Zoom lens and imaging device

Abstract

A zoom lens according to the present disclosure is composed of, in order from an object side to an image surface side, a first lens group having a positive refractive power, a second lens group having a negative refractive power, a third lens group having a positive refractive power, a fourth lens group having a negative refractive power, and a subsequent group having at least one lens group, wherein: when zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end, at least the first lens group and the third lens group move to the object side; and the following conditional expressions are satisfied.　(1) 0.23<D1 / ft<0.8 (2) 2.5<D1 / D3<10 (3) 1.2<(Lw / BFw) / (ft / fw)<2.2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a zoom lens suitable as an interchangeable lens that can be attached to, for example, a mirrorless digital camera, and an imaging device equipped with such a zoom lens. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, interchangeable lens digital camera systems have become increasingly miniaturized. In particular, interchangeable lens digital camera systems that do not have a quick-return mirror inside the camera body, known as mirrorless digital cameras, can be made even smaller than conventional single-lens reflex cameras, and are becoming increasingly popular. As cameras become smaller, the interchangeable lenses attached to mirrorless digital cameras are also required to be made smaller. In particular, telephoto zoom lenses generally have a long optical length, and there is a high demand for miniaturization to improve portability. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-207730 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2014-16601 A Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to reduce the size of a telephoto zoom lens attached to a mirrorless digital camera, it is important to have a lens configuration in which the back focus is short and the total optical length at the wide-angle end is short.

[0005] It is desirable to provide a zoom lens that has a short back focus and a short overall optical length at the wide-angle end, and an imaging device equipped with such a zoom lens.

[0006] A zoom lens according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is composed of, in order from the object side to the image surface side, a first lens group having positive refractive power, a second lens group having negative refractive power, a third lens group having positive refractive power, a fourth lens group having negative refractive power, and a subsequent group having at least one lens group, and when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, at least the first lens group and the third lens group move toward the object side and satisfy the following conditional expression: 0.23 <D1 / ft<0.8 ……(1) 2.5 <D1 / D3<10 ……(2) 1.2<(Lw / BFw) / (ft / fw)<2.2 ……(3) 0 <f1 / |f4|<1.5 ……(6) however, D1: Amount of movement of the first lens group when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end D3: Amount of movement of the third lens group when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end ft: focal length of the entire system at the telephoto end fw: focal length of the entire system at the wide-angle end Lw: Total optical length at the wide-angle end (the distance from the surface of the first lens group closest to the object to the image plane at the wide-angle end) BFw: Back focus at the wide-angle end (the air-equivalent length from the surface closest to the image plane at the wide-angle end to the image plane) f1: focal length of the first lens group f4: focal length of the fourth lens group Let us assume that.

[0007] An imaging device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a zoom lens and an imaging element that outputs an imaging signal corresponding to an optical image formed by the zoom lens, and the zoom lens is configured by the zoom lens according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0008] A zoom lens or an imaging device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is configured with five or more lens groups as a whole, and the configuration of each lens group is optimized so as to enable a short back focus and a short overall optical length at the wide-angle end. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a lens cross-sectional view showing a first configuration example (Example 1) of a zoom lens according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a lens cross-sectional view showing a second configuration example (Example 2) of a zoom lens according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a lens cross-sectional view showing a third configuration example (Example 3) of a zoom lens according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a lens cross-sectional view showing a fourth configuration example (Example 4) of a zoom lens according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5] 4A to 4C are aberration diagrams illustrating various aberrations at the wide-angle end of the zoom lens according to Example 1 when focused on infinity. [Figure 6] 4A to 4C are aberration diagrams illustrating various aberrations of the zoom lens according to Example 1 when the zoom lens is at an intermediate focal length and focused on infinity. [Figure 7] 4A to 4C are aberration diagrams illustrating various aberrations at the telephoto end of the zoom lens according to Example 1 when focused on infinity. [Figure 8] 6A to 6C are aberration diagrams illustrating various aberrations at the wide-angle end of the zoom lens according to Example 2 when focused on infinity. [Figure 9] 6A to 6C are aberration diagrams illustrating various aberrations of the zoom lens according to Example 2 when the zoom lens is at an intermediate focal length and focused on infinity. [Figure 10] 7A to 7C are aberration diagrams illustrating various aberrations at the telephoto end of the zoom lens according to Example 2 when focused on infinity. [Figure 11] 7A to 7C are aberration diagrams illustrating various aberrations at the wide-angle end of the zoom lens according to Example 3 when focused on infinity. [Figure 12] 7A to 7C are aberration diagrams illustrating various aberrations of the zoom lens according to Example 3 when the zoom lens is at an intermediate focal length and focused on infinity. [Figure 13] 7A to 7C are aberration diagrams illustrating various aberrations at the telephoto end of the zoom lens according to Example 3 when focused on infinity. [Figure 14] 10A to 10C are aberration diagrams illustrating various aberrations of the zoom lens according to Example 4 at the wide-angle end and when focused on infinity. [Figure 15] 10A to 10C are aberration diagrams illustrating various aberrations of the zoom lens according to Example 4 when the zoom lens is at an intermediate focal length and focused on infinity. [Figure 16] 10A to 10C are aberration diagrams illustrating various aberrations of the zoom lens according to Example 4 at the telephoto end and when focused on infinity. [Figure 17] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an imaging device. [Figure 18] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle control system; [Figure 19] 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the installation positions of an outside-vehicle information detection unit and an imaging unit; FIG. [Figure 20] 1 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an endoscopic surgery system. [Figure 21] 21 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a camera head and a CCU shown in FIG. 20. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The description will be made in the following order. 0. Comparative Example 1. Basic lens structure 2. Actions and Effects 3. Application examples to imaging devices 4. Numerical examples of lenses 5. Application Examples 6. Other embodiments

[0011] <0. Comparative Examples> Patent documents 1 and 2 each propose a so-called positive-lead telephoto zoom lens that includes, in order from the object side to the image plane side, lens groups having positive, negative, and positive refractive powers, and is composed of five or more groups in total.

[0012] Here, in order to reduce the size of a telephoto zoom lens attached to a mirrorless digital camera, it is important to have a lens configuration in which the back focus is short and the total optical length at the wide-angle end is short.

[0013] The telephoto zoom lens described in Patent Document 1 has a long back focus, which makes it difficult to take advantage of the advantage of mirrorless camera systems, that is, the distance from the lens closest to the image plane to the image plane (back focus) is shorter than that of conventional reflex camera systems.

[0014] The telephoto zoom lens described in Patent Document 2 has a short back focus and is configured to take advantage of the advantages of a mirrorless camera system. However, since the arrangement of the refractive power of each lens group is not fully optimized, it is difficult to shorten the overall optical length.

[0015] Therefore, there is a demand for the development of a zoom lens having a short back focus and a short overall optical length at the wide-angle end, and an imaging device equipped with such a zoom lens.

[0016] <1. Basic lens structure> FIG. 1 shows a first configuration example of a zoom lens according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which corresponds to the configuration of Example 1 described later. FIG. 2 shows a second configuration example of a zoom lens according to an embodiment, which corresponds to the configuration of Example 2 described later. FIG. 3 shows a third configuration example of a zoom lens according to an embodiment, which corresponds to the configuration of Example 3 described later. FIG. 4 shows a fourth configuration example of a zoom lens according to an embodiment, which corresponds to the configuration of Example 4 described later.

[0017] In Fig. 1 and other figures, Z1 indicates the optical axis. An optical member such as a cover glass for protecting the image sensor may be disposed between the image plane and the zoom lenses 1 to 4 according to the first to fourth configuration examples. In addition to the cover glass, various optical filters such as a low-pass filter and an infrared cut filter may be disposed.

[0018] Below, the configuration of a zoom lens according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in association with zoom lenses 1 to 4 according to each configuration example shown in FIG. 1 etc., as appropriate; however, the technology according to the present disclosure is not limited to the configuration examples shown in the drawings.

[0019] A zoom lens according to one embodiment is composed of, in order from the object side to the image plane side along an optical axis Z1, a first lens group GR1, a second lens group GR2, a third lens group GR3, a fourth lens group GR4, and a subsequent lens group GRS.

[0020] The first lens group GR1 has a positive refractive power as a whole. The second lens group GR2 has a negative refractive power as a whole. The third lens group GR3 has a positive refractive power as a whole. The fourth lens group GR4 has a negative refractive power as a whole. The subsequent group GRS has at least one lens group.

[0021] In a zoom lens according to an embodiment, at least the first lens group GR1 and the third lens group GR3 move toward the object side along the optical axis Z1 when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end. Note that Figures 1 to 4 show the lens arrangement at the wide-angle end and when focusing on infinity. In Figures 1 to 4, arrows indicate the outline of the movement locus of each lens group when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end.

[0022] Moreover, the zoom lens according to one embodiment satisfies the following conditional expressions (1) to (3). 0.23 <D1 / ft<0.8 ……(1) 2.5 <D1 / D3<10 ……(2) 1.2<(Lw / BFw) / (ft / fw)<2.2 ……(3) however, D1: Amount of movement of the first lens group GR1 when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end D3: Amount of movement of the third lens group GR3 when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end ft: focal length of the entire system at the telephoto end fw: focal length of the entire system at the wide-angle end Lw: Total optical length at the wide-angle end (the distance from the surface of the first lens group GR1 closest to the object to the image plane at the wide-angle end) BFw: Back focus at the wide-angle end (the air-equivalent length from the surface closest to the image plane at the wide-angle end to the image plane) Let us assume that.

[0023] In addition, it is desirable for the zoom lens according to one embodiment to further satisfy certain conditional expressions, etc., which will be described later.

[0024] <2. Actions and Effects> Next, the operation and effects of the zoom lens according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described, along with a more desirable configuration of the zoom lens according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be noted that the effects described in this specification are merely examples and are not limiting, and other effects may also be obtained.

[0025] According to the zoom lens of the embodiment, the zoom lens is composed of five or more lens groups as a whole, and the configuration of each lens group is optimized, so that it is possible to realize a zoom lens and an imaging device with a short back focus and a short optical total length at the wide-angle end. In addition, by appropriately defining the relationship between the movement amounts of the lens groups that move during zooming and appropriately setting the refractive power arrangement of each lens group, it is possible to easily obtain high optical performance over the entire zoom range and all object distances while shortening the back focus and the optical total length at the wide-angle end. This makes it possible to realize a compact zoom lens that is suitable for an interchangeable lens that can be attached to a mirrorless digital camera, for example.

[0026] According to an embodiment of the zoom lens, the total optical length at the wide-angle end can be shortened by configuring the zoom lens with five or more lens groups as a whole, making the movement amount of the first lens group GR1 appropriately large, and optimizing the movement amount of the first lens group GR1 and the movement amount of the third lens group GR3, which is advantageous for the total product length. In particular, by satisfying the conditional expressions (1) to (3), it is possible to satisfactorily correct various aberrations and to shorten the total optical length at the wide-angle end.

[0027] Conditional formula (1) is a formula that specifies the ratio between the focal length of the entire system when focusing on infinity at the telephoto end and the amount of movement of the first lens group GR1 when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end. If the lower limit of conditional formula (1) is not met, the amount of movement of the third lens group GR3 during zooming becomes large, and it is necessary to secure a large space for the third lens group GR3 to move at the wide-angle end. As a result, the total optical length cannot be sufficiently shortened, and the effect of shortening the total product length is reduced. If the upper limit of conditional formula (1) is exceeded, the amount of movement of the first lens group GR1 becomes too large, and the distance between the aperture stop St and the first lens group GR1 at the telephoto end becomes too long. As a result, the effective diameter of the first lens group GR1 increases. In addition, the lens is retracted in multiple stages, which causes the lens to become swollen in the radial direction, making it difficult to maintain compactness as a product.

[0028] In order to more effectively realize the effect of the above-mentioned conditional formula (1), particularly from the viewpoint of product size reduction, it is more preferable to set the numerical range of conditional formula (1) as shown in the following conditional formula (1A), and even more preferable to set it as shown in the following conditional formula (1B). 0.23 <D1 / ft<0.5 ……(1A) 0.23 <D1 / ft<0.36 ……(1B)

[0029] Conditional formula (2) specifies the ratio between the amount of movement of the first lens group GR1 when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end and the amount of movement of the third lens group GR3 when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end. If the lower limit of conditional formula (2) is not met, the amount of movement of the third lens group GR3 becomes large, making it difficult to shorten the overall optical length at the wide-angle end. If the upper limit of conditional formula (2) is exceeded, the refractive power of the third lens group GR3 becomes too strong, making it difficult to correct various aberrations, particularly spherical aberration. In addition, the difference between the overall optical length at the telephoto end and the overall optical length at the wide-angle end becomes large, making it difficult to maintain compactness.

[0030] If the zoom lens according to the embodiment is to be a telephoto zoom lens with a zoom ratio of, for example, about 3x, from the viewpoint of product size reduction, it is more preferable to set the numerical range of conditional expression (2) as shown in the following conditional expression (2A), and even more preferable to set it as shown in the following conditional expression (2B). 2.5 <D1 / D3<8.0 ……(2A) 2.5 <D1 / D3<6.0 ……(2B)

[0031] Conditional formula (3) specifies the ratio of the total optical length at the wide-angle end to the back focus at the wide-angle end, and the ratio to the zoom ratio. By satisfying conditional formula (3), it is possible to achieve compactness while maintaining the zoom ratio at about 3x and correcting various aberrations well. Note that the back focus in conditional formula (3) is essentially the air-equivalent length excluding optical elements that have no refractive power, such as cover glass and filters. If the lower limit of conditional formula (3) is exceeded, the back focus at the wide-angle end becomes too long, which is not suitable for mirrorless cameras. In addition, the zoom ratio becomes too small, which is not desirable as a product. If the upper limit of conditional formula (3) is exceeded, the zoom ratio becomes too large, making it difficult to achieve compactness while correcting various aberrations well.

[0032] In addition, in a zoom lens according to one embodiment, when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, it is desirable that, among the first lens group GR1, the second lens group GR2, and the third lens group GR3, at least the first lens group GR1 and the third lens group GR3 move toward the object side and that the following conditional expression (4) is satisfied: -0.003 <D2 / |f2|<0.026 ……(4) however, D2: Amount of movement of the second lens group GR2 when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end f2: Focal length of the second lens group GR2 Let us assume that.

[0033] Conditional formula (4) specifies the amount of movement of the second lens group GR2 when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end. If the lower limit of conditional formula (4) is not met, it is difficult to increase the zoom ratio while satisfactorily correcting various aberrations. If the upper limit of conditional formula (4) is exceeded, the amount of movement of the second lens group GR2 becomes large, resulting in a multi-stage retraction of the first lens group GR1 and the second lens group GR2, making it difficult to maintain the compactness of the product.

[0034] In the zoom lens according to one embodiment, in order to simplify the mechanical structure and reduce the size of the product, it is more desirable to set conditional formula (4) as in the following conditional formula (4A). That is, it is desirable to make the second lens group GR2 a fixed group during zooming. D2=0 ……(4A)

[0035] In the zoom lens according to one embodiment, the first lens group GR1 is preferably composed of one negative lens and one positive lens, and the lens surface closest to the object side is preferably convex toward the object side. This configuration is advantageous in terms of the overall length and weight of the product. If the lens surface closest to the object side is configured to be concave toward the object side, the diameter of the light beam passing through the lens surface closest to the object side becomes large, making it difficult to satisfactorily correct astigmatism and coma aberration, particularly at the wide-angle end. In addition, the lens diameter after the second lens group GR2 becomes large, which is undesirable in terms of compactness.

[0036] In the zoom lens according to one embodiment, it is desirable that the first lens group GR1 has a positive lens that satisfies the following conditional expression (5). νg1p>60 ……(5) however, νg1p: Abbe number of the positive lens in the first lens group GR1 Let us assume that.

[0037] In the zoom lens according to one embodiment, it is preferable that the first lens group GR1 has a negative lens closest to the object side.

[0038] In a telephoto zoom lens, the axial ray diameter is large only in the first lens group GR1, and it is difficult to correct the aberrations occurring in the first lens group GR1 in the second lens group GR2 and onward. For this reason, it is necessary to correct the aberrations to some extent in the first lens group GR1. In particular, with regard to chromatic aberration, it is desirable to use a low-dispersion material that satisfies conditional formula (5) for the positive lens. In addition, since low-dispersion materials generally have low durability, by placing a negative lens on the object side, it becomes possible to use a low-dispersion material for the lens behind it, and at the same time, axial chromatic aberration can be well corrected. If the lower limit of conditional formula (5) is not met, the correction of various aberrations, especially axial chromatic aberration, becomes insufficient. If more lenses are added to correct the various aberrations, the first lens group GR1 itself becomes large, making it difficult to maintain compactness. In addition, since the lens in the first lens group GR1 is the largest, it also has a large impact on the weight. For this reason, adding more lenses makes it difficult to reduce the weight.

[0039] In order to more effectively realize the effect of the above-mentioned conditional expression (5), it is more desirable to set the numerical range of conditional expression (5) as shown in the following conditional expression (5A). νg1p>67 ……(5A)

[0040] Moreover, it is desirable for the zoom lens according to one embodiment to satisfy the following conditional expression (6). 0 <f1 / |f4|<1.5 ……(6) however f1: focal length of the first lens group GR1 f4: Focal length of the fourth lens group GR4 Let us assume that.

[0041] Conditional formula (6) specifies the ratio between the focal length of the first lens group GR1 and the focal length of the fourth lens group GR4. By satisfying conditional formula (6), it is possible to achieve a relatively large zoom ratio while satisfactorily correcting various aberrations. If the upper limit of conditional formula (6) is exceeded, the refractive power of the first lens group GR1 becomes weak, making it difficult to correct various aberrations, particularly spherical aberration. If the lower limit of conditional formula (6) is not satisfied, the refractive power of the first lens group GR1 becomes strong, making it difficult to correct various aberrations, particularly spherical aberration.

[0042] In addition, in the rear group GRS of the zoom lens according to one embodiment, it is desirable that the lens group arranged closest to the image plane among at least one lens group has at least one positive lens and at least one negative lens. With such a configuration, it becomes possible to correct various aberrations, particularly chromatic aberration of magnification and coma aberration, which is advantageous in shortening the overall optical length.

[0043] In the zoom lens according to one embodiment, it is preferable that the lens group closest to the image plane has a negative lens closest to the image plane, which shortens the exit pupil and allows for a compact size suitable for a mirrorless camera.

[0044] In addition, in a zoom lens according to an embodiment, the subsequent lens group GRS may be configured to include a fifth lens group GR5 and a sixth lens group GR6, as in the fourth configuration example shown in FIG. 4 (the zoom lens as a whole has a six-group configuration).

[0045] In addition, in a zoom lens according to one embodiment, the subsequent lens group GRS may be configured to include a fifth lens group GR5, a sixth lens group GR6, and a seventh lens group GR7, for example, as in the first configuration example shown in FIG. 1 and the second configuration example shown in FIG. 2 (the zoom lens as a whole has a seven-group configuration).

[0046] In the zoom lens according to one embodiment, the rear group GRS may be configured to include a fifth lens group GR5, as in the third example configuration shown in FIG. 3 (the zoom lens as a whole has a five-group configuration).

[0047] <3. Application to imaging devices> Next, a specific example of application of the zoom lens according to an embodiment of the present disclosure to an imaging device will be described.

[0048] 17 shows an example of the configuration of an imaging device 100 to which a zoom lens according to an embodiment is applied. The imaging device 100 is, for example, a digital still camera, and includes a camera block 10, a camera signal processing unit 20, an image processing unit 30, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) 40, an R / W (Reader / Writer) 50, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 60, an input unit 70, and a lens drive control unit 80.

[0049] The camera block 10 has an imaging function and includes a zoom lens including an imaging lens 11, and an imaging element 12 such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Devices) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The imaging element 12 converts an optical image formed by the imaging lens 11 into an electrical signal, thereby outputting an imaging signal (image signal) corresponding to the optical image. The zoom lenses 1 to 4 according to the configuration examples shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 can be used as the imaging lens 11.

[0050] The camera signal processing unit 20 performs various signal processing such as analog-to-digital conversion, noise removal, image quality correction, and conversion to luminance and color difference signals on the image signal output from the imaging element 12 .

[0051] The image processing unit 30 performs recording and playback processing of image signals, and performs compression, encoding, decompression and decoding processing of image signals based on a predetermined image data format, conversion processing of data specifications such as resolution, etc.

[0052] The LCD 40 has a function of displaying various data such as the operating status of the user on the input unit 70 and captured images. The R / W 50 writes image data encoded by the image processing unit 30 to the memory card 1000 and reads image data recorded on the memory card 1000. The memory card 1000 is, for example, a semiconductor memory that is detachable from a slot connected to the R / W 50.

[0053] The CPU 60 functions as a control processing unit that controls each circuit block provided in the imaging device 100, and controls each circuit block based on an instruction input signal from the input unit 70. The input unit 70 is composed of various switches and the like that are operated as required by the user. The input unit 70 is composed of, for example, a shutter release button for performing a shutter operation and a selection switch for selecting an operation mode, and is configured to output an instruction input signal to the CPU 60 according to the user's operation. The lens drive control unit 80 controls the drive of the lenses arranged in the camera block 10, and is configured to control a motor (not shown) that drives each lens of the imaging lens 11 based on a control signal from the CPU 60.

[0054] The operation of the imaging device 100 will be described below. In a standby state for photographing, under the control of the CPU 60, an image signal photographed by the camera block 10 is output to the LCD 40 via the camera signal processing unit 20 and displayed as a camera-through image. Also, when an instruction input signal for zooming or focusing is input from the input unit 70, the CPU 60 outputs a control signal to the lens drive control unit 80, and a predetermined lens of the imaging lens 11 moves under the control of the lens drive control unit 80.

[0055] When a shutter (not shown) of the camera block 10 is operated by an instruction input signal from the input unit 70, a captured image signal is output from the camera signal processing unit 20 to the image processing unit 30, where it is compressed and encoded and converted into digital data in a predetermined data format. The converted data is output to the R / W 50 and written to the memory card 1000.

[0056] Incidentally, focusing is performed by the lens drive control unit 80 moving a specified lens of the imaging lens 11 based on a control signal from the CPU 60, for example, when the shutter release button on the input unit 70 is half-pressed or fully pressed for recording (photographing).

[0057] When playing back image data recorded on memory card 1000, the R / W 50 reads out the specified image data from memory card 1000 in response to an operation on input unit 70, and after the image processing unit 30 performs an expansion / decoding process, the playback image signal is output to LCD 40 and the playback image is displayed.

[0058] In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the imaging device is applied to a digital still camera or the like has been shown, but the scope of application of the imaging device is not limited to digital still cameras, and the imaging device can be applied to various other imaging devices. For example, the imaging device can be applied to digital single-lens reflex cameras, digital non-reflex cameras, digital video cameras, and surveillance cameras. The imaging device can also be widely applied as a camera section of digital input / output devices such as mobile phones with built-in cameras and information terminals with built-in cameras. The imaging device can also be applied to interchangeable lens cameras. EXAMPLES

[0059] <4. Numerical examples of lenses> Next, specific numerical examples of the zoom lens according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Here, examples will be described in which specific numerical values ​​are applied to the zoom lenses 1 to 4 according to the configuration examples shown in FIGS.

[0060] The meanings of the symbols used in the following tables and explanations are as follows. "Si" indicates the number of the i-th surface, with the symbols increasing from the object side. "ri" indicates the value (mm) of the paraxial radius of curvature of the i-th surface. "di" indicates the value (mm) of the distance on the optical axis between the i-th surface and the i+1-th surface. "ndi" indicates the value of the refractive index at the d-line (wavelength 587.6 nm) of the material of the optical element that has the i-th surface. "νdi" indicates the value of the Abbe number at the d-line of the material of the optical element that has the i-th surface. "φi" indicates the value (mm) of the effective diameter of the i-th surface. The part where the value of "ri" is "∞" indicates a plane, an aperture surface, etc. "ASP" in the surface number (Si) column indicates that the surface is configured with an aspheric shape. "STO" in the surface number column indicates that the aperture stop St is located at the corresponding position. "OBJ" in the surface number column indicates that the surface is an object surface. "IMG" in the surface number column indicates that the surface in question is an image surface. "f" indicates the focal length of the entire system (unit: mm). "Fno" indicates the maximum aperture (F-number). "ω" indicates the total angle of view (unit: °). "Y" indicates the image height (unit: mm). "L" indicates the total optical length (the distance on the optical axis from the surface closest to the object to the image surface) (unit: mm). "BF" indicates the back focus (unit: mm).

[0061] In addition, some of the lenses used in the embodiments have aspheric lens surfaces. The aspheric shape is defined by the following formula. In each table showing the aspheric coefficients described later, "Ei" is an exponential expression with the base 10, that is, "10 -i " For example, "0.12345E-05" represents "0.12345 x 10 -5 " It represents.

[0062] (Aspheric formula) x=cy 2 / (1+(1-(1+k)y 2 c 2 ) 1 / 2 )+A4·y 4 +A6·y 6 +A8·y 8 +A10·y 10+A12·y 12 Here, the distance from the apex of the lens surface in the direction of the optical axis (sag amount) is "x", the height in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis is "y", the paraxial curvature (the inverse of the radius of curvature) at the apex of the lens surface is "c", and the conic constant is "k". A4, A6, A8, A10, and A12 are the 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th order aspheric coefficients, respectively.

[0063] [Configuration common to each embodiment] Each of the zoom lenses 1 to 4 to which the following Examples 1 to 4 is applied has a configuration that satisfies the above-mentioned <1. Basic lens configuration>.

[0064] That is, each of the zoom lenses 1 to 4 is composed of, in order from the object side to the image side, a first lens group GR1, a second lens group GR2, a third lens group GR3, a fourth lens group GR4, and a subsequent lens group GRS.

[0065] The first lens group GR1 has a positive refractive power as a whole. The second lens group GR2 has a negative refractive power as a whole. The third lens group GR3 has a positive refractive power as a whole. The fourth lens group GR4 has a negative refractive power as a whole. The subsequent group GRS has at least one lens group.

[0066] In each of the zoom lenses 1 to 4, when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, at least the first lens group GR1 and the third lens group GR3 move toward the object side.

[0067] [Example 1] [Table 1] shows basic lens data of the zoom lens 1 according to Example 1 shown in FIG. 1. [Table 2] shows the initial surface and focal length (unit: mm) of each lens group of the zoom lens 1 according to Example 1. [Table 3] shows values ​​of the focal length f, F value, total angle of view ω, image height Y, total optical length L, and back focus BF of the entire system in the zoom lens 1 according to Example 1. [Table 3] shows values ​​at infinity focusing for each of the wide-angle end (Wide), intermediate focal length (Mid), and telephoto end (Tele). [Table 4] shows data of surface spacing that is variable during zooming in the zoom lens 1 according to Example 1. [Table 4] shows values ​​at the wide-angle end (Wide), intermediate focal length (Mid), and telephoto end (Tele) when the object distance (d0) is infinity and when it is close. [Table 5] shows values ​​of coefficients that represent the shape of the aspheric surface in the zoom lens 1 according to Example 1.

[0068] In the zoom lens 1 according to Example 1, the subsequent lens group GRS is composed of, in order from the object side to the image side, a fifth lens group GR5 having positive refractive power, a sixth lens group GR6 having negative refractive power, and a seventh lens group GR7 having negative refractive power. The zoom lens 1 according to Example 1 is composed of seven groups as a whole.

[0069] The first lens group GR1 is composed of, in order from the object side to the image side, a lens L11 and a lens L12. The lenses L11 and L12 are cemented together. The lens L11 is a negative lens with a meniscus shape with a convex surface facing the object side. The lens L121 is a positive lens with a biconvex shape.

[0070] The second lens group GR2 is composed of lenses L21 to L25, in that order from the object side to the image surface side. Lenses L21 and L22 form a cemented lens. Lenses L24 and L25 form a cemented lens. Lens L21 is a positive meniscus lens with a convex surface facing the object side. Lens L22 is a negative biconcave lens. Lens L23 is a negative meniscus lens with a convex surface facing the object side. Lens L24 is a negative biconcave lens. Lens L25 is a positive biconvex lens.

[0071] The third lens group GR3 is composed of, in order from the object side to the image side, a lens L31 and a lens L32. The lenses L31 and L32 form a cemented lens. The lens L31 is a negative lens with a meniscus shape with a convex surface facing the object side. The lens L32 is a positive lens with a biconvex shape.

[0072] The fourth lens group GR4 is composed of, in order from the object side to the image side, a lens L41 and a lens L42. The lens L41 is a negative lens with a meniscus shape with a concave surface facing the object side. The lens L42 is a positive lens with a biconvex shape.

[0073] The fifth lens group GR5 is composed of, in order from the object side to the image side, lenses L51 to L54. Lenses L52 and L53 are cemented lenses. Lens L51 is a positive meniscus lens with its concave surface facing the object side. Lens L52 is a negative biconcave lens. Lens L53 is a positive biconvex lens. Lens L54 is a positive biconvex lens.

[0074] The sixth lens group GR6 is composed of, in order from the object side to the image side, a lens L61 and a lens L62. The lenses L61 and L62 form a cemented lens. The lens L61 is a positive lens with a biconvex shape. The lens L62 is a negative lens with a biconcave lens shape.

[0075] The seventh lens group GR7 is composed of, in order from the object side to the image surface side, lenses L71 to L73. Lenses L71 and L72 form a cemented lens. Lens L71 is a positive lens with a biconvex shape. Lens L72 is a negative lens with a biconcave lens shape. Lens L73 is a negative lens with a biconcave lens shape.

[0076] In the zoom lens 1 of Example 1, when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the first lens group GR1, the third lens group GR3, the fourth lens group GR4, the fifth lens group GR5, and the sixth lens group GR6 move toward the object side.

[0077] During focusing, the fourth lens group GR4 and the sixth lens group GR6 are movable groups. When focusing from an object distance of infinity to a close distance, the fourth lens group GR4 moves toward the object side, and the sixth lens group GR6 moves toward the image plane side.

[0078] The aperture diaphragm St is disposed between the third lens group GR3 and the fourth lens group GR4, and moves toward the object side together with the third lens group GR3 during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end.

[0079] [Table 1]

[0080] [Table 2]

[0081] [Table 3]

[0082] [Table 4]

[0083] [Table 5]

[0084] FIG. 5 shows various aberrations of the zoom lens 1 according to the first embodiment at the wide-angle end and when focusing on infinity. FIG. 6 shows various aberrations of the zoom lens 1 according to the first embodiment at the intermediate focal length and when focusing on infinity. FIG. 7 shows various aberrations of the zoom lens 1 according to the first embodiment at the telephoto end and when focusing on infinity. FIGS. 5 to 7 show spherical aberration, astigmatism (curvature of field), and distortion as various aberrations. Each of these aberration diagrams shows aberrations with the d-line (587.56 nm) as the reference wavelength. The spherical aberration diagram also shows aberrations for the g-line (435.84 nm) and the C-line (656.27 nm). In the astigmatism diagrams, S shows values ​​at the sagittal image plane, and T shows values ​​at the tangential image plane. The same applies to the aberration diagrams in the other embodiments that follow.

[0085] As can be seen from each aberration diagram, the zoom lens 1 according to Example 1 has excellent imaging performance with various aberrations being well corrected.

[0086] [Example 2] [Table 6] shows basic lens data of the zoom lens 2 according to Example 2 shown in FIG. 2. [Table 7] shows the initial surface and focal length (unit: mm) of each lens group of the zoom lens 2 according to Example 2. [Table 8] shows values ​​of the focal length f, F value, total angle of view ω, image height Y, total optical length L, and back focus BF of the entire system in the zoom lens 2 according to Example 2. [Table 8] shows values ​​at infinity focusing for each of the wide-angle end (Wide), intermediate focal length (Mid), and telephoto end (Tele). [Table 9] shows data of surface spacing that is variable during zooming in the zoom lens 2 according to Example 2. [Table 9] shows values ​​at the wide-angle end (Wide), intermediate focal length (Mid), and telephoto end (Tele) when the object distance (d0) is infinity and when it is close. [Table 10] shows values ​​of coefficients that represent the shape of the aspheric surface in the zoom lens 2 according to Example 2.

[0087] In the zoom lens 2 according to Example 2, the subsequent lens group GRS is composed of, in order from the object side to the image side, a fifth lens group GR5 having positive refractive power, a sixth lens group GR6 having negative refractive power, and a seventh lens group GR7 having negative refractive power. The zoom lens 2 according to Example 2 is composed of seven groups as a whole.

[0088] The first lens group GR1 is composed of, in order from the object side to the image side, a lens L11 and a lens L12. The lenses L11 and L12 are cemented together. The lens L11 is a negative lens with a meniscus shape with a convex surface facing the object side. The lens L121 is a positive lens with a biconvex shape.

[0089] The second lens group GR2 is composed of, in order from the object side to the image surface side, lenses L21 to L23. Lenses L22 and L23 form a cemented lens. Lens L21 is a negative biconcave lens. Lens L22 is a negative biconcave lens. Lens L23 is a positive biconvex lens.

[0090] The third lens group GR3 is composed of, in order from the object side to the image side, a lens L31 and a lens L32. The lenses L31 and L32 form a cemented lens. The lens L31 is a negative lens with a meniscus shape with a convex surface facing the object side. The lens L32 is a positive lens with a biconvex shape.

[0091] The fourth lens group GR4 is composed of, in order from the object side to the image side, a lens L41 and a lens L42. The lens L41 is a negative meniscus lens with a concave surface facing the object side. The lens L42 is a positive meniscus lens with a convex surface facing the object side.

[0092] The fifth lens group GR5 is composed of, in order from the object side to the image side, lenses L51 to L54. Lenses L52 and L53 are cemented lenses. Lens L51 is a positive meniscus lens with a concave surface facing the object side. Lens L52 is a negative meniscus lens with a convex surface facing the object side. Lens L53 is a positive meniscus lens with a convex surface facing the object side. Lens L54 is a positive biconvex lens.

[0093] The sixth lens group GR6 is composed of, in order from the object side to the image side, a lens L61 and a lens L62. The lenses L61 and L62 form a cemented lens. The lens L61 is a positive lens with a biconvex shape. The lens L62 is a negative lens with a biconcave lens shape.

[0094] The seventh lens group GR7 is composed of, in order from the object side to the image side, lenses L71 to L73. Lenses L71 and L72 are cemented lenses. Lens L71 is a positive biconvex lens. Lens L72 is a negative biconcave lens. Lens L73 is a negative meniscus lens with its concave surface facing the object side.

[0095] In the zoom lens 2 of Example 2, when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the first lens group GR1, the third lens group GR3, the fourth lens group GR4, the fifth lens group GR5, the sixth lens group GR6, and the seventh lens group GR7 move toward the object side.

[0096] During focusing, the fourth lens group GR4 and the sixth lens group GR6 are movable groups. When focusing from an object distance of infinity to a close distance, the fourth lens group GR4 moves toward the object side, and the sixth lens group GR6 moves toward the image plane side.

[0097] The aperture diaphragm St is disposed between the second lens group GR2 and the third lens group GR3, and moves toward the object side together with the third lens group GR3 during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end.

[0098] [Table 6]

[0099] [Table 7]

[0100] [Table 8]

[0101] [Table 9]

[0102] [Table 10]

[0103] Fig. 8 shows various aberrations of the zoom lens 2 according to Example 2 at the wide-angle end and when focused on infinity. Fig. 9 shows various aberrations of the zoom lens 2 according to Example 2 at the intermediate focal length and when focused on infinity. Fig. 10 shows various aberrations of the zoom lens 2 according to Example 2 at the telephoto end and when focused on infinity.

[0104] As can be seen from each aberration diagram, the zoom lens 2 according to Example 2 has excellent imaging performance with various aberrations being well corrected.

[0105] [Example 3] [Table 11] shows basic lens data of the zoom lens 3 according to Example 3 shown in FIG. 3. [Table 12] shows the initial surface and focal length (unit: mm) of each lens group of the zoom lens 3 according to Example 3. [Table 13] shows values ​​of the focal length f, F value, total angle of view ω, image height Y, total optical length L, and back focus BF of the entire system in the zoom lens 3 according to Example 3. [Table 13] shows values ​​at infinity focusing for each of the wide-angle end (Wide), intermediate focal length (Mid), and telephoto end (Tele). [Table 14] shows data of surface spacing that is variable during zooming in the zoom lens 3 according to Example 3. [Table 14] shows values ​​at the wide-angle end (Wide), intermediate focal length (Mid), and telephoto end (Tele) when the object distance (d0) is infinity and when it is close. [Table 15] shows values ​​of coefficients that represent the shape of the aspheric surface in the zoom lens 3 according to Example 3.

[0106] In the zoom lens 3 according to Example 3, the subsequent lens group GRS is made up of a fifth lens group GR5 having negative refractive power. The zoom lens 3 according to Example 3 has a five-group configuration as a whole.

[0107] The first lens group GR1 is composed of, in order from the object side to the image side, a lens L11 and a lens L12. The lenses L11 and L12 are cemented together. The lens L11 is a negative lens with a meniscus shape with a convex surface facing the object side. The lens L121 is a positive lens with a biconvex shape.

[0108] The second lens group GR2 is composed of, in order from the object side to the image surface side, lenses L21 to L23. Lenses L22 and L23 form a cemented lens. Lens L21 is a negative biconcave lens. Lens L22 is a negative biconcave lens. Lens L23 is a positive biconvex lens.

[0109] The third lens group GR3 is composed of lenses L31 to L38, in that order from the object side to the image side. Lenses L31 and L32 are cemented lenses. Lenses L36 and L37 are cemented lenses. Lens L31 is a negative lens with a meniscus shape with a convex surface facing the object side. Lens L32 is a positive lens with a biconvex shape. Lens L33 is a negative lens with a meniscus shape with a concave surface facing the object side. Lens L34 is a positive lens with a meniscus shape with a convex surface facing the object side. Lens L35 is a positive lens with a meniscus shape with a convex surface facing the object side. Lens L36 is a negative lens with a meniscus shape with a convex surface facing the object side. Lens L37 is a positive lens with a biconvex shape. Lens L38 is a positive lens with a meniscus shape with a convex surface facing the object side.

[0110] The fourth lens group GR4 is composed of, in order from the object side to the image side, a lens L41 and a lens L42. The lenses L41 and L42 form a cemented lens. The lens L41 is a positive lens with a biconvex shape. The lens L42 is a negative lens with a biconcave lens shape.

[0111] The fifth lens group GR5 is made up of, in order from the object side to the image side, lenses L51 to L53. The lenses L51 and L52 form a cemented lens. Lens L51 is a positive meniscus lens with a convex surface facing the object side. Lens L52 is a negative meniscus lens with a convex surface facing the object side. Lens L53 is a negative meniscus lens with a concave surface facing the object side.

[0112] In the zoom lens 3 of Example 3, when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the first lens group GR1, the second lens group GR2, the third lens group GR3, the fourth lens group GR4, and the fifth lens group GR5 move toward the object side.

[0113] During focusing, the fourth lens group GR4 is a movable group. When focusing from an object distance of infinity to a close distance, the fourth lens group GR4 moves toward the image plane.

[0114] The aperture diaphragm St is disposed between the second lens group GR2 and the third lens group GR3, and moves toward the object side together with the third lens group GR3 during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end.

[0115] [Table 11]

[0116] [Table 12]

[0117] [Table 13]

[0118] [Table 14]

[0119] [Table 15]

[0120] Fig. 11 shows various aberrations of the zoom lens 3 according to Example 3 at the wide-angle end and when focused on infinity. Fig. 12 shows various aberrations of the zoom lens 3 according to Example 3 at the intermediate focal length and when focused on infinity. Fig. 13 shows various aberrations of the zoom lens 3 according to Example 3 at the telephoto end and when focused on infinity.

[0121] As can be seen from each aberration diagram, the zoom lens 3 according to Example 3 has excellent imaging performance with various aberrations being well corrected.

[0122] [Example 4] [Table 16] shows basic lens data of the zoom lens 4 according to Example 4 shown in FIG. 4. [Table 17] shows the initial surface and focal length (unit: mm) of each lens group of the zoom lens 4 according to Example 4. [Table 18] shows values ​​of the focal length f, F value, total angle of view ω, image height Y, total optical length L, and back focus BF of the entire system in the zoom lens 4 according to Example 4. [Table 18] shows values ​​at infinity focusing for each of the wide-angle end (Wide), intermediate focal length (Mid), and telephoto end (Tele). [Table 19] shows data of surface spacing that is variable during zooming in the zoom lens 4 according to Example 4. [Table 19] shows values ​​when the object distance (d0) is infinity and when it is close for each of the wide-angle end (Wide), intermediate focal length (Mid), and telephoto end (Tele). [Table 20] shows values ​​of coefficients that represent the shape of the aspheric surface in the zoom lens 4 according to Example 4.

[0123] In the zoom lens 4 according to Example 4, the subsequent lens group GRS is composed of, in order from the object side to the image side, a fifth lens group GR5 having positive refractive power and a sixth lens group GR6 having negative refractive power. The zoom lens 4 according to Example 4 has a six-group configuration as a whole.

[0124] The first lens group GR1 is composed of, in order from the object side to the image side, a lens L11 and a lens L12. The lenses L11 and L12 are cemented together. The lens L11 is a negative lens with a meniscus shape with a convex surface facing the object side. The lens L121 is a positive lens with a biconvex shape.

[0125] The second lens group GR2 is composed of lenses L21 to L25, in that order from the object side to the image side. Lenses L21 and L22 are cemented lenses. Lenses L24 and L25 are cemented lenses. Lens L21 is a biconvex positive lens. Lens L22 is a meniscus negative lens with its concave surface facing the object side. Lens L23 is a biconcave negative lens. Lens L24 is a biconcave negative lens. Lens L25 is a meniscus positive lens with its convex surface facing the object side.

[0126] The third lens group GR3 is composed of, in order from the object side to the image side, a lens L31 and a lens L32. The lenses L31 and L32 form a cemented lens. The lens L31 is a negative lens with a meniscus shape with a convex surface facing the object side. The lens L32 is a positive lens with a biconvex shape.

[0127] The fourth lens group GR4 is composed of, in order from the object side to the image side, a lens L41 and a lens L42. The lens L41 is a negative meniscus lens with a concave surface facing the object side. The lens L42 is a positive meniscus lens with a convex surface facing the object side.

[0128] The fifth lens group GR5 is composed of, in order from the object side to the image side, lenses L51 to L54. Lenses L52 and L53 are cemented lenses. Lens L51 is a positive meniscus lens with its concave surface facing the object side. Lens L52 is a negative biconcave lens. Lens L53 is a positive biconvex lens. Lens L54 is a positive meniscus lens with its convex surface facing the object side.

[0129] The sixth lens group GR6 is composed of, in order from the object side to the image side, lenses L61 to L65. Lenses L61 and L62 are cemented lenses. Lenses L63 and L64 are cemented lenses. Lens L61 is a positive lens with a biconvex shape. Lens L62 is a negative lens with a biconcave lens shape. Lens L63 is a positive lens with a biconvex shape. Lens L64 is a negative lens with a biconcave lens shape. Lens L65 is a negative lens with a meniscus shape with its concave surface facing the object side.

[0130] In the zoom lens 4 of Example 4, when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the first lens group GR1, the third lens group GR3, the fourth lens group GR4, the fifth lens group GR5, and the sixth lens group GR6 move toward the object side.

[0131] During focusing, the fourth lens group GR4 and the sixth lens group GR6 are movable groups. When focusing from an object distance of infinity to a close distance, the fourth lens group GR4 moves toward the object side, and the sixth lens group GR6 moves toward the image plane side.

[0132] The aperture diaphragm St is disposed between the third lens group GR3 and the fourth lens group GR4, and moves toward the object side together with the third lens group GR3 during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end.

[0133] [Table 16]

[0134] [Table 17]

[0135] [Table 18]

[0136] [Table 19]

[0137] [Table 20]

[0138] Fig. 14 shows various aberrations of the zoom lens 4 according to Example 4 at the wide-angle end and when focused on infinity. Fig. 15 shows various aberrations of the zoom lens 4 according to Example 4 at the intermediate focal length and when focused on infinity. Fig. 16 shows various aberrations of the zoom lens 4 according to Example 4 at the telephoto end and when focused on infinity.

[0139] As can be seen from each aberration diagram, the zoom lens 4 according to Example 4 has excellent imaging performance with various aberrations corrected well.

[0140] [Other numerical data for each example] [Table 21] to [Table 22] show values ​​for each of the above conditional expressions for each embodiment. [Table 21] shows parameter values ​​for each conditional expression. [Table 22] shows values ​​for each conditional expression. As can be seen from [Table 22], the values ​​for each embodiment are within the numerical range for each conditional expression.

[0141] [Table 21]

[0142] [Table 22]

[0143] <5. Application Examples> [5.1 First application example] The technology according to the present disclosure can be applied to various products. For example, the technology according to the present disclosure may be realized as a device mounted on any type of moving body such as an automobile, an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, a motorcycle, a bicycle, a personal mobility device, an airplane, a drone, a ship, a robot, a construction machine, an agricultural machine (tractor), etc.

[0144] 18 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a vehicle control system 7000 which is an example of a mobile object control system to which the technology according to the present disclosure can be applied. The vehicle control system 7000 includes a plurality of electronic control units connected via a communication network 7010. In the example shown in FIG. 18, the vehicle control system 7000 includes a drive system control unit 7100, a body system control unit 7200, a battery control unit 7300, an outside-vehicle information detection unit 7400, an inside-vehicle information detection unit 7500, and an integrated control unit 7600. The communication network 7010 connecting these multiple control units may be an in-vehicle communication network conforming to any standard such as, for example, a Controller Area Network (CAN), a Local Interconnect Network (LIN), a Local Area Network (LAN), or FlexRay (registered trademark).

[0145] Each control unit includes a microcomputer that performs arithmetic processing according to various programs, a storage unit that stores the programs executed by the microcomputer or parameters used in various calculations, and a drive circuit that drives various control target devices. Each control unit includes a network I / F for communicating with other control units via a communication network 7010, and a communication I / F for communicating with devices or sensors inside and outside the vehicle by wired communication or wireless communication. In FIG. 18, a microcomputer 7610, a general-purpose communication I / F 7620, a dedicated communication I / F 7630, a positioning unit 7640, a beacon receiving unit 7650, an in-vehicle device I / F 7660, an audio / video output unit 7670, an in-vehicle network I / F 7680, and a storage unit 7690 are illustrated as functional configurations of the integrated control unit 7600. Other control units also include a microcomputer, a communication I / F, a storage unit, and the like.

[0146] The drivetrain control unit 7100 controls the operation of devices related to the drivetrain of the vehicle according to various programs. For example, the drivetrain control unit 7100 functions as a control device for a drive force generating device for generating a drive force of the vehicle, such as an internal combustion engine or a drive motor, a drive force transmission mechanism for transmitting the drive force to the wheels, a steering mechanism for adjusting the steering angle of the vehicle, and a braking device for generating a braking force of the vehicle. The drivetrain control unit 7100 may also function as a control device such as an ABS (Antilock Brake System) or an ESC (Electronic Stability Control).

[0147] A vehicle state detection unit 7110 is connected to the drive system control unit 7100. The vehicle state detection unit 7110 includes at least one of a gyro sensor that detects the angular velocity of the axial rotational motion of the vehicle body, an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration of the vehicle, or a sensor for detecting the amount of operation of an accelerator pedal, the amount of operation of a brake pedal, the steering angle of a steering wheel, the engine rotation speed, or the rotation speed of wheels, for example. The drive system control unit 7100 performs arithmetic processing using signals input from the vehicle state detection unit 7110, and controls the internal combustion engine, the drive motor, the electric power steering device, the brake device, etc.

[0148] The body system control unit 7200 controls the operation of various devices mounted on the vehicle body according to various programs. For example, the body system control unit 7200 functions as a control device for a keyless entry system, a smart key system, a power window device, or various lamps such as head lamps, back lamps, brake lamps, turn signals, and fog lamps. In this case, radio waves or signals of various switches transmitted from a portable device that replaces a key may be input to the body system control unit 7200. The body system control unit 7200 receives the input of these radio waves or signals and controls the door lock device, power window device, lamps, and the like of the vehicle.

[0149] The battery control unit 7300 controls the secondary battery 7310, which is a power supply source for the drive motor, according to various programs. For example, information such as battery temperature, battery output voltage, or remaining capacity of the battery is input to the battery control unit 7300 from a battery device equipped with the secondary battery 7310. The battery control unit 7300 performs calculation processing using these signals, and controls the temperature regulation of the secondary battery 7310 or controls a cooling device or the like equipped in the battery device.

[0150] The outside-vehicle information detection unit 7400 detects information outside the vehicle equipped with the vehicle control system 7000. For example, at least one of an imaging unit 7410 and an outside-vehicle information detection unit 7420 is connected to the outside-vehicle information detection unit 7400. The imaging unit 7410 includes at least one of a ToF (Time Of Flight) camera, a stereo camera, a monocular camera, an infrared camera, and other cameras. The outside-vehicle information detection unit 7420 includes at least one of an environmental sensor for detecting the current weather or climate, or a surrounding information detection sensor for detecting other vehicles, obstacles, pedestrians, and the like around the vehicle equipped with the vehicle control system 7000.

[0151] The environmental sensor may be, for example, at least one of a raindrop sensor that detects rain, a fog sensor that detects fog, a sunshine sensor that detects the degree of sunshine, and a snow sensor that detects snowfall. The surrounding information detection sensor may be at least one of an ultrasonic sensor, a radar device, and a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging, Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) device. The imaging unit 7410 and the outside vehicle information detection unit 7420 may be provided as independent sensors or devices, or may be provided as a device in which multiple sensors or devices are integrated.

[0152] Here, FIG. 19 shows an example of the installation positions of the imaging unit 7410 and the vehicle exterior information detection unit 7420. The imaging units 7910, 7912, 7914, 7916, and 7918 are provided, for example, at least one of the front nose, side mirrors, rear bumper, back door, and upper part of the windshield in the vehicle interior of the vehicle 7900. The imaging unit 7910 provided on the front nose and the imaging unit 7918 provided on the upper part of the windshield in the vehicle interior mainly acquire images of the front of the vehicle 7900. The imaging units 7912 and 7914 provided on the side mirrors mainly acquire images of the sides of the vehicle 7900. The imaging unit 7916 provided on the rear bumper or back door mainly acquires images of the rear of the vehicle 7900. The imaging unit 7918 provided on the upper part of the windshield in the vehicle interior is mainly used to detect a preceding vehicle, a pedestrian, an obstacle, a traffic light, a traffic sign, a lane, or the like.

[0153] 19 shows an example of the imaging ranges of the imaging units 7910, 7912, 7914, and 7916. Imaging range a indicates the imaging range of the imaging unit 7910 provided on the front nose, imaging ranges b and c indicate the imaging ranges of the imaging units 7912 and 7914 provided on the side mirrors, and imaging range d indicates the imaging range of the imaging unit 7916 provided on the rear bumper or back door. For example, image data captured by the imaging units 7910, 7912, 7914, and 7916 are superimposed to obtain an overhead image of the vehicle 7900.

[0154] The outside information detection units 7920, 7922, 7924, 7926, 7928, and 7930 provided on the front, rear, sides, and corners of the vehicle 7900 and on the upper part of the windshield inside the vehicle cabin may be, for example, ultrasonic sensors or radar devices. The outside information detection units 7920, 7926, and 7930 provided on the front nose, rear bumper, back door, and on the upper part of the windshield inside the vehicle cabin of the vehicle 7900 may be, for example, LIDAR devices. These outside information detection units 7920 to 7930 are mainly used to detect preceding vehicles, pedestrians, obstacles, and the like.

[0155] Returning to FIG. 18, the description will be continued. The outside-vehicle information detection unit 7400 causes the imaging unit 7410 to capture an image outside the vehicle, and receives the captured image data. The outside-vehicle information detection unit 7400 also receives detection information from the outside-vehicle information detection unit 7420 connected thereto. When the outside-vehicle information detection unit 7420 is an ultrasonic sensor, a radar device, or a LIDAR device, the outside-vehicle information detection unit 7400 transmits ultrasonic waves or electromagnetic waves, and receives information on the received reflected waves. The outside-vehicle information detection unit 7400 may perform object detection processing or distance detection processing for people, cars, obstacles, signs, or characters on the road surface, based on the received information. The outside-vehicle information detection unit 7400 may perform environment recognition processing for recognizing rainfall, fog, road surface conditions, and the like, based on the received information. The outside-vehicle information detection unit 7400 may calculate the distance to an object outside the vehicle based on the received information.

[0156] Furthermore, the outside vehicle information detection unit 7400 may perform image recognition processing or distance detection processing to recognize people, cars, obstacles, signs, or characters on the road surface, based on the received image data. The outside vehicle information detection unit 7400 may perform processing such as distortion correction or position adjustment on the received image data, and may generate an overhead image or a panoramic image by synthesizing image data captured by different imaging units 7410. The outside vehicle information detection unit 7400 may perform viewpoint conversion processing using image data captured by different imaging units 7410.

[0157] The in-vehicle information detection unit 7500 detects information inside the vehicle. For example, a driver state detection unit 7510 that detects the state of the driver is connected to the in-vehicle information detection unit 7500. The driver state detection unit 7510 may include a camera that captures an image of the driver, a biosensor that detects the bioinformation of the driver, or a microphone that collects sound in the vehicle cabin. The biosensor is provided, for example, on the seat or steering wheel, and detects the bioinformation of a passenger sitting in the seat or a driver gripping the steering wheel. The in-vehicle information detection unit 7500 may calculate the degree of fatigue or concentration of the driver based on the detection information input from the driver state detection unit 7510, or may determine whether the driver is dozing. The in-vehicle information detection unit 7500 may perform processing such as noise canceling processing on the collected sound signal.

[0158] The integrated control unit 7600 controls the overall operation of the vehicle control system 7000 according to various programs. The input unit 7800 is connected to the integrated control unit 7600. The input unit 7800 is realized by a device that can be operated by an occupant to input, such as a touch panel, a button, a microphone, a switch, or a lever. Data obtained by voice recognition of a voice input by a microphone may be input to the integrated control unit 7600. The input unit 7800 may be, for example, a remote control device using infrared or other radio waves, or an externally connected device such as a mobile phone or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) that supports the operation of the vehicle control system 7000. The input unit 7800 may be, for example, a camera, in which case the occupant can input information by gestures. Alternatively, data obtained by detecting the movement of a wearable device worn by the occupant may be input. Furthermore, the input unit 7800 may include, for example, an input control circuit that generates an input signal based on information input by the occupant using the above-mentioned input unit 7800 and outputs the input signal to the integrated control unit 7600. A passenger or the like operates the input unit 7800 to input various data to the vehicle control system 7000 and to instruct processing operations.

[0159] The storage unit 7690 may include a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores various programs executed by the microcomputer, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that stores various parameters, calculation results, sensor values, etc. The storage unit 7690 may be realized by a magnetic storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disc Drive), a semiconductor storage device, an optical storage device, or a magneto-optical storage device, etc.

[0160] The general-purpose communication I / F 7620 is a general-purpose communication I / F that mediates communication between various devices present in the external environment 7750. The general-purpose communication I / F 7620 may implement a cellular communication protocol such as GSM (registered trademark), WiMAX (registered trademark), LTE (registered trademark) (Long Term Evolution) or LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), or other wireless communication protocols such as wireless LAN (also called Wi-Fi (registered trademark)) and Bluetooth (registered trademark). The general-purpose communication I / F 7620 may connect to a device (e.g., an application server or a control server) present on an external network (e.g., the Internet, a cloud network, or a carrier-specific network) via, for example, a base station or an access point. The general-purpose communication I / F 7620 may also connect to a terminal (e.g., a driver's, pedestrian's, or store's terminal, or a Machine Type Communication (MTC) terminal) present in the vicinity of the vehicle using, for example, a Peer To Peer (P2P) technology.

[0161] The dedicated communication I / F 7630 is a communication I / F that supports a communication protocol designed for use in a vehicle. The dedicated communication I / F 7630 may implement a standard protocol such as WAVE (Wireless Access in Vehicle Environment), which is a combination of a lower layer IEEE802.11p and a higher layer IEEE1609, DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications), or a cellular communication protocol. The dedicated communication I / F 7630 typically performs V2X communication, which is a concept including one or more of vehicle-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, vehicle-to-home communication, and vehicle-to-pedestrian communication.

[0162] The positioning unit 7640 performs positioning by receiving, for example, a GNSS signal from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellite (for example, a GPS signal from a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite) and generates position information including the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the vehicle. The positioning unit 7640 may identify the current position by exchanging signals with a wireless access point, or may obtain position information from a terminal such as a mobile phone, PHS, or smartphone having a positioning function.

[0163] The beacon receiving unit 7650 receives, for example, radio waves or electromagnetic waves transmitted from radio stations or the like installed on the road, and acquires information such as the current location, congestion, road closure, required time, etc. The function of the beacon receiving unit 7650 may be included in the dedicated communication I / F 7630 described above.

[0164] The in-vehicle device I / F 7660 is a communication interface that mediates a connection between the microcomputer 7610 and various in-vehicle devices 7760 present in the vehicle. The in-vehicle device I / F 7660 may establish a wireless connection using a wireless communication protocol such as wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), NFC (Near Field Communication), or WUSB (Wireless USB). The in-vehicle device I / F 7660 may also establish a wired connection such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), or MHL (Mobile High-definition Link) via a connection terminal (and a cable, if necessary) not shown. The in-vehicle device 7760 may include at least one of a mobile device or a wearable device owned by a passenger, or an information device carried or attached to a vehicle. The in-vehicle device 7760 may also include a navigation device that searches for a route to an arbitrary destination. The in-vehicle equipment I / F 7660 exchanges control signals and data signals with these in-vehicle equipment 7760.

[0165] The in-vehicle network I / F 7680 is an interface that mediates communication between the microcomputer 7610 and the communication network 7010. The in-vehicle network I / F 7680 transmits and receives signals in accordance with a predetermined protocol supported by the communication network 7010.

[0166] The microcomputer 7610 of the integrated control unit 7600 controls the vehicle control system 7000 according to various programs based on information acquired through at least one of the general-purpose communication I / F 7620, the dedicated communication I / F 7630, the positioning unit 7640, the beacon receiving unit 7650, the in-vehicle device I / F 7660, and the in-vehicle network I / F 7680. For example, the microcomputer 7610 may calculate a control target value of a driving force generating device, a steering mechanism, or a braking device based on the acquired information inside and outside the vehicle, and output a control command to the drive system control unit 7100. For example, the microcomputer 7610 may perform cooperative control for the purpose of realizing the functions of an ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System), including vehicle collision avoidance or impact mitigation, following driving based on the distance between vehicles, vehicle speed maintenance driving, vehicle collision warning, vehicle lane departure warning, etc. In addition, the microcomputer 7610 may perform cooperative control for the purpose of autonomous driving, in which the vehicle travels autonomously without relying on driver operation, by controlling a driving force generating device, a steering mechanism, a braking device, etc. based on information acquired about the vehicle's surroundings.

[0167] The microcomputer 7610 may generate three-dimensional distance information between the vehicle and objects such as surrounding structures and people, and create local map information including peripheral information of the current position of the vehicle, based on information acquired via at least one of the general-purpose communication I / F 7620, the dedicated communication I / F 7630, the positioning unit 7640, the beacon receiving unit 7650, the in-vehicle device I / F 7660, and the in-vehicle network I / F 7680. The microcomputer 7610 may also predict dangers such as vehicle collisions, the approach of pedestrians, or entry into a closed road, based on the acquired information, and generate a warning signal. The warning signal may be, for example, a signal for generating a warning sound or turning on a warning lamp.

[0168] The audio / image output unit 7670 transmits at least one of audio and image output signals to an output device capable of visually or audibly notifying the passengers of the vehicle or the outside of the vehicle of information. In the example of FIG. 18, an audio speaker 7710, a display unit 7720, and an instrument panel 7730 are illustrated as output devices. The display unit 7720 may include, for example, at least one of an on-board display and a head-up display. The display unit 7720 may have an AR (Augmented Reality) display function. The output device may be other devices such as headphones, a wearable device such as a glasses-type display worn by the passenger, a projector, or a lamp, other than these devices. When the output device is a display device, the display device visually displays the results obtained by various processes performed by the microcomputer 7610 or information received from other control units in various formats such as text, image, table, graph, etc. When the output device is an audio output device, the audio output device converts an audio signal consisting of reproduced audio data or acoustic data into an analog signal and audibly outputs it.

[0169] In the example shown in FIG. 18, at least two control units connected via the communication network 7010 may be integrated into one control unit. Alternatively, each control unit may be composed of multiple control units. Furthermore, the vehicle control system 7000 may include another control unit not shown. In the above description, some or all of the functions performed by any control unit may be provided by another control unit. In other words, as long as information is transmitted and received via the communication network 7010, a predetermined arithmetic processing may be performed by any control unit. Similarly, a sensor or device connected to any control unit may be connected to another control unit, and multiple control units may transmit and receive detection information to each other via the communication network 7010.

[0170] In the vehicle control system 7000 described above, the zoom lens and imaging device of the present disclosure can be applied to the imaging unit 7410 and the imaging units 7910, 7912, 7914, 7916, and 7918.

[0171] [5.2 Second application example] The technology disclosed herein may be applied to an endoscopic surgery system.

[0172] Fig. 20 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an endoscopic surgery system 5000 to which the technology according to the present disclosure can be applied. Fig. 20 shows a state in which an operator (doctor) 5067 performs surgery on a patient 5071 on a patient bed 5069 using the endoscopic surgery system 5000. As shown in the figure, the endoscopic surgery system 5000 is composed of an endoscope 5001, other surgical tools 5017, a support arm device 5027 that supports the endoscope 5001, and a cart 5037 on which various devices for endoscopic surgery are mounted.

[0173] In endoscopic surgery, instead of cutting the abdominal wall to open the abdomen, a cylindrical opening instrument called trocar 5025a to 5025d is punctured into the abdominal wall. Then, the lens barrel 5003 of the endoscope 5001 and other surgical instruments 5017 are inserted into the body cavity of the patient 5071 from the trocar 5025a to 5025d. In the illustrated example, as the other surgical instruments 5017, a pneumoperitoneum tube 5019, an energy treatment instrument 5021, and forceps 5023 are inserted into the body cavity of the patient 5071. The energy treatment instrument 5021 is a treatment instrument that performs incision and peeling of tissue, sealing of blood vessels, etc. by high-frequency current or ultrasonic vibration. However, the illustrated surgical instrument 5017 is merely an example, and various surgical instruments generally used in endoscopic surgery, such as a suction cup and a retractor, may be used as the surgical instrument 5017.

[0174] An image of the operation site in the body cavity of the patient 5071 photographed by the endoscope 5001 is displayed on the display device 5041. The surgeon 5067 performs treatment such as excising the affected area using the energy treatment tool 5021 and the forceps 5023 while viewing the image of the operation site displayed on the display device 5041 in real time. Although not shown in the figure, the pneumoperitoneum tube 5019, the energy treatment tool 5021, and the forceps 5023 are supported by the surgeon 5067 or an assistant during surgery.

[0175] (Support arm device) The support arm device 5027 includes an arm portion 5031 extending from a base portion 5029. In the example shown, the arm portion 5031 is composed of joint portions 5033a, 5033b, and 5033c and links 5035a and 5035b, and is driven under the control of an arm control device 5045. The arm portion 5031 supports the endoscope 5001, and controls its position and attitude. This allows the endoscope 5001 to be stably fixed in position.

[0176] (Endoscopy) The endoscope 5001 is composed of a lens barrel 5003, a region of a predetermined length from the tip of which is inserted into a body cavity of a patient 5071, and a camera head 5005 connected to the base end of the lens barrel 5003. In the illustrated example, the endoscope 5001 is configured as a so-called rigid lens barrel having a rigid lens barrel 5003, but the endoscope 5001 may be configured as a so-called flexible lens barrel having a flexible lens barrel 5003.

[0177] An opening into which an objective lens is fitted is provided at the tip of the lens barrel 5003. A light source device 5043 is connected to the endoscope 5001, and light generated by the light source device 5043 is guided to the tip of the lens barrel by a light guide extending inside the lens barrel 5003, and is irradiated via the objective lens toward an observation target in the body cavity of the patient 5071. The endoscope 5001 may be a direct-viewing endoscope, an oblique-viewing endoscope, or a side-viewing endoscope.

[0178] An optical system and an imaging element are provided inside the camera head 5005, and reflected light (observation light) from an observation target is collected on the imaging element by the optical system. The imaging element photoelectrically converts the observation light to generate an electrical signal corresponding to the observation light, i.e., an image signal corresponding to an observation image. The image signal is transmitted to a camera control unit (CCU) 5039 as RAW data. The camera head 5005 is equipped with a function for adjusting the magnification and focal length by appropriately driving the optical system.

[0179] For example, to support stereoscopic vision (3D display), a plurality of imaging elements may be provided in the camera head 5005. In this case, a plurality of relay optical systems are provided inside the lens barrel 5003 to guide observation light to each of the plurality of imaging elements.

[0180] (Various devices mounted on the cart) The CCU 5039 is configured with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc., and performs overall control of the operations of the endoscope 5001 and the display device 5041. Specifically, the CCU 5039 performs various image processing, such as development processing (demosaic processing), on the image signal received from the camera head 5005 in order to display an image based on the image signal. The CCU 5039 provides the image signal that has been subjected to the image processing to the display device 5041. The CCU 5039 also transmits a control signal to the camera head 5005 to control its drive. The control signal may include information on imaging conditions, such as magnification and focal length.

[0181] The display device 5041 displays an image based on an image signal that has been subjected to image processing by the CCU 5039 under the control of the CCU 5039. When the endoscope 5001 is compatible with high-resolution imaging such as 4K (3840 horizontal pixels x 2160 vertical pixels) or 8K (7680 horizontal pixels x 4320 vertical pixels) and / or compatible with 3D display, the display device 5041 may be capable of displaying high resolution and / or 3D display, respectively. When compatible with high-resolution imaging such as 4K or 8K, a display device 5041 with a size of 55 inches or more can be used to provide a more immersive feeling. In addition, multiple display devices 5041 with different resolutions and sizes may be provided depending on the application.

[0182] The light source device 5043 is composed of a light source such as an LED (light emitting diode) and supplies the endoscope 5001 with irradiation light when photographing the surgical site.

[0183] The arm control device 5045 is constituted by a processor such as a CPU, and operates according to a prescribed program to control the driving of the arm portion 5031 of the support arm device 5027 according to a prescribed control method.

[0184] The input device 5047 is an input interface for the endoscopic surgery system 5000. A user can input various information and instructions to the endoscopic surgery system 5000 via the input device 5047. For example, the user inputs various information related to surgery, such as physical information of a patient and information about a surgical procedure, via the input device 5047. In addition, for example, the user inputs, via the input device 5047, an instruction to drive the arm unit 5031, an instruction to change the imaging conditions (type of irradiation light, magnification, focal length, etc.) of the endoscope 5001, an instruction to drive the energy treatment tool 5021, etc.

[0185] The type of the input device 5047 is not limited, and the input device 5047 may be any of various known input devices. For example, a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel, a switch, a foot switch 5057, and / or a lever may be applied as the input device 5047. When a touch panel is used as the input device 5047, the touch panel may be provided on a display surface of the display device 5041.

[0186] Alternatively, the input device 5047 is a device worn by the user, such as a glasses-type wearable device or a head mounted display (HMD), and various inputs are made according to the user's gestures and gaze detected by these devices. The input device 5047 also includes a camera capable of detecting the user's movements, and various inputs are made according to the user's gestures and gaze detected from the image captured by the camera. The input device 5047 also includes a microphone capable of collecting the user's voice, and various inputs are made by voice via the microphone. In this way, the input device 5047 is configured to be able to input various information in a non-contact manner, and thus it becomes possible for a user (e.g., the surgeon 5067) belonging to a clean area to operate a device belonging to an unclean area in a non-contact manner. In addition, the user can operate the device without taking his / her hands off the surgical tool he / she is holding, which improves the user's convenience.

[0187] The treatment tool control device 5049 controls the driving of the energy treatment tool 5021 for cauterizing tissue, incising, sealing blood vessels, etc. The insufflation device 5051 sends gas into the body cavity of the patient 5071 through the insufflation tube 5019 in order to secure the field of view of the endoscope 5001 and the working space of the surgeon. The recorder 5053 is a device capable of recording various information related to the surgery. The printer 5055 is a device capable of printing various information related to the surgery in various formats such as text, image, or graph.

[0188] Below, the particularly characteristic configuration of the endoscopic surgery system 5000 will be described in further detail.

[0189] (Support arm device) The support arm device 5027 includes a base 5029, which is a base, and an arm 5031 extending from the base 5029. In the illustrated example, the arm 5031 includes a plurality of joints 5033a, 5033b, and 5033c, and a plurality of links 5035a and 5035b connected by the joint 5033b. However, in FIG. 20, for the sake of simplicity, the configuration of the arm 5031 is simplified. In practice, the shapes, number, and arrangement of the joints 5033a to 5033c and the links 5035a and 5035b, as well as the directions of the rotation axes of the joints 5033a to 5033c, can be appropriately set so that the arm 5031 has a desired degree of freedom. For example, the arm 5031 can be preferably configured to have six or more degrees of freedom. This allows the endoscope 5001 to be moved freely within the movable range of the arm portion 5031, making it possible to insert the lens barrel 5003 of the endoscope 5001 into the body cavity of the patient 5071 from a desired direction.

[0190] The joints 5033a to 5033c are provided with actuators, and the joints 5033a to 5033c are configured to be rotatable around a predetermined rotation axis by driving the actuators. The drive of the actuators is controlled by the arm control device 5045, whereby the rotation angles of the joints 5033a to 5033c are controlled, and the drive of the arm unit 5031 is controlled. This allows control of the position and attitude of the endoscope 5001. At this time, the arm control device 5045 can control the drive of the arm unit 5031 by various known control methods such as force control or position control.

[0191] For example, the surgeon 5067 may appropriately input an operation via the input device 5047 (including the foot switch 5057), and the drive of the arm unit 5031 may be appropriately controlled by the arm control device 5045 in response to the operation input, thereby controlling the position and posture of the endoscope 5001. Through this control, the endoscope 5001 at the tip of the arm unit 5031 may be moved from one position to another, and then fixedly supported at the position after the movement. The arm unit 5031 may be operated in a so-called master-slave manner. In this case, the arm unit 5031 may be remotely operated by a user via the input device 5047 installed in a location away from the operating room.

[0192] Furthermore, when force control is applied, the arm control device 5045 may perform so-called power assist control, in which the actuators of the joints 5033a to 5033c are driven so that the arm unit 5031 moves smoothly in response to an external force from the user. This allows the arm unit 5031 to be moved with a relatively light force when the user moves the arm unit 5031 while directly touching the arm unit 5031. This makes it possible to move the endoscope 5001 more intuitively and with a simpler operation, improving user convenience.

[0193] Generally, in endoscopic surgery, the endoscope 5001 is supported by a doctor called a scopist. By contrast, by using the support arm device 5027, the position of the endoscope 5001 can be fixed more reliably without relying on human hands, so that an image of the surgical site can be obtained stably and the surgery can be performed smoothly.

[0194] The arm control device 5045 does not necessarily have to be provided on the cart 5037. Also, the arm control device 5045 does not necessarily have to be one device. For example, the arm control device 5045 may be provided on each of the joints 5033a to 5033c of the arm section 5031 of the support arm device 5027, and the drive control of the arm section 5031 may be realized by the multiple arm control devices 5045 cooperating with each other.

[0195] (Light source device) The light source device 5043 supplies the endoscope 5001 with irradiation light for photographing the surgical site. The light source device 5043 is composed of a white light source composed of, for example, an LED, a laser light source, or a combination of these. In this case, when the white light source is composed of a combination of RGB laser light sources, the output intensity and output timing of each color (each wavelength) can be controlled with high precision, so that the light source device 5043 can adjust the white balance of the captured image. In this case, it is also possible to capture images corresponding to each of the RGB colors in a time-division manner by irradiating the observation target with laser light from each of the RGB laser light sources in a time-division manner and controlling the driving of the image sensor of the camera head 5005 in synchronization with the irradiation timing. According to this method, a color image can be obtained without providing a color filter to the image sensor.

[0196] Furthermore, the light source device 5043 may be controlled to change the intensity of the light it outputs at predetermined time intervals. By controlling the driving of the image sensor of the camera head 5005 in synchronization with the timing of the change in the light intensity to obtain images in a time-division manner and synthesizing the images, it is possible to generate an image with a high dynamic range that is free of so-called blocked-up shadows and blown-out highlights.

[0197] The light source device 5043 may be configured to supply light of a predetermined wavelength band corresponding to the special light observation. In the special light observation, for example, by utilizing the wavelength dependency of light absorption in body tissue, a narrow band light is irradiated compared to the irradiated light (i.e., white light) during normal observation, and a predetermined tissue such as blood vessels on the mucous membrane surface is photographed with high contrast, so-called narrow band imaging is performed. Alternatively, in the special light observation, a fluorescent observation may be performed in which an image is obtained by fluorescence generated by irradiating an excitation light. In the fluorescent observation, an excitation light is irradiated to a body tissue and the fluorescence from the body tissue is observed (autofluorescence observation), or a reagent such as indocyanine green (ICG) is locally injected into the body tissue and an excitation light corresponding to the fluorescence wavelength of the reagent is irradiated to the body tissue to obtain a fluorescent image. The light source device 5043 may be configured to supply narrow band light and / or excitation light corresponding to such special light observation.

[0198] (Camera head and CCU) The functions of the camera head 5005 and the CCU 5039 of the endoscope 5001 will be described in more detail with reference to Fig. 21. Fig. 21 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the camera head 5005 and the CCU 5039 shown in Fig. 20.

[0199] 21, the camera head 5005 has, as its functions, a lens unit 5007, an imaging unit 5009, a drive unit 5011, a communication unit 5013, and a camera head control unit 5015. The CCU 5039 has, as its functions, a communication unit 5059, an image processing unit 5061, and a control unit 5063. The camera head 5005 and the CCU 5039 are connected by a transmission cable 5065 to be able to communicate in both directions.

[0200] First, the functional configuration of the camera head 5005 will be described. The lens unit 5007 is an optical system provided at a connection portion with the lens barrel 5003. Observation light taken in from the tip of the lens barrel 5003 is guided to the camera head 5005 and enters the lens unit 5007. The lens unit 5007 is configured by combining a plurality of lenses including a zoom lens and a focus lens. The optical characteristics of the lens unit 5007 are adjusted so as to focus the observation light on the light receiving surface of the image pickup element of the image pickup section 5009. In addition, the zoom lens and the focus lens are configured so that their positions on the optical axis can be moved in order to adjust the magnification and focus of the captured image.

[0201] The imaging unit 5009 is composed of an imaging element, and is disposed after the lens unit 5007. Observation light passing through the lens unit 5007 is collected on the light receiving surface of the imaging element, and an image signal corresponding to the observed image is generated by photoelectric conversion. The image signal generated by the imaging unit 5009 is provided to the communication unit 5013.

[0202] The imaging element constituting the imaging unit 5009 is, for example, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) type image sensor capable of color imaging having a Bayer array. The imaging element may be capable of capturing high-resolution images of, for example, 4K or higher. By obtaining a high-resolution image of the surgical site, the surgeon 5067 can grasp the state of the surgical site in more detail, and the surgery can proceed more smoothly.

[0203] The imaging element constituting the imaging unit 5009 is configured to have a pair of imaging elements for acquiring image signals for the right eye and the left eye corresponding to 3D display. The 3D display enables the surgeon 5067 to more accurately grasp the depth of the biological tissue in the surgical site. When the imaging unit 5009 is configured as a multi-plate type, multiple lens units 5007 are provided corresponding to the respective imaging elements.

[0204] Furthermore, the imaging unit 5009 does not necessarily have to be provided in the camera head 5005. For example, the imaging unit 5009 may be provided inside the lens barrel 5003, immediately behind the objective lens.

[0205] The driving section 5011 is configured by an actuator, and moves the zoom lens and focus lens of the lens unit 5007 by a predetermined distance along the optical axis under the control of the camera head control section 5015. This allows the magnification and focus of the image captured by the imaging section 5009 to be appropriately adjusted.

[0206] The communication unit 5013 is configured by a communication device for transmitting and receiving various information to and from the CCU 5039. The communication unit 5013 transmits the image signal obtained from the imaging unit 5009 as RAW data to the CCU 5039 via the transmission cable 5065. At this time, in order to display the captured image of the operation site with low latency, it is preferable that the image signal is transmitted by optical communication. During surgery, the surgeon 5067 performs surgery while observing the condition of the affected area using the captured image, so that a moving image of the operation site is required to be displayed as quickly as possible in real time for a safer and more reliable surgery. When optical communication is performed, the communication unit 5013 is provided with a photoelectric conversion module that converts an electrical signal into an optical signal. The image signal is converted into an optical signal by the photoelectric conversion module and then transmitted to the CCU 5039 via the transmission cable 5065.

[0207] The communication unit 5013 also receives a control signal for controlling the driving of the camera head 5005 from the CCU 5039. The control signal includes information on imaging conditions, such as information for specifying a frame rate of an image to be captured, information for specifying an exposure value at the time of capturing an image, and / or information for specifying a magnification and a focus of an image to be captured. The communication unit 5013 provides the received control signal to the camera head control unit 5015. The control signal from the CCU 5039 may also be transmitted by optical communication. In this case, the communication unit 5013 is provided with a photoelectric conversion module for converting an optical signal into an electrical signal, and the control signal is converted into an electrical signal by the photoelectric conversion module and then provided to the camera head control unit 5015.

[0208] The image capturing conditions such as the frame rate, exposure value, magnification, and focus are automatically set by the control unit 5063 of the CCU 5039 based on the acquired image signal. That is, the endoscope 5001 is equipped with so-called AE (Auto Exposure) function, AF (Auto Focus) function, and AWB (Auto White Balance) function.

[0209] The camera head control unit 5015 controls the driving of the camera head 5005 based on a control signal received from the CCU 5039 via the communication unit 5013. For example, the camera head control unit 5015 controls the driving of the image sensor of the imaging unit 5009 based on information specifying the frame rate of the captured image and / or information specifying the exposure during imaging. Also, for example, the camera head control unit 5015 appropriately moves the zoom lens and focus lens of the lens unit 5007 via the drive unit 5011 based on information specifying the magnification and focus of the captured image. The camera head control unit 5015 may further include a function of storing information for identifying the lens barrel 5003 and the camera head 5005.

[0210] Incidentally, by arranging the components such as the lens unit 5007 and the imaging unit 5009 in a sealed structure that is highly airtight and waterproof, the camera head 5005 can be made resistant to autoclave sterilization.

[0211] Next, the functional configuration of the CCU 5039 will be described. The communication unit 5059 is configured by a communication device for transmitting and receiving various information to and from the camera head 5005. The communication unit 5059 receives an image signal transmitted from the camera head 5005 via the transmission cable 5065. At this time, as described above, the image signal can be suitably transmitted by optical communication. In this case, in correspondence with the optical communication, the communication unit 5059 is provided with a photoelectric conversion module that converts an optical signal into an electrical signal. The communication unit 5059 provides the image signal converted into an electrical signal to the image processing unit 5061.

[0212] Furthermore, the communication unit 5059 transmits, to the camera head 5005, a control signal for controlling the driving of the camera head 5005. This control signal may also be transmitted by optical communication.

[0213] The image processing unit 5061 performs various types of image processing on the image signal, which is RAW data transmitted from the camera head 5005. The image processing includes various known signal processing such as development processing, high image quality processing (band enhancement processing, super-resolution processing, NR (Noise reduction) processing, and / or camera shake correction processing, etc.), and / or enlargement processing (electronic zoom processing), etc. The image processing unit 5061 also performs detection processing on the image signal to perform AE, AF, and AWB.

[0214] The image processing unit 5061 is configured with a processor such as a CPU or a GPU, and the processor operates according to a predetermined program to perform the above-mentioned image processing and detection processing. When the image processing unit 5061 is configured with multiple GPUs, the image processing unit 5061 appropriately divides information related to the image signal and performs image processing in parallel using the multiple GPUs.

[0215] The control unit 5063 performs various controls related to the imaging of the surgical site by the endoscope 5001 and the display of the captured image. For example, the control unit 5063 generates a control signal for controlling the driving of the camera head 5005. At this time, if the imaging conditions are input by the user, the control unit 5063 generates the control signal based on the input by the user. Alternatively, if the endoscope 5001 is equipped with an AE function, an AF function, and an AWB function, the control unit 5063 appropriately calculates an optimal exposure value, focal length, and white balance according to the result of the detection process by the image processing unit 5061, and generates a control signal.

[0216] The control unit 5063 also displays an image of the surgical site on the display device 5041 based on the image signal that has been image-processed by the image processing unit 5061. At this time, the control unit 5063 recognizes various objects in the surgical site image using various image recognition techniques. For example, the control unit 5063 can recognize surgical tools such as forceps, specific living body parts, bleeding, mist when the energy treatment tool 5021 is used, and the like, by detecting the shape and color of the edges of objects included in the surgical site image. When the control unit 5063 displays the image of the surgical site on the display device 5041, it uses the recognition result to superimpose various types of surgery support information on the image of the surgical site. The surgery support information is superimposed and presented to the surgeon 5067, making it possible to proceed with the surgery more safely and reliably.

[0217] The transmission cable 5065 connecting the camera head 5005 and the CCU 5039 is an electrical signal cable corresponding to communication of electrical signals, an optical fiber corresponding to optical communication, or a composite cable of these.

[0218] In the illustrated example, the communication is performed by wire using the transmission cable 5065, but the communication between the camera head 5005 and the CCU 5039 may be performed wirelessly. When the communication between them is performed wirelessly, it becomes unnecessary to lay the transmission cable 5065 in the operating room, and therefore the situation in which the transmission cable 5065 impedes the movement of medical staff in the operating room can be eliminated.

[0219] An example of an endoscopic surgery system 5000 to which the technology according to the present disclosure can be applied has been described above. Note that, although the endoscopic surgery system 5000 has been described here as an example, the system to which the technology according to the present disclosure can be applied is not limited to this example. For example, the technology according to the present disclosure may be applied to a flexible endoscope system for inspection or a microsurgery system.

[0220] Of the configurations described above, the technology according to the present disclosure can be suitably applied to the camera head 5005. In particular, the zoom lens according to the present disclosure can be suitably applied to the lens unit 5007 of the camera head 5005.

[0221] <6. Other embodiments> The technology according to the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment and examples, and various modifications are possible.

[0222] For example, the shapes and numerical values ​​of each part shown in the above embodiment and examples are merely examples of implementations for implementing the present technology, and the technical scope of the present technology should not be interpreted in a limiting manner based on these.

[0223] In addition, while the embodiment and example described above are configured to substantially include five to seven lens groups as a whole, the lens may be configured to include eight or more lens groups as a whole.Furthermore, the lens may further include a lens that has substantially no refractive power.

[0224] For example, the present technology can be configured as follows. According to the present technology having the following configuration, a zoom lens and an image pickup device can be realized that are configured with five or more lens groups overall and have an optimized configuration for each lens group, thereby making it possible to achieve a zoom lens and an image pickup device that have a short back focus and a short overall optical length at the wide-angle end.

[0225] [1] From the object side to the image plane side, a first lens group having positive refractive power; a second lens group having negative refractive power; and a third lens group having positive refractive power; a fourth lens group having negative refractive power; and a subsequent group having at least one lens group; It is composed of During zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, at least the first lens group and the third lens group move toward the object side, and the following conditional expression is satisfied: Zoom lens. 0.23 <D1 / ft<0.8 ……(1) 2.5 <D1 / D3<10 ……(2) 1.2<(Lw / BFw) / (ft / fw)<2.2 ……(3) however, D1: Amount of movement of the first lens group when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end D3: Amount of movement of the third lens group when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end ft: focal length of the entire system at the telephoto end fw: focal length of the entire system at the wide-angle end Lw: Total optical length at the wide-angle end (the distance from the surface of the first lens group closest to the object to the image plane at the wide-angle end) BFw: Back focus at the wide-angle end (the air-equivalent length from the surface closest to the image plane at the wide-angle end to the image plane) Let us assume that. [2] During zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, at least the first lens group and the third lens group among the first lens group, the second lens group, and the third lens group move toward the object side, and the following conditional expression is satisfied: The zoom lens according to [1] above. -0.003 <D2 / |f2|<0.026 ……(4) however, D2: Amount of movement of the second lens group when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end f2: focal length of the second lens group Let us assume that. [3] The first lens group has a negative lens closest to the object. The zoom lens according to the above [1] or [2]. [4] The first lens group is composed of one negative lens and one positive lens, and the lens surface closest to the object side is convex toward the object side. A zoom lens according to any one of the above items [1] to [3]. [5] The first lens group has a positive lens that satisfies the following condition: A zoom lens according to any one of [1] to [4] above. νg1p>60 ……(5) however, νg1p: Abbe number of the positive lens in the first lens group Let us assume that. [6] The following condition is satisfied: A zoom lens according to any one of [1] to [5] above. 0 <f1 / |f4|<1.5 ……(6) however f1: focal length of the first lens group f4: focal length of the fourth lens group Let us assume that. [7] In the rear group, the lens group arranged closest to the image surface side of the at least one lens group has at least one positive lens and at least one negative lens. A zoom lens according to any one of the above items [1] to [6]. [8] The lens group disposed closest to the image surface has the negative lens closest to the image surface. The zoom lens according to [7] above. [9] The subsequent group is made up of a fifth lens group and a sixth lens group. A zoom lens according to any one of the above items [1] to [8].

[10] The subsequent group is made up of a fifth lens group, a sixth lens group, and a seventh lens group. A zoom lens according to any one of the above items [1] to [8].

[11] The subsequent group is made up of a fifth lens group. A zoom lens according to any one of the above items [1] to [8].

[12] a zoom lens and an image sensor that outputs an image signal corresponding to an optical image formed by the zoom lens; The zoom lens comprises: From the object side to the image plane side, a first lens group having positive refractive power; a second lens group having negative refractive power; and a third lens group having positive refractive power; a fourth lens group having negative refractive power; and a subsequent group having at least one lens group; It is composed of During zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, at least the first lens group and the third lens group move toward the object side, and the following conditional expression is satisfied: Imaging device. 0.23 <D1 / ft<0.8 ……(1) 2.5 <D1 / D3<10 ……(2) 1.2<(Lw / BFw) / (ft / fw)<2.2 ……(4) however, D1: Amount of movement of the first lens group when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end D3: Amount of movement of the third lens group when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end ft: focal length of the entire system at the telephoto end fw: focal length of the entire system at the wide-angle end Lw: Total optical length at the wide-angle end (the distance from the surface of the first lens group closest to the object to the image plane at the wide-angle end) BFw: Back focus at the wide-angle end (the air-equivalent length from the surface closest to the image plane at the wide-angle end to the image plane) Let us assume that.

[13] Further comprising a lens having substantially no refractive power. The zoom lens according to any one of [1] to

[11] above.

[14] The zoom lens further comprises a lens having substantially no refractive power. The imaging device according to

[12] above.

[0226] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-59845, filed on March 30, 2020 in the Japan Patent Office, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0227] Those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications, combinations, subcombinations, and variations may occur to those skilled in the art depending on design requirements and other factors, and that such modifications are within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. From the object side to the image plane side, a first lens group having a positive refractive power; a second lens group having negative refractive power; a third lens group having a positive refractive power; a fourth lens group having negative refractive power; and a subsequent group having at least one lens group; It is composed of During zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, at least the first lens group and the third lens group move toward the object side, and the following conditional expression is satisfied: Zoom lens. 0.23<D1 / ft<0.8...(1) 2.5<D1 / D3<10...(2) 1.2<(Lw / BFw) / (ft / fw)<2.2...(3) 0<f1 / |f4|<1.5...(6) however, D1: the movement amount of the first lens group when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end D3: Amount of movement of the third lens group when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end ft: focal length of the entire system at the telephoto end fw: focal length of the entire system at the wide-angle end Lw: total optical length at the wide-angle end (the distance from the surface of the first lens group closest to the object to the image plane at the wide-angle end) BFw: Back focus at the wide-angle end (the air-equivalent length from the surface closest to the image plane at the wide-angle end to the image plane) f1: focal length of the first lens group f4: focal length of the fourth lens group Let us assume that.

2. During zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, at least the first lens group and the third lens group among the first lens group, the second lens group, and the third lens group move toward the object side, and the following conditional expression is satisfied:

2. The zoom lens according to claim 1. -0.003<D2 / |f2|<0.026...(4) however, D2: Amount of movement of the second lens group when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end f2: the focal length of the second lens group Let us assume that.

3. The first lens group has a negative lens closest to the object side.

2. The zoom lens according to claim 1.

4. The first lens group is composed of one negative lens and one positive lens, and the lens surface closest to the object side is convex toward the object side.

2. The zoom lens according to claim 1.

5. The first lens group has a positive lens that satisfies the following condition:

2. The zoom lens according to claim 1. νg1p>60...(5) however, νg1p: the Abbe number of the positive lens in the first lens group Let us assume that.

6. In the rear group, the lens group arranged closest to the image surface side of the at least one lens group has at least one positive lens and at least one negative lens.

2. The zoom lens according to claim 1.

7. The lens group disposed closest to the image surface has the negative lens closest to the image surface.

7. The zoom lens according to claim 6.

8. The subsequent lens group is made up of a fifth lens group and a sixth lens group.

2. The zoom lens according to claim 1.

9. The subsequent lens group is made up of a fifth lens group, a sixth lens group, and a seventh lens group.

2. The zoom lens according to claim 1.

10. The subsequent lens group is made up of a fifth lens group.

2. The zoom lens according to claim 1.

11. a zoom lens and an image sensor that outputs an image signal corresponding to an optical image formed by the zoom lens; The zoom lens comprises: From the object side to the image plane side, a first lens group having a positive refractive power; a second lens group having negative refractive power; a third lens group having a positive refractive power; a fourth lens group having negative refractive power; and a subsequent group having at least one lens group; It is composed of During zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, at least the first lens group and the third lens group move toward the object side, and the following conditional expression is satisfied: Imaging device. 0.23<D1 / ft<0.8...(1) 2.5<D1 / D3<10...(2) 1.2<(Lw / BFw) / (ft / fw)<2.2...(3) 0<f1 / |f4|<1.5...(6) however, D1: the movement amount of the first lens group when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end D3: Amount of movement of the third lens group when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end ft: focal length of the entire system at the telephoto end fw: focal length of the entire system at the wide-angle end Lw: total optical length at the wide-angle end (the distance from the surface of the first lens group closest to the object to the image plane at the wide-angle end) BFw: Back focus at the wide-angle end (the air-equivalent length from the surface closest to the image plane at the wide-angle end to the image plane) f1: focal length of the first lens group f4: focal length of the fourth lens group Let us assume that.

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