JPH10262180A - Lens unit and camera provided with image shift device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify configuration so as to make a system small in size and to enable incorporating in a lens unit by making electromagnets act on an electromagnetic soft iron armature provided in the both end parts of parallel planar glass and controlling tilt for shifting an image element. SOLUTION: An image pickup lens 1 forms an image on the image pickup surface of a CCD 2 by a light flux from a subject 100. The parallel plate 3 as an optical element consisting of transmissive parallel planar glass is provided with the armatures 4U and 4D as an engaging parts consisting of electromagnetic soft iron in the both end parts. The electromagnets 5Ua, 5Ub, 5Da and 5Db selectively act as a driving means for the armatures 4U and 4D by controlling energizing to a coil and the parallel plate 3 is turned in an arrow V direction. Then, a part of the image which is adopted as invalid data by image formation in a gap between receiving parts on the image pickup surface of the CCD 2 is shifted to a vertical direction (a longitudinal direction in Fig.) and converted into an output signal as valid data.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention enables substantially high-quality image input by subtly changing the optical angle of a parallel plate glass or a reflecting mirror provided in an optical path of an image pickup system. The present invention relates to a lens unit and a camera incorporating an image shift device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the progress of image input devices such as video cameras and scanners has been remarkable, and high image quality and high resolution have been strongly demanded. Problems such as low S / N and
There are many problems such as an increase in cost due to a decrease in manufacturing yield, and an increase in the cost of a quartz low-pass filter for preventing false signals and the like.

Therefore, as a technique for improving the image quality and resolution of the image pickup device without increasing the number of pixels of the image pickup device itself, a reflection mirror is provided in an optical path in an optical relay space between the lens group and the image pickup device. To change the reflection angle, and also to arrange a parallel plate-shaped light transmitting glass in the optical path and use the refraction of light to change the angle of incidence of light on the light transmitting glass and the thickness of the glass. Therefore, the optical image information originally reaching the dead zone between the photosensitive section of the image sensor and the photosensitive section is guided to the photosensitive section to sequentially obtain optical image information, or by slightly vibrating the image sensor itself, There is known a so-called "pixel shift" that can obtain a high-resolution image substantially equivalent to an increase in the number of pixels of an image sensor.

According to this method, high-quality image pickup can be performed without increasing the number of pixels of the image pickup element itself. Therefore, this method is extremely effective in increasing the resolution of an image input device. .

As a specific example of the pixel shift utilizing the above principle, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-15378, a parallel plate is rotated around an axis parallel to a pixel row, As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-121816, the plane parallel plate is tilted and rotated around the optical axis.
No. 8937, an X / Y axis is provided, and a cam is driven by a motor to change the inclination of the parallel plate surface.

[0006]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional mechanism using the parallel plate light transmitting glass, a motor is used as a drive source for changing an optical position, and a complicated and expensive mechanism such as position control by a cam is used. It is difficult to secure the positioning accuracy of the parallel-plate light transmitting glass used, and it is also difficult to increase the driving speed and reduce the size.

If a motor, a cam, and a mechanism for transmitting the driving force of the motor to the cam, and these are provided for two systems in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, the size of the apparatus is inevitably increased, and the lens group and the image pickup device are inevitably increased. There are many problems, such as difficulties in arranging in the space between them.

Therefore, when the pixel shift is performed, the system becomes large in size and complicated in structure, cannot be incorporated in the image pickup apparatus, and the whole becomes large-scale, and performance cannot be obtained for that. There were many problems.

When considering an actual imaging system,
This pixel shifting device must be used together with the imaging lens optical system, and the system becomes larger and more complex.
Adjustment becomes difficult.

In addition, the imaging lens optical system and the image shift optical system must always be handled separately, which makes the design complicated, versatile, and extremely inefficient.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve these problems, to provide an image shift (pixel shift) system which can be driven at a high speed with a simple configuration, and to provide this image shift system to a lens unit. An object of the present invention is to provide a lens unit and a camera which can be incorporated and which are integrally provided with a pixel shift optical system.

[0012]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image pickup lens optical system and an image pickup lens arranged on an optical axis of the image pickup lens optical system. An optical element for shifting an incident position of an incident light incident through the imaging lens optical system on an image forming surface, and abutting each end of the optical element to regulate the position in the optical axis direction. An image shift apparatus comprising: a plurality of restricting portions for controlling an inclined position of the optical element with respect to the optical axis; and a pixel shift optical system including a driving unit for driving the optical element to contact the restricting portion. And a lens unit having:

According to the invention described in claim 2 of the present application, in the invention described in claim 1, the restricting portion is formed before and after in the optical axis direction across each end of the optical element. The optical element has a position regulating surface, and the position of each end of the optical element in the optical axis direction is regulated by the position regulating surface, whereby an inclination angle with respect to the optical axis direction is determined, and the optical element The lens unit is provided with an image shift device configured to control the optical element to a plurality of inclination angles by changing the combination of the position regulating surfaces that come into contact with the ends.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the driving means is constituted by a plurality of electromagnets provided for each of the position regulating surfaces, and each of the electromagnets is provided. A lens unit provided with an image shift device configured to change a tilt position of the optical member by selecting a position regulating surface that comes into contact with the optical member by controlling ON / OFF of the optical member. .

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the driving means includes an elastic member for urging the optical member, and A lens unit is provided with an image shift device including an electromagnet for urging the optical member in a direction opposite to the urging direction.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of sets of the optical element and the position restricting portion are arranged, and the plurality of sets are arranged in accordance with the inclined positions of the plurality of optical elements. A lens unit including an image shift device configured to determine the overall image shift amount by combining the image shift amounts of the incident light.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect of the present invention, the position of the incident light on the image plane is changed in the vertical direction on the image plane. And a lens unit provided with an image shift device configured by a horizontal optical element that shifts the incident position of the incident light on the image forming surface in the horizontal direction on the image forming surface. And

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the first or sixth aspect of the invention, the optical element is a parallel flat plate provided in an incident optical path, and the optical element with respect to an optical axis of the parallel flat plate. A lens unit including an image shift device configured to shift an incident position of incident light on the image forming surface by controlling an inclination angle by the restriction unit.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the pixel shift optical system is disposed on the image plane relative to the imaging lens optical system. It features a lens unit provided with an image shift device.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the first or the eighth aspect, the pixel shift optical system includes a pair of support members disposed before and after the imaging lens optical system in the optical axis direction. In the gap formed between the members, the optical element is supported by loosely fitting, the restricting portion is formed at a position facing each end of the optical element of the supporting member, and the position restricting portion is formed. A lens unit including an image shift device unitized by disposing an electromagnet as the driving unit is characterized.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the ninth aspect, the pixel shift optical system is characterized in that the pixel unit is provided with a lens unit having an image shift device integrally provided with an optical low-pass filter. I do.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the ninth aspect of the present invention, the low-pass filter is characterized by including a lens unit having an image shift device capable of turning on and off a low-pass effect. .

According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, an image pickup lens optical system is coupled to an incident light which is disposed on an optical axis of the image pickup lens optical system and enters through the image pickup lens optical system. A lens unit including an image shift device including an optical element that shifts an incident position on an image plane and a pixel shift optical system that includes a driving unit that changes a tilt position of the optical element with respect to the optical axis. I do.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in the twelfth aspect, the pixel shift optical system is formed in front and rear of the optical element with respect to each end of the optical element. The position of each end of the optical element in the optical axis direction is regulated by the position regulating surface, whereby the inclination angle with respect to the optical axis direction is determined, and By changing the combination of the position regulating surfaces that contact the ends of the element,
A lens unit including an image shift device configured to be able to position the optical element at a plurality of inclination angles is characterized.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the twelfth aspect or the thirteenth aspect, the driving means comprises a plurality of electromagnets provided for each of the position regulating surfaces. A lens unit including an image shift device configured to change an inclined position of the optical member by selecting a position regulating surface that contacts the optical member by controlling ON / OFF. .

According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, in the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, the optical element moves the incident position of the incident light on the image plane in a vertical direction on the image plane. And a horizontal optical element that shifts the incident position of the incident light on the image plane in the horizontal direction on the image plane.

According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, in the twelfth aspect of the present invention, the pixel shift optical system is an image arranged on the imaging plane side with respect to the imaging lens optical system. It features a lens unit provided with a shift device.

According to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, in the sixteenth aspect, the pixel shift optical system is provided between a pair of support members disposed before and after the imaging lens optical system in the optical axis direction. The optical element is supported by loosely fitting in the gap formed in the gap, and the restricting portion is formed at a position of the support member facing each end of the optical element, and the driving is performed on the position restricting portion. It is characterized by a lens unit provided with an image shift device unitized by disposing an electromagnet as a means.

According to an eighteenth aspect of the present invention, in the seventeenth aspect, the pixel shift optical system is characterized by a lens unit including an image shift device integrally including an optical low-pass filter. And

According to the nineteenth aspect of the present invention, in any of the twelfth to eighteenth aspects, a camera to which the lens unit can be attached is characterized.

According to the twentieth aspect of the present invention, the position of the incident light, which is inserted on the optical axis of the imaging lens optical system and enters through the imaging lens optical system, on the imaging plane is shifted. Pixel shift unit,
An optical element supported in a gap formed between a pair of support members disposed before and after in the optical axis direction of the imaging lens optical system, and a position opposite to each end of the optical element of the support member; A regulating portion that contacts the optical element to regulate the tilt position thereof, a driving unit that drives the optical element to contact the position regulating portion, and an attaching portion that attaches the support member to a lens unit or a camera. The image shift unit is provided as a unit.

According to the twenty-first aspect of the present invention, in the twentieth aspect, the optical element is a parallel flat plate, and the restricting portion contacts an end of the parallel flat plate to adjust its inclined position. The position is regulated, and the driving unit is an electromagnet that drives the parallel plate to the regulation unit, and the electromagnet is an image shift unit provided in the regulation unit.

[0033]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the imaging apparatus according to the present invention will be described.

First, by shifting the incident position of the incident light on the image pickup surface of the image pickup device in pixel units, an image shift enabling high quality image pickup, that is, "pixel shift".
Will be described.

The principle of shifting the optical path using the light refraction of the parallel plate light transmitting glass will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7A shows a state before the optical path is shifted, and FIG. 7B shows a state after the optical path is shifted.

1A and 1B, reference numeral 100 denotes an object to be imaged, such as a document, 102 denotes an image pickup lens group, and 103 denotes a lens which is arranged to be tiltable with respect to the optical axis of the optical system. An optical element 104 which is a light beam moving means made of a parallel plate-shaped light transmitting substance having a refractive index;
Reference numeral denotes a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD as imaging means for photoelectrically converting incident light from the subject 100 formed by the lens group 102 and outputting an imaging signal.

In FIG. 27A, light from a certain point 101a of a subject 100 passes through a lens group 102 and an optical element 103, enters a light receiving section 104a of a solid-state imaging device 104, and is photoelectrically converted as effective data.

On the other hand, light from a certain point 101b of the subject 100 passes through the lens group 102 and the optical element 103 and enters the dead zone 104b between the light receiving portions of the solid-state image pickup device 104. Become.

Here, the direction in which light is incident on the optical element 103 and the amount of shift in the refraction direction when the light exits from the optical element 103 are δ1, and the incident light and the normal to the incident surface of the optical element 103 are: Assuming that the angle formed by θ1 is θ1, the thickness of the optical element 103 is t, and the refractive index of the optical element 103 is N, δ1 = (1-1 / N) · t · θ1.

At this time, the angle between the solid-state imaging device and the imaging surface is ω1 for convenience.

FIG. 27B shows that the optical element 103 is ω
= (Ω2-ω1).

In FIG. 27B, the amount of shift in the refraction direction between the light that enters the optical element 103 and the light that exits the optical element 103 in the refraction direction is δ2.
The angle between the incident surface 03 and the normal to the incident surface is θ2, and the optical element 103
Is t, and the refractive index of the optical element 103 is N, so that δ2 = (1-1 / N) · t · θ2.

Here, the state shown in FIG.
The shift δ of the optical path emitted to the solid-state imaging device 104 when the state shown in FIG. 2B is obtained is as follows: δ = δ1 + δ2 = (1-1 / N) · t · (θ1 + θ2) = (1-1 / N) Since t · (ω2−ω1), δ = (1-1 / N) · t · ω.

Here, FIG. 27 (a) shows that the optical information from one point 1b of the object 1 to be imaged enters the dead zone 104b of the solid-state image sensor 104 and becomes invalid data. b), light information from one point 1b of the subject 100 is
The light enters the photosensitive section 104c of No. 4 and can be used as effective data.

If the image data captured in the state of FIG. 27A and the image data captured in the state of FIG. 27B are collected in a memory, and the data is corrected in phase and combined, the number of pixels is doubled. It is possible to obtain the same data amount as that of

Using the above principle, the optical element 1
03 is stopped at several inclined positions, and each time the optical information received by the image sensor 104 is taken in, image information several times as many as the number of photosensitive units can be obtained.

The basic principle of “pixel shift” itself is as described above. Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

(First Embodiment) The present invention is intended to shift a light beam incident through a photographic lens between a photographic lens and an image pickup device (CCD) in a horizontal direction on an image pickup surface of the image pickup device. A horizontal shift mechanism including a parallel plate glass and a vertical shift mechanism including a parallel plate glass for shifting in a vertical direction are provided.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a pixel shifting system in an image pickup apparatus according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an image pickup lens unit as an optical system, and 2 denotes an image pickup device such as a CCD as an image pickup means. It is. Reference numeral 3 denotes a transmission parallel made of glass or plastic as an optical element for vertically shifting (vertical direction) an optical beam incident through the photographing lens unit 1 on an imaging surface (imaging surface) of the imaging device 2. Armatures 4U and 4D of electromagnetic soft iron are provided at both ends of the flat glass (hereinafter referred to as parallel flat plates) as engagement portions.
Electromagnets 5Ua, 5Ub as driving means (electromagnetic driving means) for driving the optical element are provided before and after the optical axis direction of U and 4D.
5Da and 5Db are arranged, respectively, and the driving state of these electromagnets is controlled to control the inclined state of the parallel plate 3, and by rotating in the direction of the arrow V, the incident position of the light beam on the image pickup surface is set vertically. Can be shifted up and down in the direction.

The electromagnet 5Ua includes a yoke 51U and a coil 53U, and the electromagnet 5Ub includes a yoke 52U and a coil 54U. By controlling the energization of the coils of these electromagnets, an (electromagnetic) driving means for moving the armature 4U at the upper end of the parallel plate 3 back and forth is configured.

The electromagnet 5Da comprises a yoke 51D and a coil 53D, and the electromagnet 5Db comprises a yoke 52D and a coil 54D. By controlling energization of the coils of these electromagnets, electromagnetic driving means for moving the armature 4D at the lower end of the parallel plate 3 back and forth is configured.

These electromagnets 5Ua, 5Ub, 5Da,
By the on / off control of 5Db, the upper and lower parts of the parallel plate 3 are moved back and forth in the optical axis direction to change the inclination angle, and the incident light passing through the parallel plate 3 and entering the imaging surface of the image sensor is changed. The incident position can be shifted vertically (up and down) with respect to the optical axis direction.

On the other hand, reference numeral 6 denotes a parallel flat glass (hereinafter, referred to as a parallel flat plate) which shifts a light beam incident through the photographing lens 1 on the imaging surface in a horizontal direction, and has an engaging portion at each end. Soft iron armature 7L, 7
R are disposed, and electromagnets 8La, 8Lb, 8Ra, 8Rb are disposed before and after the armatures 7L, 7R in the optical axis direction, respectively, and the driving state of these electromagnets is controlled so that the inclined state of the parallel plate 6 is controlled. By controlling and rotating in the direction of arrow H, the incident position of the light beam on the imaging surface can be shifted left and right in the horizontal direction.

The electromagnet 8La includes a yoke 81L and a coil 83L, and the electromagnet 8Lb includes a yoke 82L and a coil 84L. By controlling the energization of the coils of these electromagnets, an (electromagnetic) drive means for moving the armature 7L at the left end of the parallel plate 6 back and forth is configured.

The electromagnet 8Ra includes a yoke 81R and a coil 83R, and the electromagnet 8Rb includes a yoke 82R and a coil 84R. By controlling the energization of the coils of these electromagnets, electromagnetic driving means for moving the armature 7R at the right end of the parallel plate 6 back and forth is configured.

The electromagnets 8La, 8Lb, 8Ra,
By the on / off control of 8Rb, the left and right portions of the parallel plate 6 are moved back and forth in the optical axis direction to change the inclination angle, and the incident light passes through the parallel plate 6 and enters the imaging surface of the image sensor. The light incident position can be shifted in the horizontal direction (left and right) with respect to the optical axis direction.

The two parallel flat plates 3 and 6 in the vertical and horizontal directions are inclined in the vertical and horizontal directions in the space between the photographing lens 1 and the image pickup device 2, respectively, so that the luminous flux passing through the photographing lens By shifting the incident position on the imaging surface in the vertical and horizontal directions at a pitch smaller than the pixel interval of the image sensor, an image incident between the pixels of the image sensor can be captured, It is possible to realize high image quality equivalent to that obtained by imaging with an image sensor having a larger number of pixels than the number of pixels.

The detailed configuration and operation of the pixel shifting system of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 2 illustrates the structure of the parallel plate 3 for shifting pixels in the vertical direction.

Since the pixel shifting system of the present invention is disposed between the taking lens 1 and the image pickup device 2, in the case of a camera, for example, it is disposed in a lens unit or a camera body.

FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b) show the parallel plate 3 as viewed from the front, that is, the light incident direction, and from the right side. As shown in FIG. The parallel plate 3 is located in front of the imaging surface of the imaging device 2 and has a size that covers the entire imaging surface.

In FIG. 2 (b), the parallel plate 3 has the armatures 4U, 4D of electromagnetic soft iron disposed at both ends thereof loosely fitted into the concave portions 91U, 91D formed in the housing, respectively. It is held with a predetermined clearance in the front-rear direction and the vertical direction.

The recesses 91U and 91D extend in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing to approximately the same length as the width of the parallel plate, and the armatures 4U and 4D of the electromagnetic soft iron at both ends of the parallel plate 3 are provided.
Is formed in a cylindrical cylindrical member along the inner surfaces 92U, 93U, 92D, 93D of the concave portion, so that a line contact is made when abutting on the regulating surface in the concave portion. Can be restricted. Further, as a method of obtaining the same effect as the line contact by the cylindrical shape, a plurality of point contact portions may be formed on the line contact line.

These concave portions function as restricting portions for positioning the optical element in the present invention, and the surface which comes into contact with the armature, which is the engaging portion of the parallel plate as the optical member, is a position restricting portion for positioning. Functions as a surface or position restricting unit.

Then, each of the inner wall surfaces 92U, 93U, 92D, 9D in the direction of the optical axis, ie, the left and right sides as viewed in the figure, in each recess.
By bringing the armatures 4U and 4D into contact with the 3D, the respective inclined positions and the positions in the optical axis direction with respect to the optical axis of the parallel plate are positioned, and both ends of the parallel plate 3 are determined according to the width of each recess in the optical axis direction. Of the armatures 4U and 4D in the optical axis direction are determined, and as a result, the parallel plate 3 is controlled so that the inclination amount or the position in the optical axis direction is different.

The present pixel shifting system also includes a parallel plate having such a configuration in the horizontal direction, and the positional relationship is shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b).

FIG. 3A is a front view as viewed from the front in the optical axis direction, and FIG. 3B is a view as viewed from above. As can be seen from FIG. 1, between the imaging lens unit 1 and the imaging element 2, a horizontal parallel flat plate 6 and a vertical parallel flat plate 3 are arranged in a mutually orthogonal relationship.

In the pixel shifting system of the present invention, what is important is that the tilt position or the position in the optical axis direction of each parallel plate is regulated by the armatures at both ends and the respective position regulating surfaces in the concave portions, so that many tilt positions are obtained. And using an electromagnet as its drive source,
The armatures at both ends are simply loosely fitted in the recesses with a predetermined clearance. The position is regulated by the electromagnetic force of the electromagnet during operation, and the parallel plate is supported when the electromagnet is not energized. As a measure, no special configuration is required. According to this support configuration, as in the conventional system, a gimbal mechanism having a rotation axis in the vertical and horizontal directions, a complicated cam mechanism, a gear mechanism, a plurality of step motors, and the like can be omitted.

Further, since both the parallel plates 3 and 6 are loosely fitted in the recesses, no support mechanism such as a gimbal is required.
In addition, since the electromagnetic force is directly applied to the driving force, a mechanism for transmitting the driving force is not required. Therefore, not only is the configuration simple, but also extremely high-speed driving is possible, and high-precision position regulation is possible. Become.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the pixel shifting system in this embodiment and the details of the control of the parallel plate will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIGS. 4 to 7 are diagrams for explaining the tilt position control of the parallel flat plate 3 for performing pixel shifting in the vertical direction. The characteristic configuration lies in the relative positional relationship between the concave portions 91U and 91D and the setting of the width of the concave portions.

FIGS. 4 to 7 show the inclined position of the parallel plate for sequentially shifting the incident position of the incident light corresponding to one point on the object on the image pickup surface of the image pickup device 2 downward. I have.

In FIG. 4, the recess 91U in which the armature 4U at the upper end of the parallel plate 3 is loosely fitted and the recess 91D in which the armature 4D at the lower end is loosely fitted have the width, that is, the length in the optical axis direction, and The positions are set substantially the same.

In FIG. 4, the electromagnet 5Ua is on, the electromagnet 5Ub is off, and the armature 4U is
In U, it is attracted to the yoke 51U of the electromagnet 5Ua and is positioned in contact with the position regulating surface 92U located forward in the optical axis direction.
The electromagnet 5Db is on and the armature 4D is
And is positioned by contacting with a position regulating surface 93D located rearward in the optical axis direction.

In this embodiment, in the state of FIG. 4, the parallel plate 3 is set so as to shift the pixel upward with respect to the optical axis. The inclination state of each is not absolute,
Since an image that should not be incident originally can be incident according to the inclination angle of the parallel plate, FIGS.
In the state of FIGS. 6 and 7, it is not particularly necessary to be perpendicular to the optical axis.

Here, the clearance between the armature 4U and the width of the concave portion 91U, that is, the armature 4U and the concave portion 9U
The gap between the position regulating surface 93U in 1U is d1, similarly the clearance between the armature 4D and the width of the recess 91D, that is, the armature 4D, and the position regulating surface 92D in the recess 91D.
Is set to d2, and d2 = d1, that is, the gap d2 is set to be equal to or equal to one time the gap d1.

Further, ω1 indicates the angle formed by the imaging plane of the imaging element 2 and the parallel flat plate 3 at this time. The gap d
The setting of 1, d2 is performed with high accuracy.

In the state shown in FIG. 4, when the electromagnet 5Ua is turned off and the electromagnet 5Ub is turned on to excite, the armature 4U at the upper end of the parallel plate 3 separates from the position regulating surface 92U of the upper concave portion 91U, and the position regulating surface. It is attracted to and abuts against the 93U side, positioning is performed, and the state shown in FIG. 5 is obtained.

Thus, the inclined position of the upper and lower armatures 4U and 4D of the parallel plate 3 is regulated by the position regulating surfaces 93U and 93D in the concave portions 91U and 91D, respectively. That is, from the state of FIG. 4, the position is inclined rightward by one step as viewed in FIG. 4, and the light receiving position of the incident light on the imaging surface of the imaging device 2 is shifted downward on the imaging surface. In this state, the angle formed between the imaging surface and the parallel flat plate is ω2.

In the state shown in FIG. 5, by turning off the electromagnet 5Ub and turning on the electromagnet 5Ua of the upper concave portion 91U, the armature 4U moves the position regulating surface 93U in the concave portion 91U.
, And is sucked and abutted on the position regulating surface 92U to be positioned.

When the electromagnet 5Db of the lower recess 91D is turned off and the electromagnet 5Da is turned on, the lower armature 4D of the parallel plate 3 leaves the position regulating surface 93D in the lower recess 91D and moves to the position regulating surface 92D. It is sucked and brought into contact, and positioning is performed, and the state shown in FIG. 6 is obtained.

Thus, the inclined position of the upper and lower armatures 4U, 4D of the parallel plate 3 is regulated by the position regulating surface 92U in the concave portion 91U and the position regulating surface 92D in the concave portion 91D, respectively. That is, from the state of FIG. 5, the position in the optical axis direction moves to the left as viewed in FIG. 5 at substantially the same inclination (strictly different because it is in contact with a different regulating surface), The light receiving position of the incident light on the upper side is substantially the same on the imaging surface. In this state, the angle formed between the imaging surface and the parallel flat plate is ω3. However, ω2 ≒ ω3, and the angle between the parallel plate and the optical axis in the states of FIGS. 5 and 6 is the same. Therefore, as the effect of the pixel shift, the two are equal, and either state may be selected. .

Here, the state of FIG. 5 is selected to continue the description of the present embodiment.

In the state of FIG. 5, when the electromagnet 5Db is turned off and the electromagnet 5Da is turned on, the armature 4D at the lower end of the parallel plate 3 separates from the position regulating surface 93D of the lower concave portion 91D and is attracted to the position regulating surface 92D. The armature 4U at the upper end is in contact with the recess 91U.
Is positioned on the position regulating surface 93U, and the state shown in FIG. 7 is obtained.

As a result, the parallel flat plate 3 is further inclined rightward as viewed in the figure from the state shown in FIG. 5, and the inclination angle becomes the maximum. In this state, the angle between the imaging surface and the parallel plate is ω4.

As described above, as shown in FIGS.
By sequentially changing the inclination of the parallel plate 3 from ω1 to ω4, it is possible to control the inclination angle in three steps, whereby the incident light from the subject is located at three places in the direction perpendicular to the imaging surface. Can be shifted.

It should be noted that between ω1 and ω4, the relationship of (ω2−ω1) = (ω4−ω2) = (ω4−ω3) = constant relationship is maintained. This shows that the incident position of the incident light that changes due to the inclination of the flat plate 3 is shifted at equal intervals on the imaging surface.

In this embodiment, the clearance d1 between the image pickup device and the armature in each of the concave portions 91U and 91D is set such that the shift amount in one step is two-thirds of the pixel interval of the image sensor. , D2 are set. d1, d2
Is used to determine the inclination angle of the parallel plate, and is changed according to the pixel interval or the shift amount of the image sensor.

As is clear from the above description, the armatures at the both ends of the parallel plate 3 have the concave portions 91U,
By being loosely fitted in the 91D, it is supported with a play, and the excitation angle of the electromagnet causes the armature to abut on the position regulating surface in the concave portion to determine the inclination angle. Since the part in contact with the position regulating surface of the armature has a cylindrical shape, on the position regulating surface,
Even if the contact position of the cylindrical armature shifts in the longitudinal direction of the parallel plate, the incident angle of the incident light on the imaging surface of the image sensor does not change because the inclination angle of the parallel plate does not change.

Further, if the positions of the concave portions 91U and 91D in the optical axis direction are set to be the same, the center position of the parallel plate in the optical axis direction does not greatly change even if the inclination angle changes. Accurate pixel shifting can always be performed.

Since the armature has a cylindrical shape,
When attracted by the electromagnetic force of the electromagnet, the portion closest to the position regulation surface becomes a point (actually, a line), so that it is centered at the position of the armature of the electromagnet, and there is substantially no displacement. .

In the recesses 91U and 91D, the yokes 51U of the electromagnets 5Ua, 5Ub, 5Da and 5Db are provided.
The mounting positions of the distal ends of 52U, 51D, and 52D are set such that they do not protrude from position regulating surfaces 92U93U, 92D, and 93D, respectively. Thereby, the parallel plate armature is always positioned by the position regulating surface of the concave portion, and high-precision positioning is possible without being affected by the mounting position accuracy of the electromagnet.

With the above arrangement, the inclination of the parallel plate is set such that the incident position of the incident light is shifted at a distance of two-thirds of the pixel interval on the imaging surface, that is, at a two-third pixel pitch for each inclination angle. This makes it possible to obtain substantially three times the number of pixels in the vertical direction of the actual image sensor.

Then, for each inclined position of the parallel plate 3,
The three images captured by the image sensor are sequentially stored in a memory, and when the three images are read out from the memory, the reading order of each pixel of the three images is controlled to synthesize one high-quality image. Can be done.

The above describes the pixel shift in the vertical direction on the imaging surface.
In the embodiment of the present invention, since such a pixel shift mechanism is also provided in the horizontal direction, the pixel shift can be performed in the horizontal direction, and the number of pixels of the image sensor can be substantially tripled. Can obtain nine times the number of pixels.

FIGS. 8 to 11 illustrate an operation of shifting the pixels in the horizontal direction by sequentially changing the inclination angle of the parallel plate 6 in the horizontal direction.

The structure and operation principle of the pixel shifting mechanism in the horizontal direction are the same as those of the pixel shifting mechanism in the vertical direction shown in FIGS.

The angle of inclination of the parallel plate 6 is determined by the armatures 7L and 7R attached to the left and right ends of the parallel plate, respectively.
Are determined by the position regulating surfaces 92L, 93L, 92R, 93R of the right and left concave portions 91L, 91R, which are loosely fitted.
The clearance between the width of the recess 91L and the armature 7L is d3, and the clearance between the width of the recess 91R and the armature 7R is d4. In the present embodiment, the relationship is set to d4 = d3.

8, 9, 10, and 11, the inclination angle of the parallel plate 6 is increased, and the angles between the imaging surface and the parallel plate are ω5, ω6, ω7, ω8, By changing (increased) stepwise, pixels are shifted at equal intervals on the imaging surface even in the horizontal direction.

Note that, between ω5 and ω8, it is set so that the following relationship is maintained: (ω6−ω5) = (ω8−ω6) = (ω8−ω7) =

In this embodiment, the shift amount in one stage is
Clearances d3 and d4 between the armatures in the recesses 91L and 91R are set so as to be two-thirds of the pixel interval in the horizontal direction of the image sensor. d
Since 3 and d4 determine the inclination angle of the parallel plate, they are changed according to the pixel interval or the shift amount of the image sensor.

In each of FIGS. 4 to 7 and FIGS. 8 to 11, the inclination angle of the parallel plate is sequentially changed so as to increase, but an image is taken for each inclination position and stored in the memory. Since they are stored and combined in a later process, the order of the inclination angles of the parallel plates may be determined in any manner. That is, FIG.
The order of FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 to FIG. 11 does not need to be as shown in the figure, and may be in any order. By controlling each electromagnet, three screens in the vertical direction and three screens in the horizontal direction are obtained. The order may be arbitrary as long as the screen is imaged.

Further, since the vertical pixel shifting mechanism and the horizontal pixel shifting mechanism are independent, the direction and order of the pixel shifting for control between the two may be arbitrary. However, it is needless to say that all the parallel plates must be kept stationary during the imaging of the image at each pixel shift position (during charge accumulation).

FIG. 12 shows three states of the parallel plate 3 for shifting the vertical pixels shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, and three states of the parallel plate 6 for shifting the horizontal pixels shown in FIGS. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a spatial position in a case where pixel shifting is performed by combining the above.

Referring to FIG. 12, a description will be given of how to shift the luminous flux to take in data.

In the same figure, the location indicated by hatching (four types of hatching such as cross hatching) is a diagram in which a part of the position of a pixel (light receiving portion) on an image sensor such as an interline transfer type CCD is extracted. The pixel pitch (dead zone) is divided into two, and the pixel pitch is divided into three so as to divide the pixel pitch into three.

FIG. 12A shows three states of the parallel plate 3 for shifting the vertical pixels shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, and FIGS.
For example, according to the three states of the parallel plate 6 for shifting the horizontal pixels shown in FIG. 1, the light flux that can be captured by the light receiving section indicated by the symbol A is represented by coordinates (H5, L5), (H5, L
7), (H5, L9), (H7, L5), (H7, L
7), (H7, L9), (H9, L5), (H9, L
7) and (H9, L9) are luminous fluxes incident on nine places,
The light flux incident on each of them is guided one by one to the light receiving unit A (pixel shift), and the data (charges accumulated in the light receiving unit) is read when the field of the light receiving unit A is read. The same applies to the field reading of all the other light receiving units.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 12B, it becomes possible to capture the data of the luminous flux which has entered the dead zone around each light receiving section due to the pixel shift and could not be captured.

In other words, it is possible to receive the dead zone between each pixel on the imaging surface and the image information incident on another pixel. As a result, the same as the case where the number of pixels of the imaging device is increased is obtained. The effect can be obtained.

The configuration and operation of the pixel shifting system according to the present invention are as described above. The parallel plates for shifting the pixels in the vertical and horizontal directions are provided, respectively, and the pixels between the pixels in the vertical and horizontal directions of the image sensor are respectively provided. Is shifted at a 2/3 pixel pitch to obtain an image having substantially the same number of pixels as an image captured by an image sensor having substantially 3 times the number of pixels in the vertical and horizontal directions, that is, 3 × 3 = 9 times in total. Can be obtained.

(Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, FIGS.
While the first embodiment of FIG. 11 has a configuration in which pixel shifting is performed in three steps in the vertical and horizontal directions, pixel shifting is performed in four steps in each of the vertical and horizontal directions. It was made possible.

Also in this case, the configuration using the parallel plate, the positioning recess, and the electromagnet as the driving means is the same.
This can be realized by changing the positional relationship of the concave portions.

FIGS. 13 to 16 are views for explaining the tilt position control of the parallel flat plate 3 in which pixel shifting in the vertical direction is performed in four stages. The characteristic configuration is a concave portion 91U ′,
This is in setting the relative positional relationship of 91D 'and the width of the concave portion.

FIG. 13 to FIG.
The tilt position of the parallel plate for sequentially shifting downward the incident position of the incident light corresponding to the point on the imaging surface of the imaging element 2 is shown. The same components as those in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 to 11 are described using the same reference numerals.

In FIG. 13, the width of the recess 91U 'in which the armature 4U at the upper end of the parallel plate 3 is loosely fitted and the recess 91D' in which the armature 4D of the lower end is loosely fitted, that is, the length in the optical axis direction. , And their positions are different from each other.

In FIG. 13, the electromagnet 5Ua is on, the electromagnet 5Ub is off, and the armature 4U is
In U ', the yoke 51U of the electromagnet 5Ua is attracted to the yoke 51U, and is positioned in contact with a position regulating surface 92U' located forward in the optical axis direction. In the lower part, the electromagnet 5Da is off, the electromagnet 5Db is on, and the armature 4D is electromagnet 5
It is attracted to the yoke 52D of Db, and is abutted and positioned on the position regulating surface 93D 'located rearward in the optical axis direction.

Also in this embodiment, in the state shown in FIG. 13, the parallel flat plate 3 is set so as to have a positional relationship perpendicular to the optical axis, but FIGS. 13, 14, 15, and 16 respectively. The tilted state is not an absolute one, and an image that should not be originally incident can be incident according to the inclination angle of the parallel plate. Therefore, in the state shown in FIG. It need not be perpendicular to the axis.

Here, the armature 4U and the concave portion 91U
, The gap between the armature 4U and the position regulating surface 93U 'in the recess 91U' is d1 ',
Similarly, a clearance between the armature 4D and the width of the concave portion 91D ', that is, a gap between the armature 4D and the position regulating surface 92D' in the concave portion 91D 'is d2', and d2 '= 2d1' between them. The gap d2 is the gap d1
'Is set to twice.

Further, ω1 ′ indicates an angle formed by the imaging surface of the imaging element 2 and the parallel flat plate 3 at this time. The gap d
It is performed with the set wave height accuracy of 1 'and d2'.

In the state shown in FIG. 13, the electromagnet 5Ua
Is turned off and the electromagnet 5Ub is turned on to excite,
The armature 4U at the upper end of the parallel plate 3 is in the upper concave portion 91U.
The position regulating surface 92U 'is separated from the position regulating surface 93U', and is attracted to and abuts on the position regulating surface 93U 'side to perform positioning, and the state shown in FIG. 14 is obtained.

As a result, in the parallel plate 3, the upper and lower armatures 4U and 4D are respectively connected to the position regulating surface 93U 'in the recess 91U' and the position regulating surface 93D in the recess 91D '.
'Regulates its tilt position. That is, FIG.
3, the light receiving position of the incident light on the imaging surface of the image sensor 2 is shifted downward on the imaging surface. In this state,
The angle between the imaging surface and the parallel plate is ω2 ′.

In the state of FIG. 14, the upper concave portion 91U
By turning off the electromagnet 5Ub and turning on the electromagnet 5Ua, the armature 4U leaves the position regulating surface 93U 'in the concave portion 91U', is attracted to the position regulating surface 92U ', abuts and is positioned.

By turning off the electromagnet 5Db and turning on the electromagnet 5Da in the lower concave portion 91D ', the parallel plate 3 is turned off.
The lower armature 4D leaves the position regulating surface 93D 'in the lower concave portion 91D', is attracted to and abuts on the position regulating surface 92D ', and is positioned, as shown in FIG.

As a result, the upper and lower armatures 4U and 4D of the parallel plate 3 are respectively positioned by the position regulating surfaces 92U 'in the recess 91U' and the position regulating surfaces 92D in the recess 91D '.
'Regulates its tilt position. That is, FIG.
In the state shown in FIG. 4, the light receiving position of the incident light on the image pickup surface of the image pickup device 2 is further shifted downward on the image pickup surface. In this state, the angle between the imaging surface and the parallel plate is ω3 ′.

In this state, the electromagnet 5Ua is turned off,
When the electromagnet 5Ub is turned on, the upper armature 4U of the parallel flat plate 3 leaves the position regulating surface 92U 'of the upper concave portion 91U', is attracted and abuts on the position regulating surface 93U 'side, and is positioned, and the lower armature is positioned. 4D is the concave portion 91
It is positioned on the position regulating surface 92D 'of D', and the state shown in FIG. 16 is obtained.

As a result, the parallel flat plate 3 is further inclined rightward in the figure from the state shown in FIG. 15, and the inclination angle becomes the maximum. In this state, the angle between the imaging surface and the parallel plate is ω4 ′.

As shown in FIGS. 13 to 16, by changing the inclination of the parallel plate 3 sequentially from ω1 ′ to ω4 ′, it is possible to control the inclination angle in four stages. Thus, the incident light from the subject can be shifted to four positions in the direction perpendicular to the imaging surface.

Note that between ω1 ′ and ω4 ′, (ω2′−ω1 ′) = (ω3′−ω2 ′) = (ω4′−
ω3 ′) = constant relation is maintained, and the incident position of the incident light, which is changed by the inclination of the parallel plate 3 on the imaging surface, is shifted at equal intervals on the imaging surface. Is shown.

In the present embodiment, the clearance d1 ′ between the armature in each of the concave portions 91U ′ and 91D ′ is set so that the shift amount in one step is half the pixel interval of the image sensor. d2 'is set. d
Since 1 ′ and d2 ′ determine the inclination angle of the parallel plate, they are changed according to the pixel interval of the image sensor or the shift amount.

Also in this embodiment, since the portions of the armatures at both ends of the parallel plate 3 which are in contact with the position regulating surfaces in the concave portions are cylindrical members, the cylindrical armature is placed on the position regulating surfaces. Even if the contact position is shifted in the longitudinal direction of the parallel plate, the inclination angle of the parallel plate does not change,
The incident position of the incident light on the imaging surface of the imaging device does not change.

By setting the inclination of the parallel plate so as to shift the incident position of the incident light at a distance of a half of the pixel interval on the imaging surface, that is, at a half pixel pitch for each inclination angle, the actual vertical direction of the image sensor is set. The number of pixels substantially four times the number of pixels can be obtained.

Then, for each inclined position of the parallel plate 3,
Four images captured by the image sensor are sequentially stored in a memory, and when read out from the memory, by controlling the reading order of each pixel of the four images, a single high-quality image is synthesized. Can be done.

The above is a description of the pixel shift in the vertical direction on the image pickup surface.
In the embodiment of the present invention, since such a pixel shift mechanism is also provided in the horizontal direction, the pixel shift can be performed in the horizontal direction, and the number of pixels of the image sensor can be substantially quadrupled. Can obtain 16 times the number of pixels.

FIGS. 17 to 20 illustrate an operation of shifting the pixels in the horizontal direction by sequentially changing the inclination angle of the parallel plate 6 in the horizontal direction.

The structure and operation principle of the pixel shifting mechanism in the horizontal direction are the same as those of the pixel shifting mechanism in the vertical direction shown in FIGS.

The angle of inclination of the parallel plate 6 is determined by the armatures 7L and 7R attached to the left and right ends of the parallel plate, respectively.
The clearance between the width of the recess 91L 'and the armature 7L is determined by the position regulating surfaces 92L', 93L ', 92R', 93R 'of the left and right recesses 91L', 91R '. The clearance between the width of the recess 91R and the armature 7R is d4, and in this embodiment,
The relationship is set such that d4 '= 2d3'.

FIG. 17, FIG. 18, FIG. 19, FIG.
In this order, the inclination angle of the parallel plate 6 is increased, and the angles formed between the imaging surface and the parallel plate are ω5 ′, ω6 ′, ω7 ′, ω8.
By gradually changing (increase), the pixel shift is performed at equal intervals on the imaging surface even in the horizontal direction.

Note that between ω5 ′ and ω8 ′, (ω6′−ω5 ′) = (ω7′−ω6 ′) = (ω8′−
ω7 ′) = It is set so that a constant relationship is maintained.

In this embodiment, the shift amount in one stage is
Clearances d3 'and d4' between the armatures in the concave portions 91L 'and 91R' are set so as to be half the pixel interval in the horizontal direction of the image sensor.
Since d3 'and d4' determine the inclination angle of the parallel plate, they are changed according to the pixel interval of the image sensor or the shift amount.

It should be noted that FIGS. 13 to 16 and FIGS.
0, the inclination angle of the parallel plate is sequentially changed so as to increase, but for each inclination position, an image is taken, stored in a memory, and synthesized in a later process, so that the inclination angle of the parallel plate is The order does not matter.

That is, FIGS. 13 to 16 and FIGS. 17 to 20
Need not be as shown in the figure, and may be in any order. If each electromagnet is controlled to image four screens in the vertical direction and four screens in the vertical direction, a total of 16 screens, the order is Optional.

The pixel shifting mechanism in the vertical direction and the pixel shifting mechanism in the horizontal direction are independent of each other, so that the direction and order of the pixel shifting for control between the two can be arbitrary. However, it goes without saying that all the parallel plates must be kept stationary during the imaging of one image.

FIG. 21 shows the change of the incident position of the incident light on the imaging surface corresponding to the four states of the parallel flat plate shown in FIG. 13 to FIG.

In FIG. 21, the states of FIGS. 13 to 16 are conceptually shown in (1), (2), (3) and (4), respectively. By sequentially changing the inclination of the parallel plate 3, the incident position of the incident light, which should normally be incident on only one point with respect to the imaging surface of the incident light, can be changed to four positions. In each pixel, four light velocities, including between pixels, can be made incident on each pixel.

In other words, it is possible to receive the dead zone between the pixels on the image pickup surface and the upper part of the image incident on the other pixels. As a result, the number of pixels of the image pickup device is increased. The effect can be obtained.

In FIG. 21, reference numeral 2a denotes an image pickup surface of the image pickup device 2. A color filter is provided on the imaging surface, and the color filter is an array of pixels of Cy (cyan), Ye (yellow), G (green), and Mg (magenta) as shown in the figure. , These four pixels,
One pixel is constituted in the case of color imaging.

In the vertical direction, by changing the angle of inclination of the parallel plate with respect to the optical axis, the light beam incident on the same position corresponds to a position where there is no pixel between pixels in the same figure. Are sequentially shifted to four positions in the vertical direction. That is, when viewed from the pixel side of the image sensor, it is possible to capture image information at a position where image information cannot be obtained between pixels, for each pixel.

Further, according to the present invention, pixel shift is performed at four positions in the vertical direction and four positions in the horizontal direction without overlapping pixels of the same color. Therefore, as shown in FIG. Can be substantially increased to 4 × 4 = 16 times. If the number of pixels of the image sensor is 1.3 million pixels, if the pixel shift system of the present invention is applied to only one of the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, the image is the same as that obtained by the image sensor of 130 × 4 = 5.2 million pixels. High quality images can be obtained.

Therefore, if the operation is performed in both the vertical and horizontal directions, an image quality of 520 × 4 = 20.8 million pixels can be obtained.

(Third Embodiment) Next, a third embodiment of the pixel shifting system according to the present invention will be described.

The features of this embodiment are that, compared to the above-described first embodiment, the drive system including the electromagnets for driving the parallel flat plates is simplified and the power consumption is reduced.

FIGS. 22A and 22B show a main part of this embodiment. FIG. 22A is a front view as viewed from the front in the optical axis direction, and FIG. 22B is a top view as viewed from above.

In each of the figures, the difference from the first embodiment is that a part of the electromagnet is omitted and replaced by a spring. In the figure, the same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the electromagnets 5Ua, 5D
a, 8La, and 8Ra are removed, and springs are respectively arranged to urge the parallel flat plate forward in the optical axis direction.

That is, these springs are used for the electromagnet 5U.
a, 5Da, 8La, and 8Ra, which cause the parallel plate to move in the direction against the spring by the electromagnets 5Ub and 5Ra.
Ub, 8Lb, and 8Rb are driven against a spring by magnetic attraction. This makes it possible to reduce the number of electromagnets provided from eight in the first embodiment to four, which is a half.

In FIG. 22 (b), springs 10L and 10R are provided in place of the electromagnets 8La and 8Ra to extend the horizontal parallel plate armatures 7L and 7R forward in the optical axis direction, respectively.

Although other springs are not shown, in FIG. 1, the electromagnets 5Ua, 5Da, 8La, 8
A spring is provided instead of Ra, and the configuration is apparent from FIG.

Note that the pixel shifting operation in the vertical direction by the parallel plate 3 and the pixel shifting operation in the horizontal direction by the parallel plate 6 are described in the first and second embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17 to 2
0, and further description is omitted.

The configuration and operation of the pixel shifting system according to the present invention are as described above. Here, the configuration when such a pixel shifting system is actually incorporated in a lens mirror or the like or a camera body will be described. I do.

FIG. 23 is an exploded perspective view of a pixel shift unit in which a pixel shift mechanism according to a first (second) embodiment of the present invention is incorporated and unitized.

In the figure, reference numerals 9 and 9 'denote housings for supporting the electromagnets and the parallel flat plates, which are divided into front and rear portions in the direction of the optical axis. Is formed.

Around the opening 9a of the rear housing 9,
Electromagnets 5Ub, 5Db, 8Lb, 8Rb are arranged at predetermined positions on the joint surface facing the front housing 9 ', and the concave portions 91U on which the parallel flat plates 3, 6 in the vertical and horizontal directions are respectively arranged. , 91D, 91L, and 91R are formed with the position regulating surfaces 93U, 93D, 93L, and 93R, respectively.

The armature 4 of each of the parallel plates 3 and 6
Armatures 52 of electromagnets 5Ub, 5Db, 8Lb, 8Rb are provided at positions facing U, 4D, 7L, 7R, respectively.
U, 52D, 82L, and 82R are provided so as to be exposed.

On the other hand, the front housing 9 facing the rear housing 9
On the 'side, the electromagnets 5Ua, 5Da, 8La, 8Ra are disposed opposite to the electromagnets 5Ub, 5Db, 8Lb, 8Rb, and the position regulating surfaces 92U, 92D, 92L and 92R sides are formed.

Therefore, by connecting the front case 9 'and the rear case 9 to each other, the vertical and horizontal parallel plates 3, 6 and the electromagnet for controlling the positions of these parallel plates are shown in FIG. 11 and 13 to 20 can be supported.

FIG. 24 is an exploded perspective view showing the details of the configuration including the pixel shift unit and its peripheral members in FIG. 23 in more detail. 23, the same components as those in FIG. 23 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. Also, when actually being incorporated into a product, the electromagnets arranged opposite to each other are unitized, whereby the gap between the opposed yokes is reduced by the spacers 85L, 85L.
In addition to being regulated by R, 85U, and 85D, the peripheral portion of the pixel shift unit is also regulated to facilitate incorporation.

The parallel plates 3 and 6 are supported by support frames 31 and 61, respectively.
A cylindrical armature is attached to both ends of the armature so as to contact the respective yokes on the electromagnet side.

The electromagnet unit and the parallel flat plate are supported in a space formed between the front and rear housings 9 ′ and 9 ′.

In the same figure, reference numeral 202 denotes a low-pass filter, and reference numeral 209 denotes a lens unit to be described later.
This is a member for connecting the pixel shift units consisting of.

On the rear housing 9 side, a low-pass filter 203 having a low-pass filtering direction different from that of the low-pass filter 202 is rotatably supported by a low-pass support frame 206 so as to resemble the optical axis, and is disposed therearound. The rotation of the gear unit 204 is controlled by a motor 205.

On / off of the low-pass effect can be controlled by the relative rotation of the low-pass filters 202 and 203. That is, the control is performed so that the low-pass filter function is activated when shooting with moving image shooting magnetism or normal resolution, and the low-pass filter function is canceled when performing high-resolution imaging with pixel shift.

The low-pass filter may be controlled by rotating the motor 205 in accordance with the imaging mode.

Further, behind the low-pass support frame 206,
The CCD imaging device 2 is mounted on the substrate 207 via the mounting support plate 208 so as to be position-adjustable.

As described above, the structure shown in FIG. 24 can be integrated with the lens unit to form a lens unit with a pixel shift system. This enables an interchangeable lens with a pixel shifting mechanism.

FIG. 25 is a side sectional view showing a case where the pixel shift unit is further incorporated into a lens unit or a camera.

In the figure, reference numeral 200 denotes a lens barrel, in which a photographic lens optical system 1 is disposed. A pixel shift unit shown in FIG. 23 is provided on the mount portion of the lens barrel 200.

The pixel shifting unit comprises a front housing 9 'and a rear housing 9, and as is apparent from the figure, an LPF (optical low-pass filter) 202 for limiting the spatial frequency of incident light, The parallel plate 6, the parallel plate 3 in the vertical direction, and the LPF (optical low-pass filter) 203 are sequentially arranged, and the image sensor 2 is arranged behind the parallel plate 6. 2a
Denotes an effective imaging surface (imaging range) of the imaging element 2, and 2b denotes a sealing glass of the imaging surface.

The infrared cut filter can be provided, for example, on the surface of the parallel plate 3 or 6 by coating.

The LPFs 202 and 203 are used to limit the spatial frequency band of the incident light by a combination of the two so as to remove moire and the like due to folding. By rotating the wavelength of the incident light, LPF
The effect of can be canceled.

Therefore, in particular, when it is necessary to remove the band limitation by the LPF in order to perform high-quality imaging, L
This can be realized only by rotating the PF without detaching it from the camera. The configuration of rotating these two optical low-pass filters relatively to cancel the low-pass function and the contents of the operation are described in JP-A-7-2.
Since the details are described in Japanese Patent No. 45762, description thereof is omitted here.

Next, a circuit for driving the above-described pixel shifting mechanism will be described with reference to FIG.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an imaging lens optical system;
Denotes an image sensor, and a pixel shift unit is arranged in a space between them.

The image pickup signal output from the image pickup device 2 is stored in the memory 301, and the image data read out from the memory is supplied to the camera process circuit 302 to generate a luminance signal and a color signal. The data is supplied to the system 306 and recorded on a recording medium (not shown).

Further, the signal is supplied to the display control circuit 304, converted into a signal format that can be displayed on the monitor, and then displayed on the monitor display 305.

The digital image output DO may be output to an external device so that the digital image signal is supplied as it is to a personal computer or the like.

The image processing circuit thus configured is controlled by a system control circuit 307 including a microcomputer.

That is, by controlling the pixel shifting unit,
Pixel shift is performed by sequentially controlling the parallel plates in the vertical and horizontal directions.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the system control circuit 307 controls, for example, the parallel flat plate 3 to shift the pixels in four steps in the vertical direction, and controls the parallel flat plate 6 for each of the stages to control the horizontal shift. Pixel shift in four directions, four steps in the vertical direction and four steps in the horizontal direction.
A total of 16 images of the stage can be captured.

These images are stored in the memory controller 3
03, the memory 301 is sequentially stored by controlling the memory 301. When all the images are loaded into the memory 301, the reading is controlled sequentially in units of pixels, and each image is read out while being combined into one image. 302,
By performing luminance signal processing and color signal processing, a high-quality image signal can be obtained.

Note that, without performing the camera process, the image data may be output to an external device such as a personal computer, and various image processing may be performed on the external device side.

With the above processing, it is possible to perform high-quality imaging equivalent to imaging with an imaging device having a much larger number of pixels than the actual number of pixels of the imaging device.

As described above, according to the pixel shift system in each embodiment of the present invention, the drive source in the pixel shift system is changed from a motor to an electromagnetic drive unit such as an electromagnet, and the position control unit is changed to a complicated mechanism such as a cam. From this, it is necessary to control the tilt position of the optical element for pixel shift such as a parallel plate by making the butting space different for the position control and the size of the butting space for its position control, and ensure dimensional accuracy. By minimizing the number of unnecessary members and eliminating a specific support axis for controlling the tilt position of the optical element, a mechanism that can simplify the control method and increase the speed, and achieves a stable number with a simple mechanism It is possible to realize a pixel shift system capable of obtaining an optical position of a portion.

[0193]

As described above, according to the present invention, the image shift device can be unitized and incorporated into the lens unit, and adjustment, positioning, etc., between the image shift unit and the lens unit can be performed. Can be simplified and the size can be reduced.

Further, since it can be supplied as a lens unit having a pixel shifting function, it is easy to handle and an interchangeable lens can be provided.

Further, since the image shift unit supports and positions the optical element in the gap between the pair of supporting members, and is further unitized with the driving means for the optical element incorporated therein, the size can be reduced. It is extremely easy to incorporate the image shift unit into the lens unit, and even when used alone, the image shift unit is easy to handle, easily applied to various optical devices, and has high versatility.

Further, since the position of the image shift unit is located behind the optical system of the imaging lens, there is also an effect that the pixel can be shifted with high accuracy without being affected by the optical movement of the lens.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view for explaining the configuration and operation principle of a pixel shifting system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a configuration and an operation principle of a pixel shifting system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a configuration and an operation principle of a pixel shifting system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a pixel shifting operation in the vertical direction of the pixel shifting system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a pixel shifting operation in the vertical direction of the pixel shifting system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a pixel shifting operation in the vertical direction of the pixel shifting system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a pixel shifting operation in the vertical direction of the pixel shifting system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a pixel shifting operation in the horizontal direction of the pixel shifting system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a pixel shifting operation in the horizontal direction of the pixel shifting system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a pixel shifting operation in the horizontal direction of the pixel shifting system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a pixel shifting operation in the horizontal direction of the pixel shifting system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a pixel shifting operation of the pixel shifting system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a pixel shifting operation in the vertical direction of the pixel shifting system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a pixel shifting operation in the vertical direction of the pixel shifting system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a pixel shifting operation in the vertical direction of the pixel shifting system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a pixel shifting operation in the vertical direction of the pixel shifting system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining a pixel shifting operation in the horizontal direction of the pixel shifting system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining a pixel shifting operation in the horizontal direction of the pixel shifting system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining a pixel shifting operation in the horizontal direction of the pixel shifting system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a diagram for explaining a pixel shifting operation in the horizontal direction of the pixel shifting system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing the operation of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a diagram showing a configuration of a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing a configuration in a case where the pixel shifting system in the embodiment of the present invention is unitized.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a lens unit incorporating a pixel shifting system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating a configuration when a unit of the pixel shifting system according to the embodiment of the present invention is actually incorporated in a camera.

FIG. 26 is a block diagram illustrating a circuit configuration for capturing an image using the pixel shift system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 27 is a diagram for explaining the principle of pixel shifting.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 imaging lens 2 imaging element 3 parallel plate (vertical direction) 4 armature (engaging portion) 5Ua electromagnet 5Ub electromagnet 5Da electromagnet 5Db electromagnet 6 parallel flat plate (horizontal direction) 7 armature (engaging portion) 8La electromagnet 8Lb electromagnet 8Ra electromagnet 8R 9 Pixel shift system case 9 'Pixel shift system case 10L Spring 10R Spring 91U Concave 91D Concave 91L Concave 91R Concave 91U' Concave 91D 'Concave 91L' Concave 91R 'Concave 92U Position control surface (part) 92D Position control surface (part) ) 92L Position regulating surface (part) 92R Position regulating surface (part) 92U 'Position regulating surface (part) 92D' Position regulating surface (part) 92L 'Position regulating surface (part) 92R' Position regulating surface (part) 93U Position regulating Surface (part) 93D Position regulating surface (part) 93L Position regulating surface (part) 9 R position regulating surface (portion) 93U 'position restricting surface (portion) 93D' position restricting surface (portion) 93L 'position restricting surface (portion) 93R' position restricting surface (portion) 100 subjects 200 lens barrel

Claims (21)

[Claims] 1. An imaging lens optical system, and an optical element disposed on an optical axis of the imaging lens optical system and shifting an incident position on an image plane of incident light incident through the imaging lens optical system. A plurality of restricting portions for controlling the tilt position of the optical element with respect to the optical axis by abutting each end of the optical element and restricting the position in the optical axis direction, and restricting the optical element. A lens unit provided with an image shift device, comprising: an image shift optical system that includes a driving unit that drives to contact the unit. 2. The position restricting device according to claim 1, wherein the restricting portion has a position restricting surface formed in front and rear of the optical element in the optical axis direction with each end of the optical element interposed therebetween. By restricting the position of each end of the optical element in the optical axis direction by the surface, the inclination angle with respect to the optical axis direction is determined, and by changing the combination of the position restricting surfaces that the ends of the optical element contact, ,
A lens unit including an image shift device, wherein the lens unit is configured to be capable of controlling the optical element to a plurality of tilt angles. 3. The optical member according to claim 1, wherein the driving unit includes a plurality of electromagnets provided for each of the position regulating surfaces, and controls on / off of each of the electromagnets to contact the optical member. A lens unit provided with an image shift device, wherein an inclination position of the optical member is changed by selecting a position regulating surface in contact with the lens unit. 4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the driving unit includes an elastic member for urging the optical member,
A lens unit including an image shift device, comprising an electromagnet for urging the optical member in a direction opposite to the urging direction against the elastic member. 5. The whole of the optical device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of sets of the optical element and the position restricting unit are arranged, and an image shift amount of incident light according to a tilt position of each of the plurality of optical elements is synthesized. A lens unit including an image shift device, wherein the lens unit is configured to determine an image shift amount. 6. The optical device according to claim 5, wherein the optical element adjusts an incident position of the incident light on the imaging surface,
A vertical optical element that vertically shifts on the image forming surface; and a horizontal optical element that horizontally shifts an incident position of incident light on the image forming surface on the image forming surface. A lens unit provided with an image shift device. 7. The optical element according to claim 1, wherein the optical element is a parallel flat plate provided in an incident optical path, and the angle of inclination of the parallel flat plate with respect to an optical axis is controlled by the restricting unit, thereby forming the connection. A lens unit provided with an image shift device, which is configured to shift an incident position of incident light on an image plane. 8. The lens unit according to claim 1, wherein the pixel shift optical system is arranged on the imaging plane side with respect to the imaging lens optical system. 9. The pixel shift optical system according to claim 1, wherein the pixel shift optical system moves the optical element into a gap formed between a pair of support members disposed before and after in an optical axis direction of the imaging lens optical system. The support member is supported by fitting, the restricting portion is formed at a position facing each end of the optical element of the support member, and the unit is formed by disposing an electromagnet as the driving means in the position restricting portion. A lens unit provided with an image shift device. 10. The lens unit according to claim 9, wherein the pixel shift optical system integrally includes an optical low-pass filter. 11. The lens unit according to claim 9, wherein the low-pass filter is capable of turning on and off a low-pass effect. 12. An image pickup lens optical system, and an optical element disposed on an optical axis of the image pickup lens optical system and shifting an incident position on an image plane of incident light incident through the image pickup lens optical system. And a drive unit for changing the tilt position of the optical element with respect to the optical axis. 13. The pixel shift optical system according to claim 12, wherein the pixel shift optical system has a position regulating surface formed before and after the end of the optical element in the optical axis direction. By restricting the position of each end in the optical axis direction by each position regulating surface, the inclination angle with respect to the optical axis direction is determined, and the combination of the position regulating surfaces that the ends of the optical element contact is changed. A lens unit provided with an image shift device, wherein the optical element can be positioned at a plurality of inclination angles. 14. The optical member according to claim 12, wherein the driving means comprises a plurality of electromagnets provided for each of the position regulating surfaces, and controls the on / off of each of the electromagnets to contact the optical member. A lens unit provided with an image shift device, wherein an inclination position of the optical member is changed by selecting a position regulating surface in contact with the lens unit. 15. The optical device according to claim 14, wherein the optical element adjusts an incident position of the incident light on the image forming surface.
A vertical optical element that vertically shifts on the image forming surface; and a horizontal optical element that horizontally shifts an incident position of incident light on the image forming surface on the image forming surface. A lens unit provided with an image shift device. 16. The lens unit according to claim 12, wherein the pixel shift optical system is disposed on the imaging plane side with respect to the imaging lens optical system. 17. The optical system according to claim 16, wherein the pixel shift optical system loosely fits the optical element into a gap formed between a pair of support members disposed before and after in the optical axis direction of the imaging lens optical system. The support member is formed as a unit by forming the restricting portion at a position facing each end of the optical element of the support member, and disposing an electromagnet as the driving means at the position restricting portion. A lens unit provided with an image shift device. 18. The lens unit according to claim 17, wherein the pixel shift optical system integrally includes an optical low-pass filter. 19. The camera according to claim 12, wherein the lens unit can be mounted. 20. A pixel shift unit that is inserted on an optical axis of an imaging lens optical system and shifts an incident position on an image plane of incident light that enters through the imaging lens optical system, wherein the imaging lens is An optical element supported in a gap formed between a pair of support members disposed before and after in the optical axis direction of the optical system; and an optical element at a position facing each end of the optical element of the support member. A regulating unit that regulates the inclined position by contacting the lens, a driving unit that drives the optical element to contact the position regulating unit, and an attachment unit that attaches the support member to a lens unit or a camera. An image shift unit, comprising: 21. The optical device according to claim 20, wherein the optical element is a parallel flat plate, the restricting portion is in contact with an end of the parallel flat plate to restrict a position of an inclined position of the parallel flat plate, and the driving unit controls the parallel flat plate. An image shift unit, which is an electromagnet driven to a regulating unit, wherein the electromagnet is disposed in the regulating unit.