Optical device, imaging device, control system, and movable device

Abstract

The invention relates to an optical apparatus, an imaging apparatus, a control system, and a movable apparatus. Provided is an optical device that makes it possible to reduce in size while reducing the amount of backlash or contraction between a pressing member and a lens. The optical device includes: a lens barrel member that holds an optical element; a pressing member that is in contact with both the optical element and the lens barrel member; a biasing member that is fixed to the lens barrel member; and an elastic member disposed between the pressing member and the biasing member in a radial direction and interposed between the biasing member and the pressing member in an optical axis direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an optical device, an imaging device, a control system, and a movable device. Background Art

[0002] An example of an optical device mounted in a vehicle is a camera that is used in sensing for a driving support function or an autonomous driving function and images the surroundings of the vehicle. As an optical device having a sensing function, a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) device is known. It is required that an in-vehicle camera or a LiDAR device guarantees excellent performance and functions over the entire temperature range of a temperature environment that varies widely. Summary of the Invention

[0003] An optical device according to an aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a barrel member that holds an optical element; a pressing member that contacts both the optical element and the barrel member; a biased member that is fixed to the barrel member; and an elastic member that is deployed in a radial direction between the pressing member and the biased member and is interposed between the biased member and the pressing member in an optical axis direction.

[0004] Further features of the present disclosure will become clear from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0005] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an optical device according to a first embodiment.

[0006] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a structure of an optical unit according to a first embodiment.

[0007] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a structure of an optical unit according to a second embodiment.

[0008] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a structure of an optical unit according to related art.

[0009] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an in-vehicle system according to a third embodiment.

[0010] Figure 6 is a diagram schematically illustrating a vehicle as a movable device including the in-vehicle system according to a third embodiment.

[0011] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of the in-vehicle system according to a third embodiment. Detailed Description

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are examples of implementation means of the present disclosure, and the configuration or various conditions of the device to which the present disclosure is applied may be appropriately modified or changed, and the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0013] The main type of example of an optical device installed in an automobile is a fixed focus type, which does not include an autofocus mechanism in view of cost and reliability of not causing malfunctions. An in-vehicle camera has functions of monitoring the front, vicinity, and rear of the vehicle, and generally needs to have a wide viewing angle in order to use one camera for space-saving purposes to obtain a lot of information.

[0014] Here, when the optical system of such a device increases in complexity and functionality, it can be considered that the number of optical elements will increase, and the backlash or tightening between the pressing member, the lens barrel member (lens barrel), and the lens as an optical element due to a change in temperature will become even greater. That is, when the lens is held by the lens barrel member and the ambient temperature changes based on the difference in expansion / contraction caused by the difference in the linear expansion coefficients between the lens and the lens barrel member, there is a possibility of generating backlash or tightening in the optical axis direction. The change in the holding position caused by the generated backlash or the surface deformation of the lens caused by the tightening will cause the aging of the optical performance or the aging of the component. To avoid this, a flange is provided in the lens barrel member, and a biasing member that is screwed to the pressing member for pressing the lens closest to the object is provided on the surface on the imaging surface side of the flange. A configuration of providing an elastic member such as a wave washer between the flange and the biasing member has been adopted. Thus, by deforming the elastic member by a necessary amount during assembly at normal temperature to generate an elastic force, the amount of backlash or tightening is reduced.

[0015] On the other hand, since the focus of a fixed focus type camera such as an in-vehicle camera cannot be adjusted during use, adjustment for suppressing partial blurring must be performed before shipment. An optical adjustment method called "skew adjustment" has been proposed in which the inclination of the image forming surface of the optical system is aligned with the inclination of the imaging surface of the image sensor by adjusting the inclination of the image sensor with respect to the optical axis of the optical system in the pitch direction and the yaw direction. The lens barrel member on which the lens is mounted is fixed to the adjustment tool, and an evaluation chart deployed at a separate design interval from the imaging device is imaged by the imaging device. The resolution or contrast value at the four corners of the periphery of the captured image of the evaluation table is determined, and the skew adjustment of the imaging device to the desired position is performed. After the skew adjustment in this method, an adhesive is applied between another flange that does not contact the elastic member of the lens barrel member on which the lens is mounted and the sensor holder that holds the imaging device to fix the flange and the sensor holder.

[0016] Therefore, since this configuration is one in which the elastic member is assembled from the imaging surface side, it is necessary to set the inner diameter of the elastic member to be larger than the outer diameter of the flange that engages and fixes to the sensor holder. As a result, the size of the lens barrel member increases. In order to suppress the increase in size, as described in Japanese Patent No. 5049220 as a method of assembling the elastic member from the subject side, a configuration has been proposed in which a leaf spring is provided in the pressing member that holds the lens and the recoil in the optical axis direction due to a change in temperature is prevented by the pressing force of the leaf spring.

[0017] However, in the related art disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 5049220, the leaf spring must have a length in the radial direction to give the leaf spring elastic force. When the elastic member is held between the pressing member and the lens, the elastic member is deployed at a position radially separated from the effective lens diameter in order to ensure the viewing angle. That is, the pressing member has a large size in the radial direction.

[0018] A camera with a wide viewing angle may have a lens closest to the subject that is large in size in the radial direction. When the pressing member also needs to have a large size in the radial direction, the diameter of the lens barrel member unit including the pressing member may increase. When the diameter of the lens barrel member unit on the subject side increases and the installation height is defined when the camera is mounted near the front windshield that is inclined from the front to the rear of the vehicle body, the camera as a whole is deployed on the rear side, and thus the installation space expands.

[0019] (First Embodiment)

[0020] First, the structure of the optical unit according to the related art shown in Figure 4 will be described, and then the optical unit 102 according to the first embodiment shown in Figure 2 will be described. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the structure of the optical unit 250 according to the related art.

[0021] The optical unit 250 is an example of an optical unit provided in an optical device according to the related art. The sensor holder 201 fixes and holds the imaging device 202. The lens barrel member 203 houses a plurality of lenses that will be described later. The lens barrel member 203 housing the plurality of lenses is aligned with the sensor holder 201 holding the imaging device 202, and an adhesive 204 is applied between the flange 203a of the lens barrel member 203 and the sensor holder 201 to fix them. In the lens barrel member 203, the first lens 205, the second lens 206, the third lens 207, the fourth lens 208, and the fifth lens 209 are arranged in sequence from the subject side ( Figure 4 the left side in

[0022] The first spacer 210 is disposed between the first lens 205 and the second lens 206. The second spacer 211 is disposed between the second lens 206 and the third lens 207. The third spacer 212 is disposed between the third lens 207 and the fourth lens 208. The fourth spacer 213 is disposed between the fourth lens 208 and the fifth lens 209.

[0023] A pressing member 214, a biasing member 215, and an elastic member 216 are provided to contact the first lens 205 and hold the first lens in the barrel member 203.

[0024] The optical unit 250 houses and holds the first lens 205, the second lens 206, the third lens 207, the fourth lens 208, and the fifth lens 209 in the barrel member 203. Further, the optical unit 250 houses and holds the first spacer 210, the second spacer 211, the third spacer 212, and the fourth spacer 213 in the barrel member 203.

[0025] In a state where the lens and the spacers are housed and held, the elastic member 216 is disposed from the imaging surface side ( Figure 4 the right side in the figure). After the elastic member 216 is disposed, the biasing member 215 is similarly inserted from the imaging surface side. Finally, a female threaded portion 214a of the pressing member 214 and a male threaded portion 215a of the biasing member 215 are tightened to each other such that the pressing member 214 contacts the first lens 205, and thus the lens is fixed in the direction of the optical axis O in a state where the biasing member 215 is compressed. By holding the lens with the pressing member 214 in a state where the elastic member 216 is compressed by a necessary amount, the first lens 205 is constantly pressed toward the pressing member 214 by a reaction force based on the elastic force of the elastic member 216.

[0026] Here, the inner diameter of the elastic member 216 should be set to be larger than the outer diameter of the flange 203a in order to avoid interference of the elastic member 216 with the flange 203a of the barrel member 203. Thus, there is a problem that the outer diameter of the pressing member 214 is larger than the outer diameter of the flange 203a.

[0027] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an optical device 101 according to the present embodiment.

[0028] The optical device 101 includes an optical unit 102, a housing 103, and an electrical device 104. For example, when the optical device 101 is a vehicle-mounted camera, the optical unit 102 serves as an imaging optical system. When imaging a subject 105, a signal is input to the electrical device 104 including an image sensor, and thus information on the surrounding environment of the vehicle is acquired.

[0029] The image sensor can be a CCD, a CMOS, etc., and converts the light converged and received via the optical unit 102 into an electrical signal. The converted electrical signal is converted into analog data or digital data, which are constituent elements of the captured image data. The acquired data is used in a system for driving support or autonomous driving. The subject side of the optical unit 102 of the optical device 101 such as an in-vehicle camera can be exposed from the housing 103, and the optical unit 102 can be mounted on the vehicle body near the front windshield 106. Since it is required to reduce the size of the installation space to be as close as possible to the front windshield 106, it is also preferable to reduce the size of the optical unit 102.

[0030] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the structure of the optical unit 102 according to the present embodiment. The image sensor 12 is fixed to and held in the sensor holder 11. The lens barrel member 13 houses a plurality of lenses to be described later. The lens barrel member 13 housing the plurality of lenses is aligned with the sensor holder 11 holding the image sensor 12, and an adhesive 14 is applied between the flange 13a of the lens barrel member 13 and the sensor holder 11 to fix them. Thus, the lens barrel member 13 and the sensor holder 11 can be fixed. In the lens barrel member 13, a first lens 15, a second lens 16, a third lens 17, a fourth lens 18, and a fifth lens 19 are arranged in sequence from the subject side ( Figure 2 the left side in).

[0031] A first spacer 20 is disposed between the first lens 15 and the second lens 16. A second spacer 21 is disposed between the second lens 16 and the third lens 17. A third spacer 22 is disposed between the third lens 17 and the fourth lens 18. A fourth spacer 23 is disposed between the fourth lens 18 and the fifth lens 19.

[0032] In the present embodiment, a pressing member 24, a biasing member 25, and an elastic member 26 are configured to contact the first lens 15 and then hold the first lens 15 in the lens barrel member 13. The first lens 15, the second lens 16, the third lens 17, the fourth lens 18, and the fifth lens 19 in the present embodiment are glass lenses.

[0033] The lens barrel member 13, the first spacer 20, the second spacer 21, the third spacer 22, the pressing member 24, and the elastic member 26 are formed of a metal material. The number of lenses or the number of spacers can be arbitrarily set according to its application, etc. The materials of the lenses, spacers, and lens barrel member can be arbitrarily set according to its application. For example, the first lens 15 can be a spherical glass lens, and the second lens 16, the third lens 17, the fourth lens 18, and the fifth lens 19 can be resin lenses. For example, the pressing member 24 can be formed of a resin material.

[0034] In the optical unit 102, an "aperture diaphragm" for restricting the amount of transmitted light and determining the F value used as a brightness index, or a "light-shielding diaphragm" for blocking light causing ghosting or light causing aberration can be provided. In the present embodiment, such an aperture diaphragm or such a light-shielding diaphragm is not shown. As needed, an antireflection film, a hydrophilic film, a hydrophobic film, etc. are provided on the surfaces of the first lens 15, the second lens 16, the third lens 17, the fourth lens 18, and the fifth lens 19.

[0035] The pressing member 24 includes a short-side portion 24a and a long-side portion 24b, and the long-side portion 24b is longer than the short-side portion 24a in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the short-side portion 24a is formed. The pressing member 24 further includes a first protrusion (projecting portion) 24c. The first protrusion 24c is formed to project from a part of the long-side portion 24b in a direction opposite to the direction in which the short-side portion 24a is formed. The pressing member 24 includes a contact surface 24d as a surface that contacts the first lens 15 on the short-side portion 24a side and a contact surface 24e as a surface that contacts the biasing member 25. The pressing member 24 includes a contact surface 24f on a surface opposite to the side where the first protrusion 24c is formed. The contact surface 24f is a surface that contacts the contact surface 13e of the barrel member 13 when the pressing member 24 is deployed relative to the barrel member 13.

[0036] In consideration of heat resistance, the elastic member 26 is formed of a rubber material such as silicone rubber or a metal spring member such as a compression coil spring or a wave washer, so that physical properties are not affected even in a harsh in-vehicle temperature environment. The elastic member 26 is interposed between and held between the pressing member 24 and the biasing member 25 in the direction of the optical axis O. The direction of the optical axis O is a direction parallel to the optical axis of the optical device 101, and is also a direction from the object side (subject side) to the imaging surface side. The optical axis O of the optical device 101 is an axis passing through the vertices of each optical surface in the optical system in the optical device 101.

[0037] A method of assembling the optical unit 102 will be described below. A method of assembling the optical unit 102 in a state where the first lens 15, the second lens 16, the third lens 17, the fourth lens 18, and the fifth lens 19 are accommodated and held in the barrel member 13 of the optical unit 102 will be described. It is assumed that the first spacer 20, the second spacer 21, the third spacer 22, and the fourth spacer 23 are accommodated and held in the barrel member 13.

[0038] With the lens and the spacer accommodated and held, the pressing member 24 is assembled into the lens barrel member 13 from the subject side. When assembling the pressing member 24, the contact surface 24d of the pressing member 24 contacts the first lens 15. When the contact surface 24d of the pressing member 24 contacts the first lens 15, the contact surface 24d of the pressing member 24 separates from the surface 13d of the lens barrel member 13 in the direction of the optical axis O. When the pressing member 24 is brought into contact with the lens barrel member 13 and the first lens 15 as shown in Figure 2 , the short side portion 24a, which is a part of the subject side of the pressing member 24, is located outside the lens barrel member 13 in the direction of the optical axis O.

[0039] When the pressing member 24 is deployed in the lens barrel member 13, the first protrusion 24c of the pressing member 24 protrudes outward in the radial direction. When the pressing member 24 is deployed in the lens barrel member 13, the contact surface 24f of the pressing member 24 also contacts the contact surface 13e of the lens barrel member 13. The radial direction is orthogonal to the direction of the optical axis O and is also the direction from the center to the periphery of each optical surface.

[0040] Then, the elastic member 26 is inserted from the subject side. In the insertion step, the elastic member 26 can be deployed in the pressing member 24.

[0041] Finally, with the pressing member 24 and the elastic member 26 deployed, the biasing member 25 is deployed relative to the lens barrel member 13 and the biasing member 25 is fixed to the lens barrel member 13. At this time, with the inner surface of the biasing member 25 contacting the contact surface 24e, which is the surface (outer surface) of the subject side of the pressing member 24, in the direction of the optical axis O, the male thread portion 13b on the outer radial portion of the lens barrel member 13 is screwed into the female thread portion 25a of the inner radial portion of the biasing member 25. Thus, the elastic member 26 is interposed between the biasing member 25 and the pressing member 24 in the direction of the optical axis O. Specifically, when the biasing member 25 is deployed in the lens barrel member 13, the elastic member 26 deployed between the biasing member 25 and the first protrusion 24c of the pressing member 24 in the direction of the optical axis O is in a compressed state. Then, by fixing the biasing member 25 to the lens barrel member 13 with the elastic member 26 compressed, the first lens 15 can be fixed in the direction of the optical axis O.

[0042] In this way, the pressing member 24 is deployed in the lens barrel member 13, then the elastic member 26 is deployed in the pressing member 24, and finally the biasing member 25 is fixed to the lens barrel member 13. Thus, the elastic member 26 is located between the biasing member 25 and the first protrusion 24c of the pressing member 24 in the direction of the optical axis O and is located between the pressing member 24 and the biasing member 25 in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the optical axis O (radial direction).

[0043] In this way, when the pressing member 24 is deployed in the lens barrel member 13, then the elastic member 26 is deployed in the pressing member 24, and finally the biasing member 25 is fixed to the lens barrel member 13, the first protrusion 24c of the pressing member 24 is located inside the biasing member 25 in the direction of the optical axis O and in the radial direction. Even when the biasing member 25 is fixed to the lens barrel member 13 after the pressing member 24 and the elastic member 26 have been deployed, the first protrusion 24c of the pressing member 24 does not contact the biasing member 25.

[0044] When the biasing member 25 is fixed to the lens barrel member 13 after the pressing member 24 and the elastic member 26 have been deployed, the biasing member 25 includes a first region and a second region. The first region is the region outside the lens barrel member 13 in the direction of the optical axis O, and the second region is the region outside the lens barrel member 13 in the radial direction. By adopting the structure of the optical unit 102 according to the present embodiment, the inner diameter of the elastic member 26 can be set to be equal to or smaller than the outer diameter of the flange 13a.

[0045] By holding the first lens 15 with the pressing member 24 in a state where the elastic member 26 is compressed by a necessary amount, the first lens 15 is constantly compressed by the pressing member 24 by the reaction force caused by the elastic force of the elastic member 26.

[0046] By causing the pressing member 24 to constantly press the first lens 15 by the reaction force caused by the elastic force of the elastic member 26, the lens deformation caused by the contraction due to the difference in the linear expansion coefficients between the lens barrel member 13 and the lens when the ambient temperature is low during assembly can be absorbed by the elastic member 26.

[0047] In the present embodiment, the lens barrel member 13, the pressing member 24, the first spacer 20, the second spacer 21, the third spacer 22, and the fourth spacer 23 are formed of aluminum alloy, and their linear expansion coefficient is 26×10^-6 / °C. The first lens 15, the second lens 16, the third lens 17, the fourth lens 18, and the fifth lens 19 are formed of glass, and their linear expansion coefficient is 7×10^-6 / °C.

[0048] Here, it is assumed that the length of the first lens 15 in the optical axis direction is 3 mm, and the length of the second lens 16 in the optical axis direction is 5 mm. It is assumed that the lengths of the third lens 17 and the fifth lens 19 in the optical axis direction are 3 mm. It is assumed that the length of the fourth lens 18 in the optical axis direction is 2.5 mm. It is assumed that the length of the first spacer 20 in the optical axis direction is 1.5 mm. It is assumed that the lengths of the second spacer 21, the third spacer 22, and the fourth spacer 23 in the optical axis direction are 3 mm. It is assumed that the length in the optical axis direction from the wall 13c of the lens barrel member 13 to the contact portion between the pressing member 24 and the first lens 15 is 27 mm. At this time, when the temperature changes by 1°C, an interval of approximately 0.3 μm is generated between the lens barrel member and the lens.

[0049] In an environment where the external air temperature is 60°C lower than that at the time of assembly, there may be a lens deformation of approximately 18.8 μm in the direction in which the lens is compressed in the optical axis direction, but this deformation can be absorbed by the elastic member 26.

[0050] On the other hand, in an environment where the external air temperature is 60°C higher than that at the time of assembly, a recoil of approximately 19.4 μm occurs in the optical axis direction. However, since the elastic member 26 is compressed, the pressing member 24 constantly presses and holds the first lens 15 by the reaction force caused by the elastic force of the elastic member 26, and thus the recoil can be absorbed.

[0051] With the structure of the optical unit 102 according to the present embodiment, since the elastic member 26 can be inserted from the subject side, the inner diameter of the elastic member 26 can be set to be equal to or smaller than the outer diameter of the flange 13a of the lens barrel member 13. Thus, different from the related art, since there is no need to consider the constraint that the inner diameter of the elastic member 26 is larger than the outer diameter of the flange 13a of the lens barrel member 13, the size of the optical device 101 can be reduced.

[0052] (Second Embodiment)

[0053] As a second embodiment, a structure for preventing the generation of torsion of an elastic member provided between a biasing member and a pressing member will be described below. When an elastic member is deployed between the biasing member and the pressing member, torsion may occur in the elastic member due to the contact resistance between the biasing member and the pressing member. Thus, the biasing force applied to the lens may be uneven, and the recoil or contraction occurring between the pressing member and the lens may not be reduced. As a result, a structure that can suppress the torsion of the elastic member is required.

[0054] Figure 3It is a cross-sectional view of the structure of the optical unit 111 according to the second embodiment. Descriptions of the same structures, assembly methods, etc. in the optical device according to the second embodiment as those in the optical device 101 according to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0055] The pressing member 112 in the second embodiment includes a short-side portion 112a and a long-side portion 112b, and the long-side portion 112b is longer than the short-side portion 112a in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the short-side portion 112a is formed. The pressing member 112 includes a first protrusion (projecting portion) 112c. The first protrusion 112c is formed to project from a part of the long-side portion 112b in a direction opposite to the direction in which the short-side portion 112a is formed. The pressing member 112 includes a contact surface 112d as a surface in contact with the first lens 15 on the short-side portion 112a side and a contact surface 112e as a surface in contact with the biasing member 113. The pressing member 112 includes a contact surface 112f on a surface opposite to the side where the first protrusion 112c is formed. The contact surface 112f is a surface that contacts the contact surface 13e of the lens barrel member 13 when the pressing member 112 is disposed in the lens barrel member 13. In the second embodiment, a second protrusion (rotation adjustment portion) 112g for adjusting rotation is provided in the pressing member 112.

[0056] In the second embodiment, by fixing the biasing member 113 to the lens barrel member 13 after the pressing member 112 and the elastic member 26 have been disposed, the elastic member 26 is interposed between and held between the pressing member 112 and the biasing member 113 in the direction of the optical axis O. Specifically, similar to the first embodiment, the pressing member 112 is disposed in the lens barrel member 13, then the elastic member 26 is disposed in the pressing member 112, and finally the biasing member 113 is fixed to the lens barrel member 13. Thus, the elastic member 26 is located between the biasing member 113 and the first protrusion 112c of the pressing member 112 in the direction of the optical axis O, and is located between the pressing member 112 and the biasing member 113 in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the optical axis O (radial direction).

[0057] In the second embodiment, when the biasing member 113 is deployed in a state where the pressing member 112 and the elastic member 26 are already deployed, the second protrusion 112g provided in the pressing member 112 is inserted into a groove 113a formed in the inner radial portion of the biasing member 113. That is, the second protrusion 112g is fitted into the groove 113a. Accordingly, the rotation of the pressing member 112 about the optical axis is regulated. Then, with the second protrusion 112g already fitted into the groove 113a, the male threaded portion 13b of the lens barrel member 13 is screwed into the female threaded portion 113b of the biasing member 113, and the biasing member 113 and the lens barrel member 13 are fixed. At this time, with the configuration according to the second embodiment, when the male threaded portion 13b of the lens barrel member 13 is screwed into the female threaded portion 113b of the biasing member 113, the elastic member 26 can be compressed without being twisted.

[0058] Accordingly, similar to the first embodiment, since it is possible to reduce the size of the optical device and the elastic member 26 can be compressed without being twisted, it is possible to reduce the recoil or contraction amount between the pressing member and the lens due to a change in temperature.

[0059] (Third Embodiment)

[0060] Figure 5 FIG. is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an optical device according to an embodiment and a vehicle-mounted system (driving support system) 1000 including the optical device. The optical device 1 according to the third embodiment has the configuration of the optical devices according to the first and second embodiments.

[0061] The vehicle-mounted system 1000 is a control system that is held by a movable object (movable device) such as an automobile (vehicle) and supports the driving (control) of the vehicle 500 based on distance information of an object such as an obstacle or a pedestrian near the vehicle acquired by the optical device 1. Figure 6 FIG. is a schematic diagram illustrating a vehicle 500 as a movable device including the vehicle-mounted system 1000. In Figure 6 this case, the distance measurement range (detection range) of the optical device 1 is set in front of the vehicle 500, but the distance measurement range may also be set behind or to the side of the vehicle 500.

[0062] As Figure 6As shown in the figure, the vehicle-mounted system 1000 includes an optical device 1, a vehicle information acquisition device 200, a control device (control unit (electronic control unit (ECU))) 300, and a warning device (warning unit) 400. In the vehicle-mounted system 1000, a control unit (not shown) provided in the optical device 1 has the functions of a distance acquisition unit (acquisition unit) and a collision determination unit (determination unit). As needed, a distance acquisition unit or a collision determination unit separate from the control unit may be provided in the vehicle-mounted system 1000, or these units may be provided outside the optical device 1 (for example, inside the vehicle 500). Alternatively, the control device 300 may be used as the control unit. The optical device 1 may include a scanning unit configured to scan an object using illumination light from a light source (not shown).

[0063] Figure 7 It is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the vehicle-mounted system 1000 according to the third embodiment. The operation of the vehicle-mounted system 1000 will be described below with reference to this flowchart.

[0064] First, in step S1, an object near the vehicle 500 is illuminated with illumination light from the light source of the optical device 1, and the reflected light from the object is received. The control unit acquires the distance information of the object based on the signal output from a light receiving element (light receiving unit) (not shown) by receiving the reflected light via a lens. Here, the distance information only needs to be information about the distance from the movable device (vehicle 500) to the object, and may not be the distance itself. In step S2, the vehicle information acquisition device 200 acquires vehicle information including the vehicle speed, yaw rate, steering angle, etc. of the vehicle 500. Then, in step S3, the control unit determines whether the distance to the object is included in a preset range of the set distance using the distance information acquired in step S1 or the vehicle information acquired in step S2.

[0065] Thus, it is possible to determine whether there is an object within the set distance near the vehicle 500 and determine the possibility of a collision between the object and the vehicle 500. Steps S1 and S2 may be executed in the reverse order of the order mentioned above, or may be executed in parallel. When there is an object within the set distance, the control unit determines "there is a possibility of collision" (step S4), and when there is no object within the set distance, the control unit determines "there is no possibility of collision" (step S5).

[0066] Then, when it is determined that there is a "possibility of collision", the control unit notifies the control device 300 or the warning device 400 of the determination result (transmits the determination result to them). At this time, the control device 300 controls the vehicle 500 based on the determination result from the control unit (step S6), and the warning device 400 gives a warning to the user (driver or occupant) of the vehicle 500 based on the determination result from the control unit (step S7). That is, the warning device 400 gives a warning based on the distance of the object. The notification of the determination result can be performed on at least one of the control device 300 and the warning device 400.

[0067] The control device 300 can control the driving and movement of the vehicle 500 by outputting a control signal to a driving unit (such as an engine or a motor) of the vehicle 500. For example, the control device 300 performs controls such as braking the vehicle 500, returning the accelerator, turning the steering wheel, generating a control signal for generating a braking force in each wheel to suppress the output of the engine or the motor, etc. The warning device 400 gives a warning to the user, for example, by giving a warning sound, displaying a warning message on the screen of an automotive navigation system, etc., or applying vibration to a seat belt or a steering wheel.

[0068] With the vehicle-mounted system 1000 according to the third embodiment, it is possible to perform the detection of an object and the measurement of the distance to the object through the above-mentioned processing, and avoid a collision between the vehicle 500 and the object. In particular, by applying the optical device according to the embodiment to the vehicle-mounted system 1000, since high distance measurement accuracy can be achieved, the detection of an object and the determination of a collision can be performed with high accuracy.

[0069] In the third embodiment, the vehicle-mounted system 1000 is applied to driving support (reduction of collision damage), but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the vehicle-mounted system 1000 can be applied to cruise control (which includes a full vehicle speed following function unit), autonomous driving, etc. The vehicle-mounted system 1000 is not limited to vehicles such as automobiles, but can be applied to movable objects such as ships, airplanes, or industrial robots. In addition to movable objects, the vehicle-mounted system 1000 can also be applied to various devices using object recognition, such as intelligent transportation systems (ITS) or surveillance systems.

[0070] The vehicle-mounted system 1000 or the vehicle 500 may include a notification device (notification unit) for notifying the manufacturer (maker) of the vehicle-mounted system or the dealer (distributor) of the movable device when the vehicle 500 collides with an obstacle. For example, a device that transmits information (collision information) about the collision between the vehicle 500 and an obstacle to a preset external notification destination using e-mail, etc. can be adopted as the notification device.

[0071] By adopting a configuration that automatically notifies collision information using a notification device in this manner, measures such as inspection or repair can be promptly taken after a collision has occurred. The notification destination of the collision information can be an insurance company, a medical institution, the police, or any destination set by the user. In addition to the collision information, the notification device can also be configured to notify the notification destination of failure information of components or consumption information of consumer goods. The detection of the collision can be performed using distance information obtained based on the output from the aforementioned light receiving element, or can be performed using another sensing unit (sensor).

[0072] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above with reference to its exemplary embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments, and various modifications that do not deviate from the gist of the present disclosure are included in the present disclosure. Parts of the aforementioned embodiments can be appropriately combined.

[0073] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the appended claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to cover all such modifications as well as equivalent structures and functions.

[0074] This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-210349, filed on December 13, 2023, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Claims

1. An optical device, comprising: a barrel member that holds an optical element; a pressing member in contact with both the optical element and the barrel member; a biasing member fixed to the barrel member; as well as An elastic member is disposed between the pressing member and the biasing member in a radial direction and interposed between the biasing member and the pressing member in an optical axis direction.

2. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member includes a protrusion protruding in the radial direction, and wherein the elastic member is disposed between the biasing member and the protrusion in the optical axis direction. 3 . The optical device according to claim 2 , wherein the protrusion is located inside the biasing member in the optical axis direction and the radial direction. 4 . The optical apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when the pressing member is brought into contact with the optical element and the lens barrel member, a portion of the pressing member on the object side is located outside the lens barrel member in the optical axis direction.

5. An optical device according to claim 1, wherein the biasing member is arranged to include a first area and a second area, the first area being an area outside the lens barrel member in the optical axis direction and the radial direction, and the second area being an area outside the lens barrel member in the radial direction. 6 . The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the pressing member and the elastic member are arranged in sequence from the object side of the lens barrel member, and the biasing member is fixed to the lens barrel member in a state where the biasing member is in contact with the pressing member. 7 . The optical apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the biasing member is fixed to the lens barrel member in a state where the biasing member is in contact with a surface of the pressing member on the object side in the optical axis direction.

8. The optical device according to claim 1, further comprising: a male threaded portion provided in an outer radial portion of the barrel member; as well as a female threaded portion provided in an inner radial portion of the biasing member, wherein the biasing member is fixed to the lens barrel member with the male threaded portion being screwed onto the female threaded portion. 9 . The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic member is a spring member formed of a metal material. 10 . The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the lens barrel member is formed of a metal material.

11. The optical device according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor holder for holding the image sensor, wherein the barrel member includes a flange fixed to the sensor holder. 12 . The optical device according to claim 11 , wherein an inner diameter of the elastic member is equal to or smaller than an outer diameter of the flange. 13 . The optical device according to claim 1 , further comprising a rotation regulating portion provided in the pressing member, the rotation regulating portion regulating rotation of the pressing member about the optical axis relative to the biasing member.

14. An imaging device comprising: The optical device according to claim 1; as well as An image sensor receives light from the optical device.

15. A control system comprising: The imaging device according to claim 14; as well as An acquisition unit is configured to acquire distance information of the object based on a signal from the image sensor.

16. The control system according to claim 15, further comprising a control device that controls movement of a movable device based on the distance information. 17 . The control system according to claim 15 , further comprising a warning device configured to give a warning based on the distance information of the object.

18. A movable device, comprising the optical device according to claim 1, The movable device is configured to move while holding the optical device.

19. A movable device comprising: The optical device according to claim 1; as well as An acquisition unit configured to acquire distance information of an object based on a signal from the light receiving element. 20 . The movable device of claim 19 , further comprising a control unit configured to control movement of the movable device based on the distance information.

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