Dual focal length lens system

• US 7,764,440 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2007
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Bietry, Joseph R., Border, John N., Cahall, Scott C., Griffith, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrington; Alicia M
• Application Number:
  US11/945,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20090135502A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 359726-728, 359/733, 359/734, 359/737, 359/721, 348/38, 348/47, 348/343
• US Class Current: 359/721
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0896 with variable magnification or multiple imaging planes, including multispectral systems systems with only refractive elements G02B15/14

Abstract

A dual focal length optical system includes a first optical system and a second optical system. The first optical system is positioned along an optical axis and includes an optical structure having an object side surface and an image side surface. The object side surface and the image side surface include a refractive surface portion and a reflective surface portion. The first optical system has a focal length. The second optical system is positioned on the same optical axis and has a focal length. The focal length of the first optical system is longer than the focal length of the second optical system.

Claims

1. A dual focal length optical system comprising:

a first optical system positioned along an optical axis, the first optical system including an optical structure formed from a solid refractive optical material, the optical structure having an object side surface and an image side surface, the object side surface and the image side surface including a refractive surface portion for transmitting light through the surface and a reflective surface portion for reflecting light incident on the surface from within the optical structure, the first optical system having a first image sensor positioned at a first image plane and having a first focal length; and

a second optical system positioned on the same optical axis, the second optical system including one or more components located in a cavity within the optical structure and having a second image sensor positioned at a second image plane located within the cavity, the second optical system having a second focal length, the first focal length being longer than the second focal length, wherein the first optical system forms an image on the first image sensor using light incident on an outer region of the object side surface and the second optical system simultaneously forms an image on the second image sensor using light incident on a central region of the object side surface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the reflective surface portion of the image side surface of the optical structure has optical power.

3. The system of claim 2, the refractive surface portion of the object side surface of the optical structure having optical power, wherein the optical power of the object side surface of the optical structure is less than the optical power of the image side surface of the optical structure.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the image side surface of the optical structure includes an aspheric surface.

5. The lens system of claim 1, wherein the refractive surface portion of the object side surface of the optical structure has optical power.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the object side surface of the optical structure includes an aspheric surface.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an additional optical element positioned between the first image sensor and the first optical system.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the position of the additional optical element is moveable in order to affect a change in focal length, focus, or both.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein one or both of the first image sensor and the second image sensor is moveable along its associated optical path to affect a change in focus.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller configured to perform a digital zooming function using both the images produced by the first optical system and the second optical system.

11. The system of claim 1, the refractive surface portion of the object side surface of the optical structure having a first refractive surface portion and a second refractive surface portion, wherein the first refractive surface portion is associated with the first optical system and the second refractive surface portion is associated with the second optical system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first refractive surface portion and the second refractive surface portion of the object side surface of the optical structure form a continuous surface.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first refractive surface portion and the second refractive surface portion of the object side surface of the optical structure have the same radius of curvature.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

an additional optical element positioned between the second image sensor and the second refractive surface portion of the optical structure.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the position of the additional optical element is moveable in order to affect a change in focal length, focus, or both.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first focal length and the second focal length is a fixed focal length.

17. A dual focal length optical system including first and second optical systems which simultaneously form first and second images comprising:

an optical structure formed from a solid refractive optical material, the optical structure having a refractive object side surface common to both the first and second optical systems, a reflective image side surface, a first refractive output surface for the first optical system, a second refractive output surface for the second optical system, and an intermediate reflective optical element located within the optical structure;

a first image sensor associated with the first optical system located at a first image plane;

a second image sensor associated with the second optical system located at a second image plane;

wherein the first optical system has a first focal length and a first folded optical path whereby light from an object is transmitted through the refractive object side surface, reflected from the reflective image side surface, reflected from a first surface of the intermediate reflective optical element and transmitted through the first refractive output surface forming a first image of the object on the first image sensor; and

wherein the second optical system has a second focal length, which is shorter than the first focal length, and a second folded optical path whereby light from the object is transmitted through the refractive object side surface;

reflected from a second surface of the intermediate reflective optical element and transmitted through the second refractive output surface forming a second image of the object on the second image sensor.