WO1997001116A1

WO1997001116A1 - Optical image formation apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO1997001116A1
Application number: PCT/JP1996/001739
Authority: WO
Inventors: Makoto Otsubo
Original assignee: Nittetsu Elex Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 1995-06-23
Filing date: 1996-06-21
Publication date: 1997-01-09
Also published as: AU6138496A; JPH095503A

Abstract

An optical image formation apparatus which forms the optical image of an object by converging light scattered from the object. An opaque or clear panel is provided with a large number of reflectors having reflective surfaces perpendicular to its surface so that an object and its real image may be symmetrical with respect to the middle plane between the surfaces of the panel.

Description

Specification

Optical imaging device

Technical field

The present invention relates to an optical imaging device that forms an optical image of an object by converging scattered light from the object. Background art

The device that forms an optical image by controlling the scattered light emitted from the surface of the object by reflection, refraction, shielding, etc .: (1) Reflects the scattered light from the object using a mirror, etc., and mirrors the image of the object And (2) a device that uses a convex lens optical system, and (3) a device that converges light from a number of small images on a panel through a number of pinholes to obtain an optical image of an object.

Hereinafter, these principles will be described with reference to Fig. 7. (1) In an optical system using mirror 50, as shown in Fig. 7 (a), the mirror 50 A virtual image 52 of the object 51 can be seen. That is, since the scattered light 53 from the object 51 is reflected by the mirror surface at a reflection angle equal to the incident angle, it appears that the object 51 exists at a mirror-symmetric position with respect to the object 51. .

In the optical system using the convex lens 54, the scattered light 56 from the object 55 can be imaged as shown in FIG. 7 (b), and the real image 57 can be obtained. The position and the magnification of the optical image are determined by the focal length of the lens used and the distance between the object and the lens.

Then, ③ in the method of converging the scattered light 59 from a number of small images recorded in advance through a number of pinholes 58 to obtain an optical image 60, as shown in FIG. 7 (c). , A pinho that the observer can actually touch An optical image 60 as a real image can be formed at a position in front of the rule panel 61. That is, the image display panel 62 on which a number of small images are recorded is installed behind the pinhole panel 61 on which a number of pinholes 58 are arranged, and light is emitted from behind the image display panel 62. Thereby, the optical image 60 of the target object is reproduced through the large number of pinholes 58.

However, in the device that obtains a mirror image using the mirror 50, the optical image that appears is a virtual image 52, so that a simulation operation in which the observer actually touches the optical image is performed. It is impossible to do such things.

Further, in the optical system using the ②-convex lens, since the distortion and the magnification of the real image 57 vary depending on the distance between the lens and the object, the distortion and size of the obtained optical image are not determined. There was a problem that the left-right positional relationship between the object 55 and the obtained real image 57 was reversed.

Also, in the optical system using a large number of pinholes 58, it is necessary to record a large number of small images in advance, which requires a great deal of labor to form an optical image, and is particularly difficult to operate. When processing an optical image of a target object, a huge amount of information is required, which makes data processing difficult.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides an optical imaging device that can easily form a real image of the same size of an object at a position where an observer can touch the hand. The purpose is to do. Disclosure of the invention

An optical imaging device according to the present invention that meets the above object is an optical imaging device that forms an optical image of an object by converging scattered light from the object, and is opaque or translucent. A reflector having a reflective surface orthogonal to the panel surface; A large number of children are arranged. Here, the reflective element having a reflective surface orthogonal to the panel surface is an optical element having a function of changing the direction of reflected scattered light incident from the front side of the panel to the back side of the panel surface at an angle equal to the incident angle and reflecting the scattered light. Say. Such an optical element uses not only an optical reflection phenomenon but also a self-control element that controls the traveling direction of light by using a gradient of a change in refractive index as used in optical fiber communication technology. Including a micro lens.

In the optical imaging device according to the present invention configured as described above, since a large number of reflecting elements having a reflecting surface orthogonal to the panel surface are arranged on the light-impermeable or light-transmitting panel, Using the center plane of the panel thickness as the mirror-symmetric reference plane, a real image of the object can be formed at a position mirror-symmetric with the object.

Here, the reflective element may be formed of a transparent column or cylinder, and a part or all of an inner surface or a part or all of an outer surface may form the reflective surface. By configuring the reflective element in this way, it is possible to increase the degree of convergence of scattered light that forms a three-dimensional optical image, and obtain a bright, low-distortion three-dimensional optical image of the object and manufacture of the device. Is easy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an optical imaging device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the optical imaging device viewed from a side, and FIG. 3 is related to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the optical imaging device as viewed from the side, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the optical imaging device according to the third embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of an optical device combining a plurality of optical imaging devices, FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of an optical system to which an optical imaging device is applied, and FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of an optical device according to a conventional example. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the optical imaging device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention has a large number of reflective elements 12 each having a reflective surface 13 on an opaque panel 11. It is arranged and configured.

The opaque panel 11 is made of an opaque thin plate (length and width: 20 O mm, thickness' .0.5 mm) such as plastic, glass, wood, paper pulp or metal. , Become.

The reflecting element 12 is made of a transparent plastic or glass cylinder (diameter: 0.3 mm, height: 0.5 mm), and the entire inner surface of the cylinder reflects the scattered light that enters. The outer surface of the cylinder is mirror-coated with a metal such as aluminum so as to form a reflecting surface 13 which is formed. The reflection surfaces 13 of the large number of reflection elements 12 are arranged in the panel 11 at substantially equal intervals so as to be orthogonal to the surface of the power panel 11 and at a maximum integration degree. I have.

When the position of the object is fixed, only a specific range of the inner surface of the cylinder is used as a reflection surface, so that extra scattered light can be prevented from being reflected.

Here, the optical imaging device 10 may be, for example, an optical fiber or a transparent rod made of plastic, whose outer surface is mirror-coated with a metal such as aluminum, or a plurality of optical rods without coating the optical fiber. The optical fiber is bundled and, if necessary, is filled with colored plastic or the like around the optical fiber to form an aggregate of the optical fiber, and the aggregate is perpendicular to the length direction of the optical fiber. It can also be formed by cutting thinly to a thickness of 0.5 mm. Hereinafter, the operation of the optical imaging device 10 will be described based on FIG.

The scattered light 16 emitted from P on the object 14 is reflected on each of the reflection surfaces 13 of the reflection elements 12 arranged in the panel 11, converges on P ′, and converges on P ′. An optical image 15 is formed by a set of these points that form an image corresponding to each of the points. At this time, points P and P 'are the center plane 1 of panel 1 1

There is a mirror symmetry with 1a as the plane of symmetry. That is, assuming that the intersection point between the line segment P—P ′ and the center plane 11 a of the panel 11 is 0, P O = P′0, and the line segment P—P ′ is orthogonal to the panel 11. Therefore, the optical image for panel 11

When the optical image 15 is viewed from the 15 side, the optical image 15 is a real image in which the asperities of the symmetric object 14 are inverted, that is, a pseudoscopic (pseudoscopic) image.

In addition, unlike the optical system such as a lens, the optical imaging device 10 does not involve a peculiar refraction phenomenon, so that an optical image with little distortion can be obtained, and no aberration due to a difference in the wavelength of light is generated. Furthermore, unlike the virtual image formed by the mirror, the optical image 15 is formed by converging the scattered light, so that it is possible to perform a simulation by actually placing an object at the image forming position.

It is also possible to use a self-occurring microlens in place of the reflection element 12 utilizing the reflection phenomenon, and create an optical imaging apparatus utilizing the light refraction phenomenon.

A self-occurring microlens is an optical element such as a cylinder that has a light-gathering function and whose refractive index of light decreases in a substantially parabolic manner from the center toward the periphery. By setting the size of the cylinder to a specific value, a function of transmitting light incident from one end to the other end of the cylinder and inverting the incident direction in the opposite direction is obtained. Therefore, by arranging a large number of these elements in the panel, the same effect as that of the reflective element 12 can be obtained. Next, an optical imaging device 20 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, the optical imaging device 20 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is configured by arranging a large number of reflective elements 22 having a reflective surface 23 in a translucent panel 21. Have been.

The translucent panel 21 is made of a translucent thin plate material (length and width: 20 O mm, thickness: 0.5 mm) such as plastic or glass.

The reflecting element 22 is formed of a transparent plastic or glass cylinder (diameter: 0.3 mm, height: 0.5 mm), and the inner surface and / or the outer surface of the cylinder is scattered light. The outer surface of the cylinder is mirror-coated with a metal such as aluminum so as to form the reflection surface 23. The panels are arranged at substantially equal intervals so that the reflection surfaces 23 of the large number of reflection elements 22 are orthogonal to the surface of the panel 21 and at the maximum integration degree of the reflection elements 22. 2 are located in one.

Hereinafter, the operation of the optical imaging device 20 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. As described above, a large number of scattered lights 26 emitted from one point P on the object 24 are arranged in the panel 21. An optical image is formed by a set of these points that are reflected by the inner and outer reflecting surfaces 23 of the reflecting element 22 and converge on P ′ and form an image corresponding to each point on the object 24. 25 is formed. In this case, since the scattered light is reflected on both the outer and inner surfaces of the reflecting surface 23 of the reflecting element 22, of the scattered light converging on the point P ′ among the scattered lights emitted from the point P on the object. The ratio is higher and a brighter optical image 25 is obtained.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the optical imaging device 27 according to the third embodiment of the present invention has a rectangular column-shaped glass opening 28 having a length and width of 5 mm, and a side surface portion formed of a metal such as aluminum. To form a reflective surface 29 and glue these square pillars together It can also be manufactured by joining with an agent or the like, or by cutting the assembly that is mechanically stacked without gaps into thin pieces of 5 mm.

Therefore, the device can be manufactured easily, and unnecessary space such as an opaque portion in the panel is reduced, so that the ratio of the amount of convergent scattered light can be further improved.

Next, a first application example using a combination of the optical imaging devices according to the first to third embodiments will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 5, two optical imaging devices 30 and 31 are arranged at an angle of about 90 degrees with respect to each other, and a male A is located in front of the optical imaging device 30 with an optical imaging device. If a woman B is standing in front of 31, both pseudoscopic stereoscopic images A ′ and B ′ form an image in the space between the two optical imaging devices 30 and 31, and furthermore, The scattered light from the pseudoscopic stereoscopic image converges through the optical imaging devices 31 and 30 on the opposite sides, respectively, so that the stereoscopic image of the female B and the female B A three-dimensional image A "of the male A forms an image beside him. In this case, they can communicate without directly touching each other.

In addition, in order to form a stereoscopic image via the first and second optical imaging devices 30 and 31, the pseudoscopic stereoscopic images A ′ and B ′ are further inverted so that the irregularities are normal. A life-size stereoscopic image of male A and female B with little distortion can be obtained, and scattered light that has not been reflected and does not contribute to convergence that has passed through the first optical imaging device 30 is transmitted to the second optical imaging device. Since it is removed by passing through the imaging device 31, the sharpness of the finally formed stereoscopic images A〃 and B〃 increases.

In addition, it is possible to measure the shape and dimensions of a high-temperature object that cannot be measured directly, for example, without contact. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a second application example in which the optical imaging devices according to the first to third embodiments are used in combination with a plurality of convex lenses.

The optical system 40 is configured by arranging first and second optical imaging devices 41 and 42 and first and second convex lenses 43 and 44 as shown in FIG. The scattered light 45 from the object is transmitted through the first convex lens 43, the first optical imaging device 41, the second convex lens 44, and the second optical imaging device 42 in this order. Thus, a three-dimensional image of the object is formed behind the second optical imaging device 42.

Here, a more detailed description will be given of a case where two objects (:, D having the same length are arranged at a distance in front of the first convex lens 43 of the optical system 40. In the following description, the rear refers to the traveling direction of the scattered light 45, and the forward refers to the opposite direction.

First, scattered light 45 from the object (:, D is transmitted through the first convex lens 43, so that it is turned upside down and at a ratio corresponding to the distance from the first convex lens 43. The real images C ′ and D ′ of the reduced objects C and D are formed at a distance from each other, and the real images C ′ and D ′ are inevitable because the refraction by the first convex lens 43 is used. An optical image having optical distortion due to refraction is obtained.

Next, the scattered light from the real image C \ D 'converges via the first optical imaging device 41, and is in a mirror-symmetrical positional relationship with the real image C 、', and is a real image to which no optical distortion is added. (: 〃, D "is obtained. That is, the real images C ′, D ′ and the real images C〃, D 互いに are equal to each other, and the up-down symmetric relationship is maintained, but the relationship in which the unevenness is reversed is obtained. Yes, the degree of optical distortion is the same for both.

Then, the real image (: 〃, D "is used as a light source, and the real image is formed by the second convex lens 44. By imaging C „and D„ and further passing through the second optical imaging device 42, stereoscopic images C _f and D _f are obtained behind.

In this optical system, the imaging positions of the three-dimensional images C _f and D _f are determined by the positional relationship between the first and second convex lenses 43 and 44 and the first and second optical imaging devices ₄₁ and 42. Can be arbitrarily adjusted, and three-dimensional images C _f and D _f with less optical distortion can be obtained as compared with an optical system including only a convex lens.

Also, by arranging the first and second optical imaging devices 41 and 42 in series, they do not contribute to the formation of a three-dimensional image, that is, they are transmitted through the reflection element without being reflected by the reflection element. In the case of scattered light, scattered light reflected at least twice on the reflection surface of the reflection element is removed, and clearer stereoscopic images C _f and D _f can be obtained.

As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and all changes in conditions without departing from the gist are within the applicable range of the present invention.

For example, in the present embodiment, a reflecting element was used in which the side surface of a transparent cylinder was a reflecting surface, but the side surface was reflected as a polygonal column having a polygonal shape such as a triangle, a pentagon, or a hexagon. The same effect can be obtained as the surface, and a hollow polygonal column may be used. In the case where a polygonal reflective element is used, the density of the reflective elements arranged in the panel can be increased, and the scattered light utilization efficiency can be further increased. Industrial applicability

In the optical imaging device according to the present invention, since the scattered light from the object is reflected by a reflection surface orthogonal to the panel surface to form an optical image of the object, Using the center plane of the thickness of the flannel as a mirror-symmetric reference plane, a real image of the object with little distortion can be formed at the position where the object is mirror-symmetric. Therefore, it is possible to apply this optical imaging device to another optical device such as a convex lens as a part of an optical system, or to use a combination of a plurality of the optical imaging devices. This makes it easier to apply simulations to virtual reality fields.

In particular, since the reflective element is made of a transparent column or cylinder, part or all of the inner surface or part or all of the outer surface forms the reflective surface. It is possible to increase the degree of collection of scattered light from an object, and as a result, a clearer image can be obtained and the device can be manufactured easily.

Claims

The scope of the claims

1. An optical imaging device that forms an optical image of an object by converging scattered light from the object,

An optical imaging apparatus comprising: a plurality of light-transmitting or light-transmitting panels each including a plurality of reflecting elements each having a reflecting surface perpendicular to the panel surface.

2. The optical imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the reflective element is formed of a transparent column or cylinder, and a part or all of an inner surface thereof forms the reflective surface.

3. The optical imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the reflection element is formed of a transparent column or cylinder, and a part or all of an outer surface thereof forms the reflection surface.