Optical devices, imaging devices, systems, and mobile devices

Abstract

This provides an optical device that maintains high-precision positioning of optical elements even when ambient temperature changes, offering advantages in terms of miniaturization. [Solution] The optical device comprises a plurality of optical elements, spacers positioned between the plurality of optical elements and fixed to adjacent optical elements by adhesive, an image sensor that receives light from the plurality of optical elements, and a holding member that holds the image sensor. At least one of the spacers has a flange portion that extends outward beyond the outermost diameter of the adjacent optical elements. The flange portion and the spacer are made of a material having a predetermined coefficient of linear expansion. The holding member has an extended portion that extends outward in the direction of the optical axis and has a contact portion that abuts against the flange portion.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to optical devices, imaging devices, systems, and mobile devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a lens barrel structure that holds multiple lenses at predetermined intervals with their optical axes aligned. The means for maintaining the predetermined lens intervals in Patent Document 1 is a spacing member that can be dropped into the lens barrel.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a wafer-level lens module configuration in which lenses formed on a substrate are stacked on top of an image sensor via spacers at a position separated from the image sensor and then bonded and fixed. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-343573 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-282179 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] In the lens barrel shown in Patent Document 1, the lens barrel and retaining ring are positioned further outward from the outer diameter of the lens. Therefore, space equivalent to the thickness of the components is required on the outer diameter side of the lens to ensure the necessary strength for the lens barrel and retaining ring. This hinders the miniaturization of the lens barrel. Furthermore, the wafer-level lens module shown in Patent Document 2 cannot be constructed as a bonded lens due to the manufacturing process, making it difficult to satisfy the optical performance requirements.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide an optical device that maintains high-precision positioning of optical elements even when ambient temperature changes, and that is advantageous in terms of miniaturization. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a device comprising: a plurality of optical elements; spacers disposed between the plurality of optical elements and fixed to adjacent optical elements by adhesive; an image sensor that receives light from the plurality of optical elements; and a holding member that holds the image sensor, wherein at least one of the spacers has a flange portion outside the outermost diameter of the adjacent optical elements, the flange portion and the spacer are made of a material having a predetermined coefficient of linear expansion, and the holding member has an extended portion that extends in the optical axis direction on the outside and has a contact portion that abuts against the flange portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, for example, it is possible to provide an optical device that maintains high-precision positioning of optical elements even when the ambient temperature changes, and that is advantageous in terms of miniaturization. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is an overall cross-sectional view of the optical device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the optical device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is an overall cross-sectional view of the optical device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the optical device 1 according to the second embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an in-vehicle camera and a system equipped therewith according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram of a vehicle as a mobile device equipped with a system. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows an example of the operation of the system according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Throughout the drawings, identical or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0011] <First Embodiment> The configuration of the optical device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is an overall cross-sectional view of the optical device 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the optical device 1 according to the first embodiment. The optical device 1 comprises a first lens (first optical element) 21, a second lens (second optical element) 22, a third lens (third optical element) 23, a first spacer 3, a second spacer 4, and a sensor 6. Hereafter, when simply referred to as a lens, it includes the first lens 21, the second lens 22, and the third lens 23.

[0012] Optical device 1 is, for example, an imaging device such as an in-vehicle camera. In imaging devices such as video cameras or still image cameras, there are methods for fixing multiple lenses arranged inside the lens barrel using retaining rings, crimping, adhesive, etc. In the above configuration, the spacing between lenses is determined by methods such as stacking positioning members such as spacers in between, or by directly contacting the lenses, depending on the shape and optical arrangement of the lenses. On the other hand, the optical unit of an in-vehicle camera is required to be miniaturized due to the need to place it in a limited space and the design constraints of the car. For this reason, it is preferable to stack multiple lenses of the same diameter and multiple spacers of the same diameter on a mounting surface provided on the inner wall of the lens barrel, and to fix the multiple lenses and multiple spacers together to the lens barrel with a single retaining ring or crimping. Also, generally, in the case of in-vehicle lenses, it is necessary to capture a large amount of light into the sensor, which tends to increase the overall length of the lens. In order to reduce the overall length, measures such as constructing a cemented lens are necessary.

[0013] In the optical device 1 of the present embodiment, the first spacer 3 is disposed between the first lens 21 and the second lens 22 to space the first lens 21 and the second lens 22, which are arranged along the optical axis 2, apart from each other. Further, the second spacer 4 is disposed between the second lens 22 and the third lens 23 to space the second lens 22 and the third lens 23 apart from each other. That is, in the optical device 1 of the present embodiment, one spacer is respectively disposed between a plurality of lenses (optical elements).

[0014] Considering the expansion and contraction of each member when the environmental temperature changes, it is preferable that the linear expansion coefficients of the spacer and the lens are close to each other, in other words, they are made of materials whose difference in linear expansion coefficient falls within a predetermined range. The linear expansion coefficient of common glass materials used for lenses is 5 to 10×10 -6 / °C or so. On the other hand, as for the linear expansion coefficient of common members used for spacers, a PC (polycarbonate) material has a linear expansion coefficient of 60×10 -6 / °C or so, and an aluminum material has a linear expansion coefficient of 26×10 -6 / °C or so. In the present embodiment, as a material for the spacer, it is preferable to use a material whose linear expansion coefficient satisfies the range of 5 to 15×10 -6 / °C. By using a material satisfying the linear expansion coefficient range of 5 to 15×10 -6 / °C for the spacer, it is possible to maintain high-precision positioning of the optical elements even when the environmental temperature changes, compared with conventional spacer members. Furthermore, in consideration of mass productivity, it is more preferable that the spacer is made of a material that can be molded by a die.

[0015] Each lens has its outer peripheral portion fixed to an adjacent spacer with an adhesive. However, if bonding is performed with the adhesive sandwiched between each lens and the spacer in the optical axis direction, there is a concern that the thickness of the applied adhesive may cause the lens spacing to deviate from the design value or the posture of the lens to become unstable. In order to reduce the influence of the thickness of the applied adhesive and achieve high-precision positioning of the lenses, the spacer of the present embodiment is provided with a first adhesive groove 31 and a second adhesive groove 41 for applying adhesive 7. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the first adhesive grooves 31 are provided on the outer peripheral portion of the first spacer 3 on the first lens 21 side and on the outer peripheral portion on the second lens 22 side. As shown in FIG. 2, the first adhesive groove 31 may be divided into a plurality of regions along the outer circumference, or may be provided over the entire circumference. The second adhesive grooves 41 are provided on the outer peripheral portion of the second spacer 4 on the second lens 22 side and on the outer peripheral portion on the third lens 23 side. Similarly to the first adhesive groove 31, the second adhesive groove 41 may also be divided into a plurality of regions along the outer circumference, or may be provided over the entire circumference. The adhesive 7 used for fixing preferably has a property of not peeling even when the environmental temperature and humidity change.

[0016] Further, the first spacer 3 and the second spacer 4 may be provided with a groove (not shown) on the inner diameter side of the first adhesive groove 31 and the second adhesive groove 41 for preventing the adhesive 7 from flowing into the inner diameter side.

[0017] Sensor 6 is a light-receiving element (image sensor) for converting light that has passed through the first lens 21 to the third lens 23 into an electrical signal. Sensor 6 can be an image sensor (photoelectric conversion element) such as a CCD sensor or a CMOS sensor. Sensor 6 is held by a sensor holding member 5. The sensor holding member 5 has an extended portion 51 that extends in the direction along the optical axis 2 (optical axis direction) beyond the outermost diameter of the second lens 22 and the third lens 23. The extended portion 51 has a contact portion 52 on the object side. Sensor 6 is held by the sensor holding member 53 in a position where it can face the third lens 23, which is positioned closest to the image. If the sensor holding member 53 and the extended portion 51 are made of separate components, connection parts such as screw fastening between the two parts will be required, necessitating additional space and hindering miniaturization. Therefore, it is desirable that the sensor holding member 53 and the extended portion 51 be the same component that can be manufactured simultaneously (formed as a single unit). Furthermore, in order to maintain high precision in the lens and its distance even when the ambient temperature changes, it is desirable that the sensor holding portion 53 and the extended portion 51 be made of the same material.

[0018] The first spacer 3 has a flange portion 32 located outward beyond the outermost diameters of the first lens 21 and the second lens 22, that is, the first lens 21 and the second lens 22 adjacent to the first spacer 3. The flange portion 32 of the first spacer 3 abuts against the abutting portion 52 of the sensor holding member 5, thereby determining the positions of the lenses and the sensor 6. For this reason, it is preferable that the abutting surface 33 of the flange portion 32 and the abutting portion 52 is a plane perpendicular to the optical axis. Further, it is desirable that the first spacer 3 and the flange portion 32 are the same member that can be manufactured simultaneously (formed integrally) in production. Furthermore, in order to maintain the lens and the spacing therebetween with high accuracy even when the environmental temperature changes, the first spacer 3 and the flange portion 32 are formed of materials having close linear expansion coefficients, preferably materials having substantially the same linear expansion coefficient, and more preferably the same material. In addition, in order to keep the distance between the sensor 6 and the lens group as constant as possible when the environmental temperature changes, the extending portion 51 of the sensor holding member 5 has an athermal structure in which the material is selected in consideration of the linear expansion coefficients of each member in the optical device. Furthermore, in order to make the athermal structure sufficiently effective, the position of the abutting surface 33 of the flange portion 32 and the abutting portion 52 is arranged closer to the object side than the position of the third lens 23 on the most sensor side (image side).

[0019] Here, the actual effect will be calculated. In the present embodiment, the first spacer 3 and the second spacer 4 are made of a material having a linear expansion coefficient close to that of the lens (the linear expansion coefficient is 5 to 15×10 -6 / °C or so). For this reason, the linear expansion coefficient of the first spacer 3 and the second spacer 4 is set to 10×10 -6 / °C. The sensor holding member 5 is assumed to be made of a material different from that of the spacers, specifically, for example, an aluminum alloy, so the linear expansion coefficient of the sensor holding member 5 is 27×10 -6 / °C. The linear expansion coefficients of the first lens 21, the second lens 22, and the third lens 23 are set to 10×10, which is a typical linear expansion coefficient for glass materials -6Set to / ℃. The optical axis length of each component is as follows: The distance in the optical axis direction from the contact surface 33 of the flange portion 32 and contact portion 52 of the first spacer 3 to the contact surface between the first spacer 3 and the second lens 22 is 3 mm. The thickness of the second lens 22, that is, the thickness from the contact surface between the second lens 22 and the first spacer 3 to the contact surface between the second lens 22 and the second spacer 4 is 2 mm. The thickness of the second spacer 4 in the optical axis direction, that is, the thickness from the contact surface between the second lens 22 and the second spacer 4, that is, the thickness from the contact surface between the second spacer 4 and the third lens 23 is 5 mm. The distance in the optical axis direction from the contact surface of the third lens 23 with the second spacer 4 to the position closest to the sensor is 3 mm. The distance in the optical axis direction from the sensor light-receiving surface to the position closest to the sensor of the third lens 23 is 2 mm. In this setting, if the ambient temperature changes by 60°C, the distance between the position of the third lens 23 closest to the sensor and the sensor's light-receiving surface will increase by 1.7 μm.

[0020] On the other hand, consider the case where the flange portion 32 is provided on the second spacer 4 and the contact portion 52 of the sensor holding member 5 is brought into contact with the position of the third lens 23 closest to the sensor. In this setting, if the ambient temperature changes by 60°C, the distance between the position of the third lens 23 closest to the sensor and the sensor light-receiving surface decreases by 0.4 μm. For this reason, it is preferable that the contact surface 33 of the flange portion 32 and the contact portion 52 be positioned closer to the object than the position of the third lens 23, i.e., the lens positioned closest to the sensor. This is to minimize the change in the distance between the position of the lens positioned closest to the sensor and the sensor light-receiving surface when the ambient temperature changes.

[0021] In this embodiment, the flange portion 32 is provided on the first spacer 3, but the flange portion may be provided on a spacer other than the first spacer 3 as long as the contact surface 33 of the flange portion 32 and the contact portion 52 can be positioned closer to the object than the position on the sensor side of the third lens 23. Furthermore, the spacer may be configured in a way that makes it easiest to realize an athermal structure, considering factors such as the material of the extended portion 51 of the sensor holding member 5 and the distance relationship between the sensor 6 and the flange portion 32. The configuration of three lenses, from the first lens 21 to the third lens 23, has been described as one example, but the number of lenses can be two or more, and any number of spacers can be configured in accordance with the number of lenses. In addition, the optical device 1 may include a cemented lens, and it is not necessary to place one spacer between each of the multiple lenses. It is sufficient that a spacer with a flange portion 32 is placed between any of the lenses, and the contact surface 33 of the flange portion 32 and the contact portion 52 can be positioned closer to the object than the position on the sensor side of the third lens 23.

[0022] Next, the assembly method of the optical device 1 according to this embodiment will be described. In this configuration, there is no component such as a lens barrel that plays a role in determining the thrust and radial positions of the lenses relative to a reference part. However, in order to satisfy the desired optical performance, during assembly, it is necessary to bond and fix each lens to the spacer in a position where the thrust and radial positions of each lens have been determined. Therefore, when assembling the optical device 1 of this embodiment, a cylinder or V-block is prepared as a jig or fixture to determine the position of the lens relative to the spacer, and the lens and spacer are assembled sequentially with the lenses and spacers abutting against the reference position of these jigs and fixtures, and then bonded and fixed. After the adhesive 7 has hardened, it is possible to bond and fix with high precision positioning by removing them from these jigs and fixtures. After the spacer and lens are bonded and fixed, the contact portion 52 of the sensor holding member 5 is brought into contact with the flange portion 32 of the first spacer 3, and the position of the sensor relative to the lens group is adjusted as necessary, and then fixed.

[0023] As explained above, by adhesively holding the lens and spacer together, and providing the spacer with a flange portion 32 that contacts the sensor holding member 5, the functions that conventional lens barrels have had can be realized in a configuration without a lens barrel. This makes it possible to achieve miniaturization, weight reduction, and cost reduction by reducing the number of parts. Therefore, it is possible to provide an optical device that can be miniaturized while maintaining high-precision positioning of the lens even when the ambient temperature changes.

[0024] The optical device 1 of this embodiment can be applied to imaging devices such as digital still cameras, silver halide film cameras, video cameras, in-vehicle cameras, and surveillance cameras. The imaging device may be connected to a display unit (not shown) such as a display that shows the image acquired by the image sensor.

[0025] When the imaging device is used as a distance measuring device, for example, an image sensor (image plane phase difference sensor) having pixels that can split a light beam from an object into two and convert it into photoelectric energy can be used as the sensor 6. When the subject is on the front focal plane of the optical device 1, there is no positional shift in the images corresponding to the two split light beams on the image plane of the optical device 1. However, when the subject is located at a position other than the front focal plane of the optical device 1, a positional shift occurs in each image. In this case, since the positional shift of each image corresponds to the amount of displacement from the front focal plane of the subject, the distance to the subject can be measured by obtaining the amount of positional shift and the direction of the positional shift of each image using the image plane phase difference sensor.

[0026] <Second Embodiment> A second embodiment will be described using Figures 3 and 4. Note that components equivalent to those in the first embodiment will be numbered the same way in the figures, and their descriptions will be omitted. Figure 3 is an overall cross-sectional view of the optical device 11 according to the second embodiment. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the optical device 11 according to the second embodiment.

[0027] In the second embodiment, the adhesive grooves are configured in the first lens 81, the second lens 82, and the third lens 83, instead of the first spacer 9 and the second spacer 10. The first lens 81 has a first adhesive groove 811 formed on its outer circumference on the side facing the first spacer 9. The second lens 82 has a second adhesive groove 821 formed on its outer circumference on the side facing the first spacer 9 and on its outer circumference on the side facing the second spacer 10. The third lens 83 has a third adhesive groove 831 formed on its outer circumference on the side facing the second spacer 10.

[0028] The first adhesive groove 811, the second adhesive groove 821, and the third adhesive groove 831 may be divided into multiple regions on the outer circumference, as shown in Figure 4 for the first adhesive groove 811, or they may be provided around the entire circumference.

[0029] <System Embodiment> Next, a system having the above-described optical device as an in-vehicle camera will be explained. Figure 5 is a diagram of the configuration of the in-vehicle camera 100 and the system (in-vehicle system, control system, driving assistance device) 600 equipped therewith according to this embodiment. The system 600 is held by a movable mobile body (mobile device) such as an automobile (vehicle) and is a system for assisting the driving (operation) of the vehicle based on image information of the surroundings of the vehicle acquired by the in-vehicle camera 100. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle 700 as a mobile device equipped with the system 600. In Figure 6, the imaging range 50 of the in-vehicle camera 100 is shown set to the front of the vehicle 700, but the imaging range 50 may be set to the rear or side of the vehicle 700.

[0030] As shown in Figure 5, the system 600 comprises an in-vehicle camera 100, a vehicle information acquisition device 200, a control device (control unit, ECU: electronic control unit) 300, and a warning device (warning unit) 400. The in-vehicle camera 100 comprises an imaging unit 101, an image processing unit 102, a parallax calculation unit 103, a distance acquisition unit (acquisition unit) 104, and a collision determination unit 105. The image processing unit 102, the parallax calculation unit 103, the distance acquisition unit 104, and the collision determination unit 105 are included in the processing unit. The imaging unit 101 has an optical device according to any of the embodiments described above.

[0031] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of system 600 according to this embodiment. The operation of system 600 will be described below in accordance with this flowchart.

[0032] First, in step S1, the imaging unit 101 is used to image objects (subjects) such as obstacles and pedestrians around the vehicle, and multiple image data (parallax image data) are acquired.

[0033] In step S2, vehicle information is acquired by the vehicle information acquisition device 200. Vehicle information includes information such as the vehicle's speed, yaw rate, and steering angle.

[0034] In step S3, the image processing unit 102 performs image processing on the multiple image data acquired by the imaging unit 101. Specifically, it performs image feature analysis, which analyzes feature quantities such as the amount, direction, and density values ​​of edges in the image data. Here, image feature analysis may be performed on each of the multiple image data, or on only some of the multiple image data.

[0035] In step S4, the disparity calculation unit 103 calculates the disparity (image misalignment) information between multiple image data acquired by the imaging unit 101. Known methods such as the SSDA method and the area correlation method can be used to calculate the disparity information, so a detailed explanation is omitted in this embodiment. Note that steps S2, S3, and S4 may be performed in the order described above, or they may be processed in parallel.

[0036] In step S5, the distance acquisition unit 104 acquires (calculates) distance information from the object captured by the imaging unit 101. The distance information can be calculated based on the parallax information calculated by the parallax calculation unit 103, and the internal and external parameters of the imaging unit 101. The distance information here refers to information about the relative position to the object, such as the distance from the object, the amount of defocus, and the amount of image shift. This may directly represent the distance value of the object in the image, or it may indirectly represent information corresponding to the distance value.

[0037] Then, in step S6, the collision determination unit 105 uses the vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition device 200 and the distance information calculated by the distance acquisition unit 104 to determine whether the distance to the target object is within a preset distance range. This allows the system to determine whether the target object is within a set distance around the vehicle and to determine the possibility of a collision between the vehicle and the target object. The collision determination unit 105 determines "possibility of collision" if the target object is within the set distance (step S7), and determines "no possibility of collision" if the target object is not within the set distance (step S8).

[0038] Next, if the collision determination unit 105 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 based on the determination result from the collision determination unit 105 (step S6), and the warning device 400 issues a warning to the vehicle's user (driver, passengers) based on the determination result from the collision determination unit 105 (step S7). Note that notification of the determination result only needs to be made to at least one of the control device 300 and the warning device 400.

[0039] The control device 300 can control the movement of a vehicle by outputting control signals to the vehicle's drive unit (such as the engine or motor). For example, it can control the vehicle by applying the brakes, releasing the accelerator, turning the steering wheel, and generating control signals to apply braking force to each wheel, thereby suppressing the output of the engine or motor. The warning device 400 can also provide warnings to the user, such as by emitting a warning sound (alarm), displaying warning information on a screen such as a car navigation system, or vibrating the seat belt or steering wheel.

[0040] As described above, the system 600 according to this embodiment enables effective detection of objects through the above processing, making it possible to avoid collisions between the vehicle and the objects. In particular, by applying the optical systems according to each of the embodiments described above to the system 600, it becomes possible to miniaturize the entire in-vehicle camera 100, increasing the flexibility of placement, while enabling object detection and collision detection over a wide field of view.

[0041] Various embodiments are possible for calculating distance information. As an example, we will describe a case in which a pupil-splitting type image sensor having multiple pixel sections arranged regularly in a two-dimensional array is used as the image sensor of the imaging unit 101. In a pupil-splitting type image sensor, one pixel section is composed of a microlens and multiple photoelectric conversion units, and can receive a pair of light beams passing through different regions in the pupil of the optical system, and output a pair of image data from each photoelectric conversion unit.

[0042] Then, the amount of image displacement in each region is calculated by correlation calculation between paired image data, and the distance acquisition unit 104 calculates image displacement map data representing the distribution of the image displacement amounts. Alternatively, the distance acquisition unit 104 may further convert the image displacement amounts into defocus amounts and generate defocus map data representing the distribution of defocus amounts (distribution on a two-dimensional plane of the captured image). In addition, the distance acquisition unit 104 may acquire distance map data of the distance to the object converted from the defocus amounts.

[0043] Furthermore, the system 600 and the mobile device 700 may be equipped with a notification device (notification unit) to notify the system manufacturer or the mobile device dealer in the event that the mobile device 700 collides with an obstacle. For example, the notification device may be one that sends information regarding the collision between the mobile device 700 and the obstacle (collision information) to a pre-set external notification destination via email or the like.

[0044] In this way, by adopting a configuration in which collision information is automatically notified by the notification device, it is possible to promptly take action such as inspection and repair after a collision occurs. The recipients of the collision information may be insurance companies, medical institutions, the police, or any other name set by the user. Furthermore, the notification device may be configured to notify recipients not only of collision information, but also of malfunction information of various parts and information on the wear and tear of consumables. The detection of whether or not a collision has occurred may be performed using distance information acquired based on the output from the in-vehicle camera 100 described above, or it may be performed by other detection units (sensors).

[0045] In this embodiment, the system 600 was applied to driver assistance (collision damage mitigation), but it is not limited to this, and the system 600 may also be applied to cruise control (including with full-speed following function) or autonomous driving. Furthermore, the system 600 can be applied not only to vehicles such as automobiles, but also to mobile objects such as ships, aircraft, and industrial robots. Moreover, it can be applied not only to mobile objects, but also to various devices that utilize object recognition, such as intelligent transportation systems (ITS).

[0046] Although 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 its gist.

[0047] This embodiment includes the following configuration. (Composition 1) Multiple optical elements, A spacer is placed between the aforementioned plurality of optical elements and fixed to adjacent optical elements by adhesive, An image sensor that receives light from the aforementioned plurality of optical elements, The system comprises a holding member for holding the image sensor, At least one of the spacers has a flange portion that extends outward beyond the outermost diameter of the adjacent optical elements. The flange portion and the spacer are made of a material having a predetermined coefficient of linear expansion. The optical device is characterized in that the retaining member has an extended portion that extends in the optical axis direction on the outside and has a contact portion that abuts against the flange portion. (Configuration 2) The optical device according to configuration 1, characterized in that the spacer and the flange portion are made of the same material. (Composition 3) The optical device according to configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that the spacer and the flange portion are formed integrally. (Composition 4) The holding member has a holding portion for holding the image sensor, The optical device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, characterized in that the holding portion and the extending portion are made of the same material. (Composition 5) The holding member has a holding portion for holding the image sensor, The optical device according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, characterized in that the holding portion and the extending portion are formed integrally. (Composition 6) The optical device according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, characterized in that the spacer or optical element has an adhesive groove for applying the adhesive on at least a portion of its outer circumference. (Composition 7) The optical apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, characterized in that the difference between the linear expansion coefficient of the spacer and the linear expansion coefficient of the optical element is within a predetermined range. (Composition 8) The coefficient of linear expansion of the spacer is 5 to 15 × 10 -6 An optical apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, characterized in that it satisfies / ℃. (Composition 9) The optical device according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, characterized in that the flange portion and the contact portion contact each other at a position closer to the object than the position closest to the image sensor of the optical element that is positioned closest to the image sensor. (Composition 10) The optical apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, characterized in that the contact portion between the flange portion and the contact portion is a plane perpendicular to the optical axis. (Composition 11) The optical apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 10, characterized in that the spacer and the retaining member are formed from different materials. (Composition 12) The optical device according to any one of configurations 1 to 11, characterized in that the optical device is an imaging device. (Composition 13) A system characterized by comprising an imaging device as described in configuration 12, and a determination unit that determines the possibility of collision between a moving device and the object based on distance information of the object acquired by the imaging device. (Composition 14) The system according to configuration 13, further comprising a control device that outputs a control signal to the drive unit of the moving device to generate a braking force when it is determined that there is a possibility of collision between the moving device and the object. (Composition 15) The system according to configuration 13 or 14, characterized in that it includes a warning device that warns the user of the mobile device when it is determined that there is a possibility of collision between the mobile device and the object. (Composition 16) The system according to any one of configurations 13 to 15, further comprising a notification unit that notifies the outside of information relating to a collision between the moving device and the object. (Composition 17) A mobile device comprising the imaging device described in configuration 12, characterized in that it is capable of holding and moving the imaging device. (Composition 18) The moving device according to configuration 17, further comprising a determination unit that determines the possibility of collision with an object based on distance information of the object obtained by the imaging device. (Composition 19) The moving device according to configuration 18, further comprising a control unit that outputs a control signal to control movement when it is determined that there is a possibility of collision with the aforementioned object. (Composition 20) The mobile device according to configuration 18 or 19, characterized in that it includes a warning unit that warns the user of the mobile device when it is determined that there is a possibility of collision with the aforementioned object. (Composition 21) A mobile device according to any one of configurations 18 to 20, characterized in that it includes a notification unit for notifying the outside of information relating to a collision with the aforementioned object. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1,11 Optical equipment 3,9 First spacer 4.10 Second spacer 5 Sensor holding member 6 sensors 7. Adhesive 21,81 First lens 22.82 Second lens 23.83 The third lens 31,811 First adhesive groove 41,821 Second adhesive groove 831 Third adhesive groove 32 Flange section 51 Extension part 52 Contact part 53 Sensor holding part

Claims

1. Multiple optical elements, A spacer is placed between the aforementioned plurality of optical elements and fixed to adjacent optical elements by adhesive, An image sensor that receives light from the aforementioned plurality of optical elements, The system comprises a holding member for holding the image sensor, At least one of the spacers has a flange portion that extends outward beyond the outermost diameter of the adjacent optical elements. The flange portion and the spacer are made of a material having a predetermined coefficient of linear expansion. The optical device is characterized in that the retaining member has an extended portion that extends in the optical axis direction on the outside and has a contact portion that abuts against the flange portion.

2. The optical apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the spacer and the flange portion are made of the same material.

3. The optical device according to claim 1, characterized in that the spacer and the flange portion are formed integrally.

4. The holding member has a holding portion for holding the image sensor, The optical apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the holding portion and the extending portion are made of the same material.

5. The holding member has a holding portion for holding the image sensor, The optical device according to claim 1, characterized in that the holding portion and the extending portion are formed integrally.

6. The optical apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the spacer or optical element has an adhesive groove for applying the adhesive on at least a portion of its outer circumference.

7. The optical apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the difference between the linear expansion coefficient of the spacer and the linear expansion coefficient of the optical element is within a predetermined range.

8. The coefficient of linear expansion of the spacer is 5 to 15 × 10 -6 The optical apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it satisfies / ℃.

9. The optical device according to claim 1, characterized in that the flange portion and the contact portion contact each other at a position closer to the object than the position closest to the image sensor of the optical element that is positioned closest to the image sensor.

10. The optical apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact portion between the flange portion and the contact portion is a plane perpendicular to the optical axis.

11. The optical apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the spacer and the retaining member are formed of different materials.

12. The optical device according to claim 1, characterized in that the optical device is an imaging device.

13. A system comprising an imaging device as described in claim 12, and a determination unit that determines the possibility of collision between a moving device and an object based on distance information of an object acquired by the imaging device.

14. The system according to claim 13, further comprising a control device that outputs a control signal to the drive unit of the moving device to generate a braking force when it is determined that there is a possibility of collision between the moving device and the object.

15. The system according to claim 13, further comprising a warning device that warns the user of the mobile device when it is determined that there is a possibility of collision between the mobile device and the object.

16. The system according to claim 13, further comprising a notification unit for notifying an external party of information relating to a collision between the moving device and the object.

17. A mobile device comprising the imaging device described in claim 12, characterized in that it is capable of holding and moving the imaging device.

18. The moving device according to claim 17, further comprising a determination unit that determines the possibility of collision with an object based on distance information of the object obtained by the imaging device.

19. The moving device according to claim 18, further comprising a control unit that outputs a control signal to control movement when it is determined that there is a possibility of collision with the aforementioned object.

20. The mobile device according to claim 18, further comprising a warning unit that warns the user of the mobile device when it is determined that there is a possibility of collision with the aforementioned object.

21. The mobile device according to claim 18, further comprising a notification unit for notifying the outside of information relating to a collision with the aforementioned object.

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