Spherical Patents (Class 359/664)
  • Patent number: 11910102
    Abstract: An optical image system may include a monocentric lens optically coupled to a fiber bundle and an image sensor. The fiber bundle may provide a curved face towards the monocentric lens and a flat face towards an image sensor. The fiber bundle may transfer light passing through the monocentric lens to the image sensor. The optical image system may include an optical correction structure having a diffractive optical element (DOE), which may be located between the monocentric lens and the fiber bundle. The optical correction structure may increase light in-coupling between the monocentric lens and fiber bundle by reducing or eliminating light reflection at the curved face of the fiber bundle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Milan Maksimovic, Miodrag Scepanovic
  • Patent number: 11523051
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods, and structures for monocentric multiscale gigapixel imaging systems and cameras employing a Galilean architecture wherein adjacent subimages do not overlap while advantageously producing a reduced system volume, improved relative illumination and image quality as compared with prior art systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignees: Aqueti Incorporated, Duke University
    Inventors: David Jones Brady, Wubin Pang
  • Patent number: 11487066
    Abstract: A package includes a light emitting portion configured to emit light, a lens including a first lens surface and a second lens surface, a protective layer between the light emitting portion and the first lens surface and that shields the first lens surface from a surrounding environment, and an optical component that redirects light output from the second lens surface. The first lens surface is configured to receive the emitted light from the light emitting portion, the second lens surface is configured output light that has passed through the first lens surface, and the protective layer has a refractive index greater than 1.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: MELLANOX TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Elad Mentovich, Yaakov Gridish, Anna Sandomirsky, Alon Rubinstein, Nimrod Rockman, Dimitrios Kalavrouziotis
  • Patent number: 11480754
    Abstract: A multi-group lens assembly includes a plurality of lens group units and at least one assembly structure. The assembly structure is for assembling two adjacent lens group units. Lenses in the lens group units are made of any two or three of a glass material, a resin material, and a glass-resin composite material. Alternatively, the lenses are made of only the glass-resin composite material. The lenses can be assembled and adjusted easily and conveniently and have high pixel densities and small TTLs, thereby improving user experience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: NINGBO SUNNY OPOTECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chunmei Liu, Mingzhu Wang, Zhenyu Chen, Nan Guo
  • Patent number: 10900902
    Abstract: A method to simultaneously detect emission intensity or images at multiple distinct emission wavelengths in the analysis of parallel sample streams in a flow-based analysis system and apparatus for performing the described method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: UNM Rainforest Innovations
    Inventors: Andrew P Shreve, Steven Wayde Graves, Bruce S Edwards, Jaime Javier Juarez
  • Patent number: 10107993
    Abstract: A wide-angle optical system includes in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens having a negative refractive power, a second lens having a negative refractive power, a third lens having a positive refractive power, an aperture stop, a fourth lens having a positive refractive power, and a fifth lens. An object-side surface of the first lens is convex toward the object side, and the following conditional expression (1) is satisfied. 1.0<(R1L+R1R)/(R1L?R1R)?2.0??(1) where, R1L denotes a paraxial radius of curvature of the object-side surface of the first lens, and R1R denotes a paraxial radius of curvature of an image-side surface of the first lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takahiro Amanai
  • Patent number: 10054771
    Abstract: An optical imaging system includes a first lens having refractive power; a second lens having refractive power; a third lens having refractive power and cemented to the second lens; a fourth lens having refractive power; a fifth lens having refractive power and cemented to the fourth lens; a sixth lens having refractive power; a seventh lens having refractive power; and an eighth lens having refractive power. The first to eighth lenses are sequentially disposed in numerical order beginning with the first lens from an object side of the optical imaging system toward an imaging plane of the optical imaging system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyuk Joo Kim, Seong Ho Hwang
  • Patent number: 9733440
    Abstract: Optical connectors for connecting optical fiber to a light source are disclosed. In one embodiment, an optical connector includes a housing with a first end having an open aperture and a second end having a blind aperture. A chamber is disposed in the housing such that the optical axis of the housing passes through the chamber. The chamber includes a first material. A light collecting region formed from a second material is disposed in the housing between the second end of the housing and the chamber. A blind aperture is positioned in the light collecting region such that a termination of the blind aperture is spaced apart from the chamber by at least a portion of the second material. A refracting surface is disposed in the housing between the open aperture and the light collecting region such that the optical axis of the housing passes through the refracting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Joshua Monroe Cobb, Carl Edgar Crossland, Paul Gerard Dewa, Barry James Kosowski, Peter Gerard Wigley
  • Patent number: 9733457
    Abstract: A zoom lens includes a first lens group and a second lens group. The first lens group has a negative refractive power and includes a first lens, a second lens, and a third lens arranged in sequence from a magnified side to a minified side, refractive powers of which are negative, negative, and positive, respectively. The second lens group has a positive refractive power and is disposed between the first lens group and the minified side. The second lens group includes a fourth lens, a fifth lens, a sixth lens, a seventh lens, an eighth lens, a ninth lens, and a tenth lens arranged in sequence from the magnified side to the minified side, refractive powers of which are positive, negative, positive, negative, positive, negative, and positive, respectively. The first lens and the tenth lens are aspheric lenses, and the second lens to the ninth lens are spherical lenses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Coretronic Corporation
    Inventors: Tao-Hung Kuo, Hsin-Wen Tsai, Ching-Chuan Wei, Chuan-Te Cheng
  • Patent number: 9606295
    Abstract: A lens assembly is used in a fiber-optic communication system, and includes a substrate and at least one lens unit formed on the substrate. The lens unit has first and second surfaces, a first light-transmissive region proximate to the first surface, a second light-transmissive region proximate to the second surface, a light attenuation region located between the first and second light-transmissive regions, and an optical axis passing through the first and second light-transmissive regions and the light attenuation region. The light attenuation region has at least one attenuation layer formed with multiple carbonized spots using a high-energy beam such that the light transmittance of the lens unit is not greater than 70%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Forward Optics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wei Shen, Chia-Jung Chang, Yuan-Lin Lee
  • Patent number: 9333708
    Abstract: An exposure device includes a rotation driving section that rotationally drives an exposure object; a light irradiation section that irradiates an exposure surface of the exposure object with laser light; a slide moving section secured to the rotation driving section or the light irradiation section, and moving the rotation driving section or the light irradiation section along the exposure surface in a direction crossing a direction of rotation of the rotation driving section; a signal generating section that transmits an analog modulating signal to the light irradiation section in accordance with a rotation synchronization signal from the rotation driving section, the analog modulating signal causing an intensity of the laser light to be changed; and a controlling section that controls movements of the rotation driving section, the slide moving section, and the light irradiation section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinsuke Haga, Masaki Ohno, Taichi Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 9019601
    Abstract: A light harvesting lens module for collecting an ambient light includes a plurality of annular lenses. The annular lenses are arranged in order from center to outside to form a disc-structure. Each annular lens has a light-input curved surface and a light-output curved surface. The light-input curved surface is in opposition to the center. The light-output curved surface is in opposition to the light-input curved surface, and faces the center. The light is incident on the light-input curved surface, and is refracted and tend to concentrate by the light-input curved surface. Then, the light is emitted from the annular lens, and is refracted to the direction of the center by the light-output curved surface. The ambient light is able to be compressed into a point light by the lens module, so as to increase the concentration ratio and the compression ratio to further get the effective advantage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Wei-Che Hsieh, Allen Jong-Woei Whang, Yi-Yung Chen
  • Publication number: 20150077859
    Abstract: A zoom lens includes first to fourth lens groups having negative, positive, negative, and positive refractive power, respectively, and arranged in order from an object side. The first lens group includes negative lenses. The fourth lens group is configured of one positive lens. A zooming operation from wide end to telephoto end allows the first to third lens groups to travel along an optical axis, and allows the fourth lens group to be fixed. A focusing operation allows the third lens group to travel along the optical axis. The conditional expressions 1<(R1a+R1b)/(R1a?R1b)<5 and 2<(R4a+R4b)/(R4a?R4b)<7 are satisfied where R1a and R1b are curvature radii on the object side and on the image side of a most-object-sided negative lens in the first lens group, respectively, and R4a and R4b are curvature radii on the object side and on the image side of the positive lens in the fourth lens group, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventors: Fumikazu Kanetaka, Kodai Nagamatsu
  • Patent number: 8928988
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided to enable the capture of large (e.g., Gigapixel) images with high image quality using optical imaging systems that have a small form factor. The disclosed systems can be manufactured in a cost effective fashion, and can be readily assembled, aligned, tested and utilized. One such system comprises a monocentric primary optics section that includes one or more surfaces adapted to form a symmetrical arrangement around a common point of origin. The system also includes a secondary optics section that includes a plurality of secondary optics subsections, where each secondary optics subsection can intercept at least a portion of the light collected by the monocentric primary optics section. The combination of the primary optics section and the secondary optics section is adapted to form an image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Joseph E. Ford, Eric Tremblay
  • Publication number: 20150002942
    Abstract: A miniature image pickup lens includes a first lens, a second lens, an aperture, a third lens, a fourth lens, and a fifth lens arranged in sequence along an optical axis from an object side to an image side. The first lens is a negative meniscus lens with a convex surface towards the object side and a concave surface towards the image side. The second lens is a positive lens with a convex surface towards the object side. The third lens is a positive biconvex lens, and the fourth lens is a negative biconcave lens. The fifth lens has a convex surface towards the object side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Sze-Ying CHEN, Yi-Fang CHEN
  • Patent number: 8896661
    Abstract: Optical camera systems for nondestructive internal inspection of online, operating power generation turbines, including gas turbine combustor and turbine sections that are at high operating temperatures in the range of over 600° C. (1112° F.) and which include combustion gas contaminants. The inspection system includes one or more aspheric lenses capable of withstanding continuous operating temperatures above 600° C. The aspheric lenses, alone or in combination with spherical lenses, establish a wider field of view, and require fewer lenses in combination than lens mounts incorporating only spherical lenses. A cooling system incorporated in the inspection system facilitates continuous operation and inhibits lens external surface fouling from combustion gasses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Erwan Baleine, Vinay Jonnalagadda
  • Patent number: 8895910
    Abstract: An optical element for condensing light is provided, wherein the optical element has a first cylindrical face and a second cylindrical face at one side and a third cylindrical face at an other side and a plane including an axis of the first cylindrical face and an axis of the third cylindrical face intersects with a plane including an axis of the second cylindrical face and the axis of the third cylindrical face. A light detection device for detecting light is provided, wherein the light detection device includes the optical element as described above and an element for detecting light condensed by the optical element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Suguru Sangu, Atsushi Sakai
  • Patent number: 8884815
    Abstract: According one embodiment, a millimeter-wave radiation imaging array includes a plurality of antenna elements configured to receive millimeter-wave radiative input. Each lenslet of a plurality of lenslets are coupled to one of the plurality of antenna elements such that no air exists between each lenslet and the one of the plurality of antenna elements. Each lenslet has a spherical portion being operable to direct the radiative input towards the one of the plurality of antenna elements. An energy detector is coupled to the plurality of antenna elements opposite the plurality of lenslets and operable to measure the radiative input received by the plurality of antenna elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Ratheon Company
    Inventors: Michael A. Gritz, Robert F. Burkholder, Stephen H. Black, Borys Pawel Kolasa
  • Publication number: 20140307329
    Abstract: To off-axis and on-axis aberrations at low cost while having a wide angle of view, an endoscope objective optical system (1) has in order: a negative first lens (L1); a negative second lens (L2) and a third lens (L3) joined to each other; a brightness diaphragm (S); and a positive lens group (G2) having a cemented lens (CL2) including one positive lens and one negative lens joined to each other, and satisfies expressions (1) and (2): 1.0<D3(96 deg)/f_all<10 ??(1) 1.1<(r1+r2)/(r1?r2)<5.0 ??(2) where, D3(96 deg) is a distance in which a chief ray of a d-line having an incident angle of 96 degrees that enters the first lens transmits the third lens, f_all is a focal distance of the whole system, r1 and r2 are radii of curvature of an object side surface of the first lens and an image side surface of the second lens, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventor: Masahiro Katakura
  • Patent number: 8848295
    Abstract: Gradient index lenses with no aberrations and related methods for making such lenses are described. In one aspect, a gradient index lens can be a substantially spherically-shaped lens that has at least one side that is flattened such that a locus of focal points resides on a plane. A method for making a gradient index lens can include forming material layers, each of the material layers defining an effective refractive index, and laminating the material layers together to form a substantially spherically-shaped lens having at least one side that is flattened to a substantially planar surface. The material layers can have a gradient refractive index distribution such that a locus of focal points resides on the substantially planar surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Duke University
    Inventors: David R. Smith, Nathan B. Kundtz
  • Patent number: 8675284
    Abstract: Disclosed is a truncated ball lens, and method of making same, in which a ball lens, having a focal point internal to (i.e., inside of) the ball lens, is constructed by removing a surface of the ball lens so as to expose the focal point. The exposed side of the truncated ball lens faces the endface of a fiber directing light towards the lens. In a preferred embodiment, an optical axis of the truncated ball lens coincides with an optical axis of the fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Aaron Kadar-Kallen
  • Patent number: 8665525
    Abstract: One embodiment provides for a gradient lens having a first substantially hemispherical member comprising a first convex surface and a base and a second substantially hemispherical member projecting away from the base of the first hemispherical member and comprising a second convex surface. The gradient lens also includes a plurality of gradient layers disposed within the first hemispherical member, each gradient layer concentrically aligned to the first hemispherical member and comprising an index of refraction different than that of adjacent gradient layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: EMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald N. Black, Enrique Jesus Ruiz, William M. Smith, John Haslam, John L. Beafore
  • Patent number: 8647263
    Abstract: The invention provides lenses at low cost, which form an illumination optical system for endoscopes that has high efficiency and achieves improved light distribution. The illumination optical system for endoscopes is used in opposition to a light beam exit end 1 of a transmission means F for light emitted from a light source, and comprises, as viewed from the light beam exit end 1, a lens group 10 having positive power and an optical member 20 subsequent thereto which has a spherical surface 20a that functions as a lens, has a radius of curvature R, and satisfies the following condition: 1.48?S/?R2?4??(1) where R is the radius of curvature of the spherical surface, in mm, and S is a surface area of the spherical surface, in mm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Keiji Murata, Hiroshi Tsuyuki, Daisuke Akiyama
  • Publication number: 20130314675
    Abstract: A six group projection zoom lens downsized with broadened angle of view while aberrations are satisfactorily corrected over the entire zoom range, including a negative lens group having a negative power, a second lens group having a positive power, a third lens group having a positive power, a fourth lens group having a negative power, a fifth lens group having a positive power, and a sixth lens group having a positive power in this order from the magnification side and is configured telecentric on the reduction side. The first and sixth lens groups are fixed while the second to fifth lens groups are moved independently of each other at the time of zooming. The fifth lens group includes a plurality of lenses and a biconvex lens is disposed on the most magnification side. The projection zoom lens satisfies conditional expressions (1): (R51a+R51b)/(R51a?R51b)?0 and (2): 25.0<?d51<45.0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2013
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Masaru AMANO
  • Publication number: 20130306609
    Abstract: A laser cutting apparatus (10) includes a laser processing head (15) that receives a laser beam emitted by a laser oscillator (12) and that uses a spherical lens for converging the laser beam so as to cause the intensity distribution of the laser beam to have a caldera-like shape, in which the intensity of the laser beam is higher in a peripheral area than in a central area, at the position of a workpiece (20). Moreover, the laser processing head (15) radiates the laser beam whose focal position is displaced from the position of the workpiece (20) to the workpiece (20). Therefore, the laser cutting apparatus (10) performs an inversion on the laser beam by using the spherical aberration of the spherical lens. Consequently, with a simple configuration, a laser beam whose inner area and outer area are inverted at the position of the workpiece (2) can be generated, and the processing direction for processing the workpiece (20) is not limited.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2011
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Inventors: Masao Watanabe, Shuho Tsubota
  • Publication number: 20130249034
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical device produced by cutting a wafer-scale package comprising at least one optical module formed from a substrate (1) pierced with a plurality of through-holes (2) and optical elements disposed in the holes. According to the invention, at least one of the holes receives two lenses (3, 4) made from at least one polymer material transparent in the 400 nm-700 nm range, each of the lenses being defined by an external diopter and an internal diopter. The invention is characterised in that a space is formed between the internal diopters of two lenses and in that the substrate contains no polymer material between two adjacent through-holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventor: Luc Andre
  • Publication number: 20130206967
    Abstract: An optoelectronic module includes a micro-optical substrate and a beam transmitter, including a laser die mounted on the micro-optical substrate and configured to emit at least one laser beam along a beam axis. A receiver includes a detector die mounted on the micro-optical substrate and configured to sense light received by the module along a collection axis of the receiver. Beam-combining optics are configured to direct the laser beam and the received light so that the beam axis is aligned with the collection axis outside the module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2013
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: PRIMESENSE LTD.
    Inventor: Primesense Ltd.
  • Patent number: 8500300
    Abstract: The invention is related to an optical lens, a light-emitting diode optical component and a light-emitting diode road lamp. The optical lens formed as a semi-spherical shape includes an uplifting spherical surface and a bottom surface corresponding to the spherical surface. The bottom surface includes an elongate recess concave to the spherical surface and formed with an inner surface corresponding to the spherical surface and two vertical side surfaces adjacent to the inner surface. The inner surface of the elongate recess includes a similar Gaussian distribution curve provided on a section parallel to the vertical side surfaces. A focus is contained in a center of the bottom surface. A light-emitting diode is disposed below the focus of the optical lens. The special outline structure of the optical lens can provide a uniform luminance distribution on an illuminating area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: National Applied Research Laboratories
    Inventors: Yu-Bin Fang, Chi-Feng Lin, Po-Hua Yang
  • Publication number: 20130194379
    Abstract: Optical camera systems for nondestructive internal inspection of online, operating power generation turbines, including gas turbine combustor and turbine sections that are at high operating temperatures in the range of over 600° C. (1112° F.) and which include combustion gas contaminants. The inspection system includes one or more aspheric lenses capable of withstanding continuous operating temperatures above 600° C. The aspheric lenses, alone or in combination with spherical lenses, establish a wider field of view, and require fewer lenses in combination than lens mounts incorporating only spherical lenses. A cooling system incorporated in the inspection system facilitates continuous operation and inhibits lens external surface fouling from combustion gasses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Inventors: Erwan Baleine, Vinay Jonnalagadda
  • Publication number: 20130155522
    Abstract: The present invention provides a lens having broadband anti-reflective nanostructures formed using nano-island masks and a method for making the same, in which nanostructures having a size and period equal to or smaller than the light wavelength are formed on the surface of a lens to obtain a lens having decreased reflectance, increased transmittance and high efficiency. The lens having broadband anti-reflective nanostructures formed using nano-island masks comprises: a lens having a planar shape or a predetermined curvature; and anti-reflective nanostructures formed on one surface of the lens using nano-island masks, in which the horizontal and vertical cross-sections of the anti-reflective nanostructures have a size equal to or smaller than the light wavelength.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2012
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: Kaist (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology)
    Inventor: Kaist (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and T
  • Publication number: 20130114147
    Abstract: This invention is a wide field surveillance optical system with inherent features being, non mechanical, compact, high resolution, a field of view up to two pi steradians solid angle. The optics design uses a single optical system and multiple flat image collection devices. Multiple fiber plates translate the image off of the curved image surface to a plane for flat image collection devices. The fiber plates also act to translate the image into a larger volume as compared to the curved image surface, allowing required volume for the multiple image collection devices. This invention uses a single optical system with multiple CCD or CMOS detectors. Advantages over prior art are simple optical designs, rugged optics because it can be manufactured as a single piece, and wider field of view without the sacrifice of resolution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Inventor: Daniel Lee Stark
  • Publication number: 20130083521
    Abstract: The invention is related to an optical lens, a light-emitting diode optical component and a light-emitting diode road lamp. The optical lens formed as a semi-spherical shape includes an uplifting spherical surface and a bottom surface corresponding to the spherical surface. The bottom surface includes an elongate recess concave to the spherical surface and formed with an inner surface corresponding to the spherical surface and two vertical side surfaces adjacent to the inner surface. The inner surface of the elongate recess includes a similar Gaussian distribution curve provided on a section parallel to the vertical side surfaces. A focus is contained in a center of the bottom surface. A light-emitting diode is disposed below the focus of the optical lens. The special outline structure of the optical lens can provide a uniform luminance distribution on an illuminating area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2011
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Inventors: Yu-Bin FANG, Chi-Feng LIN, Po-Hua YANG
  • Publication number: 20130044253
    Abstract: A lens includes an optically effective portion and a peripheral portion. The optically effective portion is configured for converging light, and includes a first surface, a second surface, and a third surface interconnecting the first and second surfaces. The first and second surfaces are plane surfaces, and are parallel with each other. The third surface is a convex surface. The peripheral portion is arranged surrounding the optically effective portion. The peripheral portion has a fourth surface substantially perpendicular to the first and second surfaces. The third surface is convex away from the fourth surface. The first surface intersects the fourth surface at a first side. The second surface intersects the fourth surface at a second side. The first and second sides have a same length. The length is greater than a distance between the first side and the second side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: CHUN-YU LEE
  • Publication number: 20130010368
    Abstract: Techniques related to miniature lenses and lens arrays are generally described herein. The described techniques may be embodied in apparatuses, systems, methods and/or processes for making and using such lenses. In some examples, the various techniques may be utilized for miniature lenses such as nanometer to micron sized spherical lenses or lens arrays. An example process may include dewetting polymer films to form such lenses. The resulting lens-size may be tunable from about 200 nm to a few tens of microns, and more particularly in a range from about 200 nm to about 10 ?m with spherical shapes of contact angles ranging from about 30° to about 150°. The resulting lenses may be tunable polymeric structures formed generally by self-organized room temperature dewetting of ultrathin polymer films by reducing the surface tension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY KANPUR
    Inventors: Ashutosh Sharma, Ankur Verma
  • Patent number: 8351127
    Abstract: A gradient lens capable of focusing electromagnetic rays received at a first lens surface onto a second lens surface. The first lens surface and second lens surface can include convex surfaces protruding in opposite directions from a substantially planar surface. The lens can include a gradient index between the first surface and the planar surface and a gradient index between the two convex surfaces. The lens can include two or more gradient layers, each gradient layer having an index of refraction different than that of adjacent gradient layers. The gradient layers can focus parallel electromagnetic rays incident on the first surface onto a focal point at the second surface of the lens. As the parallel electromagnetic rays pass from one gradient layer to the next, the rays are redirected toward the focal point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: EMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald N. Black, Jr., Enrique Jesus Ruiz, William M. Smith, John Haslam, John L. Beafore
  • Publication number: 20120300312
    Abstract: Disclosed is a truncated ball lens, and method of making same, in which a ball lens, having a focal point internal to (i.e., inside of) the ball lens, is constructed by removing a surface of the ball lens so as to expose the focal point. The exposed side of the truncated ball lens faces the endface of a fiber directing light towards the lens. In a preferred embodiment, an optical axis of the truncated ball lens coincides with an optical axis of the fiber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Aaron Kadar-Kallen
  • Publication number: 20120280115
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to optical rotary joints (35) for enabling optical communication between a rotor and a stator, and to improved optical reflector assemblies for use in such optical rotary joints.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Inventors: K. Peter Lo, Norris E. Lewis, Heath E. Kouns, Martin J. Oosterhuis
  • Publication number: 20120051206
    Abstract: An objective lens includes: a solid immersion lens having a super-hemispherical or hemispherical shape, wherein a hyper-lens portion is formed in a part of an object-side surface of the solid immersion lens and integrated therewith by alternately stacking a first thin film having a positive dielectric constant and a second thin film having a negative dielectric constant along spherical shapes starting from a spherical shape having a radius Ri around a predetermined reference point Pr set outside the object-side surface of the solid immersion lens to a spherical surface having a radius Ro (Ro>Ri) around the reference point Pr.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Fujiie, Koji Sekiguchi
  • Publication number: 20110194188
    Abstract: A zoom lens includes a first lens group, a second lens group, a third lens group, and a fourth lens group. The first lens group including three lenses is disposed between a magnified side and an reduced side, and the first lens group has a negative refractive power. The second lens group including two lenses is disposed between the first lens group and the reduced side, and the second lens group has a positive refractive power. The third lens group including one lens is disposed between the second lens group and the reduced side, and the third lens group has a positive refractive power. The fourth lens group including seven lenses is disposed between the third lens group and the reduced side, and the fourth lens group has a positive refractive power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2010
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Applicant: Young Optics Inc.
    Inventors: Yuan-Hung Su, Yi-Hao Kang
  • Patent number: 7978418
    Abstract: The optical device includes a first capillary tube assembly including a capillary tube into which an optical fiber is inserted and fixed, and a retaining sleeve for retaining the capillary tube; a second capillary tube assembly including a capillary tube into which optical fibers are inserted and fixed, and a retaining sleeve for retaining the capillary tube; and a lens assembly including a first lens that faces a forward end face of a first optical fiber with a gap therebetween, a second lens facing end faces of optical fibers with a gap therebetween, a band pass filter interposed between the first lens and the second lens, and an accommodation member for receiving the first and second lenses and the band pass filter. The retaining sleeve of the first capillary tube assembly is secured to one end surface of the accommodation member, and the retaining member of the second capillary tube assembly is secured to another end surface of the accommodation member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Nippon Electric Glass Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirokazu Tanaka, Funabiki Nobuo
  • Publication number: 20110157710
    Abstract: A zoom lens including a first lens group and a second lens group arranged in sequence from a magnified side toward a reduced side is provided. The first lens group has a negative refractive power and includes a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, and a fourth lens arranged in sequence from the magnified side toward the reduced side, of which the refractive powers are respectively positive, negative, negative, and positive. The second lens group has a positive refractive power and includes a fifth lens, a sixth lens, a seventh lens, an eighth lens, a ninth lens, a tenth lens, and an eleventh lens arranged in sequence from the magnified side toward the reduced side, of which the refractive powers are respectively positive, negative, positive, negative, positive, negative, and positive. The eighth lens, the ninth lens, and the tenth lens together form a triple cemented lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: YOUNG OPTICS INC.
    Inventors: Yu-Hung Chou, Yuan-Long Cai, Chien-Hsiung Tseng
  • Publication number: 20100328779
    Abstract: An antenna element suitable for integrated arrays at terahertz frequencies is disclosed. The antenna element comprises an extended spherical (e.g. hemispherical) semiconductor lens, e.g. silicon, antenna fed by a leaky wave waveguide feed. The extended spherical lens comprises a substantially spherical lens adjacent a substantially planar lens extension. A couple of TE/TM leaky wave modes are excited in a resonant cavity formed between a ground plane and the substantially planar lens extension by a waveguide block coupled to the ground plane. Due to these modes, the primary feed radiates inside the lens with a directive pattern that illuminates a small sector of the lens. The antenna structure is compatible with known semiconductor fabrication technology and enables production of large format imaging arrays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: California Institute of Technolology
    Inventors: Nuria Llombart Juan, Choonsup Lee, Goutam Chattopadhyay, John J. Gill, Anders Skalare, Peter H. Siegel
  • Patent number: 7826148
    Abstract: Aspheric lens structures with dual aspheric surfaces and fabrication methods thereof are disclosed. An aspheric lens structure includes a first lens component with an aspheric top surface disposed on a second lens component, wherein the interface between the first lens component and the second lens component is spherical. The second lens component includes an aspheric back surface, wherein the radius of curvature of the aspheric top surface of the first lens component is different than the radius of curvature of the aspheric back surface of the second lens component. The second lens component may also include a planar back surface with a third lens component disposed on the planar back surface of the second component. The third lens component includes an aspheric back surface, wherein the radius of curvature of the aspheric top surface of the first lens component is different than the radius of curvature of the aspheric back surface of the third lens component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: VisEra Technologies Company Limited
    Inventors: Pai-Chun Peter Zung, Shin-Chang Shiung, Wei-Ko Wang, Chia-Yang Chang, Chien-Pang Lin
  • Publication number: 20100238559
    Abstract: An optical device (1) includes: a first capillary tube assembly (2) and a second capillary tube assembly (3), in which capillary tubes (6, 10) into which optical fibers (5, 8 (9)) are inserted and fixed, are retained, respectively, by retaining sleeves (7, 11); and a lens assembly (4) including a first lens (12) and a second lens (13), which are opposed to leading ends (5a, 8a (9a)) of the optical fibers (5, 8 (9)), respectively, through a space; a band pass filter (14) interposed between both lenses (12, 13); and an accommodation member (15) for accommodating those components. At least one of the lens (12) is formed of a spherical portion (12b) and a flat surface portion (12a), the flat surface portion (12a) is formed into an inclined surface, and a center of curvature of the spherical portion (12b) is offset from the optical axis of the optical fiber (5).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Inventor: Hirokazu Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20100231873
    Abstract: A fixed-focus lens disposed between an object side and an image side is provided. The fixed-focus lens includes a reflector, a curved reflector, a first lens group, and a second lens group disposed in sequence from the object side to the image side. The first lens group includes two aspheric lenses. The second lens group includes a spherical lens and an aspheric lens, wherein the aspheric lens of the second lens group is closest to the image side in the second lens group. Besides, an effective focal length (EFL) of the fixed-focus lens is f, an EFL of the second lens group is f2, and a clear aperture of the aspheric lens of the second lens group is D. The fixed-focus lens satisfies one of following conditions: 0.04<f/f2<0.078 and 0.05<f/D<0.18. An apparatus integrating optical projection and image detection is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: YOUNG OPTICS INC.
    Inventors: Jung-Yao Chen, Hsin-Te Chen
  • Patent number: 7760450
    Abstract: A lens system includes a first lens and a second lens in order from the object side thereof. The first lens includes a first optical portion and a first mounting portion surrounding the first optical portion. The second lens includes a second optical portion with a convex object side surface, and a second mounting portion surrounding the second optical portion. The convex object side surface includes an optical surface at the center thereof and a first connecting surface surrounding the optical surface. The second mounting portion includes a second connecting surface surrounding the first connecting surface. Wherein the angle measured anti-clockwise from the first connecting surface to the axis of the lens system satisfies a certain condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mei-Chun Lin, Chun-Hsiang Huang, Hsin-Tsung Yeh, Wei-Hsiu Chang, Kuang-Wei Lin, Kuan-Ting Chen
  • Publication number: 20100149650
    Abstract: The optical device includes a first capillary tube assembly including a capillary tube into which an optical fiber is inserted and fixed, and a retaining sleeve for retaining the capillary tube; a second capillary tube assembly including a capillary tube into which optical fibers are inserted and fixed, and a retaining sleeve for retaining the capillary tube; and a lens assembly including a first lens that faces a forward end face of the optical fiber with a gap therebetween, a second lens facing the end faces of the optical fibers with a gap therebetween, a band pass filter interposed between the first lens and the second lens, and an accommodation member for receiving the first and second lenses and the band pass filter. The retaining sleeve of the first capillary tube assembly is secured to one end surface of the accommodation member, and the retaining member of the second capillary tube assembly is secured to another end surface of the accommodation member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2007
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Inventors: Hirokazu Tanaka, Funabiki Nobuo
  • Patent number: 7670064
    Abstract: An optical module has a lens holder with a lens assembly of, for example, three lenses and a diaphragm. The lenses and the optional diaphragm are unequivocally oriented by the geometrical form thereof such that no other optical adjustment is required. The optical module has a specially embodied circuit carrier with a thin region and a thick region that holds the thin, relatively sensitive region as in a frame, the thin region preferably carrying a semiconductor element. Along with the particularly low tolerances between the semiconductor element and the lens unit, the invention advantageously enables a more reliable assembly (e.g. soldering, gluing, etc.) of a semiconductor element, for example in flip-chip mounting technology, on a thin and thus relatively stable, flat plane, than comparable assembly processes of components on exclusively flexible circuit carriers. The optical module is particularly suitable for interior and exterior applications on motor vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesllschaft
    Inventor: Henryk Frenzel
  • Publication number: 20100046073
    Abstract: An optical waveguide with a tubular or hose-like housing is provided, which is used in a high-temperature environment, such as, for example, in a burner. The housing has an input opening, an output opening and a centre line extending from the input opening to the output opening. In the interior of the housing, transparent spheres are lined up along with centre line. The light is guided on account of the refraction of a light beam upon entering and exiting from the transparent spheres.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2007
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Inventors: Gilbert Braun, Volker Ertle, Christian Henke, Gülsen Kisaboyun, Andreas Pahl, Bernd Prade, Uwe Scheuer, Wolfgang Stammen, Edmund Zastrozny
  • Patent number: 7645057
    Abstract: An optical sheet includes a substrate onto which light is incident, and a convex part protruded from the substrate by a predetermined thickness. A thickness of the convex part increases from an edge to a center thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Miraenanotech Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Cheul Yong Kim, Sang Mook Kim, Jong Wook Huh, Dong Ryoul Kim, Ki Won Jeon, Ju Won Lee, Eun Jung Ham, Myung Su Lee