Image pickup apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016112613-A1
Application number	US-201414520147-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 21, 2014
Priority date	Oct 21, 2014
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus includes a lens, an image sensor, an optical filter, and a driving device. The lens focuses light beams from at least one subject to form an optical image, and the image sensor receives the optical image and converts the optical image into at least one electric signal. The optical filter includes a first plate and a second plate, the first plate is disposed between the lens and the image sensor, and the second plate is disposed between the first plate and the image sensor. The driving device moves the second plate. The second plate has substantially the same index of refraction as the first plate, and a thickness of the second plate is continuously decreased or increased across the second plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An image pickup apparatus, comprising:
a lens for focusing light beams from at least one subject to form an optical image; an image sensor for receiving the optical image and converting the optical image into at least one electric signal; an optical filter disposed in a light path of the light beams and between the lens and the image sensor, wherein the optical filter comprises:
a first plate disposed between the lens and the image sensor; and
a second plate disposed between the first plate and the image sensor, wherein the second plate has substantially the same index of refraction as the first plate, the second plate has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the second surface forms an angle with the first surface, and a thickness of the second plate is continuously decreased or increased across the second plate; and
a driving device for moving the second plate, wherein a total optical path length between the lens and the image sensor varies according to a position of the second plate relative to the first plate.

2 . The image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the light beams comprise at least one infrared ray and at least one visible ray, the infrared ray is focused on the image sensor at a first position, the visible ray is focused on the image sensor at a second position, and a difference between the first position and the second position is adjusted through the movement of the second plate.

3 . The image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the first surface and the second surface of the second plate is a planar surface, the first surface is substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the image pickup apparatus, and the thickness of the second plate varies along a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis.

4 . The image pickup apparatus as clamed in claim 1 , wherein the second surface of the second plate is an arc surface.

5 . The image pickup apparatus as clamed in claim 1 , wherein the second plate is moved in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of the image pickup apparatus.

6 . The image pickup apparatus as clamed in claim 1 , wherein the first plate has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, and the second surface forms an angle with the first surface of the first plate.

7 . The image pickup apparatus as clamed in claim 6 , wherein the first surface of the first plate is substantially parallel to the first surface of the second plate, and the second surface of the first plate is adjacent to and substantially parallel to the second surface of the second plate.

8 . The image pickup apparatus as clamed in claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal direction of the second plate is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the first plate.

9 . The image pickup apparatus as clamed in claim 1 , wherein the first plate and the second plate have an identical sectional shape.

10 . The image pickup apparatus as clamed in claim 1 , wherein each of the first plate and the second plate is made of plastic or glass.

11 . The image pickup apparatus as clamed in claim 1 , wherein the first plate is fixed.

12 . The image pickup apparatus as clamed in claim 1 , wherein the image sensor is a charge-coupled device or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor.

13 . An image pickup apparatus, comprising:
a lens for focusing light beams from at least one subject to form an optical image; an image sensor for receiving the optical image and converting the optical image into at least one electric signal; an optical filter disposed in a light path of the light beams and between the lens and the image sensor, wherein the optical filter comprises:
a first plate disposed between the lens and the image sensor; and
a second plate disposed between the first plate and the image sensor; and
a driving device for moving the second plate, wherein a total optical path length between the lens and the image sensor continuously varies through the movement of the second plate relative to the first plate.

14 . The image pickup apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the light beams comprise at least one infrared ray and at least one visible ray, the infrared ray is focused on the image sensor at a first position, the visible ray is focused on the image sensor at a second position, and a difference between the first position and the second position is adjusted through the movement of the second plate.

15 . The image pickup apparatus as clamed in claim 13 , wherein the second plate is moved in a direction substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the image pickup apparatus.

16 . The image pickup apparatus as clamed in claim 15 , wherein a thickness of the second plate is continuously decreased or increased in a longitudinal direction of the second plate.

17 . The image pickup apparatus as clamed in claim 15 , wherein the second plate is a gradient-index optics.

18 . The image pickup apparatus as clamed in claim 17 , wherein a refractive index of the second plate gradually varies in the direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of the image pickup apparatus.

19 . The image pickup apparatus as clamed in claim 13 , wherein the second plate is moved in a direction substantially parallel to an optical axis of the image pickup apparatus.

20 . The image pickup apparatus as clamed in claim 19 , wherein the first plate and the second plate are spaced apart by a fluid layer, and a thickness of the fluid layer is substantially equal to an interval between the first plate and the second plate.

Assignees

• Lee Chen-Cheng
• Chen Hsin-Te
• Wang Kuo-Chuan
• Lee Yuan-Yu
• Young Optics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Chen-Cheng
• Chen Hsin-Te
• Wang Kuo-Chuan
• Lee Yuan-Yu

Classifications

• H04N23/55 Primary

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• H04N23/671

  in combination with active ranging signals, e.g. using light or sound signals emitted toward objects · CPC title

• H04N23/75

  by influencing optical camera components · 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

• H04N23/11

  for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths · CPC title