Optical systems including lens assemblies and methods of imaging fields of view using such optical systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9851557-B2
Application number	US-201514926205-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2015
Priority date	Oct 30, 2014
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

Optical systems including lens assemblies and methods of imaging fields of view using such optical systems are disclosed. An optical system for imaging a two dimensional field includes a first lens assembly, a first scanning mirror, a second lens assembly, and a two dimensional image sensor. The first lens assembly has a first transform function whose output is within 0.1% of f 1 *(c 1 *θ 1 +(1−c 1 )*sin(θ 1 )) for any ray of light that traverses the first lens assembly from a center of an entrance pupil of the first lens assembly at an angle θ 1 relative to an optical axis of the first lens assembly. f 1 is a focal length of the first lens assembly, and −0.5<c 1 <2.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical system for imaging a two dimensional field comprising:
a first lens assembly having a first transform function whose output is within 0.1% of f 1 *(c 1 *θ 1 +(1−c 1 )*sin(θ 1 )) for any ray of light that traverses the first lens assembly from a center of an entrance pupil of the first lens assembly at a non-zero angle θ 1 relative to an optical axis of the first lens assembly, wherein f 1 is a focal length of the first lens assembly, and wherein
−0.5 <c 1 <2;

a first scanning mirror;
a second lens assembly having a second transform function whose output is within 0.1% of f 2 *(c 2 *θ 2 +(1−c 2 )*sin(θ 2 )) for any ray of light that traverses the second lens assembly from a center of an entrance pupil of the second lens assembly at a non-zero angle θ 2 relative to an optical axis of the second lens assembly, wherein f 2 is a focal length of the second lens assembly, and wherein −0.5<c 2 <2; and
a two dimensional image sensor, wherein:
the first lens assembly, the first scanning mirror, and the second lens assembly are positioned in an optical path between the two dimensional field and the two dimensional image sensor such that light from the two dimensional field traverses the second lens assembly, is incident on the first scanning mirror, is redirected into the first lens assembly by the first scanning mirror, traverses the first lens assembly, and is incident upon the two dimensional image sensor, thereby imaging the two dimensional field with the two dimensional image sensor.

2. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein c 1 =c 2 , such that the first transform function and the second transform function are the same.

3. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein c 1 =1.

4. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein c 1 =0.

5. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein c 1 =1.5.

6. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first lens assembly has an entrance pupil;
the second lens assembly has an exit pupil; and
the first scanning mirror is positioned at the entrance pupil of the first lens assembly and at the exit pupil of the second lens assembly.

7. The optical system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second scanning mirror positioned in the optical path between the two dimensional field and the two dimensional image sensor; and
an image relay positioned in the optical path between the two dimensional field and the two dimensional image sensor, wherein the light from the two dimensional field traverses the second lens assembly, is incident on the second scanning mirror, is redirected into the second lens assembly by the second scanning mirror, traverses the image relay, is incident on the first scanning mirror, is redirected into the first lens assembly by the first scanning mirror, traverses the first lens assembly, and is incident upon the two dimensional image sensor.

8. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the first lens assembly and the second lens assembly are infinite conjugate lens assemblies.

9. The optical system of claim 1 , further comprising an illumination source, wherein the illumination source outputs electromagnetic radiation incident on the two dimensional field to illuminate the two dimensional field.

10. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the first lens assembly and the second lens assembly include the same components.

11. A method of imaging a two dimensional field comprising:
providing an optical system, the optical system comprising:
a first lens assembly having a first transform function whose output is within 0.1% of f 1 *(c 1 *θ 1 +(1−c 1 )*sin(θ 1 )) for any ray of light that traverses the first lens assembly from a center of an entrance pupil of the first lens assembly at an angle θ 1 relative to an optical axis of the first lens assembly, wherein f 1 is a focal length of the first lens assembly, and wherein −0.5<c 1 <2;
a first scanning mirror;
a second lens assembly having a second transform function whose output is within 0.1% of f 2 *(C 2 *θ 2 +(1−c 2 )*sin(θ 2 )) for any ray of light that traverses the second lens assembly from a center of an entrance pupil of the second lens assembly at an angle θ 2 relative to an optical axis of the second lens assembly, wherein f 2 is a focal length of the second lens assembly, and wherein −0.5<c 2 <2; and
a two dimensional image sensor, wherein:
the first lens assembly, the first scanning mirror, and the second lens assembly are positioned in an optical path between the two dimensional field and the two dimensional image sensor such that light from the two dimensional field traverses the second lens assembly, is incident on the first scanning mirror, is redirected into the first lens assembly by the first scanning mirror, traverses the first lens assembly, and is incident upon the two dimensional image sensor; and

rotating the first scanning mirror such that light from the two dimensional field traverses the second lens assembly, is incident on the first scanning mirror, is redirected into the first lens assembly by the first scanning mirror, traverses the first lens assembly, and is incident upon the two dimensional image sensor when the two dimensional field moves relative to the optical system, such that the two dimensional field remains imaged by the two dimensional image sensor.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein c 1 =c 2 , such that the first transform function and the second transform function are the same.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein c 1 =1.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein c 1 =0.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein c 1 =1.5.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising outputting electromagnetic radiation from an illumination source onto the two dimensional field.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the first lens assembly has an entrance pupil;
the second lens assembly has an exit pupil; and
the first scanning mirror is positioned at the entrance pupil of the first lens assembly and at the exit pupil of the second lens assembly.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first lens assembly and the second lens assembly are infinite conjugate lens assemblies.

19. An optical system for imaging a two dimensional field comprising:
a first lens assembly having a first transform function whose output is within 1% of f 1 *(c 1 *θ 1 +(1−c 1 )*sin(θ 1 )) for any ray of light that traverses the first lens assembly from a center of an entrance pupil of the first lens assembly at a non-zero angle θ 1 relative to an optical axis of the first lens assembly, wherein f 1 is a focal length of the first lens assembly, and wherein
−0.5 <c 1 <2;

a first scanning mirror;
a second lens assembly having a second transform function whose output is within 1% of f 2 *(c 2 *θ 2 +(1−c 2 )*sin(θ 2 )) for any ray of light that traverses the second lens assembly from a center of an entrance pupil of the second lens assembly at a non-zero angle θ 2 relative to an optical axis of the second lens assembly, wherein f 2 is a focal length of the second lens assembly, and wherein −0.5<c 2 <2; and
a two dimensional image sensor, wherein:
the first lens assembly, the first scanning mirror, and the second lens assembly are positioned in an optical path between the two dimensional field and the two dimensional image sensor such that light from the two dimensional field traverses the second lens assembly, is incident on the first scanning mirror, is redirected into the first lens assembly by the first scanning mirror, traverses the first lens assembly, and is incident upon the two dimensional

Assignees

• Corning Inc

Inventors

• Michaloski Paul Francis
• Sanson Mark Christian
• Tienvieri Clair Theodore

Classifications

• H04N3/08

  having a moving reflector · CPC title

• G02B26/105 Primary

  with one or more pivoting mirrors or galvano-mirrors (G02B26/101 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B26/101 Primary

  with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners (colour television using laser beams scanning a display screen H04N9/3129) · CPC title

• G02B27/0031

  for scanning purposes · CPC title

• G02B13/0005

  having F-Theta characteristic (scanning systems employing movable or deformable optical elements G02B26/10) · CPC title