
wherein the annular optical system focus adjustment controller periodically displaces the central optical system and the image sensor during imaging, and periodically changes a distance of a subject which is brought into focus through the annular optical system.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:
an imaging controller that causes the image sensor to capture a video or continuously capture still images; and
an annular optical system focus adjustment controller that controls the annular optical system focus adjustment mechanism,
wherein the annular optical system focus adjustment controller periodically displaces the central optical system and the image sensor during imaging, and periodically changes a distance of a subject which is brought into focus through the annular optical system.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising:
an imaging controller that causes the image sensor to capture a video or continuously capture still images; and
an annular optical system focus adjustment controller that controls the annular optical system focus adjustment mechanism,
wherein the annular optical system focus adjustment controller periodically displaces the central optical system and the image sensor during imaging, and periodically changes a distance of a subject which is brought into focus through the annular optical system.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the annular optical system focus adjustment controller displaces the central optical system and the image sensor in a sinusoidal wave manner.

12. The imaging apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the annular optical system focus adjustment controller displaces the central optical system and the image sensor in a sinusoidal wave manner.

13. The imaging apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the annular optical system focus adjustment controller displaces the central optical system and the image sensor in a sinusoidal wave manner.

14. The imaging apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the annular optical system focus adjustment controller displaces the central optical system and the image sensor in a sinusoidal wave manner.

15. The imaging apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein the annular optical system focus adjustment controller displaces the central optical system and the image sensor in a sinusoidal wave manner.

16. The imaging apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the annular optical system focus adjustment controller displaces the central optical system and the image sensor in a sawtooth wave manner.

17. The imaging apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the annular optical system focus adjustment controller displaces the central optical system and the image sensor in a sawtooth wave manner.

18. The imaging apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising
an annular optical system in-focus image extraction section that analyzes a video or a group of the still images captured through the annular optical system for each period of displacement of the central optical system and the image sensor, and that extracts a frame image with a highest sharpness or a still image with a highest sharpness as an annular optical system in-focus image for each period of displacement.

19. The imaging apparatus according to claim 18 , further comprising
a central optical system in-focus image extraction section that extracts a frame image or a still image captured at the same timing as the annular optical system in-focus image, as a central optical system in-focus image, from the video or the group of the still images captured through the central optical system.

20. A mobile imaging apparatus comprising:
the imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ; and
a moving body on which the imaging apparatus is mounted.

Assignees

• Fujifilm Corp

Inventors

• Ono Shuji

Classifications

• H04N23/45

  for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images · CPC title

• H04N23/67

  Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals · CPC title

• H04N23/676

  Bracketing for image capture at varying focusing conditions · CPC title

• H04N23/667

  Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes · CPC title

• G03B13/36 Primary

  Autofocus systems · CPC title