Image capture apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9628731-B2
Application number	US-201414761528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2014
Priority date	Apr 29, 2013
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an image capture apparatus. The image capture apparatus includes an image sensor, a cooler placed at one side of the image sensor and cooling the image sensor, and a moving device placed at one side of the cooler and moving the image sensor and the cooler.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image capture apparatus comprising:
an image sensor;
a cooler placed at one side of the image sensor and cooling the image sensor; and
a moving device placed at one side of the cooler and moving the image sensor and the cooler,
wherein the cooler comprises a thermoelectric module comprising a cooling portion and a heating portion, the cooling portion being placed at the one side of the image sensor,
wherein the moving device comprises:
a coupler placed at one side of the thermoelectric module; and
a drive unit coupled to the coupler and moving the coupler,
wherein the drive unit moves the image sensor in units of 1/n pixels (n refers to the number of moving times required to move the image sensor as much as a length of one pixel, assuming that one pixel has a length of 1).

2. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling portion contacts the image sensor and cools the image sensor.

3. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a heat dissipating portion placed at one side of the heating portion and cooling the heating portion.

4. The image capture apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the heat dissipating portion comprises a heat pipe.

5. An image capture apparatus comprising:
a first housing;
an image sensor received in the first housing;
a cooler placed at one side of the image sensor and cooling the image sensor;
a second housing adjoining the first housing; and
a moving device placed inside the second housing and connected to the first housing to move the first housing,
wherein the moving device comprises:
a coupler connected to the first housing; and
a drive unit placed inside the second housing, and coupled to the coupler and moving the coupler,
wherein the drive unit moves the image sensor in units of 1/n pixels (n refers to the number of moving times required to move the image sensor as much as a length of one pixel, assuming that one pixel has a length of 1).

6. The image capture apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the cooler comprises a thermoelectric module including a cooling portion and a heating portion, the cooling portion being placed at the one side of the image sensor.

7. The image capture apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the cooling portion contacts the image sensor and cools the image sensor, and the heating portion contacts the first housing.

8. The image capture apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a heat dissipating portion placed in the second housing and cooling the heating portion.

9. The image capture apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the heat dissipating portion comprises a heat pipe.

10. The image capture apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising: a heat sink contacting the second housing and cooling the second housing.

Assignees

• Vieworks Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kang Chang Woo
• Lee Gwan Su

Classifications

• H10W40/73

  for cooling by change of state · CPC title

• H10W40/28 Primary

  comprising Peltier coolers · CPC title

• H10W40/10

  Arrangements for heating · CPC title

• H04N23/951 Primary

  by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio · CPC title

• H04N23/51

  Housings · CPC title