Optical assembly for a wide field of view point action camera with low astigmatism

• US 10,317,652 B1
• Filed: 10/02/2017
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• 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): Collins, Darryl J
• Application Number:
  US15/723,143
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 359708-719, 359754-762
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0045 having five or more lenses
• 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 27/0025 for optical correction, e.g. distorsion, aberration
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 9/64 having more than six components

Abstract

An optical assembly for a point action camera with a wide field of view includes multiple lens elements configured to provide a field of view in excess of 150 degrees. One or more lens elements has an aspheric surface. The optical assembly exhibits a low longitudinal astigmatism of approximately 0.3 mm or less.

Claims

1. An optical assembly for a point action camera having a wide field of view, comprising multiple lens elements configured to provide a field of view in excess of 120 degrees that comprises a longitudinal astigmatism of 0.7 mm or less, wherein said multiple lens elements comprise, from object end to image end:

a convexo-concave or meniscus lens;

a convexo-concave or quasi-convexo-concave or plano-concave or meniscus lens;

a biconvex or convexo-plano or convexo-quasi-convex or quasi-convexo-convex lens;

an aperture stop;

a biconvex or plano-convex or quasi-convexo-convex lens;

a biconcave-biconvex or a convexo-concave-biconvex or a plano-concave-biconvex or a quasi-plano-concave-biconvex doublet lens element;

a biconvex or convexo-plano or convexo-quasi-convexo lens.

2. The optical assembly of claim 1, comprising at least one aspheric lens element.

3. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein said longitudinal astigmatism comprises multiple orders including fifth order astigmatism.

4. The optical assembly of claim 1, comprising from object end to image end a first optical group and a second optical group, wherein the first optical group is configured to collect light at said wide field of view and said second optical group is configured to compensate for astigmatism and distortion errors.

5. The optical assembly of claim 4, wherein said aperture stop is disposed between said first and second optical groups.

6. The optical assembly of claim 4, comprising a third optical group disposed between said first optical group and said aperture stop.

7. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal astigmatism is less than 0.5 mm.

8. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal astigmatism is less than 0.3 mm.

9. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein the lateral chromatic aberration is less than approximately three pixels.

10. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein the lateral chromatic aberration is less than approximately two pixels.

11. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein the lateral chromatic aberration is less than approximately five microns.

12. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein the lateral chromatic aberration is less than approximately three microns.

13. A digital point action camera, comprising

an optical assembly as in claim 1;

and

an image sensor disposed approximately at a focal plane of the optical assembly; and

a digital camera housing including electronics and a user interface, and containing said optical assembly and said image sensor in optically effective relative disposition.

14. The digital point action camera of claim 13, wherein the optical assembly comprises at least one aspheric lens element.

15. The digital point action camera of claim 13, wherein said longitudinal astigmatism comprises multiple orders including fifth order astigmatism.

16. The digital point action camera of claim 13, wherein the optical assembly comprises, from object end to image end, a first optical group and a second optical group, wherein the first optical group is configured to collect light at said wide field of view and said second optical group is configured to compensate for astigmatism and distortion errors.

17. The digital point action camera of claim 16, wherein said aperture stop is disposed between said first and second optical groups.

18. The digital point action camera of claim 16, wherein the optical assembly comprises a third optical group disposed between said first optical group and said aperture stop.

19. The digital point action camera of claim 13, wherein the longitudinal astigmatism is less than 0.5 mm.

20. The digital point action camera of claim 13, wherein the longitudinal astigmatism is less than 0.3 mm.

21. The digital point action camera of claim 13, wherein the lateral chromatic aberration is less than approximately three pixels.

22. The digital point action camera of claim 13, wherein the lateral chromatic aberration is less than approximately two pixels.

23. The digital point action camera of claim 13, wherein the lateral chromatic aberration is less than approximately five microns.

24. The digital point action camera of claim 13, wherein the lateral chromatic aberration is less than approximately three microns.