Solid catadioptric lens with a single viewpoint

• US 20050111084A1
• Filed: 11/24/2003
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Scripting Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Electronic Scripting Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Mandella, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,038,846 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/364
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/06 Panoramic objectives; So-called "sky lenses" including panoramic objectives having reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/22 Telecentric objectives or lens systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/086 wherein the system is made of a single block of optical material, e.g. solid catadioptric systems

Abstract

A solid catadioptric lens with a single viewpoint has a spherical refractive surface with a center C on an optical axis of the lens. An ellipsoidal reflective surface of the lens faces the spherical refractive surface such that a first focus F₁ of the ellipsoidal reflective surface is coincident with the center C of the spherical refractive surface. Furthermore, the lens has a shaping surface facing the ellipsoidal reflective surface for shaping a light that passes the single viewpoint. The shaping surface can be refractive, reflective or semi-transparent and its shape can be ellipsoidal with its first focus F_1′ coincident with the second focus F₂ of the ellipsoidal reflective surface. The single viewpoint of the lens is at the center C of the spherical reflective surface and is enforced with an aperture that can be positioned at various points inside, on a surface or even outside the lens, depending on the type of shaping surface chosen.

Claims

1. A solid catadioptric lens having a single viewpoint on an optical axis and comprising:

a) a spherical refractive surface having a center C on said optical axis;

b) an ellipsoidal reflective surface facing said spherical refractive surface and having a first focus F₁ coincident with said center C, whereby said center C is said single viewpoint; and

c) a shaping surface facing said ellipsoidal reflective surface for shaping a light passing said single viewpoint.

2. The solid catadioptric lens of claim 1, wherein said shaping surface is a refractive shaping surface and said solid catadioptric lens further comprises an aperture for enforcing said single viewpoint.

3. The solid catadioptric lens of claim 2, wherein said aperture is positioned at a second focus F₂ of said ellipsoidal reflective surface.

4. The solid catadioptric lens of claim 3, wherein said second focus F₂ is on said optical axis and substantially at said refractive shaping surface.

5. The solid catadioptric lens of claim 3, wherein said second focus F₂ is on said optical axis and inside said solid catadioptric lens.

6. The solid catadioptric lens of claim 2, wherein said refractive shaping surface is an ellipsoidal refractive shaping surface.

7. The solid catadioptric lens of claim 6, wherein said ellipsoidal refractive shaping surface has a first focus F₁′

coincident with said second focus F₂.

8. The solid catadioptric lens of claim 7, wherein said ellipsoidal refractive shaping surface has a conic constant K₂ equal to a conic constant K₁ of said ellipsoidal reflective surface.

9. The solid catadioptric lens of claim 1, wherein said shaping surface is a reflective shaping surface and said solid catadioptric lens further comprises an aperture for enforcing said single viewpoint.

10. The solid catadioptric lens of claim 9, wherein said aperture is positioned at said ellipsoidal reflective surface.

11. The solid catadioptric lens of claim 9, wherein said aperture is positioned beyond said ellipsoidal reflective surface.

12. The solid catadioptric lens of claim 9, wherein said reflective shaping surface is a second ellipsoidal reflective shaping surface.

13. The solid catadioptric lens of claim 12, wherein said second ellipsoidal reflective shaping surface has a first focus F₁′

coincident with said second focus F₂.

14. The solid catadioptric lens of claim 12, wherein said second ellipsoidal reflective shaping surface has a conic constant K₂ equal to a conic constant K₁ of said ellipsoidal reflective surface.

15. The solid catadioptric lens of claim 1 comprising an optical material having an index n.

16. The solid catadioptric lens of claim 1, wherein said shaping surface is a semi-transparent shaping surface.

17. The solid catadioptric lens of claim 1, wherein said shaping surface is selected from the group consisting of a flat shaping surface, an ellipsoidal shaping surface and a paraboloid shaping surface.

18. A single viewpoint vision system comprising:

a) a solid catadioptric lens having an optical axis;

b) a spherical refractive surface having a center C on said optical axis;

c) an ellipsoidal reflective surface facing said spherical refractive surface and having a first focus F₁ coincident with said center C, whereby said center C is said single viewpoint; and

d) a shaping surface facing said ellipsoidal reflective surface for shaping a light passing said single viewpoint.

19. The single viewpoint vision system of claim 18, further comprising an optical relay for passing said light.

20. The single viewpoint vision system of claim 18, wherein said shaping surface is selected from the group consisting of reflective shaping surface, refractive shaping surface and semi-transparent shaping surface.

21. The single viewpoint vision system of claim 18, wherein said shaping surface is selected from the group consisting of a flat shaping surface, an ellipsoidal shaping surface and a paraboloid shaping surface.

22. The single viewpoint vision system of claim 18, further comprising an element selected from the group consisting of scanning arrangement, imaging element and a display unit.