Image pickup unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9958668-B2
Application number	US-201715670853-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2017
Priority date	Jun 1, 2015
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

There is provided an image pickup unit which is capable of achieving a focused image of a favorable depth of field while changing a visual field direction of observation.
An image pickup unit, comprises a front group which includes a prism that can be rotated for changing a visual field direction, and a rear group which includes a lens group and an image pickup element, wherein the image pickup unit includes a prism rotating section which rotates the prism for changing the visual field direction, and a focusing section which does not change a focused range, as an angle of visual field direction with respect to a longitudinal direction of the image pickup unit becomes smaller than a specific angle, and which moves the focused range toward a near-point side, as an angle of visual field direction with respect to the longitudinal direction of the image pickup unit becomes larger than the specific angle, in accordance with a rotation of the prism, and the focusing section, in a case in which the specific angle is not smaller than 30°, moves the focused range toward the near-point side.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image pickup unit, comprising:
a front group which includes a prism that can be rotated for changing a visual field direction; and
a rear group which includes a lens group and an image pickup element, wherein
the image pickup unit includes a prism rotating section which rotates the prism for changing the visual field direction, and a focusing section which does not change a focused range, as an angle of visual field direction with respect to a longitudinal direction of the image pickup unit becomes smaller than a specific angle, and which moves the focused range toward a near-point side, as an angle of visual field direction with respect to the longitudinal direction of the image pickup unit becomes larger than the specific angle, in accordance with a rotation of the prism, and
the focusing section, in a case in which the specific angle is not smaller than 30°, moves the focused range toward the near-point side.

2. The image pickup unit according to claim 1 , wherein the focusing section moves one of the prism in the front group, or the lens group and the image pickup element in the rear group, or a specific lens in the lens group in the rear group, along an optical axis.

3. The image pickup unit according to claim 1 , wherein the image pickup unit includes a rotational driving section which rotates the lens group and the image pickup element in the rear group to cancel an image rotation in the image pickup element generated due to the rotation of the prism, with the optical axis as a center of rotation.

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Kato Takayuki

Classifications

• G03B3/06

  using movable reflectors to alter length of light path · CPC title

• G02B13/04

  Reversed telephoto objectives · CPC title

• G02B7/28

  Systems for automatic generation of focusing signals · CPC title

• G02B7/105

  with movable lens means specially adapted for focusing at close distances · CPC title

• G02B23/2407 Primary

  Optical details · CPC title