For Optical Transfer Function Patents (Class 356/124.5)
  • Patent number: 8253931
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an optical system for illuminating an original, a measurement device which includes an image sensor arranged on a substrate stage, and is configured to measure a characteristic of the optical system based on a light intensity distribution that is formed on an image sensing plane of the image sensor via the optical system and a measurement pattern, a calibration pattern arranged to form a light intensity distribution having a known shape on the image sensing plane, and a controller configured to calibrate the measurement device based on the light intensity distribution by the calibration pattern, and a theoretical light intensity distribution that is expected to be formed on the image sensing plane by the calibration pattern, wherein the calibration pattern is arranged around a region where the measurement pattern is arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takafumi Miyaharu
  • Patent number: 8254712
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus is provided that can quickly provide an image in which a main portion has a high image quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Yoda
  • Publication number: 20120113413
    Abstract: The invention comprises a process for pre-aligning a lens with an optical system, the process comprising: providing a lens and an optical system having an optical axis, wherein the lens is apt to be aligned with the optical system to form on an image plane an image of a source object, the image having top, bottom, left and right edges; coarsely positioning the lens with respect to the optical system; and in a plane normal to the optical axis of the optical system, correcting the position of the lens until the values of four Combination Modulation Transfer Functions (C-MTF) are in predetermined ranges, the C-MTF being calculated at four coarse measurement locations situated close to the edges of the image along two coarse positioning axes crossing the center of the image, each for a combination pattern comprising a combination of a Sagittal pattern and a Tangential pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2009
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: ETHER PRECISION, INC
    Inventors: Cyril Miahczylowicz-Wolski, Jean-Pierre Lusinchi
  • Patent number: 8149287
    Abstract: An imaging system is provided and includes an imaging lens and an imaging device such that the maximum diameter of an effective region of a point image becomes a size covering three or more pixels of light receiving pixels, the point image being projected onto a light receiving surface through the imaging lens from any position of X, Y, and Z directions. A signal processing unit in the imaging system executes restoration processing on first image data output from the imaging device that images an optical image of a subject projected onto the light receiving surface through the imaging lens, the restoration processing being executed to generate second image data equivalent to the first image data output from the imaging device when the resolving power of the imaging lens is higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Fujinon Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuya Yoneyama
  • Patent number: 8085392
    Abstract: An ophthalmic device forming system includes an inspection station configured to receive a plurality of ophthalmic devices, a fluid supply fluidly connected to the inspection station, the fluid supply containing a working fluid, and a heat source fluidly connected between the fluid supply and the inspection station. The heat source includes a housing, a transfer element, and a low pressure gas region defined by the housing adjacent to the transfer element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Bausch & Lomb Incorporated
    Inventor: Kevin D. Beebe
  • Patent number: 8085393
    Abstract: A mask pattern includes a first pattern having a line-and-space pattern extending in a first direction, a second pattern formed as a line-and-space pattern having a larger period than the first pattern and extending in the first direction, a third pattern having a line-and-space pattern extending in a second direction, and a fourth pattern formed as a line-and-space pattern having a larger period than the third pattern and extending in the second direction. Illumination light is obliquely incident on the first pattern and the second pattern from a first oblique direction, illumination light is obliquely incident on the third pattern and the fourth pattern from a second oblique direction, and a relative distance from the first pattern to the second pattern transferred on to an image receptor and a relative distance from the third pattern to the fourth pattern transferred onto the image receptor are measured and an optical characteristic of an exposure apparatus is ascertained based on the relative distances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kentaro Kasa, Takashi Sato, Kazuya Fukuhara
  • Patent number: 8085391
    Abstract: Methods and systems for forming a chief ray angle (CRA) profile of an imaging lens having a field of view (FOV) are provided. At least one CRA sensor is positioned between an edge of a pixel array and an edge of the FOV, at one or more predetermined lens height percentages. Light is transmitted through the imaging lens and detected by multiple detectors included in the at least one CRA sensor. Each detector is configured to detect a different predetermined CRA. For each CRA sensor, a largest amplitude of detected light among the multiple detectors is selected. The largest amplitude of light represents a CRA of the transmitted light. At least one data point of the CRA profile is determined, by using the selected predetermined CRA at the one or more predetermined lens height percentages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Aptina Imaging Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro Machida, William George Gazeley
  • Publication number: 20110205514
    Abstract: A measuring apparatus for measuring a pupil transmittance distribution of an optical system to be examined has a diffraction grating mounted on a first surface in an optical Fourier transform relation with a pupil of the optical system, an illumination optical system which makes a beam inclined relative to the optical axis, incident to a predetermined position on the first surface so that a +first-order diffracted beam, generated through the diffraction grating, passes through a first pupil partial region in an effective region of the pupil and so that a ?first-order diffracted beam, generated through the diffraction grating, passes through a second pupil partial region, and a measuring unit which measures an intensity of the +first-order diffracted beam, and an intensity of the ?first-order diffracted beam, and the measuring apparatus determines a ratio of a pupil transmittance in the first and second pupil partial regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naonori KITA
  • Publication number: 20110102776
    Abstract: An optical line monitoring apparatus and optical line monitoring system which can measure a reflectance distribution in an optical line with a high spatial resolution in a short time are provided. An optical line monitoring apparatus 14A provided in a station 10A comprises an OCDR measurement section 15 for carrying out OCDR measurement, an OTDR measurement section 16 for carrying out OTDR measurement, an optical switch 13 for selectively connecting one of the OCDR measurement section 15 and OTDR measurement section 16 to the optical coupler 12, a control section 17, and a storage device 18. The control section 17 performs a predetermined arithmetic operation according to an OCDR measurement result acquired by causing the OCDR measurement section 15 to carry out the OCDR measurement and an OTDR measurement result acquired by causing the OTDR measurement section 16 to carry out the OTDR measurement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2009
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Takemi Hasegawa, Tetsuya Hayashi, Haruo Nakaji
  • Patent number: 7876429
    Abstract: The evaluating apparatus evaluates a restoration-premised lens which is employed in an image forming system that converts an optical image into an electronic image and then enforces a restoration processing on the electronic image in order to obtain a sharp image, is actually manufactured based on such design as premised on the restoration processing. The evaluating apparatus includes an evaluating corrective optical system, measuring section and evaluating section. The evaluating corrective optical system, when it is combined with a lens manufactured just as designed, forms a sharp optical image. The measuring section measures the optical characteristics of a composite optical system provided by combining together the evaluating corrective optical system and the manufactured lens. The evaluating section evaluates the manufactured lens according to measured results provided by measuring section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Fujinon Corporation
    Inventor: Ryoko Tomioka
  • Patent number: 7869017
    Abstract: One embodiment of the invention provides an test apparatus having a plurality of combinations of object distances and being used for testing an optical device. The test apparatus comprises at least one reflector, at least one first target module and at least one second target module. The first target module is for forming a first patterned light beam being shed on the optical device. The second target module is for forming a second patterned light beam being reflected by the reflector and then shed on the optical device. The third target module is for forming a quasi-parallel third patterned light beam being shed on the optical device. The distance between the first target module and the optical device is smaller than the distance between the second target module and the optical device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: UMA Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Chang Yuan Lee, Wen Wen Teng
  • Patent number: 7812295
    Abstract: An imaging system is presented for use in multi-range imaging of an object scene by incoherent light. The imaging system comprises aligned a phase mask section, a single focus lens section, and a pixel detector array (PDA). The phase mask section has a generally non-diffractive, narrowly bounded, phase variation corresponding to a profile of a through-object Modulated Transfer Function (MTF) of the imaging system, where the profile has, at an at least one non-zero spatial frequency, at least two regions of growth leading to the MTF higher than 10%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Xceed Imaging Ltd.
    Inventors: Zeev Zalevsky, Ido Raveh
  • Publication number: 20100250171
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a lens evaluation method capable of easily evaluating whether there is a difference which greatly changes locally in a lens, and evaluating the degree of the difference. According to the lens evaluation method of the present invention, first, power a distribution of a plurality of measurement point in an arbitrary direction. Next, a calculation power distribution (a design power distribution) is created. Further, a difference distribution between an actually measured power distribution, which indicates an actual power distribution, and a calculation power distribution is obtained. Further, the difference distribution is differentiated to obtain a difference index, and an evaluation is performed based on the difference index to evaluate whether there is a difference which greatly changes locally in a lens, and evaluate the degree of the difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuma Kozu
  • Publication number: 20100250173
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a method for easily evaluating whether or not a relative positional shift generated between both surfaces of a bi-aspherical type lens is within an allowance during the manufacturing process of the bi-aspherical type lens. According to the evaluation method of the progressive-addition lens of the present invention, first, powers of the progressive-addition lens at a plurality of are measured to obtain an actually measured power distribution. Next, a comparison power distribution created based on the actually measured power distribution and a defective power distribution prepared in advance are compared with each other to perform similarity search between the both.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: Hoya Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuma Kozu
  • Patent number: 7777943
    Abstract: In a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an optical device comprises a telescope, a coronagraph device coupled to the telescope and having a focal plane occulting mask to provide a coronagraphic image, and a reticulate grid element arranged in a light path propagated through the telescope, at a location relative to the coronagraphic image, to create controlled fiducial spots in the coronagraphic image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: American Museum of Natural History
    Inventors: Anand Sivaramakrishnan, Ben R Oppenheimer
  • Publication number: 20100177303
    Abstract: Measurement result screen data indicative of an object image and an MTF curve image are generated in accordance with the object image data obtained by photographing the object and the MTF curve image data indicative of the MTF curve generated from MTF data that become an index to evaluate lens performance. The measurement result screen based on the generated measurement result screen data is displayed, so that the measurement result screen indicative of the object image and the MTF curve image can be displayed on a real time basis in the case of evaluation measurement operations of the lens performance. As a result, a user grasps necessity for a focus adjustment from the MTF curve image on the measurement result screen, if necessary, adjusts focus of the object displayed together with the MTF curve image, and at the same time can evaluate the lens performance from the MTF curve image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Inventors: Takashi Masuda, Kouki Yoshida, Takaharu Aoki, Kenichiro Waki
  • Patent number: 7705976
    Abstract: A Fourier transform optical detection system for use with a test assay that has a sensitivity pattern, the detection system including a lens having a Fourier transform plane and detectors located in the Fourier transform plane positioned in an arrangement of a Fourier transform pattern of the sensitivity pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Alverix, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter R. Robrish
  • Patent number: 7701562
    Abstract: A method of measuring a front surface profile and a back surface profile of a target object includes: mounting the target object in such a posture that a first measuring surface (front surface) is measurable by a probe; first measuring a contour of the target object; measuring the first measuring surface of the target object; reversing the target object; second measuring the contour of the target object with the reversed posture of the target object being maintained; obtaining a measurement position of a second measuring surface by comparison of contour data obtained through the first and second measuring of the contour, the measurement position of the second measuring surface corresponding to a measurement position of the first measuring surface at which the measuring of the first measuring surface is conducted; and measuring a profile of the second measuring surface along the obtained measurement position of the second measuring surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
    Inventors: Kentaro Nemoto, Masaoki Yamagata
  • Publication number: 20100053601
    Abstract: To provide an optical device inspecting apparatus which can be set to take many objects at one time more freely compared with conventional apparatuses, and furthermore, can accurately inspect even an optical device wherein an optical sensor is offset from a microlens. [MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS] Provided is an optical device inspecting apparatus having a probe card unit and a lens unit. The probe card unit is provided with a main substrate, a guide plate and a probe. Openings are made on the main substrate and the guide plate. The guide plate is fixed at a prescribed position from the main substrate, and is provided with a plurality of probe inserting holes. The probe is inserted into the probe inserting hole on the guide plate and fixed. The leading end portion of the probe protruding from the inserting hole has a shape of a cantilever.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2007
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Inventors: Shigemi Osawa, Kazuma Komuro
  • Patent number: 7619722
    Abstract: A method for replacing a lens having refractive power in a first projection optical system includes measuring a wavefront of measuring light passing through the first projection optical system in a state in which the lens having refractive power or a master lens is mounted in the first projection optical system, measuring a wavefront of measuring light passing through a second projection optical system in a state in which the master lens or an alternative lens is mounted in the second projection optical system, processing the alternative lens in accordance with measurement results, and replacing the lens having refractive power in the first projection optical system with the processed alternative lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jun Moizumi, Ryo Koizumi
  • Patent number: 7617060
    Abstract: An adaptive optics system is provided, comprising a deformable mirror configured to receive an input beam with an aberrated wavefront and to reflect the input beam to a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor array. The system further comprises the Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor array configured to receive the input beam from the deformable mirror, and to generate a plurality of sub-images from the input beam. The system further comprises a processor configured to measure, for each sub-image, two linear coefficients corresponding to a local wavefront aberration of the sub-image and to estimate, for each sub-image, three quadratic coefficients corresponding to the local wavefront aberration of the sub-image. The processor is further configured to reconstruct the aberrated wavefront of the input beam based on the measured linear coefficients and the estimated quadratic coefficients, and to provide control signals based upon the reconstructed wavefront to the deformable mirror to mitigate aberrations in the input beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Herbert E. Rauch, Dragos B. Maciuca, Gopal Vasudevan
  • Patent number: 7609372
    Abstract: A system for measuring a total track length of a telescopic lens includes a testing chart, a light source, a processor, a display screen and a range finder. The lens and an image sensor are received in a holder. The testing chart has a frame pattern and a plurality of line pair patterns. The testing chart faces and aligns with the image sensor for allowing the image sensor to capture an image of the testing chart. The processor analyzes the image generated by the image sensor, so as to obtain a modulation transfer function value representative of a precision focal position of the lens. The range finder measures a first distance between the image sensor and the range finder, a second distance between the lens and the range finder, and calculates a distance difference between the first and second distances to obtain the total track length of the lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kun-Jung Tsai
  • Patent number: 7589830
    Abstract: A method for testing and positioning a lens includes determining whether a modulation transfer function (MTF) value of the lens for an object at a first object distance is not less than a first required MTF value and whether another MTF value of the lens for an object at a secondary object distance is not less than a secondary required MTF value. A first MTF curve is plotted according to optical resolution measurements for the object at the first object distance, and the secondary MTF curve is obtained by offsetting the first MTF curve. The secondary MTF curve can approximately represent optical resolution measurements for the object at a secondary object distance. The method can determine an ideal range of positions of the lens relative to an image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kun-I Yuan
  • Publication number: 20090185174
    Abstract: A method for testing and positioning a lens includes determining whether a modulation transfer function (MTF) value of the lens for an object at a first object distance is not less than a first required MTF value and whether another MTF value of the lens for an object at a secondary object distance is not less than a secondary required MTF value. A first MTF curve is plotted according to optical resolution measurements for the object at the first object distance, and the secondary MTF curve is obtained by offsetting the first MTF curve. The secondary MTF curve can approximately represent optical resolution measurements for the object at a secondary object distance. The method can determine an ideal range of positions of the lens relative to an image sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2008
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Applicant: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: KUN-I YUAN
  • Publication number: 20090180104
    Abstract: An optical projection system for use with a display surface includes at least one image source comprising an array of source image pixels, a projector to project a first projection of the array of source image pixels, and at least one mirror including at least one curved reflecting surface having a curved profile. The at least one curved reflecting surface is adapted to convert the first projection to a curved second projection directed onto the display surface to provide an array of displayed image pixels on the display surface corresponding to the array of source image pixels, wherein the array of displayed image pixels have constant pixel pitch among adjacent displayed image pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2009
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Inventors: Suresh Balu, Jason Coposky, Ray Idaszak, Warren Ginn, Tim Fletcher
  • Patent number: 7519940
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of compensating for lens imperfections in a projection lithography tool, includes extracting from a diffraction image created by the projection lithography tool a lens transmittance function, and then using the extracted lens transmittance function as a compensator in the lithography projection tool. Another preferred apparatus and method of synthesizing a photomask pattern includes obtaining a phase and an amplitude of a transmittance function of an imaging system; forming a computational model of patterning that includes the transmittance function of the imaging system; and then synthesizing a mask pattern from a given target pattern, by minimizing differences between the target pattern and another pattern that the computational model predicts the synthesized mask pattern will form on a wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Hsu-Ting Huang, Abdurrahman Sezginer
  • Patent number: 7511803
    Abstract: A method for displaying a result of measurement of eccentricity in an optical system is provided where an amount of eccentricity for each lens element's surface in a lens system can be displayed and where the amount of eccentricity displayed can be a magnified amount of eccentricity. Additionally a sectional view of the lens system can be displayed using scaling factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasunori Murata
  • Patent number: 7510629
    Abstract: A method for analyzing in real-time in a paper machine or board machine the surface structure of a web (1) of paper or board which method comprises the direction of an imaging system towards a pre-determined area (3) of the web (1), the arrangement of an illumination system to illuminate the region from a pre-determined direction with obliquely incident light, and the arrangement of an image analysis system in association with the imaging system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Stora Enso AB
    Inventors: Magnus Ekberg, Per-Olof Ersson, Olle Henningsson, Karin Oldberg, Tomas Oldberg, Karl-Heinz Rigerl, Bosse Wigge
  • Patent number: 7499600
    Abstract: A method for use in characterizing a digital imaging system (53) having an array of imaging elements (35), and in particular for measuring the modulation transfer function (sometimes called the spatial frequency response) even in directions (33) at large angles to both horizontal rows and vertical columns of the array of imaging elements (35), wherein at large angles compared to either horizontal rows or vertical columns of the array of imaging elements (35)—and even at angles other than for directions lying along a diagonal to the array of imaging elements—only non-interpolated readings of the imaging elements (35) are used in determining a supersampled characterization of the digital imaging system (53).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Harri J. Ojanen, Ari Tervonen
  • Patent number: 7440089
    Abstract: Disclosed is a measuring method which can measure the decentering of an axis by the measurement of a two-dimensional curved surface profile. This method has a first step of measuring a profile of a examined surface by a probe from a first reference position which is a position separate by a predetermined amount from a predetermined position on the examined surface of a subject lens, a second step of measuring the profile of the examined surface by scanning the examined surface by the probe from the second reference position which is a position separate by a predetermined amount from said predetermined position in a route opposite to the scanning direction of said first step after a rotation of the subject lens; and the step of obtaining the decentering amount of the examined surface by the use of the measurement results obtained at the first and second steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasunori Murata
  • Patent number: 7379170
    Abstract: A system and method for characterizing an imaging system causes a diffraction image indicative of a test structure having a generalized line-grating to be formed and then extracts from a measurement of the diffraction image a lens transmittance function, a photoresist property or a defocus distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: Invarium, Inc.
    Inventors: Hsu-Ting Huang, Abdurrahman Sezginer
  • Patent number: 7349078
    Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a method of characterizing a lens is provided. According to the method, an optical source such as a laser is configured to generate a collimated beam that is focused along an optical axis at a distance fext. A test lens is placed along the optical axis, wherein the test lens is characterized by an effective focal length fi that is substantially independent of incident irradiance. An output beam generated from the focused optical source and the test lens defines an output intensity profile at an observation plane located a distance Z0 from the focal point of the optical source. The on-axis intensity I of the output intensity profile along the optical axis at the observation plane is monitored as the placement of the test lens along the optical axis is varied. A z-scan signature of the test lens is generated from the monitored intensity I.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: University of Dayton
    Inventors: Partha P. Banerjee, Yasser A. Abdelaziez
  • Publication number: 20070279620
    Abstract: A Fourier transform optical detection system for use with a test assay that has a sensitivity pattern, the detection system including a lens having a Fourier transform plane and detectors located in the Fourier transform plane positioned in an arrangement of a Fourier transform pattern of the sensitivity pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Applicant: Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) PTE. LTD.
    Inventor: Peter R. Robrish
  • Patent number: 7289199
    Abstract: An electronic imaging apparatus includes a connecting section connected to an optical apparatus; an optical element having a preset transmittance with respect to light in a preset wavelength region, incident from the optical apparatus; and an electronic image sensor receiving the light transmitted through the optical element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Yonetani, Yukio Nonoda, Kazuhiko Yamanouchi
  • Patent number: 7280191
    Abstract: A lens meter that measures optical characteristics of lenses of an eyeglass unit and an inspection glass unit, including a glass unit support, light sources, light-projecting and -detecting optical systems, light detectors, and inspection glass frame adaptors for the inspection glass unit. The support includes two sandwiching members displaceable to sandwich an outer peripheral portion of the eyeglass unit, and the adaptors can be fitted to and detached from the sandwiching members. The adaptors include projecting sandwiching portions projecting toward opposite sandwiching members when the adaptors are fitted to the sandwiching members and which contact portions of the inspection glass unit's frame, other than movable areas of tabs of detachable lenses projecting from a frame of an inspection glass lens unit supported by the support as the eyeglass unit, whereas adaptor portions other than the projecting sandwiching portions do not interfere with the movable areas of the tabs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
    Inventors: Eiichi Yanagi, Shinichi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 7280193
    Abstract: Apparatus, and a related method, for eliminating the effect of speckle images caused by surface imperfections in a primary mirror of a stellar coronagraph. Depending on their size, mirror imperfections can result in speckles in a field of view that also includes an image of a distant target planet. By generating a traveling surface wave in the mirror surface, and then tuning the spatial wavelength of the surface wave to approximately match that of a surface imperfection, the speckle image corresponding to that surface imperfection is made to twinkle in irradiance. Tuning the traveling surface wave though a wide range of spatial wavelengths causes each speckle image in turn to be identified by twinkling, while the target planetary image remains unvarying. Accordingly, multiple speckles corresponding to different mirror imperfections may be conveniently eliminated by image processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
    Inventors: Peter M. Livingston, Jonathan W. Arenberg
  • Patent number: 7164471
    Abstract: An electronic imaging apparatus includes a connecting section connected to an optical apparatus; an optical element having a preset transmittance with respect to light in a preset wavelength region, incident from the optical apparatus; and an electronic image sensor receiving the light transmitted through the optical element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Yonetani, Yukio Nonoda, Kazuhiko Yamanouchi
  • Patent number: 7071963
    Abstract: An optical write-in head for obtaining a clear image even in printing at a relatively high recording density without generating strip-like irregularities in most cases. The optical write-in head applies light carrying image information to a photosensitive substance. The optical write-in head includes an array light source having a plurality of dot light sources each of which selectively emits the light corresponding to the image information, and a lens array facing the array light source. The lens array has a plurality of lens elements which corresponds to the plurality of dot light sources respectively. An angular aperture ? of each of the lens elements is set in a range of about 14° to 18°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomitaka Takagi, Koichiro Iki
  • Patent number: 7068360
    Abstract: In order to provide an optical sampling waveform measuring apparatus which can measure an ultra-high speed optical signal accurately by using a stable, narrow pulse, and a low timing jitter sampling optical pulse, an optical sampling waveform measuring apparatus is provided with a passive mode-locked fiber ring laser for generating a sampling optical pulse and a cavity length varying device which adjusts the cavity length in a passive mode-locked fiber ring laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Ohta
  • Patent number: 6989894
    Abstract: A lens evaluation method for calculating resolution evaluation value based on a detected luminance value in order to evaluate resolution of lens has a background luminance value acquiring step for acquiring a luminance value at a background part having no test pattern formed thereon, a maximum luminance value acquiring step for acquiring maximum luminance value in the test pattern image, a minimum luminance value acquiring step for acquiring minimum luminance value and an evaluation value calculating step for calculating a resolution evaluation value based on the luminance values obtained in the respective steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masashi Kitabayashi, Koichi Kojima, Shunji Umemura
  • Patent number: 6975387
    Abstract: Before measuring a wavefront aberration of a projection optical system, an image formation position of an image of a pattern of a test reticle which is formed on a predetermined surface is detected by an AF sensor. Based on a result of this detection, the position of an incident surface of a wavefront aberration measurement unit is adjusted, and a position of an image of the pattern with respect to the incident surface is adjusted. After this adjustment, the image of the pattern formed through the projection optical system is detected by the wavefront aberration measurement unit, and a wavefront aberration detection section is used to obtain wavefront aberration information of the projection optical system based on a result of this detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Yasushi Mizuno
  • Patent number: 6961121
    Abstract: A method of evaluating optical disturbances occurring in a flow field around a solid body. The method includes performing a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculation to obtain a three-dimensional index-of-refraction field outside the solid body, and performing one or more ray tracing calculation based on the sindex-of-refraction field to botain a numerical estimater of the optical disturbances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Rafael-Armament Development Authority Ltd.
    Inventors: Evgeny Frumker, Ofer Pade
  • Patent number: 6900884
    Abstract: A system and method are described for automatically determining the modulation transfer function (MTF) of an optical system. In accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, optical information is collected from the optical system by imaging a bar target having at least one associated frequency to provide a bar target image for a first focus setting of the optical system. A first MTF of the optical system is determined for the at least one associated frequency at the first focus setting from the bar target image. The steps of collecting and determining are repeated by automatically selecting at least a second focus setting of the optical system to determine at least a second MTF for the at least one associated frequency. An MTF for the at least one associated frequency of the optical system is determined by interpolating the first and at least second MTFs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy Alderson, Gene D. Tener
  • Patent number: 6897948
    Abstract: An optical coupler 13, a reflection attenuation amount measurement photodetector 14, and an APC photodetector 15 are provided in a variable-wavelength light source apparatus 1 and the reflection attenuation amount can be measured simply by connecting a device under test without using any external optical power meter, etc, and when wavelength calibration is executed, an external wavelength calibration gas cell 18 and a total reflection termination 20 are connected, whereby the wavelength of an optical signal output from a variable-wavelength light source 11 can be measured and controlled with higher accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Yokogaw Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Nobuaki Ema
  • Patent number: 6876443
    Abstract: In a process for automatically determining the modulation transfer function (MTF) of a focal plane array (FPA) cameras, a test grid is used to generate a beat whose amplitude corresponds to that of the grid image to be measured, without the sampling MTF. (The image of the test grid has a spatial frequency in the detector plane that is detuned with respect to the Nyquist frequency of the detector array. The test grid covers a range of at least half a beat period, and then, regardless of the actual phase position, the modulation amplitude is determined therefrom. Comparative MTF measurements are thereby permitted without the influence of the sampling effect of an FPA, and particularly the MTF measurement in real time suitable for the application to moving images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: LFK-Lenkflugkoerpersysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Jochen Barth, Michael Assel, Yvonne Polin
  • Patent number: 6842297
    Abstract: Improved Wavefront Coding Optics, which apply a phase profile to the wavefront of light from an object to be imaged, retain their insensitivity to focus related aberration, while increasing the heights of the resulting MTFs and reducing the noise in the final images. Such improved Wavefront Coding Optics have the characteristic that the central portion of the applied phase profile is essentially flat (or constant), while a peripheral region of the phase profile around the central region alternately has positive and negative phase regions relative to the central region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: CDM Optics, Inc.
    Inventor: Edward Raymond Dowski, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6781681
    Abstract: A wavefront measuring system and method for detecting phase aberrations in wavefronts that are reflected from, transmitted through or internally reflected within objects sought to be measured, e.g., optics systems, the human eye, etc. includes placing a reticle in the path of a return beam from the object, and placing a detector at a diffraction pattern self-imaging plane relative to the reticle. The diffraction pattern is analyzed and results in a model of the wavefront phase characteristics. A set of known polynomials is fitted to the wavefront phase gradient to obtain polynomial coefficients that describe aberrations in the object or within the wavefront source being measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Ophthonix, Inc.
    Inventor: Larry S. Horwitz
  • Publication number: 20040156041
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for measuring an optical characteristic of a projection optical system such as wavefront aberration, for example, very precisely. In an embodiment of the present invention, the method includes a first detecting step for causing each of plural light beams from a pattern to pass a predetermined position on a pupil plane of the optical system and subsequently imaging the light beams separately, and for detecting an imaging position of each light beam upon the pupil plane of the optical system, a second detecting step for detecting error information related to a passage position as each light beam passes through the pupil plane, and a third detecting step for detecting wavefront aberration of the optical system on the basis of the imaging position of each light beam upon the pupil plane and of the error information related to the passage position of each light beam on the pupil plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2003
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Shiode
  • Patent number: 6760097
    Abstract: A lens evaluation method for calculating resolution evaluation value based on a detected luminance value in order to evaluate resolution of lens has a background luminance value acquiring step for acquiring a luminance value at a background part having no test pattern formed thereon, a maximum luminance value acquiring step for acquiring maximum luminance value in the test pattern image, a minimum luminance value acquiring step for acquiring minimum luminance value and an evaluation value calculating step for calculating a resolution evaluation value based on the luminance values obtained in the respective steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masashi Kitabayashi, Koichi Kojima, Shunji Umemura
  • Patent number: 6703988
    Abstract: A display system or monitor arrangement for stereoscopic displaying of images includes a pair of displays for providing respective left eye and right eye images and arranged in perpendicular intersecting planes, a beam splitter for combining the images from the displays in a common light path, and a means to discriminate between respective images to present the respective left and right eye images to the eyes of a viewer for viewing. Image discriminating functions may be obtained using plane polarized light characteristics and/or circular polarized light characteristics. A package arrangement retains the display a system components for storage or use; and a cubical mount structure may provide alignment and positioning of respective parts of the display system. Display methods for displaying stereoscopic images in a common light path are included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Fergason Patent Properties, LLC
    Inventor: James L. Fergason