Optical assembly for a wide field of view camera with low TV distortion

• US 10,139,599 B1
• Filed: 02/09/2017
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Navitar, Inc. (Ametek Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Navitar Industries, LLC
• Inventors: Hudyma, Russell, Thomas, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Alexander, William R
• Application Number:
  US15/429,150
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 359708
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/00 Optical objectives specially designed for the purposes specified below with variable magnification in general G02B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0015 characterised by the lens design
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/002 having at least one aspherical surface
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0045 having five or more lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/006 at least one element being a compound optical element, e.g. cemented elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/06 Panoramic objectives; So-called "sky lenses" including panoramic objectives having reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/18 with lenses having one or more non-spherical faces, e.g. for reducing geometrical aberration G02B13/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/00 Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups G02B1/00 - G02B26/00, G02B30/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0025 for optical correction, e.g. distorsion, aberration
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/208 for use with infrared or ultraviolet radiation, e.g. for separating visible light from infrared and/or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 9/00 Optical objectives characterised both by the number of the components and their arrangements according to their sign, i.e. + or - G02B15/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 9/60 having five components only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 9/62 having six components only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 9/64 having more than six components

Abstract

An optical assembly for a wide field of view digital camera includes, from object end to image end, first and second optical groups separated by an aperture stop. The optical assembly is configured to provide images with TV distortion that is less than 16. The first optical group includes two or more lens elements, including a first lens element having a largest diameter among the multiple lens elements to collect light at said wide field of view. The second optical group includes a doublet, which is configured to compensate for oblique aberrational error, and an aspheric lens element, which is configured to compensate for astigmatism error.

Claims

1. An aspheric lens element for an optical assembly of a wide field of view point action camera, comprising an optical material including at least one aspheric surface that is configured to compensate for astigmatism error within an optical assembly, and wherein said at least one aspheric surface includes a first surface that includes an approximately 30 microns or less sag and an approximately 25 microns/millimeter or less aspheric sag slope across said first surface, and

wherein the first surface comprises approximately 6-30 microns sag and approximately 7-25 microns/millimeter aspheric sag slope across said first surface, and

wherein the first surface comprises a radius of curvature between approximately 8-10 millimeters.

2. The aspheric lens element of claim 1, wherein said aspheric lens element comprises a second surface that includes an approximately 30 microns or less sag and an approximately 20 microns or less sag slope across said second surface.

3. The aspheric lens element of claim 1, wherein said aspheric sag comprises less than approximately 25 microns across said first surface.

4. The aspheric lens element of claim 1, wherein said aspheric sag comprises less than approximately 23 microns across said first surface.

5. The aspheric lens element of claim 1, wherein said aspheric sag comprises less than approximately 21 microns across said first surface.

6. The aspheric lens element of claim 1, wherein said aspheric sag slope comprises less than approximately 25 microns per millimeter across said first surface.

7. The aspheric lens element of claim 1, wherein said aspheric sag slope comprises less than approximately 20 microns per millimeter across said first surface.

8. The aspheric lens element of claim 1, wherein said aspheric sag slope comprises less than approximately 15 microns per millimeter across said first surface.

9. The aspheric lens element of claim 1, wherein said first surface includes a point of inflection of maximum sag at less than approximately 0.85×

.

10. The aspheric lens element of claim 1, wherein said first surface includes a point of inflection of maximum sag at less than approximately 0.8×

.

11. The aspheric lens element of claim 1, wherein said first surface includes a point of inflection of maximum sag at less than approximately 0.75×

.

12. The aspheric lens element of claim 1, wherein said first surface includes a point of inflection of maximum sag at less than approximately 0.7×

.

13. The aspheric lens element of claim 1, wherein said first surface includes a point of inflection of aspheric slope extremum at less than approximately 0.5×

.

14. The aspheric lens element of claim 1, wherein said first surface includes a point of inflection of aspheric slope extremum at less than approximately 0.4×

.

15. The aspheric lens element of claim 1, wherein said first surface includes a point of inflection of aspheric slope extremum at less than approximately 0.3×

.

16. An aspheric lens element for an optical assembly of a wide field of view point action camera, comprising an optical material including at least one aspheric surface that is configured to compensate for astigmatism error within an optical assembly, and wherein said at least one aspheric surface includes a first surface that includes an approximately 30 microns or less sag and an approximately 25 microns/millimeter or less aspheric sag slope across said first surface, and

wherein the first surface comprises approximately 6-30 microns sag and approximately 7-25 microns/millimeter aspheric sag slope across said first surface, and

wherein said aspheric lens element comprises a second surface that includes an approximately 30 microns or less sag and an approximately 20 microns or less sag slope across said second surface,

wherein said first surface includes a point of inflection of maximum sag at less than approximately 0.85×

.

17. The aspheric lens element of claim 16, wherein said first surface includes a point of inflection of maximum sag at less than approximately 0.8×

.

18. The aspheric lens element of claim 16, wherein said first surface includes a point of inflection of maximum sag at less than approximately 0.75×

.

19. The aspheric lens element of claim 16, wherein said first surface includes a point of inflection of maximum sag at less than approximately 0.7×

.

20. An aspheric lens element for an optical assembly of a wide field of view point action camera, comprising an optical material including at least one aspheric surface that is configured to compensate for astigmatism error within an optical assembly, and wherein said at least one aspheric surface includes a first surface that includes an approximately 30 microns or less sag and an approximately 25 microns/millimeter or less aspheric sag slope across said first surface, and

wherein the first surface comprises approximately 6-30 microns sag and approximately 7-25 microns/millimeter aspheric sag slope across said first surface, and

wherein said aspheric lens element comprises a second surface that includes an approximately 30 microns or less sag and an approximately 20 microns or less sag slope across said second surface,

wherein said first surface includes a point of inflection of aspheric slope extremum at less than approximately 0.5×

.

21. The aspheric lens element of claim 20, wherein said first surface includes a point of inflection of aspheric slope extremum at less than approximately 0.4×

.

22. The aspheric lens element of claim 20, wherein said first surface includes a point of inflection of aspheric slope extremum at less than approximately 0.3×

.

23. An aspheric lens element for an optical assembly of a wide field of view point action camera, comprising an optical material including at least one aspheric surface that is configured to compensate for astigmatism error within an optical assembly, and wherein said at least one aspheric surface includes a first surface that includes an approximately 10 microns or less sag and an approximately 25 microns/millimeter or less aspheric sag slope across said first surface, and

wherein the said first surface includes approximately 6-10 microns sag and approximately 7-25 microns/millimeter aspheric sag slope across said first surface, and

wherein the first surface comprises a radius of curvature between approximately 6-10 millimeters.

24. The aspheric lens element of claim 23, wherein said aspheric sag comprises less than approximately 25 microns across said first surface.

25. The aspheric lens element of claim 23, wherein said aspheric sag comprises less than approximately 23 microns across said first surface.

26. The aspheric lens element of claim 23, wherein said aspheric sag comprises less than approximately 21 microns across said first surface.

27. The aspheric lens element of claim 23, wherein said aspheric sag slope comprises less than approximately 25 microns per millimeter across said first surface.

28. The aspheric lens element of claim 23, wherein said aspheric sag slope comprises less than approximately 20 microns per millimeter across said first surface.

29. The aspheric lens element of claim 23, wherein said aspheric sag slope comprises less than approximately 15 microns per millimeter across said first surface.

30. The aspheric lens element of claim 23, wherein said aspheric lens element includes a second surface that includes an approximately 30 microns or less sag and an approximately 20 microns or less sag slope across said second surface.