Camera

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a camera, which is used for reducing the length of a lens on the premise of not influencing the image quality. The camera provided by the embodiment of the invention comprises a folding lens and a detector. The folding lens comprises a focusing lens group, a folding light path and a convergent lens group, wherein the folding light path is positioned on a light path between the focusing lens group and the convergent lens group. And the focusing lens group is used for converging the light beams. The folded light path is used for changing the optical axis direction of the light beam, and an included angle between a first optical axis from the focusing lens group to the folded light path and a second optical axis from the folded light path to the convergent lens group is greater than 0. The convergent mirror group is used for converging the light beams to the imaging surface of the detector.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of cameras, and in particular to a camera. Background Art

[0002] The camera includes a lens and a detector. The lens is used to focus the light beam on the detector, and the detector is used to detect the light beam. The lens includes multiple lenses, which are used to converge and focus the light beam. With the development of cameras, the number of lenses in the lens is increasing, resulting in an increase in the total length of the lens.

[0003] Currently, the length of the lens can be reduced through technologies such as a teleconverter and digital zoom. However, the teleconverter reduces the maximum aperture and causes a decrease in the focus tracking speed and accuracy; the digital zoom technology causes a decrease in image clarity. The above problems will lead to a decrease in image quality, and a solution to reduce the length of the lens without affecting the image quality is urgently needed. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application provides a camera for reducing the lens length while ensuring image quality.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a camera, which includes a folding lens and a detector. The folding lens includes: a focusing lens group, a folding optical path and a converging lens group, wherein the folding optical path is located on the optical path between the focusing lens group and the converging lens group. The focusing lens group is used to achieve convergence of the light beam. The folding optical path is used to change the direction of the optical axis of the light beam, and the angle between the first optical axis from the focusing lens group to the folding optical path and the second optical axis from the folding optical path to the converging lens group is greater than 0. The converging lens group is used to converge the light beam to the imaging surface of the detector.

[0006] In the present application, the direction of the optical axis is changed by folding the optical path 2120. Without changing the total length of the optical axis, the optical axis is distributed in a three-dimensional plane instead of a two-dimensional direction, and the length in the two-dimensional direction is folded onto the three-dimensional plane. This reduces the total length of the lens (i.e., TTL) and achieves compression of the lens length in the two-dimensional direction. This structure is only a folding of the optical axis and does not affect the imaging effect of the lens optical system. Therefore, while reducing the length of the lens, the imaging quality of the image will not be affected.

[0007] On the other hand, after the optical path in the lens is folded, the restrictions on TTL can be relaxed, thereby reducing the difficulty of lens design. Since the center of gravity of the lens is closer to the geometric center of the lens due to the folded optical path, the lens used to balance the optical path can be omitted after the optical path is folded, thereby reducing the number of lenses in the lens.

[0008] In an optional implementation, the folding lens further includes a housing, which is used to accommodate the focusing lens group, the folding optical path and the converging lens group. The camera further includes: a moving structure, which is used to change the orientation of the folding lens; and a bracket, which is used to support the moving structure.

[0009] In the present application, the orientation of the folding lens 2100 is adjusted by moving the structure and the bracket so as to expand the sampling range of the camera 2000 .

[0010] In an optional implementation, the folding lens further includes a first zoom lens group. The first zoom lens group is located between the focusing lens group and the folding optical path, and is used to adjust the focal length of the folding lens.

[0011] In an optional implementation, the folding lens further includes a second zoom lens group. The second zoom lens group is located between the folding optical path and the converging lens group, and is used to adjust the focal length of the folding lens.

[0012] In the present application, the focal length of the folding lens is adjusted by the first zoom lens group and the second zoom lens group, so that the zoom range of the folding lens can be expanded, thereby improving the sampling range of the camera.

[0013] In an optional implementation, the folded optical path includes at least one reflector and / or at least one prism.

[0014] In the present application, the reflector or prism realizes folding of the light path through the reflective surface, with high folding efficiency and high device integration.

[0015] In an optional implementation, the angle between the first optical axis and the second optical axis is greater than or equal to 90°.

[0016] In the present application, the angle between the first optical axis and the second optical axis is made greater than or equal to 90°, so that the length of the optical axis can be fully folded and the length of the lens can be fully compressed.

[0017] In an optional implementation, an angle between the first optical axis and the second optical axis is 90° or 180°.

[0018] If the angle between the first optical axis and the second optical axis is set to 90° or 180°, since the components in the lens are distributed perpendicularly or parallel to each other at 90° or 180°, the processing difficulty can be reduced, the product yield can be improved, and the cost can be reduced.

[0019] In an optional implementation, the shell includes a spherical shell or a rectangular shell.

[0020] If the housing is spherical, the size of the housing can be reduced due to the folding of the lens length by the folding lens 2100, thereby accommodating an optical system with a longer optical axis within a limited housing size.

[0021] If the housing is a rectangular parallelepiped, the length of the rectangular parallelepiped housing can be reduced due to the folding of the lens length by the folding lens, so that the center of gravity of the camera is closer to the geometric center of the camera 2000, which is more conducive to maintaining the balance of the camera.

[0022] In an optional implementation, an auxiliary lens is also included, and the auxiliary lens is fixed in the housing.

[0023] In this application, the auxiliary lens and the folding lens are integrated into the same housing, which can improve the integration of the lens module and reduce the size of the device. If the housing is a spherical housing, the folding lens can be set in the spherical housing, and the auxiliary lens can be fixed on the space not used by the folding lens, so as to fully utilize the internal space of the housing.

[0024] In an optional implementation, the auxiliary lens includes a laser lens, a thermal imaging lens, or a wide-angle lens.

[0025] In an optional implementation, a processing unit is further included, and the processing unit is fixed in the housing.

[0026] In the present application, the processing unit and the folding lens are integrated into the same housing, which can improve the integration of the lens module and reduce the size of the device. If the housing is a spherical housing, the folding lens can be set in the spherical housing, and the processing unit can be fixed on the space not used by the folding lens, so as to fully utilize the internal space of the housing.

[0027] Among them, the processing unit can be a chip, a single board, etc., and this application does not limit this. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the camera provided for this application;

[0029] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a camera provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a camera with an optical path folded 180° provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a camera with an optical path folded 90° provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a lens with an optical path folded by 90° provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of a cylindrical camera provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a hemispherical camera provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of a lens with an optical path folded 180° provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of a lens with an unfolded optical path provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of the structure of a camera including an auxiliary lens provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of the structure of a 7-inch dome camera provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Fig.12 A schematic diagram of the structure of a mid-mounted pan-tilt camera provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The embodiments of the present application are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, with the development of technology and the emergence of new scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0041] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the terms used in this way can be interchanged in appropriate circumstances, which is only to describe the distinction mode adopted by the objects of the same attribute in the embodiments of the present application when describing. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, so that the process, method, system, product or equipment containing a series of units need not be limited to those units, but may include other units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or equipment. In addition, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "multiple" refers to two or more. "And / or", describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist, for example, A and / or B, can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone, wherein A, B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally represents that the associated objects before and after are a kind of "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single items or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or plural.

[0042] Cameras are widely used in security, transportation and other fields. For example, they can be used in scenes such as public security management, road traffic, environmental protection and forest fire prevention. The camera includes a lens and a detector. The lens is used to focus the light beam onto the detector, and the detector is used to detect the light beam. With the development of cameras, the number of lenses in the lens is increasing, resulting in the total track length (TTL) of the optical system of the lens becoming longer and longer, and the total length of the lens is also increasing. Among them, TTL refers to the distance from the center of the front surface of the first lens of the optical system to the image plane.

[0043] The increase in lens length is particularly prominent in zoom cameras. In order to achieve better detection results, zoom cameras, that is, cameras with adjustable focal lengths, are usually required. When a target object that requires special attention appears in the camera's field of view (such as a high-risk fire spot in a forest), the camera's focal length can be adjusted to obtain a clear image of the target object.

[0044] In security, road traffic and other scenes, the lens is usually mounted on Figure 1 The sphere can be rotated horizontally and vertically to change the orientation of the lens, thereby changing the field of view of the camera.

[0045] As the TTL of the lens increases, the total length of the lens increases. In order to load the lens into the sphere, the size of the sphere must be increased, which will result in a large camera volume and high cost, and the sites where the camera can be deployed are also limited.

[0046] For example Figure 1 As shown in the figure, the lens is installed in the sphere. If the size of the lens increases, the size of the sphere lens will inevitably increase. Assuming the TTL of the lens is 110mm, the lens can be installed in a 6-inch sphere. But if the TTL of the lens increases to 130mm, it can only be installed in a 7-inch sphere. On the one hand, the 7-inch sphere is large and expensive; on the other hand, the 7-inch sphere can only be deployed in sites with large reserved space and high cost budget. For small space and low-cost sites, it is impossible to accommodate a 7-inch sphere with a larger TTL.

[0047] The current solutions to reduce TTL mainly include adding a teleconverter, digital zoom, etc. However, the teleconverter reduces the maximum aperture and causes a decrease in the focus tracking speed and accuracy, resulting in a decrease in image quality. Digital zoom technology reduces the number of pixels, resulting in a decrease in image clarity. The above problems will lead to a decrease in image quality. Currently, there is an urgent need for a solution to reduce the length of the lens without affecting image quality.

[0048] In order to reduce the TTL of the lens, the embodiment of the present application proposes a camera structure, which compresses the TTL of the lens by folding the optical path. The structure does not affect the total length of the optical axis, and reduces the total length of the lens without affecting the imaging quality of the lens.

[0049] like Figure 2 As shown, the camera 2000 provided in the embodiment of the present application includes a folding lens 2100 and a detector 2200 . The folding lens 2100 includes a focusing lens group 2110 , a folded optical path 2120 and a converging lens group 2130 .

[0050] The focusing lens group 2110 is located at the front end of the optical system of the lens 2100, that is, the position closest to the outer surface. The focusing lens group 2110 is used to receive the light beam incident to the lens 2100 and realize the convergence of the light beam.

[0051] The folded optical path 2120 is located on the optical path between the focusing lens group 2110 and the converging lens group 2130. The folded optical path 2120 is used to change the optical axis direction of the light beam. The angle between the first optical axis from the focusing lens group 2110 to the folded optical path 2120 and the second optical axis from the folded optical path 2120 to the converging lens group 2130 is greater than 0. For example Figure 2 As shown, the included angle is 180 degrees.

[0052] Optionally, the folded light path 2120 may be composed of one or more reflectors, or may be composed of one or more prisms, which is not limited in the present application.

[0053] The converging lens group 2130 is used to converge the light beam from the folded light path to the imaging surface of the detector 2200. The detector is used to realize the detection of the light beam.

[0054] It is worth noting that the focusing lens group 2110 may include one or more lenses, which is not limited in the present application, and the same applies to the converging lens group 2130.

[0055] In the embodiment of the present application, the direction of the optical axis is changed by folding the optical path 2120. Without changing the total length of the optical axis, the optical axis is distributed in a three-dimensional plane instead of a two-dimensional direction, and the length in the two-dimensional direction is folded onto the three-dimensional plane. This reduces the total length of the lens (i.e., TTL) and achieves compression of the lens length in the two-dimensional direction. This structure is only a folding of the optical axis and does not affect the imaging effect of the lens optical system. Therefore, while reducing the length of the lens, the imaging quality of the image will not be affected.

[0056] On the other hand, after the optical path in the lens is folded, the restrictions on TTL can be relaxed, thereby reducing the difficulty of lens design. Since the center of gravity of the lens is closer to the geometric center of the lens due to the folded optical path, the lens used to balance the optical path can be omitted after the optical path is folded, thereby reducing the number of lenses in the lens.

[0057] In an optional implementation, the folded optical path 2120 is used to achieve an optical axis angle change greater than or equal to 90°. Figure 3 As shown, the angle between the first optical axis and the second optical axis is 180°. The folding lens 2100 is loaded in the spherical housing. Figure 3 The structure shown.

[0058] Alternatively, you can Figure 4 As shown, the angle between the first optical axis and the second optical axis is 90°, which is not limited in the present application. Figure 4 The corresponding internal optical path structure is as follows: Figure 5 As shown. Figure 5 As shown, under the premise of the same optical axis length, if there is no folded optical path, the length of the lens is longer. In the structure including the folded optical path provided in the embodiment of the present application, the length of the lens is shorter.

[0059] In the embodiment of the present application, the angle between the first optical axis and the second optical axis is greater than or equal to 90°, so that the optical axis length can be fully folded and the lens length can be fully compressed. If the angle between the first optical axis and the second optical axis is set to 90° or 180°, since the components in the lens are distributed perpendicularly or parallel to each other at 90° or 180°, the processing difficulty can be reduced, the product yield can be improved, and the cost can be reduced.

[0060] In an optional implementation, the folded optical path 2120 includes one or more mirrors (e.g. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown), the folding of the optical axis is achieved through a reflector. Optionally, the folded optical path 2120 may also include one or more prisms, and the folding of the optical path is achieved through the prisms, which is not limited in this application.

[0061] In the embodiment of the present application, the reflector or prism realizes folding of the light path through the reflective surface, and the folding efficiency is high.

[0062] In the embodiment of the present application, the optical axis length in the two-dimensional direction is folded onto a three-dimensional plane, so that the three-dimensional space of the shell can be fully utilized, the space utilization inside the camera is improved, and the size of the camera is reduced.

[0063] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the folding lens 2100 may further include a housing 2140, and the housing 2140 is used to accommodate the focusing lens group 2110, the folding optical path 2120, and the converging lens group 2130. The housing 2140 is fixedly connected to the focusing lens group 2110, the folding optical path 2120, and the converging lens group 2130. If the housing 2140 rotates, the focusing lens group 2110, the folding optical path 2120, and the converging lens group 2130 inside will rotate accordingly.

[0064] The housing 2140 may be Figure 3 and Figure 4 In an optional implementation, the housing 2140 may also be a rectangular housing (such as Figure 6 As shown), hemispherical shell (as shown Figure 7 As shown), cylindrical or other shapes, which are not limited in this application.

[0065] If the housing is spherical, the size of the housing can be reduced due to the folding of the lens length by the folding lens 2100, thereby accommodating an optical system with a longer optical axis within a limited housing size.

[0066] If the housing is a rectangular parallelepiped, the length of the rectangular parallelepiped housing can be reduced due to the folding of the lens length by the folding lens 2100, so that the center of gravity of the camera 2000 is closer to the geometric center of the camera 2000, which is more conducive to maintaining the balance of the camera 2000.

[0067] In an optional implementation, the camera 2000 further includes a moving structure and a bracket. The moving structure is used to change the orientation of the folding lens 2100, and the bracket is used to support the moving structure. Optionally, the moving structure and the bracket can be a pan-tilt head, so as to adjust the orientation of the folding lens 2100.

[0068] In the embodiment of the present application, the orientation of the folding lens 2100 is adjusted by moving the structure and the bracket so as to expand the sampling range of the camera 2000 .

[0069] In an optional implementation, the folding lens 2100 is a zoom lens, and the folding lens 2100 further includes a first zoom lens group. The first zoom lens group is located between the focusing lens group 2110 and the folding optical path 2120 and is used to adjust the focal length of the folding lens 2100.

[0070] In an optional implementation, the folding lens 2100 is a zoom lens, and the folding lens 2100 further includes a second zoom lens group. The second zoom lens group is located between the folding optical path 2120 and the converging lens group 2130 and is used to adjust the focal length of the folding lens 2100.

[0071] In the embodiment of the present application, the zoom lens group in the folding lens 2100 may include only the first zoom lens group or the second zoom lens group, or may include both the first zoom lens group and the second zoom lens group, which is not limited in the present application.

[0072] In one example, the folding lens 2100 includes a first zoom lens group and a second zoom lens group. The corresponding structure is as follows Figure 8 As shown, G1 is a focusing lens group 2110, G2 and G3 are a first zoom lens group, G4 is an erecting lens group, G5 is a second zoom lens group, and G6 is a converging lens group 2130. The folded optical path 2120 is on the optical path between G3 and G4. A stop may also be included between G2 and G3.

[0073] Among them, G3 and G5 can move forward and backward along the optical axis, G3 is used to adjust the focal length of the folding lens 2100, and G5 is used to fine-tune the focal length of the folding lens 2100.

[0074] In the embodiment of the present application, the focal length of the folding lens 2100 is adjusted by the first zoom lens group and the second zoom lens group, so that the zoom range of the folding lens 2100 can be expanded, thereby improving the sampling range of the camera 2000.

[0075] like Figure 8 As shown, in the folded lens 2100 provided in the embodiment of the present application and including the first zoom lens group and the second zoom lens group, the TTL is 156 mm. However, under the same optical axis length and optical system composition, if the optical path is not folded, the corresponding structure is as follows Fig. 9 As shown. In this structure, the TTL is 260 mm. As can be seen from the above, the folding lens 2100 provided in the embodiment of the present application can reduce the TTL, thereby reducing the lens length. For example, compared with Fig. 9 , Figure 8 The configuration shown reduces the TTL from 260mm to 156mm.

[0076] In an optional implementation, the camera 2000 may further include an auxiliary lens 2300. The auxiliary lens 2300 converges the light beam onto the detector 2400 to achieve imaging. Fig.10 As shown, the auxiliary lens 2300 and the detector 2400 are fixed in the housing 2140 of the folding lens 2100, and the auxiliary lens 2300 is oriented in the same direction as the folding lens 2100. The auxiliary lens 2300 is used to collect auxiliary images to further analyze the images collected by the folding lens 2100.

[0077] For example, the auxiliary lens 2300 may be a laser lens, a thermal imaging lens, a wide-angle lens, etc., which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0078] In the embodiment of the present application, the auxiliary lens and the folding lens are integrated into the same housing 2140, which can improve the integration of the lens module and reduce the size of the device. If the housing 2140 is a spherical housing, after the folding lens 2100 is set in the spherical housing, the auxiliary lens can be fixed on the space not used by the folding lens 2100, so as to fully utilize the internal space of the housing 2140.

[0079] Optionally, in addition to integrating the auxiliary lens 2300 and the folding lens 2100 in the same housing 2140, a processing unit and other devices may also be integrated in the housing 2140 where the folding lens 2100 is located, which is not limited in the present embodiment of the application. The processing unit may be a chip, a single board, etc., which is not limited in the present embodiment of the application.

[0080] In an optional implementation, the camera 2000 may be Fig.11 7-inch dome camera shown, or Fig.12 Mid-load PTZ camera shown.

[0081] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0082] In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0083] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0084] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit. The above-mentioned integrated unit may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional units.

[0085] If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including a number of instructions to enable a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to perform all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: U disk, mobile hard disk, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), disk or optical disk and other media that can store program code.

Claims

1. A camera, It is characterized in that Includes folded lens and detector; The folding lens comprises: a focusing lens group, a folding optical path and a converging lens group, wherein the folding optical path is located on the optical path between the focusing lens group and the converging lens group; The focusing lens group is used to achieve light beam convergence; The folded optical path is used to change the direction of the optical axis of the light beam, and the angle between the first optical axis from the focusing lens group to the folded optical path and the second optical axis from the folded optical path to the converging lens group is greater than 0; The converging mirror assembly is used to converge the light beam to the imaging surface of the detector.

2. The camera according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The folding lens further comprises a housing, wherein the housing is used to accommodate the focusing lens group, the folding optical path and the converging lens group; The camera also includes: A moving structure, used to change the orientation of the folding lens; A bracket is used to support the mobile structure.

3. The camera according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The folding lens also includes a first zoom lens group; The first zoom lens group is located between the focusing lens group and the folded optical path, and is used to adjust the focal length of the folded lens.

4. The camera according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that The folding lens also includes a second zoom lens group; The second zoom lens group is located between the folding optical path and the converging lens group, and is used to adjust the focal length of the folding lens.

5. The camera according to any one of claims 1 to 4, It is characterized in that The folded optical path comprises at least one mirror and / or at least one prism.

6. The camera according to any one of claims 1 to 5, It is characterized in that An angle between the first optical axis and the second optical axis is greater than or equal to 90°.

7. The camera according to claim 6, It is characterized in that The included angle between the first optical axis and the second optical axis is 90° or 180°.

8. The camera according to any one of claims 2 to 7, It is characterized in that The shell includes a spherical shell or a rectangular shell.

9. The camera according to any one of claims 2 to 8, It is characterized in that An auxiliary lens is also included, and the auxiliary lens is fixed in the housing.

10. The camera according to claim 9, It is characterized in that The auxiliary lens includes a laser lens, a thermal imaging lens or a wide-angle lens.

11. A camera according to any one of claims 2 to 10, It is characterized in that Also included is a processing unit, which is fixed in the housing.

Images