Interchangeable Lens Image Circle Adjustment for Compact High Zoom
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in imaging apparatuses is to reduce the size of optical systems with high zoom ratios while maintaining effective image formation, as traditional optical zoom systems tend to be large and cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
An interchangeable lens system with a variable focal distance optical system that adjusts the size of the image circle based on focal distance, coupled with an image processing unit that cuts out and magnifies image data accordingly, allowing for electronic zoom to enhance zoom capabilities without increasing lens size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional optical zoom systems are used to achieve high zoom ratio, then zoom capability is improved, but lens size becomes large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines optical zoom and electronic zoom into a hybrid system. The optical system provides base zoom capability while the image pickup device and processing unit provide additional electronic zoom, achieving high overall zoom ratio without requiring a proportionally large optical system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces part of the mechanical optical zoom system with an electronic zoom system using the image pickup device. Instead of relying solely on mechanical lens movement for high zoom ratios, the system uses electronic cropping and magnification of captured images to achieve the remaining zoom, reducing the mechanical lens size requirement.
2Volume of moving object
If electronic zoom is used to reduce lens size, then lens size is reduced, but image quality may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary capture of the entire scene at the widest optical zoom before applying electronic zoom. The image pickup device captures the full field of view, and then the processing unit crops and enlarges the relevant portion, ensuring that the electronic zoom operates on high-quality source data rather than attempting to create detail from nothing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the imaging parameters including the active region of the image pickup device and the magnification factor based on the desired zoom level. By changing these parameters adaptively, the system optimizes image quality for each zoom level while maintaining compact lens size.
Data Source
AI summary
An interchangeable lens includes an optical system which is variable in focal distance and in which a size of an image circle varies by the focal distance, the image circle being an effective image formation region of an optical image of a subject; a lens data storage unit which stores data indicating a correspondence between a value of the focal distance and a value of the size of the image circle; and a lens interface unit which sends data indicating the correspondence to the imaging apparatus.