Abstract: A method for designing an optical system for providing reliable, robust and successful realization of a distortion variation function is presented. In a preferred embodiment, the proposed distortion variation optical system includes at least two non-symmetrical elements, which are moving in the transverse direction. The proposed freeform lens contains two transmissive refractive surfaces. The freeform elements designed with this method have preferably a flat surface and a non-symmetrical freeform surface. The two plano-surfaces are preferably made to face each other, so that a miniature camera can be offered. The value of the non-symmetrical freeform surface is used to produce variable optical power when the two freeform elements undergo a relative movement in the vertical direction. Using this method, an optical system with an active distortion, smaller form factor, and better imaging quality can be obtained.

Abstract: In embodiments of optical systems with at least one metalens containing at least one metasurface, the addition of the at least one metalens element is used to modify by at least ±5% either the f*tan(?) distortion, the f*? distortion or the resolution of the designed optical system compared to a reference optical system without the metalens. The method presented using at least one metalens can be used as well for monochromatic as for polychromatic optical systems. The at least one metalens element can also be used, in addition to modifying the distortion or the resolution of the optical system, to modify at the same time other optical properties like the image quality. The metalens has at least one metasurface made of nano structure elements and their shape, size, position and orientation depend on the required optical properties of the metalens.

Abstract: A method to design miniature wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle lenses by using on-purpose distortion to have shorter focal length than usual for a given image sensor size and a desired image projection. This results in optical systems having miniaturization ratio, defined as the ratio between the total track length and the image footprint diameter, smaller than 0.8. The resulting image from these systems having on-purpose distortion can then be processed with a processor to remove the on-purpose distortion and to output an image with the targeted distortion profile.

Abstract: A method to design miniature wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle lenses by using on-purpose distortion to have shorter focal length than usual for a given image sensor size and a desired image projection. This results in optical systems having miniaturization ratio, defined as the ratio between the total track length and the image footprint diameter, smaller than 0.8. The resulting image from these systems having on-purpose distortion can then be processed with a processor to remove the on-purpose distortion and to output an image with the targeted distortion profile.

Abstract: A method for designing an optical system for providing reliable, robust and successful realization of a distortion variation function is presented. In a preferred embodiment, the proposed distortion variation optical system includes at least two non-symmetrical elements, which are moving in the transverse direction. The proposed freeform lens contains two transmissive refractive surfaces. The freeform elements designed with this method have preferably a flat surface and a non-symmetrical freeform surface. The two plano-surfaces are preferably made to face each other, so that a miniature camera can be offered. The value of the non-symmetrical freeform surface is used to produce variable optical power when the two freeform elements undergo a relative movement in the vertical direction. Using this method, an optical system with an active distortion, smaller form factor, and better imaging quality can be obtained.

Abstract: Miniature optical lenses are disclosed having a ratio of the optical image diameter divided by the total track length that is greater than 0.85. These thin optical lenses are often used in applications requiring large image sensors and small thickness like in consumer electronic applications. The miniature optical lenses presented have fields of view between 130° and 170° or more specifically inside the well-desired 140° to 160° field of view range in order to cover the ultra-wide-angle field of view range. The optical lenses presented also respect some dimensionless ratios in order to maximize the optical performance of the lenses.

Abstract: A method for designing an optical system creating at least two optical images with different field of view on a common image plane. The optical system includes at least one common optical element receiving the rays of light from the object, at least one splitting element to separate the rays of light in a primary and at least one secondary optical path, at least one reflecting element to orient the rays, at least one element forming an image in the primary path and at least one element forming an image in each secondary path. When an image sensor is located in the common image plane, at least one digital image file can be created from the optical images. Further image processing of the at least one digital image is possible in order to further improve the output from the system.

Abstract: A method for designing an optical system for providing reliable, robust and successful realization of a distortion variation function is presented. In a preferred embodiment, the proposed distortion variation optical system includes at least two non-symmetrical elements, which are moving in the transverse direction. The proposed freeform lens contains two transmissive refractive surfaces. The freeform elements designed with this method have preferably a flat surface and a non-symmetrical freeform surface. The two plano-surfaces are preferably made to face each other, so that a miniature camera can be offered. The value of the non-symmetrical freeform surface is used to produce variable optical power when the two freeform elements undergo a relative movement in the vertical direction. Using this method, an optical system with an active distortion, smaller form factor, and better imaging quality can be obtained.

Abstract: A method for controlling an optical system including at least one active light-controlling element to better control the illumination of a scene when imaged on an image sensor is presented. This active light-controlling element is used to control the amount of light in an image zone depending on an electric signal from a controller. This allows imaging scenes with bright objects without over-exposure or scenes with dark objects without under-exposure on the image sensor. After image processing to reverse the effect of the active light-controlling element, the resulting processed images have an enhanced depth without the drawbacks associated to traditional HDR imaging. The method can use any shape of sub-elements in the active light-controlling element depending on the application. The method can also be used with multiple active light-controlling surfaces to further control the light on the image sensor, including separating the colors in the image.

Abstract: A method for designing an optical system for providing reliable, robust and successful realization of a distortion variation function is presented. In a preferred embodiment, the proposed distortion variation optical system includes at least two non-symmetrical elements, which are moving in the transverse direction. The proposed freeform lens contains two transmissive refractive surfaces. The freeform elements designed with this method have preferably a flat surface and a non-symmetrical freeform surface. The two plano-surfaces are preferably made to face each other, so that a miniature camera can be offered. The value of the non-symmetrical freeform surface is used to produce variable optical power when the two freeform elements undergo a relative movement in the vertical direction. Using this method, an optical system with an active distortion, smaller form factor, and better imaging quality can be obtained.

Abstract: A method for designing a wide-angle optical system having at least one freeform optical surface without rotational symmetry to create a custom 2D object-image mapping. The method is based on iteratively adjusting the at least one freeform optical 2D surface shape to have the exact 2D object-image mapping required and then adjusting the optical element surfaces to meet the other required optical specifications. The iterative method is applied until both the desired 2D object-image mapping and the other required optical specifications are reached.

Abstract: A miniature wide-angle lens including six optical elements and having a wide-angle total field of view between 110° and 140 also has a ratio of an optical lens total track length to an image footprint diameter between 0.85 and 0.95. The lens has a distortion profile creating a resolution curve having a maximum number of pixels/degree that is at least 1.75 times larger than the resolution value in a center of the field of view and at least 1.75 times larger than the resolution value at the edge of the field of view.

Abstract: A method to design miniature wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle lenses by using on-purpose distortion to have shorter focal length than usual for a given image sensor size and a desired image projection. This results in optical systems having miniaturization ratio, defined as the ratio between the total track length and the image footprint diameter, smaller than 0.8. The resulting image from these systems having on-purpose distortion can then be processed with a processor to remove the on-purpose distortion and to output an image with the targeted distortion profile.