IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,816,755
Granted Patent B2
US 10,816,755 · App. 15/951,599 · Granted Oct 27, 2020

Variable focal length lens device

Inventors: Hiroshi Sakai (Kanagawa, JP); Yutaka Watanabe (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
G02B7/102G02B3/14G02B7/04G02B15/04G02B15/14G06F3/048H04N5/23203H04N5/23216H04N5/2254H04N5/2256
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,816,755
App. No.
15/951,599
Granted
Oct 27, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A variable focal length lens device includes: a lens system whose refractive index is variable in response to an inputted drive signal; an image detector for detecting an image of a target object through the lens system; a lens controller for outputting the drive signal and an illumination signal; and a lens operation unit for adjusting a frequency and amplitude of the drive signal outputted by the lens controller and an image-detection timing for the image detector. The lens controller includes a resonance-lock controller for tuning the drive signal to a resonance frequency of the lens system. The lens operation unit includes a resonance-lock operation unit for switchably enabling and suspending the resonance-lock controller.

Claims (15)

1. A variable focal length lens device comprising:

a lens system whose refractive index is variable depending on an inputted drive signal;

an objective lens disposed in an optical axis common to the lens system;

an image detector configured to detect an image of a target object through the lens system and the objective lens;

a lens controller configured to output the drive signal; and

a lens operation unit configured to adjust a frequency, an amplitude and a maximum drive voltage of the drive signal outputted by the lens controller, wherein

the lens controller comprises a resonance-lock controller configured to lock the frequency of the drive signal to a variable and temperature-dependent resonance frequency of the lens system, and

the lens operation unit comprises a resonance-lock operation unit configured to switch enabling and suspending the resonance-lock controller.

2. The variable focal length lens device according to claim 1 , wherein

the lens controller is in a form of a dedicated hardware, and

the lens operation unit is in a form of a computer system configured to run a dedicated software.

3. The variable focal length lens device according to claim 1 , wherein

the lens operation unit further comprises an operation interface,

the operation interface comprises a main screen, a setting portion for the frequency and the amplitude of the drive signal, and an operation portion for enabling and suspending the resonance-lock controller, the setting portion and the operation portion being displayed on the main screen, and

a setting portion for an image-detection timing of the image detector and a setting portion for the maximum drive voltage of the drive signal are each displayed on a sub screen independent of the main screen.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 12, 2018
From: SAKAI, HIROSHI; WATANABE, YUTAKA
To: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 045523/0476 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2017-089578 · Apr 28, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180314033A1 · Nov 1, 2018
Cited By (2)
US 12,675,023 US 12,732,676