Infinite Rotation Focus Ring with Dynamic Range Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional imaging devices require a larger rotation range for fine focusing, leading to increased rotation amounts for rough focusing, which deteriorates usability.
Innovation Solution
An imaging device with an infinite rotation type focus ring, a lens drive part, a setting part for user-defined rotation range, and a storage and control system to assign and manage different rotation amounts for precise focus adjustments, allowing the focus lens to be moved based on the set rotation amount.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the rotation range of the focus ring is made larger to achieve fine focusing, then the focusing precision is improved, but the rotation amount required for rough focusing is increased, which deteriorates usability
Solution Approach 1:
The focus ring is designed with infinite rotation capability, transforming it from a fixed-range mechanical component to a dynamic component with adjustable rotation ranges. The control part dynamically adjusts the focus lens position based on detected rotation amounts, allowing the system to adapt between rough focusing (large rotation) and fine focusing (small rotation) modes, thereby resolving the contradiction between focusing precision and usability
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the focus ring by allowing multiple rotation ranges to be set through the setting part. The storage part stores correspondence between rotation amounts and focus lens positions for different rotation ranges. By switching between different rotation range configurations, the system can optimize for either precision (smaller effective range) or ease of operation (larger effective range), eliminating the need to compromise between these conflicting requirements
2Measurement precision
If the rotation range of the focus ring is increased for fine focusing, then the focusing accuracy is improved, but the time required for rough focusing is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts the focus ring's operational characteristics based on the current focusing stage. During rough focusing, the infinite rotation capability allows rapid large-amplitude rotations without mechanical constraints. During fine focusing, the control part utilizes the stored rotation amount to position relationships to achieve precise adjustments. This dynamic adaptation eliminates the time loss that would occur with fixed-range focus rings
Solution Approach 2:
The storage part pre-stores the correspondence between rotation amounts and focus lens positions for multiple rotation ranges. This preliminary preparation allows the control part to immediately translate user rotation input into accurate focus lens positioning without requiring recalibration or computation delays, thereby reducing the overall focusing time while maintaining high accuracy
Data Source
AI summary
The imaging device includes a camera body and an interchangeable lens unit detachably attached to the camera body, the imaging device including, an optical system including a focus lens, an infinite rotation type focus ring, a lens drive part moving the focus lens forward and backward in an optical axis direction of the optical system, a setting part allowing a user to set a rotation range of the focus ring, a storage part assigning and storing respective different rotation amounts of the focus ring to multiple positions within a movement stroke of the focus lens in accordance with a rotation range set in the setting part, and a control part driving the lens drive part to move the focus lens depending on a rotation amount of the focus ring to a position corresponding to the rotation amount stored in the storage part.