Abstract: A zoom projection lens for use with LCD or DMD panels is provided. The lens has two units U1 and U2, which are moved relative to one another for zooming. The first unit has a negative power and includes at least three lens elements L1, L2, and L3, where L1 is composed of plastic and has two aspherical surfaces, L2 has a positive power and is composed of a flint material, and L3 has a negative power and is composed of a crown material. The second unit has two subunits U2.sub.S1 and U2.sub.S2, each of which has a positive power, with the power of U2.sub.S2 being greater than the power of U2.sub.S1. At its minimum effective focal length f.sub.min, the projection lens has a back focal length to focal length ratio greater than one, the ratio being achieved by arranging the first unit, the second unit, and the subunits of the second unit so that:D.sub.12 /f.sub.min >1.0,D.sub.S1S2 /f.sub.min >1.0,andD.sub.12 /D.sub.S1S2 >1.0,where D.sub.

Abstract: Projection lenses for use with pixelized panels, e.g., LCD panels, are provided. The lenses have a large focus range, e.g., a focus range of greater than 0.05 and in many cases greater than 0.1, and a limited (mini) zoom range, e.g., a zoom range of less than 15% (.+-.7.5% from the center of the range). By limiting the zoom range, complex lens structures involving large numbers of lens elements are avoided. In particular, the lenses employ at most one additional lens element and in many cases no additional lens elements compared to non-zooming lenses having a similar focus range.

Abstract: A projection lens for use with LCD or DMD panels is provided. The lens has three lens units, the first unit having a negative power and at least one plastic lens element having two aspheric surfaces, a second lens unit having a negative power or a weak positive power and at least one color correcting doublet, and a third lens unit having a positive power and an aspheric surface either on a glass element or on a weak plastic element. The projection lens has a back focal length to focal length ratio of at least 3.0, the ratio being achieved by arranging the first, second, and third lens units so that:D.sub.12 /f.sub.0 >1.0,D.sub.23 /f.sub.0 >0.7, and1.5<(D.sub.12 +D.sub.23 +BFL)/BFL<4.0where: f.sub.0 is the effective focal length of the combination of the first, second, and third lens units; BFL is the back focal length of the combination of the first, second, and third lens units; D.sub.12 is the distance between the first and second lens units; and D.sub.

Abstract: A projection lens for use with LCD panels is provided. The lens has two aspherical meniscus elements which are concave to each other and are located in the vicinity of the lens' aperture stop and a color-correcting doublet which provides most of the positive optical power of the lens. The lens can also include an aspherical corrector lens element of weak optical power which is located on the side of the two meniscus elements opposite to the color correcting doublet.

Abstract: Six-component projection lens systems for use in projection televisions are provided. From the screen side, the systems preferably have a + - +++ - configuration. The use of a second lens element having a negative power results in improved sagittal modulation transfer functions (MTFs) at large field locations. The negative second lens element can be made of a low dispersion material, such as styrene, so as to provide partial correction of axial color.

Abstract: A method for producing a lens system is provided in which an exact field curvature (EFC) value is determined for at least one principal ray, the EFC value being given by:EFC=-.SIGMA.(n'-n)c/nn'the summation being taken over the surfaces of the system, and for each of the surfaces, n is the index of refraction on the object side of the surface, n' is the index of refraction on the image side of the surface, and c is the curvature of the surface at the intersection of the surface with the principal ray, c being positive if the center of curvature is on the image side of the surface.

Abstract: Telecentric lens systems for use with pixelized panels, such as LCD or DMD panels, are provided. The systems have a long aperture stop to object distance (ASOD) and a high level of aberration correction, including a high level of lateral color correction. Preferably, the systems also have a low f-number and are wide angle. The systems include a negative first unit which produces the long ASOD, a weak second unit which includes two meniscus elements which surround the system's aperture stop, and a positive third unit which images the aperture stop to form the system's telecentric pupil.

Abstract: A projection lens system for projecting an image from a cathode ray tube (CRT) onto a screen is provided. The spherochromatic aberration of the system is reduced through the use of a first lens element which has (i) a positive power on axis and at least one aspheric surface which causes the positive power to become negative in the vicinity of the lens element's clear aperture, and (ii) a high dispersion. The first lens element is preferably composed of styrene.

Abstract: Zoom projection lens systems are provided which have 1) an entrance pupil which remains at a substantially fixed position as zooming takes place, and 2) a operative aperture stop, distinct from the system's physical aperture stop, which moves through lens surfaces as zooming takes place. The fixed entrance pupil allows for efficient coupling to a light source throughout the magnification range of the system. Methods which can be used to design and produce zoom lens systems of this type and which employ a pseudo-aperture stop are also disclosed.

Abstract: A projection lens system for projecting an image from a cathode ray tube (CRT) onto a screen is provided which includes in order from the image end: a first lens unit (U1), a second positive lens unit (U2) which may include a color correcting doublet, a corrector lens unit (CR), and a third negative lens unit (U3) which is associated with the CRT during use. The first lens unit preferably has a hybrid construction and includes: a first lens element (L1) composed of glass and having spherical surfaces, a second lens element (L2) composed of plastic and having at least one aspherical surface, and a third lens element (L3) also composed of plastic and having at least one aspherical surface. L1 has substantially more optical power than either L2 or L3, e.g., .vertline.f.sub.L2 .vertline./f.sub.L1 and .vertline.f.sub.L3 .vertline./f.sub.L1 are each above 1.3. In this way, the lens system is easily fabricated and is relatively insensitive to changes in temperature of the lens elements.

Abstract: Projection lens systems for use in projection televisions are provided. The lens systems include a strong positive element which provides a majority of the power of the lens, a strong negative unit which provides most of the correction for the field curvature of the lens system, and four weak meniscus aspherical elements, two on each side of the positive element. By means of this arrangement, the lens system achieves a semi-field of view of approximately 40.degree. at a f-number of about 1.0 or less. The lens systems are used to minimize the size of projection television sets since their semi-field of view of approximately 40.degree. substantially matches the maximum numerical aperture of about 0.65 of projection screens used in such sets.

Abstract: A wide angle lens system of the retrofocus type is provided which includes two lens units. The first lens unit is of negative power and includes a combination of a positive element having a high dispersion and a negative element having a low dispersion for correction of lateral color. The second lens unit is of positive power and includes a combination of a positive element having a low dispersion and a negative element having a high dispersion for correction of longitudinal color. The lens units satisfy the relationship that the magnitude of f.sub.1 is less than about 1.15 times f.sub.2 and preferably satisfy the relationship that the magnitude of f.sub.1 is less than f.sub.0. The first and second lens units each preferably include an aspheric surface. Applications of the lens system include rear projection television systems wherein a single lens is used to project light from three LCD light valves onto a viewing screen.

Abstract: A lens system is provided which includes two lens units. The first lens unit includes two meniscus lenses whose concave surfaces face each other and the second lens unit has a positive power. The system can be configured to have a wide field of view and/or to be telecentric. In its basic form, a well-corrected lens having a relatively large aperture and field of view is achieved through the use of only three lens elements.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved color projection TV lens system which provides reduced chromatic aberration and improved chromaticity. These improvements are achieved by incorporating a light absorbing material into at least one lens in the system wherein the lens has a substantially uniform thickness.

Abstract: A projection lens in which a lens unit which may comprise one or two elements is closely coupled at the object end of the lens to a cathode ray tube. At the image end is a lens unit of overall weak optical power which comprises from the image end a first positive element followed by a closely spaced negative element of substantially higher dispersion. Intermediate the object side lens unit and the image side lens unit is a lens unit of substantial optical power supplying substantially all of the positive optical power of the lens. Closely spaced to this power lens unit on the object side is a negative lens element of high dispersion. This negative lens element may be considered to be part of the power lens unit.

Abstract: A lens comprising from the image side a first lens unit which is a positive element with at least one aspheric surface; a three element lens unit consisting of a biconcave element, a biconvex element and another positive component, in that order; a third lens unit having a strongly concave image side surface and which serves as a field flattener and to correct the Petzval sum of the lens.

Abstract: A partially color corrected projection lens having three groups comprising from the image end a first group serving to correct aberrations, a second group supplying essentially all of the positive power of the lens and a third negative group where the second group comprises two positive elements with a negative element therebetween.

Abstract: A wide angle projection lens which comprises from the image end a first lens unit of negative power having at least one aspheric surface, a second positive lens unit comprising at least two elements and a third negative element having an aspheric concave to the image, where the first lens unit provides negative power to the overall lens and serves as an aberration corrector including some field curvature.

Abstract: A projection lens for a cathode ray tube consisting from the image end of a first lens unit including an element of overall meniscus shape and of positive power at the optical axis, a second lens unit which includes of a biconvex element and supplies the majority of the positive optical power of the lens, the biconvex element being of glass and having spheric surfaces, a third lens unit adjacent the cathode ray tube having a strongly concave image side surface and serving as a field flattener, and a corrector lens unit having at least one aspheric surface, the corrector unit being axially spaced from the second lens unit a distance such that the axial marginal rays from the second lens unit, as traced from the long cojugate intersect the image side surface of the corrector unit at a height from the optical axis that is less than the clear aperture of said corrector lens unit. The corrector lens unit is shaped to correct for off-axis aberrations above the intersection.

Abstract: A projection lens in which a lens unit which may comprise one or two elements is closely coupled at the object end of the lens to a cathode ray tube. At the image end is a lens unit of overall weak optical power which comprises from the image end a first positive element followed by a closely spaced negative element of substantially higher dispersion. Intermediate the object side lens unit and the image side lens unit is a lens unit of substantial optical power supplying substantially all of the positive optical power of the lens. Closely spaced to this power lens unit on the object side is a negative lens element of high dispersion. This negative lens element may be considered to be part of the power lens unit.