De-centered optical system and optical apparatus equipped therewith

• US 6,646,812 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2002
• Issued: 11/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Togino, Takayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): MACK, RICKY LEVERN
• Application Number:
  US10/055,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20020181116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 359/631, 359/633, 359/637, 359/630, 359/638, 359/636, 359/634, 345/7, 345/8, 345/9
• US Class Current: 359/631
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/08 Catadioptric systems used in non-imaging applications G02B19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0816 off-axis or unobscured systems in which not all of the mirrors share a common axis of rotational symmetry, e.g. at least one of the mirrors is warped, tilted or decentered with respect to the other elements
• 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 de-centered optical system includes a first optical element having at least three surfaces surrounding a portion having a refractive index of more than 1, and a second optical element whose surface further from the first optical element is a convex surface and has a positive power and produces chromatic aberration of magnification. When the de-centered optical system is used as an ocular optical system of an image observation apparatus, the image size observed through the de-centered optical system in the blue wavelength is larger than that formed in the green wavelength, and that formed in the green wavelength is larger than that formed in the red wavelength. The difference can be compensated by an electronic compensation means. This optical system can be used as an image taking optical system by setting the light traveling direction inversely to that in case when it is used as an ocular optical system.

Claims

1. A de-centered optical system comprising:

a first optical element and a second optical element each of which is disposed between a pupil and an image;

the first optical element being a prism having at least three optical surfaces including first, second and third optical surfaces, and a portion surrounded by these three surfaces being made of a medium having a refractive index of more than 1;

the first optical surface being positioned closest to the pupil among these three surfaces and having a function of refracting light and a function of reflecting light inside the optical element;

the third optical surface being positioned closest to the image surface among these three surfaces and having a function of refracting light;

the second optical surface being disposed on a de-centered position from an optical axis which is a center line of a light bundle, and shaped as a curved surface having a positive optical power when reflecting light inside the optical element;

the second optical element being disposed on the pupil side of the first optical element, having a positive optical power, and at least a surface on the pupil side thereof being a convex surface;

the second optical element producing a chromatic aberration of magnification;

wherein the de-centered optical system is so configured that when light goes through the de-centered optical system from the second optical element side to the first optical element, it forms a larger image at a light wavelength region of red than that of green, and at a light wavelength region of green than that of blue; and

the first optical element and the second optical element satisfy at least one of the following conditions (1) and (2);

2. A de-centered optical system according to claim 1, wherein

at least one of the optical surfaces of the first optical element is formed as a rotationally asymmetric curved surface having an optical power and correcting aberrations caused by de-centering.

3. A de-centered optical system according to claim 1, wherein

the second optical surface of the first optical element is formed as a rotationally asymmetric curved surface having an optical power and correcting aberrations caused by de-centering.

4. A de-centered optical system according to claim 1, wherein

the third optical surface of the first optical element is formed as a rotationally asymmetric curved surface having an optical power and correcting aberrations caused by de-centering.

5. A de-centered optical system according to claim 1, wherein

an optical surface of the second optical element that is closest to the first optical surface of the first optical element and the first optical surface are formed with substantially the same shape.

6. An image observation apparatus having a de-centered optical system according to claim 1 for use as an ocular optical system, further comprising:

an image display device disposed on the image surface,

wherein light emanated from said image display device is transmitted through the first optical element and then the second optical element, and reaches an eye point on the pupil, and

wherein the image display device displays images different in size depending on the color thereof in order to cancel at least a chromatic aberration of magnification of the second optical element.

7. An image observation apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the image display device has an electronic circuit to supply video images different in size depending on the color thereof to the image display device.

8. An image projection apparatus having a de-centered optical system according to claim 1 for use as a projection optical system, comprising:

an image display device disposed on the image surface;

a third optical element having a positive optical power, the pupil being positioned between the second optical element and the third optical element;

wherein light emanating from the image display device is transmitted through the first optical element, the second optical element, and then the third optical element, and reaches a screen on which a real image of the image displayed on the image display device is formed; and

wherein the image display device displays images different in size depending on the color thereof in order to cancel at least a chromatic aberration of magnification of the second optical element.

9. An image projection apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the image display device includes an electronic circuit to supply video images different in size depending on the color thereof to the image display device.

10. An image taking apparatus having the de-centered optical system according to claim 1 as an image taking optical system, comprising:

an image pickup device disposed on the image surface that receives light emanating from an object and transmitted through the second optical element and then the first optical element.

11. An image projection apparatus having a de-centered optical system for use as a projection optical system, comprising:

a first optical element and a second optical element each of which is disposed between a pupil and an image;

the first optical element being a prism having at least three optical surfaces including first, second and third optical surfaces, and a portion surrounded by these three surfaces being made of a medium having a refractive index of more than 1;

the first optical surface being positioned closest to the pupil among these three surfaces and having a function of refracting light and a function of reflecting light inside the optical element;

the third optical surface being positioned closest to the image surface among these three surfaces and having a function of refracting light;

the second optical surface being disposed on a de-centered position from an optical axis which is a center line of a light bundle, and shaped as a curved surface having a positive optical power when reflecting light inside the optical element;

the second optical element being disposed on the pupil side of the first optical element, having a positive optical power, and at least a surface on the pupil side thereof being a convex surface;

the second optical element producing a chromatic aberration of magnification;

wherein the de-centered optical system is so configured that when light goes through the de-centered optical system from the second optical element side to the first optical element, it forms a larger image at a light wavelength region of red than that of green, and at a light wavelength region of green than that of blue;

an image display device disposed on the image surface; and

a third optical element having a positive optical power, the pupil being positioned between the second optical element and the third optical element;

wherein light emanating from the image display device is transmitted through the first optical element, the second optical element, and then the third optical element, and reaches a screen on which a real image of the image displayed on the image display device is formed; and

wherein the image display device displays images different in size depending on the color thereof in order to cancel at least a chromatic aberration of magnification of the second optical element.

12. An image projection apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the image display device includes an electronic circuit to supply video images different in size depending on the color thereof to the image display device.