JP2003339687A - Photographing apparatus using photoelectric converter - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a photographing apparatus which achieves enlarging the area of planar sensors simultaneously with portability and storage property by providing a structure to be folded into two at a part near the center of the planar sensors, and also which performs photographing in a plurality of directions without moving a subject and the planar sensors by conducting the photographing in a state where the planar sensors are opened with a certain angle, e.g. in vertical relation, concerning the photographing apparatus including the planar sensors. <P>SOLUTION: In a sensor panel apparatus, the two planar sensors are joined on each one of the sides so as to be opened and closed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a photographing device using a photoelectric conversion device.

Among them, 1 × photography is widely used,
This is particularly effective for X-ray imaging applications that require a large sensor area.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 12 shows a conventional photographing device.

The plane sensor is a single continuous surface, and if an equal-magnification optical system without a reduction optical system is used, it is inevitable that the photographable range 1201 is as wide as 1202. The outer shape of the sensor is enlarged from a to 12-b, the portability and storability are impaired, and the product becomes difficult to handle.

That is, in such a conventional product, there is a trade-off between the desire to photograph a large area and the portability and storability.

Further, the light source 1204 and the plane sensor 1205
If the relative orientation directions of are limited, then if the user tries to shoot from a plurality of directions, as shown in 12-c, the subject 1203 will be moved or will be subject to a moving load. It was happening.

[0007]

As a means for solving the above problems, the present invention provides an image pickup apparatus having a flat sensor, which has a structure capable of being folded in two near the center of the flat sensor. While achieving both area expansion and portability / storability, the plane sensor is opened at a certain angle, for example, in a vertical relationship, so that it is possible to take images from a plurality of directions on the subject and the plane sensor. An imaging device that can be implemented without moving the camera.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings along with examples.

(First Embodiment) FIGS. 1-a to 1-c show an example of an image pickup apparatus according to the present embodiment.

The flat sensor 101 is formed by arranging a plurality of sensor cells each having a thin film field effect transistor and a capacitance in a matrix form. 1-a is in a state of being opened 180 degrees, and when photographing is performed in this state, a wide range is obtained. Images can be acquired at once.

1-b is a state in which it is stopped halfway, and if images are taken from different directions in this state, images viewed from different angles can be obtained without moving the subject and the plane sensor.

1-c is a completely closed state, which is advantageous for transportation and storage.

That is, since the size is reduced to about half, it is easy to handle and select a storage place, and since the plane sensor imaging surface is stored inside, it also plays a role of protection from impact and dust. .

An example of photographing is shown in 1-d.

In the present embodiment, 101 and 102 use the two sensor panels shown in 1-a to 1-c opened 90 degrees.

Reference numeral 103 represents a subject, and reference numerals 104 and 105 represent light sources.

According to the embodiment shown here, once the subject and the sensor panel are set, it is possible to photograph from different directions at once.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 2-a shows a state during plane imaging according to this embodiment.

Here, the plane sensor effective surface indicated by 201 is divided by the joint portion indicated by 202.

Here, in the present invention, in shooting with the flat sensor open, circuits such as the reading unit, the driving unit, and the interface unit from the joining unit 202 are brought closer to the state of shooting with one flat sensor. It eliminates parts and reduces the distance as much as possible.

The circuit in the plane sensor is one-sided driving as shown in 2-b, one-sided reading as shown in 2-c,
One-side drive / one-side read as shown in 2-d, or a mode in which both read and drive are performed from one direction as shown in 2-e can be adopted.

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 3 shows a state during transportation and storage in this embodiment.

Here, when the joint portion is made as small as possible as described above, the end portion 302 of the flat sensor is not protected from the external environment or is exposed to a very little protection when folded. As a result, during transportation and storage, this portion becomes fragile, and there is a great risk of damage during handling, which is inconvenient.

Therefore, in the present invention, the protective material 301 is attached to the end portion 3.
02 to be attached. By making this protective material removable, it becomes easy to achieve both the continuity of the flat sensor in the open state and the strength when folded.

Examples of this protective material include the following.

The same material as the main body casing is used as a protective material. In this case, a resin material such as FRP is suitable.
The merit is that it is easy to process and assemble, and the integration makes it advantageous in terms of cost and design.

Painted metals can also be used. If chamfered and rounded, it will be safer to handle. The advantage is high strength.

A rubber-based material is mechanically fixed. The merit is that it has a high cushioning effect, avoids shocks, and at the same time has an anti-slip effect during transportation.

A silicon-based material is mechanically fixed. The merit is that it has a high buffering effect and is resistant to heat and acid, so it can be stored in a slightly poor environment.

(Embodiment 4) FIG. 4 shows a state in which an interface portion is attached in the present embodiment. In the figure, an interface unit 401 has a function for extracting the acquired image information, that is, a multiplexer,
It includes all or part of an analog buffer, a digital buffer, a power supply, an A / D converter, and other arithmetic devices, and serves as an interface with the imaging system 404. Although the flat sensor is divided into 402 and 403, the information of the two sensor panels can be handled collectively.

By connecting 401 to another sensor panel such as 405 and 406, the photographing system 4
The number 04 is one, and a plurality of sensor panels can be used.

The photographing system 404 is composed of all or part of an image capturing device, a storage device, other arithmetic device, and a display device.

(Embodiment 5) FIG. 5 shows a state in which the flat sensor unit in this embodiment is closed and locked. The lock 501 is depicted here on the side opposite the planar sensor joint, but its location can be anywhere on the planar sensor as long as it serves the purpose of maintaining a closed condition.

A simple example of the internal structure of 501 is shown in 5-a.

Reference numeral 502 denotes a metal or resin member having a hook-shaped tip, which is separate from the sensor panel.

Numeral 503 is a projection-like component for hooking the key portion of 502.

502 has a role of preventing the sensor panel from opening by hanging on 503.

(Embodiment 6) FIG. 6 shows a state in which opening / closing of the flat sensor unit and ON / OFF of the power source of the flat sensor unit are linked in this embodiment.

FIG. 6-a is a mounting view of an open / close detection switch or a detection sensor that exhibits a similar function. Here, reference numeral 601 represents the switch or the detection sensor, but the position may be any position of the flat sensor as long as it is suitable for detecting the opening / closing of the flat sensor.

(Embodiment 7) FIG. 7 shows a fixed state when the flat sensor according to the present embodiment is opened and closed. The open / close fixing unit 701 in the figure includes a stay, a gear,
The flat sensor 70 includes an actuator, a cylinder, a damper, a position detection sensor, and all or part of them.
It plays a role of fixing 2,703 at an arbitrary or preset angle. An example of the fixing mechanism is shown in 7-a.

Reference numeral 704 represents a stay made of metal or resin, and 705 represents an assembly of gears, dampers and the like.

The 704 can also be stored as shown by the dotted line when folded.

The 705 can be formed integrally with or separately from the hinge mechanism connecting the 702 and 703.

In the present embodiment, either one of 704 and 705 may be used, or both of them may be used as long as the purpose is met.

(Embodiment 8) FIG. 8 shows a display device for displaying the open / closed state of the flat sensor according to the present embodiment. The display device 801 is the seventh embodiment.
It has a function of detecting and displaying angle information when opening and closing. The display position is in addition to the flat sensor back surface shown in FIG.
A value of 001 is also suitable.

(Embodiment 9) FIG. 9 shows a built-in stand for installing the plane sensor at an arbitrary angle in this embodiment. Stand 901
As shown in 9-a and 9-b, the flat sensor can be fixed and installed at an arbitrary angle from 0 to 90 degrees with respect to the installation surface. Depending on the subject, by rotating the stand with respect to the flat sensor,
It is also possible to use it in a state of being long in the height direction with respect to the installation surface, as shown in -c.

(Embodiment 10) FIG. 10 shows a display device for displaying the communication status / operating status between the plane sensor and the photographing system in the present embodiment. The display device 1001 has a function of detecting and displaying a communication state with the imaging system 1002.

Further, the display device 1001 displays all or a part of the power ON / OFF of the flat sensor, the current number of shots, the opening / closing angle of the eighth embodiment, the shooting availability, the clock / date, the subject name. You can

The display position is suitable not only in the interface section shown in FIG. 10, but also on the back surface of the flat sensor and the end surface of the flat sensor.

Further, the display device 1001 can perform the same display in the closed state, that is, the stored state 10-a and the opened state.

(Embodiment 11) FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram of an X-ray imaging system using the imaging apparatus of this embodiment. In FIG. 11, reference numeral 1107 is an X-ray generation device that generates X-rays, and is arranged opposite to the sensor panel 1101. The sensor panel 1101 is formed by arranging a plurality of sensor cells each having a thin film field effect transistor and a capacitor in a matrix, and an X-ray visible conversion phosphor 110 that converts X-rays into visible light on the imaging surface side thereof.
2 are provided.

The output from the sensor panel 1101 is sent to the image pickup system 1104 and appropriately stored. Or it is displayed on the screen of the system display.

As shown in FIG. 11, by disposing the X-ray visible conversion phosphor 1102 on the side of the X-ray generator of the sensor panel 1101, the output of the X-ray transmitted through the subject 1106 can be extracted as visible light. Visible light can be converted into an electrical signal by the sensor panel and captured as an image.

[0054]

As described above, in the photographing apparatus according to the present application, the portability and storability can be improved by folding the photographing unit of the flat sensor in two.

A circuit for driving the sensor and other components other than the minimum required housing structure for storing the sensor panel are not placed on the side of the fold line, so that a large area with a small blind spot can be obtained. You can shoot.

The interface section is not divided into two parts,
By performing the unification processing, photographing is simple and there are few failures as compared with the case where two separate sensor panels are used at the same time.

By making the interface part detachable, a plurality of sensors can be reused in one photographing system according to the purpose.

By providing the protective material during folding, the flat sensor portion can be prevented from being damaged, and by removing the protective material, it is not affected by photographing.

It is possible to prevent the flat sensor from being inadvertently opened and being damaged or injured by the lock mechanism working when folded.

Further, by making a gap when the flat sensor is unlocked, it can be easily opened with bare hands.

Since it can be fixed while being opened at an arbitrary angle, it is possible to take an arbitrary angle with respect to the subject.

By interlocking the opening and closing of the flat sensor and the power supply of the flat sensor, quick and simple photographing can be performed, and it is possible to prevent forgetting to turn off the power and to save energy.

Further, since it is possible to arbitrarily select interlocking / non-interlocking, it is possible to use the method according to the shooting style of the user.

By having a retractable stand,
It can be used upright without other aids. Also, by rotating the stand, it is possible to use the vertical and horizontal directions according to the subject.

Since the state of communication and connection with the system can be checked at any time regardless of whether the flat sensor is open or closed, it is possible to reduce failures such as communication errors during emergency shooting.

By arranging an X-ray visible conversion phosphor on the X-ray generator side of the sensor panel, the output of the X-ray transmitted through the subject can be taken out as visible light, and the visible light is converted into an electric signal by the sensor panel. It can be converted to and captured as an image.

By thus applying the photoelectric conversion device, it is possible to use it as a human body X-ray device or a nondestructive inspection device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a state diagram of opening and closing of the image capturing apparatus according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a configuration example of a circuit inside a junction and a sensor shown in a second embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a configuration example of a removable protective material shown in a third embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a configuration example of a removable interface unit shown in a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a configuration example of a lock mechanism when closed according to the fifth embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an interlocking operation of the image capturing system and the opening / closing operation of the sensor unit according to the sixth embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a configuration example of an arbitrary position lock mechanism when a sensor unit is opened, which is shown in a seventh embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a configuration example of an angle display mechanism with an open sensor unit according to the eighth embodiment.

FIG. 9 shows a usage example and a configuration example of the built-in stand shown in Embodiment 9.

FIG. 10 is a configuration example of a display mechanism for monitoring the communication status and others shown in Embodiment 10.

FIG. 11 is an example of an X-ray system shown in Embodiment 11.

FIG. 12 is an example of a conventional image pickup device using a flat sensor having a single-lens structure.

Front page continuation (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) H04N 5/32 H04N 5/32 F term (reference) 2G088 EE01 FF02 JJ05 EJ09 4C093 AA01 AA16 CA16 EB12 EB13 EB17 EB20 FA12 FA32 FA43 FB08 5C022 AA08 AC03 AC23 AC26 AC41 AC69 AC77 AC78 5C024 AX12 GX02 HX46

Claims (15)

[Claims] 1. An image pickup device comprising two flat sensors in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are arranged in a matrix, and one side of each of the flat sensors is mechanically connected to each other so as to have an opening / closing mechanism. apparatus. 2. The image pickup apparatus is characterized in that the sensor panels are brought as close as possible to each other without arranging a drive section, a drawer section, an interface section, etc. in the portions corresponding to the sides of both sensor panels corresponding to the folds of the flat sensor section. The imaging device according to claim 1. 3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an interface unit other than the drive unit / drawer unit is not placed in the vicinity of both flat sensor units, but is placed in the vicinity of one of the two sensors to perform centralized control of both sensors. The imaging device according to claim 1, 4. The interface unit of the photographing apparatus is removable.
The imaging device according to any one of 3 to 3. 5. The photographing device according to claim 1, wherein the photographing device has a protective material for protecting a fold portion at the time of folding, and the protective material has a detachable structure. apparatus. 6. The photographing device according to claim 1, wherein a mechanical lock mechanism operates in a folded state.
The imaging device according to item 5. 7. The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a lock mechanism for fixing or semi-fixing at an opening angle at that time or a preset angle.
The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. 8. The image taking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the image taking apparatus, a user can arbitrarily set the set angle. 9. The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display mechanism for displaying an angle set by the angle setting mechanism in the photographing apparatus. 10. The power switch and the plane sensor are arranged so that the plane sensor is turned on by opening the photographing apparatus from a folded state, and is turned off by folding the plane sensor in the opposite direction. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the open / close state is interlocked. 11. The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in the photographing apparatus, a photographer can arbitrarily select interlocking / non-interlocking of the switch. 12. The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a stand that can be stored on a back surface.
The imaging device according to 1. 13. The image pickup device in an open state,
The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display device capable of monitoring a communication state with an image pickup system that controls the sensor unit regardless of a folded state. 14. The radiation detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging apparatus includes the photoelectric conversion device and a wavelength conversion body that converts radiation into visible light. 15. The radiation detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radiation is an X-ray.