Compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism

• US 7,605,988 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2007
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stereo D Inc., Stereo Display, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Angstrom, Inc., Stereo Display, Inc.
• Inventors: Seo, Cheong Soo, Cho, Gyoung Il, Sohn, Jin Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrington; Alicia M
• Application Number:
  US11/781,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20090027780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 359/726, 359/728, 359/737, 359/784, 359/833, 359/851
• US Class Current: 359/726
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/18 with lenses having one or more non-spherical faces, e.g. for reducing geometrical aberration G02B13/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/086 wherein the system is made of a single block of optical material, e.g. solid catadioptric systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/04 Prisms

Abstract

A compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of the present invention comprises a prism, an aperture stop, a first lens element, a second lens element, reflecting mirror surface, and image surface, optionally an infrared cut-off filter. By introducing a lens-surfaced prism, the compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of the present invention has many advantages over the prior arts in the field of invention, such as compactness in thickness, small number of optical elements, high performance of optical quality, enough space for optional elements such as an infrared cut-off filter and diversity in optical geometries.

Claims

1. A compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism comprising from an object side to an image side:

a) a prism having a concave surface on the abject side, an internal reflective surface, and a surface on the image side;

b) an aperture stop;

c) a first lens element having a negative optical refractive power, wherein the first lens element has both side aspheric surfaces on the object side and on the image side;

d) a second lens element having a positive optical refractive power; and

e) an image surface, wherein the image taking lens system makes image on the image surface.

2. The compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of claim 1, wherein the prism is made of plastic with at least one aspheric surface on the object side and the image side.

3. The compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of claim 1, wherein the prism is made of glass with at least one aspheric surface on the object side and the image side.

4. The compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of claim 1, wherein the internal reflective surface of the prism makes total internal reflection, wherein the optical index of the prism is larger than 1.5.

5. The compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of claim 1, wherein the internal reflective surface of the prism is a reflective surface made of internal reflective coating.

6. The compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of claim 5, wherein the internal reflective coating of the prism is made of metal.

7. The compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of claim 5, wherein the internal reflective coating of the prism is made of dielectric materials.

8. The compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of claim 1, wherein the first lens element is made of plastic with Abbe number less than 35.0.

9. The compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of claim 1, wherein the first lens element has at least one aspheric surface on the object side and on the image side.

10. The compact image taking tens system with a lens-surfaced prism of claim 1, wherein the first lens element has a meniscus shape with a convex surface on the object side.

11. The compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of claim 1, wherein the second lens element has at least one aspheric surface on the object side and on the image side.

12. The compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of claim 1, wherein the second lens element has a meniscus shape with a convex surface on the object side.

13. The compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of claim 1, wherein the second lens element has both side aspheric surfaces on the object side and on the image side.

14. The compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of claim 1, wherein the second lens element is made of glass with Abbe number larger than 45.0.

15. The compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of claim 1, wherein the second lens element is made of plastic with Abbe number larger than 45.0.

16. The compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of claim 1, further comprising a reflecting surface between the second lens element and the image surface to reflect incident light to the image surface for reducing thickness of the image taking lens system.

17. The compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of claim 1, further comprising an infrared cut-off filter between the second lens element and the image surface.

18. A compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism comprising from an object side to an image side:

a) a prism having a concave surface on the object side, an internal reflective surface, and a surface on the image side, wherein both sides of the object side and the image sides are aspheric;

b) an aperture stop;

c) a first lens element, wherein the first lens element is a negative optical refractive power meniscus shape lens with a convex on the object side, wherein the first lens element is made of plastic with at least one aspheric surface on the object side surface and the image side surface;

d) a second lens element having a positive optical refractive power;

e) a reflective surface to reduce thickness of the compact image taking lens system; and

f) an image surface, wherein the image taking lens system makes image on the image surface.

19. The compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of claim 18, wherein the prism is made of glass.

20. The compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of claim 18, wherein the first lens element has both side aspheric surfaces on the object side surface and on the image side surface.

21. The compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of claim 18, wherein the second lens element has at least one aspheric surface on the object side and on the image side surface with a convex on the object side surface.

22. The compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of claim 18, wherein the second lens element has a meniscus shape with a convex on the object side.

23. The compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of claim 18, further comprising an infrared cut-off filter between the second lens element and the image surface.

24. A compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism comprising from an object side to an image side:

a) a prism having a concave surface on the object side, an internal reflective surface, and a concave surface on the image side;

b) an aperture stop;

c) a first lens element, wherein the first lens element is a negative optical refractive power meniscus shape lens with a convex on the object side, wherein the first lens element is made of plastic with at least one aspheric surface on the object side surface and the image side surface;

d) a second lens element having a positive optical refractive power with a convex on the object side, wherein the second lens element is made of plastic with Abbe number larger than 45.0;

e) a reflective surface to reduce thickness of the compact image taking lens system; and

f) an image surface, wherein the image taking lens system makes image on the image surface.

25. The compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of claim 24, wherein the prism is made of glass with both side aspheric surfaces on the object side and the image side.

26. The compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of claim 24, wherein the second lens element has at least one aspheric surface on the object side and on the image side surface with a convex on the object side surface.

27. The compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of claim 24, wherein the second lens element bas a meniscus shape with a convex on the object side.

28. The compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of claim 24, further comprising an infrared cut-off filter between the second lens element and the image surface.