Abstract: An imaging system and method of application, including lens designs tailored to be used with particular transformation algorithms, electronic hardware and algorithms for image transformations is described. Exemplary application of the system including automotive, photographic and medical endoscopic are also described. The system enables improved image view and allows customization of views by the end user even after installation of the image system hardware.

Abstract: A compact fisheye objective lens comprising a series of six lens elements arranged on an optical axis to focus an image on an image plane, the compact fisheye objective lens having a first lens element with a convex object surface that faces the object and a concave image surface that faces image plane, and a second lens element spaced to the right of the first lens element concave image surface, the second lens element having a concave object surface and a concave image surface. The compact fisheye objective lens having singlet third and fourth lens elements, the fifth and sixth lens elements being combined to form a doublet having a positive power.

Abstract: A wide angle lens especially suitable for digital single lens reflex cameras is described. The lens offers the advantages of superior performance while using fewer lens elements thus reducing size and cost to manufacture. The lens consists of two lens groups separated by an aperture stop. The first lens group consists of a meniscus lens and the novel use of a bi-concave lens element. The first group may also include a cemented doublet with novel ratios of refractive index and Abbe numbers. Embodiments of the wide angle lens satisfy conditional equations of 6?BFL/f?7.5 and 10<?d/f?21, where BFL is the distance from the most image side lens element surface to the image plane with the lens focused at infinity, f is the effective focal length of the wide angle lens and ?d is the distance from the most object side lens element surface to the most image side lens element surface.

Abstract: A wide angle lens especially suitable for digital single lens reflex cameras is described. The lens offers the advantages of superior performance while using fewer lens elements thus reducing size and cost to manufacture. The lens consists of two lens groups separated by an aperture stop. The first lens group consists of a meniscus lens and the novel use of a bi-concave lens element. The first group may also include a cemented doublet with novel ratios of refractive index and Abbe numbers. Embodiments of the wide angle lens satisfy conditional equations of 6?BFL/f?7.5 and 10<?d/f?21, where BFL is the distance from the most image side lens element surface to the image plane with the lens focused at infinity, f is the effective focal length of the wide angle lens and ?d is the distance from the most object side lens element surface to the most image side lens element surface.

Abstract: A ultra-wide angle objective lens comprising a first group having a first lens element having a convex object surface facing the object and a concave image surface facing the image plane, and a second aspheric lens element, the second aspheric lens element having a varying power that is negative at its vertex; and that increases positively with radial distance from the vertex. A second group has at least one lens element and a positive power. A third group has at least a first and a second lens element and a positive power. The ratio of the total track to the focal length satisfies the condition that TT/fo=< 33 and the image height on a focal plane is h(?)> f*?, where h(?) is the image height formed by an off-axis chief ray having a field angle ?, and f is the effective focal length of the lens.

Abstract: A compact fisheye objective lens comprising a series of six lens elements arranged on an optical axis to focus an image on an image plane, the compact fisheye objective lens having a first lens element with a convex object surface that faces the object and a concave image surface that faces image plane, and a second lens element spaced to the right of the first lens element concave image surface, the second lens element having a concave object surface and a concave image surface. The compact fisheye objective lens having singlet third and fourth lens elements, the fifth and sixth lens elements being combined to form a doublet having a positive power.

Abstract: The compact imaging assembly has an electronic imager and an objective lens with a focal length fo. The objective lens receives light and forms an image of the object on the imager's image plane. The image plane has a maximum effective dimension DI. The objective lens has a first lens group comprising two to three elements with an object surface facing the object and an image surface facing an image plane. The objective lens also has a middle lens element with a concave object surface that is facing the lens group image surface, and a final lens element that has a positive power. The distance from the lens group object surface to the image plane is TT. The lens group, the middle lens and the final lens elements are coaxially aligned and on an optical axis normal to the image plane.

Abstract: A six element fisheye objective lens comprising a first lens element having a convex object surface facing the object and a concave image surface facing the image plane, a second lens element having a convex object surface facing the object and a concave image facing the image plan. A third lens element has a positive power. A positively powered lens group has a positively powered cemented doublet lens pair. A singlet lens element has a positive power, The lens group has an object surface facing the object and an image surface facing the image. The ratio of the total track to the focal length satisfies the condition that 8<TT/fo<15. The fisheye objective lens has an optical axis, the first, second, third and the lens group being coaxially aligned on the optical axis.

Abstract: The compact imaging assembly has an electronic imager and an objective lens with a focal length fo. The objective lens receives light and forms an image of the object on the imager's image plane. The image plane has a maximum effective dimension DI. The objective lens has a first lens group comprising two to three elements with an object surface facing the object and an image surface facing an image plane. The objective lens also has a middle lens element with a concave object surface that is facing the lens group image surface, and a final lens element that has a positive power. The distance from the lens group object surface to the image plane is TT. The lens group, the middle lens and the final lens elements are coaxially aligned and on an optical axis normal to the image plane.

Abstract: A optical viewfinder has a single viewfinder element formed from a homogenous material such as glass or plastic. The viewfinder element has an object surface and an image surface. The object and image surfaces are centered on a common optical axis. The object surface has a periphery extending to a first clear aperture, CA1. The image surface has a periphery extending to a second clear aperture, CA2. A reticle is formed on the object surface. The reticle is centered on the optical axis. A micro-lens is formed on the image surface and is centered on the optical axis. The micro-lens has a periphery extending to a third clear aperture, CA3 inside of the diameter of the second clear aperture.

Abstract: An lens assembly has a having a height TT and a focal length f0 and three lens elements with first and second surfaces, the first surface of each element facing the object. The first lens element has a positive power and a focal length f1. The second lens element 20 is a aspheric lens, the first surface being concave and facing the first lens element second surface. The second lens element second surface being an aspheric surface. The third lens element first surface is convex having a radius of r1 and the second surface having a radius r2 with |r2|>|r1|. The first, second and third lens elements are shaped are formed to obtain a ratio of f1/f0 in the range of 0.5 to 2.0 and a TT/DI<1.5. The elements are formed and spaced to obtain an image with a maximum effective dimension DI on an image plane in a digital camera.

Abstract: A imaging module has an electronic imager and an objective lens system. The electronic imager has an active area that is typically rectangular is shape. An image is formed on the active area with a maximum effective image dimension DI. An objective lens system forms an image of a distant object on the image plane. The objective lens system has a focal length f0 and a height TT. A first lens element has a convex first surface that faces the object and a second surface. The first lens element has a positive power. A second lens element has a concave first surface facing the first lens second surface and an aspherical second surface facing the image plane. The first and second lens elements are shaped and spaced to obtain a ratio of f1/f0 from 0.5 to 2.0, and ratio of TT/DI<1.5.

Abstract: A imaging module has an electronic imager and an objective lens system. The electronic imager has an active area that is typically rectangular is shape. An image is formed on the active area with a maximum effective image dimension DI. An objective lens system forms an image of a distant object on the image plane. The objective lens system has a focal length f0 and a height TT. A first lens element has a convex first surface that faces the object and a second surface. The first lens element has a positive power. A second lens element has a concave first surface facing the first lens second surface and an aspherical second surface facing the image plane. The first and second lens elements are shaped and spaced to obtain a ratio of f1/f0 from 0.5 to 2.0, and ratio of TT/DI<1.5.

Abstract: An Auto-focusing Lens system that provides a positive or negative drive command signal and distance information to a Lens Movement Control System to initially move the lens in the correct direction to obtain best focus position without searching. The lens has a pre-determined amount of longitudinal chromatic aberrations (LCA). The lens focuses the image on an imager. The imager senses the light on the focal plane and provides an array of intensity values for the primary colors of Red (R), Green (G) and Blue (B) from a region of interest (ROI) on the imager that are used to calculate R, G and B image quality signals for the R, B and G wavelengths and uses the respective values of the R, B and G image quality signals to determine in which of three regions of focus distance the lens is residing. A look-up table for R, G and B image quality signal difference quotients versus lens position provides a lens movement distance signal.

Abstract: An imager module has a retractable lens assembly that is received in a lens holder. The lens assembly is extended to an extended position for best focus in several alternative embodiments. The lens holder has an image end and an object end and an inner guide surface. An imager has an image plane, the imager is coupled to the lens holder adjacent the lens holder object end. A lens assembly has an objective lens with one or more lens elements co-axially aligned on an optical axis. The lens assembly has an image end, an object end, an optical axis, and an external guide surface. The lens assembly external guide surface is supported by the lens holder inner guide surface.

Abstract: A optical viewfinder has a single viewfinder element formed from a homogenous material such as glass or plastic. The viewfinder element has an object surface and an image surface. The object and image surfaces are centered on a common optical axis. The object surface has a periphery extending to a first clear aperture, CA1. The image surface has a periphery extending to a second clear aperture, CA2. A reticle is formed on the object surface. The reticle is centered on the optical axis. A micro-lens is formed on the image surface and is centered on the optical axis.

Abstract: A lens carrier for operative engagement of a camera lens with an image sensor such as a Charge Coupled Device or CMOS device. The lens mounts in a lens barrel on the lens carrier and may be laterally translated along the lens barrel to focus the image projected by the lens on an adjacent image sensor. The lens carrier also provides for self centering of the center axis of the lens with the center point on the imaging surface of the image sensor and for a perpendicular alignment of the lens center axis with the imaging surface to achieve the best conversion of the visual image from the lens into analog or digital format for use by electric devices.

Abstract: A lens carrier for operative engagement of a camera lens with an image sensor such as a Charge Coupled Device or CMOS device. The lens mounts in a lens barrel on the lens carrier and may be laterally translated along the lens barrel to focus the image projected by the lens on an adjacent image sensor. The lens carrier also provides for self centering of the center axis of the lens with the center point on the imaging surface of the image sensor and for a perpendicular alignment of the lens center axis with the imaging surface to achieve the best conversion of the visual image from the lens into analog or digital format for use by electric devices.

Abstract: A lens assembly particularly suited to use with high resolution digital cameras suitable for incorporation in compact portable electronic devices such as cellular telephones, portable digital assistants and the like. The lens assembly includes a distal meniscus lens element formed from glass, and first and second, aberration correcting, aspheric lens elements formed from plastic, such as an acrylic, and positioned proximal to the meniscus lens element. An aperture stop plane is provided just in front of the front group. A fixed aperture stop or a combined variable aperture and shutter device may be positioned at the aperture stop plane.

Abstract: A lens assembly particularly suited to use with high resolution digital cameras and other portable electronic devices. The lens includes a positive powered front group having one or two elements and a second, aberration correcting, rear group having in order from the front a bi-concave element, a meniscus element and a bi-concave element. The aperture stop plane is just in front of the front group. A combined operator and shutter device is positioned at the aperture stop plane. All of the lens elements are made of glass and have spherical surfaces.