Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Asao Hayashi

Masatoshi Ida

Kenichi Oinoue

Masahiro Aoki

Junichi Nakamura

Nagahiro Gocho

Kenji Fukuoka

Koji Kambara

Hitomi Tojiki

Toru Nobuto

Masaji Nishikawa

Tadashi Morokuma

Takeomi Suzuki

Kensaku Miyazaki

An information reading apparatus for reading information includes a board having a plane optical waveguide and a light source on the board. Light beam emitted from the source is conducted by a first optical system to a predetermined direction through the waveguide. Part of the light beam is deffracted toward a second optical system by a surface elastic wave region formed in the waveguide. The second optical system conducts the light beam to an information recording region of a card through the waveguide and leads reflected light beam from the information recording region to a photodetector. The light beam not diffracted by the elastic wave region is conducted to a third optical system formed in the waveguide. The system conducts the light beam to a synchronizing signal recording region of the card and leads reflected light beam from the synchronizing signal recording region to a photodetector.

Information reading apparatus with a light beam scanning technique

A method of detecting a focus condition of an imaging optical system such as a camera, a microscope, a high density optical recording and reproducing apparatus or the like is disclosed. The method comprises a step of selecting, in accordance with the state of density distribution of the optical image, between an image sharpness detection method for detecting in-focused condition by obtaining an evaluation value representing sharpness of images projected upon a photoelectric detecting means and an image lateral shift detection method for detecting in-focused condition by a positional relation between an image projected upon the photoelectric detecting means by light fluxes transmitted through a part of an exit pupil of an optical lens and an image projected upon the photoelectric detecting means by light fluxes transmitted through the other part of the exit pupil of the lens.

Method of detecting a focus condition of an imaging optical system by

In order to effect an automatic focus control in an image pick-up apparatus, a photography lens for forming an image of the object onto a two-dimensional solid state image sensing device is arranged in a fixed position, while the two-dimensional solid state image sensing device is arranged movably in the optical axis direction of the photography lens, and the image sensing device is moved in accordance with a focusing error signal detected by a focusing condition detecting circuit having an additional light receiving element mounted on the same substrate as the image sensor but discrete from and operating independently of the image sensor. Since the light and small solid state image sensing device is moved for the focus control instead of the heavy and large photography lens, it is possible to perform the focus control in a prompt manner and to make a mechanism for driving the image sensing device small and simple.

Automatic focus controlling apparatus and method

In a camera, a focus condition of an objective lens system is automatically detected in accordance with a combination of two different type detection methods. A light flux emanating from the objective lens system is divided into two light fluxes by means of a prism having a half mirror and a reflecting mirror and a first light flux transmitted through the half mirror is received by a first light receiving element array via a lenticular lens array and a second light flux reflected by the half mirror and reflecting mirror successively is directly received by a second light receiving element array. The lenticular lens array is so arranged that an exit pupil of the objective lens and the first light receiving element array are conjugated with each other and thus divided images of the exit pupil are projected upon respective elements of each pair of adjacent light receiving elements. At first, illumination signals supplied from the first image receiving element array are processed to derive a first evaluation value on the basis of an image lateral shift detection to indicate roughly a focal condition of the objective lens system. After the objective lens system has driven near the best focus position, illumination signals supplied from the first and second light receiving element arrays are processed to derive a second evaluation value on the basis of an image sharpness detection to indicate finely the focal condition of the objective lens system.

Apparatus and method for detecting focus condition of imaging optical

A method and apparatus for detecting focus conditions of a photographic optical system is disclosed. The invention comprises a member for dividing the wavefront of a light beam from a photographic optical system in an image space thereof, a first light receiving device including two photocell arrays provided in the front and the rear of a surface conjugated to a predetermined focal plane of the optical system, and a second light receiving device including at least one photocell array provided at a surface conjugated to one of the photocell arrays in the first light receiving device. A first signal representing horizontal shift of an optical image is detected based on outputs of at least one photocell array in the second light receiving device and one photocell array in the first light receiving device having a relation conjugated to the photocell array in the second light receiving device. A second signal representing defocused amount of the image is detected based on outputs of two photocell arrays in the first light receiving device thereby detecting focus conditions by the first and the second signals.

Method and apparatus for detecting focus conditions of a photographic

A method of detecting focusing conditions used for optical machinery is disclosed. The focusing conditions of an optical image projected onto photodetector arrays arranged on both sides of the focal plane with a certain optical distance are detected based on an evaluation function representing a sum of absolute values of differences between output signals of adjacent photodetectors. When a value of a first evaluation function represented by the largest absolute value is less than a predetermined threshold a second evaluation function represented by a sum of the maximum and next largest absolute values is used thereby detecting the focusing conditions for a graded image.

Method of detecting focusing conditions

In an analog-digital converting apparatus including a row of light receiving units with each unit having a light receiving element and a sample-hold circuit, a counter for producing a digital signal whose value is increased successively, a digital-analog converter for receiving the digital signal and producing an analog reference signal whose amplitude increases successively from a lower limit value to an upper limit value in step-shaped manner, comparators for comparing the output signals of the light receiving units with said analog reference signal, respectively, memories for receiving the digital signal and controlled by the comparators, respectively to store instantaneous digital values when the corresponding comparators change their states, there is provided a second light receiving unit having substantially the same construction as that of the first mentioned light receiving unit except that a light receiving element provided therein is covered with a light shielding mask so as to produce an output equivalent to a dark current component of the light receiving element, the output of which unit is used as a lower limit voltage source for said digital-analog converter. The apparatus may further include a third light receiving unit having substantially the same as that of the first light receiving unit except that the light receiving element is removed and the input of the sample-hold circuit is connected to a supply voltage so as to produce an output equivalent to a saturation value of the light receiving element, the output of which unit is used as an upper limit voltage source for the digital-analog converter.

Analog-digital converting apparatus

In a method and apparatus for detecting focus condition of an imaging optical system, the focus condition is detected in accordance with a combination of two different detection methods such as an image sharpness detection and an image lateral shift detection by using first and second light receiving element arrays for the image sharpness detection and a third light receiving element array for the image lateral shift detection. For making the construction of the apparatus compact and simple, these light receiving element arrays are formed on the same semiconductor substrate. Further a light flux dividing prism and a lenticular lens array are formed integrally with each other. According to the focus detection method of the present invention, it is possible to detect the focus condition for various kinds of subjects accurately over a wide range by using both the image sharpness detection and image lateral shift detection even in a range near an in-focus position.

Apparatus and technique for detecting and controlling the focusing of an

An intelligent copier for readily performing image enlargement, reduction, synthesis, and editing. In the intelligent copier, an SIT (Static Induction Transistor) image sensor in which a plurality of SIT image cells are arranged two-dimensionally pixel by pixel in the same substrate is used as an image sensor for picking-up the image of a document. It is not necessary to use an expensive mass storage memory for storing the image information, because the SIT image sensor can perform a nondestructive readout, so that the copier can be made small in size and inexpensive in cost.

Intelligent copier

In a chemical analyzing apparatus of a colorimetric type in which a light flux transmitted through a test liquid is made incident upon a light receiving element through an optical filter having a predetermined transmission spectrum range and a measurement signal is obtained by processing a photoelectrically converted signal, a plurality of optical filters having different transmission spectrum ranges and arranged side by side and a solid state image sensor having a plurality of light receiving elements each having a photoelectric converting element and a static induction transistor are arranged one upon the other. An analytical result is obtained by calculating output signals selectively derived from light receiving elements which are arranged behind a particular optical filter having a transmission spectrum range related to a wavelength determined by a test item to be studied. Since use is made of a static induction transistor, it is not necessary to change the optical filters mechanically and is possible to read out the necessary output signals having high S/N selectively in a prompt manner, while the levels of output signals can be monitored.

Colorimetric chemical analyzing apparatus

In a single-lens reflex camera having an objective lens, a focusing screen and a view finder, a photodetector array is arranged to receive a central part of an object image formed by the objective lens and a focusing condition of the objective lens is detected by calculating an evaluation function from image signals supplied from the photodetectors. A presetting dial for selecting given photodetectors whose image signals are used for detecting the focusing condition is provided at such a position that a part of the dial is exposed to the outside through an opening formed in a rear wall of a camera body at a position underneath a film winding lever. A light emitting diode array is provided on the focusing screen so as to be seen by a user through the view finder. Only desired light emitting diodes are lighted on under the control of a signal supplied by the dial to indicate the region of the photodetector array which is used for detecting the focusing condition.

Apparatus for detecting a focusing condition of an objective lens

A method of automatically adjusting focus conditions of photographic optical system is disclosed. In the method at least a part of optical image formed on a predetermined focal plane by an optical system is projected onto first and second photocell arrays in the front and the rear of a surface conjugated to the predetermined focal plane, and onto at least one of other photocell arrays arranged between the first and second photocell arrays. Outputs of first, second and other photocell arrays are arithmetically operated in accordance with respective given evaluation functions thereby obtaining first, second and other evaluation values. These evaluation values are compared with each other and the optical system is intermittently shifted in the optical axis direction with first or second moving step in the case of decision from the compared result that the optical system is positioned within or outside a predetermined range including the in-focused position.

Method of automatically adjusting focus conditions

A focus condition of an objective lens is detected on the basis of a lateral shift of two images formed by first and second light fluxes which are transmitted through right- and left-hand halves of the lens, respectively. In order to separate the first and second light fluxes, there is arranged an array of triangle prisms each having first and second surfaces which are inclined symmetrically with respect to the optical axis of lens by a critical angle so that one of the light fluxes is transmitted through the one of the surfaces, but is totally reflected by the other surface of each prism. The first and second light fluxes transmitted through the prisms are received by an array of light receiving elements in such a manner that the first and second light fluxes are selectively received by odd and even numbered light receiving elements, respectively.

Method and apparatus for detecting focus condition of objective lens

An automatic microfilm retrieval system for retrieving contents of a dictionary or the like recorded on a microfilm and displaying them on a screen is disclosed. Said microfilm includes a retrieval cord and divided into a plurality of unit regions to be displayed on said screen at the same time and further includes a cord added to each of said unit regions and representing an index word whose contents are included in each of said unit regions. A plurality of said unit regions are assembled into a plurality of groups. To each of said groups are added cords representing first and last index words included in each of said groups. Provision is made of a subtracter which functions to compare said cords read out by a reading head with key inputs obtained by depressing keys provided on a key board and control movements of a movable stage holding said microfilm thereon, thereby retrieving said microfilm.

Automatic microfilm retrieval system

An automatic exposure control circuit comprises a pair of lamp circuits for displaying the fact that an automatic exposure is feasible and the exposure period which is automatically determined, as well as an electronic shutter circuit and an automatic shutter release circuit, and optionally a color temperature measuring circuit. The control circuit is associated with a photomicrographic apparatus which takes a picture of a specimen being observed in a microscope. When taking a picture, a photometry is made of light from a specimen being photographed in order to determine initially whether an automatic exposure control is feasible for the specimen, and if it is feasible, to provide an automatic release of an electronic shutter by means of a motor, thereby activating the electronic shutter and also producing a lamp display during the period when the electronic shutter is operating. Optionally, a color temperature of the light from a light source which is used to irradiate the specimen is measured.

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Hachioji, Japan

Asao Hayashi