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US 6,437,925 B1Granted
Optical apparatus
AssigneeOlympus Optical Co., Ltd.
InventorKimihiko Nishioka
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical apparatus includes a variable optical-property element to change its optical properties by applying an electric or magnetic field or temperature to a liquid crystal. In this way, the optical apparatus is reduced in thickness, and can be used in a cam era, a microscope, etc.
Claims31
An imaging optical apparatus comprising:
- a reflecting type, variable optical property, element;
- a drive circuit which drives said reflecting-type, variable optical property, element;
- and
- an optical block,
- wherein said imaging optical apparatus defines a folded optical axis, is configured to cause rays to be obliquely incident on said reflecting type, variable optical property, element, and further comprises at least two of a movable optical element, a shutter, a stop, an image sensor, and a display element.
2 more elements
An imaging optical apparatus comprising:
- a reflecting type, variable optical property, element;
- a drive circuit which drives said reflecting type, variable optical property, element;
- and
- an optical block,
- wherein said imaging optical apparatus defines a folded optical axis, is configured to cause rays to be obliquely incident on said reflecting type, variable optical property, element, and further comprises at least three of a movable optical element, a shutter, a stop, an image sensor, and a display element.
2 more elements
An imaging optical apparatus comprising:
- a reflecting type, variable optical property, element;
- a drive circuit which drives said reflecting-type variable optical property element;
- and
- an optical block,
- wherein said imaging optical apparatus defines a folded optical axis, is configured to cause rays to be obliquely incident on said reflecting type, variable optical property, element, and is further provided with at least three of a movable optical element, a shutter, a stop, an image sensor, a display element, an infrared cutoff function, and a low-pass filter function.
2 more elements
An imaging optical apparatus comprising:
- a reflecting type, variable optical property, element;
- a drive circuit which drives said reflecting-type variable optical property element;
- and
- an optical block having a curved surface,
- wherein said imaging optical apparatus defines a folded optical axis, is configured to cause rays to be obliquely incident on said reflecting type, variable optical property, element, and further comprises at least two of a movable optical element, a shutter, a stop, an image sensor and a display element.
2 more elements
An imaging optical apparatus comprising:
- a reflecting type, variable optical property, element;
- a drive circuit which drives said reflecting type, variable optical property, element;
- an optical block;
- and
- a variable aperture-area stop,
- wherein said imaging optical apparatus defines a folded optical axis, is configured to cause rays to be obliquely incident on said reflecting type, variable optical property, element, and further comprises at least two of a movable optical element, a shutter, an image sensor and a display element, and said reflecting type variable optical-property element or an optical element has an optical surface having a rotationally asymmetric shape.
3 more elements
An imaging optical system comprising:
- a plurality of reflecting type, variable optical property, elements;
- a drive circuit which drives said reflecting type, variable optical property, elements;
- and
- an optical block,
- wherein said imaging optical system defines a folded optical axis, is configured to cause rays to be obliquely incident on said reflecting type, variable optical property, elements, and is further provided with at least one of a movable optical element, a shutter, a stop, a lens, an image sensor, a display element, an infrared cutoff function, and a low-pass filter function.
2 more elements
A photographing optical system comprising:
- a displaceable lens;
- a reflecting type, variable optical property, element;
- a drive circuit which drives said reflecting type, variable optical property, element;
- and
- a stop,
- wherein said photographing optical system defines a folded optical axis, and is configured to cause rays to be obliquely incident on said reflecting type, variable optical property, element to be able to perform focusing and zooming.
3 more elements
A photographing optical system comprising:
- a displaceable lens;
- a deformable mirror;
- a drive circuit which drives said deformable mirror;
- and
- a stop,
- wherein a reflecting surface of said deformable mirror is able to be adjusted to have a rotationally asymmetric shape, and said photographing optical system defines a folded optical axis, and is configured to cause rays to be obliquely incident on said deformable mirror to be able to perform focusing and zooming.
3 more elements
A photographing system comprising:
- a displaceable lens;
- a reflecting type, variable optical property, element;
- a drive circuit which drives said reflecting type, variable optical property, element;
- a stop;
- and
- an image sensor,
- wherein said photographing system defines a folded optical axis, is configured to cause rays to be obliquely incident on said reflecting type, variable optical property, element, comprises a focus detecting mechanism, and is able to perform focusing and zooming.
4 more elements
A photographing system comprising:
- a displaceable lens;
- a deformable mirror;
- a drive circuit which drives said deformable mirror;
- a stop;
- and
- an image sensor,
- wherein a reflecting surface of said deformable mirror is able to be adjusted to a rotationally asymmetric shape, and said photographing system defines a folded optical axis, is configured to cause rays to be obliquely incident on said deformable mirror, comprises a focus detecting mechanism, and is able to perform focusing and zooming.
4 more elements
A photographing system comprising:
- at least one of a variable aperture-area stop, an infrared cutoff function, a shutter, and a display element;
- a displaceable lens;
- a deformable mirror;
- a drive circuit which drives said deformable mirror;
- and
- an image sensor,
- wherein a reflecting surface of said deformable mirror is able to be adjusted to a rotationally asymmetric shape, and said photographing system defines a folded optical axis, is configured to cause rays to be obliquely incident on said deformable mirror, comprises a focus detecting mechanism, and is able to perform focusing and zooming, compensate for aberrations that are caused by focusing, and compensate for manufacturing errors.
4 more elements
A photographing system comprising:
- at least one of a variable aperture-area stop, an infrared cutoff function, a shutter, and a display element;
- a displaceable lens;
- a deformable mirror;
- a drive circuit which drives said deformable mirror;
- and
- an image sensor,
- wherein a reflecting surface of said deformable mirror has a rotationally asymmetric outline as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the reflecting surface of said deformable mirror, and is also able to be adjusted to a rotationally asymmetric shape, and said photographing system defines a folded optical axis, is configured to cause rays to be obliquely incident on said deformable mirror, comprises a focus detecting mechanism, and is able to perform focusing and zooming, compensate for aberrations that are caused by focusing, and compensate for manufacturing errors.
4 more elements
A photographing system comprising:
- at least one of a variable aperture-area stop, an infrared cutoff function, a shutter, and a display element;
- a displaceable lens;
- a reflecting type, variable optical property, element;
- a drive circuit which drives said reflecting type, variable optical property, element;
- and
- an image sensor,
- wherein said photographing system defines a folded optical axis, is configured to cause rays to be obliquely incident on said reflecting type, variable optical property, element, comprises a focus detecting mechanism, and is able to perform focusing and zooming.
4 more elements
A photographing system comprising:
- a lens;
- a reflecting type, variable optical property, element;
- a drive circuit which drives said reflecting type, variable optical property, element;
- a stop;
- and
- an image sensor,
- wherein said photographing system defines a folded optical axis, is configured to cause rays to be obliquely incident on said reflecting type, variable optical property, element, comprises a focus detecting mechanism, and is able to perform focusing.
4 more elements
A photographing system comprising:
- a lens;
- a deformable mirror;
- a drive circuit which drives said deformable mirror;
- a stop;
- and
- an image sensor,
- wherein said photographing system defines a folded optical axis, is configured to cause rays to be obliquely incident on said deformable mirror, comprises a focus detecting mechanism, and is able to perform focusing.
4 more elements
A photographing system comprising:
- a lens;
- a deformable mirror;
- a drive circuit which drives said deformable mirror;
- a variable aperture-area stop;
- and
- an image sensor,
- wherein a reflecting surface of said deformable mirror is able to be adjusted to a rotationally asymmetric shape, and said photographing system defines a folded optical axis, is configured to cause rays to be obliquely incident on said deformable mirror, comprises a focus detecting mechanism, and is able to perform focusing, compensate for aberrations that are caused by focusing, and compensate for manufacturing errors.
4 more elements
A photographing system comprising:
- at least one of a shutter and a display element;
- a lens;
- a deformable mirror;
- a drive circuit which drives said deformable mirror;
- a variable aperture-area stop;
- an infrared cutoff function;
- and
- an image sensor,
- wherein a reflecting surface of said deformable mirror has a rotationally asymmetric outline as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the reflecting surface of said deformable mirror, and is able to be adjusted to a rotationally asymmetric shape, and said photographing system defines a folded optical axis, is configured to cause rays to be obliquely incident on said deformable mirror, comprises a focus detecting mechanism, and is able to perform perform focusing, compensate for aberrations that are caused by focusing, and compensate for manufacturing errors.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.