Nalux Co., Ltd.

Flir Systems, Incorporated

Katsumoto Ikeda

Daisuke Seki

Takahiro Fujioka

Hironori Horikiri

Hideki Miyazaki

Kayoko Fujimura

Yasuaki Inoue

Kouei Hatade

Takatoshi Suzuki

Hisashi Maki

Atsuya Fushiki

Soshi Tsuruta

A method for measuring a position of a target surface provided with portions for position determination thereon, wherein a diffuse reflectance of the target surface is 0.1% or less, and a diffuse reflectance of the portions for position determination is 5% or more, and wherein the target surface is configured such that a tangential plane at any point on the target surface where each of the portions for position determination is installed forms an arbitrary angle between 15 degrees and 75 degrees inclusive with a certain direction, the method including the steps of illuminating the target surface with parallel light in the certain direction; determining positions of border lines of the plural portions for position determination from an image of the target surface; and determining the position of the target surface from the positions of the border lines of the plural portions for position determination.

Element provided with portion for position determination and measuring method

The element according to the present invention has a first plane () and a second plane () forming a prescribed angle with the first plane. The second plane is provided with at least three portions for position determination (AB,C,D) arranged on the second plane sufficiently spaced apart from each other, allowing the identification of the second plane. Each portion for position determination is formed in a convex shape with respect to the second plane. A tangential plane (TL) to the surface of each portion for position determination at a point on a border line between the second plane and the surface forms a single plane and tangential planes of the portions for position determination are parallel to one another.

A position determination method for determining a position of a point on a flat surface by observing the position of the point and a position of a fiducial portion on the flat surface in an image of a measuring system provided with an imaging optical system using coaxial episcopic illumination is provided. The fiducial portion is in the shape of a pillar at least in the basal portion and provided with an inclined surface surrounding the foot of the pillar. The method includes the steps of determining a position of the outer boundary of the foot from the boundary between the inclined surface and the flat surface in the image; determining the position of the fiducial portion from the position of the outer boundary of the foot; and determining the position of the point with respect to the position of the fiducial portion.

Position determination method and element

An optical element includes a light receiving surfacecovering a light source on a plane and an exit surface. When the central axis is AX, the intersection of AX with the plane is P, and in a cross section containing AX, an angle between a line connecting Pand P onand AX is &#x3b8;r, an angle between a normal toat Q and AX is &#x3d5;, a distance from AX to Q is r, the maximum value of r onis r, and &#x3b8;r and &#x3d5; are positive when measured clockwise with respect to AX, &#x3d5; has plural positive local maximum and minimum values as a function of r in0.5in an area ofthrough which a ray travelling from Pat a positive angle &#x3b8;r passes, and the shape ofis symmetric with respect to AX.

Optical element

An optical element to be interposed between an optical transmission line and a light-emitting element or a light-receiving element such that an optical path from one side to the other passes through the optical element is provided. At least one surface of the optical element is provided with a first light-collecting area and a second light-collecting area. A surface of the first light-collecting area is configured such that light from the one side is received by the other side. A surface of the second light-collecting area is an annular surface or a part of the annular surface and is configured such that light that has passed through the second light-collecting area forms an image in the shape of a ring or a part of the ring at a position between the optical element and the other side.

Optical element with annular light-collecting area forming an annular image outside itself

An optical element is provided. When in a xz cross section, an angle which a ray travelling from the origin at &#x3b8;r forms with the normal to the light receiving surface is designated as &#x3c6;x, an angle which a ray travelling from b in the z axis direction forms, after the surface, with the z axis direction is designated as &#x3b8;ib, in a yz cross section, an angle which a ray travelling from the origin at &#x3b8;r forms with the normal to the light receiving surface is designated as &#x3c6;y, angles which a ray travelling from a in the z axis direction forms, after the light receiving and exiting surfaces, with the z axis direction are designated as &#x3b8;ia and &#x3b8;ea, and an angle which a ray travelling from the origin at arctan(a/ha) forms, after the light exiting surface, with the z axis direction is designated as &#x3b8;,&#x3c6;&#x3e;&#x3c6;(0&#x3c;&#x3b8;&#x3c;60&#xb0;)&#x3b8;&#x3e;45&#xb0;&#x3b8;&#x3e;45&#xb0;&#x3b8;&#x3e;&#x3b8;are satisfied.

Optical element, illumination device including the optical element, and illumination module including the illumination device

An infrared imaging system used for infrared rays of wavelength of 5 micrometers or greater, the system including, from the object side to the image side, an aperture, a lens made of synthetic resin and an imaging element, the object side surface of the lens being convex to the object side in the paraxial area, wherein F-number of the system is 1.4 or smaller.

Infrared imaging system

An optical element has a light receiving surface covering a light source arranged on a plane and an exit surface covering the light receiving surface. When an axis passing through the center of the light source and is perpendicular to the plane is designated as an optical axis and the point of intersection of the optical axis and the light receiving surface is designated as O1, the light receiving surface is concaved around the optical axis with respect to the periphery. When an angle which a normal to the light receiving surface on a point P thereon forms with the optical axis is designated as &#x3c6;h and distance in the optical axis direction from O1 to P is designated as z, &#x3c6;h has at least one local maximum value and at least one local minimum value with respect to z while P is moved along the light receiving surface.

An optical element according to the present invention includes a light receiving surface which is designed to cover an emitting surface of a planar light source device, a reflecting surface, a light exit surface which is contiguous to the periphery of the reflecting surface. When the center of the emitting surface is designated as a point O and an axis which passes through the point O and is perpendicular to the emitting surface is designated as an optical axis of the optical element, the reflecting surface has a concave portion around the optical axis and an outer edge surrounding the concave portion.

Optical element and illumination unit

An illumination device for planar light sources gives uniform illumination on an illuminated plane. A of lengthwise direction and length of breadthwise direction are different from each other. The illumination device includes a planar light source and an optical element including a light receiving surface for receiving light form the planar light source and a light exiting surface. A shape of the planar light source is symmetric with respect to x-axis and y-axis and a length of the shape in x-axis direction is shorter than length of the shape in y-axis direction; the center of the planar light source is set as the origin and two axes orthogonal to each other are selected as x-axis and y-axis. Assuming that the maximum value of x-coordinate of the planar light source is a and the maximum value of y-coordinate of the planar light source is b, the following relationships hold: 

Optical element and illumination device using the same

An illumination lens includes a light receiving surface; and a light exit surface. When the axis ofis designated as Z-axis, a position of the bottom of the lens is designated as z=0 and X-axis and Y-axis are defined in a plane which contains z=0 and is perpendicular to Z-axis,is symmetric about YZ-plane and XZ-plane and a cross-sectional area of a cross section ofparallel to XY-plane monotonously decreases with increase in z-coordinate. When the maximum value of z-coordinate onis designated as d and a radius of the cross section ofat z=0 is designated as r, a point (x, y) on a cross section ofat z=0.3is represented by where a and b represent constants and and there exists a point at whichf(&#x3b8;)&#x2266;0.95anda&#x3c;0.5and b&#x3c;0.5

Illumination lens and illumination module

There is provided an infrared light source that has a simple structure and radiates infrared rays polarized in a specific direction and having a specific wavelength. The infrared light source () comprises a heat generator () and a latticework () in which a dielectric part () and a metal part () are alternately formed at a constant pitch in a constant direction. The infrared rays are radiated in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the latticework and are polarized in the direction indicated by an arrow A. If the constant pitch is denoted by P, the width of the dielectric part in the constant direction by T, and the specific wavelength by &#x3bb;, for arbitrary P and T that meet the inequalities 0&#x3c;P&#x2266;2.0&#x3bb; and T&#x2266;0.5P, the depth D of the latticework is so selected that the intensity spectrum of the infrared rays radiated from the infrared light source has the peak at &#x3bb;.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Katsumoto Ikeda