Imaging apparatus and intraoral camera
US10075628B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 22, 2016 |
| Grant date | Sep 11, 2018 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 25, 2036 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N23/555
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An imaging apparatus includes a lens, a moving mechanism, an imaging device, and a controller. The moving mechanism moves the lens in the optical axis direction. The controller drives, in response to an input of an imaging instruction, the moving mechanism to move the lens to a plurality of imaging positions from one of infinity and close-up ends to the other and drives the imaging device when the lens is positioned at each of the imaging positions. Since the interior of an oral cavity, for example, is difficult to capture, the focus can hardly be adjusted on it with high accuracy when an autofocus mechanism is used. However, since the lens is moved to the plurality of imaging positions in the optical axis direction in response to each input of the imaging instruction to obtain captured images, an in-focus image can be reliably obtained.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.