IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,215,788
Granted Patent B2
US 11,215,788 · App. 16/415,190 · Granted Jan 4, 2022

Variable focal length lens device and variable focal length lens control method

Inventors: Hiroshi Sakai (Kanagawa, JP); Yutaka Watanabe (Kanagawa, JP); Gyokubu Cho (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
G02B7/10G02B21/245H04N5/2254
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,215,788
App. No.
16/415,190
Granted
Jan 4, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A variable focal length lens device includes: a lens system whose refractive index changes in accordance with a drive signal to be inputted; an objective lens disposed on the same optical axis as the lens system; an image detector configured to detect an image of a measurement target through the lens system and the objective lens: a resonance-lock controller configured to tune the drive signal to a resonance frequency of the lens system; and a resonance-lock delay controller configured to divide a change in a frequency of the drive signal by a change amount set by the resonance-lock controller to step-by-step changes for n times by a preset reference value to delay the change in the frequency of the drive signal.

Claims (17)

1. A variable focal length lens device comprising:

a lens system whose refractive index changes in response to a drive signal to be inputted;

an objective lens disposed on the same optical axis as the lens system;

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

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

a resonance-lock delay controller configured to delay a change in the frequency of the drive signal by the resonance-lock controller.

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

the resonance-lock delay controller comprises a predetermined reference value that is set in advance and is configured to sequentially execute a plurality of frequency changes by the reference value at a predetermined time interval until the plurality of frequency changes reaches a frequency change of the drive signal controlled by the resonance-lock controller.

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

the resonance-lock delay controller comprises a number of dividing times that is set in advance and is configured to divide the frequency change of the drive signal controlled by the resonance-lock controller by the number of dividing times, and sequentially execute the plurality of frequency changes by the divided frequency change of the drive signal at a predetermined time interval.

4. A variable focal length lens control method using a variable focal length lens device, the variable focal length lens device comprising:

a lens system whose refractive index changes in response to a drive signal to be inputted;

an objective lens disposed on the same optical axis as the lens system;

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

a resonance-lock controller configured to tune a frequency of the drive signal to a variable and temperature-dependent resonance frequency of the lens system; the method comprising: converting a change in the frequency of the drive signal by the resonance-lock controller to a plurality of step-by-step changes.

5. The variable focal length lens device according to claim 1 , wherein the drive signal is at least one of sinusoidal, triangular, saw-tooth, and rectangular waveforms.

6. The variable focal length lens device according to claim 4 , wherein the drive signal is at least one of sinusoidal, triangular, saw-tooth, and rectangular waveforms.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 17, 2019
From: SAKAI, HIROSHI; WATANABE, YUTAKA; CHO, GYOKUBU
To: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 049211/0750 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2018-097266 · May 21, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190353872A1 · Nov 21, 2019
Cited By (2)
US 12,675,023 US 12,732,676