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US 2002/0176148 A1Published application
Optical apparatus
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsIchiro Onuki, Goro Noto, Eriko Kawanami
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
To provide an optical apparatus which controls an interface state to change a focal length by using an optical element having a container sealing first liquid that is conductive or polarized and second liquid that does not mutually mix with the first liquid with their interface in a predetermined form and electrodes provided in the container and of which optical characteristics change according to change of interface form due to application of voltage to the electrodes, and in particular an optical apparatus that controls a duty ratio of alternating current voltage applied to said electrodes for changing said interface form.
Claims37
An optical apparatus comprising:
- an optical element having a container sealing first liquid that is conductive or polarized and second liquid that does not mutually mix with the first liquid with their interface in a predetermined form and electrodes provided in the container and of which optical characteristics change according to change of interface form due to application of voltage to the electrodes;
- a power supply circuit which applies predetermined alternating current voltage to said electrodes in order to change said interface form;
- and
- an applied voltage controlling circuit which controls said alternating current voltage to be applied, the applied voltage controlling circuit having configuration for controlling a duty ratio of said alternating current voltage and changing said interface form by controlling the duty ratio.
1 more element
An optical apparatus comprising:
- an optical element having a container sealing first liquid that is conductive or polarized and second liquid that does not mutually mix with the first liquid with their interface in a predetermined form and electrodes provided in the container and of which optical characteristics change according to change of interface form due to application of voltage to the electrodes;
- a power supply circuit which applies predetermined alternating current voltage to said electrodes in order to change said interface form;
- and
- an applied voltage controlling circuit which controls said alternating current voltage to be applied, the applied voltage controlling circuit having configuration for controlling a frequency of said alternating current voltage and changing said interface form by controlling the frequency.
1 more element
An optical apparatus comprising:
- an optical element having a container sealing first liquid that is conductive or polarized and second liquid that does not mutually mix with the first liquid with their interface in a predetermined form and electrodes provided in the container and of which optical characteristics change according to change of interface form due to application of voltage to the electrodes;
- a power supply circuit which applies predetermined alternating current signal to said electrodes in order to change said interface form;
- a power supply controlling circuit which controls said alternating current signal to be applied;
- and
- a switch circuit which switches a frequency of said alternating current signal by said power supply controlling circuit according to an operational control state of the optical apparatus.
2 more elements
An optical apparatus comprising:
- an optical element having a container sealing first liquid that is conductive or polarized and second liquid that does not mutually mix with the first liquid with their interface in a predetermined form and electrodes provided in the container and of which optical characteristics change according to change of interface form due to application of voltage to the electrodes;
- a power supply circuit which applies alternating current voltage of first applied voltage to said electrodes in order to change said interface form to predetermined form;
- and
- an applied voltage controlling circuit which controls said alternating current voltage, said applied voltage controlling circuit applying second applied voltage that is transitional before applying said first applied voltage.
1 more element
An optical apparatus comprising:
- an optical element having a container sealing first liquid that is conductive or polarized and second liquid that does not mutually mix with the first liquid with their interface in a predetermined form and electrodes provided in the container and of which optical characteristics change according to change of interface form due to application of voltage to the electrodes;
- image recording means which records an optical image of light flux passing through the optical element;
- a power supply circuit which applies predetermined voltage to said electrodes in order to change said interface form;
- and
- an inhibiting circuit which inhibits image recording operation by said recording means from being performed at least before certain time passes from a start of power supply by the power supply means.
2 more elements
An optical apparatus comprising:
- an optical element having a container sealing first liquid that is conductive or polarized and second liquid that does not mutually mix with the first liquid with their interface in a predetermined form and electrodes provided in the container and of which optical characteristics change according to change of interface form due to application of voltage to the electrodes;
- a power supply circuit which applies first voltage to said electrodes in order to change said interface form;
- and
- an applied voltage controlling circuit which, before applying a first voltage value, applies a second voltage value that is transitionally set lower or higher than the first voltage value, irrespective of direction of change of said applied voltage to the first voltage.
1 more element
An optical apparatus comprising:
- an optical element having a container sealing first liquid that is conductive or polarized and second liquid that does not mutually mix with the first liquid with their interface in a predetermined form and electrodes provided in the container and of which optical characteristics change according to change of interface form due to application of voltage to the electrodes;
- and
- a determining circuit which determines a voltage value to be applied to said electrodes according to a direction of changing said interface form.
An optical apparatus comprising:
- an optical element having a container sealing first liquid that is conductive or polarized and second liquid that does not mutually mix with the first liquid with their interface in a predetermined form and electrodes provided in the container and of which optical characteristics change according to change of interface form due to application of voltage to the electrodes;
- a power supply circuit which applies predetermined voltage to said electrodes in order to change said interface form;
- and
- a controlling circuit which, after applying voltage to said optical element by said power supply circuit, disables application of voltage to said optical element by said power supply circuit by terminating a series of operation in the optical apparatus.
1 more element
An optical apparatus comprising:
- an optical element having a container sealing first liquid that is conductive or polarized and second liquid that does not mutually mix with the first liquid with their interface in a predetermined form and electrodes provided in the container and of which optical characteristics change according to change of interface form due to application of voltage to the electrodes;
- a power supply circuit which applies predetermined voltage to said electrodes in order to change said interface form;
- an operating member which renderes a state of voltage to said optical element by said power supply means variable in order to change optical characteristics of said optical element to a desired state;
- and
- an inhibiting circuit which inhibits application of voltage to said optical element when operations of said operating member are not performed for predetermined time.
2 more elements
An optical apparatus comprising:
- an optical element having a container sealing first liquid that is conductive or polarized and second liquid that does not mutually mix with the first liquid with their interface in a predetermined form and electrodes provided in the container and of which optical characteristics change according to change of interface form due to application of voltage to the electrodes;
- a power supply circuit which applies predetermined voltage to said electrodes in order to change said interface form;
- storing means which stores applied voltage in the last operation of said optical element;
- and
- a setting circuit which, in applying said voltage to said optical element, sets applied voltage to said optical element based on a stored value of said storing means.
2 more elements
An optical apparatus comprising:
- an optical element having configuration wherein first liquid and second liquid that does not mutually mix with the first liquid are sealed in a container with their interface in a predetermined form and application of voltage to said first liquid changes a radius of curvature and height of a spherical surface formed by said interface to be in a state corresponding to said voltage value so as to change a focal length;
- a changing circuit which changes said voltage value according to operation of a zoom operating member;
- and
- a power supply circuit which starts application of voltage to said first liquid by operating said zoom operating member and stopping application of the voltage to said first liquid when a series of photography operations are completed.
1 more element
An optical apparatus comprising:
- an optical element having configuration wherein first liquid and second liquid that does not mutually mix with the first liquid are sealed in a container with their interface in a predetermined form and application of voltage to said first liquid changes the form of said interface to be in a state corresponding to said voltage value so as to change optical characteristics;
- a changing circuit which changes said voltage value according to operation of an operating member;
- and
- a power supply circuit which stops application of said voltage when operation of a photography starting operation section is not performed within predetermined time from termination of operation of said operating member, and stops application of said voltage after operation of the photography starting operation section is completed when operation of said photography starting operation section is performed within said predetermined time.
1 more element
An optical apparatus comprising:
- an optical element having configuration wherein first liquid and second liquid that does not mutually mix with the first liquid are sealed in a container with their interface in a predetermined form and application of voltage to said first liquid changes the form formed on said interface to be in a state corresponding to said voltage value so as to change optical characteristics;
- an operating member which changes said voltage value;
- a power supply circuit which starts application of voltage to said first liquid in a state of preparation for starting photography;
- a storing circuit which, before the power is turned off, stores data corresponding to a voltage value finally changed by said operating member;
- and
- a controlling circuit which, when the power is turned off and then turned on and said voltage is applied in a state of preparation for starting next photography, applies a voltage value corresponding to data stored on said storing circuit.
3 more elements
An optical apparatus comprising:
- an optical element having configuration wherein first liquid and second liquid that does not mutually mix with the first liquid are sealed in a container with their interface in a predetermined form and application of voltage to said first liquid changes a radius of curvature and height of a spherical surface formed by said interface to be in a state corresponding to said voltage value so as to change transmittance;
- and
- a controlling circuit which controles said voltage value according to a luminance value, said optical element placed in a photography optical path and adopted as a light quantity controlling element.
An optical apparatus comprising:
- an optical element having a container sealing first liquid that is conductive or polarized and second liquid that does not mutually mix with the first liquid with their interface in a predetermined form and of which optical characteristics change according to change of interface form due to application of voltage between first and second electrodes provided in the container;
- a power supply circuit which applies predetermined voltage to said electrodes in order to change said interface form;
- controlling means which controls said applied voltage;
- and
- an electrostatic capacity detecting circuit which detects electrostatic capacity between said first and second electrodes.
2 more elements
An optical apparatus comprising:
- an optical element having a container sealing first liquid that is conductive or polarized and second liquid that does not mutually mix with the first liquid with their interface in a predetermined form and of which optical characteristics change according to change of interface form due to application of voltage between a first and second electrodes provided in the container;
- a power supply circuit which applies predetermined voltage to said electrodes in order to change said interface form;
- a detecting circuit which detects change of said interface form;
- and
- a controlling circuit which controls said applied voltage signal based on information detected on the detecting circuit.
2 more elements
An optical apparatus comprising:
- an optical element having a container sealing first liquid that is conductive or polarized and second liquid that does not mutually mix with the first liquid with their interface in a predetermined form and of which optical characteristics change according to change of interface form due to application of voltage between a first and second electrodes provided in the container;
- a power supply circuit which applies predetermined voltage to said electrodes in order to change said interface form;
- controlling means which controls said applied voltage;
- an electrostatic capacity detecting circuit which detects electrostatic capacity between said first and second electrodes;
- a state determining circuit which determines a state of the optical apparatus according to a capacity value detected on the detecting circuit.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.