Method for designing a lens system and resulting apparatus

• US 20040008407A1
• Filed: 01/03/2003
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BH Image Co LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Be Here Corporation
• Inventors: Furlan, John L. W., Wallerstein, Edward P., Hoffman, Robert G., Driscoll, Edward C. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,012,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/362
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0012 Optical design, e.g. procedures, algorithms, optimisation routines

Abstract

A method for designing a lens system that allows one design tolerance to be relaxed to enhance other lens characteristics where the aberration(s) resulting from the relaxed design tolerance can be corrected by image processing subsequent to the acquisition of the raw image containing the aberration(s). In addition, wide-angle and/or catadioptric lenses so designed can be used with cameras or other image sensors. Further, the raw image can be corrected by an image correction processor within or external to a camera system, comprised of specialized circuitry and/or an appropriately configured general-purpose computer.

Claims

1. A method for designing a lens system comprising:

relaxing a first design tolerance for said lens system, said first design tolerance specifying an allowed aberration in a raw image produced through said lens system, said allowed aberration capable of being corrected by an image correction processor; and

enhancing a lens system characteristic that would have been limited by a less relaxed first design tolerance.

3. A lens system designed in accordance with the method of claim 1.

4. An image capture system equipped with the lens system of claim 3, and configured to capture said raw image.

5. An image correction processor configured to correct said allowed aberration from at least a portion of said raw image captured through the lens system of claim 3.

6. The image correction processor of claim 5 wherein said raw image is corrected to generate a corrected image having less of said allowed aberration than that in said raw image.

7. The image correction processor of claim 5 wherein a portion of said raw image is corrected to generate a view being substantially free of said allowed aberration.

8. The image correction processor of claim 5 further comprising a general-purpose programmed computer configured to correct said allowed aberration in said portion.

9. The image correction processor of claim 5 further comprising a specialized circuitry configured to correct said allowed aberration in said portion.

2. A method for designing a lens system comprising:

relaxing a first design tolerance for said lens system, said first design tolerance specifying an allowable amount of f-theta deviation in a raw image produced through said lens system, said allowable amount of f-theta deviation capable of being corrected by an image correction processor; and

enhancing a lens system characteristic that would have been limited by a less relaxed first design tolerance.

10. A lens system designed in accordance with the method of claim 2.

11. An image capture system equipped with the lens system of claim 10, and configured to capture said raw image.

12. An image correction processor configured to correct said allowed aberration from at least a portion of said raw image captured through the lens system of claim 10.

13. The image correction processor of claim 12 wherein said raw image is corrected to generate a corrected image having less of said allowed aberration than that in said raw image.

14. The image correction processor of claim 12 wherein a portion of said raw image is corrected to generate a view being substantially free of said allowed aberration.

15. The image correction processor of claim 12 further comprising a general-purpose programmed computer configured to correct said allowed aberration in said portion.

16. The image correction processor of claim 12 further comprising a specialized circuitry configured to correct said allowed aberration in said portion.

17. A method comprising steps of:

capturing a raw image having an allowed aberration through a lens system having a first design tolerance that has been relaxed to cause said allowed aberration and to enhance a lens system characteristic;

correcting, by an image correction processor, said allowed aberration in at least a portion of said raw image resulting in a corrected image; and

presenting said corrected image.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said portion of said raw image is substantially all of said raw image and wherein said corrected image less of said allowed aberration than that in said raw image.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said portion of said raw image is used to generate a view being substantially free of said allowed aberration.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein said allowed aberration is an allowable amount of f-theta deviation.

21. A lens system comprising:

a first lens configured to accept light from greater than about 60-degrees from an axis-of-rotation; and

one or more other lenses configured to receive said light accepted by said first lens and to focus said light on an image plane as a raw image, the lens system designed such that an increased amount of f-theta deviation is related to an enhanced lens system characteristic, said raw image capable of being processed to reduce said increased amount of f-theta deviation.

22. A catadioptric lens system comprising:

a transparent lens block comprising;

a first refractive aspherical surface configured to capture light from a 360 degree panoramic scene;

a first reflective aspherical surface configured to reflect said light captured by said first refractive aspherical surface;

a second reflective aspherical surface configured to reflect said light reflected by said first reflective aspherical surface; and

a second refractive surface configured to transmit said light reflected by said second reflective aspherical surface out of the transparent lens block.