Asymmetric Aberration Correcting Lens

• US 20140254032A1
• Filed: 03/05/2013
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Liying
• Granted Patent: US 9,638,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/720
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/00 Simple or compound lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0046 Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/61 the noise originating only from the lens unit, e.g. flare, shading, vignetting or "cos4"

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.

Claims

1. A lens comprising:

multiple lens elements configured to focus an image from an asymmetric imaging component, the multiple lens elements including;

at least one optical lens element configured to redirect the image so that the image passes through the lens; and

at least one asymmetric element configured to correct aberration in the image caused by the asymmetric imaging component.

2. A lens as described in claim 1, wherein the aberration is present in a field of view of the image and the at least one asymmetric element is configured to correct the aberration substantially throughout an entirety of the field of view.

3. A lens as described in claim 1, wherein one or more of the multiple lens elements other than the at least one asymmetric element are rotationally symmetrical around an optical axis that runs substantially through center portions of said lens elements.

4. A lens as described in claim 1, wherein the at least one asymmetric element is shifted in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to an optical axis that runs substantially through center portions of the other lens elements.

5. A lens as described in claim 1, wherein the at least one asymmetric element comprises an off-axis lens element that is configured to correct off-axis aberration in the image.

6. A lens as described in claim 1, wherein the at least one asymmetric element comprises a freeform lens element that is configured to correct freeform aberration in the image.

7. A device comprising:

an asymmetric imaging component configured to collect images but introduces aberration into an image that passes through the asymmetric imaging component;

a lens comprising at least one asymmetric lens element configured to remove the aberration from the image; and

an imaging sensor configured to detect the corrected image.

8. A device as described in claim 7, wherein:

the asymmetric imaging component has an exit portion through which the image emerges from the asymmetric imaging component and the lens has an entrance portion through which the image enters the lens; and

the asymmetric imaging component and the lens are arranged such that the exit portion of the asymmetric imaging component is substantially covered by the entrance portion of the lens.

9. A device as described in claim 7, wherein the asymmetric imaging component comprises a wedge that is configured to funnel collected images to an exit portion of the asymmetric imaging component from which the collected images are configured to enter an entrance portion of the lens.

10. A device as described in claim 7, wherein the asymmetric imaging component comprises a gapless wedge configured to image objects that contact a touch surface of the gapless wedge.

11. A device as described in claim 7, wherein the asymmetric imaging component is configured to collect images of an object that touches a touch surface of the device.

12. A device as described in claim 7, wherein the asymmetric imaging component is configured to collect images of an object that does not touch a touch surface of the device.

13. A device as described in claim 7, wherein the lens includes an aperture and the at least one asymmetric lens element is configured to remove the aberration from the image without reducing a size of the aperture.

14. A device as described in claim 7, wherein the lens is disposed about an axis that runs between the asymmetric imaging component and the imaging sensor and the at least one asymmetric lens element is configured to remove the aberration from the image without tilting the lens relative to the axis.

15. A device as described in claim 14, wherein the at least one asymmetric lens element is configured to remove the aberration from the image for detection by the imaging sensor without tilting the imaging sensor relative to the axis.

16. A device as described in claim 7, wherein the device is a mobile phone or a tablet computer.

17. A device as described in claim 7, wherein the device is a display monitor.

18. A method comprising:

collecting images through an imaging component that introduces asymmetric aberration into the images;

removing the asymmetric aberration from the images using a lens that includes an asymmetric lens element; and

detecting the images with a sensor, the detected images excluding the asymmetric aberration from the imaging component.

19. A method as described in claim 18, further comprising converting the detected images into image data.

20. A method as described in claim 18, further comprising causing the detected images to be displayed.