Optical instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9423597-B2
Application number	US-201514707931-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2015
Priority date	Dec 28, 2011
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

An optical instrument of the present invention has a first lens group and a second lens group capable of moving in an optical axis direction in order to perform optical zooming, and comprises a storage section for storing first position information relating to positions of the first lens group and positions of the second lens group corresponding to identical focal lengths that fall within a focal length region range in which zoom operations of the optical instrument are carried out, and second position information relating to positions of the first lens group and positions of the second lens group corresponding to different focal lengths that fall within the focal length region, and establishes a second optical state of a higher shooting magnification than a first optical state, when establishing substantially the same focal length as a focal length of the first optical state based on the first position information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical instrument having a first lens group and a second lens group capable of moving in an optical axis direction in order to perform optical zooming, comprising:
a first drive section for moving the first lens group;
a second drive section for moving the second lens group;
a storage section for storing first position information relating to positions of the first lens group and positions of the second lens group corresponding to identical focal lengths that fall within a focal length region range in which zoom operations of the optical instrument are carried out, and second position information relating to positions of the first lens group and positions of the second lens group corresponding to different focal lengths that fall within the focal length region with a second optical state of a higher shooting magnification than a first optical state being established when establishing substantially the same focal length as a focal length of the first optical state based on the first position information;
a control section for controlling the first drive section and the second drive section so that, when setting up an optical state of a higher shooting magnification from an optical state where positions of the first lens group and the second lens group have been positioned at positions corresponding to the same focal length that falls within a focal length region range in which zoom operations are carried out, based on the first position information, the first lens group and the second lens group are respectively moved to positions corresponding to a focal length that is mutually different to that of the first position information for within the focal length region range in which zoom operation is carried out, based on the second position information, so as to set up the second optical state; and
a focus adjustment lens group which is different from the first lens group and the second lens group,
wherein the control section, when the second optical state of higher shooting magnification is set up based on the second position information, from an optical state based on the first position information, controls the focus adjustment lens group to a position corresponding to a range of distance in which focus can be adjusted, in the second optical state having higher shooting magnification.

2. The optical instrument of claim 1 wherein:
it is possible to carry out a zoom operation with a manual operation; and
the control section, when setting up the optical state having higher shooting magnification from a zoom operation state using manual operation, controls the focus adjustment lens group to a position corresponding to a range of distance in which focus can be adjusted, in the optical state having the higher shooting magnification.

3. The optical instrument of claim 2 , wherein:
the control section controls the focus adjustment lens group to a position corresponding to the infinity end distance included in a range of distance in which focus can be adjusted, in the second optical state having the higher shooting magnification.

4. The optical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the first position information is used by the controller when the optical instrument is in one of (A) a manual zoom mode, or (B) an electronic zoom mode, and the second position information is used by the controller when the optical instrument is in a macro mode.

5. The optical instrument of claim 4 , wherein the macro mode includes at least two predefined discrete focal lengths, each of the at least two predefined discrete focal lengths having an associated first lens group position and an associated second lens group position.

6. An optical instrument having a first lens group and a second lens group capable of moving in an optical axis direction in order to perform optical zooming, comprising:
a first drive section for moving the first lens group;
a second drive section for moving the second lens group;
a storage section for storing first position information relating to positions of the first lens group and positions of the second lens group corresponding to identical focal lengths that fall within a focal length region range in which zoom operations of the optical instrument are carried out, and second position information relating to positions of the first lens group and positions of the second lens group corresponding to different focal lengths that fall within the focal length region with a second optical state of a higher shooting magnification than a first optical state being established when establishing substantially the same focal length as a focal length of the first optical state based on the first position information;
a control section for controlling the first drive section and the second drive section so that, when setting up an optical state of a higher shooting magnification from an optical state where positions of the first lens group and the second lens group have been positioned at positions corresponding to the same focal length that falls within a focal length region range in which zoom operations are carried out, based on the first position information, the first lens group and the second lens group are respectively moved to positions corresponding to a focal length that is mutually different to that of the first position information for within the focal length region range in which zoom operation is carried out, based on the second position information, so as to set up the second optical state; and
a focus adjustment lens group which is different from the first lens group and the second lens group,
wherein the control section, when the second optical state of higher shooting magnification is set up based on the second position information, from an optical state based on the first position information, controls the focus adjustment lens group to a position corresponding to a range of distance in which focus can be adjusted, in the second optical state having higher shooting magnification.

7. The optical instrument of claim 6 wherein:
it is possible to carryout a zoom operation with a manual operation; and
the control section, when setting up the second optical state where focus can be adjusted to a shorter distance from a zoom operation state using manual operation, controls the focus adjustment lens group to a position corresponding to a range of distance in which focus can be adjusted, in the optical state having the higher shooting magnification.

8. The optical instrument of claim 7 , wherein:
the control section controls the focus adjustment lens group to a position corresponding to the infinity end distance included in a range of distance in which focus can be adjusted, in the second optical state where focus can be adjusted to the closer distance.

9. The optical instrument of claim 6 , wherein the first position information is used by the controller when the optical instrument is in one of (A) a manual zoom mode, or (B) an electronic zoom mode, and the second position information is used by the controller when the optical instrument is in a macro mode.

10. The optical instrument of claim 9 , wherein the macro mode includes at least two predefined discrete focal lengths, each of the at least two predefined discrete focal lengths having an associated first lens group position and an associated second lens group position.

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Okawa Satoshi

Classifications

• G03B5/00

  Adjustment of optical system relative to image or object surface other than for focusing · CPC title

• G03B3/10

  Power-operated focusing · CPC title

• G02B15/16 Primary

  with interdependent non-linearly related movements between one lens or lens group, and another lens or lens group (G02B15/22 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B7/102

  controlled by a microcomputer (cameras with interchangeable lenses G03B17/14) · CPC title

• G02B7/282

  Autofocusing of zoom lenses · CPC title