Asymmetric (e.g., Prismatic Or Eccentric, Etc.) Patents (Class 359/720)
  • Patent number: 11752952
    Abstract: A method for aligning a camera of a vehicle camera monitor system (CMS) includes mounting the camera to a vehicle on one side thereof, the camera having a camera opening angle, providing the camera with at least one image sensor having an entire area of full sensor field of view (FoV), forwarding the image data recorded by the at least one image sensor to a monitor of the CMS to display an image comprising the first area to a driver of the vehicle, and aligning the camera with its camera opening angle such that the first area is at least one of arranged at the horizontal outermost position of the image captured by the image sensor of the camera or at the vertical outermost position of the image displayed on the monitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Motherson Innovations Company Limited
    Inventors: Matthias Koller, Alexander Slama
  • Patent number: 11695247
    Abstract: In various embodiments, one or more optical elements are utilized to alter the numerical aperture of a radiation beam received from an optical fiber in order to accommodate the properties of a downstream collimator within a laser delivery head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD
    Inventors: Wang-Long Zhou, Francisco Villarreal-Saucedo
  • Patent number: 11567363
    Abstract: A light control member includes a light control substrate including a surface, and a scalene prism disposed on the light control substrate. The scalene prism includes a first side surface extended at a first angle with respect to the surface of the light control substrate, and a second side surface extended at a second angle with respect to the surface of the light control substrate, the second angle being greater than the first angle. The light control member includes an etching stopper disposed on the scalene prism, and at least one absorption pattern disposed on the etching stopper on the second side surface of the scalene prism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sung Won Cho, Yun Jong Yeo, Seon Il Kim, Youn Joon Kim, Dae Won Choi
  • Patent number: 11500182
    Abstract: An optical imaging system includes: a first lens having refractive power, a second lens having refractive power, a third lens having refractive power, a fourth lens having refractive power, and a fifth lens having refractive power. Here, the first lens, the third lens, and the fifth lens may have refractive indices of about 1.6 or more, and an entire field of view of the optical imaging system may be about 120° or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae Hyun Baik, Yong Joo Jo, Tae Youn Lee, Jae Hyuk Huh
  • Patent number: 11186113
    Abstract: Security article and method for producing a security article. The method includes microprinting on a patch an array of microimages, placing a first translucent layer over the substrate and first patch, and laminating the substrate, the patch, and the first translucent layer using a lamination tool. The resulting security product includes a microlens array is located in the first translucent layer in register with the patch such that microimages have a one-to-one correspondence with lenses of the array of microlenses, wherein when the microimage array is viewed by a viewer through the microlens array, a composite image is visible to a viewer of the security article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignees: THALES DIS FRANCE SA, THALES DIS USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Teemu Pohjola, Christopher Knud Haas
  • Patent number: 10598946
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to stereoscopic displays, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to stereoscopic displays with addressable focus cues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: THE ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
    Inventors: Hong Hua, Xinda Hu
  • Patent number: 10067314
    Abstract: A lens system which includes a lens group including at least one lens element and forms an image on an image sensor which is rectangular with a first side and a second side greater than or equal to the first side in length, the lens system including: in order from an object side to an image surface side, a front lens group; a diaphragm; and a rear lens group, wherein at least one of the front lens group and the rear lens group includes a freeform surface lens asymmetric about an optical axis, and the lens system satisfies 1<A/(B?C)<10000 and 1<A/(D?E)<10000.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takuya Imaoka
  • Patent number: 9874760
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to stereoscopic displays, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to stereoscopic displays with addressable focus cues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
    Inventors: Hong Hua, Xinda Hu
  • Patent number: 9523479
    Abstract: A lens for distribution of light from a light emitter having an emitter axis. The lens includes an outer surface and a total internal reflection (TIR) surface positioned outwardly of and around the emitter such that light received by the TIR surface is totally internally reflected toward the outer surface. The TIR surface has at least one recessed region extending away from the light emitter, thereby to increase amount of TIR and facilitate lateral diffusion of highest-intensity light in the middle of the light distribution. The lens may further include a base surface adjacent the emitter and an inner surface defining an inner cavity about the emitter axis. In such embodiments, the TIR is positioned and configured for total internal reflection of light received from the inner surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventor: Corey Goldstein
  • Patent number: 9488339
    Abstract: A lens for distribution of light predominantly toward a preferential side from a light emitter having an emitter axis. The lens includes an outer surface, a reflecting inner surface and a reflecting back surface. The reflecting inner surface is positioned and configured for total internal reflection (TIR) of received light toward the lens outer surface. The reflecting back surface is positioned and configured for total internal reflection (TIR) of received light toward the preferential side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt S. Wilcox, Christopher Strom
  • Patent number: 8911118
    Abstract: An illumination system includes an LED module and an illuminated area. The LED module includes an LED, and a lens mounted in light path of the LED. The lens includes a light source recess, a first light emitting surface, a critical reflecting surface, and a second light emitting surface intersecting with the first light emitting surface and being on same side with the first light emitting surface. The first light emitting surface can receive more light quantity than the second light emitting surface. Although the light emitted from the first light emitting surface may have greater attenuation than the light emitted from the second light emitting surface, light emitted from the first light emitting surface can make up the intensity losses of attenuation as the first light emitting surface receives more light quantity than the second light emitting surface. As a result, the illumination system has a uniform illumination pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Ningbo Hi-Tech Park Self Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fawei Zhang, Le Xu, Wanjiong Lin
  • Publication number: 20140347710
    Abstract: An image-reading lens includes front-group and rear-group lens systems which are arranged on an object side and an image side, respectively. The front-group lens system includes equal to or less than 5 lenses which include at least one positive lens and at least one negative lens, and the rear-group lens system includes one negative lens. An angle of view of an entire system of the image-reading lens is equal to or more than 56°. The front-group and rear-group lens systems are structured such that with respect to a change in a distance between the front-group and rear-group lens systems, a change in a focal length of the entire system of the image-reading lens is small, and a change in an image plane is large, and by adjusting the distance between the front-group and rear-group lens systems, a required lens performance is obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventor: Takuya NAGANO
  • Publication number: 20140333865
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to a display device, and the display device, comprising: a display panel, comprising a display region and a peripheral region around the display region; and an optical module, disposed on a light-exiting side of the display panel, the optical module configured to shift light emitted from the display panel towards edges of the display panel so as to make a part of the light shift into the peripheral region and emit from the peripheral region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Inventors: Fan Li, Xiaomei Huang
  • Publication number: 20140254032
    Abstract: An asymmetric aberration correcting lens is described. In one or more implementations, a lens includes multiple lens elements that are configured to focus an image from an imaging component. The multiple lens elements include an optical lens element that is configured to redirect the image so that the image passes through the lens. Further, the multiple lens elements include an asymmetric element configured to correct asymmetric aberration caused by the imaging component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Liying Chen
  • Patent number: 8801197
    Abstract: A projection optical system which, when projecting an image of an optical modulator onto a projection surface on an enlarged scale, differs the aspect ratio of the image of the optical modulator and the aspect ratio of the image projected onto the projection surface, and includes, in order from the projection surface, a first group which is an enlargement optical system; a second group includes an adjustment optical component with a surface rotationally asymmetrical to an optical axis, when defining at least one direction of the vertical direction and the horizontal direction of the optical modulator as an adjustment direction in which conversion adjustment using compression or extension is performed, the adjustment optical component having at least one optical system which differs in power between the adjustment direction and another direction; and a third group which has a correction optical component with a surface rotationally symmetrical to the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Eiji Morikuni, Makoto Otani
  • Publication number: 20140146294
    Abstract: A projection type display apparatus including an oblique projection optical system having a plurality of lenses is disclosed. A lens nearest to a projection screen has a vertical effective image area through which a light flux passes. The lens is arranged at a position not including an optical axis shared by the largest number of lenses among the plurality of lenses. A flat mirror for returning the optical path is arranged between the particular lens and the projection screen at a predetermined angle to the optical axis. An enlarged image obtained by the light flux returned by the flat mirror is formed toward a display screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: HITACHI CONSUMER ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji HIRATA, Masahiko YATSU, Naoyuki OGURA
  • Patent number: 8724229
    Abstract: A decentered optical system includes a decentered prism which is located in opposition to the image display device, in which there are at least three optical surfaces mutually decentered with at least two thereof being in rotationally asymmetric shape, and which is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index of greater than 1, and a decentered lens which is interposed between the viewer's eyeball and the decentered prism, and is made up of mutually decentered two surfaces and filled inside with a medium having a refractive index of greater than 1, and in which on the image display device side with respect to an on-axis chief ray incident from the center of the image display device on the center of an exit pupil, there is a lens portion having positive power, and on an opposite side thereof, there is a lens portion having negative power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Koichi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8687288
    Abstract: A driver vision field extender uses flexible vinyl Fresnel-type prism lens material with substantially parallel horizontal straight linearly extending prism lines. The parallel lines permit wide side by side views without substantial distortion. As the driver vision field extender is intended to be positioned contiguously along the windshield, the driver vision field extender after installation preferably exhibits a concave shape acting to focus the light defining and delineating overhead objects towards front-seated passengers such as the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: North East Windows Solutions, LLC
    Inventor: James Webber
  • Patent number: 8687279
    Abstract: The invention relates to a lens comprising two or more seating surfaces and an optical axis offset from the center of the lens such that the optical axis is spaced by a first distance from a first seating surface and by a second distance from a second seating surface. The first and second distances are different so that the lens can be orientated to provide at least two different optical axis heights depending upon which seating surface is chosen to seat the lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Oclaro Technology Limited
    Inventor: Paul Firth
  • Publication number: 20140071404
    Abstract: A low Z-height projection system includes a display panel for displaying a grating pattern that has gratings extended in a first direction. A projection lens system is also included and projects the grating pattern displayed on the display panel onto a surface. The projection lens system is a truncated circular lens system that has a first lens width in the first direction and a second lens width in a second direction. The first lens width is less than the second lens width. The first and second directions are orthogonal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Iain Davidson
  • Publication number: 20140009845
    Abstract: A see-through free-form head-mounted display including a wedge-shaped prism-lens having free-form surfaces and low F-number is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventors: Dewen Cheng, Hong Hua, Yongtian Wang
  • Publication number: 20130229633
    Abstract: A projection type display apparatus including an oblique projection optical system having a plurality of lenses is disclosed. A lens nearest to a projection screen has a vertical effective image area through which a light flux passes. The lens is arranged at a position not including an optical axis shared by the largest number of lenses among the plurality of lenses. A flat mirror for returning the optical path is arranged between the particular lens and the projection screen at a predetermined angle to the optical axis. An enlarged image obtained by the light flux returned by the flat mirror is formed toward a display screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2013
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: HITACHI CONSUMER ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji HIRATA, Masahiko YATSU, Naoyuki OGURA
  • Patent number: 8500276
    Abstract: Imaging optics for optical devices, with which reflections of the illumination light, which is guided through the same optical elements as the observation light, are kept from reaching the observation pupil of the imaging beam path. The non-reflective imaging optics include at least two refractive optical elements, which are utilized for illumination as well as observation. The at least two refractive optical elements are designed approximately wedge-shaped and are tilted at a random azimuth angle of at least 5° and/or are positioned off-center in the beam path to block out the single reflections of the illumination, occurring at the optical system surfaces, for the observation. The imaging optics are for optical devices, particularly in ophthalmology thought the invention is applicable to other ophthalmological devices as well as to optical devices outside of this field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec AG
    Inventors: Jan Buchheister, Lothar Müller, Marco Pretorius
  • Publication number: 20130194560
    Abstract: An immersion projection optical system having, for example, a catadioptric and off-axis structure, reduces the portion of an image space filled with liquid (immersion liquid). The projection optical system, which projects a reduced image of a first plane onto a second plane through the liquid, includes a refractive optical element (Lp) arranged nearest to the second plane. The refractive optical element includes a light emitting surface (Lpb) shaped to be substantially symmetric with respect to two axial directions (XY-axes) perpendicular to each other on the second plane. The light emitting surface has a central axis (Lpba) that substantially coincides with a central axis (40a) of a circle (40) corresponding to a circumference of a light entering surface (Lpa) of the refractive optical element. The central axis of the light emitting surface is decentered in one of the two axial directions (Y-axis) from an optical axis (AX).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: NIKON CORPORATION
  • Publication number: 20130027784
    Abstract: A decentered optical system includes a decentered prism which is located in opposition to the image display device, in which there are at least three optical surfaces mutually decentered with at least two thereof being in rotationally asymmetric shape, and which is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index of greater than 1, and a decentered lens which is interposed between the viewer's eyeball and the decentered prism, and is made up of mutually decentered two surfaces and filled inside with a medium having a refractive index of greater than 1, and in which on the image display device side with respect to an on-axis chief ray incident from the center of the image display device on the center of an exit pupil, there is a lens portion having positive power, and on an opposite side thereof, there is a lens portion having negative power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Inventor: Koichi TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20130016437
    Abstract: The invention relates to a lens comprising two or more seating surfaces and an optical axis offset from the centre of the lens such that the optical axis is spaced by a first distance from a first seating surface and by a second distance from a second seating surface. The first and second distances are different so that the lens can be orientated to provide at least two different optical axis heights depending upon which seating surface is chosen to seat the lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2012
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Inventor: Paul Firth
  • Publication number: 20120081800
    Abstract: A see-through free-form head-mounted display including a wedge-shaped prism-lens having free-form surfaces and low F-number is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2010
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Inventors: Dewen Cheng, Hong Hua, Yongtian Wang
  • Publication number: 20120002186
    Abstract: An immersion projection optical system having, for example, a catadioptric and off-axis structure, reduces the portion of an image space filled with liquid (immersion liquid). The projection optical system, which projects a reduced image of a first plane onto a second plane through the liquid, includes a refractive optical element (Lp) arranged nearest to the second plane. The refractive optical element includes a light emitting surface (Lpb) shaped to be substantially symmetric with respect to two axial directions (XY-axes) perpendicular to each other on the second plane. The light emitting surface has a central axis (Lpba) that substantially coincides with a central axis (40a) of a circle (40) corresponding to a circumference of a light entering surface (Lpa) of the refractive optical element. The central axis of the light emitting surface is decentered in one of the two axial directions (Y-axis) from an optical axis (AX).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Omura, Takaya Okada, Hiroyuki Nagasaka
  • Publication number: 20110211176
    Abstract: An optical system and a projector utilizing the optical system can prevent tilted projection, hence ensuring that keystone distortion will not occur. The inventive optical system includes a lens group and a reflection layer. The lens group has a plurality of lens elements, and is utilized for guiding an input light beam. A shape of each of lens elements is substantially identical to a shape of a half of a rotationally symmetrical lens. The reflection layer is disposed under the lens group, and utilized for reflecting an incident light beam. As a result, the optical system is configured for guiding the output light beam derived from the input light beam to be projected onto an area substantially higher than a common line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Inventors: LI TAN, Hoi-Sing Kwok
  • Patent number: 8009366
    Abstract: A small-sized super wide-angle lens for a solid-state image sensor that is suitable for a digital input apparatus such as a monitoring camera and an onboard camera, which is excellent in terms of optical performance and is low in terms of cost. The super wide-angle lens includes, in order from an object side thereof: a first lens with a negative refractive power; a second lens with a negative refractive power; a third lens with a positive refractive power; and a fourth lens with a positive refractive power. The first lens is a meniscus lens including a convex surface facing the object side. Each of the second lens and the fourth lens includes at lest one rotational-asymmetric surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.
    Inventor: Masatoshi Hirose
  • Patent number: 7995290
    Abstract: An objective lens for converging light emitted from a light source on an optical recording medium to record and reproduce information consists of a single lens having at least one aspheric surface. The following conditional expressions (1) to (3) are satisfied: N?1.75??(1) 0.5<f/f1<0.6??(2) 0.8<d/(NA·De)<1.0??(3) where N denotes a refractive index, f denotes a focal length (mm), f1 denotes a focal length (mm) of a light source side surface, d denotes a thickness (mm) on an optical axis, NA denotes a numerical aperture on an optical recording medium side, and De denotes an effective aperture (mm) of the light source side surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Fujinon Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiaki Katsuma, Masao Mori, Tetsuya Ori, Yu Kitahara
  • Patent number: 7920325
    Abstract: System and method for utilizing two prisms spatially separated is provided. The two prisms spatially separated allows the two prisms typically found in a TIR optical relay system to be spatially separated. In an embodiment, one or more optical relay lenses are interposed between the two prisms. The prism positioned on the object side may be integrated into one or more of the optical relay lenses, thereby further simplifying the optical relay design. In another embodiment, the one or more optical relay lenses may have an optical axis that is offset from the optical axis of incoming light to cause a pupil shift. An aspherical lens may be included to correct for the pupil shift and create a more uniform illumination image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Texas Intruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Patrick Rene Destain
  • Publication number: 20110068258
    Abstract: A singlet lens with opposing first and second surfaces has at least one surface being nonrotationally symmetric, the singlet lens substantially maintaining a ratio of magnification along orthogonal axes. The nonrotationally symmetric surface may be used in an imaging system, which may be used in a mobile handset.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Inventors: Robert D. TeKOLSTE, Alan D. Kathman
  • Patent number: 7869137
    Abstract: An Abbe prism lens and lens array are disclosed. The lens comprises front lenses disposed on a front surface of the Abbe prism, rear lenses disposed on a rear surface of the Abbe prism, a front bottom reflecting surface, a rear bottom reflecting surface, a left top reflecting surface, and a right top reflecting surface. An aperture cover is positioned over the front surface of the Abbe prism lens and a field cover is positioned over the rear surface of the Abbe prism lens. The aperture cover comprises aperture holes encircling the aspherical front lenses. The field cover comprises field holes encircling the aspherical rear lenses. Light enters the Abbe prism lens and reflects off the front bottom reflecting surface, reflects off the left top reflecting surface and the right top reflecting surface, reflects off the rear bottom reflecting surface, and exits the rear lens of the Abbe prism lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Pixon Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Rong Yaw Wu, Yen-Chieh Chen, Shih Che Chen, Ching Yi Chen
  • Publication number: 20100290134
    Abstract: An Abbe prism lens and lens array are disclosed. The lens comprises front lenses disposed on a front surface of the Abbe prism, rear lenses disposed on a rear surface of the Abbe prism, a front bottom reflecting surface, a rear bottom reflecting surface, a left top reflecting surface, and a right top reflecting surface. An aperture cover is positioned over the front surface of the Abbe prism lens and a field cover is positioned over the rear surface of the Abbe prism lens. The aperture cover comprises aperture holes encircling the aspherical front lenses. The field cover comprises field holes encircling the aspherical rear lenses. Light enters the Abbe prism lens and reflects off the front bottom reflecting surface, reflects off the left top reflecting surface and the right top reflecting surface, reflects off the rear bottom reflecting surface, and exits the rear lens of the Abbe prism lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2009
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Inventors: Rong Yaw WU, Yen-Chieh Chen, Shih Che Chen, Ching Yi Chen
  • Patent number: 7791822
    Abstract: An optical system has a plurality of optical surfaces and an aperture stop, and has an eccentric reflective surface as at least one of the plurality of optical surfaces. For different conjugate distances, focusing for keeping a position of an entire image surface substantially constant while keeping substantially constant an axial imaging position and an angle of incidence of an axial principal ray on an image surface is performed by parallel and rotational movement of a group provided as a focusing group having at least one surface as the eccentric reflective surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.
    Inventor: Mitsuaki Shimo
  • Publication number: 20100171937
    Abstract: A projection type display apparatus including an oblique projection optical system having a plurality of lenses is disclosed. A lens nearest to a projection screen has a vertical effective image area through which a light flux passes. The lens is arranged at a position not including an optical axis shared by the largest number of lenses among the plurality of lenses. A flat mirror for returning the optical path is arranged between the particular lens and the projection screen at a predetermined angle to the optical axis. An enlarged image obtained by the light flux returned by the flat mirror is formed toward a display screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Inventors: Koji HIRATA, Masahiko Yatsu, Naoyuki Ogura
  • Patent number: 7710663
    Abstract: A prismatic lens and a reflector/refractor device having enhanced characteristics are provided for lighting fixtures. The prismatic lens and the reflector/refractor device are formed of a silicone material. A prismatic lens member includes a plurality of prisms on a surface thereof for refracting light. The reflector/refractor device includes a plurality of prisms on a surface thereof for reflecting and refracting light. The silicone material forming the prismatic lens and the reflector/refractor device is substantially transparent, and enables forming enhanced optical elements, for example, by injection molding technique. The silicone material is a selected one of dimethylsilicone, phenylmethlysilicone, or similar silicone material enabling enhanced optical performance for the prismatic lens and the reflector/refractor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: A.L.P. Lighting & Ceiling Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas F. Barnes, Joel E. Robinson, John R. Anthony
  • Publication number: 20100103540
    Abstract: Disclosed is a camera module with an oval asymmetric lens and double barrels, including a first lens barrel containing a plurality of lenses and at least one asymmetric lens for focusing an image of an object at a position inside the camera module, a second lens barrel surrounding a portion of the first lens barrel and separately rotating from the first lens barrel, a housing coupled to the second lens barrel in a screwed manner for focusing of the first lens barrel, and a circuit board on which an image sensor for converting the image received by the first lens barrel to an electrical signal is provided and which is electrically connected to the camera module, and which is connected to a control portion of the camera module, in which the first lens barrel separately rotates from the second lens barrel for horizontal adjustment of the asymmetric lens and the second lens barrel moves in an optical axis direction of the lens for focusing the first lens barrel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Bok Sun An, Moon Do Yi, Oleg Konevsky
  • Patent number: 7679806
    Abstract: The optical elements for ultraviolet radiation, especially for microlithography, are made from cubic granet, cubic spinel, cubic perovskite and/or cubic M(II)- as well as M(IV)-oxides. The optical elements are made from suitable crystals of Y3Al5O12, Lu3Al5O12, Ca3Al2Si3O12, K2NaAlF6, K2NaScF6, K2LiAlF6 and/or Na3Al2Li3F12, (Mg, Zn)Al2O4, CaAl2O4, CaB2O4 and/or LiAl5O8, BaZrO3 and/or CaCeO3. A front lens used in immersion optics for microlithography at wavelengths under 200 nm is an example of a preferred optical element of the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Schott AG
    Inventors: Gunther Wehrhan, Regina Martin, Lutz Parthier, Joerg Staeblein, Martin Letz, Jochen Alkemper, Konrad Knapp, Klaus Petermann
  • Publication number: 20100060992
    Abstract: A small-sized super wide-angle lens for a solid-state image sensor that is suitable for a digital input apparatus such as a monitoring camera and an onboard camera, which is excellent in terms of optical performance and is low in terms of cost. The super wide-angle lens includes, in order from an object side thereof: a first lens with a negative refractive power; a second lens with a negative refractive power; a third lens with a positive refractive power; and a fourth lens with a positive refractive power. The first lens is a meniscus lens including a convex surface facing the object side. Each of the second lens and the fourth lens includes at lest one rotational-asymmetric surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2007
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Inventor: Masatoshi Hirose
  • Publication number: 20100012866
    Abstract: An imaging system includes a detector for receiving electromagnetic energy and generating sampled data in accordance with the electromagnetic energy so received. The detector is characterized by a threshold point such that the sampled data is in one of two states: i) below threshold, when the intensity of the electromagnetic energy so received is less than the threshold point; and ii) above threshold, when the intensity of the electromagnetic energy is greater than the threshold point. The imaging system also includes saturation optics for providing a characteristic of the sampled data, wherein the characteristic of the sampled data when below threshold is different from the characteristic of the sampled data when above threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Inventors: Regis S. Fan, Edward R. Dowski, JR., Kenneth S. Kubala
  • Patent number: 7648262
    Abstract: By a convex lens arranged on an optical axis extending in a front and rear direction of a lamp unit, direct light from a light emitting element arranged rearward of the convex lens is deflected to emit so that the light is made to be parallel light in a vertical face and diffused light toward left and right sides in a horizontal face. An entire region of a left side lens region of the convex lens is constituted as upper deflecting regions for deflecting light to a direction upward with respect to a direction of light of a right side lens region. Light emitted to the front side by transmitting the respective upper deflecting regions is made to be light directed upward from light emitted from the right side lens region to thereby form a laterally elongated light distribution pattern in which an upper end edge of a portion of being disposed on a left side relative to the optical axis is stepped up from an upper end edge of a portion thereof disposed on a right side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hidetada Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7633684
    Abstract: A lens particularly suited to elongated grooved lens holders such as heat sinks for light emitting diodes. The lens may have a curved surface which projects light in rectangular beams and a radial flange for engaging grooves of a grooved lens holder. Curvature is that of a flattened or compressed sine wave, with less than one full wave being formed along the lens. In one aspect of the invention, the crest of the wave, which would ordinarily be domed, may be flat. The radial flange has straight sides to enable contiguity when arrayed in abutment as well as for cooperating with the grooves of the lens holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Lomak Industrial Company Ltd
    Inventor: Chi Wai Lo
  • Publication number: 20090296235
    Abstract: An objective optical system for endoscopes has, in order form the object side, a single lens with negative power, a cemented lens with positive power, and an image sensor unit. The cemented lens has a plano-convex lens, located at the image-side end, with a convex surface facing the image side and an aperture stop placed proximate to a cemented portion and the image sensor unit includes an optically cemented body of at least one optical part, a path bending prism, and a solid-state image sensor to satisfy the following conditions: 1.5<TB/f<3.5 2.4<TC/f<4 where f is the focal length of the whole of the objective optical system, TB is the optical path length of the cemented lens, and TC is the optical path length of the image sensor unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Applicant: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventor: Tsutomu Igarashi
  • Patent number: 7612945
    Abstract: In a microlens for observing a microstructure and a camera lens structure using the microlens, the microlens includes a frustum formed on a substrate. The frustum is placed to the observed hole of the microstructure, such that a user's naked eye may approach the substrate to observe a locally enlarging image of the inner surface of the hole. In addition, the microlens is able to be placed longitudinally in a hollow lens tube of a camera lens structure, which may be placed on a surface, such that the microlens may be used at any surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Lumos Technology Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Chih-Yi Yang
  • Publication number: 20090141369
    Abstract: System and method for utilizing two prisms spatially separated is provided. The two prisms spatially separated allows the two prisms typically found in a TIR optical relay system to be spatially separated. In an embodiment, one or more optical relay lenses are interposed between the two prisms. The prism positioned on the object side may be integrated into one or more of the optical relay lenses, thereby further simplifying the optical relay design. In another embodiment, the one or more optical relay lenses may have an optical axis that is offset from the optical axis of incoming light to cause a pupil shift. An aspherical lens may be included to correct for the pupil shift and create a more uniform illumination image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Inventor: Patrick Rene Destain
  • Patent number: 7529030
    Abstract: A lens made of a medium exhibiting negative refraction is disclosed. Also, an optical element made of a medium exhibiting negative refraction is disclosed. The lens or optical element may be incorporated in an optical system or an optical apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Kimihiko Nishioka
  • Patent number: 7515194
    Abstract: An image pickup optical system includes, in order from the object side, a front unit having at least one reflecting surface with power that is rotationally asymmetrical, an aperture stop, and a rear unit having at least one reflecting surface with power that is rotationally asymmetrical. In this case, F-numbers in two directions perpendicular to each other on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis are different. Decentration takes place in one of the two directions and the F-number in a direction perpendicular to a decentering direction is smaller than that in the decentering direction. When the F-number in the decentering direction is represented by FNY and the F-number in the direction perpendicular to the decentering direction is represented by FNX, the optical system satisfies the following condition: 1.1<FNY/FNX<2.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuo Nagata, Tomoko Sato, Akihiro Sakurai, Tetsuya Ishii, Takeshi Takahashi, Kazuhiro Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7499207
    Abstract: A harmonic generation/beam shaping system to generate a shaped beam having a harmonic relationship with a beam generated by a laser, including a first harmonic generation element and a second harmonic generation element arranged sequentially along an axial beam path extending between an input from the laser and an output of the harmonic generation/beam shaping system and at least two beam shaping elements located along the axial beam path. At least one of the least two beam shaping elements is located between the second harmonic generation element and the laser to transform the beam energy profile into a preferred profile to distribute the beam energy across a larger cross sectional area of at least one harmonic generation element or to reduce peaks in the energy distribution profile of the beam, or both, wherein the preferred profile may be a flat-top profile or a Bessel function profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi Via Mechanics, Ltd.
    Inventor: Todd E. Lizotte