Folded camera

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11061213-B2
Application number	US-201916264463-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2019
Priority date	Feb 7, 2018
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

A folded camera that includes two light folding elements such as prisms and an independent lens system, located between the two prisms, which includes an aperture stop and a lens stack. The lens system may be moved on one or more axes independently of the prisms to provide autofocus and/or optical image stabilization for the camera. The shapes, materials, and arrangements of the refractive lens elements in the lens stack may be selected to capture high resolution, high quality images while providing a sufficiently long back focal length to accommodate the second prism.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical system, comprising:
a first light folding element;
a second light folding element; and
a lens system located between the first light folding element and the second light folding element, wherein the lens system includes a front aperture stop and a lens stack having four or five refractive lens elements, wherein a second lens element of the lens stack in order from an object side of the lens system to an image side of the lens system has positive refractive power and a concave image-side surface;
wherein the first light folding element redirects light from an object field from a first axis to the lens system on a second axis;
wherein the lens elements in the lens stack receive the light through the aperture stop and refract the light to the second light folding element;
wherein the second light folding element redirects the light from the second axis onto a third axis to form an image of the object field at an image plane; and
wherein the lens system is movable on two or more axes independently of the first and second light folding elements.

2. The optical system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first and second light folding elements are prisms.

3. The optical system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the lens system is movable on the second axis to provide autofocus functionality for the optical system.

4. The optical system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the lens system is movable on one or more axes orthogonal to the second axis to provide optical image stabilization functionality for the optical system.

5. The optical system as recited in claim 1 , wherein one or both of the light folding elements can be translated with respect to the second axis independently of the lens system.

6. The optical system as recited in claim 1 , wherein one or both of the light folding elements can be tilted with respect to the second axis independently of the lens system.

7. The optical system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the lens stack consists of four lens elements with refractive power, in order from the object side of the lens system to the image side of the lens system:
a first lens element with positive refractive power for converging light;
the second lens element with positive refractive power for converging light;
a third lens element with negative refractive power and an aspheric shape to correct chromatic aberration and field curvature; and
a fourth lens element with a meniscus shape to correct field curvature;
wherein F-number of the lens system is less than or equal to 2.4, and wherein the lens system provides a long back focal length to accommodate the second light folding element.

8. The optical system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the lens stack consists of five lens elements with refractive power, in order from the object side of the lens system to the image side of the lens system:
a first lens element with positive refractive power for converging light;
the second lens element with positive refractive power for converging light;
a third lens element with negative refractive power and an aspheric shape to correct chromatic aberration and field curvature;
a fourth lens element with an aspheric shape configured as an air-space doublet with the third lens element to correct chromatic aberration and field curvature; and
a fifth lens element with a meniscus shape to correct field curvature;
wherein F-number of the lens system is less than or equal to 2.4, and wherein the lens system provides a long back focal length to accommodate the second light folding element.

9. An optical system, comprising:
a first light folding element;
a second light folding element; and
a lens system located between the first light folding element and the second light folding element, wherein the lens system includes a front aperture stop and a lens stack, wherein the lens stack comprises four lens elements with refractive power, in order from an object side of the lens system to an image side of the lens system:
a first lens element with positive refractive power and an aspheric shape to control spherical aberration;
a second lens element with negative refractive power, a convex object-side surface, and an Abbe number that is less than 30;
a third lens element with a meniscus shape that has a concave object-side surface in a paraxial region of the object-side surface and a convex image-side surface in a paraxial region of the image-side surface; and
a fourth lens element with a meniscus shape to correct field curvature;
wherein F-number of the lens system is less than or equal to 2.4;
wherein the first light folding element redirects light from an object field from a first axis to the lens system on a second axis;
wherein the lens elements in the lens stack receive the light through the aperture stop and refract the light to the second light folding element;
wherein the second light folding element redirects the light from the second axis onto a third axis to form an image of the object field at an image plane; and

wherein the lens system is movable on two or more axes independently of the first and second light folding elements.

10. A camera, comprising:
a photosensor configured to capture light projected onto a surface of the photosensor;
a first light folding element that redirects light received from an object field from a first axis to a second axis;
a lens system that includes a front aperture stop and a lens stack having four or five refractive lens elements that refract the light on the second axis, wherein a second lens element of the lens stack in order from an object side of the lens system to an image side of the lens system has positive refractive power and a concave image-side surface;
a second light folding element that redirects the light refracted by the lens system from the second axis to a third axis to form an image of the object field at an image plane at or near a surface of the photosensor; and
an actuator component configured to move the lens system on two or more axes independently of the first and second light folding elements.

11. The camera as recited in claim 10 , wherein the first and second light folding elements are prisms.

12. The camera as recited in claim 10 , wherein the lens system is movable on the second axis to provide autofocus functionality for the camera.

13. The camera as recited in claim 10 , wherein the lens system is movable on one or more axes orthogonal to the second axis to provide optical image stabilization functionality for the camera.

14. The camera as recited in claim 10 , wherein the camera further includes one or more actuator components configured to translate or tilt one or both of the light folding elements with respect to the second axis independently of the lens system.

15. The camera as recited in claim 10 , wherein the lens stack consists of four lens elements with refractive power, in order from the object side of the lens system to the image side of the lens system:
a first lens element with positive refractive power for converging light;
the second lens element with positive refractive power for converging light;
a third lens element with negative refractive power and an aspheric shape to correct chromatic aberration and field curvature; and
a fourth lens element with a meniscus shape to correct field curvature;
wherein F-number of the lens system is less than or equal to 2.4, and wherein the lens system provides a long back focal length to accommodate the second light folding element.

16. The camera as recited in claim 10 , wherein the lens stack consists of fiv

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Yao Yuhong
• Scepanovic Miodrag

Classifications

• H04N23/687

  by shifting the lens or sensor position · CPC title

• G02B13/009

  having zoom function · CPC title

• G02B27/646 Primary

  compensating for small deviations, e.g. due to vibration or shake (movement of one or more optical elements for control of motion blur in cameras, projectors or printers G03B2205/0007; image stabilisation in cameras peculiar to the presence or use of an electronic image sensor H04N23/68) · CPC title

• G02B13/0065

  having a beam-folding prism or mirror · CPC title

• G02B7/102

  controlled by a microcomputer (cameras with interchangeable lenses G03B17/14) · CPC title