JP7286956B2 - Imaging device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an imaging device.

The applicant of the present invention combines two imaging systems of the same structure each having a wide-angle lens with an angle of view wider than 180 degrees and an imaging sensor that captures an image by the wide-angle lens, and synthesizes the images captured by each imaging system. A patent application has been filed for an omnidirectional imaging system (imaging device) that obtains an image within a solid angle of 4π radians (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

JP 2014-056048 A Japanese Patent No. 6019970

The omnidirectional imaging system is required to improve portability by downsizing (thinning) while maintaining constant optical performance and angle of view.

However, conventional omnidirectional imaging systems, including that of Patent Document 1, have room for improvement in that they have not sufficiently met the demand for miniaturization (thinness).

For example, when a large image sensor (for example, a CMOS sensor) is installed in order to obtain a high-quality image, the size (thickness) of the image pickup system is increased in order to secure the installation space for the image sensor. In addition, if the number of lenses in the optical system is increased or the diameter of the lens is increased in order to obtain a high-quality image, the imaging system will become larger (thick) in order to secure the installation space for the optical system. . Furthermore, when mounting an imaging function unit that enables various types of imaging, the imaging system becomes large (thick) in order to secure the arrangement space for the imaging function unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an image pickup apparatus that can improve the space efficiency inside the housing and can be miniaturized (thinned).

The imaging apparatus of this embodiment includes a plurality of optical systems, a plurality of imaging sensors on which images are formed by the plurality of optical systems, and a plurality of imaging sensors that change optical paths leading to the plurality of imaging sensors in the plurality of optical systems. an imaging unit having an optical path changing section; holding the imaging unit and exposing at least a portion of the plurality of optical systems in a holding area of the imaging unit; a housing unit that directly faces the outer shape section, the plurality of optical systems having a front group and a rear group, and the plurality of optical path changing sections comprising the front group and the rear group and a third optical path changing portion positioned between the rear group and the imaging sensor, wherein the casing unit has the maximum outer shape portion An image pickup function unit of an image pickup device is held within the range of the maximum width and maximum thickness of the image pickup unit excluding the image pickup unit and in the back area of the third optical path changing unit, and the plurality of image pickup sensors are arranged on the respective image pickup surfaces. are facing in opposite directions to each other and are supported inside the housing unit with their back surfaces facing each other, and the plurality of optical systems are arranged in the width direction of the imaging unit and the housing unit. and two rear groups extending in a direction orthogonal to the thickness direction, wherein the two rear groups define the maximum external shape of the imaging unit.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image pickup apparatus that can improve the space efficiency inside the housing and can be miniaturized (thinned).

1A and 1B are external configuration diagrams (front view and rear view) of an imaging device according to the present embodiment as viewed from the front and rear; 2A and 2B are external configuration diagrams (a right side view and a left side view) of the imaging device according to the present embodiment as viewed from the right and left; 1A and 1B are external configuration diagrams (plan view and bottom view) of an imaging device according to the present embodiment as viewed from above and below; FIG. 2 is a left side view of a wide-angle lens system and an imaging sensor held inside a housing; 2 is a rear view of a wide-angle lens system and an imaging sensor held inside a housing; FIG. FIG. 2 is a top view of a wide-angle lens system and an imaging sensor held inside a housing; FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a wide-angle lens system and an imaging sensor held inside a housing in an expanded form; 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an imaging unit; FIG. It is a front view which shows the structure of an imaging unit. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the imaging unit and the housing unit when the imaging unit is assembled. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a housing unit to which an image pickup unit is assembled; 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII of FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII of FIG. 1; 2 is a cross-sectional view along line XIV-XIV in FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the width and thickness of the imaging unit and the housing unit at their maximum outer shape. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a case in which a microphone as an imaging function section is arranged in the rear area of the third prism; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a case in which a heat storage member as an imaging function section is arranged in the back area of the third prism;

An imaging device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 17. FIG. The front, back, up, down, left, and right directions in the following description are based on the directions of the arrows shown in each drawing. Moreover, the left-right direction corresponds to the width direction, and the front-rear direction corresponds to the thickness direction.

As shown in the six views of FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B, the imaging device 1 is a housing (housing) in which each component of the imaging device 1 is assembled and held. body unit) 10. The housing 10 is short in the horizontal direction, long in the vertical direction, has a predetermined thickness in the front-rear direction, and has a rounded top surface. The housing 10 has a rear metal housing 20 and a front metal housing 30 . The rear metal housing 20 and the front metal housing 30 are made of a metal material (for example, a magnesium alloy) having relatively high rigidity compared to the rear resin housing 70, the front resin housing 80, and the connection resin housing 90, which will be described later. ) can be an integrally molded product.

The rear metal housing 20 and the front metal housing 30 are connected by a left side connection housing 40 , a right side connection housing 50 and a bottom connection housing 60 . The left side connection housing 40, the right side connection housing 50, and the bottom connection housing 60 can be made of the same metal material as the rear metal housing 20 and the front metal housing 30, for example. has a degree of freedom, and various design changes are possible.

A positioning boss (not shown) is formed in one of the rear metal housing 20 and the front metal housing 30, and a boss insertion hole (not shown) is formed in the other of the rear metal housing 20 and the front metal housing 30. (not shown) are formed, and by inserting the positioning boss into the boss insertion hole, the rear metal housing 20 and the front metal housing 30 are positioned in a state of being close to each other. The rear metal housing 20 and the front metal housing 30 have screw holes (not shown) on the left side, the right side, and the bottom side, which overlap each other in the positioning state described above and can be tightened together.

The left side connection housing 40, the right side connection housing 50, and the bottom connection housing 60 are fitted into the gaps between the left side, the right side, and the bottom between the rear side metal housing 20 and the front side metal housing 30, By screwing (tightening) common fastening screws (not shown) inserted through these into the screw holes, the rear metal housing 20, the front metal housing 30, the left side connection housing 40, and the right side connection housing are connected. 50 and the bottom connection housing 60 are integrated. The configuration for integrating the rear metal housing 20, the front metal housing 30, the left side connection housing 40, the right side connection housing 50, and the bottom connection housing 60 has a degree of freedom. Design changes are possible.

A substantially circular lens exposure hole 21 is formed above the rear metal housing 20 , and a substantially circular lens exposure hole 31 is formed above the front metal housing 30 . A shutter button (imaging function unit, operation unit) 22 that serves as a trigger for imaging (still image imaging, moving image imaging) is provided slightly below the middle portion in the vertical direction of the rear metal housing 20 . Below the shutter button 22, a display unit (imaging function section, state display section) 23 for displaying various information such as an operation screen and a setting screen of the imaging device 1 is provided. The display unit 23 can be composed of, for example, an organic EL display.

A speaker (imaging function unit) 41 for emitting, for example, a voice guidance message is provided in the middle portion in the vertical direction of the left side connection housing 40 . A power button (imaging function unit, operation unit) 51 for switching the power of the imaging device 1 on and off is provided in the middle part in the vertical direction of the right side connection housing 50 , and below the power button 51 , operation buttons (imaging function unit, operation unit) 52, 53, and 54 for performing setting operations of the photographing mode and the wireless connection mode.

On the right side slightly above the shutter button 22 of the rear metal housing 20, two microphones (imaging function section, sound collecting section) 24 are provided vertically spaced apart. Two microphones (imaging function unit, sound collecting unit) 32 are provided at a distance in the horizontal direction slightly above the middle portion in the vertical direction of the front metal housing 30 . 3D sound can be obtained with a total of four microphones, two microphones 24 on the rear metal housing 20 and two microphones 32 on the front metal housing 30 located on the front and back.

A combination of the rear metal housing 20, the front metal housing 30, the left side connection housing 40, the right side connection housing 50, and the bottom connection housing 60 constitutes a grip part GP below the middle part in the vertical direction. are doing. The photographer can press the shutter button 22, the power button 51, and the operation buttons 52 to 54 while holding the grip part GP.

A combination of the rear metal housing 20, the front metal housing 30, the left side connection housing 40, the right side connection housing 50, and the bottom connection housing 60 has an opening OS with an open top. . The opening OS is filled with the rear resin housing 70 , the front resin housing 80 , and the connection resin housing 90 . The rear-side resin housing 70, the front-side resin housing 80, and the connection resin housing 90 are made of a resin material (for example, PC (polycarbonate)) having relatively low rigidity compared to the rear-side metal housing 20 and the front-side metal housing 30. Alternatively, it can be an integrally molded product made of ABS resin or a mixture thereof.

The rear resin housing 70 has a curved shape that fits into the curved cutout of the opening OS formed above the rear metal housing 20 . The front resin housing 80 has a curved shape that fits into the curved cutout of the opening OS formed above the front metal housing 30 . The rear-side resin housing 70 and the front-side resin housing 80 have symmetrical shapes facing in opposite directions in the front-rear direction. The connection resin housing 90 has a curved shape that fits between the rear resin housing 70 and the front resin housing 80 in the opening OS formed above the rear metal housing 20 and the front metal housing 30. have.

Although not shown, a pair of projections with screw holes are formed slightly above the lens exposure hole 21 of the rear metal housing 20 so as to be spaced apart in the left-right direction. is formed with a pair of screw insertion holes corresponding to the pair of projections with screw holes. A pair of projections with screw holes and a pair of screw insertion holes are aligned, and a pair of tightening screws are inserted through the pair of screw insertion holes and screwed into the screw holes of the pair of projections with screw holes (tightening). ), the rear metal housing 20 and the rear resin housing 70 are connected. Although the connection structure between the rear metal housing 20 and the rear resin housing 70 has been described here, the connection structure between the front metal housing 30 and the front resin housing 80 is the same.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, inside the housing 10, two wide-angle lens systems (fisheye lens system, optical system, imaging optical system) A and B arranged symmetrically with each other, and two wide-angle lens systems Two imaging sensors AI and BI on which images of A and B are formed are held (stored). 4 to 6, the housing 10 is schematically drawn with imaginary lines (chain lines). Each of the two wide-angle lens systems A and B and the imaging sensors AI and BI can have the same specifications. The wide-angle lens systems A and B have an angle of view wider than 180 degrees. The imaging device 1 can be an omnidirectional imaging device that obtains an image within a solid angle of 4π radians by synthesizing two images formed by the imaging sensors AI and BI.

The wide-angle lens system A includes, in order from the object side to the image side, a negative front group AF, a first prism (first optical path changing unit) AP1, a variable aperture stop AS, a second prism (second an optical path changing portion) AP2, a positive rear group AR, and a third prism (third optical path changing portion) AP3. The negative front group AF has a function of taking in light rays with a wide angle of view larger than 180°, and the positive rear group AR has a function of correcting aberrations of the formed image. The variable aperture stop AS is omitted from FIGS. 4 to 6, and is only shown in the developed view of FIG.

The negative front group AF diverges the subject light flux incident from the front and emits it rearward. The first prism AP1 reflects the subject light flux incident from the negative front group AF by 90° to the left. The variable aperture stop AS adjusts (light amount adjustment) the transmission amount of the subject light beam reflected by the first prism AP1. The second prism AP2 reflects downward 90° the subject light flux whose light amount has been adjusted by the variable aperture stop AS. The positive rear group AR emits downward while converging the subject light flux reflected by the second prism AP2. The third prism AP3 reflects the subject light flux incident from the positive rear group AR by 90 degrees to the right, and forms an image on the imaging surface of the image sensor AI. A convex surface AP3X projecting toward the imaging surface of the image sensor AI is formed on the output surface of the third prism AP3. The negative front group AF and the positive rear group AR are each composed of a plurality of lenses as shown in FIG. 7 (in FIGS. 4 to 6, AF and AR are shown as representative symbols).

The wide-angle lens system B includes, in order from the object side to the image side, a negative front group BF, a first prism (first optical path changing section) BP1, a variable aperture stop BS, and a second prism (second It has an optical path changing portion) BP2, a positive rear group BR, and a third prism (third optical path changing portion) BP3. The negative front group BF has a function of taking in light rays with a wide angle of view larger than 180°, and the positive rear group BR has a function of correcting aberration of the formed image.

The negative front group BF diverges the subject light beam incident from the rear and emits it forward. The first prism BP1 reflects the subject light flux incident from the negative front group BF by 90° to the right. A variable aperture stop BS adjusts (light amount adjustment) the transmission amount of the subject light beam reflected by the first prism BP1. The second prism BP2 reflects downward by 90° the subject light flux whose light amount has been adjusted by the variable aperture stop BS. The positive rear group BR emits downward while converging the subject light flux reflected by the second prism BP2. The third prism BP3 reflects the subject light flux incident from the positive rear group BR by 90° to the left to form an image on the imaging surface of the imaging sensor BI. A convex surface BP3X projecting toward the imaging surface of the imaging sensor BI is formed on the output surface of the third prism BP3. Each of the negative front group BF and the positive rear group BR is composed of a plurality of lenses as shown in FIG. 7 (BF and BR are shown as representative symbols in FIGS. 4 to 6).

The image sensors AI and BI of the wide-angle lens systems A and B have the imaging surface of the image sensor AI facing left, the imaging surface of the image sensor BI facing right, and the back of the image sensor AI and BI (the imaging surface is opposite sides) are supported back-to-back.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the wide-angle lens systems A and B and the imaging sensors AI and BI in development. FIG. 7 is drawn ignoring the reflection directions by the first prism AP1 to the third prism AP3 and the first prism BP1 to the third prism BP3. Therefore, the wide-angle lens systems A and B and the imaging sensors AI and BI in FIG. 7 have the same (common) configuration.

The negative front groups AF and BF have, in order from the object side, a negative meniscus lens L1 with a convex surface facing the object side, a negative meniscus lens L2 with a convex surface facing the object side, and a biconcave negative lens L3. there is

The positive rear groups AR and BR include, in order from the object side, a biconvex positive lens L4, a positive meniscus lens L5 having a convex surface facing the object side, a biconvex positive lens L6, a biconcave negative lens L7, and a biconvex lens. It has a positive lens L8, a biconcave negative lens L9, and a biconvex positive lens L10. The biconvex positive lens L6 and the biconcave negative lens L7 are cemented together. The biconvex positive lens L8 and the biconcave negative lens L9 are cemented together.

The configuration of the negative front groups AF and BF and the positive rear groups AR and BR described above is merely an example, and the configuration of the negative front groups AF and BF and the positive rear groups AR and BR may be of various designs. Change is possible. Also, the front groups AF and BF may have positive power instead of negative power, and the rear groups AR and BR may have negative power instead of positive power.

In the imaging apparatus 1 configured as described above, the negative front group AF of the wide-angle lens system A and the negative front group BF of the wide-angle lens system B are arranged oppositely in the front-rear direction and on the same (common) optical axis. be done. Also, a positive rear group AR that is bent by 90 degrees each by the first prism AP1 and the second prism AP2 and extends in the vertical direction, and a positive rear group AR that is bent by 90 degrees by the first prism BP1 and the second prism BP2 and extends in the vertical direction. , and the rear group BR are arranged so as to be spaced apart in the left-right direction and parallel to each other. Also, the imaging sensor AI at a position bent rightward by 90° by the third prism AP3 and the imaging sensor BI at a position bent leftward by 90° by the third prism BP3 are positioned so that their imaging planes overlap. They are oriented in the left-right direction, and arranged with the surfaces opposite to the imaging surface facing back to back. In the imaging apparatus 1, the object-side lens of the negative front group AF of the wide-angle lens system A protrudes (exposes) forward from the lens exposure hole 31 of the front metal housing 30, and the negative front group BF of the wide-angle lens system B is projected (exposed) forward. The object-side lens projects (exposes) rearward from the lens exposure hole 21 of the rear metal housing 20 , and other components are housed inside the housing 10 .

That is, the wide-angle lens systems A and B have front groups AF and BF facing each other in the front-rear direction above the housing 10, and rear groups AR and BR extending in parallel downward from above the housing 10. are doing. Further, each of the wide-angle lens systems A and B has a first prism (first optical path changing portion) as a prism (optical path changing portion) that changes the optical path of the subject light flux that has passed through the front groups AF and BF above the housing 10 in the horizontal direction. optical path changing portions) AP1, BP1, and a second prism (second and a third prism (third optical path changing portion) AP3, BP3 for changing the optical path of the subject light flux passing through the rear groups AR and BR below the housing 10 in the horizontal direction. are doing. As a result, it is possible to arrange each component of the imaging device 1 inside the housing 10 with high layout efficiency and to achieve compactness.

The first prism AP1 of the wide-angle lens system A and the first prism BP1 of the wide-angle lens system B have a reflecting surface (optical path changing portion) common to the wide-angle lens systems A and B. That is, the first prism AP1 and the first prism BP1 share a reflecting surface with their slopes close to each other. The reflecting surfaces of the wide-angle lens systems A and B are made of a reflecting film common to the wide-angle lens systems A and B. This reflecting film is composed of two optically equivalent transparent members, a first prism AP1 and a first prism AP1. It is sandwiched between the slopes of prism BP1. In this state, the first prism AP1, the first prism BP1, and the reflective film are integrated to form a common reflective surface (optical path changing portion) for the wide-angle lens systems A and B. FIG. This makes it possible to reduce the width of the wide-angle lens systems A and B in the incident optical axis direction.

A variable aperture stop AS is arranged between the first prism AP1 and the second prism AP2 of the wide-angle lens system A, and a variable aperture stop AS is arranged between the first prism BP1 and the second prism BP2 of the wide-angle lens system B. A diaphragm BS is arranged. A first prism AP1 and a second prism AP2 are provided near (before and after) the variable aperture stop AS for light amount adjustment, and a first prism BP1 and a second prism BP2 are provided near (before and after) the variable aperture stop BS for light amount adjustment. By providing them, a small right-angle prism can be used, and the distance between the wide-angle lens systems A and B can be reduced. In addition, a symmetrical structure in which the variable aperture stop AS is the center, the first prism AP1 and the second prism AP2 are located on both sides thereof, and the negative front group AF and the positive rear group AR are located on both sides of the variable aperture stop AS, and a variable aperture stop. A symmetrical configuration can be realized with BS as the center, on both sides of which are the first prism BP1 and the second prism BP2, and on both sides of which are the negative front group BF and the positive rear group BR.

The opening degrees of the variable aperture stop AS and the variable aperture stop BS are independently adjusted based on the outputs of the image sensor AI and the image sensor BI. For example, when the imaging apparatus 1 is used outdoors, a large amount of sunlight enters only one of the wide-angle lens systems A and B, and as a result, the brightness (exposure state) of the wide-angle lens systems A and B may differ greatly. be. Combining the images from the image sensor AI and the image sensor BI in this state results in an unnatural omnidirectional image in which the boundary between the bright part and the dark part is reflected. Therefore, when a large amount of sunlight is incident only on one of the wide-angle lens systems A and B, the variable aperture stop of one of the wide-angle lens systems is narrowed down more than the variable aperture stop of the other wide-angle lens system. By adjusting the brightness (exposure state) of A and B to be uniform, it is possible to obtain a natural omnidirectional image in which there is no boundary between bright and dark portions.

The third prism AP3 of the wide-angle lens system A has a convex surface (aspherical surface) AP3X projecting toward the image sensor AI, and the third prism BP3 of the wide-angle lens system B projects toward the image sensor BI. It has a convex surface (aspherical surface) BP3X. Since the wide-angle lens systems A and B have short focal lengths, when the last surfaces of the wide-angle lens systems A and B are bent as in this embodiment, the back focal length is long despite the short focal lengths. Resulting in. In order to avoid this situation, a convex surface AP3X and a convex surface BP3X are provided to change the injection position.

The wide-angle lens systems A and B (including the first to third prisms AP1 to AP3 and BP1 to BP3) configured as described above and the imaging sensors AI and BI are integrated as an imaging unit (optical unit) 100. are blocked (blocked). A screw hole (not shown) is formed in the imaging unit 100 . The imaging unit 100 is accommodated inside the housing unit 10 (combination of the rear metal housing 20, the front metal housing 30, the left side connection housing 40, the right side connection housing 50, and the bottom connection housing 60). In this state, the imaging unit 100 is assembled by screwing (tightening) a common tightening screw (not shown) inserted through these into the screw hole. The configuration for assembling the imaging unit 100 to the housing unit 10 has a degree of freedom, and various design changes are possible.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the imaging unit 100 is roughly divided into a first holding housing 101, a second holding housing 102, a third holding housing 103, and a fourth holding housing 104. have.

The first holding housing 101 holds the front groups AF and BF of the wide-angle lens systems A and B, the first prisms AP1 and BP1, and the second prisms AP2 and BP2. The first holding housing 101 is configured by joining a front housing 101A and a rear housing 101B to each other from the front-rear direction.

The second holding housing 102 holds the rear groups AR and BR of the wide-angle lens systems A and B. As shown in FIG. The second holding housing 102 has a shape corresponding to the rear groups AR and BR of the wide-angle lens systems A and B, and is spaced apart in the left-right direction corresponding to the rear groups AR and BR of the wide-angle lens systems A and B. are provided in pairs.

The third holding housing 103 holds the third prisms AP3 and BP3 of the wide-angle lens systems A and B. As shown in FIG. The third holding housing 103 has a shape corresponding to the third prisms AP3 and BP3 of the wide-angle lens systems A and B, and extends horizontally corresponding to the third prisms AP3 and BP3 of the wide-angle lens systems A and B. A pair is provided spaced apart.

The fourth holding housing 104 holds the imaging sensors AI and BI. The fourth holding housing 104 has a shape corresponding to the imaging sensors AI and BI, and is provided in a pair so as to be adjacent to each other in the left-right direction corresponding to the imaging sensors AI and BI and to be back to back.

10A and 10B are diagrams showing the positional relationship between the imaging unit 100 and the housing (housing unit) 10 when the imaging unit 100 is assembled. In FIGS. 10A and 10B, the area occupied by the image pickup unit 100 in the housing (housing unit) 10 is highlighted by encircling it with a thick line.

As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B , the housing (housing unit) 10 that holds the imaging unit 100 has an upper holding area for the imaging unit 100 and a lower holding area for the imaging unit 100 when viewed in the vertical direction. It is partitioned into a non-holding area of the unit 100 . The first holding housing 101 of the imaging unit 100 exposes the front lenses (e.g., the negative lens L1) of the front groups AF and BF, which are at least a part of the optical systems A and B, and has the maximum external shape excluding the exposed portions. Form. 10A and 10B, w represents the width (horizontal length) of the imaging unit 100 at the maximum outer shape portion, and d represents the thickness (front-rear length) of the imaging unit 100 at the maximum outer shape portion. showing.

11A and 11B are diagrams showing a housing (housing unit) 10 in which the imaging unit 100 is assembled. As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B , the housing (housing unit) 10 is provided in the holding area of the imaging unit 100 in front lenses (e.g., negative The lens L1) is exposed to form the maximum contour excluding the exposed portion. 11A and 11B, W indicates the width (horizontal direction length) of the maximum outer shape portion of the housing (housing unit) 10 in the holding area of the imaging unit 100. D indicates the thickness (the length in the front-rear direction) of the maximum outer shape portion of the body (housing unit) 10 .

In addition, as shown in FIG. 11B, the housing (housing unit) 10 has a maximum outer shape portion (the maximum outer shape portion of the grip portion GP) in the non-holding area of the imaging unit 100 . The thickness (longitudinal length) D′ of the maximum outer shape portion of the housing (housing unit) 10 (the maximum outer shape portion of the grip portion GP) in the non-holding region of the imaging unit 100 is It is slightly larger than the thickness (the length in the front-rear direction) D of the maximum outer shape portion of the housing (housing unit) 10 (D'>D). However, the amount of protrusion in the front-rear direction of the maximum outer shape portion of the housing (housing unit) 10 (the maximum outer shape portion of the grip portion GP) in the non-holding area of the imaging unit 100 is the front group AF of the optical systems A and B, It is suppressed to such an extent that it does not enter the field of view of BF.

12, 13, and 14 are cross-sectional views taken along lines XII-XII, XIII-XIII, and XIV-XIV in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, in the non-holding area of the imaging unit 100 of the housing (housing unit) 10, a wireless module board (imaging function unit) for converting imaging signals by the imaging sensors AI and BI into wireless signals is provided. , circuit board) 110 are held (stored). The wireless module board 110 is formed by stacking a sub-board 111 located on the front side and a main board 112 located on the rear side in the front-rear direction and coupling them together so as to be electrically connectable. The sub-board 111 is relatively small and has a generally rectangular shape in plan view, and the main board 112 is relatively large and generally has a rectangular shape in plan view. A transmission member 113 is attached to the main substrate 112 and extends upward toward the space inside the rear resin housing 70, the front resin housing 80, and the connection resin housing 90 (see FIGS. 16A and 16B). . This transmission member 113 can be composed of, for example, a coaxial cable or FPC.

As shown in FIG. 14 , a communication antenna (imaging function unit, antenna substrate) 120 is provided in the inner space of the rear resin housing 70 , the front resin housing 80 and the connection resin housing 90 . The other end of the transmission member 113 , one end of which is connected to the main substrate 112 , is connected to the communication antenna 120 . The transmission member 113 transmits imaging signals from the imaging sensors AI and BI to the communication antenna 120, and the communication antenna 120 wirelessly transmits the imaging signals to an external device. Also, the communication antenna 120 can transmit and receive various signals to and from an external device.

Although not shown, the communication antenna 120 has an antenna main body and an antenna substrate that holds the antenna main body. The antenna main body can be made of FPC or rigid FPC, for example. The antenna substrate is formed in the upper surface of the housing 10 (the rear metal housing 20, the front metal housing 30, the left side connection housing 40, the right side connection housing 50, and the bottom connection housing 60) through an opening OS. , and the other end of the transmission member 113 is connected to the upper surface of the curved shape, and the antenna main body is attached.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 , a battery 130 that supplies power to each component of the imaging device 1 is held (stored) in a non-holding area of the imaging unit 100 of the housing (housing unit) 10 . there is The battery 130 overlaps the wireless module substrate 110 in the vertical direction and is arranged in front of the wireless module substrate 110 .

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the relationship between the width and thickness of the imaging unit 100 and the housing unit 10 at their maximum external shape. As shown in FIG. 15, the housing unit 10 holds the image pickup unit 100 and, in the holding area of the image pickup unit 100, the front lenses (for example, The negative lens L1) is exposed. The housing unit 10 directly faces the maximum external shape of the imaging unit 100 excluding the exposed portion. That is, between the maximum outer shape portion of the imaging unit 100 and the maximum outer shape portion of the housing unit 10, the imaging function portion of the imaging device 1 and other various components are not present.

As shown in FIG. 15, the width w and thickness d at the maximum outer shape of the imaging unit 100 and the width W and thickness D at the maximum outer shape of the housing unit 10 satisfy W>w and D>d. are doing. In this way, by directly facing the maximum outer shape portions of the imaging unit 100 and the housing unit 10 to reduce the size, it is possible to reduce the size (thickness) of the imaging device 1 .

In this way, when miniaturization (thinness reduction) of the imaging device 1 is attempted by narrowing the dimensions of the maximum outer shape portions of the imaging unit 100 and the housing unit 10, where are the imaging function units and other various parts of the imaging device 1 located? The problem is how to place them.

Therefore, in the imaging apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the housing unit 10 is within the range of the maximum width w of the imaging unit 100 excluding the maximum outer shape portion and the maximum thickness d of the imaging unit 100 excluding the maximum outer shape portion. The imaging function unit of the imaging device 1 and other various components are arranged at least one of the ranges of . As a result, the space efficiency inside the housing unit 10 can be improved, and the image pickup apparatus 1 can be made smaller (thinner).

Here, as the imaging function unit of the imaging device 1, for example, the shutter button 22, the display unit 23, the microphone 24, the microphone 32, the speaker 41, the power button 51, the operation buttons 52 to 54, the wireless module board 110, the communication antenna 120 and Battery 130 grade|etc., is mentioned.

Among the imaging function units of the imaging device 1 described above, as shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, a total of four microphones, a pair of upper and lower microphones 24 and a pair of left and right microphones 32, are the same as the imaging unit 100 except for the maximum outer shape portion. It is held in the housing unit 10 so as to be positioned within the range of the maximum width w and the maximum thickness d and in the rear regions of the third prisms (third optical path changing units) AP3 and BP3 of the optical systems A and B. there is

That is, the four microphones 24 and 32 are arranged in the third prism of the optical systems A and B (the third (optical path changing portion) is arranged on the back side of AP3 and BP3. As a result, the space efficiency inside the housing unit 10 can be improved, and the image pickup apparatus 1 can be made smaller (thinner).

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 17, in addition to the four microphones 24 and 32, an imaging sensor A heat storage member (imaging function unit) 140 for storing heat from AI and BI is provided. As a result, the space efficiency inside the housing unit 10 can be improved, and the image pickup apparatus 1 can be made smaller (thinner).

The housing unit 10 is within the range of the maximum width w and the maximum thickness d of the imaging unit 100 excluding the maximum outer shape portion, and the third prisms (third optical path changing portions) AP3 and BP3 of the optical systems A and B. The imaging function unit held so as to be located in the back area of the is not limited to the four microphones 24 and 32 described above. For example, at least one of the shutter button 22, the display unit 23, the speaker 41, the power button 51, the operation buttons 52 to 54, the wireless module board 110, the communication antenna 120, and the battery 130 is held in the area of the housing unit 10. good too.

In the above embodiment, the imaging apparatus 1 has two wide-angle lens systems A and B, but the number of wide-angle lens systems mounted in the imaging apparatus 1 is not limited to two. There may be more than one. In this case, the number of imaging sensors mounted on the imaging apparatus 1 may be matched with the number of wide-angle lens systems.

1 imaging device 10 housing (housing unit)
20 Rear metal housing 21 Lens exposure hole 22 Shutter button (imaging function unit, operation unit)
23 display unit (imaging function unit, state display unit)
24 Microphone (imaging function unit, sound collecting unit)
30 Front side metal housing 31 Lens exposure hole 32 Microphone (imaging function part, sound collecting part)
40 left side connection housing 41 speaker (imaging function unit)
50 Right side connection housing 51 Power button (imaging function unit, operation unit)
52 53 54 Operation button (imaging function unit, operation unit)
60 Lower surface connection housing 70 Rear side resin housing 80 Front side resin housing 90 Connection resin housing 100 Imaging unit (optical unit)
101 First holding housing 101A Front housing 101B Rear housing 102 Second holding housing 103 Third holding housing 104 Fourth holding housing 110 Wireless module board (imaging function unit, circuit board)
111 sub-board 112 main board 113 transmission member 120 communication antenna (imaging function section, antenna board)
130 battery (imaging function unit)
140 heat storage member GP grip OS opening A wide-angle lens system (fisheye lens system, optical system, imaging optical system)
AF Front group AR Rear group AS Variable aperture stop AP1 First prism (first optical path changing unit)
AP2 second prism (second optical path changing part)
AP3 third prism (third optical path changing part)
AP3X Convex AI Imaging sensor B Wide-angle lens system (fisheye lens system, optical system, imaging optical system)
BF Front group BR Rear group BS Variable aperture diaphragm BP1 First prism (first optical path changing unit)
BP2 second prism (second optical path changing part)
BP3 third prism (third optical path changing part)
BP3X convex BI image sensor L1 negative lens L2 negative lens L3 negative lens L4 positive lens L5 positive lens L6 positive lens L7 negative lens L8 positive lens L9 negative lens L10 positive lens

Claims (8)

Imaging comprising a plurality of optical systems, a plurality of imaging sensors on which images formed by the plurality of optical systems are formed, and a plurality of optical path changing units for changing optical paths in the plurality of optical systems to reach the plurality of imaging sensors a unit;
A housing unit that holds the image pickup unit, exposes at least a portion of the plurality of optical systems in a holding area of the image pickup unit, and directly faces a maximum outer shape portion of the image pickup unit excluding the exposed portion. and,
has
The plurality of optical systems have a front group and a rear group,
The plurality of optical path changing sections include first and second optical path changing sections positioned between the front group and the rear group, and a third optical path changing section positioned between the rear group and the imaging sensor. has
The housing unit holds an imaging function unit of an imaging device within a range of the maximum width and the maximum thickness of the imaging unit excluding the maximum outer shape portion and in the back area of the third optical path changing unit,
The plurality of imaging sensors have two imaging sensors supported inside the housing unit with their respective imaging surfaces facing in opposite directions and their back surfaces facing each other,
The plurality of optical systems have two rear groups extending in a direction perpendicular to the width direction and the thickness direction of the imaging unit and the housing unit, and the two rear groups extend in the maximum outer shape of the imaging unit. prescribing the part,
An imaging device characterized by: where w is the width and d is the thickness of the imaging unit at the maximum outer shape portion, and W>w and D>d are satisfied, where W is the width and D is the thickness of the housing unit;
2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein: The housing unit holds the imaging function section of the imaging device within the range of the maximum width of the imaging unit excluding the maximum outer shape section.
3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The housing unit holds the imaging function section of the imaging device within a range of the maximum thickness of the imaging unit excluding the maximum outer shape section.
4. The imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by: A portion of the front group is exposed from the exposed portion of the housing unit,
5. The imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The imaging function unit includes at least one of a battery, a circuit board, a display unit, an antenna board, an operation unit, a heat storage member, a speaker, and a microphone,
6. The imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , characterized in that: the third optical path changing unit of the plurality of optical path changing units has two prisms positioned between the two rear groups and the two imaging sensors;
The imaging function unit includes four microphones, a pair of upper and lower microphones and a pair of left and right microphones, and the four microphones are within the range of the maximum width and maximum thickness of the imaging unit excluding the maximum outer shape portion. and held in the housing unit so as to be located in the back area of the two prisms,
7. The imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by: A substantially rectangular circuit board that converts imaging signals from the two imaging sensors into radio signals is held in a non-holding area of the imaging unit by the housing unit,
The substantially rectangular plane of the circuit board is arranged in a direction different from the imaging surfaces of the two imaging sensors,
8. The imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by:

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