Compact Camera Body Mount with Oblique-Corner Image Sensor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Small-sized cameras with inside diameters less than 48 mm struggle to achieve high image quality due to the limitations of solid-state image pickup devices of APS-C size or smaller, which result in a larger depth of field and less impressive subject-background separation.
Innovation Solution
A camera design featuring a ring-like body mount with an inside diameter smaller than 48 mm and a solid-state image pickup device with a rectangular light receiving section having a diagonal length of 43 mm or more, where the apparent shape viewed from the front surface is a rectangle with oblique corners, allowing for a larger image pickup area and improved image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the inside diameter of the body mount is reduced to make the camera smaller, then the camera size is reduced, but the size of the solid-state image pickup device is limited and image quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies nesting by placing the solid-state image pickup device inside the body mount in a compact arrangement. The image pickup device with diagonal length of 43mm or more is nested within the constrained space of the body mount having inside diameter less than 48mm, achieving both small camera size and large image pickup area through efficient spatial arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from considering only the inside diameter (one dimension) to utilizing the diagonal length of the light receiving section (two-dimensional measurement). This dimensional shift allows the light receiving section to achieve 43mm or more diagonal length while the body mount maintains an inside diameter of less than 48mm, resolving the contradiction between compact camera size and large image pickup area.
2Manufacturing precision
If the solid-state image pickup device size is increased to improve image quality, then image quality improves, but the camera size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the evaluation parameter from inside diameter to diagonal length of the light receiving section. By specifying that the diagonal length should be 43mm or more while maintaining the inside diameter constraint of less than 48mm, the patent achieves high image quality (comparable to 35mm film) without increasing camera size, as the oblique corner configuration allows efficient space utilization.
3Reliability
If the light receiving section size is increased to reduce depth of field, then subject-background separation improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetry by configuring the light receiving section with oblique corners rather than a standard rectangular shape. This asymmetric configuration allows the light receiving section to achieve a diagonal length of 43mm or more while fitting within the circular body mount of less than 48mm inside diameter, reducing depth of field for better subject-background separation without requiring additional complex components.
Data Source
AI summary
A camera includes: a ring-like body mount having an inside diameter smaller than about 48 millimeters; and a solid-state image pickup device arranged oppositely to the body mount, the solid-state image pickup device having a rectangle light receiving section with a diagonal line length of about 43 millimeters or more. An apparent shape of the solid-state image pickup device viewed from a front surface side of the body mount is a rectangle in which one or more corners are oblique.