IP Library Granted Patent US 11,442,255
Granted Patent B2
US 11,442,255 · App. 16/617,277 · Granted Sep 13, 2022

Wide angle lens and camera system for peripheral field of view imaging including eight lenses of ---++-++ or nine lenses of ----++-++ refractive powers

Inventors: Maksim Makeev (Somerville, MA); Mark S Schnittman (Somerville, MA); Xiaoyu Miao (Palo Alto, CA); Ming-lin Lee (Taipei, TW); Cheng-Yi Lai (Taipei, TW); Chien-Hung Chou (Taipei, TW)
Assignee: Owl Labs, Inc.
G02B13/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,442,255
App. No.
16/617,277
Granted
Sep 13, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Wide angle lens for imaging objects disposed away from the optical axis towards the periphery of the field of view.

Claims (39)

1. A wide angle lens having an angular field of view, FOV, of more than 150 degrees spanning an optical axis and a central half-field of view, FOV 1/2 , spanning the optical axis such that a ratio of the angular range FOV 1/2 of the central half field of view versus the angular range of the field of view FOV is FOV/FOV 1/2 =2, the lens being constructed and arranged such that a ratio of a diameter (D 1 ) at an image plane of an image circle of the field of view versus the diameter (D 1/2 ) of an image circle of the central half-field of view is D 1 /D 1/2 >2 and comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV 1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a longitudinal spherical aberration throughout the region of interest less than half of the longitudinal spherical aberration on-axis.

2. A wide angle lens of claim 1 wherein D 1 /D 1/2 ≥2.2.

3. The wide angle lens of claim 1 , comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV 1/2 and FOV, wherein angular mapping of the field of view in the region of interest onto the image plane is substantially linear.

4. The wide angle lens of claim 1 , comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV 1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a field curvature for tangential rays on-axis greater than the field curvature for tangential rays throughout the region of interest.

5. The wide angle lens of claim 1 , comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV 1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a field curvature for tangential rays throughout the region of interest less than one quarter of the field curvature for tangential rays on-axis.

6. The wide angle lens of claim 1 , comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV 1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a modulation transfer function of at least 55% at 187 lp/mm for sagittal rays in the region of interest.

7. The wide angle lens of claim 1 , comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV 1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a modulation transfer function of at least 76% at 93 lp/mm for sagittal rays in the region of interest.

8. The wide angle lens of claim 1 , comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV 1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a modulation transfer function of at least 36% at 187 lp/mm for tangential rays in the region of interest.

9. The wide angle lens of claim 1 , comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV 1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a modulation transfer function of at least 65% at 93 lp/mm for tangential rays in the region of interest.

10. The wide angle lens of claim 1 , wherein the lens comprises all spherical surfaces.

11. The wide angle lens of claim 1 , wherein an effective focal length is 1 mm or less.

12. The wide angle lens of claim 1 , wherein an f-number is 2.4 or less.

13. The wide angle lens of claim 1 , wherein an f-theta distortion is 34% or less at full field.

14. The wide angle lens of claim 1 , wherein a chief ray angle at an image plane of the wide angle lens is less than 4.5 degrees from a normal to a surface at an image plane.

15. The wide angle lens of claim 1 , wherein a back focal length is 1 mm or less.

16. A wide angle lens having an angular field of view, FOV, of more than 150 degrees spanning an optical axis and a central half-field of view, FOV 1/2 , spanning the optical axis such that a ratio of the angular range FOV 1/2 of the central half field of view versus the angular range of the field of view FOV is FOV/FOV 1/2 =2, the lens being constructed and arranged such that a ratio of a diameter (D 1 ) at an image plane of an image circle of the field of view versus the diameter (D 1/2 ) of an image circle of the central half-field of view is D 1 /D 1/2 >2, wherein the full field of view spanning the optical axis is 200 degrees.

17. A camera system comprising the wide angle lens according to claim 16 and comprising an image sensor having an imaging surface area placed at the image plane.

18. A wide angle lens of claim 16 , wherein D 1 /D 1/2 ≥2.2.

19. A wide angle lens of claim 16 , wherein D 1 /D 1/2 ≥2.5.

20. A wide angle lens of claim 16 , wherein D 1 /D 1/2 ≥3.

21. The wide angle lens of claim 16 , comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV 1/2 and FOV, wherein angular mapping of the field of view in the region of interest onto the image plane is substantially linear.

22. The wide angle lens of claim 16 , comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV 1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a longitudinal spherical aberration on-axis greater than the longitudinal spherical aberration throughout the region of interest.

23. The wide angle lens of claim 16 , comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV 1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a longitudinal spherical aberration throughout the region of interest less than half of the longitudinal spherical aberration on-axis.

24. The wide angle lens of claim 16 , comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV 1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a field curvature for tangential rays on-axis greater than the field curvature for tangential rays throughout the region of interest.

25. The wide angle lens of claim 16 , comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV 1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a field curvature for tangential rays throughout the region of interest less than one quarter of the field curvature for tangential rays on-axis.

26. The wide angle lens of claim 16 , comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV 1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a modulation transfer function of at least 55% at 187 lp/mm for sagittal rays in the region of interest.

27. The wide angle lens of claim 16 , comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV 1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a modulation transfer function of at least 76% at 93 lp/mm for sagittal rays in the region of interest.

28. The wide angle lens of claim 16 , comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV 1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a modulation transfer function of at least 36% at 187 lp/mm for tangential rays in the region of interest.

29. The wide angle lens of claim 16 , comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV 1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a modulation transfer function of at least 65% at 93 lp/mm for tangential rays in the region of interest.

30. The wide angle lens of claim 16 , wherein the lens comprises all spherical surfaces.

31. The wide angle lens of claim 16 , wherein an effective focal length is 1 mm or less.

32. The wide angle lens of claim 16 , wherein an f-number is 2.4 or less.

33. The wide angle lens of claim 16 , wherein an f-theta distortion is 34% or less at full field.

34. The wide angle lens of claim 16 , wherein a chief ray angle at an image plane of the wide angle lens is less than 4.5 degrees from a normal to a surface at an image plane.

35. The wide angle lens of claim 16 , wherein a back focal length is 1 mm or less.

36. A camera system comprising the wide angle lens according to claim 1 and comprising an image sensor having an imaging surface area placed at the image plane.

37. A wide angle lens of claim 1 , wherein D 1 /D 1/2 ≥2.2.

38. A wide angle lens of claim 1 , wherein D 1 /D 1/2 ≥2.5.

39. A wide angle lens of claim 1 , wherein D 1 /D 1/2 ≥3.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 3, 2022
From: MAKEEV, MAKSIM; SCHNITTMAN, MARK S; LAI, CHENG-YI; LEE, MING-LIN; CHOU, CHIEN-HUNG; MIAO, XIAOYU
To: OWL LABS, INC.
Reel/Frame 060710/0538 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62514080 · Jun 2, 2017
Related Publication 20200192069A1 · Jun 18, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,674,966