Illumination apparatus, and image capturing apparatus and projector apparatus using this illumination apparatus

An image capturing apparatus which captures an image of a subject, comprising:

• an illumination apparatus including:
• light sources comprising a plurality of luminous bodies;
• luminous body drive portions each configured to respectively drive each of the plurality of luminous bodies;
• an optical member configured to lead and apply light exiting from a luminous body lighted by the luminous body drive portion to the illumination target area;
• a light control member configured to perform at least one of change of a light path of a light exiting from the luminous body with which the illumination target area is illuminated and relative movement of the plurality of luminous bodies and the optical member;
• a movable portion configured to operably drive the light control member;
• and
• a light selection control portion configured to control at least one of the movable portion and the luminous body drive portions in such a manner that the light with which the illumination target area is illuminated is selected from the light exiting from the plurality of luminous bodies;
• an imaging optical system configured to form an image of the subject;
• an image sensor configured to expose and image the formed image of the subject;
• and
• a shutter button which operates an exposure start timing of the image sensor,
• wherein the light selection control portion of the illumination apparatus controls at least one of the movable portion and the luminous body drive portions in such a manner that illumination light is emitted in synchronization with the exposure start timing.

A projector apparatus which projects an image corresponding to image information on a projection surface, comprising:

• an illumination apparatus including:
• light sources comprising a plurality of luminous bodies;
• luminous body drive portions each configured to respectively drive each of the plurality of luminous bodies;
• an optical member configured to lead and apply light exiting from a luminous body lighted by the luminous body drive portion to the illumination target area;
• a light control member configured to perform at least one of change of a light path of a light exiting from the luminous body with which the illumination target area is illuminated and relative movement of the plurality of luminous bodies and the optical member;
• a movable portion configured to operably drive the light control member;
• and
• a light selection control portion configured to control at least one of the movable portion and the luminous body drive portions in such a manner that the light with which the illumination target area is illuminated is selected from the light exiting from the plurality of luminous bodies;
• a spatial light modulation element configured to perform one of transmission and reflection by modulating illumination light emitted from the illumination apparatus in accordance with the image information;
• and
• a projection optical system configured to project the light modulated by the spatial light modulation element on the projection surface.

An illumination apparatus which illuminates an illumination target area with light, comprising:

• light sources comprising a plurality of luminous bodies;
• lighting means for driving each of the plurality of luminous bodies;
• optical means for leading and applying light exiting from a luminous body lighted by the lighting means to the illumination target area;
• a light control member for performing at least one of change of a light path of a light exiting from the luminous body with which the illumination target area is illuminated and relative movement of the plurality of luminous bodies and the optical means;
• movable means for operably driving the light control member;
• and
• light selection control means for controlling at least one of the movable means and the lighting means in such a manner that the light with which the illumination target area is illuminated is selected from the light exiting from the plurality of luminous bodies,
• wherein at least a given number of said luminous bodies emit light of a given color, and
• the lighting means causes the plurality of luminous bodies to emit the light having said given color with which the illumination target area is illuminated by driving to sequentially light each of the at least the given number of said plurality of luminous bodies in synchronization with a timing of controlling at least one of the movable means and the lighting means by the light selection control means.

An image capturing apparatus which captures an image of a subject, comprising:

• an illumination apparatus including:
• light sources comprising a plurality of luminous bodies;
• lighting means for driving each of the plurality of luminous bodies;
• optical means for leading and applying light exiting from a luminous body lighted by the lighting means to the illumination target area;
• a light control member for performing at least one of change of a light path of a light exiting from the luminous body with which the illumination target area is illuminated and relative movement of the plurality of luminous bodies and the optical means;
• movable means for operably driving the light control member;
• and
• light selection control means for controlling at least one of the movable means and the lighting means in such a manner that the light with which the illumination target area is illuminated is selected from the light exiting from the plurality of luminous bodies;
• imaging optical means for forming an image of the subject;
• image sensing means for exposing and imaging the formed image of the subject;
• and
• a shutter button for operating an exposure start timing of the image sensing means,
• wherein the light selection control means of the illumination apparatus controls at least one of the movable means and the lighting means in such a manner that illumination light is emitted in synchronization with the exposure start timing.

A projector apparatus which projects an image corresponding to image information on a projection surface, comprising:

• an illumination apparatus including:
• light sources comprising a plurality of luminous bodies;
• lighting means for driving each of the plurality of luminous bodies;
• optical means for leading and applying light exiting from a luminous body lighted by the lighting means to the illumination target area;
• a light control member for performing at least one of change of a light path of a light exiting from the luminous body with which the illumination target area is illuminated and relative movement of the plurality of luminous bodies and the optical means;
• movable means for operably driving the light control member;
• and
• light selection control means for controlling at least one of the movable means and the lighting means in such a manner that the light with which the illumination target area is illuminated is selected from the light exiting from the plurality of luminous bodies;
• light modulation means for performing one of transmission and reflection by modulating illumination light emitted from the illumination apparatus in accordance with the image information;
• and
• projection optical means for projecting the light modulated by the light modulation means on the projection surface.

An illumination apparatus which illuminates an illumination target area with light, comprising:

• light sources comprising a plurality of luminous bodies;
• luminous body drive portions each configured to respectively drive each of the plurality of luminous bodies;
• an optical member configured to lead and apply light exiting from a luminous body lighted by the luminous body drive portion to the illumination target area;
• a light control member configured to perform at least one of change of a light path of the light exiting from the luminous body with which the illumination target area is illuminated and relative movement of the plurality of luminous bodies and the optical member;
• a movable portion configured to operably drive the light control member;
• and
• a light selection control portion configured to control at least one of the movable portion and the luminous body drive portions in such a manner that light with which the illumination target area is illuminated is selected from light exiting from the plurality of luminous bodies,
• wherein the luminous body drive portions cause the plurality of luminous bodies to emit light with which the illumination target area is illuminated in the form of continuous light emission which is seemingly equivalent to one luminous body by performing lighting driving to cause each of the plurality of luminous bodies to effect sequential pulse light emission and cause successively different luminous bodies to emit light in synchronization with a timing of controlling at least one of the movable portion and the luminous body drive portions by the light selection control portion, and
• the luminous body drive portions apply a lighting drive current which is not less than a maximum rated current to each luminous body performing pulse light emission in accordance with an increase in tolerance limit of the luminous body by improvement in heat radiation properties in a non-light emission time involved by pulse light emission.

An illumination apparatus which illuminates an illumination target area with light, comprising:

• light sources comprising a plurality of luminous bodies;
• luminous body drive portions each configured to respectively drive each of the plurality of luminous bodies;
• an optical member configured to lead and apply light exiting from a luminous body lighted by the luminous body drive portion to the illumination target area;
• a light control member configured to change a light path of the light exiting from the luminous body with which the illumination target area is illuminated by moving the optical member with respect to the plurality of luminous bodies;
• a movable portion configured to operably drive the light control member;
• and
• a light selection control portion configured to control at least one of the movable portion and the luminous body drive portions in such a manner that the light with which the illumination target area is illuminated is selected from light exiting from the plurality of luminous bodies.