JP2018189884A - Fiberscope connector and Fiberscope system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique capable of improving portability of a fiberscope system.SOLUTION: A fiberscope connector for connecting a fiberscope, which outputs an optical image as an imaging object captured by an objective lens from an image guide fiber, to a camera provided in a portable terminal comprises: a holding part for holding the portable terminal; and an optical unit which is attached to the holding part and to which the image guide fiber is connected from a first direction orthogonal to an optical axis of the camera. The optical unit has a relay optical system sending the optical image outputted from the image guide fiber to the camera from a direction parallel to the optical axis of the camera.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector for connecting a fiberscope and a portable terminal, and a fiberscope system.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an endoscopic device (fiberscope system) using a fiberscope has been used when photographing details or the inside of an object in the medical field or the industrial field. These endoscope apparatuses are generally composed of a fiberscope, an electronic image conversion device, and a display device. The fiberscope transmits an optical image of the imaging target acquired from an objective lens provided at the tip of the image guide fiber to the electronic image conversion device. The optical image is converted into an electric signal by the electronic image conversion device and displayed on the display device as an electronic image. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an endoscopic device that includes a main body unit including an electronic image conversion device and a display device, and a fiberscope that is removable from the main body unit.

JP 2010-035971 A

  However, the above-described technology requires not only a fiberscope but also a dedicated electronic image conversion device and a display device, and is not suitable for carrying and using a fiberscope system.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to provide a technique capable of improving the portability of the fiberscope system.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following configuration. That is, the present invention
A fiberscope connector for connecting a fiberscope that outputs an optical image of an imaging target acquired by an objective lens from an image guide fiber to a camera provided in a mobile terminal,
A holding unit for holding the mobile terminal;
An optical unit attached to the holding unit and connected to the image guide fiber from a first direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the camera,
The optical unit includes a relay optical system that transmits the optical image output from the image guide fiber to the camera from a direction parallel to the optical axis of the camera.

According to the present invention, the connector connects the fiberscope and the portable terminal by the holding unit, and transmits the optical image output from the image guide fiber by the optical unit to the camera of the portable terminal. According to this, the camera of a portable terminal can be used as an electronic image conversion device, and the display of the portable terminal can be used as a display device. As a result, it is not necessary to prepare an electronic image conversion device or a display device dedicated to the fiberscope, so that the portability of the fiberscope system can be improved. Furthermore, according to the present invention, since the image guide fiber is connected to the optical unit from a direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the camera, the image guide fiber is set in a posture along the portable terminal while transmitting the optical image to the camera. be able to. As a result, the image guide fiber is prevented from being bulky in the normal direction of the portable terminal, and the overall size of the fiberscope system can be made compact.

The present invention also provides:
The relay optical system may transmit the optical image to the camera from a direction parallel to the optical axis of the camera by changing a traveling direction of the optical image by a bending optical member that bends light. Good.

The present invention also provides:
The relay optical system includes: the first bending optical member that changes the traveling direction of the optical image from the first direction to the second direction; and the camera that changes the traveling direction of the optical image from the second direction. And the second bending optical member to be changed in the optical axis direction.
According to this, the relay optical system can freely control the traveling direction of the optical image vertically and horizontally by the arrangement of the first bending member and the second bending member. According to this, the freedom degree of the layout of the optical member provided in the optical unit can be improved. As a result, the size of the optical unit can be made more compact. The bending optical member may bend the light by reflecting the light.

The present invention also provides:
The optical unit may include a ball lens provided so as to be positioned on an optical axis of the image guide fiber when the image guide fiber is connected to the optical unit.

The present invention also provides:
The optical unit includes a ball lens provided on the optical axis of the camera and the ball lens on the optical axis of the image guide fiber when the image guide fiber is connected to the optical unit. It is good also as providing the connecting member to arrange.

  According to these, the connection portion between the optical unit and the image guide fiber can be formed short by using a ball lens having a short focal length. As a result, the optical unit can be made compact, and the portability of the fiberscope system can be further improved.

The present invention may be specified as a system. That is, the present invention
A fiber comprising: a fiberscope that outputs an optical image of an imaging target acquired by an objective lens from an image guide fiber; a portable terminal having a camera, a display, and a control device; and a connector that connects the fiberscope to the camera. A scope system,
The connector includes a holding unit that holds the portable terminal, and an optical unit that is attached to the holding unit and connected to the image guide fiber.
The optical unit displays the electronic image of the optical image on the display by transmitting the optical image to the camera,
The control device may be a fiberscope system including image correction means for correcting the position of the optical image in the electronic image.

  According to the present invention, since the position of the optical image in the image is corrected by the control device on the portable terminal side, the optical axis adjustment mechanism can be omitted, the size of the optical unit can be made compact, and the portability of the fiberscope system can be improved. Can be improved.

  The image correction unit may correct the orientation of the optical image in the electronic image. According to this, even if the image guide fiber rotates around the optical axis, the direction of the optical image in the image can be kept constant.

  The means for solving the problems in the present invention can be used in combination as much as possible.

  According to the present invention, the portability of the fiberscope system can be improved.

1 is an overall view of a fiberscope system according to a first embodiment. It is a figure which shows the tablet-type personal computer with a camera. It is a figure which shows the tablet-type personal computer with a camera. It is a block diagram of a tablet-type personal computer with a camera. It is a figure which shows the fiberscope which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the fiberscope connection tool which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fiberscope connector according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a side view of the fiberscope connector according to the first embodiment. It is a side view of the fiberscope connector according to the first embodiment, and shows a state when the stand piece is in the deployed posture. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an optical unit according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the connection part of an image guide fiber and a connector. It is a figure which shows a mode that the fiberscope connection tool which concerns on Embodiment 1 is mounted | worn with the tablet-type personal computer with a camera. It is a figure which shows the electronic image by which the optical image is shifted | deviated and displayed by the optical axis shift | offset | difference from the image center. It is a figure which shows the electronic image correct | amended so that an optical image may be located in the image center by the program which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the state in which the hook piece of the holder which concerns on the modification 1 of Embodiment 1 is a separation posture. It is a figure which shows the state of the hook piece of the holder which concerns on the modification 1 of Embodiment 1 in an engagement attitude | position. It is a figure which shows the state of the cover part of the holder which concerns on the modification 2 of Embodiment 1 in an open posture. It is a figure which shows the state of the cover part of the holder which concerns on the modification 2 of Embodiment 1 in a closed posture. FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a fiberscope system according to a third modification of the first embodiment. In the optical unit which concerns on Embodiment 2, it is a figure which shows the state in which the optical axis of an image guide fiber and a camera corresponds. 6 is a diagram illustrating a comparative example of Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a figure which shows the modification of Embodiment 2. FIG.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be exemplarily described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

<Embodiment 1>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a fiberscope system (hereinafter, scope system) 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the scope system 100 is connected to a tablet PC with a camera 11 (hereinafter referred to as a tablet PC) 1, a fiberscope connector (hereinafter referred to as a connector) 200 that holds the tablet PC 1, and the connector 200. It is comprised by the fiberscope 2 made. The scope system 100 according to this embodiment converts an optical image into an electronic image by transmitting the optical image acquired by the fiberscope 2 to a camera 11 (see FIG. 2B) provided on the tablet PC 1, and is provided on the tablet PC 1. The electronic image is displayed on the displayed display 12. Hereinafter, the configuration of the scope system 100 will be described.

[Tablet PC1]
2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating the tablet PC 1 used in the present embodiment. FIG. 2A illustrates a state in which the front surface of the tablet PC 1 is visible, and FIG. 2B illustrates a state in which the back surface of the tablet PC 1 is visible. . FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the tablet PC 1. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the tablet PC 1 has a plate shape as a whole. A display 12 that displays an electronic image is provided on one surface of the tablet PC 1, and a camera 11 that performs imaging is provided on the other surface. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the front of the tablet PC 1 indicates the side on which the display 12 is provided, the rear indicates the side on which the camera 11 is provided, and the thickness of the tablet PC 1 is the front-rear direction. Indicates the length. Moreover, the up and down and left and right directions of the tablet PC 1 indicate the up and down direction and the left and right direction indicated by arrows in the drawing.

  The tablet PC 1 has a function as a digital camera 11 in addition to a function as a general personal computer. In addition to the camera 11 and the display 12, the tablet PC 1 includes a touch panel 13 that is superimposed on the display 12 and receives an operation by the user, and a control device 15 that controls the entire tablet PC 1. The tablet PC 1 corresponds to the “portable terminal” of the present invention. The portable terminal of the present invention is not limited to the tablet PC 1. The mobile terminal may be, for example, a smartphone with the camera 11 having the same function as the tablet PC 1. The tablet PC 1 may have a communication function.

  The camera 11 is a so-called digital camera, and includes a movable camera lens 111 and an image sensor 112 such as a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS). The camera 11 is activated in response to a user's touch operation on the touch panel 13 and executes imaging in real time. Specifically, the camera 11 converts an image captured from the camera lens 111 into an electrical signal by the image sensor 112. Here, the optical axis of the camera 11 is parallel to the normal direction of the rear surface of the tablet PC 1. Note that imaging by the camera 11 may be executed by pressing a home button 14 provided on the display side surface.

  The control device 15 includes a storage unit 152 that stores various types of information, and a central processing unit (CPU 151) that executes processing based on a program held in the storage unit 152. The storage unit 152 stores an application program for performing image processing together with the operating system. The storage unit 152 is provided with a user data area for holding the acquired electronic image data.

[Fiberscope 2]
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the fiberscope 2 used in the present embodiment. The fiberscope 2 is an optical device that is used as an imaging target in the body at a medical site or a narrow part of the device in a factory. As shown in FIG. 4, the fiber scope 2 includes an objective lens 21 that acquires an optical image to be imaged, an image guide fiber 22 that transmits an optical image acquired by the objective lens 21, and light supplied from a connector 200. And a light guide fiber 23 for transmitting the light and irradiating the subject.

  The objective lens 21 is provided on the distal end side of the image guide fiber 22, acquires an optical image to be imaged by refracting light, and transmits the optical image to the image guide fiber 22. The image guide fiber 22 is configured by bundling a large number of optical fibers, and can transmit an optical image from one end (tip) to the other end (end). The image guide fiber 22 inverts the optical image input from the tip and outputs it from the end. As a result, the optical image inverted by the objective lens 21 is inverted in the image guide fiber 22 and displayed on the end face 221 of the image guide fiber 22 as an upright image.

  The light guide fiber 23 is composed of an optical fiber, like the image guide fiber 22. The end of the light guide fiber 23 is connected to the connector 200, and the light supplied from the connector 200 is irradiated from the tip.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the image guide fiber 22 and the light guide fiber are housed in a protective tube 24, and are integrated by holding their tips on a head. Then, the image guide fiber 22 and the light guide fiber 23 are branched at the middle so that the ends are separated. Since the tip of the light guide fiber 23 is adjacent to the tip of the image guide fiber 22, the light emitted from the tip of the light guide fiber 23 is irradiated to the imaging target. As a result, the objective lens 21 can acquire an optical image by the light reflected from the imaging target.

  Here, the optical fiber constituting the image guide fiber 22 and the light guide fiber 23 is also used in the field of communication, and is a cable capable of converting data into an optical signal and transmitting it. The optical fiber has a structure in which a core made of a material having a high refractive index is covered with a clad having a low refractive index, and an optical image is transmitted by reflecting light at a boundary (boundary surface) between the core and the clad. In such a state where the optical fiber is bent greatly, the incidence of light on the boundary surface changes, and there is a possibility that the light does not reflect on the boundary surface and leaks to the clad. As a result, depending on how the optical fiber is bent, light loss due to leakage occurs. In addition, if the optical fiber is bent greatly, the core may be disconnected. For the above reasons, an allowable bending radius is determined for the optical fiber, and it is preferable that the optical fiber be not bent and used. Generally, the allowable bending radius of an optical fiber is about 30 mm. Therefore, the fiberscope 2 used in this embodiment prevents the optical fiber from being bent or broken by covering the image guide fiber 22 and the light guide fiber 23 with the protective tube 24.

[Connector 200]
Next, the connection tool 200 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the connection tool 200 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a view of the connection tool 200 as viewed from the rear. FIG. 7 is a view of the connection tool 200 viewed from the right direction. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the front-rear direction, the up-down direction, and the left-right direction of the connector 200 are defined by the up-down direction and the left-right direction indicated by arrows in the drawing. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the connection tool 200 includes a holding unit 10 that holds the tablet PC 1 and an optical unit 20 that is attached to the rear side of the holding unit 10. The optical unit 20 transmits the optical image acquired by the fiberscope 2 to the camera 11 by optically connecting the tablet PC 1 and the fiberscope 2. The optical unit 20 also has a function as a stand for standing the scope system 100.

  As illustrated in FIG. 5, the holding unit 10 includes a storage unit 3 that stores the tablet PC 1, and a lid unit 4 that is provided on the front side of the storage unit 3 and suppresses the tablet PC 1 from falling off.

  The container 3 has a plate-like outer shape that is slightly larger than the tablet PC 1. The accommodating portion 3 includes a front wall surface 31 and a rear wall surface 32 that are opposed to each other in the front-rear direction, a right wall surface 35 and a left wall surface 36 that are opposed to each other in the left-right direction, and an upper wall surface 33 and a lower wall surface that are opposed to each other in the vertical direction. 34. The front wall surface 31 is formed with an accommodation pocket 37 that is a recess capable of accommodating the tablet PC 1. The storage pocket 37 has substantially the same shape as the front view of the tablet PC 1 and has a pocket bottom surface 371 substantially parallel to the front wall surface 31, and a side wall surface 372 standing from the periphery of the pocket bottom surface 371 and continuing to the front wall surface 31. , Is formed by. The pocket bottom surface 371 is a surface that contacts the back surface of the tablet PC 1 when the tablet PC 1 is accommodated. The side wall surface 372 is a surface that contacts the right side surface, the left side surface, the upper side surface, and the lower side surface of the tablet PC 1 when the tablet PC 1 is accommodated. The height of the side wall surface 372, that is, the depth of the accommodation pocket 37 is approximately the same as the thickness of the tablet PC 1.

  Further, a lens hole 373 that is a hole penetrating from the pocket bottom surface 371 to the rear wall surface 32 is formed in the housing portion 3. The lens hole 373 has a slightly larger diameter than the camera lens 111 and is disposed at a position overlapping the camera lens 111 when the tablet PC 1 is accommodated.

  The lid portion 4 has a plate-like outer shape that is substantially the same shape as the housing portion 3, and is attached so as to cover the front wall surface 31 of the housing portion 3. Further, the lid 4 is formed with a window 41 for the user to operate the touch panel 13 and the home button 14 of the tablet PC 1 accommodated in the accommodating unit 3. The window portion 41 is a substantially rectangular hole that penetrates the lid portion 4 from the front surface to the back surface, and has a size substantially equal to that of the display 12. The lid portion 4 is configured to be detachable from the housing portion 3 and is fixed to the front wall surface 31 of the housing portion 3 with a screw or the like, for example.

[Optical unit 20]
The optical unit 20 is attached to the rear wall surface 32 of the accommodating part 3 and has a relay optical system 6 and an illuminating part 7 which will be described later, and a casing part 5 which is a box for accommodating them.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the casing 5 roughly has a rectangular parallelepiped shape in which a pair of opposed surfaces are curved. Specifically, the housing unit 5 is opposed to the attachment plane 51 attached to the housing 3, the operation plane 52 facing the attachment plane 51, the connection plane 53 to which the fiberscope 2 is connected, and the connection plane 53. And a pair of opposing curved surfaces 54, 54 that are convexly curved.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the optical unit 20 has a curved surface 54, 54, while the mounting plane 51 of the housing 5 abuts against the rear wall 32 of the housing 3, the connecting surface faces in either the left or right direction. Is attached to the holding part 10 so as to face in the vertical direction. The connection plane 53 may face in either the left or right direction, but in the present embodiment, the connection plane 53 is directed leftward as an example. The housing unit 5 is configured to be detachable from the housing unit 3. The housing part 5 is fixed to the rear wall surface 32 of the housing part 3 with, for example, screws.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the operation plane 52 of the housing unit 5 is adjusted with a knob 622 for switching on / off of the optical filter 623 (see FIG. 9) and the focus of the optical image picked up by the camera 11. A fixing screw 634 is provided. On the connection surface, a connector 611 to which the end of the image guide fiber 22 is connected and a connector 71 to which the end of the light guide fiber 23 is connected are provided.

A stand piece 55 having a shape along the operation plane 52 and the pair of curved surfaces 54 is hinged to the lower curved surface 54. The stand piece 55 can change its posture between a contact posture in contact with the operation plane 52 shown in FIG. 7 and a deployed posture separated from the operation plane 52 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, when the stand piece 55 is in the deployed posture, the connection tool 200 can be erected by being grounded by the stand piece 55 and the lower wall surface 34 of the holding unit 10. Thereby, the user can perform imaging of an imaging target in a state where the tablet PC 1 is placed on a tabletop or a work table. Moreover, the housing | casing part 5 functions as a grip hold | gripped by a user because the stand piece 55 will be in a contact attitude | position.

  Inside the housing 5, a relay optical system 6 that transmits an optical image output from the image guide fiber 22 of the fiberscope 2 to the camera 11, and an illumination unit that supplies light to the light guide fiber 23 of the fiberscope 2. 7 is housed. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the internal configuration of the optical unit 20. In addition, in FIG. 9, illustration of the housing | casing part 5 and the holding | maintenance part 10 is abbreviate | omitted.

  The illumination unit 7 includes a connector 71 to which the end of the light guide fiber 23 is connected, and a light source 72 that emits light with a predetermined intensity. The light source 72 is, for example, an LED (light emitting diode) light source. The light source 72 can be turned on and off by a user operating a switch (not shown) provided outside the housing unit 5. Light from the light source 72 is supplied to the light guide fiber 23 via the connector 71.

  A solid line P in FIG. 9 indicates a path of light traveling on the optical axis of the image guide fiber 22. That is, the path P indicates the path of the optical image from the image guide fiber 22 to the camera 11 in the relay optical system 6. In the path P, the fiberscope 2 side is upstream and the camera 11 side is downstream.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the relay optical system 6 includes, in order from the upstream of the path P, an input unit 61, a filter unit 62, a focus adjustment unit 63, a first reflecting member 64, a second reflecting member 65, An output unit 66 connected to the camera lens 111 is disposed. 9, the optical image is input to the relay optical system 6 from a first direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the camera 11, and is orthogonal to the optical axis and the first direction by the first reflecting member 64. The traveling direction is changed to the second direction, and the traveling direction is changed in a direction parallel to the optical axis by the second reflecting member 65 to reach the camera lens 111. Hereinafter, the configuration of the relay optical system 6 will be described in detail.

  The input unit 61 includes a connector 611 to which the end of the image guide fiber 22 is connected, and a relay lens 612 held by the connector 611. The end of the image guide fiber 22 is connected to the connector 611 from the first direction. That is, the optical axis of the image guide fiber 22 is parallel to the first direction. Since the first direction is a direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the camera 11, the image guide fiber 22 is connected from a direction orthogonal to the normal line on the rear surface of the tablet PC 1.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the image guide fiber 22 is connected to the input unit 61. As shown in FIG. 10, the relay lens 612 is arranged so that the optical axis of the image guide fiber 22 and the optical axis of the relay lens 612 coincide when the end of the image guide fiber 22 is connected. The relay lens 612 forms an inverted image of the end surface 221 of the image guide fiber 22. Thereby, the optical image of the imaging target displayed on the end surface 221 is inverted.

The filter unit 62 includes various optical filters 623 that adjust the light amount and color tone by reflecting, absorbing, and transmitting a specific wavelength of light, and a filter holder 621 that holds the optical filter 623. The filter holder 621 is provided with a knob 622 that protrudes to the outside of the housing 5 shown in FIG. The filter holder 621 has a housing part 5
When the user operates the knob 622 from the outside, the position of the optical filter 623 can be moved between the path P and the outside of the path P. Thereby, ON / OFF switching of the optical filter 623 by a user's manual operation is possible. The optical filter 623 used in the filter unit 62 is a polarizing filter for reducing glare of an optical image, an infrared cut filter for cutting infrared rays, and color separation for separating and transmitting R, G, and B color lights. Various filters such as a filter can be selected.

  The focus adjustment unit 63 is an optical member that mechanically adjusts the focus of the optical image. The focus adjustment unit 63 includes an inner cylinder 632 arranged to be parallel to the first direction, a focus lens 633 provided inside the inner cylinder 632, and an outer cylinder 631 that slidably accommodates the inner cylinder 632. ,have. The focus lens 633 is provided so that the optical axis is coaxial with the optical axis of the relay lens 612. Further, a long hole whose longitudinal direction coincides with the axial direction of the outer cylinder 631 passes through the side surface of the outer cylinder 631. Further, the screw portion of the fixing screw 634 inserted through the hole formed in the operation surface of the housing unit 5 shown in FIG. 6 is inserted into the elongated hole and screwed into the side surface of the inner cylinder 632. As shown in FIG. 6, since the screw head of the fixing screw 634 is exposed to the outside of the operation surface, the user slides the inner cylinder 632 with respect to the outer cylinder 631 by grasping the screw head of the fixing screw 634. The inner cylinder 632 can be fixed to the outer cylinder 631 by tightening the fixing screw 634. Thereby, the focus lens 633 can be adjusted to an arbitrary position, and the focus of the optical image can be adjusted. The focus lens 633 inverts the optical image transmitted from the relay lens 612.

  The first reflecting member 64 and the second reflecting member 65 are optical members capable of reflecting light. The first reflecting member 64 and the second reflecting member 65 correspond to the “bending optical member” of the present invention. The first reflecting member 64 changes the traveling direction of the optical image from the first direction to the second direction by reflecting the optical image. The first reflecting member 64 is a right angle prism having a substantially triangular prism shape. The cross section in the axial direction of the first reflecting member 64 forms a right-angled isosceles triangle. Here, two surfaces orthogonal to each other when viewed in the axial direction are referred to as a first incident surface 641 and a first emission surface, respectively, and an inclined surface is referred to as a first reflection surface 643. The first reflecting member 64 is disposed so that the first incident surface 641 and the optical axis of the focus lens 633 are orthogonal to each other, and the light emitted from the focus lens 633 is incident on the first incident surface 641. The light that has entered the first incident surface 641 from the first direction is totally reflected by the first reflecting surface 643, changes its traveling direction to the second direction, and is emitted from the first emitting surface. As a result, the traveling direction of the optical image changes from the first direction to the second direction. At this time, the optical image is inverted when the light is reflected by the first reflecting surface 643.

  The second reflecting member 65 reflects the optical image to change the traveling direction of the optical image from the second direction to a direction parallel to the optical axis of the camera 11. Similar to the first reflecting member 64, the second reflecting member 65 is a right-angle prism having a substantially triangular prism shape. Two surfaces orthogonal to each other when viewed in the axial direction are referred to as a second incident surface 651 and a second output surface 652, respectively, and the inclined surface is referred to as a second reflecting surface 653. The second reflecting member 65 is located on the optical axis of the camera 11 and is disposed so that light emitted from the first reflecting member 64 is incident from a direction orthogonal to the second incident surface 651. The light incident on the second incident surface 651 from the second direction is totally reflected by the second reflecting surface 653, thereby changing the traveling direction to a direction parallel to the optical axis of the camera 11, and from the second emitting surface 652. Emitted. As a result, the traveling direction of the optical image changes from the first direction to the second direction. At this time, the optical image is inverted by reflecting light on the second reflecting surface 653.

The output unit 66 has a guide tube that is a tube that passes through the mounting plane 51 of the housing unit 5. The guide tube is provided so that the center axis thereof coincides with the optical axis of the camera 11, and a part of the guide tube protrudes from the housing unit 5 and is inserted into the lens hole 373 of the holding unit 10. The guide tube transmits the optical image transmitted from the focus lens 633 to the camera lens 111 of the camera 11 through the lens hole 373 of the holding unit 10. The output unit 66 may include an eyepiece that magnifies the optical image transmitted from the second reflecting member 65 at a predetermined magnification.

  In the relay optical system 6 as described above, the optical image on the end surface 221 of the image guide fiber 22 is an erect image, and the relay lens 612, the focus lens 633, the first reflecting member 64, and the second reflecting member 65 are reversed. Repeat and finally, it is transmitted to the camera 11 as an erect image.

[how to use]
Next, an imaging method of an imaging target by the scope system 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a method of assembling the system. First, the user places the connector 200 in a state in which the optical unit 20 is fixed to the housing 3 and the housing 3 and the lid 4 are separated. In this state, the connecting device 200 is mounted on the tablet PC 1 by housing the tablet PC 1 in the housing unit 3 and fixing the lid 4 to the housing unit 3. Then, the fiberscope 2 is connected to the connector 200 by connecting the end of the image guide fiber 22 to the connector 611 of the optical unit 20 and connecting the end of the light guide fiber 23 to the connector 611. Thereby, the scope system 100 shown in FIG. 1 is assembled. Note that the scope system 100 may stand the tablet PC 1 on the desktop or the like with the stand piece 55 in the unfolded posture shown in FIG. 8 according to the use environment, or keep the stand piece 55 in the contact posture shown in FIG. The optical unit 30 may be held as a grip.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 1, when the light source 72 of the illumination unit 7 emits light with the objective lens 21 provided at the tip of the image guide fiber 22 facing the imaging target, the light from the light source 72 is converted into a ride guide. An optical image of light irradiated from the tip of the fiber and reflected on the imaging target is transmitted to the camera 11 via the objective lens 21, the image guide fiber 22, and the relay optical system 6.

  In this state, when the camera 11 is activated by a user's designation operation on the touch panel 13, an optical image is taken into the camera lens 111 and converted into an electronic image by the image processing unit, as shown in FIG. The electronic image to be imaged is displayed on the display 12 in real time. Thereby, the user can observe the imaging target by visually recognizing the electronic image displayed on the display 12. Further, a still image at an arbitrary timing can be recorded by a shutter operation of the touch panel 13 or the home button 14.

  Note that the CPU 151 performs automatic focus adjustment (autofocus) by moving the camera lens 111 based on the contrast of the image captured by the image sensor 112. When the focus adjustment is insufficient only by the electronic image focus adjustment by autofocus, the focus screw 634 shown in FIG. 6 is operated to manually adjust the position of the focus lens 633 of the focus adjustment unit 63. May be adjusted.

Here, the electronic image acquired by the camera 11 is an image of the end face 221 of the image guide fiber 22 displaying the optical image to be imaged. In such a scope system 100, there may be a case where an optical axis shift between optical members such as an optical axis shift between the image guide fiber 22 and the relay lens 612 occurs. In this case, as shown in FIG. 12A, the end face 221 of the image guide fiber 22 is displayed shifted from the center C of the electronic image, whereby the position of the optical image to be imaged in the electronic image is shifted from the image center C. May be displayed. The system according to the present embodiment may correct an electronic image shift due to the optical axis shift described above by using an image correction application program (hereinafter, an image correction program) stored in the storage unit 152. The image correction program causes the CPU 151 to function as image correction means of the present invention. When the image correction program is activated by a user's designation operation on the touch panel 13, the CPU 151 determines whether the center position of the end face 221 is shifted based on the image correction program. This determination is performed by detecting the center position of the end face 221 by detecting an edge in the image. When the center position of the end surface 221 is shifted from the image center C, the electronic image is corrected so as to be positioned at the image center C. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 12B, the optical image to be imaged can be displayed at the image center C.

  The illumination unit 7 may use a light provided in the tablet PC 1 as the light source 72. In that case, the illuminating unit 7 transmits light irradiated from the light to the light guide fiber 23 using an arbitrary optical member such as a right-angle prism or an optical fiber.

[Action / Effect]
As described above, according to the connection tool 200 according to the first embodiment, the tablet PC 1 is held by the holding unit 10, and the optical image output from the image guide fiber 22 by the optical unit 20 is transmitted to the camera of the tablet PC 1. Can do. Thereby, an optical image can be captured by the camera 11 of the tablet PC 1 and an electronic image can be displayed on the display 12. As a result, since it is not necessary to prepare a camera or display dedicated to the fiberscope, the portability of the scope system 100 can be improved.

  Here, as described above, an allowable bending radius is determined for the optical fiber. Therefore, if the image guide fiber 22 is connected to the optical unit 20 in parallel with the optical axis of the camera 11, that is, in parallel with the normal direction of the rear surface of the tablet PC 1, the image guide fiber 22 cannot be bent below the allowable bending radius. Therefore, there is a possibility that the image guide fiber 22 is bulky in the normal direction of the rear surface.

  On the other hand, since the image guide fiber 22 is connected from the direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the camera 11 in the optical unit 20 according to the first embodiment, the image guide fiber 22 can be in a posture along the rear surface of the tablet PC 1. . As a result, the image guide fiber 22 is prevented from being bulky in the normal direction of the rear surface of the tablet PC 1, and the entire size of the scope system 100 can be made compact.

  The relay optical system 6 also changes the traveling direction of the optical image from the first direction to the second direction by the first reflecting member 64, and changes the traveling direction of the optical image from the second direction by the second reflecting member 65. The optical image is transmitted to the camera 11 by changing in the optical axis direction. That is, the relay optical system 6 can freely control the traveling direction of the optical image vertically and horizontally by the arrangement of the first reflecting member 64 and the second reflecting member 65. According to this, the freedom degree of the layout of the optical member provided in the optical unit 20 can be improved. As a result, the size of the optical unit 20 can be made more compact. Note that the first direction and the second direction are not necessarily orthogonal.

  Further, the optical unit 20 according to the first embodiment can transmit the optical image output from the image guide fiber 22 in the relay optical system 6 to the camera 11 as an erect image. As a result, there is no need to invert the electronic image by the tablet PC 1 in order to obtain an erect image.

Here, if the number of times the optical image is inverted in the relay optical system 6 is N, N may be any number that allows the optical image transmitted to the camera 11 to be an erect image. For example, when the optical image output from the image guide fiber 22 is an erect image, an erect image can be output by setting N to an even number. Conversely, if the optical image output from the image guide fiber 22 is an inverted image, N may be an odd number. As a result, the optical image to be imaged can be captured by the camera 11 as an erect image. The magnitude of N can be adjusted by changing the number of reflections by changing the number of reflection members.

  The first reflecting member 64 and the second reflecting member 65 may be, for example, a plane mirror that reflects an optical image by a metal film formed on the surface, or a beam splitter.

  In addition, since the scope system 100 according to the first embodiment can correct the position of the optical image in the image by the control device 15 of the tablet PC 1, it is necessary to provide a mechanism for adjusting the optical axis in the optical unit 20 separately. The optical unit 20 can be made compact. As a result, the portability of the scope system 100 is improved.

  Further, the image correction program may rotationally correct the electronic image so that the orientation of the optical image during observation is kept constant. Specifically, when the CPU 151 detects that the optical image in the electronic image is rotated during observation of the imaging target based on the image correction program, the CPU 151 rotates the electronic image to correct the orientation of the optical image. Thereby, even if the image guide fiber 22 rotates around the optical axis during observation of the imaging target, the top and bottom of the optical image in the image can be kept constant.

  In addition to the position correction and rotation correction described above, the image correction program may perform noise removal correction that removes noise of an electronic image caused by displaying the cladding of each optical fiber constituting the image guide fiber 22. Good. The image correction program may execute noise removal correction only when a still image is acquired by a shutter operation. By not performing noise removal correction during observation, the processing load on the CPU 151 can be reduced.

  In addition, although the connection tool 200 which concerns on this embodiment is comprised as a different body from which the holding | maintenance part 10 and the optical unit 20 can be attached or detached, the holding | maintenance part 10 and the optical unit 20 may be integrally molded.

[Modification 1]
13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a holding unit 10A according to the first modification. As for holding part 10A concerning a modification, window part 41A formed in lid part 4A is widely formed. The window portion 41A is formed so as to contact only the vicinity of the lower edge of the front surface of the tablet PC 1. A hook piece 7A having a substantially U-shaped cross section is hingedly connected to the vicinity of the upper edge of the rear wall surface 32 of the housing portion 3. The hook piece 7A can change its posture between a separation posture separated from the upper wall surface 33 shown in FIG. 13A and an engagement posture contacting the upper wall surface 33 shown in FIG. 13B. The tablet PC 1 is formed so as to contact the vicinity of the upper edge of the front surface of the tablet PC 1. In the holding portion 10A, the hook piece 7A is set in the separated posture, the tablet PC 1 is received in the receiving pocket 37, and then the hook piece 7A is set in the engaging posture, so that the vicinity of the lower edge of the front surface of the tablet PC 1 is the lid portion 4. And the vicinity of the upper edge is suppressed by the hook piece 7A. Thereby, drop-off of the accommodated tablet PC 1 is suppressed.

[Modification 2]
14A and 14B are diagrams illustrating a holding unit 10B according to the second modification. As shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, the accommodating portion 3B of the holding portion 10B and the lid portion 4B may be hinged to open and close the lid portion 4B. In the accommodating portion 3B according to the modification, the lower edge of the lid portion 4B is hinged to the lower edge of the front wall surface 31. Accordingly, the lid portion 4B can change its posture between an open posture away from the front wall surface 31 shown in FIG. 14A and a closed posture covering the front wall surface 31 shown in FIG. 14B. A hook piece 7B having a substantially semicircular cross section is hingedly connected to the vicinity of the upper edge of the rear wall surface 32 of the accommodating portion 3B. The hook piece 7B maintains the closed posture of the lid portion 4B by engaging with the upper edge of the lid portion 4B in a state where the lid portion 4B is in the closed posture. Thereby, drop-off of the accommodated tablet PC 1 is suppressed.

[Modification 3]
FIG. 15 is a block diagram of a scope system 100C according to the third modification. Generally, since the fiberscope 2 is used for a human body, an upper limit of the number of times of use (hereinafter referred to as an allowable number of times of use) is set. As shown in FIG. 15, the optical unit 20 </ b> C of the connector 200 </ b> C according to the modification 3 reads from the identification element recognition unit 8 that recognizes the identification element 25 provided at the end of the image guide fiber 22 and the identification element 25. And a communication unit 9 that transmits the identification information to the tablet PC 1. In the identification element 25, an ID (identification information) unique to the fiberscope 2 is recorded. The identification element 25 is, for example, an RFID (radio frequency identifier) tag, and the identification element recognition unit 8 is, for example, an RFID reader capable of detecting an RFID tag. The identification element recognition unit 8 detects the RFID tag when the image guide fiber 22 is connected to the connector 611. The control device 15 of the tablet PC 1 acquires the identification information acquired by the identification element recognition unit 8 by executing wireless communication with the communication unit 9 based on the program. The wireless communication between the control device 15 and the communication unit 9 is based on, for example, the IEEE 802.11 standard. The CPU 151 of the control device 15 calculates the number of times the fiberscope 2 has been used based on the acquired identification information and the number of times the identification information has been acquired. When the number of times that the fiberscope 2 has been used exceeds the allowable number of times of use, the CPU 151 displays on the display 12 that it is disabled (unusable).

<Embodiment 2>
FIG. 16A is a diagram illustrating a connection portion between the optical unit 30 according to the second embodiment and the image guide fiber 22D of the fiber scope 2D. In the second embodiment, the tablet PC 1 and the fiberscope 2D are optically connected by two ball lenses.

  The ball lens used in the second embodiment has a spherical shape and has a function of collimating light emitted from the focal position. Further, since the ball lens has a small radius of curvature, it has a feature that the focal length is shorter than that of the non-spherical lens having the same diameter. The two ball lenses are a first ball lens 301 provided in the optical unit 30 and a second ball lens 220 provided at the end of the image guide fiber 22D, respectively.

  The optical unit 30 according to the second embodiment includes a connecting cylinder 302 provided in the holding unit 10 and a first ball lens 301 disposed inside the connecting cylinder 302. The connecting cylinder 302 is provided so as to be coaxial with the lens hole 373 of the holding unit 10. The first ball lens 301 is provided so that the optical axis coincides with the optical axis of the camera 11. The connecting cylinder 302 corresponds to the “connecting member” of the present invention.

  The second ball lens 220 is provided such that the optical axis coincides with the optical axis of the image guide fiber 22D and the distance between the center position and the end of the image guide fiber 22D is the focal length. Such connection between the image guide fiber 22D and the optical unit 30 is achieved by inserting the end of the image guide fiber 22D into the connecting tube 302.

  As shown in FIG. 16A, in a state where the image guide fiber 22D and the optical unit 30 are connected, the optical axis of the first ball lens 301 and the optical axis of the second ball lens 220 coincide with each other, and the end of the image guide fiber 22D. A light beam from the surface 221 is collimated by the second ball lens 220 and enters the first ball lens 301, whereby an optical image is transmitted to the camera lens 111.

Here, FIG. 16B is a diagram illustrating a connection portion between the optical unit 30E according to the comparative example and the image guide fiber 22E of the fiberscope 2E. In the comparative example, instead of the first ball lens 301 and the second ball lens 220, a first non-spherical lens 301E and a second non-spherical lens 220E are provided. The first aspheric lens 301E and the second aspheric lens 220E are general objective lenses having an aspheric shape. The focal lengths of the first aspherical lens 301E and the second aspherical lens 220E are longer than the focal lengths of the first ball lens 301 and the second ball lens 220. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16B, the connecting cylinder 302E is longer than the connecting cylinder 302. That is, the connection portion between the optical unit 30E and the image guide fiber 22E is longer in the optical axis direction of the camera 11 than the connection portion between the optical unit 30 and the image guide fiber 22D.

  As described above, according to the optical unit 30 according to the second embodiment, the first ball lens 301 and the second ball lens 220 having a shorter focal length than the first non-spherical lens 301E and the second non-spherical lens 220E are used. Thus, the connecting portion between the optical unit and the image guide fiber can be formed shorter than the comparative example. As a result, the optical unit 30 can be made compact, and the portability of the scope system 100 can be further improved. Furthermore, since the ball lens is a sphere, the tilt of the optical axis due to the tilt of the ball lens is suppressed. As a result, the lens holding mechanism can be configured more simply than using a normal objective lens, and the design tolerance in the holding mechanism can be increased.

  In the second embodiment, the tablet PC 1 and the fiberscope 2D are optically connected by two ball lenses, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described aspect. As shown in the modification of FIG. 16C, the ball lens may be provided only on the optical unit side. In FIG. 16C, the optical unit 30 and the image guide fiber 22E are optically connected by the first ball lens 301 provided on the optical unit 30 side and the second aspherical lens 220E provided on the image guide fiber 22E side. doing. Also by doing so, the optical unit 30 can be configured more compactly than the comparative example in which two general objective lenses are connected.

  The second ball lens 220 may be disposed in the connector 611 of the input unit 61 in the first embodiment instead of the relay lens 612.

<Others>
The contents described in the above embodiments and modifications can be implemented in combination as much as possible.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Tablet-type personal computer with a camera 11 ... Camera 12 ... Display 13 ... Touch panel 14 ... Home button 15 ... Control apparatus 2 ... Fiberscope 21 ... Objective lens 22. ··· Image guide fiber 23 ··· Light guide fiber 3 ··· Storage portion 4 ··· Lid portion 5 ··· Housing portion 6 ··· Relay optical system 61 ··· Input portion 62 ··· Filter portion 63 ... focus adjustment unit 64 ... first reflection member 65 ... second reflection member 66 ... output unit 67 ... illumination unit 10 ... holding unit 20 ... optical unit 100 ... -Fiberscope system 200-Fiberscope connector 301-First ball lens 220-Second ball lens

Claims (8)

A fiberscope connector for connecting a fiberscope that outputs an optical image of an imaging target acquired by an objective lens from an image guide fiber to a camera provided in a mobile terminal,
A holding unit for holding the mobile terminal;
An optical unit attached to the holding unit and connected to the image guide fiber from a first direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the camera,
The fiberscope connector, wherein the optical unit includes a relay optical system that transmits the optical image output from the image guide fiber to the camera from a direction parallel to the optical axis of the camera.   The relay optical system transmits the optical image to the camera from a direction parallel to the optical axis of the camera by changing a traveling direction of the optical image by a bending optical member that bends light. The fiberscope connector according to claim 1.   The relay optical system includes: the first bending optical member that changes the traveling direction of the optical image from the first direction to the second direction; and the camera that changes the traveling direction of the optical image from the second direction. The fiberscope connector according to claim 2, further comprising: the second bending optical member that is changed in the optical axis direction.   The fiberscope connector according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the bending optical member bends light by reflecting light.   The optical unit includes a ball lens provided so as to be positioned on an optical axis of the image guide fiber when the image guide fiber is connected to the optical unit. 5. The fiberscope connector according to any one of items 1 to 4. A fiberscope connector for connecting a fiberscope that outputs an optical image of an imaging target acquired by an objective lens from an image guide fiber to a camera provided in a mobile terminal,
A holding unit for holding the mobile terminal;
An optical unit attached to the holding unit and connected to the image guide fiber,
The optical unit includes a ball lens provided on the optical axis of the camera and the ball lens on the optical axis of the image guide fiber when the image guide fiber is connected to the optical unit. And a connecting member to be disposed. A fiber comprising: a fiberscope that outputs an optical image of an imaging target acquired by an objective lens from an image guide fiber; a portable terminal having a camera, a display, and a control device; and a connector that connects the fiberscope to the camera. A scope system,
The connector includes a holding unit that holds the portable terminal, and an optical unit that is attached to the holding unit and connected to the image guide fiber.
The optical unit displays the electronic image of the optical image on the display by transmitting the optical image to the camera,
The fiberscope system, wherein the control device includes an image correction unit that corrects a position of the optical image in the electronic image. A fiber comprising: a fiberscope that outputs an optical image of an imaging target acquired by an objective lens from an image guide fiber; a portable terminal having a camera, a display, and a control device; and a connector that connects the fiberscope to the camera. A scope system,
The connector includes a holding unit that holds the portable terminal, and an optical unit that is attached to the holding unit and connected to the image guide fiber.
The optical unit displays the electronic image of the optical image on the display by transmitting the optical image to the camera,
The fiberscope system, wherein the control device includes an image correction unit that corrects a direction of the optical image in the electronic image.

Images