Multiple Component Lenses Patents (Class 359/754)
  • Patent number: 7463432
    Abstract: An objective for use in a night sight device has a front lens group and a rear lens group. The lenses of the front lens group have essentially equal diameters, whereas the lenses of the rear lens group have increasingly large diameters starting from the front end of the lens group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Noctron Holding S.A.
    Inventors: Georg Diamantidis, Zhao Guozhong
  • Publication number: 20080283749
    Abstract: A corrective for eliminating the third-order aperture aberration and the first-order, first-degree axial chromatic aberration includes two correction pieces, which are arranged one behind the other in the direction of the optical axis, in which each correction piece has a plurality of quadrupole fields (QP) and at least one octupole field (OP.) Each correction piece is constructed such that it is symmetrical with respect to its central plane (S, S?) with each correction piece having an uneven number of at least five quadrupole fields (QP) and at least one octupole field (OP). Each correction piece is further constructed so that it is symmetrical with respect to its central plane. The central quadrupole field is arranged so that it is centered with respect to the central plane of the correction piece and is electromagnetic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2005
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Inventors: Heiko Muller, Harald Rose
  • Patent number: 7450312
    Abstract: An optical projection lens system for microlithography includes in the direction of propagating radiation: a first lens group having positive refractive power, a second lens group having negative refractive power and a waist (constriction) with a minimum diameter of the propagating radiation, and a further lens arrangement with positive refractive power, which follows the second lens group. At least one lens of the projection lens system which is arranged in front of the waist includes an aspherical surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT AG
    Inventors: David R. Shafer, Wilhelm Ulrich
  • Publication number: 20080254238
    Abstract: Producing a scaled multiple parallax compound lens is accomplished by providing an insect eye having multiple ommitidia and creating a polymer mold of the insect eye. A casting is then created from the polymer mold with an expandable polymer mold. A second casting is then created from the second polymer mold. Duplication of the process can be accomplished for further scaling up of the compound lens with the final casting created using a durable polymer having appropriate optical properties for the lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2007
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Applicant: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventor: Edward D. McCullough
  • Publication number: 20080212185
    Abstract: In a laser optical device including a beam shaping optical system 3 for shaping a laser beam 2 into a predetermined cross-sectional intensity distribution and converging the light and an image formation optical system 6 for forming an image of a shaped beam 4 shaped and converged through the beam shaping optical system 3, the image formation optical system 6 is made up of an objective lens system 8 having a negative focal length placed ahead of a focal plane 7 of the beam shaping optical system 3 and an imaging lens system 9 placed behind the objective lens system 8.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2006
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Inventor: Keiji Fuse
  • Patent number: 7411736
    Abstract: An image detection method includes steps of transferring image information in which, information of an object image on a sample (object plane) is transferred to a detection plane (image plane) of an imaging element via an optical system which includes a negative refraction lens formed of a material exhibiting negative refraction, detecting image in which, image-plane image information transferred to the detection plane (image plane) of the imaging device is detected optically, and calculation processing in which, for the image-plane image information which is detected, information of the object image is calculated by performing a calculation processing based on optical characteristics of the optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Takuya Tsukagoshi
  • Patent number: 7407334
    Abstract: In a lens group which is disposed forward of a photographing device and which includes at least a ceramic lens that is combined with a glass lens, wherein a conjugate surface of the photographing device by a combined surface between the ceramic lens and the glass lens is formed forward of the combined surface in an optical system that follows an optical system residing between the combined surface and the photographing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Sato
  • Patent number: 7405889
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical system that is capable of providing a zoom lens having improved image-formation capability with a reduced number of lenses, and fabricating a slim yet high-performance digital or video camera. The optical system comprises a cemented lens having a cementing surface on its optical axis. Air contact surfaces on the light ray entrance and exit sides of the cemented lens G2 are aspheric, and at least one cementing surface in the cemented lens G2 satisfies condition (1). 6.4<|(r/R)| ??(1) Here r is the axial radius of curvature of the cementing surface, and R is the maximum diameter of the cementing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Olympus Imaging Corp. and Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Masahito Watanabe, Kazuteru Kawamura
  • Publication number: 20080174886
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an image pickup lens, an image pickup apparatus, and a mobile terminal. An image pickup lens relating to the present invention is provided for forming an object image on a photoelectrical converter of a solid-state image pickup element. The image pickup lens includes a plurality of lenses. A lens having a maximum positive refractive power among the plurality of lenses is a glass lens, and the rest of the plurality of lenses are resin lenses formed of a curable resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2008
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Inventor: Masae Sato
  • Publication number: 20080144192
    Abstract: There is provided an optical component. An optical component according to an aspect of the invention includes a lens holder including a first electrode, an insulating structure formed on the first electrode and having a through hole provided as an optical path, and at least one second electrode formed inside the insulating structure to encompass the through hole, and at least one microlens located in the through hole and formed of transparent resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hee Sung Choi, Bae Kyun Kim, Mi Hee Park, Hee Jin Lee, Sung Soo Park, Dong Hyun Cho
  • Patent number: 7385770
    Abstract: An object is to provide an imaging lens system which can achieve reduction of the size and weight while maintaining the high optical performance. The imaging lens system of the present invention comprises, in order form an object side to an imaging surface side: a first lens having a positive power with its convex surface facing the object side; a second lens in a meniscus shape having a positive power with its concave surface facing the object side; and a third lens functioning as a correction lens, wherein the imaging lens system satisfies following expressions: 0.25<r1/f<0.50, and ?0.27<r3/f<?0.19 (where, r1: a radius of center curvature of the surface (first face) of the first lens on the object side, r3: a radius of center curvature of the surface (first face) of the second lens on the object side, f: a focal distance of an entire lens system).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Enplas Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20080130139
    Abstract: An optical device includes a silicon substrate, and multiple columnar members. The columnar members are integrally formed with the silicon substrate and stand on a top surface of the silicon substrate. The columnar members are made of silicon oxide. Light enters the columnar members in a first direction and propagates through the columnar members in a second direction. The columnar members extend in a third direction. The columnar members are arranged with a gap in the second direction. The second direction is perpendicular to the third direction. An angle between the first and third directions is greater than a critical angle and equal to or less than 90 degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2007
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Junji Oohara, Yukihiro Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 7381339
    Abstract: Increased yield of optical elements from cubic crystal rods, such as made of calcium fluoride, is made possible by orienting the optical elements for supporting the propagation of light along one of the <1 1 2>, <1 2 1>, or < 2 1 1> alternative crystal axis, which extend perpendicular to a main <1 1 1> crystal axis. A cleave is taken through the crystal rod along a primary crystal plane {1 1 1} normal to the <1 1 1> main axis. One of the <1 1 2>, <1 2 1>, or < 2 1 1> alternative crystal axes is located by optical inspection and indicated on the crystal rod with an orientation label. Additional cuts are taken parallel to the {1 1 1} primary crystal plane to divide the crystal rod into disks each containing a portion of the orientation label.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: David L. Aronstein, Douglas S. Goodman, Paul M. Then
  • Publication number: 20080117326
    Abstract: An optical device which allows size and cost reductions and enables simultaneous capture of images taken by a first optical system and images taken by a composite optical system composed of the first optical system and a second optical system. A first optical system is adapted to form a first image. A second optical system is disposed on a subject side of the first optical system, and is adapted to form a second image within the first image formed by the first optical system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Publication date: May 22, 2008
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akihiro Nishio
  • Patent number: 7365916
    Abstract: An object is to provide an aspherical lens having compactness in dimension, large degree of freedom in design, and good optical performance, with increasing in productivity, and lowering production cost. The aspherical lens constructed by a substrate member A and a member B having different composition formed on the substrate member A. A boundary between the substrate member A and the member B having different composition is formed by a first aspherical surface RAB, and a surface of the member B having different composition opposite to the boundary being formed by a second aspherical surface RB having higher fabrication accuracy than that of the first aspherical surface RAB, and given conditional expressions are satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Haruo Sato, Yoko Kimura
  • Patent number: 7349164
    Abstract: An imaging system includes a first optical component serving as an image forming part and a second optical component disposed in front of the first optical component relative to an incident light wave. The second optical component and first optical component are jointly provided with a configuration for forming an image on a focal plane. The second optical component is a concave lens-type special optical plate having a focal length infinite in the central part thereof and finite in the periphery thereof. Light past the second optical component has a light wave phase delayed in accordance as a radial distance from the optical axis is increased and has a special wavefront in which its curvature increases in accordance as the radial distance from the optical axis increases after passing the second optical component. Consequently, the wave front curvature after passing through an image forming lens at the image forming part is decreased in accordance with increase of the radial distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Itochu Aviation Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadashi Aruga
  • Patent number: 7342731
    Abstract: Provided are wafer scale lenses having a diffraction surface as well as a refractive surface, and an optical system having the same. The wafer scale lens includes a lens substrate, a first lens element formed on the object side of the lens substrate, having a positive refractive power, a second lens element formed on the image side of the lens substrate, having a diffraction surface, and a third lens element deposited on the diffraction surface of the second lens element, having a negative refractive power. The invention allows miniaturized optical system and efficient calibration of angle of view, reducing the angle of light incident onto the diffractive surface, thereby increasing diffraction efficiency and eliminating high order diffraction light to improve picture quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang Hyuck Lee, Sung Hwa Kim, Chon Su Kyong, Ho Seop Jeong
  • Patent number: 7339743
    Abstract: A very-high aperture, purely refractive projection objective is designed as a two-belly system with an object-side belly, an image-side belly and a waist (7) situated therebetween. The system diaphragm (5) is seated in the image-side belly at a spacing in front of the image plane. Arranged between the waist and the system diaphragm in the region of divergent radiation is a negative group (LG5) which has an effective curvature with a concave side pointing towards the image plane. The system is distinguished by a high numerical aperture, low chromatic aberrations and compact, material-saving design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT AG
    Inventor: Karl-Heinz Schuster
  • Patent number: 7324293
    Abstract: A wide-angle lens system includes a negative front lens group and a positive rear lens group, in this order from the object. The negative front lens group includes a negative first sub-lens group and a positive second sub-lens group, in this order from the object. The positive rear lens group includes cemented lens elements having a positive R1 lens element and a negative R2 lens element, a positive R3 lens element having a convex surface facing toward the image, and a positive R4 lens element, in this order from the object. The wide-angle lens system satisfies the following conditions: ?0.8<f1a/f1b<?0.1 ??(1) 0.6<f/fR<1.1 ??(2) wherein f1a designates the focal length of the negative first sub-lens group; f1b designates the focal length of the positive second sub-lens group; f designates the focal length of the entire wide-angle lens system; and fR designates the focal length of the positive rear lens group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: PENTAX Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Kato
  • Patent number: 7324169
    Abstract: Provided are a projection optical system, a projection television, and a method of manufacturing a lens included in the projection optical system. The projection optical system includes lenses for projecting color beams onto a screen. A color filter layer, absorbing at least one of the color beams, is coated on the surface of at least one of the lenses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seok-il Yoon, Sung-gi Kim, Gyu-hwan Hwang, Young-Il Kah
  • Patent number: 7324285
    Abstract: The optical elements are made from an opto-ceramic material that is characterized by high density, transparency for visible light and IR, high refractive index, high Abbe number and outstanding relative partial dispersion. Mixed oxides are sintered to obtain the opto-ceramic material. The mixed oxides contain zirconium oxide and hafnium oxide mixed with one or more oxides of yttrium, scandium, lanthanide elements, and optionally mixed with one or more of SiO2, Na2O, and TiO2. Alternatively the mixed oxides contain zirconium oxide and hafnium oxide mixed with CaO and/or MgO and optionally mixed with one or more of SiO2, Na2O, and TiO2. In addition, the mixed oxides can also include one or more oxides of Al, Ga, In, and Sc; optionally one or more oxides of yttrium, some lanthanide elements; and optionally one or more of SiO2, Na2O, MgO, CaO, and TiO2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Schott AG
    Inventors: Steffen Reichel, Wolfram Beier, Frank-Thomas Lentes, Yoshio Okano, Jochen Alkemper, Jose Zimmer, Joseph S. Hayden, Carsten Weinhold, Ulrich Peuchert, Martin Letz
  • Patent number: 7319563
    Abstract: An object is to provide a high-resolution zoom lens system which has fewer lens elements and therefore, can be retracted into a compact form when not in use; and the zoom lens system, in order from the object side, comprises a first lens unit G1 having negative power, a second lens unit G2 having positive power and a third lens unit G3 having positive power, wherein magnification is varied with change in intervals between each lens unit by independently moving each lens unit along an optical axis, in which the first lens unit G1 comprises one negative lens element L1 and one positive lens element L2, the second lens unit G2 comprises only a cemented lens element having set of three lens elements L3, L4 and L5 which are cemented with each other, and the third lens unit G3 comprises one positive lens element L6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Keiki Yoshitsugu
  • Patent number: 7312847
    Abstract: A purely refractive projection objective suitable for immersion micro-lithography is designed as a single-waist system with five lens groups, in the case of which a first lens group with a negative refracting power, a second lens group with a positive refracting power, a third lens group with a negative refracting power, a fourth lens group with a positive refracting power and a fifth lens group with a positive refracting power are provided. The system aperture is in the region of maximum beam diameter between the fourth and the fifth lens group. Embodiments of projection objectives according to the invention achieve a very high numerical aperture of NA>1 in conjunction with a large image field, and are distinguished by a good optical correction state and moderate overall size. Pattern widths substantially below 100 nm can be resolved when immersion fluids are used between the projection objective and substrate in the case of operating wavelengths below 200 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT AG
    Inventors: Hans-Juergen Rostalski, Wilhelm Ulrich
  • Patent number: 7301707
    Abstract: A refractive projection optical system for imaging a first object into a region of a second object comprises a plurality of lenses disposed along an imaging beam path of the projection optical system; wherein the projection optical system is configured to have a numerical aperture on a side of the second object of greater than 1 wherein the projection optical system is configured to generate an intermediate image of the first object and to image the intermediate image into the region of the second object, wherein the intermediate image is formed in between, the first and second objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT AG
    Inventors: Dave Shafer, Susanne Beder
  • Publication number: 20070268600
    Abstract: An optical system includes a negative refraction lens and a compensating element. The negative refraction lens is a flat plate formed by a material exhibiting negative refraction, and a surface on which light is incident and a surface from which the light is emerged are formed to be flat and parallel. The compensating element is an optical element which makes light incident at a predetermined angle, emerge at another predetermined angle. A light ray is emitted from an object point on an object plane, and reaches an image point on an image plane after being refracted twice by a negative refraction lens. The light ray is reflected by the compensating element, then refracted at an emergence-side pupil, and reaches the image point upon being reflected once again by the compensating element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2007
    Publication date: November 22, 2007
    Inventor: Takuya Tsukagoshi
  • Patent number: 7286303
    Abstract: The invention discloses a macro lens that takes a retrofocusing function for the purpose of downsizing. The macro lens employs a floating mechanism to cover a wide photographing range from the equi-magnification to the infinity, and especially, attains a great imaging performance by appropriately compensating for spherical aberration, comatic aberration, and chromatic aberration of magnification. The macro lens comprised of first to fifth lenses in the order closer to the object; that is, the first lens serving as a negative meniscus lens with a convex surface oriented to the object, the fourth lens as a negative lens with a concave surface of great curvature oriented to the image plane, and the fifth lens as a negative lens with a surface of great curvature oriented to the object. The macro lens satisfies conditions as expressed in the following formulae: 0.6?F1/F?1.3 ??(1) 0.9?F4/F5?1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Tamron Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akio Arakawa, Yuichi Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 7286295
    Abstract: An apposition microoptical compound lens comprises a plurality of lenslets arrayed around a segment of a hollow, three-dimensional optical shell. The lenslets collect light from an object and focus the light rays onto the concentric, curved front surface of a coherent fiber bundle. The fiber bundle transports the light rays to a planar detector, forming a plurality of sub-images that can be reconstructed as a full image. The microoptical compound lens can have a small size (millimeters), wide field of view (up to 180°), and adequate resolution for object recognition and tracking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: William C. Sweatt, David D. Gill
  • Patent number: 7286297
    Abstract: In a lens system in which a plurality of lenses are combined while the lenses are disposed in such a manner that their optical axes are aligned with each other, at least one ceramic lens is used which is produced using a light-transmitting ceramic as a lens material, and the ceramic lens is disposed in the vicinity of a position where chief rays of light of respective image points on an image plane overlap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Etsuro Kawakami
  • Patent number: 7283702
    Abstract: Encircled far field energy is substantially increased by modifying the near field energy distribution of radiation from each fiber in an emitting array. Each beamlet output from a fiber is modified to have a generally uniform cross-sectional energy distribution, using a pair of aspheric optical elements selected for that purpose. The optical elements may be refractive or reflective. The modified beamlets combine to form a composite output beam with a generally uniform energy distribution. Preferably, the composite beam is subject to an array-wide inverse transformation to a near-Gaussian distribution, further enhancing the encircled far field energy and providing a more efficient high power laser source. Further gains in efficiency are achieved by selecting a fiber bundle pattern, lens array pattern and lens shape that together result in a high fill factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen J. Brosnan, Michael G. Wickham, Hiroshi Komine
  • Patent number: 7262922
    Abstract: An immersion microscope objective lens includes, in the following order from an object side to an image side, a first lens group having positive refractive power as a whole, including a first lens component composed of a first meniscus lens and a second meniscus lens cemented to each other with their concave surfaces facing the object side, a second lens composed of a single lens having positive refractive power and a third lens composed of a negative lens and a positive lens cemented to each other, a second lens group having positive refractive power as a whole, including a fourth lens component composed of a negative lens and a positive lens cemented to each other, and a third lens group having a negative refractive power as a whole. Predetermined conditions are satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Kotaro Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7256949
    Abstract: The object is to provide an optical system with a wavelength selecting device. According to one aspect of the present invention, an optical system with a wavelength selecting device includes, in order from an object along an optical axis, an objective optical system composed of optical elements having refractive power and an aperture stop, a no-power optical group composed of optical elements having no refractive power, and an imaging device. The no-power optical group includes the wavelength selecting device for making short wavelength light be selectively substantially non-transparent. The wavelength selecting device preferably satisfies the predetermined conditional expressions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2007
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Kouichi Ohshita, Mami Muratani
  • Publication number: 20070183061
    Abstract: Providing a telescope capable of preventing aesthetic external appearance thereof from losing. The telescope has a hole 33 on an outer surface of a lens barrel 3. A lens cap 5 for protecting an objective lens of the telescope includes a lens cap body 51, an extending portion 59 extending from the lens cap body 51, and connecting member 52 capable of removably attaching to the hole 33.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Aikawa
  • Patent number: 7253973
    Abstract: An image-pickup optical system includes, from the object side to the image side, a first lens unit having positive optical power, an aperture stop, and a second lens unit. A diffractive optical element and a lens composed of extraordinary partial dispersion material are appropriately disposed in the optical system. The image-pickup optical system is capable of reducing the generation of flare and ghosts at the diffractive optical element and effectively correcting chromatic aberration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroto Yasui
  • Patent number: 7224540
    Abstract: An imaging system (FIG. 3) is disclosed that has a wavelength dependent focal shift caused by longitudinal chromatic aberration in a lens assembly (203) that provides extended depth of field imaging due to focal shift (213,214) and increased resolution due to reduced lens system magnification. In use, multiple wavelengths of quasi-monochromatic illumination, from different wavelength LEDs (206,207) or the like, illuminate the target, either sequentially, or in parallel in conjunction with an imager (200) with wavelength selective (colored) filters. Images are captured with different wavelengths of illumination that have different focus positions (208,209), either sequentially or by processing the color planes of a color imager separately. Extended depth of field, plus high resolution are achieved. Additionally, information about the range to the target can be determined by analyzing the degree of focus of the various colored images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Datalogic Scanning, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan L. Olmstead, Alan Shearin
  • Patent number: 7215479
    Abstract: A lens system including a first substantially hemispherical lens, a second spherical lens and a third substantially hemispherical lens. The lenses are held together by a bonding material such as epoxy, which may also include a light absorbing dye. The invention also relates to a low-cost method of manufacturing the lens system out of glass, using low cost glass ball lenses to create the hemispherical lenses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Dmitry Bakin
  • Patent number: 7215492
    Abstract: An image pickup lens for forming a subject image on an photoelectric converter of a solid-sate image pickup element, includes: an aperture stop; a first lens having a positive refractive power; a second lens having a negative refractive power; a third lens having a positive refractive power; and a fourth lens having a negative refractive power. The aperture stop and the first to fourth lenses are arranged in this order from an object side of the image pickup lens, and the image pickup lens satisfies predefined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.
    Inventors: Masae Sato, Eigo Sano
  • Patent number: 7199947
    Abstract: Miniature camera lenses (100, 300) include in order an object side (116, 302) to the image side (118, 304) a first double concave lens (102, 306), a lens group including first convergent meniscus lens (104, 318), a first double convex lens (106, 312), a second convergent meniscus lens (108, 318), a second double concave lens (110, 330), a second double convex lens (112, 336), and a divergent meniscus lens (114, 342). The lenses (100, 300) feature a field of view of about fifty six degrees, low distortion, a relatively long back focal distance, and a relatively low F-number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Motorola Inc.
    Inventors: Dongxue Wang, Kevin W. Johnson
  • Patent number: 7190527
    Abstract: Refractive projection objective with a numerical aperture greater than 0.7, consisting of a first convexity, a second convexity, and a waist arranged between the two convexities. The first convexity has a maximum diameter denoted by D1, and the second convexity has a maximum diameter denoted by D2, and 0.8<D1/D2<1.1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT AG
    Inventors: Hans-Juergen Rostalski, Karl-Heinz Schuster, Russell Hudyma, Wilhelm Ulrich, Rolf Freimann
  • Patent number: 7187502
    Abstract: The optical system of the invention is comprised of a monolithic microlens array assembly that consists of two groups of microlenses sub-assemblies having different pitches between the adjacent lenses. A ratio between the pitches of sub-assemblies is determined by a predetermined relationship between the parameters of the optical system so that the microlenses of the first sub-assembly create a plurality of individual intermediate images arranged side-by-side in a common intermediate plane that are transferred by the microlenses of the second sub-assembly to the final image plane in the form of a plurality of identical and accurately registered images interposed onto each other. This is achieved due to the aforementioned ratio between the pitches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Microalign Techologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Igor Gurevich, Victor Faybishenko, Leonid Velikov
  • Patent number: 7180644
    Abstract: Disclosed are holographic storage systems and lenses for holographic storage systems. The lens units can be of a two-component design. The lenses can be used to both record to photorefractive storage media and to read from photorefractive storage media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Inphase Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jan Hoogland, Kevin Curtis
  • Patent number: 7173777
    Abstract: A wide angle projection lens includes, in sequential order from an image side, a first lens group of negative refractive power, the first lens group having at least one aspheric surface, a second lens group, and a third lens group of positive refractive power. For the wide angle projection lens, the following Conditions (1) to (4) are satisfied: |F1/F|?4.5 (Condition (1)); 2.5?|F2/F|?6.0 (Condition (2)); 3.8?|F3/F|?5.0 (Condition (3)); and 0.8?BFL/F?1.4 (Condition (4)). An optical engine, including the wide angle projection lens, can be implemented in a projection display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Kai Chang Lu, Patricia M. Hughes
  • Patent number: 7173776
    Abstract: A fisheye lens system with a half angle-of-view of 90° includes a negative front lens group, a diaphragm, and a positive rear lens group. The negative front lens group includes at least three negative meniscus lens elements each of which has the convex surface facing toward the object; and the three negative meniscus lens elements satisfy the following conditions: 0.2<SF(i=1)<0.6??(1) 0.8<SF(i=2)/SF(i=1)<1.5??(2) 0.8<SF(i=3)/SF(i=1)<2.0??(3) wherein SFi designates the shaping factor of the ith (1?i?3) negative meniscus lens element (SFi=(R1i?R2i)/(R1i+R2i)); R1i designates the radius of curvature of the object-side surface of the ith (1?i?3) negative meniscus lens element; and R2i designates the radius of curvature of the image-side surface of the ith (1?i?3) negative meniscus lens element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: PENTAX Corporation
    Inventors: Eijiroh Tada, Takayuki Ito
  • Patent number: 7164544
    Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a telephoto type optical system capable of reliably correcting and/or reducing aberrations such as chromatic aberration. The optical system includes a refractive optical element which includes a solid-state material, a negative lens component and a positive lens component, respectively disposed on a front side relative to a pupil, the solid-state material meeting conditions of an Abbe number ?d(GNL) and of a partial dispersion ratio ?gF(GNL) as follows: ?2.100×10?3·?d(GNL)+0.693<?gF(GNL) 0.555<?gF(GNL)<0.9 Then, a refractive power of the refractive optical element, a mean partial dispersion ratio of a material of the negative lens component, and a mean Abbe number of a material of the positive lens component are properly set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideki Ogawa
  • Patent number: 7159988
    Abstract: A projection optical unit has two lens groups. A first projection optical unit disposed closest to an image display element, temporarily forms a first enlarged image (magnification: M1) at the image display element side, rather than at a second projection optical unit. The first enlarged image is subsequently projected in an enlarged form (magnification: M2, wherein M2>M1) onto a screen via the second projection optical unit. A field lens group having positive refractive power is disposed between the first projection optical unit and the second projection optical unit. Consequently, the relationship between F2, which is the F-value of the second projection optical unit, and F1, which is the F-value of the first projection optical unit, becomes F2=F1/M1, whereby it is possible to realize very-wide-angle imaging at a field angle exceeding 90 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiko Yatsu, Koji Hirata, Hidehiro Ikeda
  • Patent number: 7154676
    Abstract: A very-high aperture, purely refractive projection objective is designed as a two-belly system with an object-side belly, an image-side belly and a waist (7) situated therebetween. The system diaphragm (5) is seated in the image-side belly at a spacing in front of the image plane. Arranged between the waist and the system diaphragm in the region of divergent radiation is a negative group (LG5) which has an effective curvature with a concave side pointing towards the image plane. The system is distinguished by a high numerical aperture, low chromatic aberrations and compact, material-saving design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT A.G.
    Inventor: Karl-Heinz Schuster
  • Patent number: 7136235
    Abstract: The present invention provides an optical apparatus including an objective lens system for focusing optical radiation from a scene or object into an intermediate image and has at least one lens element which imposes a substantial degree of negative distortion on the intermediate image. The invention also provides a second lens system for focusing optical radiation from the intermediate image into a final image and an aperture stop for limiting the optical radiation forming the final image. The aperture stop is located between the final image region in which the final image is formed or to be formed and the lens element of the second lens system most distant from the final image region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Thales Optics Ltd.
    Inventor: Anthony John Kirkham
  • Patent number: 7129009
    Abstract: This invention relates to a fluoropolymer nanocomposite comprising a fluoropolymer phase and an inorganic oxide phase dispersed throughout, said inorganic oxide phase having either no particles or particles substantially all of which have a particle size of less than about 75 nm which can be determined by small angle x-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy techniques. These nanocomposites are useful as protective coatings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Roger Harquail French, Robert Clayton Wheland
  • Patent number: 7110188
    Abstract: An imaging lens includes sequentially, from an object side, a first lens group, a second lens group, a third lens group, and a fourth lens group. The first lens group includes only a first lens having a meniscus shape with a concave surface facing the object side. The second lens group has positive refracting power as a whole and includes sequentially, from the object side, a second-first lens having positive refracting power and a second-second lens cemented to or separated from the second-first lens and having negative refracting power. The third lens group includes only a third lens having a meniscus shape with a concave surface facing the object side. The fourth lens group includes only a fourth lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.
    Inventors: Takumi Matsui, Eigo Sano
  • Patent number: 7110192
    Abstract: A lens system for collecting and focusing light emanating from an object has a cuvette housing the object and having a wall of thickness not greater than 1.5 millimeters; a plano-convex lens having a planar surface affixed to the wall; a sequence of at least three meniscus lenses, each meniscus lens having a concave surface toward the object and a convex surface, each successive meniscus lens receiving the light from the immediately preceding meniscus lens and having radii of curvature of its concave and convex surfaces greater than corresponding radii of the preceding meniscus lens; and at least one compound lens that may be a doublet lens or a triplet lens, the compound lens receiving the light from a last meniscus lens, wherein an image of a geometrical point on the object has a root-mean square spot size equal to or less than 63 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Dako Denmark A/S
    Inventors: Megan Lynne Sauter, Johnathan Charles Sharpe, Sean B. Pieper
  • Patent number: RE40563
    Abstract: The invention relates to an image pickup system comprising an electronic view finder suitable for achieving compactness and having a sufficient viewing angle of field and satisfactory optical performance. The image pickup system comprises an image pickup device, an image display device for displaying an image, a controller for converting image formation obtained from the image pickup device into a signal that enables the image information to be formed on the image display device, and a viewing optical system for guiding an image displayed on the display device to a viewer's eye. The viewing optical system comprises at least three lenses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Miyauchi, Hirohiko Kimata