Optical device, control system, and moving device

Abstract

To provide an optical device which enables a lens barrel to hold lenses with high accuracy without complicating its structure.SOLUTION: An optical device includes first and second lenses and a lens barrel holding the first and second lenses. The lens barrel includes a first holding part for holding the first lens and a second holding part for holding the second lens. A first non-effective surface of the first lens and a second non-effective surface of the second lens contact with each other. The second lens includes a first region held by the second holding part and a second region having the second non-effective surface. An outer diameter of the second region has the maximum value larger than that of an outer diameter of the first region.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an optical device, a control system, and a moving device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the demand for in-vehicle cameras has been increasing due to the application of driver assistance systems that assist drivers and autonomous driving. Since the environmental temperature of in-vehicle cameras varies greatly depending on various factors such as air temperature, solar radiation, time of day, and region, in-vehicle cameras are required to be able to handle a wider range of environmental temperatures than digital cameras or smartphone cameras.

[0003] Among vehicle-mounted cameras, the lens unit that houses the lens in the lens barrel has a problem with the environmental temperature. The difference in the linear expansion coefficient between the lens and the lens barrel causes a problem that the lens is held by the lens barrel differently in high and low temperature environments and in the assembled state. For example, if the linear expansion coefficient of the lens material is smaller than that of the lens barrel material, the gaps in both the radial and thrust directions of the lens will be larger when the temperature becomes higher than the assembly environment. Conversely, the gaps in both the radial and thrust directions of the lens will be filled in a lower temperature environment than the assembly environment. In order to ensure optical performance, it is desirable for the gap between the lens and the lens barrel to be small. However, if the gap between the lens and the lens barrel is set to be filled without any gaps in the assembly environment, there is a possibility that the lens will be tightened by the lens barrel and deformed or broken when the temperature changes. In particular, the lens barrel of vehicle-mounted cameras often uses materials with high material strength among metals and resin materials, and there is a high possibility of the lens being damaged or deformed.

[0004] On the other hand, as mentioned above, the lens barrel is expected to hold the lens with high precision. One possible solution is to make the outer diameters of multiple lenses the same, thereby improving the coaxial machining precision of the inner wall of the lens barrel that holds the lenses. However, due to requirements for optical performance such as the angle of view, some lenses may not be held with the same diameter. In such cases, only some lenses will have different diameters and will protrude radially from other lenses. In addition, when this protruding part is held by a pressing ring or the like, a stepped holding member storage part may be created in the lens in order to position the pressing ring so as not to interfere with the effective light beam. If such a shape is adopted, the holding part held by the pressing ring of the lens that is not held with the same diameter may become particularly prone to deformation.

[0005] To address this issue, Patent Document 1 proposes a method of absorbing stress by sandwiching an elastic member between the presser ring and the lens. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 2010-85715 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, sandwiching the elastic member increases the number of parts and complicates assembly, and there are cases where the lens barrel cannot hold the lens with high precision.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENTS Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an optical device in which the lens barrel can hold a lens with high precision without complicating the structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an optical device as one aspect of the present invention has a first lens, a second lens, and a barrel that holds the first lens and the second lens, wherein the barrel has a first holding portion that holds the first lens and a second holding portion that holds the second lens, a first non-effective surface of the first lens and a second non-effective surface of the second lens abut against each other, the second lens has a first region held by the second holding portion and a second region that includes the second non-effective surface, and the maximum outer diameter of the second region is greater than the maximum outer diameter of the first region. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an optical device in which the lens barrel can hold the lens with high precision without complicating the structure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a lens unit configuration of the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 3 is an enlarged view of the periphery of a holding member in the lens unit of the first embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the stress suppression effect of Example 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the deformation suppression effect of the first lens of Example 1. [Diagram 5] 1 shows a lens unit configuration of a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the structure around the holding member of the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a lens unit configuration of a conventional example. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of a structure around a holding member in a conventional example. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram of an in-vehicle system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle as a moving device including an in-vehicle system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 11] 11 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the in-vehicle system according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, the embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The embodiment described below is one example of a means for realizing the present invention, and should be appropriately modified or changed depending on the configuration of the device to which the present invention is applied and various conditions, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment.

[0013] <Example 1> Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a cross-sectional view of a lens unit according to Example 1. As shown in Fig. 1, in the lens unit (optical device) according to Example 1, a plurality of lenses 102 are assembled (housed) in a lens barrel 103 along an optical axis 101. Although not shown, the lens unit according to Example 1 is included in a camera unit (imaging device). The camera unit may include, for example, an IR cut filter, an imaging element, a substrate, and the like.

[0014] The IR cut filter is composed of a filter (infrared light removal filter) that transmits light of visible wavelengths and blocks light of near-infrared wavelengths from light passing through the multiple lenses 102. The imaging element is composed of an image sensor such as a CCD sensor or a CMOS sensor, and performs photoelectric conversion on the subject image formed by the lens group and outputs it as an analog image signal. The board includes, for example, boards such as a driving board and an interface board. The driving board is a board for driving the imaging element. The interface board is a board that is connected to an external device via an electrically connected connector and is capable of communicating various information.

[0015] The multiple lenses 102 are held by a lens barrel 103 or a spacer 104. Specifically, each lens 102 is fixed to the lens barrel 103 by first lens 102a being pressed (held) in the thrust direction (direction of optical axis 101) by a holding member (lens holding member) 105. The first lens 102a in the first embodiment is the lens of the multiple lenses 102 that is located closest to the object in the optical axis direction.

[0016] 2 is an example of an enlarged view of the structure around the holding member 105 in the lens unit of Example 1. Hereinafter, the structure around the holding member 105 in the lens unit of Example 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0017] The first lens 102a in the first embodiment is configured to have a third region (a first outer diameter portion of the first lens 102a) 109 and a fourth region (a second outer diameter portion of the first lens 102a) 108 having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the third region 109. Specifically, the maximum value of the outer diameter of the fourth region 108 in the first lens 102a is larger than the maximum value of the outer diameter of the third region 109. Since the outer diameters of the third region 109 and the fourth region 108 are different in this way, the first lens 102a has a stepped structure (two-step structure) when viewed, for example, in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis.

[0018] The first lens 102a is configured to have an effective surface (lens surface, optical surface) through which effective light rays that contribute to image formation pass, and a non-effective surface (first non-effective surface) 112a that does not contribute to image formation (a region outside the effective surface). As shown in FIG. 2 and other figures, the non-effective surface 112a is included in the fourth region 108.

[0019] The first lens 102a is held by a first holding portion (first fitting portion) 107 of the lens barrel 103. Specifically, the first holding portion 107 holds a fourth region 108 of the first lens 102a in the radial direction (diameter direction, direction perpendicular to the optical axis).

[0020] Furthermore, the holding member 105 holds a flat portion 113 which is a portion between the third region 109 and the fourth region 108 of the first lens 102a. The flat portion 113 is a surface which connects the third region 109 and the fourth region 108 of the first lens 102a in the radial direction. The flat portion 113 in the first embodiment is formed at a position avoiding the effective light beam of the first lens 102a (outside the effective region).

[0021] In this way, by forming the flat surface portion 113 on the lens to hold the first lens 102a and holding the flat surface portion 113 with the holding member 105, it becomes possible to hold the first lens 102a (hold outside the effective area) while avoiding the effective light rays. This allows the lens unit to be made smaller.

[0022] The second lens 102b in the first embodiment is configured to have a first region (a second outer diameter portion of the second lens 102b) 111 and a second region (an outer diameter portion of the second lens 102b) 110 having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the first region 111. Specifically, the maximum value of the outer diameter of the second region 110 in the second lens 102b is larger than the maximum value of the outer diameter of the first region. In this way, since the outer diameters of the first region 111 and the second region 110 are different, the second lens 102b has a stepped structure (two-step structure) when viewed, for example, in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis.

[0023] The second lens 102b is configured to have an effective surface (lens surface, optical surface) through which effective light rays that contribute to image formation pass, and a non-effective surface (second non-effective surface) 112b that does not contribute to image formation (a region outside the effective surface). As shown in FIG. 2 and other figures, the non-effective surface 112b is included in the second region 110.

[0024] The second lens 102b abuts against the first lens 102a. Specifically, the non-effective surface 112a of the first lens 102a and the non-effective surface 112b of the second lens 102b abut against each other.

[0025] The second lens 102b is held by a second holding portion (second fitting portion) 106 of the lens barrel 103. Specifically, the second holding portion 106 holds a first region 111 of the second lens 102b in the radial direction. When the second holding portion 106 holds the first region 111, the second holding portion 106 does not contact the second region 110. The inner diameter of the second holding portion 106 is smaller than the inner diameter of the first holding portion 107.

[0026] In addition, the outer diameter of the second lens 102b at the position of the non-effective surface 112b is larger than the inner diameter of the second holding portion 106. By doing so, even if a load that deforms the lens is applied due to the load when the holding member 105 presses the holding position on the flat surface portion 113, a change in environmental temperature, or the influence of the linear expansion difference of the lenses, the deformation of the first lens 102a can be suppressed and the lens can be stably held. In this embodiment, the multiple lenses 102 and spacers 104 are fixed by one holding member 105. By doing so, the length in the optical axis direction of the lens 102 and spacer 104 held by the inner diameter of the lens barrel 103 becomes long, which is effective because it is easily affected by the difference in the linear expansion coefficient.

[0027] 2 and other drawings, when the second holding portion 106 holds the first region 111, at least a part of the first region 111 is not in contact with the lens barrel 103 in the radial direction. In other words, at least a part of the first region 111 is separated from the lens barrel 103 in the radial direction.

[0028] Thus, in this embodiment, the lens barrel 103 is configured to have a first holding portion 107 which is a portion that holds the fourth region 108 of the first lens 102a, and a second holding portion 106 which is a portion that holds the first region 111 of the second lens 102b. In addition, the first holding portion 107 and the second holding portion 106 are each configured at different positions on the lens barrel 103, as shown in FIG.

[0029] The lens on the image side (image surface side) of second lens 102b is held by second holding portion 106 as shown in Fig. 1. The outer diameter of the lens on the image side of second lens 102b is preferably the same as the outer diameter of second lens 102b. Specifically, the outer diameter of the lens on the image side of second lens 102b is preferably the same as the diameter of second lens 102b at the position where second lens 102b is held by second holding portion 106. This is to improve the coaxial machining accuracy of the inner wall of lens barrel 103 that holds lens 102 described above.

[0030] In this embodiment, the outer diameter at the position of the non-effective surface 112a of the first lens 102a is larger than the outer diameter at the position of the non-effective surface 112b of the second lens 102b. That is, the outer diameter of the fourth region 108 is larger than the outer diameter in the second region. Therefore, when the non-effective surface 112a of the first lens 102a and the non-effective surface 112b of the second lens 102b are abutted against each other and the first holding portion 107 holds the first lens 102a, the second region 110 is spaced apart from the lens barrel 103 in the radial direction. That is, the second region 110 is not in contact with the first holding portion 107 of the lens barrel 103 in the radial direction, and a predetermined space is formed between the outer diameter of the second region 110 and the inner diameter of the first holding portion 107 in the radial direction. In this way, the first holding portion 107 holds the fourth region 108 of the first lens 102a but does not hold the second region 110 of the second lens 102b.

[0031] The effect of the lens unit of the first embodiment in terms of stable holding will be described below in comparison with a conventional example. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the lens unit configuration of the conventional example. Fig. 8 shows an enlarged view of the structure around the holding member of the conventional example. Note that the lens unit of the conventional example and the lens unit of this embodiment will be described with the same reference numerals assigned to parts having similar configurations.

[0032] In the conventional example, the contact area of ​​non-effective surface 112b of second lens 102b that abuts against non-effective surface 112a of first lens 102a is smaller than the contact area in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 8. Therefore, when a load is applied to the holding portion due to the pressing load or environmental temperature change as described above, a force 115 that bends first lens 102a acts from holding member 105, resulting in a structure in which stress concentration is likely to occur at corner portion 116 of the outer diameter of first lens 102a. In particular, when the outer diameter of region 111 of second lens 102b (first region 111 in Example 1) is smaller than the outer diameter of third region 109 of first lens 102a, stress concentration is more likely to occur in the conventional example.

[0033] A plastic lens may be used as the first lens 102a. If the first lens 102a is a plastic lens, it may be deformed by the load acting on the holding member 105, resulting in a deterioration in optical performance. Therefore, in this embodiment, the outer diameter of the second region 110 of the second lens 102b is made larger than the outer diameter of the third region 109 of the first lens 102a.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the relationship between the ratio of the outer diameter at the position of the non-effective surface 112b of the second lens 102b to the outer diameter of the third region 109 of the first lens 102a, and the stress ratio at the corner 116. In FIG.

[0035] The stress ratio on the vertical axis shown in FIG. 3 is calculated based on the case where the inner diameter of the second holding portion 106 and the outer diameter of the second region 110 of the second lens 102b are equivalent. This is to compare the configuration of the conventional example with the configuration of this embodiment, assuming a conventional example where the inner diameter of the second holding portion 106 and the outer diameter of the second region 110 are equivalent. Furthermore, in the conventional example, as shown in FIG. 8, the second lens 102b is configured with one region (first region 111 in Example 1), so the second lens 102b does not have a two-stage configuration. That is, in the conventional example, the outer diameter of the second region 110 of the second lens 102b in Example 1 is equivalent to the outer diameter of the first region 111 of the second lens 102b.

[0036] 3, it can be seen that the stress concentration at corner 116 changes significantly when the ratio of the outer diameter at non-effective surface 112b of second lens 102b to the outer diameter of third region 109 of first lens 102a approaches 1. This is because, as described above, when the relationship is such that the outer diameter at non-effective surface 112b of second region 110 of second lens 102b is greater than the outer diameter of third region 109 of first lens 102a, the effect of suppressing bending force (load) 115 becomes greater.

[0037] Assume that the outer diameter at the position of the non-effective surface 112b of the second lens 102b is approximately 5% smaller than the outer diameter of the third region 109 of the first lens 102a. In this case, the relationship of outer diameter at the position of the non-effective surface 112b of the second lens 102b > outer diameter of the third region 109 of the first lens 102a is reversed due to manufacturing errors. Therefore, there is a possibility that the effect of suppressing stress concentration is not sufficiently obtained. Furthermore, if the outer diameter of the third region 109 is smaller than the outer diameter of the fourth region 108 of the first lens 102a, there are concerns that the processing cost of the lens 102 will increase and unwanted light will easily enter the lens.

[0038] Therefore, it is preferable that the outer diameter of second lens 102b at the position of non-effective surface 112b is 5% or more larger than the outer diameter of third region 109. In other words, it is preferable that the ratio of the outer diameter of third region 109 of first lens 102a to the outer diameter of second lens 102b at the position of non-effective surface 112b is within a predetermined range.

[0039] Specifically, when the maximum value of the outer diameter of the second region 110 of the second lens 102b is A and the maximum value of the outer diameter of the third region 109 of the first lens 102a is B, it is preferable to set the ratio of A to B so that A / B>1.05. Note that A may be the outer diameter at the position of the non-effective surface 112b of the second lens 102b. Here, it is more preferable that the maximum value of the outer diameter of the second region 110 of the second lens 102b is 3% or more larger than the maximum value of the outer diameter of the third region 109. Therefore, it is more preferable to set the ratio of A to B so that A / B>1.03.

[0040] 3, when the maximum value of the outer diameter of the second region 110 of the second lens 102b is 3% or more larger than the maximum value of the outer diameter of the third region 109, the stress at the corner 116 can be reduced to about 60% of the conventional level, and the effect of sufficiently suppressing stress concentration can be expected. More preferably, the stress concentration can be reduced to about 25% of the conventional level, when the maximum value of the outer diameter of the second region 110 of the second lens 102b is 10% or more larger than the maximum value of the outer diameter of the third region 109. If the stress concentration can be reduced to about 25%, the glass can be stably held without breakage, even in cases where the glass would break in conventional examples.

[0041] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the ratio of the outer diameter at the position of non-effective surface 112b of second region 110 of second lens 102b to the outer diameter of third region 109 of first lens 102a, and the deformation ratio in the optical axis direction of vertex 117 of the first surface of first lens 102a. The deformation ratio on the vertical axis shown in Fig. 4 is calculated based on the case where the inner diameter of second holding portion 106 and the outer diameter of second region 110 of second lens 102b are equivalent, as in Fig. 3.

[0042] 4 is similar to the stress ratio at corner 116 in FIG. 3, but when first lens 102a is a plastic lens, the amount of deformation is more likely to affect optical performance than the lens breakage described above. Since the amount of deformation of a plastic lens is usually several to several tens of times that of a glass lens, when a plastic lens is used for first lens 102a, the outer diameter of second region 110 of second lens 102b may be made larger than that of a glass lens in consideration of the amount of deformation.

[0043] In this embodiment, light incident from the lens edge of the third region 109 of the first lens 102a may enter the image sensor and become unwanted light such as flare. Therefore, as a measure against flare, the periphery of the third region 109 of the first lens 102a may be painted black, or a configuration may be used that blocks unwanted light inside the lens barrel 103.

[0044] In this embodiment, an example has been shown in which a plurality of lenses are held by the second holding portion 106. Here, the effect of this embodiment can be obtained if two or more lenses including the second lens 102b are held by the second holding portion 106. Therefore, the lenses arranged on the image surface side after the second lens 102b may be configured to be held by a holding portion in the lens barrel 103, such as a third holding portion (third fitting portion) different from the first holding portion 107 and the second holding portion 106.

[0045] In this embodiment, the first lens 102a is configured to have the third region 109 and the fourth region 108, so that the first lens 102a has at least two outer diameters. Here, it is assumed that the second lens 102b has two diameters, the first region 111 and the second region 110, and the outer diameter of the second region 110 of the second lens 102b is larger than a predetermined amount. In this case, even if the first lens 102a does not have the two-stage configuration described above and does not have the corner portion 116, the effect of suppressing glass breakage and deformation of the first lens 102a can be obtained. In addition, the corner portion 116 is a right angle of 90 degrees in FIG. 2 and the like, but is not limited to this, and the corner portion 116 may be rounded.

[0046] As described above, by configuring the lens unit of Example 1, it is possible for the lens barrel to hold the lens with high precision, without complicating the structure of the lens unit.

[0047] <Example 2> The configuration of the lens unit in Example 2 will be described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the lens unit in Example 2. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the structure around the first lens 102a, the second lens 102b, and the holding member 105. Hereinafter, a description of the configuration in Example 2 that is the same as in Example 1 will be omitted, and only the characteristic parts in Example 2 will be described.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 5, the first lens 102a in the second embodiment is the second lens in the optical axis direction as viewed from the object side. The second lens 102b in contact with the first lens 102a is the third lens in the optical axis direction as viewed from the object side. That is, the first lens 102a in the second embodiment is the lens adjacent to the lens closest to the object side (the lens arranged next to the lens closest to the object side in the optical axis direction). In a lens unit with a wide angle of view, the lens closest to the object side may be larger than the other lenses, and may be held by the holding member 105 alone as shown in the second embodiment. The first lens 102a in the second embodiment is held by the holding member 105 that fixes the thrust direction.

[0049] In the second embodiment, the non-effective surface 112b of the second lens 102b abuts against the non-effective surface 112a of the first lens 102a, as in the first embodiment. The lens on the image side of the second lens 102b is held by the second holding portion 106 of the lens barrel 103. When such a lens holding method is adopted, a relationship occurs between the first lens 102a and the second lens 102b, as in the first embodiment. In this case, as in the method shown in the first embodiment, the deformation of the first lens 102a can be suppressed by making the outer diameter of the second region 110 of the second lens 102b larger than the inner diameter of the second holding portion 106. This allows the holding member 105 to hold the lens 102 more stably, as in the first embodiment.

[0050] Also, as shown in Example 2, the first lens 102a does not necessarily have to be the lens closest to the object. In Examples 1 and 2, a case was shown in which the outer diameter of the lens on the object side adjacent to the second region 110 of the second lens 102b (the fourth region 108 of the first lens 102a) is larger than that of the second region 110 of the second lens 102b. However, as long as the relationship between the lens barrel 103 and the lens 102 shown in Example 1 is established, the same effect can be obtained even if the lens with a larger outer diameter is disposed on the image side as long as the same relationship between the first lens 102a and the second lens 102b in Example 1 is established.

[0051] As described above, by configuring the lens unit of Example 2, it is possible for the lens barrel to hold the lens with high precision without complicating the structure of the lens unit, as in Example 1.

[0052] <Example 3> 9 is a configuration diagram of the optical device according to each of the above embodiments and an in-vehicle system (driving support device) including the optical device 1000. The optical device 1 in the third embodiment has the configuration of the optical device in the first and second embodiments.

[0053] The in-vehicle system 1000 is held by a movable body (mobile device) such as an automobile (vehicle), and is a control system for assisting driving (piloting) of the vehicle 500 based on distance information of objects such as obstacles and pedestrians around the vehicle acquired by the optical device 1. Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of the vehicle 500 as a mobile device including the in-vehicle system 1000. Fig. 10 shows a case where 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 be set to the rear or side of the vehicle 500.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 9, the in-vehicle system 1000 includes an optical device 1, a vehicle information acquisition device 200, a control device (control unit, ECU: electronic control unit) 300, and a warning device (warning unit) 400. In the in-vehicle system 1000, a control unit (not shown) included in the optical device 1 has functions as a distance acquisition unit (acquisition unit) and a collision determination unit (determination unit). However, if necessary, the in-vehicle system 1000 may be provided with a distance acquisition unit and a collision determination unit separate from the control unit, and each 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 also include a scanning unit that scans an object using illumination light from a light source (not shown).

[0055] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the in-vehicle system 1000 according to the embodiment 3. The operation of the in-vehicle system 1000 will be described below with reference to this flowchart.

[0056] First, in step S1, an object around the vehicle 500 is illuminated with illumination light from the light source of the optical device 1, and reflected light from the object is received. The control unit acquires distance information of the object based on a signal output by a light receiving element (light receiving unit) (not shown) by receiving the reflected light through a lens. At this time, the distance acquisition unit functions as an acquisition means for acquiring distance information of the object based on a signal from the light receiving element. Here, the distance information may be information about the distance from the moving device (vehicle 500) to the object, and does not have to be the distance itself. In addition, 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 uses the distance information acquired in step S1 and the vehicle information acquired in step S2 to determine whether the distance to the object is within a preset distance range.

[0057] This makes it possible to determine whether or not an object exists within a set distance around the vehicle 500, and to determine the possibility of a collision between the vehicle 500 and the object. Note that steps S1 and S2 may be performed in the reverse order to that described above, or may be processed in parallel with each other. If an object exists within the set distance, the control unit determines that there is a "possibility of collision" (step S4), and if there is no object within the set distance, it determines that there is no "possibility of collision" (step S5).

[0058] Next, if the control unit determines that there is a "possibility of collision," it notifies (transmits) the determination result to the control device 300 and the warning device 400. At this time, the control device 300 controls the vehicle 500 based on the determination result of the control unit (step S6), and the warning device 400 issues a warning to the user (driver, passengers) of the vehicle 500 based on the determination result of the control unit (step S7). At this time, the warning device 400 functions as a warning means that issues a warning according to distance information of the object. Note that the notification of the determination result may be sent to at least one of the control device 300 and the warning device 400.

[0059] The control device 300 functions as a control means capable of controlling the drive and movement of the vehicle 500 by outputting control signals to the drive units (engine, motor, etc.) of the vehicle 500. The control device 300 performs control such as applying the brakes on the vehicle 500, releasing the accelerator, turning the steering wheel, and generating control signals to generate braking forces on each wheel to suppress the output of the engine or motor. The warning device 400 warns the user by, for example, issuing a warning sound, displaying warning information on a screen of a car navigation system or the like, and applying vibrations to the seat belt or steering wheel.

[0060] As described above, according to the in-vehicle system 1000 of the third embodiment, the above-mentioned processing can detect and measure the distance to an object, thereby making it possible to avoid a collision between the vehicle 500 and the object. In particular, by applying the optical devices according to the above-mentioned embodiments to the in-vehicle system 1000, high distance measurement accuracy can be achieved, making it possible to detect an object and determine a collision with a high degree of accuracy.

[0061] In the third embodiment, the in-vehicle system 1000 is applied to driving assistance (collision damage reduction), but the in-vehicle system 1000 may be applied to cruise control (including full-speed following function) and automatic driving. The in-vehicle system 1000 is not limited to vehicles such as automobiles, but may be applied to moving bodies such as ships, aircraft, and industrial robots. The in-vehicle system 1000 is not limited to moving bodies, but may be applied to various devices that use object recognition, such as intelligent transport systems (ITS) and surveillance systems.

[0062] Furthermore, the in-vehicle system 1000 and the vehicle 500 may be provided with a notification device (notification unit) for notifying a manufacturer of the in-vehicle system or a dealer of the mobile device, etc., of the collision of the vehicle 500 with an obstacle, if such a collision occurs. For example, the notification device may be one that transmits information (collision information) related to the collision between the vehicle 500 and an obstacle to a preset external notification destination by e-mail or the like.

[0063] In this way, by adopting a configuration in which the notification device automatically notifies collision information, it is possible to promptly take measures such as inspection and repair after a collision occurs. The destination of the collision information may be an insurance company, a medical institution, the police, or any other party set by the user. The notification device may be configured to notify the destination of not only collision information but also failure information of each part and consumption information of consumables. The detection of the presence or absence of a collision may be performed using distance information acquired based on the output from the above-mentioned light receiving element, or may be performed by another detection unit (sensor).

[0064] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0065] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configurations and systems.

[0066] (Configuration 1) A first lens and a second lens; a lens barrel that holds the first lens and the second lens, the lens barrel includes a first holding portion that holds the first lens and a second holding portion that holds the second lens, a first non-effective surface of the first lens and a second non-effective surface of the second lens abut against each other, the second lens includes a first region held by the second holding portion and a second region including the second non-effective surface, An optical device, wherein the maximum value of the outer diameter of the second region is greater than the maximum value of the outer diameter of the first region.

[0067] (Configuration 2) 2. The optical device according to configuration 1, wherein the first region is spaced apart from the lens barrel in a radial direction.

[0068] (Configuration 3) The optical device described in configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that the first lens includes a fourth region held by the first holding portion and including the first non-effective surface, and a third region whose outer diameter is smaller than the outer diameter of the fourth region.

[0069] (Configuration 4) When the maximum value of the outer diameter of the second region of the second lens is A and the maximum value of the outer diameter of the fourth region of the first lens is B, A / B>1.03 4. The optical device according to configuration 3,

[0070] (Configuration 5) 5. The optical device according to configuration 3 or 4, further comprising a holding member for holding the space between the third region and the fourth region of the first lens.

[0071] (Configuration 6) 6. The optical device according to configuration 5, wherein the position at which the holding member holds the first lens is outside an effective area of ​​the first lens.

[0072] (Configuration 7) 7. The optical device according to any one of configurations 3 to 6, wherein an outer diameter of the second lens at the position of the second non-effective surface is smaller than an outer diameter of the first lens at the position of the first non-effective surface.

[0073] (Configuration 8) 8. The optical device according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, wherein the first holding portion does not hold the second lens.

[0074] (Configuration 9) 9. The optical device according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, wherein the first lens is located closest to the object in the optical axis direction among a plurality of lenses.

[0075] (Configuration 10) 9. The optical device according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, wherein the first lens is a lens adjacent to a lens closest to the object in the optical axis direction among a plurality of lenses.

[0076] (Configuration 11) 11. The optical device according to any one of configurations 1 to 10, wherein the first lens is a plastic lens.

[0077] (Configuration 12) An imaging element; The optical device according to any one of configurations 1 to 11, 1. An imaging device comprising:

[0078] (Configuration 13) a scanning unit that scans an object using illumination light from a light source; 12. The optical device according to any one of configurations 1 to 11, wherein reflected light from the object illuminated by the scanning unit is guided to a light receiving element via a lens.

[0079] (Configuration 14) The optical device according to aspect 13, A control system comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires distance information of the object based on a signal from the light receiving element.

[0080] (Configuration 15) 15. The control system according to configuration 14, further comprising a control device that controls movement of a mobile device based on the distance information.

[0081] (Configuration 16) 16. The control system according to configuration 14 or 15, further comprising a warning device that issues a warning in response to the distance information of the object.

[0082] (Configuration 17) 12. A moving device comprising the optical device according to any one of configurations 1 to 11, and capable of holding and moving the optical device.

[0083] (Configuration 18) The optical device according to aspect 13 is provided, A moving device comprising: an acquisition means for acquiring distance information of the object based on a signal from the light receiving element.

[0084] (Configuration 19) 19. The mobile device according to configuration 18, further comprising a control means for controlling movement of the mobile device based on the distance information.

[0085] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-mentioned embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. In this case, the program and the storage medium storing the program constitute the present invention. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 101 Optical axis 102 Lens 103 Telescope tube 104 Spacer 102a First lens 102b 2nd lens 105 Retaining member 106 Second holding part 107 First holding part 108 4th area 109 Third area 110 Second area 111 First area 112a: Ineffective surface of first lens 112b Non-effective surface of second lens 113 Plane section

Claims

1. A first lens and a second lens; a lens barrel that holds the first lens and the second lens, the lens barrel includes a first holding portion that holds the first lens and a second holding portion that holds the second lens, a first non-effective surface of the first lens and a second non-effective surface of the second lens abutting each other; the second lens includes a first region held by the second holding portion and a second region including the second non-effective surface, An optical device, characterized in that the maximum value of the outer diameter of the second region is greater than the maximum value of the outer diameter of the first region.

2. The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the first region is spaced apart from the lens barrel in a radial direction.

3. The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the first lens includes a fourth region held by the first holding portion and including the first non-effective surface, and a third region having an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the fourth region.

4. When the maximum value of the outer diameter of the second region of the second lens is A and the maximum value of the outer diameter of the fourth region of the first lens is B, A / B>1.03 4. The optical device according to claim 3, wherein

5. 4. The optical device according to claim 3, further comprising a holding member for holding the first lens between the third region and the fourth region.

6. 6. The optical device according to claim 5, wherein the position at which the holding member holds the first lens is outside an effective area of ​​the first lens.

7. 4. The optical device according to claim 3, wherein an outer diameter of the second lens at the position of the second non-effective surface is smaller than an outer diameter of the first lens at the position of the first non-effective surface.

8. The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the first holding portion does not hold the second lens.

9. 2. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the first lens is located closest to the object in the optical axis direction among a plurality of lenses.

10. 2. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the first lens is adjacent to a lens among a plurality of lenses that is closest to an object in the optical axis direction.

11. 2. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the first lens is a plastic lens.

12. An imaging element; and an optical device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, 1. An imaging device comprising:

13. a scanning unit that scans an object using illumination light from a light source; 2. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the reflected light from the object illuminated by the scanning unit is guided to a light receiving element via a lens.

14. The optical device according to claim 13, A control system comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires distance information of the object based on a signal from the light receiving element.

15. The control system according to claim 14 , further comprising a control device that controls movement of a mobile device based on the distance information.

16. 16. The control system according to claim 14, further comprising a warning device that issues a warning in response to the distance information of the object.

17. A moving device comprising the optical device according to claim 1, and capable of holding and moving the optical device.

18. The optical device according to claim 13, A moving device comprising: an acquisition means for acquiring distance information of the object based on a signal from the light receiving element.

19. 20. The mobile device according to claim 18, further comprising a control unit for controlling movement of the mobile device based on the distance information.

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